Commons-Based Peer Production and Virtue Research Paper

Commons-Based Peer Production and Virtue - Research Paper Example The first virtue discussed by the writers is put under cluster I which is named autonomy, independence, and liberation. In the view of Nissenbaum and Benkler (2006), though commons-based peer production give users the freedom to contribute freely from the privacy of their homes, it is extremely necessary that such independence, liberation, and autonomy are respected in â€Å"our actions and choices as well as from the typical array of institutional entities, whether employers, banks, agents of government, or whoever.† The writers also touch on creativity, productivity, and industry. There is no denying fact this is an area in commons-based peer production that so much is needed from the contributor to show virtue and ethics. This assertion is judged from the fact that contributors are hardly coached or monitored. â€Å"Peer production offers a medium for contributing our thoughts, our knowledge, our know-how, or merely the spare cycles of our PCs toward a meaningful productâ €  (Nissenbaum and Benkler, 2006).Such freedom to be personal puts a lot of challenge on contributors to stand out tall with their level of creativity and productivity to ensure that standard is maintained in the industry. There are then the virtues of benevolence, charity, generosity, altruism. There are then the virtues of benevolence, charity, generosity, altruism,  writers believe that contributors should have an inner-judging ethics that should tell them that their effort and production are being undertaken as a form of social benevolence. For this reason, it is important to attach to it all needed commitment and dedication.

The Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremy Bentham Essay Example for Free

The Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremy Bentham Essay Introduction Jeremy Bentham has written numerous texts but none has had the towering impact on philosophical and legal thinking as his 1789 work titled â€Å"An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislations†. The book spells out a comprehensive theme on the moral and ethical sub structure on which utilitarian philosophy is built.   This is followed by an in depth analysis into the social and legal concerns of crime and punishment. What makes Benthams work extremely useful is the fact that both issues tackled by him have been highly controversial and extremely important topics throughout the modern era and continue to be fiercely debated and dwelt upon to this day. Bentham tackles the principle of utility and aims to link it with the legal verb. To Bentham, society sees highest achievable positive stimulus coupled with the lowest acceptable negative stimulus as something good, or worthwhile. On the other hand, societys perception of bad or corrupt is anything which leads to high negative stimulus and nil amount of positive feeling. These feelings are tangible and intangible, that is, they might be felt through the senses or may leave a mark on his/her soul.   Bentham assumes that these perceptions are integrated into the laws and regulations of a principality and suggests a criterion that calculates the positive and/or negative impact of any decisions flowing from the courts. Bentham identifies the magnitude of the decision, its time scale, its dependability, its qualitative aspects, its fruitfulness, its chastity, and the degree to which it engulfs the stakeholders as the binding tools using which the impact that a certain decision will have can be calculated and on the basis of which the idea of punishment can be studied and its effectiveness as a tool for social correction and betterment can be estimated, including its positive and negative effect on society. Bentham urges law makers and those who interpret of the law to measure the effectiveness of the punishment for it is possible that society, made up of many â€Å"selfs†, may perceive otherwise and the attempt to suppress a negative act may lead to greater manifestation of negativity in the society and its inhabitants. Bentham bases his hypothesis in view of his observation that laws and punishments lacking logic and common sense are not needed as they would lead to society towards greater negativity with far reaching consequences. Bentham then goes on to refute the notion that laws are a product of age, faith, literary compositions, fantasies of the human mind, distaste and fellow feeling. Instead laws, as Bentham sees them, should be constructed by careful examination of the positive and negative stimulus that these prospective laws would have on the society. Rugged Individualism is dangerous for Bentham sees it as a condition where the pursuit of happiness by the self will have adverse effects on those around him, leading to disorder. Thus, laws should be enacted in view of creating the maximum amount of positive stimulus and the lowest acceptable amount of negative feeling in favor of the highest number of people. Analysis Benthams views on the selfs pursuit of positive stimulus is up for scrutiny and synthesis. For Bentham, the self has two primary objectives, being to escape negative feeling and obtain the highest amount of positive feeling. Bentham argues that the pursuit for positive feeling is so strong that the individual self may seem keen to use others as a stepping stone so as to attain it. It is for this reason that Bentham argues against grouping of individuals for these metrics do not hold for long due to the selfs rugged pursuit of individual positive feeling. Thus, by all definitions, the self follows â€Å"utilitarianism†. Bentham banks upon many factors to support his view that humans have certain unique drivers that attempt to spread positivism or negativity amongst those around him. Long lasting political corridors are an example. Bentham makes use of the principles sympathy and antipathy by observing that the self fails to respond to certain actions as it does not feel threatened by them. However, if it does measure these actions in view of the personal effects it may have on itself, its reaction is going to be quite powerful. However, Benthams view of the self as a rigid decision maker on social issues is not without error. By narrowing down to what is right and what is wrong, the external influences on the self are disregarded. Bentham suggests that principle is something that points out some external consideration, as a means of warranting and guiding the internal sentiments of approbation and disapprobation. (Bentham, 75) Thus, the fact that external considerations are the ignition for shaping internal sentiments suggests that morality is also shaped by the environment in which the self resides. It is possible though that moral principle is distasteful. By disagreeing to accept principles, the self returns to its pre civilized state of affairs, that is, returns to its instinct. The tie between the catholic school of thought and the modern day autocratic system of government is explained by Benthams statement that plainness is against the law of human governance as explained by nature itself. To Bentham, both school of thoughts aim to force a code of ethics on the population as a whole, a task which is impossible to begin with. This point is best explained when criticizes using the words though many persons of this class have wielded the reins (sic) of empire, we read of none who have set themselves to work, and made laws of purpose. (Bentham, 73) Bentham goes on and projects a better measure on how to instill ethical considerations into society and improve the standard of governance, both stemming from a monarchist system of government. The Rule of Right under which the royals provided justifications that God had entrusted to them the power to rule was an important issue during Bentham’s lifetime. His theory of Utilitarianism had an answer to all problems of sociology except those arising out of monarchist rule. He argued that when a reformist asked for ethical change in society, the masses responded for this was perceived as something good. Thus, society would be justly governed if the maximum amount of positivism and the lowest amount of negativism would follow from it, Bentham argues that the pursuance of pleasure or positive feeling is paramount to any government. This pursuit of pleasure should extend towards administrative, law making, law enforcement and law making matters. This is evidenced by him saying It is not to be expected that this process should be strictly pursued previously to every moral judgment. (Bentham, 88) By giving thought to the ethical and moral consequences of judicial decision making, Bentham argued for radical reform. Thus, it was possible that simplicity could be sacrificed and ethics kept and thus ensure a fair administrative environment. This would also bring an end to the so called rule of right and its religious fervor.   Thus, Bentham managed to lay the groundwork on which future insight into the field of social morality was constructed. Bentham has a very simple yet powerful explanation to the classification of human positivism or negativism. To him, pleasure and pain are either simple or complex and thus never migrate into other stratifications. The basic observation on the pursuit of happiness and soreness has been termed as very shallow prompting Bentham when he says that â€Å"the simple ones are those which cannot any one of them be resolved into more, (Bentham, 90). Thus, for instance, Benthams remark that the end of the law is to augment happiness is a fair code of administration. (Bentham, 97). However, sometimes safety comes at a cost of pleasure and both sides of the coin are aptly discussed in his book. As the old maxim goes, â€Å"for every dark and light area there is a gray area†. Thus, it was a great feat that Jeremy Bentham managed to break new ground in the study of the origin of the rudiments of the individual’s drive and ethics. He provided a theoretical framework under which it became possible for a government to pursue pleasure for all and regard it as fair administration. While positive stimulus builds character, the probability that good might turn into the opposite s always high and present. Dishonesty has been and continues to be a major issue in governance. Further dwelling upon ways to record these good and bad characters reveals that any government which has positive stimulus at its corner stone ends up being corrupted by the individual’s circumstance. This work by Jeremy Bentham provides a while new insight into the world of ethics. Conclusion The Introduction to the Principles of Morals and legislations by Bentham has formed the sub structure on which the rest of English Utilitarian philosophy is built. It is an important commentary on the principle of utility, theory of action, and the tie between law and morality. Bentham examines morality as a subset of human reaction. The author seeks to enact social reform by trying to bring goal congruence between the interests of the individual and the masses. The history of social reform has not seen a great yet low profile philosopher like Jeremy Bentham. This might be due to the length and width of this draining work. Despite that, his work on utilitarianism has evolved as an important pillar in moral philosophy and his work laid the groundwork for this future development. You have succeeded in understanding the book if one manages to understand utilitarianism, its workings, and how egoism and neutralism converge when viewed in an ethical context. This would help the reader in scrutinizing the theory, internally and externally. However, a thorough reading of this text would ensure that works on this topic by later writers like Mill would seem quite easy to comprehend. Work Cited Bentham, Jeremy. Principles of Morals and Legislation. United States of America: Prometheus Books. ISBN: 0879754346.

Antecedents of Safety Performance Behaviours: A Review

Antecedents of Safety Performance Behaviours: A Review Occupational safety is a vital issue that is affecting peoples lives and also countries economies dramatically. As the necessity of preventing the occupational accidents and illnesses occur, more researches are conducted to understand and improve the conditions that cause the hazards. (Neal Griffin, 2006) In this essay, the antecedents of performance safety behaviours would be critically reviewed. Work safety and the accident measures are vital for preventing the injuries and the occupation related illnesses. According to the data of HSE (Health and Safety Executive) Statistics 2009/2010; in UK, 152 people died at workplace 1,3 million worker are suffering from occupational based illnesses , 354 430 worker had injured (reportable and other injuries). The accidents and occupational illnesses also have an economic effect as 28,5 million work days were lost in total based on the injuries and illnesses. (The Health and Safety Executive, UK, 2010) The dramatic effect of occupational accidents and illnesses on human and economy forces for new precautions and further researches to improve the conditions that would affect the health of the workers. According to Fernà ¡ndez-Muà ±iz, Montes-Peà ³n Và ¡zquez-Ordà ¡s (2007) , for recovering from the recent situation in occupational injuries and illnesses, safety culture has an increasing interest by several fields. According to the research they have conducted on 455 Spanish companies, they have found out that the managers in the companies has direct and indirect vital roles in the means of providing a safety culture which effects the workers safe behaviour. Managers can affect the workers by founding a management system which would enforce the safety regulations and activities. Managers can also guide them to desired behaviour that would help them to improve a safer work environment. Safety culture is an important concept that comes to life after the Chernobyl disaster although there were studies examining the companies in the means of the effects of the policies, behaviours and precautions to their safety performance. One of the oldest theory is Heinrichs Domino theory (1930s) which is based on the five dominos that would fall in an accident sequence as the first one is social environment conducive to accidents and the others are fault of person. Even though lots of research had been conducted after this theory, safety culture is not totally clear in the means of understanding and implementation. Despite the organizational differences defined by industrial, regional, national, technological, companies experiences, managements view on safety culture, legal regulations, there are still common points that would define an efficient safety culture. In a successful safety culture, the workers should be aware of all the risks in their work and also they should be know and practice all the precautionary measures for their own safety. The workers also should be cautious about the new potential risks and inform the management about practices and developments.(Ostrom, Wilhesen Kaplan,1993) Safety Performance behaviours are strongly related with safety motivation and knowledge. Psychological and group safety climates are also has vital effects on the safety performance behaviours however group safety climate has the strongest association in the means of accidents and injuries. (Christian, Bradley, Wallace Burke, 2009) Neal and Griffin, (2006) argues that occupational performance is an efficient way to examine the relationship between safety behaviour and safety climate. Neal and Griffin, (2002) had divided the safety behaviour in to two as safety participation and safety compliance. Safety participation is related with the performance such as safety trainings, interaction with the other workers in the safety concerns, that is not particularly related with the workers own safety however sustain an organizational culture to improve safety at the workplace. Safety compliance is related with the workers performance that is needed to sustain the occupational safety such as wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) and comply with the organizational regulations. Christian et all., (2009) categorize antecedents as person related (proximal and distal antecedents) or situation related (safety climate and leadership) . Safety knowledge and safety motivation are determined as the proximal antecedents. Safety knowledge is important in the means of the personal fulfilment of the safety rules and actions. (Neal Griffin, 2002) As knowledge has a positive connection with performance behaviour it would also improve the success of the safety performance because the worker who had the related knowledge would behave safer. (Christian et all., 2009) Safety motivation is vital in the means of the workers motivation to fulfil safety rules and required actions. (Neal Griffin, 2002). Christian et all.(2009) assumes safety motivation positively effect the improvement in the number of accidents. Clarke and Robertson (2005), used the big five personality factors to examine their relation with the accidents. According to their research, low agreeableness and conscientiousness were found as related with the accident involvement. Even though highly extraverted workers might be considered as more likely to have accidents, the relation between extraversion and work place accidents were found invalid. The workers who have higher neuroticism are more likely to have problems in risky situations than the others and also because they could easily get demotivated they are more likely to have experience accidents. Christian et all., (2009) also used the big five personality factors to examine their relation with the accidents. By considering the conscientious workers features as being more responsible, dependable, and also more positively related to motivation than the other workers who has lower conscientiousness levels, they are less likely to have occupational accidents. Also as Clarke and Robertson, (2005) had founded, Christian et. all, (2009) suggests the workers who have higher neuroticism would have lower safety performance behaviour and higher chances to encounter to an accident. Locus of control is one of the big five personality factors. It is one of the most researched areas in psychology with self-esteem and neuroticism. (Judge, Erez, Bono Thoresen, 2002) The workers who have internal locus of control are more concerned in the safety issues where as the workers who has external locus of control are less likely to concern the safety. (Christian et. All, 2009) Propensity for risk taking is one of the big five personality factors that concerns about the reason why some people decide to perform more risky behaviours than the others. To examine the reasons that would cause the risky behaviours would enable the management to found better working risk management systems. According to the research, the tendency of risk consciousness is higher than it was before over the job markets not only about the financial risks but also the occupational accidents. (Nicholson, Soane, Fenton-OCreevy, Willman,2005) Safety climate can be defined as a concept that includes the safety policies, strategies and actions for providing the safety in the organisation. Otherwise safety culture is related with the beliefs and values that are shared by workers in the means of their reactions on the safety risks and management systems. The researches on safety climate generally concentrate on the main configuration of safety climate and also examines the connection between safety climate and outcome variables. Several researches were carried out to describe the safety climate hence they couldnt compromise on the main scope of safety climate as they provide an extensive scale of various main configurations. (Neal Griffin, 2002) As the former researches refers to a considerable connection between safety climate and accident involvement, (Clark, 2006) argues that safety climate has a small relation with occupational accidents even though it is successful in estimating the safety performance behaviours. Organizational safety climate has more effect than the individuals safety climate in safety performance as it consists of collective concepts in the group than individual ones.(Christian et all., 2009) Leadership is a situation related antecedent. Lately some researches are conducted in the means of examining the relationship between the leadership and safety climate which might have an effect on accidents and safe behaviour. Leader worker relations has a vital effect on the workers actions. The workers who have high-quality relationships with their leaders are more likely to have more positive safety behaviours because the leader and the worker would have connected to solve problems together. (Hofmann, Morgeson Gerras 2003) Also workers who have positive interactions with their leaders are more likely to respond their leaders positively then their colloquies. (Christian et. all, 2009) Every year a high number of workers are affected by the occupational accidents and illnesses which forces to research occupational safety to find solutions to improve the current situation. The managers have an important affect in the organizational culture to change the workers safety behaviours. (Fernà ¡ndez-Muà ±iz et all, 2007) Also workers should be aware of the all risks in their work and know how to prevent them. (Ostrom et. all, 1993) Safety motivation and safety knowledge is important for preventing the accidents. (Christian et. all, 2009) As we conduct the big five factor model to occupational safety behaviours, it has been found out that, low agreeableness and conscientiousness are related with the accident involvement (Clarke Robinson, 2005) Also the workers who has higher neuroticism are more open to the accidents. (Christian et. all, 2009) Organizational safety climate has also a positive affect on the workers safety behaviours. (Christian et. all, 2009) REFERENCES Christian, M.S., Bradley, J.C., Wallace, J.C., Burke, M.J.,( 2009), Workplace Safety: A Meta-Analysis of the Roles of Person and Situation Factors , Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1103-1127 Clark, S., Robertson, I.T., (2005), A meta- analytic review of the Big Five personality factors and accident involvement in occupational non-occupational settings. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 78(3), 355-376 Clark, S., (2006), The relationship between safety climate and safety performance: A meta-analytic review, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 11(4), 315-327 Fernà ¡ndez-Muà ±iz ,B., Montes-Peà ³n, J.M., Và ¡zquez-Ordà ¡s, C.J., (2007) ,Safety culture: Analysis of the causal relationships between its key dimensions, Journal of Safety Research, 38, 627-641 Hofmann, D.A., Morgeson, F.P. Gerras, S.J., (2003), Climate as a moderator of the relationship between leader-member exchange and content specific citizenship: Safety climate as an exemplar, Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(1), 170-178 Neal,A., Griffin ,M.A. (2002), Safety Climate and Safety Behaviour , Australian Journal of Management, 27, 67-76 Neal, A., Griffin, M.A., (2006), A study of the lagged relationships among safety climate, safety motivation, and accidents at the individual and group levels, Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(4), 946-953 Nicholson, N., Soane, E., Fenton-OCreevy, M., Willman, P.(2005), Personality and domain-specific risk taking, Journal of Risk Research, 8(2), 157-176 Ostrom, L., Wilhelmsen, C. and Kaplan, B. (1993) Assessing Safety Culture, Nuclear Safety, 34(2),163-172 The Health and Safety Statistics 2009/10,HSE 2010, http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0910.pdf Judge, T.A., Erez, A., Bono, J.E., Thoresen, C.J., (2002), Are measures of self-esteem, neuroticism, locus of control, and generalized self-efficacy indicators of a common core construct?, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(3), 693-710

The Party from Hell :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My birthday fell on the 21st of July, but it was only the 18th. My parents were out of town, so this had to be the weekend I threw a huge birthday bash. I made up flyers, 50 of them, and my neighbors didn’t seem to mind too much, so things seemed to be set. I took the 16th and 17th off of work so I could get anything of value safely locked away in secured rooms. I hoped that things would work out well and nothing would go wrong. I made sure that the flyers were only handed out to the people that I actually wanted there, in efforts to keep away the â€Å"trouble makers†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The day of the party was finally here, and I spent it setting up my very expensive stereo system so that no one could break it. Everything seemed to be in place and the people started rolling in. Things were going great. People were dancing and playing pool and just having a good time. There were a few people over by the snack bar eating their hearts out, and that is where the first signs of trouble caught my eye. I noticed a couple of people sneaking drinks. This was exactly what I had tried to prevent. In my past experience, whenever there was alcohol at a party, bad things happened. I didn’t want to spoil the fun people were having so I decided as long as it was contained to those few people, nothing would go wrong. As the night continued, things only seemed to get better. My friends were there and we were having a great time. No one had complained about the noise, and the drinking had kept itself to those few people, or so I thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A couple of hours after I noticed the alcohol, I spotted a crowd around one of the bathrooms. Apparently there was a girl in there, throwing up. As I began to walk over, she pushed through the crowd, completely out of control. I didn’t know how to react; it seemed like anything anyone did just made her more upset. She was screaming that she needed to go outside, so we let her out onto the back porch. I tried to calm her down, along with about five of my other friends, but nothing seemed to work. She began running down the street yelling that we were trying to attack her.

Protrayal of Australian Landscape and Character

How has the Australian Landscape been used to portray and show the development of Australian Character? Refer to 2 Texts. As a person that calls Australia home, I have seen and heard many criticisms and descriptions of this land that were observed from foreigners. Although there are aspects that create the image of Australia such as the people and the natural fauna, the main and central idea that represents our home are her deadly and awe-inspiring environments and landscape. Australia’s character is built upon first impressions.As most people rely on their sight, their first impressions are from visual perspectives. The environment of which they arrive in or have experienced from media depend largely on what they see, thus making the Australian landscape of vital importance in creating the â€Å"Australian Character. † Due to the fact that we rely on sight, this also includes our limitless imagination; and the key to imaginations are words. Description, tone and the fe elings portrayed through words are the cause of imaginations and perceptions and because the iconic images of Australia are the landscapes we tend to include them in our portrayals.Written languages have been around for centuries, it is a way of communication and as informed so are images. The comparison for the development of Australia flows easily with words and is therefore usually portrayed in texts, other forms of literature and in songs. It goes into more depth. It is a detailed way to represent the character of Australia. There are many text examples, of which use the Australian landscape to portray the development of Australia such as poems like â€Å"My Country† and â€Å"The Fierce Country† and lyrics in the Advance Australian Fair.The poem â€Å"My Country† by Dorothea Mackellar is a famous Australian poem, well-known for the descriptions based upon Australia’s landscape. The poem contains many words related to landform such as â€Å"sweeping plains†, â€Å"ragged mountain ranges† and â€Å"wilful lavish land,† all in which have an adjective to accompany it. This creates allows us to imagine these depictions in the same perspective as the authors, which gives us a clear view to what she is talking about.The way Dorothea used symbolic words to describe Australia’s landscapes, helps us to grasp the concept of Australia’s character. A sample of this would include the contrasting effects in the verse: â€Å"I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me! † Here the words symbolise and infer many characteristics that may bring out feelings. There are many ways to interpret Australia’s character through this.For example, the â€Å"sunburnt† gives me the idea of being durable and tough as well as the c olour of red, the â€Å"land of sweeping plains† keeps me thinking of being broad/wide and productive as plains contain fertile soil and the â€Å"ragged mountains† produces the personality of being persistent and being able to stand her ground through many years. Additionally, â€Å"her far horizons† perceives calmness, the â€Å"jewel sea† shows that Australia is rich, valuable and holds substance still to be discovered and the contrast in the line â€Å"her beauty and her terror† indicates that she is diverse.By reading through this verse of the landscape, it overall gives Australia the characteristics of being strong, durable, dynamic, tenacious, relaxed and unique and therefore portraying Australia’s characteristics. Another poem is Douglas Stewart’s, â€Å"Fierce Country. † In this case, the uses of landscapes are used constantly through the poem, in a way forcing us to think about only landscapes throughout the whole thi ng. He uses many personifications such as â€Å"the sun glares down on the stones and the stones glare back†, â€Å"red stones leap with fire† and â€Å"where the mirage still watches with glittering eyes. This enables us to think of this country as a living organism, which gives us an easier way to create Australia’s character and personality. The use of landscapes mixed along with personification also assists our interpretation as we are human and have experienced or seen these personified actions before, hence strengthening the concept through the whole poem and is a way in which the Australian landscape has been used.

Toyota Goes Green Essay Example

Toyota Goes Green Essay Example Toyota Goes Green Essay Toyota Goes Green Essay With the high costs of fuel and the environment dwindling. Companies have started going green to help reduce cost and find alternative to the natural burdens of the economy by using eco friendly services and products. Car companies like Toyota have gone green to look for another alternative to rising fuel prices and better gas mileage. With their introduction of the Prius, Toyota has become the world’s leading car manufacturer. The Prius also helps out by being environmentally friendly. Hybrid cars like the Prius are designed with an electric motor that is mixed with a gasoline engine that lets drivers get above average gas mileage. Existing models get 47 to 60 miles per gallon, depending on where youre driving. Toyota claims you can drive its 2004 Prius from Detroit to Washington on a single tank of gas â€Å"(U. S. A Today, 2007) Toyota has not only made cars to prove that they are going green but they also incorporate ways to save money and save the environment. In an arti cle in the Times magazine it states â€Å"What matters more than one car model,† says the article, â€Å"is the efficiency Toyota brings to all aspects of its business a corporate philosophy that strives to exterminate waste†. Toyota can use a single production line to make several car types, which means it has cut energy use by 30 per cent since 2000. †(Times, Jan 11) Toyota has made a huge financial impact by choosing to design and sell economic friendly products. â€Å"In Toyotas case, green also refers to the color of cash; this month the carmaker announced that between December, 1997, and May, 2007, it sold more than 1 million hybrid cars worldwide. †(Janna, R) The auto industry has made a major impact by producing these hybrids. Toyota is not the only maker of hybrids like the Prius. Honda started the craze by being the first car company to produce the Hybrid vehicle which was called the Honda Insight. The Honda Insight was introduced in 1999 and provided lower gas emissions. Soon Toyota caught on to the craze of hybrid vehicles by making the Prius, the Highlander, and now even the new Camry is a hybrid car. Other car companies like Ford and General Motors have noticed the financial impact and are said to roll out new hybrid vehicles with in the next three years. The environment has been effected tremendously by companies going green. Like the car companies that have gone green other companies have also gone green by trying to find other alternatives for rising fuel costs. It is not only the rising prices of fuel for cars that the economy is focusing on. Energy companies have also joined the cause to go green and fight the rising cost of fuel for electricity. Energy companies are trying to save money while expanding their markets by using less fossil fuel and making products and services that are more economically friendly. â€Å"With energy prices trending higher, the threat to the bottom line continues to grow. That’s made the motivation for conserving fuel more compelling. Some 65 percent of U. S. companies think that escalating energy prices pose a potential roadblock to their companys growth over the next 12 months, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers in the fourth quarter of 2005. †(MSNBC, 2007) Other companies such as Cargill which is in the global food processing business have started to use their waste into new energy. Using meat scraps they have been able to develop a methane gas that has allowed the company to save money by replacing the high cost of natural gas. Electricity companies have started to use alternatives such as ethanol and wind energy to power the world’s energy. U. S. ethanol production hit nearly 4 billion gallons last year, according to the U. S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 100 ethanol plants are in operation, another 33 are under construction and nine are being expanded, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. â€Å"(MSNBC, 2007) â€Å"Wind energy is also getting a lift. Though it makes up just a half a percent of U. S. energy consumption, its the fastest growing sources of renewable energy in terms of usage and capacity. One big reason is the dramatic cost per kilowatt of producing electricity with wind making it much more competitive with fossil fuels. †(MSNBC, 2007) I can not make any recommendations on what should have been done since I think the rising new technology and the eco friendly products and services are helping cut costs while helping the World clean up the environment. I look forward to the new innovation since these costs are sky rocketing every day. I can only hope that average people like us get the much deserved break that we need. (2007) â€Å"Companies going green with energy alternatives â€Å"Retrieved on November 27, 2007, from msnbc. msn. com/id/12040418/ (2007) Times Magazine Jan 11†Going green is natural for some† Retrieved on November 28, 2007, from imesonline. co. uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/graduate_management/article1291095. ece U. S. A. Today, Block, S Your Money (2007)†Going green with car can save you some green at tax time† Retrieved on November 29, 2007, from usatoday. com/money/perfi/columnist/block/2004-01-13-ym_x. htm Reena, J (2007) â€Å"The business benefits of going green† Retrieved on November 29, 2007, from businessweek. com/innovate/content/jun2007/id20070622_491833. htm? chan=innovation_innovation+%2B+design_green+design

The 46 Colleges With the Highest ACT Scores, Ranked

The 46 Colleges With the Highest ACT Scores, Ranked SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you know that the ACT is accepted by all four-year colleges? And that more students now end up taking the ACT than the SAT?With the test growing more popular each year, it’s helpful to get a handle on what schools are toughest when it comes to applicants’ ACT scores. For this article, I've compiled a list of colleges with the highest average ACT scores for admitted students. With this data, you can compare your own ACT scores (or goal scores) with those earned by admitted applicants at top colleges. We'll also talk about what these rankings actually mean: are these schools the best you can attend? Are they the most competitive? What if your ACT scores are below the listed averages? Read on to find out the answers to these questions (and more)! The Current ACT Rankings Here's a chart of colleges and universities whose admitted students have the highest average ACT scores: Average Composite ACT Score School 35 Caltech 34 Columbia 34 Duke 34 Harvard 34 Harvey Mudd 34 MIT 34 University of Chicago 34 Vanderbilt 33 Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering 33 Johns Hopkins 33 Northwestern 33 Notre Dame 33 Princeton 33 Rice 33 Stanford 33 Washington University in St Louis 33 Yale 32 Amherst 32 Boston College 32 Bowdoin 32 Brown 32 Carnegie Mellon 32 Cornell 32 Dartmouth 32 Georgetown 32 Georgia Tech 32 Grinnell 32 Hamilton 32 Haverford 32 Pomona 32 Swarthmore 32 Tufts 32 UC Berkeley 32 University of Pennsylvania 32 USC 32 Washington and Lee 32 Williams 31 Carleton 31 Claremont McKenna 31 Colgate 31 Emory 31 Middlebury 31 University of Michigan 31 Vassar 31 Villanova 31 Wellesley If you want more information about your own chances of getting into any of the schools listed above, click on the names of the schools you're interested in to see their ACT scores and admissions info page. How Should You Interpret These ACT Rankings? The ACT is scored, in total, out of 36 points. As you can see, the scores ranked above are pretty close to that maximum score (the highest listed above is 35, and the lowest is 31). According to ACT, Inc., the current average ACT score (when considering every single student who takes the exam) is 21 out of 36. A student's score is generally considered high if it's 25 or above- this puts the student in the top 25% of test takers. By contrast, a score is generally considered low if it's 16 or below- this puts a student in the bottom 25% of test takers. You can read more about what's considered a good and bad ACT score by checking out our guide to ACT scores. Highest ACT Averages: Are These Really the Top Schools? Now that you have an idea of where your own ACT scores (or goal scores) fit in terms of these rankings, you might be wondering how important this list is when it comes to determining top schools. It's a bit of a complicated question. Most of the schools listed above are ranked very highly on college ranking lists, including the most recent edition of theUS News best universitiesand best national liberal arts colleges lists. These college ranking lists take many factors into consideration, not just ACT scores. Even though the rankings might not be perfectly accurate, they give a pretty good general idea of what the top US schools are. The institutions that rank on this list do tend to have better reputations than other schools and are generally more competitive- that is, acceptance rates are lower (in some cases much lower) than average. You'll notice, for example, that all the Ivy League schools are on the ACT list above. Because these schools are highly competitive, the students who attend them are typically very strong academically. The schools who won a spot on this list tend to be ranked highly by education experts, have high graduation rates, and are home to a strong student body. Of course, it's important to consider not only a school's reputation or rankingbut also what it can offer you personally. The top school for you will be the school that best matches your own personal preferences, interests, passions, and future aspirations.Schools with very specialized programs or unique offerings might be better fits for some students- not everyone will know or care about the Curtis Institute of Music, for example, but any musician in the making will more than likely know it’s one of the top music schools in the country (even though it doesn’t make the list for top ACT scores). To sum up, the schools on the ACT list above do tend to rank very highly, and for good reason. Ultimately, though, what makes a school "good" is whether it's a good fit for you. Are Schools With High ACT Scores the Most Competitive? For the reasons discussed above, the schools on this list are some of the most competitive in the country- that is, they have some of the lowest acceptance rates, with some reporting super low rates of less than 10%. However, there are also niche institutions with extremely low acceptance rates that do not necessarily weight ACT scores as heavily as the schools above. Some of the most competitive schools in the US are military and naval academies, conservatories, andschools that guarantee a minimum financial aid amount. Many of these institutions don't rank on this ACT list. What If Your ACT Scores Are Below the Listed Averages? Admissions officers consider a student applicant as a whole- they don't just look at your ACT score to determine whether you're a good fit for the school. If your ACT scores are less than stellar, you might be able to make up for a low test score with other strengths. The bottom line is that if you’re applying to a school with extremely competitive ACT scores and your scores are below average, you’ll have to stand out as an exceptional applicant in other parts of your application.You can do this by earning an impressive GPA, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to community service, using your personal essay to discuss extraordinary circumstances or personal obstacles you've faced †¦ the list goes on! Find a way to stand out as a strong applicant in ways that don't involve your ACT score. Now, keep in mind that the scores listed above are averages- about half of all students attending a particular school will have ACT scores lower than the score listed for it. What this means is your application won’t necessarily be tossed aside just because your ACT score is lower than the average. You can also access information on the "middle 50" for each school- that is, the score at the 25th percentile and 75th percentile for admitted students. This will tell you the range of scores that the median 50% of accepted students have. You'll generally be a stronger applicant if you fall in this middle 50% than if you're in the bottom 25% of students. If you want to calculate your chances of getting into a certain school, use our admissions pages, which you can find by Googling "[School Name] PrepScholar." Finally, if the ACT just isn't your thing, consider taking the SAT.All four-year colleges accept SAT scores, and some students mightperform better on the SAT than they would on the ACT. What's Next? If you haven't already taken the ACT, perhaps this list of top schools has given you a goal to shoot for.If so, you should check outour guide to getting a perfect ACT scoreas well as our guide to the best tips you can use to improve your ACT score. Don't have a ton of time to prep? Learn how to study for the ACT in a month, and take a look at our most effective last-minute ACT tips to help you increaseyour score on test day. Is the ACT not your thing, but you still want to get into a top school? Get more info on how to get a perfect score on your SAT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

The Middle East And North Africa Mena Economics Essay Essays

The Middle East And North Africa Mena Economics Essay Essays The Middle East And North Africa Mena Economics Essay Essay The Middle East And North Africa Mena Economics Essay Essay of which, with the exclusion of Syria and the West Bank and Gaza, all states in the part are members or have observer position. Ten MENA states have signed European Union-Mediterranean Association Agreements ( EMAAs ) with the E.U. These understandings replace the discriminatory entree to European markets for goods from African, Caribbean, and Pacific states with a mutual decrease in duties on many goods. However, these understandings by and large exempt agricultural trade goods. The MENA part is besides an oil rich part and the part s economic lucks over much of the past one-fourth century have been to a great extent influenced by the monetary value of oil. During the recession of 2008 that effected planetary economic systems and the demand for oil, it led to increase uncertainness for the MENA part because of its high dependance on oil monetary value in the international market. As an incorporate unit MENA has been able to get by with planetary recession because of its combined trade policy. In the old ages to come, integrated parts similar to MENA might be the reply to future jobs and therefore makes it of import to look at costs and benefits of economic integrating in the visible radiation of MENA. The paper will foremost look at the current jobs and challenges faced by the MENA part and so look at the benefits of integrating to the part Challenges faced by the MENA part In order to understand the challenges faced by the MENA part jointly, it is of import to split the part into groups and expression at these jobs in a coherent segregated mode. Harmonizing to a study by OECD titled Opportunities and challenges in the MENA part these categorizations are: Resource-rich, labor-abundant states are manufacturers and exporters of oil and gas and have big native populations, which represent about the entirety of their occupants. This group of states includes Algeria, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Resource-rich, labor-importing states are manufacturers and exporters of oil and gas and have big portions of foreign or expatriate occupants, who represent a important per centum of the entire population, even the bulk in some instances. This group of states comprises the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) members ( Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates ) and Libya. Resource-poor states are little manufacturers or importers of oil and gas. These states include Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Palestinian Authority. ( OECD, 2003 ) Unemployment The challenges faced by MENA include high unemployment degrees ( in specific among young person ) ; permeant corruptness and deficiency of answerability and transparence ; bloated public sectors with state-owned endeavors that crowdout the development of private endeavor and investing ; low degrees of endeavor creative activity ; and, for a figure of states, a high dependance on fuel and nutrient imports bring forthing extended exposure to trade good monetary value volatility. Given that these challenges are both structural and interconnected, they can be addressed merely through a co-ordinated and comprehensive scheme that involves authoritiess, the private sector, civil society, and the international community which I will demo subsequently in the essay. The chart below from the World Bank shows unemployment rates for 2000 and 2009 in the MENA part, bespeaking the alteration in unemployment over nine old ages. ( World Bank, 2011 ) Arab Spring Revolution Immigration is expected to increase in those states most affected by the Arab Spring. Immigration to GCC states, which already host important portions of Arab immigrants, is expected to lift. Numerous histories have been reported of Immigrants flying from Northern Africa to Europe. Furthermore, a study of Egyptian immature people by the International organisation for Migration found that the oncoming of protests and instability may hold acted as a primary push factor for young person who reported anterior purposes to migrate. The study s consequences showed that two-thirds of respondents with migration purposes who were working prior to the start of the protests were negatively affected by the events: 26 per centum lost their occupations, 20 per centum were asked to take unpaid leave, and 19 per centum witnessed a decrease in their working hours. ( International Organization for Migration, 2011 ) Inflation Datas from OECD indicated that high rising prices which is the merchandise of a high dependance on fuel and nutrient imports represents a major challenge for resource-poor states. For the MENA part ; consumer monetary value rising prices has remained high since the oil and fuel monetary value spikes of 2007-08. This is peculiarly the instance in Egypt, which registered an rising prices rate of 5 per centum during 1996-2005 and a significantly higher rate of 11 per centum during 2006-10. A noteworthy exclusion to high rising prices has been Morocco, which has kept consumer monetary value additions below 3 per centum. ( OECD, 2003 ) Costss and Benefits of Economic Integration in MENA Although the MENA part has registered a comparatively high economic growing during the last few old ages, However ; the absence of a vivacious private sector which would hold been able to make more and better occupations, has meant that economic public presentation has non been reflected in improved life criterions for the bulk. As discussed earlier, some factors doing this lack are stiff labour markets, accomplishments mismatches, the herding out of private endeavor by SOEs and high corruptness. But there are besides other economic and structural factors, such as low degrees of fight in fabrication sectors, deficiency of export-market variegation, and low intraregional integrating which still exists in the part. Furthermore, although the Arab Spring provides an of import chance for economic reform, although its immediate effects will be negative for those states most affected by societal and political instability Passage illustrations from other parts suggest that the medium-run additions from traveling to more unfastened and accountable authoritiess are ample. Income growing tends to stabilise at a higher mean rate in the decennary after passage, and income volatility at a lower rate, as compared with the old period. The consequences will depend on how fleetly and believably authoritiess can perpetrate to reform. In the interim, as investors wait for political uncertainness to be resolved in states affected by political convulsion, it is inevitable that investing will be delayed and economic challenges will emerge. Evidence from earlier passages shows that these troubles tend to be limited ; growing typically dips for merely one twelvemonth and so returns to or exceeds old degrees. Integration via Trade in Goods Regional trade understandings ( RTAs ) have proliferatedin the MENA part in the past two decennaries. Such understandings can do it possible to harvest benefits from internationalintegration, while orienting the commissariats ofthe understandings to the peculiar demands and adjustmentcapacities of the states involved. They canalso have good indirect effects. Opening domesticmarkets to spouse states, for illustration, can increasecompetition in sectors with antecedently highlyconcentrated industrial constructions. Such precompetitive impacts are peculiarly of import for countriesthat have merely a nascent domestic competition policy.Also, regional cooperation can be effectual in harmonizingcustoms processs and domestic regulations.Adopting common regulations on investing, forexample, has the possible to promote increased inflowsof foreign direct investing by heightening thecredibility of FDI-related policies and supplying a restrainton sudden policy reversals. Harmonizing to the World Bank many MENA states have late seen the portion of intraregional trade in entire ware trade addition dramatically over the past two decennaries. Compared to this ; the extent of intraregional trade remains lowerthan in all other parts of the universe, except for South Asia. Though the ratio of intraregional trade to GDP exceeds 15 per centum in the Syrian Arab Republic and Jordan, in most MENA states the ratio remains in the low individual figures. In peculiar, resource-rich, labor-importing states by and large show a really low degree of intra-MENA exports in relation to GDP, despite high entire export-to-GDP ratios. ( World Bank, 2005 ) . Integration through Servicess For an economic system, services typically contribute a major part to the GDP. Therefore, it is of import to take barriers to entryfor both domestic and foreign houses and increasethe efficiency of services. The current regional integrating understandings inMENA by and large do non cover services trade, and in countries where the understandings do cover services, it is in the footings of purposes and silent understandings. Furthermore, there still exist differences in ordinances and at times bounds on the physical motion of persons. In these instances it is presently making a state of affairs in which it is frequently easier for MENA states service suppliers to run in states outside the part than within. The chart below from the World Bank represents the service exports for selected states in the MENA part. Integration through Labor reforms If we compare the part s integrating through trade and labour we can see that the MENA part is more incorporate in the globaleconomy through labour mobility than through tradeand investing. Harmonizing to a study by the World Bank on the MENA part titled Economic Developments and Prospects it has outlined that the part s portion of planetary trade flows is below 5 per centum, andthe part receives an even lower portion of globalFDI flows. However, about 16 per centum of all remittancespaid out to migrators in the universe originate inthe MENA part, basically the GCC states, and 10 per centum of planetary remittals are standard byresidents of MENA states. ( World Bank, 2008 ) They have besides explained a recent tendency where MENA s portion in remittals has come down significantly since the 1990s, at atime when remittals to India, China, Mexico, andthe Philippines have increased exponentially. Therefore looking closely at these immense labour flows in the past it becomes of import to inquire here if in-migrations are wholly conflict-driven flows. This is non the instance if we look at the chart below where the portion of refugees as a part of Migrants has decreased dramatically. One of the primary factors prefering the addition in in-migration still appears to be demographics. Harmonizing to population projections from the United Nations in context with labour force engagement rates, show that, if there is no migration so the labour force in GCC states will maintain turning at 2.2 per centum per yearbetween 2005 and 2010, but after 2010, this growing rate will worsen. Thus, without extra migrator workers, two GCC workers would still hold to supportthree inactive individuals over the foreseeable hereafter. This shows that if there are no drastic alterations so underlying demographic factors will go on to prefer more migration. Integration through Capital Flows Two developments frame the context for recenttrends in capital markets in the MENA part: countriessuch as Syria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisiahave begun to intensify structural and institutionalreforms, increasing the demand for capital The oil roar has generated monolithic liquidness in theGulf provinces, therefore increasing the supply of capital. Compared with conditions in old oil boomperiods, a higher sum of the excess is now availableto the oil-exporting MENA states and is beingchanneled into project-based investings in the region.GCC states have already allocated over $ 1.3 trillion in substructure and fabrication investmentsover the following 5 old ages harmonizing to the EIU mentality for 2007 ( Economist Intelligence Unit, 2007 ) On the other manus, Project-based investings have late been increasingespecially in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, andTunisia. These intra-MENA investings are largely basedon telecommunications, substructure, existent estate, touristry, and banking. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency has list of multibillion-dollar investing undertakings in MENA which is acquiring longer. Harmonizing to them some recent investing undertakings include: A $ 9 billion touristry undertaking by Dubai Holding and Emaar Holding in Morocco, Kuwait s Telecom Group ( Wataniya ) spread outing into Tunisia, DubaiHolding geting 33.5 per centum of Tunis Telecom ( $ 2.25 billion ) , and the Bukhater Group s $ 5 billion City Complex undertaking in Tunisia. To day of the month, there are 15MENA national investing publicity bureaus, most of which were established in the past decade.New investings are facilitated by private groupsand finance houses, and authoritiess are closelymonitoring reform indexes published by i nternationalagencies to analyse the effects of greater investings intra-region. ( Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, 2011 ) Integration through Infrastructure Investments In footings of Infrastructure investing late, there have been cross-border substructure undertakings that are going more outstanding in the part. Some of the examplesinclude cross-border electricity grids, gas grapevines, conveyance links, and telecommunication webs. However, there are still many regulative and fiscal challenges.In the yesteryear, interconnectedness of power grids in theMENA part was chiefly driven by governmentsconcerns about continuing power supply securityin their several markets. On the other handother benefits, such as capital investings salvaging, are besides considered, though these are non yet the chief drivers fornetwork interconnectedness. The sum of exported and imported power still remains low in many instances. For case studies from the World Bank show that merely 12 per centum of entire capacity of theAlgeria-Morocco links is used, 17 per centum in the instance of the Algeria-Tunisia interconnectedness. ( World Bank, 2011 ) With the exclusion of Yemen and Djibouti, transportsystems are good developed in MENA states. Most states have been able to develop extensiveroad webs, with high capacity in some countries, and modern installations for air, sea, and railtransport. The cardinal issue in the part is the quality of the conveyance assets as a consequence of the deficiency of appropriatemaintenance or of hapless service operations due to institutional lacks. Cost-effectivetransport services, efficient facilitation, and transport substructure supplemented with good intermodalconnectivity are required to suit the growing in planetary and intraregional trade. However, regional integrating enterprises still remain at an early phase of development in the conveyance sector.As a consequence of the closing of several boundary lines in the part, land-based conveyance plays a minor function inintraregional trade in MENA. Decision In visible radiation of the recent developments and the challenges faced by the MENA part we can accurately see that there is still room for more significant development in the part as a consequence of greater intra-regional economic part. Looking at consequences from the development of intra-regional trade and services we can see that the benefits outweigh the costs and it is of import the reforms are taken at a governmental degree to let for greater de-regulation of markets and policies set uping trade flows between states. However, the recent oil roar and planetary trade good roar does leave enormous room for development and growing in the part.

Network Design Consultation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Network Design Consultation - Research Paper Example These elements will all certainly be discussed very in-depth in this piece. II. Recommended Design, Hardware, & Software That Meets The Customer’s Needs A recommended design that will meet the customer’s needs will have 3 computers; a printer will also be included. File sharing is included, along with wireless internet access, several Gmail and Yahoo! and/or Admin addresses at the organization’s official address; additionally, basic security like Norton Antivirus, can be purchased. This would all be within the ballpark of $4000, $1000 under budget, with running costs about $200 per month. There have been several studies done showing that good technical writing yields helpful results, especially when it comes to task-oriented information.   According to Pringle and O’Keefe (2003), â€Å"Task-oriented writing makes up the bulk of technical documentation—installation manuals, getting started manuals, and user guides, for example† (pp. 91).    III. Original Diagram of the Configuration IV. ...   This would probably be done with the help of an online site such as CodePad (at http://www.codepad.org) or others which helps a programmer figure out if his or her C++ (or other type of code) works functionally.   Thus, one can test one’s own code being entered intothe online program and see if one’s code works.   Finally, the written report would basically demonstrate how the code works, why it would be used, and how it would be beneficial to the organization that would be utilizing it.   To be brief, basically the written report would demonstrate the facility of use and usefulness of the scheduling code for the supervisory roles or Admins.   It might also be a code which could be marketed to other organizations and/or business or be put online as open source code in order to enhance businesses’ functioning so they would run more smoothly. V. Cost Table Listing All Items Needed to Purchase and Associated Costs ITEM COST Virus Protection (Norton Antiv irus) Subscription for One Year $100 3 computers (1 Mac OSX, 2 Windows 7) $2000 Admins’ Salary $1900 Total Cost $4000 VI. Basic Configuration Recommended for a Secure Computing Environment The core activities to be focused upon are to provide clear purpose and direction to the workforce, optimize use of financial and other resources, increase operational efficiency and effectiveness, plan and prioritise projects and activities and deliver on time, and remain within budget and achieve performance targets. There are six important activities that lay at the heart of organizational dealings, many of which are aligned with becoming a â€Å"green† or environmentaly-friendly company. These are technical, commercial, financial,

The Management of Disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Management of Disasters - Essay Example Disaster management remains an important aspect of State and National management due to the fact that the occurrence and magnitude of most disasters are unpredictable (Kaser, 2007). Due to the severity in the need of ensuring that the occurrence of disasters does not outwit efforts that can be made by government through state institutions in responding effectively to the disasters, there has often been the call for collaboration with other agencies in disaster management in control. One of such agencies is the non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It is agreed that partnership between government agencies and non-governmental organizations can be very important for disaster recovery and response efforts. Generally, disaster response has been said to be the venture that cannot be accurately budgeted for (McKee, Figueras and Chenet, 1998). This is because of the unpredictable nature of disasters. Consequently, the allocation of resources on the part of government is often inadequate an d thus requires additional input from these NGOs. What is next, the management of disasters has been said to be better approached if they will be carried out in a manner that is holistic and community-based (Healy and McKee,1997). Meanwhile, most of these NGOs are community-based and thus have a better understanding of the needs and demands of the indigenes. Their contribution to planning, recovery and response efforts, therefore, become more people-centered (Kaser, 2007). Finally, it has been said that the decentralization of disaster response enhances effectiveness and efficiency. This is because it guarantees that recovery and response efforts will be carried out in a more proactive manner due to the fact that there will be detailed urgency among the local people (Kaser, 2007). What is more, the fact that the process is decentralized means that much can be achieved within a shorter timeframe? Meanwhile collaborating with NGOs is one way of bringing about decentralization of the d isaster response agenda.

Internaotion business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internaotion business - Essay Example Moreover, I am curious and very determined to understand how a business operates at international levels. I have always wanted to understand how companies operate successfully in different countries. It amazes me how international businesses manage efficiently run various foreign branches from one central headquarter. Studying this course will give me an opportunity to have a clear understanding of business operation at international levels. I have studied a bachelor’s degree in this university and hence I have adapted to various systems of the university. This will be beneficial to me since I will settle down quickly and begin my studies. Studying International business matches my personal desire for traveling. I have a dream of operating an international business in future, and thus this course is relevant to my future career and investment ideas. My motivation to study this course stems from the success stories of friends and acquaintances that are in this field. I am hardworking and very cooperative. I believe that this character will enable me sail through the challenges of this very demanding course. ‘ Besides my academic interests, I am active in extracurricular activities. They help me interact with new people and learn new skills from other people. I look forward to continuing with this while studying masters in international business. I will be grateful if enrolled for this course. I am mentally prepared to face the higher learning challenge and am certain that I will come forth as a victor at the end of the

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

Film - Essay Example University, who is detained as proof of the assimilation success; Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg), a Sioux chief who rejects to submit to white government policies designed to rip his people off their identity, dignity and sacred land, Dakotas gold-laden Black Hills; Senator H. Dawes (Aidan Quinn), government policy architect for Indian lands allotment to individual families to force implementation of subsistence farming; and the Red Cloud, whose resolution to make peace with American government and then go to a reservation troubled Sitting Bull (Miller, Vandome and John 3). When I commenced watching this movie I assumed I had a good handle on what happen to the Native American Indians. The Indians roams their ancestral lands peacefully and basically, with great admiration for the nation and its citizens. Then the white man approaches, stumbling all over himself with the aim of reaching the gold fields in California or the rich the high plains farmland. The Indians were no more than an annoyance, a bothersome barrier that should be relocated to one side if patent destiny is to be attained. Lands are and reservations stolen, the land that white man has already plundered or passed up, are assigned. Those who do not go to the set reservation are hunted down cruelly. Sometimes even those who agree to come in are pounced on (Sand Creek for instance) and massacres happens with cover-ups that make many people not believe the story. The Indian are massacred at Washita, Sand Creek, and Wounded Knee with petite or no public tumult, but when he reacts by killing a couple of settlers, imitating the white Americans through mutilation, the public atrocity is deep and the military is ordered a blank "kill" plaid (Miller, Vandome and John 34). With every minute the shocking treatment is recurrent, leaving the viewer with only two alternatives of responses - vomiting or weeping. It is exceedingly hard to watch this movie, not for the reason that the it looks out fashioned or

Robot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Robot - Essay Example Since then, due to the immense technological development, robots are capable of interacting with people and being involved in various aspects of modern life. Robots have significantly affected the industry technology, involving in both mechanical and medicinal aspects, integrated themselves in society and had ambiguous effects on the protection of the environment. Effects on Industrial development The first aspect that robots involved heavily is the industrial development, facilitating great innovations and successfully replacing human help. After the inception of robots during the 1950’s, the process of using robots as industrial tools was proposed by George Davol and Joseph Engelberger. The first industrial robots manufacturing company named â€Å"Unimate† was made and in 1959, the first industrial robot prototype was made. After the Unimate concept received great interest from companies in Japan, the General Motor automobile factory installed the first Unimate robot in order to serve the assembly line (Engelberger, 2007). The subsequent acquisition of the technology by the Japanese Kawasaki factory marked the development of the first robotic association J.I.R.A (Japanese Industrial Robot Association) in 1971, setting a new milestone for the industrial robot technology. New emerging technologies were implemented to facilitate better control of robots and accelerate production. The positive and negative impacts in the mechanical and medical fields are discussed below. Mechanical involvement Introducing robots in manufacturing companies had a significant advantage both for the companies and the workers. Robots were able to perform repeated and boring tasks for longer periods compared to workers while not needing expensive healthcare insurances and didn’t get sick (Henderson, 2006). This improved many aspects of manufacturing process such as improvement of product quality, avoidance of hazardous accidents by the more precise directions i n dangerous tasks and increased productivity while keeping manufacturing costs low. On the other hand, while small companies were benefited from opening new trade perspectives such as selling specialized equipment, most small businesses that could not afford the new technology were led to foreclosure. In workers, while it was originally feared that jobs could be destroyed by replacing human labour with machines, it was later proved that this had a strongly positive impact on improving the working conditions because robots replaced jobs that were dangerous or toxic to humans. An example of this is the robot ANATROLLER ARI-100 which was developed to clean toxic environments. The requirement of maintenance and supervision for the machines opened up new opportunities for work which had a better working life and benefits for workers. The only negative social impact is the replacement of uneducated workers or workers with limited skills, as they could only perform repeated tasks, which st ill exists until today. Medical involvement When robots were introduced to the medical sector, the first robot-assisted surgery was facilitated in 1985, with PUMA 520 performing a neurological biopsy. As doctors learned to operate the machines better, major operations were made possible by only a few incisions by the robots. The patients benefited from less trauma, decreased healing time and faster release from

Gas Turbine Engine Basics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Gas Turbine Engine Basics - Coursework Example According to relevant sources, a turboprop engine is a turbine that drives a propeller via a reduction gear as shown in the above diagram (NASA 4). As such, the exhaust gases drive the power shaft, which in turn drives the reduction gear assembly through a shaft as shown (Husain 98; Sickle 205). The reduction gearing is essential because optimum propeller performances in these engine designs are reached at slower speeds than the engines’ operating revolution per minute. At slow airspeeds, these engine designs are fuel efficient and operate effectively (FOPPGS 1). Turbofan engines were developed to incorporate some of the best features that exist in the already mentioned engines (FOPPGS 1). For example, these engines have been designed to generate additional thrust by directing a secondary airflow around the combustion chamber (NASA 4). Additionally, the bypass helps in cooling the engine, as well as helps in reducing exhaust noises. â€Å"In a turbofan engine, therefore, the bypass ratio refers to the ratio of the mass airflow passing through the fan divided by the mass airflow passing through the engine core† (FOPPGS 2). However, part of the inlet airflow is not directed toward the compressor, combustor, and turbine, but is rather bypassed through a duct, which ends in a nozzle. Since air leaves the nozzle at a speed that is higher than the intake velocity, thrust is produced by momentum exchange with the airframe. During the intake phase, the pressure, temperature and volume of the gases remain constant. The compressor is an arrangement of blades on a rotating disk, whose main function is to force air to flow into the engine as it reduces its volume and increases its pressure. Torque is required to change the momentum of the working fluid, forcing it to follow the curved surface of the blades. The work required to drive the compressor comes from the engine itself, by means of a shaft connecting the compressor and the turbine.

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

Film - Essay Example University, who is detained as proof of the assimilation success; Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg), a Sioux chief who rejects to submit to white government policies designed to rip his people off their identity, dignity and sacred land, Dakotas gold-laden Black Hills; Senator H. Dawes (Aidan Quinn), government policy architect for Indian lands allotment to individual families to force implementation of subsistence farming; and the Red Cloud, whose resolution to make peace with American government and then go to a reservation troubled Sitting Bull (Miller, Vandome and John 3). When I commenced watching this movie I assumed I had a good handle on what happen to the Native American Indians. The Indians roams their ancestral lands peacefully and basically, with great admiration for the nation and its citizens. Then the white man approaches, stumbling all over himself with the aim of reaching the gold fields in California or the rich the high plains farmland. The Indians were no more than an annoyance, a bothersome barrier that should be relocated to one side if patent destiny is to be attained. Lands are and reservations stolen, the land that white man has already plundered or passed up, are assigned. Those who do not go to the set reservation are hunted down cruelly. Sometimes even those who agree to come in are pounced on (Sand Creek for instance) and massacres happens with cover-ups that make many people not believe the story. The Indian are massacred at Washita, Sand Creek, and Wounded Knee with petite or no public tumult, but when he reacts by killing a couple of settlers, imitating the white Americans through mutilation, the public atrocity is deep and the military is ordered a blank "kill" plaid (Miller, Vandome and John 34). With every minute the shocking treatment is recurrent, leaving the viewer with only two alternatives of responses - vomiting or weeping. It is exceedingly hard to watch this movie, not for the reason that the it looks out fashioned or

Gas Turbine Engine Basics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Gas Turbine Engine Basics - Coursework Example According to relevant sources, a turboprop engine is a turbine that drives a propeller via a reduction gear as shown in the above diagram (NASA 4). As such, the exhaust gases drive the power shaft, which in turn drives the reduction gear assembly through a shaft as shown (Husain 98; Sickle 205). The reduction gearing is essential because optimum propeller performances in these engine designs are reached at slower speeds than the engines’ operating revolution per minute. At slow airspeeds, these engine designs are fuel efficient and operate effectively (FOPPGS 1). Turbofan engines were developed to incorporate some of the best features that exist in the already mentioned engines (FOPPGS 1). For example, these engines have been designed to generate additional thrust by directing a secondary airflow around the combustion chamber (NASA 4). Additionally, the bypass helps in cooling the engine, as well as helps in reducing exhaust noises. â€Å"In a turbofan engine, therefore, the bypass ratio refers to the ratio of the mass airflow passing through the fan divided by the mass airflow passing through the engine core† (FOPPGS 2). However, part of the inlet airflow is not directed toward the compressor, combustor, and turbine, but is rather bypassed through a duct, which ends in a nozzle. Since air leaves the nozzle at a speed that is higher than the intake velocity, thrust is produced by momentum exchange with the airframe. During the intake phase, the pressure, temperature and volume of the gases remain constant. The compressor is an arrangement of blades on a rotating disk, whose main function is to force air to flow into the engine as it reduces its volume and increases its pressure. Torque is required to change the momentum of the working fluid, forcing it to follow the curved surface of the blades. The work required to drive the compressor comes from the engine itself, by means of a shaft connecting the compressor and the turbine.

Commercial Internet Sites Essay Example for Free

Commercial Internet Sites Essay Go to at least 15 commercial Internet sites such as Yahoo!, MSN, and About.com. Document information on the types of attempts (such as pop-up windows and advertisements) that influence the viewer, including counting the number of references toward social shaping. The websites you consult should be listed in a reference list at the end of the newsletter. Take the information you have gathered and write an article for your company newsletter summarizing your findings and drawing conclusions. The article should be at least 500 words in length and should demonstrate depth of thought as well as originality. The first commercial Internet web site that I am analyzing is the online social networking web site Orkut.   It permits maintaining relationships through pictures, messages, music and videos.   What seem interesting with Orkut are that is permits to establish new connections with people belonging to any part of the world, help to come in contact with old friends and family in any part of the world.   Any individual interested in making friends can open an account on the web site and develop their own profile.   What adds uniqueness to Orkut is the fact that any friend or family member can insert their own testimonials of that person.   In the profile, personal, social and professional information can be demonstrated.  Ã‚   Another unique feature of Orkut is that any person can search for another by simply typing in the name in the search box. MSN is a community web site mainly concerned with email, messaging and social contacting.   This web site is brought out my Microsoft.   The users interested can open an account with the MSN web site and are given an individual username and password.   The user would be getting personalized information from the MSN network.   These include news, sports, weather, local news, etc.   Each user can make changes to the layout, color, themes, etc to the individual web page. Yahoo is a social network web site that mainly provides email, news, searches, messenger, jobs, weather, Horoscope, Health and other information.   The Web site concerns a wide range of areas.   Yahoo has its sources in almost every nation of the world and these provide localized information.   Each user can log into the web site with his or her usernames and password. Google, one of the strongest search engines in the world has extended its services to other areas such as book searches, computation, social network groups, news, maps, etc.   People are mainly attracted towards Google as it search strategy is very strong and would permit the user to use their own initiative whilst search for various aspects in the Internet. Tagged.com is social networking that permits users from various parts of the world to get in contact with old friends and new friends.   It was launched in the year 2004.   The graphic interface of the web site is very appealing and has several innovations such as slides, videos and the music presentation.   It has several reputed news sources such as Wall Street Journal, Business Week Online, Ad week, etc. Travellers Point is a social network that provides personalized information regarding traveling destinations and experiences, photo galleries, blogs, forums, maps, etc.   Users can create their own usernames and passwords on the web site and get upload and download photos and videos of famous travel destinations throughout the world.   The Web site works in association with another organization known as ‘Travel helpers’, which provides expert guidance to travelers. Hikut.com is a social networking web site that provides various features to the users, user such as galleries, blogs, music, videos, polls, groups, quizzes, events, classifieds, etc.   The users can also use several other features on the web site such as chats, interfaces, scrapbook, etc.   The users would have to register on the web site with a user name and a password. Linkedln is a professional social network web site that permits the users to share professional information with other experts and specialists throughout the world.   More than 16 million users have registered from about 150 countries.   Users who have registered include clients, partners and colleagues.   Users can also search for jobs and get in contact with the job seekers. One of the main religious social networking web site in the world is My Church.com.   This web site was launched in 2006 offering services to Catholics in the blogs, forums, messenger services, counseling, calendar events, sermons live telecasts, paying of thanksgivings, etc.   The founders of this web site have combined Internet and technology in a very innovative manner to obtain one of the most advanced Catholic networking web sites in the world. More than 7000 Churches are associated with the web site. One of the major social networking web site in the world concerned with sharing music, videos, photos, etc, is Multiply.   The web site also extends its services to other media other than the Internet including MMS and mobile services.   The web site not only caters to the personal needs of the user, but also to the professional and the academic needs.   Only individuals who are closely related to one another can share media information. Another social networking web site is Friendster that caters to the needs of small circle of friends.   It is utilized more widely in Asia than in any other part of the world.   It has been in competition with several other social networking web sites such as Yahoo 360 and Facebook.   In the year 2006, the web site came out with an innovative discovery, which entitled it a patent.   It demonstrated a method and an online tool to calculate and develop relationships between people. Facebook was a social networking web site launched in the year 2004, meant for the students of Harvard University.   However, as the web site was a strong success, several other universities were added including Boston University, MIT, etc.   Slowly any student belonging to any university in the world was allowed to register on the web site.   More than 58 million users have been registered on the web site.   The site offers the users several features including sending and receiving messages, gifts, placing ads, blogs, etc. References: Facebook (2007). â€Å"Facebook – Home Page.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.facebook.com Web site. Friendster (2007). â€Å"Friendster – Home Page.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.friendster.com Web site. Google (2007). â€Å"Google Help Center.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from Google Web site: http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/help/features.html HiKut (2007). â€Å"Hikut.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.hikut.com Web site. LinkedIn (2007). â€Å"Linkedin.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.linkedin,com Web site. MSN (2007). â€Å"MSN-Home Page.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from MSN Web site: http://www.msn.com/ Multiply (2007). â€Å"Multiply – Home Page.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.multiply.com Web site. My Church (2007). â€Å"My Church – Home Page.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.Mychurch.org Web site. Orkut (2007). â€Å"About Orkut.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from Orkut Web site: http://www.orkut.com/About.aspx Tagged.com (2007). â€Å"Tagged – Home Page.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from Tagged.com Web site: www.tagged.com Travellers Point (2007). â€Å"Travellers Point.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from www.travellerspoint.com Web site. Yahoo (2007). â€Å"Yahoo Company Information.† Retrieved on December 26, 2007, from Yahoo Web site: http://info.yahoo.com/

A case study on suffering with depression

A case study on suffering with depression Depression is a whole body illness, meaning it affects your body, mood and thoughts. It can be a very serious illness which affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself and the way you think about things. It is more than just a passing mood, and is very different from the usual feelings of sadness and feeling fed up. The feelings of depression usually last more than a few days; they can last for months or even years. If left untreated, these feelings can interfere with the daily life of the individual and can also have an effect on the people around them. Depression can affect anyone at any age, including children, although it is more likely to occur if there has been a family history of depression. Health professionals use different terms to describe depression, these are: depression, depressive illness and clinical depression (NHS, 2009). It is commonly thought that depression is not a real illness. It is seen more like a weakness or a failure in an individual however, just because it is not visible does not mean it is not real. Types of depression There many different forms of depression, these can range from mild depression through to severe depression and individuals who suffer with severe depression may also show psychotic symptoms. Major depression, probably the most common form of depression, is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the individuals ability to eat, sleep, work and study. Usually the individual will lose interest in once pleasurable activities and also has a feeling of hopelessness. Some individuals only have a single depressive episode, while others have recurring episodes. (Psychology Information Online, 2009) Dysthymia is a mild, chronic state of depression and the symptoms are similar to major depression, but less severe. A person may suffer from dysthymia depression for years before being diagnosed, thus they would still continue with everyday life and may not even realise that they are suffering with depression, they could just have a feeling that something is not quite right. (Psychology Information Online, 2009) Atypical depression is different to major depression in the way that an individual will feel better temporarily when a positive life event occurs, whereas an individual suffering from major depression will nearly always feel low. This type of depression can last for a couple of months or can be with an individual for their entire life. (Depression About.com, 2009) Bipolar disorder, or manic depressive disorder, is an emotional disorder in which an individual alternates between states of deep depression and extreme elation. (Bipolar About.com, 2009) It is characterised by sudden changes in mood, thoughts and behaviour and there is a high suicide rate seen in individuals who suffer from manic depression. The two extremes of depression are where the individual feels very low and mania where the individual feels very high. (NHS, 2009) Postpartum depression affects woman, almost always, immediately after childbirth. It is thought that postpartum depression is triggered by the hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Some woman have severe and long lasting symptoms that require treatment, others can generally beat the baby blues with good self-care and support from friends and family. (Depression About.com, 2009) There are other less serious forms of depression for example, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Symptoms There are many different symptoms of depression and these symptoms can include physical, psychological and social symptoms. These symptoms can vary from one individual to another and also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes changes in thinking, feeling, behaviour and physical well-being, for example it can cause the individual to lose interest in activities that they previously enjoyed. The physical symptoms can include: slowed speech and movement; a change in weight and appetite; constipation; lack of energy; changes to the menstrual cycle and disturbed sleeping patterns. (NHS, 2009) The psychological symptoms of depression can include: a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness; a low self esteem; tearfulness; feelings of guilt; feeling irritable and intolerant of others; lack of motivation; lack of enjoyment; feeling anxious or worried; reduced sexual drive; suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming others. (NHS, 2009) The social symptoms can include: a reduced interest in hobbies; difficulties in home and family life; fewer social activities; and isolation. (NHS, 2009) Diagnosis Depression is a very common condition and can affect anyone of any age, including children. When an individual is suspected of suffering from depression, they should immediately seek advice from their GP. Depression cannot be diagnosed by a blood test or any kind of physical investigation: it is diagnosed by the presence of characteristic symptoms. The characteristic symptoms are listed in a publication called the DSM-IV. The GP will make the initial diagnosis and if the individual is showing some or all of these characteristics, the GP will usually provide treatment or will refer the individual to another suitable professional. PROFILE OF INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY AND SOCIAL NETWORKS Marys father was an alcoholic who was verbally and physically abusive, he suffered from the Casanova complex and therefore had 23 children with nine different women, and was married five times. When Mary was born her father was not married to her mother, but was still married to another woman. Marys parents eventually married but got divorced when Mary was six and because of this divorce, Marys mother became a divorcee with illegitimate children. Subsequently Marys mother became an outcast in the small town they lived in, so she moved Mary and her siblings to London. Due to all the strains and stresses of her life, Marys mother became very angry and became extremely violent towards her children (DLCentre, 2008). Mary was the oldest child in her extremely dysfunctional family and when she was just 17 she moved out, taking her brothers and sisters with her, and subsequently took on a more parental role and became their main source of support (DLCentre, 2008). Mary feared being abandoned, therefore suffered anxiety in marriage and family commitments, this could possibly have been due to her parents divorce and from not receiving any positive reinforcement. Mary eventually married a dentist who had promised to stay with her forever and she devoted herself to her family and two daughters. She did not make friends easily and therefore had very few close personal friends, but she had one close friend with whom she confided everything to except anything about her past. Mary suffered with suicidal feelings, resentment towards her mother, anger and frustration with her oldest daughter and poor communication with her husband (DLCentre, 2008). These are all common effects of a person who suffered from a dysfunctional family as a child. Conflict, misbehaviour and abuse are common occurrences within a dysfunctional family. Dysfunctional families are mainly caused by adults who are affected by alcoholism, substance abuse, or any other addictions, untreated mental illnesses or personality disorders, or possibly even as a result of the parents acting out on their own dysfunctional family experiences and copying their parents. Many children from dysfunctional families are often unaware of their situation and believe that what they experience on a day to day basis in completely normal. Children from dysfunctional families often take on different roles, which include: the good child; problem child; caretaker; lost child; mascot and mastermind (Wikipedia, 2009). Mary became aware that something was not right in her family life, which was evidenced by her moving out and taking on the role of the good child by moving her siblings in with her, and thus becoming their main source of support. Other effects children suffer by living in a dysfunctional family include: moderate to severe mental health issues; distrust of others; paranoia; difficulty forming healthy relationships with others; feeling angry, anxious, depressed unlovable and having mixed feelings of love-hate towards certain family members (Wikipedia, 2009). Looking at her symptoms, Mary suffers from these effects and is therefore a victim of a dysfunctional family. The abuse Mary suffered from both her parents could have led Mary to her depression. OUTLINE THE ONSET AND PROGRESSION OF THE CONDITION Prior to seeing her GP, Marys condition was so severe that she had no interest in anything. Her physical symptoms included low energy, shaking and trembling, heart palpitations, menstrual problems, poor sleep patterns and constipation. At the onset of therapy, Mary started to show suicidal feelings, resentment towards her mother, anger and frustration towards her daughter and poor communication with her husband (DLCentre, 2008). From these symptoms, it could be concluded that Mary is suffering from major depressive disorder (Psychnet-UK, 2009). There are many factors that have possibly led Mary to her depression. Her father was verbally and physically abusive and her mother became violent and angry towards Mary and her siblings. Mary had a strong fear of being abandoned and this could possibly have been due to her parents divorce and from not receiving any positive reinforcement. Major depression is the most common and most severe form of depression. It is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the individuals ability to eat, sleep, work and study. Usually the individual will lose interest in once pleasurable activities and also has a feeling of hopelessness (Psychnet-UK, 2009). Major depression can be triggered from a single traumatic event in an individuals life, or may develop slowly as a consequence of numerous personal disappointments and life problems. Some people appear to develop the symptoms of a major depression without any obvious life crisis causing it. Some individuals only have a single depressive episode, while others have recurring episodes. (Psychology Information Online, 2009) It could also be caused by an inherited gene passed onto children from their parents (Psychnet-UK, 2009). SOCIALISATION AND ROLE THEORY Counselling or therapy is where the patient would involve in a discussion with a therapist to uncover unconscious conflicts and abnormalities. This method allows the individual to discover what is causing the abnormal behaviour and to help the individual to think about their problems in order to find new ways of dealing with them. The patient is then able to consciously deal with the issues and resolve them, enabling them to be able to handle current life situations better too. (Psychology Information Online, 2009) In order to be able to do this a good rapport needs to be built. The therapist can offer a safe relationship for building trust and help Mary to re-establish a certain sense of security. Communication skills are paramount in building a trusting relationship with the therapist and when Mary feels safe and secure with the relationship she has with the therapist then the wider network of family can be brought in. The aim is to try and build a social network of support and to engage more fully with life, within the family and independently. Friends and family are an important part of building a trusting relationship. HOW COULD MARY BE TREATED? In order to make an initial diagnosis, the GP will first need to know the individuals background and family history, mainly to see if there is a history of depression within the family. If there is, then depression is more likely to occur however, it is also possible for individuals with no family history to develop depression. A cognitive approach could be taken and this deals with the way a person thinks. It involves talking with a therapist in order to discover the beliefs and expectations that cause their unhappiness. This form of treatment involves cognitive reconstructing, which is where the patients are encouraged and taught to replace negative thoughts with rational, positive ones giving them a more adaptive thinking pattern. It involves the individual keeping a diary of their thoughts and feelings, this information would then be passed on to the therapist who would analyse it and find out how the thoughts could be turned around. The therapist will do this by setting the patient reasonable goals so that they can introduce realistic and rational beliefs into their thought pattern (Psychology Information Online, 2009). Therefore it can be concluded that the change in Marys personality is due to the way she sees the situation. Mary has been more susceptible to depression because of her past experience s of violence, negative reinforcement and her feelings of abandonment. Aaron Beck (1985, cited in Gross, 2005) stated that psychological problems can be overcome if the misconceptions are corrected using introspection, insight, reality testing and learning. Drug therapy is the use of tranquillisers, antidepressants and other drugs. They help lessen the symptoms, but are not a successful treatment for everyone. This form of therapy would not be beneficial to Mary on its own, mainly because it hasnt been successful before, but could prove to be most beneficial when combined with cognitive therapy (Psychology Information Online, 2009). Electro-convulsive therapy is where a high current is passed through the patients brain for 0.5 seconds whilst the patient is under anaesthetics and this procedure induces a convulsion that lasts for about one minute. This therapy is used mainly to treat severe depression and is a short term treatment which lasts for up to one year. ECT offers fast relief and can cause memory loss (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2003). Mary may benefit from this treatment as a quick relief to her symptoms, as this may stop the feelings of being suicidal, however this treatment may not help with the resentment towards her mother, anger and frustration towards her daughter and poor communication with her husband. The psychoanalytical theory is the classical model. Freud (1915) noted that depression is precipitated. It aims to analyse the persons feelings of loss and abandonment through the loss free association. The belief supported by this model is that psychological problems arise from the personality (psyche) rather than from physical causes (Cardwell Flanagan, 2003). This theory aims to analyse the persons feelings of loss and abandonment by talking about their past. This treatment method involves having the individual going back to an earlier age, which in Marys case would probably be her childhood in order to explore her feelings about the divorce and the violence. The therapist will then go on to help Mary to look at and re-evaluate the situations and to reconsider her past losses so as to gain a new perspective on them. Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) focuses on relationships with other people (Cardwell Flanagan, 2003). As Mary has had issues with her family in the past and is currently having problems with her family IPT would be an incredible advantage to Mary. All of these therapies would be good treatment for Mary, as they explore all of the areas of her life and will help her to deal with and come to terms with her past. If she is able to do this, she may be able to move on and may also be able to stop her children from experiencing the same things she experienced during her life and may even be able to prevent her children from suffering with depression. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERVENTIONS Depression can be treated in many different ways which include drug therapy, electro-convulsive therapy, psychosurgery and cognitive therapy. Drug therapy is the use of tranquillisers, antidepressants and other drugs. Tranquillisers are used to alleviate anxiety, or in stronger doses they can be used to treat psychotic disorders and antidepressants are used to treat depressive disorders. Drugs help lessen the symptoms and are not a successful treatment for everyone. Drug therapy can be a quick solution and can therefore prove to be economical however, there is a chance of addiction, allergic reaction or intolerance and side effects may be worse than the original symptoms. Alternative therapies are available for example, St Johns Wort, which is a herbal treatment and is effective in treating mild depression but it comes with its own disadvantages. It can cause serious problems if the individual is already taking medications such as anticonvulsants and anticoagulants, and can also reduce the effect of oral contraceptives. Electro-convulsive therapy is where a high current is passed through the patients brain for 0.5 seconds whilst the patient is under anaesthetics and this procedure induces a convulsion that lasts for about one minute. This therapy is used mainly to treat severe depression and is a short term treatment which lasts for up to one year. ECT offers faster relief than drugs which is important in suicidal patients and was a popular treatment prior to drug therapies, although drugs are safer. Treatment of ECT can cause memory loss, however ECT may work where other methods fail. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2003 pp. 222-223) Psychosurgery is the most extreme form of therapy and is used as a last resort. It involves removing the section of dysfunctional brain tissue and the procedure is not reversible. It is believed that by removing the dysfunctional brain tissue the symptoms and problems will disappear and will not reoccur. The effects of psychosurgery are not consistent and there is also the ethical issue of informed consent. It is not a quick fix and therapists need effective training before performing the treatment. (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2003 pp. 222-223) Another type of treatment is cognitive therapy. It is derived from various sources including behaviour therapy and psychoanalysis, which define and operationalise cognition in different ways. It involves talking with a therapist in order to discover the beliefs and expectations that cause their unhappiness. The patients are encouraged and taught to replace negative thoughts with rational, positive ones giving them a more adaptive thinking pattern. The therapist will set the patient reasonable goals so that they can introduce realistic and rational beliefs into their though pattern. This form of therapy is a popular choice but it may be lengthy and costly. A combination of two treatments usually works better than just one treatment for example, combining drugs and cognitive therapy (Psychology Information Online, 2009). However, each therapy is different and so is each individual person and what works for one individual may not work for others, so it is difficult to make comparisons between different therapies. When the symptoms are extremely severe the individual may either admit themself or be admitted into hospital for a short time. This short time away helps the individual to get away from the daily stresses that have caused the depression. Some treatments are only available in a hospital setting for example, ECT (Cardwell, Flanagan, 2003). LIKELY PROGNOSIS FOR THE FUTURE An individual is likely to suffer from depression if there is a family history of it. A full recovery is possible with treatment but there is also a risk it could return for example, it could be triggered by a traumatic event in the future. If Mary is responding well to treatment she could resolve her differences with her family and will possibly start to see that her life is not worthless. Her physical state of health will drastically improve and the suicidal thoughts she has been feeling will begin to disappear. SUMMARY Depression is real and is a common condition which affects an individual in the way they feel, act and behave. There are symptoms for depression and different types of medications or therapies that can be used to treat the individual. Depression can take many forms from mild through to severe and not all sufferers present the same symptoms. It can be genetic and can also be triggered by certain traumatic life events. Each treatment is different and so is each individual, thus it is impossible to compare and recommend a specific model of therapy. The best way to treat depression is possibly to combine two different therapies. Mary has suffered many problems in her life, from violence and abuse to abandonment. A combination of the medical and cognitive therapies would help Mary. The generalisations about depression could include that one treatment/therapy would suit everyone, but that is not necessarily the case as each person has different problems. Not all models of care will work on everyone and some people may recover quicker than others. It is not possible to generalise depression as it is by far a more complex illness than people are aware of. BIBLIOGRAPHY About.com Bipolar Disorder (2009) Bipolar Disorder Manic Depressive Illness From Diagnosis to Medications [online] Available from: http://bipolar.about.com/ [Accessed 22 December 2009] About.com Depression (2009) About Depression Information and support for depression [online]. Available from: http://depression.about.com/ [Accessed 22 December 2009] Cardwell, M. Flanagan, C., (2003) Psychology A2: the complete companion. UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd Eysenck, M., (2001) Psychology for A2 level. UK: Psychology Press Ltd Gross, R., (2005) Psychology The Science of Mind and Behaviour. 5th ed. London: Hodder Education. NHS Choices (2009) Depression [online]. Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Accessed 22 December 2009] NHS Choices (2009) Understanding Depression [online]. Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/Pathways/depression/Pages/Landing.aspx?WT.srch=1 [Accessed 22 December 2009] Psychology Information Online (2009) Depression Information and Treatment [online]. Available from: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/ [Accessed 22 December 2009] Psychnet-UK (2009) Major depressive Episode [online]. Available from: http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/major_depression.htm [Accessed 22 December 2009]