Memory and the Brain Essay - 1001 Words

How does memory work? Is it possible to improve your memory? In order to answer these questions, one must look at the different types of memory and how memory is stored in a persons brain.Memory is the mental process of retaining and recalling information or experiences. (1) It is the process of taking events, or facts and storing them in the brain for later use. There are three types of memory: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memories are momentary recordings of information in our sensory systems. They are memories evoked through a persons five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. Although sensory memory is very brief, different sensory memories last for different amounts of time. Iconic†¦show more content†¦Some scientists believe that parts of long term memory are permanent while others will eventually weaken over time. (3) Long term memory can be divided into three sections: procedural memory, declarative memory, and remote memory. Procedural memory includes motor skills such as learning how to ride a bike or how to drive a car. Such memories are slow to acquire but more resistant to change or loss. (4) Declarative memory is used to remember facts, such as names, dates and places. It is easy to learn but also easy to lose. Finally there is episodic memory, which is the record of events that a person stores throughout his or her experience. Recent studies show that these event s, as soon as they occur, are sent to a temporary part of the brain called the hippocampus, and that over time they are moved to the neocortex for permanent storage. (5). When speaking about memory, one needs to look at the parts of the brain that are involved in memory storage. The hippocampus is a place in the brain that is used to transfer memories from short-term to long term memory. (1) It also helps store spatial memories with the thalamus. The thalamus is a collection of nuclei that relays sensory information from the lower centers to the cerebral cortex. (7) In addition to spatial memories, the thalamus helps store emotional memories with theShow MoreRelatedThe Memory Of The Brain2796 Words   |  12 Pagesthe brain, which is involved in the formation, organization, and storage of memory. It is a structure in the limbic system, which is significant in the formation of new memories and the connection of senses and emotions to memories. Such senses include smell and sound. The structure assumes the shape of a horseshoe paired structure. As such, one hippocampus is located on either side of the brain; the right and the left hemisphere. Structurally, the hippocampus performs the function of memory indexerRead MoreThe Brain for Memory2230 Words   |  9 PagesThe brain for memory The brain is the most important organ, and any animal, even mosquitoes have them. However, have you thought any special ability of the brain, or have you imagined about your personality, emotion or memory in the situation which you lost a part of brain? In fact, there are lots of great abilities such as memory in the brain without our notice. Although, all the brain’s tasks are not clear completely, a lot of scientists have researched it and found its several miraculous functionsRead MoreMemory Of The Brain Responsible For Memory2238 Words   |  9 Pagesstored as memories. According to Richard Morris, our memories involve a series of interconnected nerve cells that develop strong connections through a process called long-term potentiation (Morris, 2003). Memory making involves the interaction of several structures in the brain: the amygdala processes emotions; the limbic cortex coordinates sensory input with emotion; and the thalamus controls sensory information and atten tion or alertness. Perhaps the most important structure in the brain responsibleRead MoreThe Brain And Memory Processes Essay1316 Words   |  6 PagesThe Brain and Memory Processes Katty Miles Psych1103 Psychology Core Concepts Erica Williams 9/23/2016 Miller- Motte College NC Brain and memory The Memory has different aspects and stages of processing information. The brain works with the memory and data on processing into the memory. The memory can be located in the brain senses and transfer all over the body and can send messages from the hippocampus and Werneck’s to the brainRead MoreMusic, Memories, And The Brain Essay844 Words   |  4 Pagesresearchers focus their work on understanding the effects of music on the brain. In the podcast entitled Music, Memories, and the Brain, Steve Mencher interviews Dr. Petr Janata to find out more about how music is associated with human memories. Janata works in the psychology department at the University of California, in Davis, California. Janata’s research suggests that humans unintentionally store and create a soundtrack to their memories. Throughout the podcast, Mencher mainly focuses on Janata’s researchRead MoreQuestions on Memory and Brain Functions503 Words   |  2 Pagesthe hippocampus and amygdala and memory discussed in the text? According to John Medina (2008), the hippocampus is necessary to convert short-memory to long-term memory. The removal of which led to H.M.s inability to perform this mental function. The hippocampus is also important in the retrieval of former long-term memories. The amygdala, on the other hand, is concerned primarily with memory consolidation and emotional reactions. Both are part of the brains memory retrieval and storage system.Read MoreMemory and Brain Activity Essays2129 Words   |  9 PagesMemory and Brain Activity Memory is the mental process of retaining and retrieving information such as facts, events, and experiences. Memory is not always accurate (Hunt, 2004). Memory errors are common and natural; they are the result of normal cognitive processes of comprehension and perception, which can cause interference about incoming information. There are two errors of remembering; forgetting an event that occurred and remember an event that never occurred or remembering it in a way differentRead MoreMemories And How The Brain Stores1769 Words   |  8 PagesMemories and how the brain stores them has always intrigued me even at a young age; Especially now that I am in college, because even though I have not been in a math class in over ten years I still managed to retain some of the mathematical skills that I had in high school. Yet as I get older I have trouble retaining some information. The the older you get the more you have to work at retaining information, so it did not surprise me that I was having a difficult time learning and understanding newRead MoreMemory And How We Can Train The Brain940 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the Ted Talk Joshua Foer discussed the topic of memory and how we can train the brain to retain any information we can by using memory palace. He argued that an average person can train their brain to remember and store information into memories more efficiently by using different techniques, which will sharper your brain. People have the capacity to memorize anything in a small amount of time by using different tricks. Also memories are â€Å"products of what we originally experience and everythingRead MoreThe Effect Of Stimulating Brain Oscillations On Memory Performance1235 Words   |  5 PagesIn recent years, a growing number of research has looked at the effects of stimulating brain oscillations on memory performance. Brain oscillations are fluctuations in local field potentials, caused by the input of neurons in to a specific cell assembly (Ha nslmayr, Staudigl, Fellner, 2012). In response to a stimulus, alpha (~10 Hz) and beta (~15-30 Hz) oscillation power decrease in activity, while theta (~4-7 Hz) and gamma (~40-100 Hz) oscillations increase (Hanslmayr Staudigl, 2014). The changes

Hydraulic Fracturing An Ethical Approach - 1168 Words

Hydraulic Fracturing: An Ethical Approach Hydraulic fracturing in combination with advancement in directional drilling has made it possible to economically extract oil and gas from unconventional resources. The growth in U.S. oil and gas exploration and production made possible by the increase in use of hydraulic fracturing, has raised concerns about its potential to impact human health and the environment. Concerns have been raised by the public about the effects of hydraulic fracturing on quality and quantity of drinking water resources. The hydraulic fracturing water cycle includes five main activities: the withdrawal of ground or surface water needed for hydraulic fracturing fluids; the mixing of water, chemicals, and proppant on the well pad to create the hydraulic fracturing fluid; the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into the well to fracture the formation, the return of injected fluid and water produced from the formation to the surface; and the reuse, treatment and d isposal of wastewater generated at the well pad, including produced water (U.S. EPA, 2015). With the water cycle being so massive and prolonged, the presence of potential negative impacts is greatly increased. As a future petroleum engineer and a professional who will be responsible for the safety, health and welfare of the public, I would like to research and assess the potential for hydraulic fracturing to impact the quality or quantity of drinking water resources, and identify factorsShow MoreRelatedEssay on Stakeholder Analysis- Fracking803 Words   |  4 PagesBA 3102 February 12, 2012 Stakeholder Analysis Pursuing hydraulic fracturing as a top manager of Chevron, I will describe the dilemmas that are associated with fracking. The first problem with this procedure is finding the appropriate land and leasing it from the landowners. With talk around the country, it can be difficult finding land because of landowners’ personal experience with the practice of hydraulic fracturing. 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The opponents perspective 7 6. Conclusion 9 7. References 10 Word count: 1980 (excluding Table of Contents and References) 1. Forward Read MoreFIN 370 Week 3 Strategic Inititative Paper Final Draft 1185 Words   |  5 Pagesessay discusses ExxonMobil’s strategic initiative from the 2013 Summary Annual Report. The following details the company’s initiative, financial planning surrounding that initiative, the effect of cost and revenues on the supply chain, as well as the ethical concerns associated with this idea. Strategic Initiative ExxonMobil is a vertically integrated oil and gas company that’s mission is to â€Å"find safe, efficient, and responsible ways to bring affordable energy to the dynamic global markets. This successRead MoreHydraulic Fracking And Its Consequences1903 Words   |  8 PagesHydraulic Fracking and its Consequences Natural gasses are one of the most desirable and needed resources in the world today. As the population and technology continue to get larger the need for natural gasses continues to steadily increase. With the need for natural gasses increasing the industry continues to expand their techniques and means to acquire natural gas. The use of hydraulic fracking is receiving most of the attention of today’s natural gas industry much of which is negative. This paperRead MoreA Brief Note On Fracking And Its Effects On The World2242 Words   |  9 PagesWaterless Fracking: GasFrac For many years now, oil and gas have been harvested from deep beneath the Earth’s surface using thousands and millions of gallons of water, known as hydraulic fracking. Environmental critics have brought up issues with this type of fracking. The main being that while using these massive amounts of water every time a well is fracked, all the used water, when finished, is causing significant amounts of pollution. In response to the current criticism, engineers have developedRead MoreFracking And The Environmental Concerns3189 Words   |  13 Pageshazards these resources present. In truth their efforts have not been in vain; in many of the first world nations the extraction of these resources has been regulated and therefore tailored to pose as little risk to the environment as possible. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking as it is commonly called is not a new method of resource extraction but by no means would it be considered traditional. It is commonly understood that there a re no completely perfect methods of extracting fossil fuels no matterRead MoreWhen Investigating The Successes Of The Methane Gas Industry Essay2140 Words   |  9 Pages 1. Introduction The main of this report is prompting Transition Energy Company Limited ( TECL ) on the intense effect outcomes that may emerge from fracking . The results of Hydraulic cracking procedure and the impacts on a TECL s capacity to work as a morally, socially dependable, and supportable enterprise are incorporated in this report. The discoveries and proposals of this report try to impact the last venture choice of TECL when investigating the successes of the Methane Gas industryRead MoreFracking Operations : The Chief Executive Officer Of Eqt Corporation994 Words   |  4 PagesAs the Chief Executive Officer of EQT Corporation, the decision to shut down down hydraulic fracturing (â€Å"fracking†) operations or not gives rise to a defining moment. Regardless of the decision I make, some stakeholders will benefit and others will be made worse off which creates a â€Å"no right answer† situation. However, a decision must be made, and in this case, I would not cease fracking o perations. Through continued fracking operations, EQT will be able to return wealth to shareholders, provideRead MoreStandards Of An Organization Should Be Accountable For Its Actions On The Environment1327 Words   |  6 Pagesnegative incident. ïÆ'Ëœ Transparency: There should be disclosure of policies, operations, decisions for which it is responsible in an accurate, complete and clear manner. This includes both the known and likely effects on the society and environment. ïÆ'Ëœ Ethical Behavior: This reflects morality. It states that the behavior of an organization should be based on equity, honesty and very importantly, integrity. The processes should be void of activities that don’t jeopardize the welfare of both internal and

Business Economics Worldwide Instantly

Question: Describe about the Business Economics for Worldwide Instantly. Answer: Part 1 Opinion Piece Since June, 2015, the oil price fell below $70 from $115. It is the lowest level since 2009. The high value of U.S Dollar against the Euro was one of the main causes which led to the sharp drop in the price of crude oil all over the world (Kilian and Murphy, 2014). Another leading driver of decline in price drop of oil was The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC), which refused to stabilize the oil markets. Oversupply of crude oil and also Iran Nuclear Deal made the oil price go down. In 2015, the demand for crude oil rose instantly worldwide, due to decrease in its price (Baumeister and Kilian, 2016). Since the last five years, shale oil productivity has risen to 50%. Along with decrease in oil product prices, increase in the level of income was also a main reason for rising U.S oil demand. This economic theory is supported by the Law of demand, which states that if all the factors affecting demand remain constant and the price of a commodity rises, the demand for it will decrease (Baumeister and Peersman, 2013). In contrast, if the prices of the commodity decline, it will lead to rise in demand for that commodity. Thus, there is an inverse relationship between demand and price of a commodity. In context of U.S oil, the demand for crude oil rose due to decrease in its price. It is further explained with the help of following diagram: As per economic theory, when the change in price of a commodity brings a little impact on its quantity demanded, it is called inelastic demand. In the last six months of 2015, the price of crude oil fell by 30%, which led to rise in its demand by 2% (Singleton, 2013). There exists a smaller change in demand for crude oil as compared to change in its price. Thus, oil demand in US is having inelasticity of demand. It is calculated as below: Change in quantity demanded of oil percentage change in oil price = 2% 30% = 0.067, which is 1 So, price elasticity of demand for crude oil is less than unitary. It suggests that although the price of crude oil is declining by 30% but is demand is not responding substantially equal to or closer to the fall in price. No, I do not agree with the opinion expressed in source 1, on the price elasticity of demand. As per economic theory, the demand of a commodity is also affected by various determinants other than price of that commodity. These factors include change in the level of consumer income, change in the preference of consumers, and availability of substitute (Esfahani et al., 2014). Decrease in the price of oil does not necessarily means that there will be increase in its demand. The demand for oil depends on various factors affecting it other than its price. In the short run, the demand for oil in US may have increased due to fall in its price but in the long run oil price may not have any major impact on its demand if other factors prevail (Dube and Vargas, 2013). It is observed that in the recent years the supply of oil in US has increased more than required which also led to decline in its price. Since, due to oversupply of crude oil in last two years, its price fell down day-by-day and its demand rose substantially. It has caused an imbalance in the supply and demand for oil (Knittel and Pindyck, 2016). So, on the basis of above analysis, I would like to advice oil producer to increase the price of crude oil, in order to balance the supply of oil with its demand. Decrease in the oil price has reached to $37, which was the lowest ever since 2011. Increase in the price of crude oil would enable its producers to control the supply which will result in decrease in oil supply for consumers (Fattouh et al., 2016). As a consequence, there will be a sharp increase in the demand for crude oil, which will ultimately lead to the increase in revenue for crude oil producers. It is depicted with the help of following diagram: Change in quantity demanded in response to change in price level Price elasticity of supply indicates the variation in quantity supplied of a commodity in response to its price. On the basis of source 2, it is found that there has been an unexpected increase in US shale oil supply, since the last few years (Dreger ey al., 2016). In the year 2008, the price of crude oil suddenly raised up to $145, which led to extraction of shale oil in US. As the supply of shale oil by US increased, the crude oil price began to decline gradually. In December, 2008, the oil price fell below $30.28. It indicates that changes in the market have a significant impact on the price of US crude oil. Thus, price elasticity of shale oil supply is elastic, that is, more than 1. Part 2 Supermarkets Price War According to the economic theory, an oligopolistic market where a very few firms operate for gaining larger market share. These firms are interdependent on each other because the action of one firm may affect the position of another one (Trevena et al., 2016). Also, the firms also have the power to set prices rather than taking prices. On the basis of above economic theory, it can be said that a supermarket industry is an oligopolistic market. Coles and Woolworths are the leading examples of Supermarket industry of Australia. These two firms in supermarket industry sell products which are mainly differentiated by promotional schemes and advertising expenditure (Lee et al., 2016). Coles and Woolworth occupy a major portion of market share and they also have an effective control over price and supply of their products. From the figure, it is evident that the market share of Coles is 37% and that of Woolworths is 43%. The larger market share makes them dominant and provides power to rule Supermarket industry of Australia. There also exist barriers which prevent new firms to enter into the market. New firms became unable to reach the production scale and profit margin of Coles and Woolworths, and consequently shut down within a few years (Hattersley, 2013). The two firms compete with each other using price and discount war in order to gain competitive advantage and customer loyalty. This price competition affects the profitability of their business and makes them to re-design their strategies. No, it is not in the interests of Coles and Woolworths to have a price discount war. This is because, both the companies operate in an oligopolistic market structure and also they both are interdependent on each other. If they compete with each other using price discount war then it may adversely affect the profitability of both of them. Also, according to the kinked demand curve, increase in price of a commodity above a certain point leads to decrease in revenues of the firm in the long run (Richards et al., 2012). This is because; other competitors in the industry would not change their product prices and it would bound Coles and Woolworths to lose some market share for their rivalries. A better strategy for Coles and Woolworths is to make a settlement on the prices and to identify Nash equilibrium so that they can decide a fix price of their products. It will be beneficial for both of the firms to compete on product quality and diversification rather than on price (McCarthy, 2014). Moreover, they can form a cartel so as to resist the entry of new firms in the market. One of the major theoretical tools which can be used to evaluate market competitive behaviour is Game theory. Game theory works better in an oligopolistic market where two or more firms operate in the industry. Kinked demand curve Economic theory describes a market structure as a monopoly when there is only a single seller or supplier in the market and there is no availability of closer substitute of the product (Knutson et al., 2014). In such a market, the seller is not the price taker but the price maker and other firms are restricted to enter into the industry due to various legal and technical barriers. Coles and Woolworths have established a monopoly in the Australian vegetable market due to which farmers are facing difficulty in staying in the business. As per source 1, an increased production cost and lack of compensation in return, most of the farmers are not willing to grow vegetables any more. Coles and Woolworths use their market power which reduces the profit margin of vegetable growers. Various items have been discounted by the companies up to 50%. It makes the growers financially unable to grow new plants in their specified budget. According to source 2, the market share of vegetables in the industry is only 13%, which is very less in comparison to other commodities. It is creating pressure on the vegetable sector of Australia and vegetable growers are finding it hard to survive in the business. The falling prices of Coles and Woolworths due to the price discount war would negatively affect the individual vegetable producer. It is because, the producer may continue to grow vegetables up to a certain level but after that if his profit margin will not increase and cost will starts rising up, due to which the production level will decline in the long run and he will stop growing vegetables in future (Sutton-Brady et al., 2015). Although the fixed cost will remain constant but the variable cost may rise, if the farmers continue to produce vegetables. Because, the farmers will not able to match with Coles and Woolworths output level, it can create diseconomies of scale for small farmers and they will be forced to exit the market. Yes, it is true that if individual farmers in Australian vegetable industry made significant improvements in their technologies, they could overcome the increasing price issues and stay in business in long-run. This is because if the farmers adopt latest technologies, it would lead to efficiency in production along with decrease in cost of production in the long-run (Sutton-Brady et al., 2015). It will then help them to gain economies of scale and constant returns to scale. The revenues from the sale of production will increase and thereby all over profits of the farmers will be maximized if the capital investment is made in the form of introduction of technology. Conclusion From the first part 1 of this assignment, it is concluded that a sharp drop in crude oil price in United States of America has in the second half of 2015 has put a significant effect on the entire global economy. Although, decrease in oil price has raised the purchasing power of consumers but at the same time, it has lowered the cost of living of people. Above discussions also reflect that oil producers have suffered a huge loss due to lower prices. This unexpected price fall has slowed down the economic activities in affected countries and thereby, the entire economic growth. On the basis of part 2 of this assignment, it is concluded that, Woolworths and Coles are the top leading companies in the supermarket of Australia. Also, they are closer competitors of each other and thus, together they form an oligopolistic market structure in Australia. It is observed that price discount war among both the companies has resulted in financial burden on the farmers of Australian vegetables market, due to which they were forced to exit the market. It is also seen that many growers started producing milk for less money and they work for more hours than required. References Baumeister, C. and Kilian, L., (2016) Forty years of oil price fluctuations: Why the price of oil may still surprise us.The Journal of Economic Perspectives,30(1), pp.139-160. Baumeister, C. and Peersman, G., (2013) Time-varying effects of oil supply shocks on the US economy.American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics,5(4), pp.1-28. Dreger, C., Kholodilin, K.A., Ulbricht, D. and Fidrmuc, J., (2016) Between the hammer and the anvil: The impact of economic sanctions and oil prices on Russias ruble.Journal of Comparative Economics,44(2), pp.295-308. Dube, O. and Vargas, J.F., (2013) Commodity price shocks and civil conflict: Evidence from Colombia.The Review of Economic Studies,80(4), pp.1384-1421. Esfahani, H.S., Mohaddes, K. and Pesaran, M.H., (2014) An empirical growth model for major oil exporters.Journal of Applied Econometrics,29(1), pp.1-21. Fattouh, B., Poudineh, R. and Sen, A., (2016) The dynamics of the revenue maximizationmarket share trade-off: Saudi Arabias oil policy in the 201415 price fall.Oxford Review of Economic Policy,32(2), pp.223-240. Hattersley, L., (2013) Agri-food system transformations and diet-related chronic disease in Australia: a nutrition-oriented value chain approach.Agriculture and human values,30(2), pp.299-309. Kilian, L. and Murphy, D.P., (2014) The role of inventories and speculative trading in the global market for crude oil.Journal of Applied Econometrics,29(3), pp.454-478. Knittel, C.R. and Pindyck, R.S., (2016) The simple economics of commodity price speculation.American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics,8(2), pp.85-110. Knutson, R.D., Palma, M.A., Paggi, M., Seale, J., Ribera, L.A. and Bessler, D., (2014) Role of trade in satisfying US fresh fruit and vegetable demand.Journal of International Food Agribusiness Marketing,26(4), pp.326-343. Lee, A.J., Kane, S., Ramsey, R., Good, E. and Dick, M., (2016) Testing the price and affordability of healthy and current (unhealthy) diets and the potential impacts of policy change in Australia.BMC public health,16(1), p.1. McCarthy, B.L., (2014) Sustainable food systems in Northern Queensland.Journal of Economic and Social Policy,16(1), p.0_1. References Richards, C., Lawrence, G., Loong, M. and Burch, D., (2012) A toothless chihuahua? The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, neoliberalism and supermarket power in Australia.Rural Society,21(3), pp.250-263. Singleton, K.J., (2013) Investor flows and the 2008 boom/bust in oil prices.Management Science,60(2), pp.300-318. Sutton-Brady, C., Kamvounias, P. and Taylor, T., (2015) A model of supplierretailer power asymmetry in the Australian retail industry.Industrial Marketing Management,51, pp.122-130. Trevena, H., Thow, A.M., Dunford, E., Wu, J.H. and Neal, B., (2016) Protocol for a cluster-randomised trial to determine the effects of advocacy actions on the salt content of processed foods.BMC public health,16(1), p.1.

Surviving the lastest recession of Sept 11 Essay Example For Students

Surviving the lastest recession of Sept 11 Essay The U.S. economy is on the verge of dealing with its tenth recession since World War II. The economic data coming in are some of the first post-September 11 readings, and they reflect the initial shock on consumer and business activity. The numbers prove that households and companies did exactly as expected when a crisis hits: They froze (Madigan 48). However, consumers fail to realize that our economy is subject to a periodic, but irregular up and down phenomena known as the business cycle. Despite alarming data, this recession could be mild according to precedents set in the past. A basic definition of a recession is a decrease in Real GDP that lasts for at least two quarters or six months. Over its 146-year history, the United States has endured recession for approximately one third of the time. For that reason, economic analysts are far too familiar with the conditions that initiate a recession. There are many signs that point toward a future recession. Through past experiences, economists have learned to identify and react to the potential slowdowns in the economy. In this case, a weak job market, a decrease in inventories and capital spending, as well as a slowdown in economic growth, all fueled the latest recession. We will write a custom essay on Surviving the lastest recession of Sept 11 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The state of the labor market is an excellent indicator for a potential recession. Naturally, at the hands of the ever-changing technology, new jobs are created and old ones are destroyed. The United States has been enjoying an expansionary period since the end of the 1990-1991 recession (Bade 138). Over the past decade, the rapid rate of job creation in the new economy significantly lowered the unemployment rate. However, the slowdown in the economy had forced companies to reevaluate their hiring plans. Businesses have been realigning their inventories and capital spending all year to match up with diminished prospects for demand (Madigan 48). Therefore, the labor market was better prepared to take on a recession that came after the longest period of economic growth in the history of the United States. Excess inventory, the stock that companies have not sold, is one of the factors that led to the current economic downfall. Over the past year, due to a decrease in consumer demand and consumer spending, excess inventories have forced companies to ease up on production and to cut down the workforce. A significant change in either the workforce or inventories can be an indicator for budding recession. Economic Growth is a sustained expansion of production possibilities measured as an increase in real GDP over a certain period (Bade 222). Rapid Economic Growth for a number of years can transform a poor nation into a wealthy one. Just as, an absence of economic growth for many years can transform a wealthy nation into a poor one. Due to the discovery of new technologies, many people doubted the fact that at some point and time the economic growth would slow down.However, with a limited amount of resources, the economic growth of a nation is bound to come to a halt at one time or another. The U.S. has been subject to continuous economic growth for the past decade. However, with a limited amount of the factors of production and technology, economic growth in the United States is finally showing signs of slowing down. Changes in the economic growth patterns of nations are a great way of detecting potential recessions.Amid the talk of global recession, the United States is doing well to keep from upending the fragile economy. The Federal Reserve Board has taken steps to cut the interest rates, as well as offer tax rebates to people who have suffered from the downturn in the economy. By doing so, the FED homes to get consumer spending back on track. For now, the recession looks anything but mild, and forth-quarter Real GDP is set to fall at a faster rate than it did in the third (Madigan 48). Nonetheless, the drop in the Real GDP represents the initial shock sent throughout the world in mid-September. Even though the airline industry has incurred losses that ere unimaginable, past experiences with recessions should help ease our fears. Sure, the United States hasnt seen anything

Marxism Today Essay Essays

Marxism Today Essay Essays Marxism Today Essay Essay Marxism Today Essay Essay Marxism in China China has been noted as a promising emerging country with its competitiveness being acknowledged by world economic giants. Over the decades China has been developing Marxism has been an attractive option for its leaders. Deng Xiaoping instituted many reforms that would see the state engage in Marxism activities and decisions. There were numerous foreign investment made, joint ventures, as well as the development of state-owned enterprises, which saw an increase in the nations middle class (Booth, 2013). Technology was rapidly adopted whereas the industries experienced massive changes in their methods. The working class, however, were paid low wages. There were also quite some workers making it easier for them to be exploited. China was characterized by rural-urban migration, which ensured that the oversupply of labor in the rapidly growing cities maintained the low wages. Marxism is attractive due to its model of having the economy expand and grow regardless of the uneven socio-econo mic developments. Capitalism saw Chinas economy grow so rapidly (Khan, 2013). The leaders may find Marxism is attractive as a way to maintain the status quo of the leaders while it can still benefit the whole economy if the skilled labor in China continues to offer their services at low wages.; Tocqueville would point out the challenges Marxism has brought on to China today. He would point out the need for liberty to be attained in China and not the pro-capitalist influential voices that continue to reign. Tocqueville would advise China to be more empathetic and sympathetic towards the disadvantaged. He would not fail to acknowledge China;s prowess in administration, which has led to efficient growth but would associate it with the lack of liberalism turning people into subjects rather than citizens. Tocqueville would still advocate for the government of China to be controlled by the learned aristocracy as to him it would allow solutions to be found on the current state of Chinas affairs (Liao, 2013). References Booth, A. (2013). The myth of decoupling: emerging economies hit a wall. In defence of Marxism, 5. Khan, L. (2013). The reality of Asias emerging economies. In defence of Marxism, 4. Liao, R. (2013). Tocqueville in China. Dissent magazine , 8.

8 Romantic Date Ideas on a College Budget

8 Romantic Date Ideas on a College Budget The Love Doctor just got back from Maui so in this article he’s going to expand on 8 really solid and romantic date ideas for college students who don’t have deep pockets. You’ve got a little bread and want to make a big impression. Totally. These ideas are going to get you there, all it takes on your part is some charm, planning and finesse (which are free). Let’s begin. 1. Road Trip! Just about everybody loves a road trip as long as they trust you and aren’t too conservative, or have scheduling conflicts. Anyways, the goal here is to take them somewhere that’s close enough to feel safe, but far enough away to feel like an adventure. In reality you don’t need anything but gas money. However, if there’s public transit where you’re going a bus ride can be fun and presents plenty of opportunity for conversation. Make sure you take them somewhere they haven’t been before. Ideally. But, it would be just as cool to head to a remote and popular hot spot where there will be plenty of other people out and about and having fun. To make a big impression you need to create a sensual memory of movement, adventure, excitement, curiosity and FUN! 2. A Personalized Dinner a Movie No, we’re not talking about a table for two at a nearby restaurant and then the local theater for two. That’s so outdated! And, let’s be honest, the movie theaters these days are so expensive it’s crazy. Instead, plan out a really tasty home cooked meal you can make together. It doesn’t have to be nuts. There’s no rules. Whatever sounds really good that will put a smile on your faces and make for good conversation. Then you can watch a movie for free using a computer silly. The screen won’t be so big and it’ll just be the two of you without all the buttery popcorn getting in the way (unless that’s what you decide to cook!). 3. It’s Time to Dance Seriously, take them to a dancing class. Yes, it can be freaky for non-dancers. But you’ll be braving it together and it’s cheap (oftentimes free). It gets the blood pumping, puts you in close contact and if all goes well it will be unforgettable. It can be any type: hip hop, salsa, ballroom, etc. You never know, it could become a thing and you might be one of those couples who dance together. 4. Workout some Pamper Working out and exercising can be completely free. Get outside. Go on a hike or jog. Sure, head to the gym and get them in free with a guest pass. Or, the college gym is probably free for you because a fee is typically included in tuition. Don’t get super sweaty, but don’t be afraid of it either. Just have some clothes to change into and make sure they have some as well. Afterwards if you can afford it take them to a spa, regardless of whether it’s a guy or girl. EVERYONE loves a massage whether they want to admit it or not. It’s completely refreshing and rejuvenating and they’ll feel amazing after the day with you. 5. Bird Watching Anyone? All you need is the ability to get to where the birds are and a pair of binoculars. When was the last time someone asked you to go bird watching? It sounds corny, but for the right person it could be a real adventure. You can outside, get to walk around in nature together, spot birds and learn about them. Why not? Open-minded people will jump at the opportunity if it’s something they’ve never done before. 6. Comedy or Improv If you can get your date laughing (in a good way of course) then there’s a 99% chance it will be a successful experience for both of you. That’s a fact. And the good news is that there’s always comedy events taking place on and off campus. And, they’re not expensive. For a drink or two and a seat at a comedy show you’re not looking at much. It can get expensive if you want dinner, drinks, desert, a table in front, etc. Improv is also really fun and interesting as well. Make sure you don’t set it up so that you part ways directly after the show. There’s should be some time to chat about your favorite parts or jokes and continue laughing together. 7. An Oddball Course Cooking, dancing, DJ class, painting, basket weaving, etc. You get the idea. Nothing over the top or too mentally draining. Something fun, interesting, unforgettable and spontaneous would be ideal. 8. Bucket List Item We’ll keep this short because it’s simple. Ask them about their bucket list casually, and if there’s anything on there that you can afford and that’s plausible, then do it! That right there is a solid list from the college Love Doctor, but what do you do to make your dates awesome without breaking the bank?

Nursing Care of Myelofibrosis Following Splenectomy Essay

Nursing Care of Myelofibrosis Following Splenectomy - Essay Example Mr. Spring had marked splenomegaly and profound constitutional symptoms including fatigue and night sweats. Due to anemia, there would be hemodilution, leading to an increased burden on the heart, thus resulting in congestive cardiac failure, and this was evident from his breathlessness and peripheral edema (Tefferi, 2005, p. 8520-8530). It is quite possible that his hematologic profile was further aggravated by splenomegaly-mediated exacerbation of the cytopenias through sequestrations and destruction of hematopoietic elements. Splenectomy offered to him as a treatment modality would only reduce the splenomegaly-induced symptoms and functional abnormalities of his blood picture secondary to his marrow pathology. Postoperative Phase: After the surgery, Mr. Spring was brought back to the ward with oxygen via nasal prongs on 2 L of oxygen with him saturating at 95%. His temperature was 36.8 and he was hypotensive. He was kept under observation. A stat dose of Lasix was given to reduce the fluid overload, and his urine output was 150 mL in the first hour following the injection and in the second hour, he passed another 100 mL. The dressing on the wound was clean, and there was no obvious ooze. The patient was provided with a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine pump, and it was instructed to be on an as-needed basis, since post-surgical pain is important to prevent, and nursing has an important role to play even though it is PCA. Intravenous opioids provide immediate relief and are short-acting, thus minimizing the potential for drug interactions or prolonged respiratory depression while anesthetics are still active in the patient’s system (Marley & Swanson, 2001, 399-419). To prev ent deep venous thrombosis, a stocking was in place with the institution of intermittent calf compression.

Brand Management of Video Game Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Brand Management of Video Game Industry - Essay Example For this assignment, various marketing reviews were researched upon. Scholarly articles and textbooks were researched for concepts of Brand Positioning, Product Design, Building Brand Equity and Nintendo’s strategies of Wii were analyzed in the light of the latter. In order to analyze the branding strategies of Wii, I used the concept and applications of Disruptive Strategy to see where Nintendo has positioned its Wii. This concept is also known as the â€Å"Blue Ocean† strategy where the brand is positioned in the virgin space or spot in the market which hasn’t been targeted by the competition yet. On the basis of that, Nintendo targeted the market of former gamers or non-gamers who were not habitual gamers but did play games produced in Flash or other computer games like Solitaire. Besides the brand positioning of Nintendo’s Wii, I also studied the product design of Wii in the light of the competitors’ products, Play station 3 and Xbox. This also helps Nintendo’s Wii to become more of a family brand where an adult or a non-gamer can give a fair competition to a hardcore player in the family belonging to the ideal gamer demographic profile of aged 18 – 35 years. As far as the pricing is concerned, Wii was targeted for the down-market in the game console industry. This meant that Nintendo had to push the prices down in order to attract more consumers. Its advertising and promotional strategies helped Wii to become the most selling brand during Christmas time and especially amongst families who preferred to own only one of all the consoles in the market which lead them to purchase Nintendo’s Wii. In the short-run, Nintendo did capture the market with its unique design, price and going down-market strategy but in the medium-run Nintendo was planning to go in direct competition with the other up-market brands namely Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox. What these major players failed to rea lize was that Nintendo was positioned just as a casual gaming brand whereas Nintendo did not only wish to stay with the family positioning as it believed that there was no casual gamer and that only non-gamer-or-former gamer existed which made Nintendo see a huge potential beyond the down-market’s easy gamers market. With a long-term plan in consideration, when Nintendo established its brand of Wii in the down-market, it then moved into the up markets which were being catered and ruled by Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox.

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Essay Audi LED headlights Audi is a top of the line luxury car manufacturing company who plans to achieve goals and provide consumers with one of kind products. Audi has decided to create a new LED head light with spot detection capabilities to assist with consumer safety while driving in the city, as well as down country roads. Audi has assessed the need for their new product and has found that the new LED headlights with spot detection would be great for the consumer as well as the company sales. Through past research by Audis team we have found that several accidents within the United stated States occurred due to poor head lights or blinding head lights. Though Audis current venture is geared towards consumer’s with families who travel at least 100 miles a week, their game plan is to incorporate this light into all vehicles. We will address the areas of target population, product position against the competitions, as well as each stage of the product life cycle and our expansion of product offerings. Audi focuses on people (Idea Connection, 2014). This new innovation of LED head lights will do just that; focus on people. Audi will utilize the family and let them be the guide behind the quality and performance of this new offering (Idea Connection, 2014). Target market profile At Audi, we came up with this new headlight technology that is designed to make night driving safer. The target market for our product is composed of couples with children under the age of 15. Among these families, the focus will be on those who drive SUVs’, Minivans and Sedans. The target audience will be based around those parents who drive their kids to extracurricular activities like piano lessons or soccer, and who live either deep in the  country or outside of the city. One submarket will be those who live within the city and like to travel outside the city. These headlights are best suited for people who drive over 100 miles a day. In terms of income, we will target individuals with a college degree who make more than one hundred thousand dollars per year. Our product will also aim at corporations who offer company vehicle for their senior executives. Key buying behaviors Three factors influence consumers buying behaviors, those factors are cultural, social and personal (Kotler Keller, 2012). In terms of culture, individuals during the course of their life will be influenced by family, friends, neighbors, and others. Our consumers are individuals whose family members are accustomed to luxury cars, preferably Audis’. Cultural factors influencing buying behavior in terms of culture are also social classes. Our consumers will be individuals belonging to the upper class of society. For these individuals owning a luxury car with the latest technology is a statement. On the social level of consumers buying behaviors, our target market will be influenced by factors such as reference groups, family, and social roles and statuses (Kotler Keller, 2012). Our consumers will be influenced by family members, for instance a mother will most likely want her children to ride safely in a minivan, or SUV. A businessman will buy an Audi sedan because it is a luxury car and it tell others what social class he belongs to. Our target consumers are influenced by membership groups. One example is an individual who buys a luxury car to blend in with others in hos social circle who also own luxury cars. â€Å"Personal characteristics that influence a buyer’s decision include age and stage in the life cycle, occupation and economic circumstances, personality and self- concept, and lifestyle and values.† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p.155). Our consumers will be men and women, 30 years old or older. The target customers are also educated and very thoughtful as they carefully weigh the benefits of purchasing such a product (Rao, 2014). We believe that as mothers and wives, our consumers will be focused on safety. There have been a lot of plane crashes lately, because of that more and more people decide to drive instead of fly. Corporations will be concerned with profit. Corporations will see great benefit in Audi as it relates to the new LED head lights. The thought of safety will both save the company money, attract eager and loyal employees,  as well as give a strong impression on both competitors and new clients. Decision motivators for consumer/organizational target markets The primary decision motivators for buying the new headlights on the Audi car are the enhanced safety features of the product. Since the primary feature of the new headlights leads to secure driving, it will appeal to almost all consumers. On the other hand, the organizational target markets will entail the demographics of the urban areas. Geographic target markets will target the individuals who live in the urban areas that have developed infrastructures (Novak, De Leeuw MacEvoy, 2011). Product life-cycle (PLC) LED headlights continue to develop short and long-term strategies in the product life-cycle. The first of four stages is the introduction into the market; customer-value hierarchy is vital during the introduction stage, which identifies the core benefit of the product and creates a detailed description of the basic product. The augmented product value stage must surpass the customer yearning for safety and technology. In addition, marketers will incorporate future potential product growth. The product design can be incorporated into any Audi vehicle during the manufacturing process. The LED headlight will be an upgrade option, and pricing will be slightly higher than Audis without the LED headlight. A strong customer-value hierarchy strategy will enhance product promotion, and the place to launch the LED headlight will be a joint effort with Audi Automotive. During the initial growth phase, pricing will remain slightly higher than Audis without the LED headlight. Based on the lesson learned during the introduction of the LED headlight, the customer-value hierarchy strategy will adjust to meet customer expectations. Product promotion will continue to expand into new markets. The maturity phase begins when the LED headlight implementation reaches market equilibrium; pricing will remain the same during this phase. If the product continues to exceed customer-value hierarchy strategy, the product promotion will continue with the addition of customer and law enforcement reviews. Research and development continues to improve the LED headlight technology. The decline phase begins when market followers enter the market; pricing will then be slightly reduced in an attempt to slow the rate of decline. Product promotion will then be redirected to the new and improved LED headlight. Promotions and places to  launch the new product will be nationwide rather than regional launches during the introduction phase. Product mix A Product Mix is referred to as â€Å"the complete range of products produced by a company.† (http://businesscasestudies.co.u). That being said, Audi plans to unleash its new LED headlights in all of its product lines, which will appeal to the varying types of drivers who have a plethora of different needs and wants in a luxury vehicle. Audi produces a multitude of options for consumers to choose from. These products include 13 sedan options that range from $29,900 to $137,900, six SUV/Crossover/Wagon options that span from $32,500-$51,900, six Coupe options ranging from $40,000-$115,900, and seven Convertible options that span from $35,600-$129,400. (http://www.audiusa.com). With 32 available products that can be altered to match the driver’s particular style, the LED headlight is poised to grant the ultimate driving experience. â€Å"Audi revolutionized vehicle lighting with the first full-LED headlamps in 2008.† (http://www.audileds.com). Audi responded to the automobile industry’s need to change how vehicle headlights affect road conditions for all drivers. Audi continues to enhance its LED design, which is sure to darken its competitors’ vision of the future of automobile driving experience and further differentiating itself by not only enhancing driving conditions, but will be made available in a variety of options. â€Å"Only one square millimeter in size and offered on every vehicle in the lineup, LEDs have opened up an array of styling opportunities for Audi designers.† (http://www.audileds.com). Audi adds that â€Å"these little marvels can be combined to create infinite shapes and arrangements, giving each vehicle a look that’s distinct yet unmistakably Audi.† (http://www.audileds.com). Positioning statement â€Å"For you that spend hours behind the wheel, Audi is one in its luxury class that provides not just the looks of a high end vehicle but the safest lighting for safe traveling. Unlike traditional vehicles Audi provides a combination of class, luxury, and the safest selection to keep you and loved ones safe†. Audi is not only committed to provide its consumers with top  notch service but it has also taken measures to separate itself from the competition. Audi is improving all of its vehicles by providing â€Å"LED lighting† on all its vehicles as part of its standard package. Audi’s positioning statement carries words such as â€Å"luxury, safe, traveling, family† which will always come to mind for those searching for a vehicle to purchase. Audi’s statement is targeting families, those that travel a lot, those that enjoy the luxury of a vehicle but at the same time want to keep themselves and loved ones safe. The consumers spoke and Audi listened. Their position statement is meaningful, important, and convincing to its customers, not just to the company. The Audi brand will deliver on this promise and continue to earn the trust and respect from consumers. References Anonymous. Staying ahead by meeting changing consumer needs. Business Case Studies: A Heinz case study. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/heinz /staying-ahead-by-meeting-changing-consumer-needs/the-product-mix.html#axzz39FCRkOTR Defeat Darkness. LED technology:The vision of LED;View the LED experience. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://www.audileds.com/ Idea connection (2014). Audi looks to the future of car production. http://www.ideaconnection.com/open-innovation-success/Audi-Looks-to-the-Future-of-Car-Production-00392.html Retrieved August 1, 2014 Kotler, P., Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management (14th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Models. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://www.audiusa.com/models# Novak, T. P., DeLeeuw, J., MacEvoy, B. (2011). Richness curves for evaluating market segmentation. Department of Statistics, UCLA.

Savant Syndrome Essay -- Health, Diseases, Splinter Skills,

Savant Syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a person with a severe mental handicap has extraordinary abilities in a certain area, such as memorization, mathematics, or the playing of instruments. The first known case of savant syndrome was documented in a German scientific journal, Gnothi Sauton, in 1783. This article described the case of a man named Jedediah Buxton, who was talented in memorization and mathematics (Treffert 2009). Ever since this first account of Savant Syndrome was recorded, scientists and physicians alike have tried to understand this unusual disorder. The most well known case of Savant Syndrome is the fictional character; however, Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 movie Rain Man, was inspired by a real person. The now fifty-seven year old has memorized over six-thousand books and has an encyclopedic knowledge of over fourteen subjects, including geography, history, literature, and sports. He can name all the US area codes and the zip codes of major US cities, has memorized the maps in the front of the telephone books and can tell you exactly how to get from one city to another has calendar-calculating abilities and is a rather advanced musician (Treffert 2009). This man, however, cannot comprehend simple tasks and cannot even dress himself. One of the earliest reports of Savant Syndrome is that of the amazing calculating ability of Thomas Fuller. Thomas â€Å"who could comprehend scarcely anything, either theoretical or practical, more complex than counting† was asked how many seconds a man who wa s seventy years, seventeen days, and twelve hours old and replied the correct number of 2210500800 in less than ninety seconds. He even accounted for the seventeen leap year... ...hat causes autism by labeling autism a â€Å"signal-processing† disorder with information reduction through compression (Fabricius 2010). Basically, compression is where the brain takes an image and remembers the basics of the image but not the fine details. Fabricius explained Savant Syndrome using the compression theory: that normal people work with a compressed image while Savants retain one hundred percent of the original details. This is known as the â€Å"Savant Hypothesis (Fabricius 2010).† For cognitively normal individuals, fine details are often lost in a process known as â€Å"prototyping.† When a cognitively normal individual sees an image, unimportant details-like, in Fabricius’ example, an embedded triangle- are lost. To the autistic Savant, those details stand out, and the Savant has trouble seeing the big picture. Below is the example from Fabricius’ work:

Commanding Heights Essay

In the first episode of Commanding Heights, it begins by showing the world with a global economy that is tremendously suffering by the World War 1 events. After World War I, two extremely cerebral economists tried to solve the world’s economic troubles, John Meynard Keynes and Friederich Hayek. Keynes had the belief that a government in times of economic despair should spend money and go into a deficit in order to build the economy back up and then when the economy is stable again, should then grow a surplus. On the other hand, Hayek believed that for an economy to survive the free market must be allowed to have the power to decide. Just as the textbook states, Hayek believed that markets arose naturally. He believed that while at times unemployment would be high, government should not step in with more regulations. Hayek thought that government regulation on the market would lead to too much government control and would damage the economy. Both economists demonstrated the economic way of thinking as discussed in chapter 1 of the Macroeconomics textbook. They had to use assumptions to simplify things, and they most definitely had to think at the margin. Many governments followed Keynes theory after World War 1. During the Great depression, Roosevelt decided to use Keynes economic theory by spending lots of money, also known as the new deal. Roosevelt had the hoover damn built, interstate systems; he created new government agencies to put the unemployed to work. This economic system sure paid off for the United States. This theory is still pretty much used as we speak. The government continues to build recreational parks, museums, repairing the interstate systems, just spending money. Of course that money is not always spent wisely. I believe that Keynes theory will always be in effect for some time to come. After World War 2, a good portion of the world had adopted John Keynes economic theory. In many of those countries the result was not so promising. Socialism was born and economic problems became even worse. The Unites States on the other hand, continued to prosper following the Keynes theory. Hayek’s beliefs were pretty much over shadowed and unaccepted. The United Kingdom was also a follower of the Keynesian economics. Winston Churchill tried to put a halt to the way they were running their economy, but the labour party prevailed. After around 30 years of following Keynesian economics, both the U. S and the U. K ran in to trouble. Stagflation was brought upon both economies. Inflation rates grew and economic growth rate slowed drastically. Then Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher came in to the picture. Both of these leaders were more on the side of Hayek’s beliefs. They wanted to cut government regulation and cut government spending, they believed that would save their economies. The U.  S and Britain had finally found a way out of the Keynesian practices. The Stagflation was over. After watching episode one of the Commanding Heights series, I have learned a lot about the old economic theories and how their still used today. Two creative young men had the ability to get half of the world to follow their ideas. It seems to me that economics is not just about technological advancements or scientific methods, but it is more about the generating of ideas. Economics comes from dedicated people using their creativity and critical thinking to make ideas turn into theories. I believe one of the main questions to be answered is what should be the balance of power? Should the market have more power to decide? Or should the government be more controlling? After Learning about these economic system theories, I believe the President should favor Hayek’s theory slightly over Keynes. It would be best to have mixture of both economic systems equally, almost as we do now. Too much government control is still a concern in my opinion. The government is making it harder and harder for people to make good money anymore.

Freud’s Theory of Personality Essay

Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality is both relevant and non-relevant in today’s society. His theory of consciousness is very important as a foundation for understanding human thought and behavior. Freud looked beyond the effects of behavior and explored the unconscious. He significantly changed the way the world views behavior by explaining certain levels of consciousness, the components of the unconscious mind, and different developmental phases. Freud believed that many of our conscious thoughts and actions are motivated by unconscious fears and desires. Sigmund Freud is best known for his development and use of psychoanalysis. The theory of psychoanalysis focuses on the concept of how our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and emotions play an active role in our daily lives. The id, ego, and superego are the three mental zones and each has a specific function. The id functions on the pleasure principle; the ego on the protection of the individual; and the superego on protection of society. Every individual is composed of different amounts of each mental zone. The ultimate goal is to achieve the perfect balance of the three areas by understanding how each works alone and contributes to make the whole. The basis of psychoanalysis is that the unconscious mind determines behavior. One of the biggest concerns in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is the inability to explain behavior in our modern culture. Freud lived in an era where women were believed to be inferior to men. Freud based his theories on his case studies and direct observations. These observations had limitations because his subjects were Viennese upper-class women; a small portion of society. He focused mainly on the male development; as he was part of a male dominated era which led to half of the population’s development being insufficiently accounted for. Freud lacked an  understanding of women which suggests that his theories involving women are not accurate. The prevalence of same-sex parents raising children in homosexual homes or single-parent households raises questions that psychoanalysis fails to answer and is not relevant in today’s society. Freudian theory suggests that as children develop they progress through a series of psychosexual stages. Each stage has a pleasure-seeking energy that is focused on a different part of the body. The successful completion of each stage leads to a healthy personality as an adult. However, if a conflict remains unresolved at any particular stage, the individual might remain fixated or â€Å"stuck† at that particular point of development. A fixation can involve an obsession with something related to that phase of development. Signs of an oral fixation might include an excessive reliance on oral behaviors such as smoking, biting fingernails or eating. In these modern times, there are over 45 million Americans who smoke and based on Freud’s theory it is a direct result of the way a child went through the teething phase. The idea that a parent who let their child teeth for too long could somehow lead to an individual developing an oral fixation is something that has lost credibility and not relevant today. There are millions of smokers in the United States and very rarely does the blame rest upon the parents who left their kids with a pacifier for too long. Defense mechanisms are a major aspect of psychoanalysis and are relevant in today’s society. When someone seems unwilling to face a painful truth, you might accuse them of being â€Å"in denial.† When a person tries to look for a logical explanation for unacceptable behavior, you might suggest that they are â€Å"rationalizing.† These things represent different types of defense mechanisms, or tactics that the ego uses to protect itself from anxiety. Today we recognize denial as the first and foremost defense mechanism which helps professionals understand an individual’s denial of addictions; such as drugs/alcohol, gambling, and shopping. In conclusion, the profession of psychology would not be where it is today without Sigmund Freud. His contributions to psychology are perhaps some of the most important. Freud’s early work on psychoanalysis as a treatment for  a â€Å"sick† mind paved the way for modern-day psychologists, psychiatrists, theorists, and analysts who are developing this treatment even further. However, he based his theories on events that were exclusive to his time period. In today’s society we have different stressors and live different lifestyles than those living in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They did not know road rage, chemical explosions, pollution, etc. Some changes to consider are focusing on the development of women, study of homosexual and single-parent households, variety of ethnicities/cultures, and environmental concerns just to name a few. References Feist, J., Feist, G., & Roberts, T. (2013). Theories of personality. (8ed., p.19). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies. Lothane, Z. (2006). Freud’s legacy–is it still with us? Psychoanalytic Psychology, 23(2), 285-301. doi:10.1037/0736-9735.23.2.285 Psychoanalysis. (2013). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1-2.

To Kill a Mockingbird Overview

To Kill a Mockingbird Overview To Kill a Mockingbird is a searing portrayal of racial prejudice, justice, and innocence lost into a complex mixture of childish naivete and mature observation, while simultaneously being a sort of love letter to small town Southern life. The end result is a novel that is both a brilliant rendering of a specific time and place as well as a study in the meaning of justice, the loss of innocence, and the realization that a place can be both a beloved childhood memory and where you first realized there was evil in the world. Plot Summary Scout Finch lives with her father, a lawyer and widower by the name of Atticus, and her brother, a young boy named Jem. The first part of the To Kill a Mockingbird tells of one summer. Jem and Scout play, make new friends, and first come to know of a shadowy figure by the name of Boo Radley, who lives in a neighboring house and yet is never seen. A young black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses in the largely white, racist townsfolk. When the time of the trial comes around, Atticus proves that the girl that Tom Robinson is accused of raping actually seduced him, and that the injuries to her face were caused by her father, angry that she had tried to sleep with a black man. The all-white jury nevertheless convicts Robinson and he is later killed by while trying to escape from jail. The girls father, who holds a grudge against Atticus because of some of the things he said in court, waylays Scout and Jem as they walk home one night. They are saved by the mysterious Boo, who disarms their attacker and kills him. Major Characters Scout Finch. Jean Louise ‛Scout’ Finch is the narrator and main character of the novel. Scout is a ‛tomboy’ who rejects traditional feminine roles and trappings. Scout initially believes that there is always a clear right and wrong in every situation; as Scout grows older, she begins to understand more about the world around her and begins to value reading and education more. Atticus Finch. Scout’s widower father is an attorney. Atticus is a bit of an iconoclast. He values education and indulges his children, trusting their judgment despite their young age. He is an intelligent, moral man who believes strongly in the rule of law and the necessity of blind justice. Jem Finch. Jeremy Atticus ‛Jem’ Finch is Scout’s older brother. He is protective of his status and often uses his superior age to force Scout to do things his way. He has a rich imagination and an energetic approach to life, but displays difficulty dealing with other people who do not rise to his standard. Boo Radley. A troubled recluse who lives next door to the Finches (but never leaves the house), Boo Radley is the subject of many rumors. Boo naturally fascinates the Finch children, and displays affection and kindness towards them, ultimately rescuing them from danger. Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a black man who supports his family by working as a field hand despite having a crippled left arm. He is charged with the rape of a white woman, and Atticus defends him. Major Themes Maturation. Scout and Jem are frequently confused about the motivations and reasoning of the adults around them. Lee explores the way that growing up and maturing into adults makes the world clearer while also less magical and more difficult, ultimately connecting racism with childish fears that adults ought not to experience. Prejudice. Lee explores the effects of prejudice of all kinds- racism, classism, and sexism. Lee makes it clear that racism is inextricably linked to economics, politics, and self-image. Sexism is explored in the novel through Scout and her constant battle to engage in behaviors she finds interesting instead of ‛appropriate’ behaviors for a girl. Justice and Morality. In the earlier parts of the novel Scout believes that morality and justice are the same thing. Tom Robinson’s trial and her observation of her father’s experiences teach her that there is often a stark difference between what is right and what is legal. Literary Style The novel utilizes subtly layered narration; it can be easy to forget that the story is actually being told by a grown-up, adult Jenna Louise and not the 6-year old Scout. Lee also restricts the point-of-view to Scout and what she directly observes, creating an air of mystery for the reader that mimics the childish sense of not quite understanding what all the adults are up to. About the Author Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 to instant acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She then worked with her friend Truman Capote on what would become Capote’s ‛nonfiction novel,’ In Cold Blood. Lee retreated from public life afterwards, granting few interviews and making almost no public appearances- and publishing almost no new material. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 89. Fast Facts Literature Study Guide Title: To Kill a MockingbirdAuthor: Harper LeePublisher: J.B. Lippincott Co.Year Published: 1960Genre: FictionType of Work: NovelOriginal language: EnglishThemes: Prejudice, justice, growing upCharacters: Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Tom Robinson, CalpurniaNotable adaptations: A 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Peck won a Best Actor Oscar for the role, and Harper Lee expressed satisfaction with the adaptation.Fun Fact: The ‛sequel’ novel Lee published in 2015 just a year before her death is actually first draft of To Kill a Mockingbird that was rejected by publishers. Lee took what were flashback scenes to Scout’s childhood and built on those to revise the novel into what became To Kill a Mockingbird.

8 Special Little Words in English Grammar

8 Special Little Words in English Grammar To be accurate, its not the words themselves that are special; its how theyre sometimes used in sentences. Linguists have assigned names to these distinctive (and sometimes controversial) ways of using eight very common words in English: it, there, should, anymore, be, we, they, and eh. For additional examples and more detailed discussions of the terms, follow the links in bold. Dummy ItUnlike an ordinary pronoun, dummy it refers to nothing at all. In sentences about time and weather (e.g., Its six oclock, Its snowing) and in certain idioms (Its obvious youre having a tough time), it serves as a dummy subject. (For a related use of this personal pronoun, see Anticipatory It.)Existential ThereAnother familiar type of dummy subject is the existential there. In contrast to the deictic there, which refers to a place (e.g., Lets sit over there), the nonreferential there simply points out the existence of something (There is a problem with the network).Putative ShouldUnlike the mandative should, which expresses a command or recommendation (e.g., You should stop complaining), the putative should emphasizes an emotional response to a presumed fact (Its sad you should feel that way). Putative should is heard more often in British English than in American English.Positive AnymoreIn Standard English, the adverb anymore is usually limited to negative or interrogative co nstructions (e.g., She doesnt sing anymore). But in some American, Canadian, and Irish dialects, anymore is also used in positive constructions to mean now or at this time (They go to Maryland on their holidays anymore). Invariant BeA feature of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), invariant be is often misinterpreted as an all-purpose substitute for am, is and are. In fact, because invariant be (as in She be busy all the time) has the special function of marking habitual or repeated activities, AAVE makes a distinction that Standard English cant make by verb tense alone. (See No Time Like the Present Tense.)Inclusive WeIn contrast to the exclusive we, which deliberately leaves out the person whos being addressed (e.g., Dont call us; well call you), inclusive we uses a first-person plural pronoun to evoke a sense of commonality and rapport between a speaker (or writer) and his or her audience (We shall never surrender).Singular TheyMost handbooks still decry the use of they, them, or their to refer to a singular noun or an indefinite pronoun (e.g., Somebody lost their keys). But this is probably a losing battle: singular they has been in widespread use since the 14th century. Narrative EhThough strongly associated with speakers of Canadian English, narrative eh isnt exclusively Canadian. This little discourse marker or tag (described by one linguist as virtually meaningless) most often shows up at the end of a sentencelike this, eh?

Mormon Church of the Latter Day Saints Research Paper

Mormon Church of the Latter Day Saints - Research Paper Example The wise, prudent and intellectual individuals, by dint of their spiritual thoughtfulness and strong religious belief, rose to the occasion to warn and forbid the people from making alterations in the real teachings of the founders of the religion, so that the true spirit of faith could be rejuvenated out of the misconceptions and amendments inaccurately taken place with the passage of time; the Latter Day Saints Movement was also launched with the same motifs and objectives in view. Launched by Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844) out of some powerful, unabated and unremitting spiritual inspirations, the movement was determined to give up and eradicate every unnecessary addition from the religious norms and beliefs, which had no roots in the faith introduced by Jesus Christ and the saints belonging to the earliest Christian centuries. It is, therefore, the movement is frequently argued to be the fundamentalist movement of restoration for the real teachings of Christ, and its spiritual leade rs are called the latter day saints in order to distinguish them from the early era saints of Christianity. Smith Jr. â€Å"was restoring the only true church which had been lost for centuries due to the corruptions into which all supposedly Christian groups, whether Catholic or Protestant or Orthodox, had fallen.† (Moorhead & Heuser, 1985:1) Hence, like Martin Luther’s reform movement, Mormonism was also interested to mitigate the corruption and exploitation of church being conducted at the hands of religious dogmatism. Mormonism refused to accept the false notion that the historical events, described in the Bible, were just parables; on the contrary, the church strongly believed that all the Biblical stories are based upon the real events occurred from God either as reward on the pious humans for performing excellent deeds, or the punishments for making mischief and going astray from the right path of glory and virtue. Consequently, Noah’s survival in the grea t flood was the sign of the Lord’s blessings upon Noah, his family, and true followers, while the same was the token of His wrath on the disobedient and transgressors. Similarly, Abraham’s seed was bestowed upon with mercies and bounties in the form of spiritual and worldly leadership, while the later generations had to lead the life of slavery because of the malpractices the children of Israel had started committing. For instance, Judah’s scheme of throwing Joseph into the well, and people’s worshipping the golden calf in the absence of Moses invited the wrath of God on transgressors. All these incidents had occurred in reality, so declaring them as the parables and folklores really meant disclaiming the powers of the Lord and His universal system of justice and fair play. Mormon Church also disregards any claim regarding the evolution process and declares Darwin’s evolution theory as baseless and imaginary one in nature and scope.

What is policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

What is policy - Essay Example Considerable manifestations of policy and power are usually apparent when things remain the same or when issues are not discussed or are intentionally suppressed. This way, policy can be expressed in silence, intentional or unplanned. Policy is whatever institutes, firms, and governments have arranged to do during a particular period. According to Colebatch (2009), policy is a term that can be employed in various circumstances and by diverse groups to justify what governs them in the way they think about what the world should be and how they should act. Colebatch has gathered a number of definitions of policy: use of power to attain objectives; a purposive path of action; a predictable program of objectives, values and practices; a path of action by government aimed to attain particular outcomes. An important thing is that a policy ought to have an objective. Colebatch (2009) claims that policy articulates itself in three manners: order, authority, and expertise. Hogwood and Gunn (1984) suggested numerous meanings for policy concept more than 20 years ago (as cited in Potucek & Vass, 2003). Their argument is that the concept of policy is variously employed to express a label for a field of activity, such as education policy as an expression of a broad function, as a program, and as both output and result. On the other hand, Wedel and others (2005), as cited in Rizvi and Lingard (2010), have suggested that policy refers to â€Å"a field of activity, such as education policy† (p. 4). They claim it is a particular proposal, government legislation, a general program and what governments attain. Consequently, a public policy defines the actions and positions taken by the state consisting of a range of institutions sharing the crucial features of authority and collectivity. According to the dictionary, policy refers to principles, directions and rules created or adopted by an institution to attain its prolonged goals. Policy is usually identical with decisions,

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example Business processes were reengineered by changing reward criteria and performance matrices as well as marketing activities. The idea of providing custom built solutions for the customers proved to be a handy tool for reaching customer satisfaction. Company’s emphasis also shifted to the global market where it tried to provide the business services by divesting itself on low margin industries. This enabled it to capture new markets and work towards customer satisfaction through different venues using different marketing techniques by adapting to cultural changes in different countries. Perhaps the most important competency that the company inculcated was that of becoming a brand worker ensuring to provide customized and integrated technologies to the customers even if that meant using a rival company’s product. This led to pervasive customer loyalty. IBM also bolstered its services division by acquiring a management consultancy firm that helped it to increase its business consultants worldwide. This led to the communication of company’s vision in a much effective way. 2. ... He did thorough research on the business units of the company and tried to integrate them into one so that they may follow standard procedures to create enhanced value for the customers. This move was an audacious decision as it was a contra act of the policy made by his predecessors. He also seemed to follow an adaptive approach in formulating new plans of action. This was evident when he tried to grab the opportunities to make profitable initiatives. Louis’s proactive approach towards business environment led him to gain advantage over his competitors in all respects. Louis also was apt at making bold decisions such as that of exiting the consumer market and playing in the larger business market only. Louis also viewed that IBM was a social entity at large and therefore employees and the workforce played a major role in the organisational success. That is why he took steps to reengineer the human resource management practices of the company making them more employee-centric at the basic level. In order to align the organisational performance with the proposed goals, Louis tried to focus on developing the brand concept. This later helped it to create loyal customers. He also redesigned the marketing campaigns of the firm in order to ensure that the all promotion activities boasted the same value proposition of the firm. All this shows that he was keen to follow a rigorous decision making process. In a nut shell, Louis’s style of implementation is analogous to that of a capable leader. He took bold decisions based on extensive research and tried to retain their viability. He also looked for new avenues to approach and cater through his judicious work style. 3. What are the implications

Models of Infectious Diseases

Models of Infectious Diseases

Inclusive Herbaria :: Botany

Inclusive Herbaria IN the earliest days of Systematics more attention was paid to cultivated plants and weeds than to wild species. The great herbals of the sixteenth century were largely given over to field and garden crops and everyday weeds. Until well after the time of Linnaeus, taxonomists included both cultivated plants and wild species in their botanical gardens, in their herbaria and in their writings. Only by slow degrees was there general recognition that the methods which are so effective for the bulk of the world's flora do not yield results of comparable efficiency when applied to cultivated plants and weeds. This perception came into being so gradually, that taxonomy as a whole drifted into its present position without any one taxonomist being aware of the drift and with only a few lone workers (Oakes Ames, L. H. Bailey, O. Stapf, D. Chatterjee) attempting to fight against the current. We now find ourselves in an anomalous position. Ninety-nine per cent of taxonomic effort is devoted to t he plants least interesting and least important to man. Surely matters are out of balance when in many of the world's great herbaria there is not a single taxonomist who is devoting himself to the classification of cultivated plants and when the taxonomy of many of the world's most important genera (Phaseolus, Coffea, Brassica, Cinchona, Hevea, etc.) is so imperfect as to be of little practical use. The gradual decision of orthodox taxonomists to avoid the classification of cultivated plants wherever possible was originally sound. Wild species could efficiently be understood by their methods; cultigens could not. Since the development of the so-called "New Systematics" such avoidance is no longer necessary. The special methods of this modern development in taxonomy are as useful in working out the complicated interrelationships of cultivated plants as they are in determining the course of evolution in natural populations. While it is usually assumed that the New Systematics derived its newness from the introduction of such techniques as cytology and pedigree culture from the experimental sciences, it would be more accurate to ascribe the change to new attitudes. The old taxonomy was satisfied if it discriminated between species; the new, desired to illuminate them as well. It wanted to know not only to which pigeonhole each entity belonged, but what kind of an entity it was. Was it diploid or polyploid, or did it include both diploid and polyploid races?

Principles of personal development in adult social care settings Essay

A duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on a carer requiring that they adhere to a good quality and standard of care. It is my duty to take care of vulnerable adults and to ensure that their needs and well-being are looked after. I exercise reasonable care with respect to individuals’ best interests, this includes protecting service users from any harm or abuse that may occur and avoiding any acts that could result in injury but it also means respecting service users and giving them choices. see more:explain how people may react and respond to receiving constructive feedback I am proficient enough to ensure that every service user is taken care of in a reasonable, responsible and respectful manner. It is my role to ensure that my duty is carried out safely and effectively working alongside my organisation’s policies and procedures ‘My organisation and I have a duty of care to ensure that the service users we care for are safe, protected from abuse by other service users, staff, carers, friends and family. I therefore work within the safeguarding policies and procedures and it is important that I receive adequate training so that I can recognise and understand signs of abuse. It is my duty to record of all relevant information when an accident or incident occurs in the workplace. It is my responsibility to report any improper conduct or suspicion that I think may contribute to abuse. Duty of care and safeguarding work together because it’s my duty of care to provide protection and safety for a vulnerable adult whilst at the same time respecting their needs and choices. The Whistleblowing policy in my workplace makes it clear to me and to staff that it is staff’s responsibility to report improper conduct that compromises service user safety whilst ensuring confidentiality and protection from abuse for service users.’ Describe dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights: It is my duty of care to support service users with their medication and to ensure that they are in good health. I support an individual with her medication and on one occasion she refused for me to administer the tablets. I encouraged her and explained to her that she needs to take her medication  so that she can keep in good health but she still refused. I therefore gave her some time and space for her to reconsider and calm down; approximately half an hour later I returned back to support her with her medication but she said again that she didn’t want her tablets. I therefore recorded what happened, entered this also in the message book and completed an incident sheet. Her doctor was then contacted to explain that she refused her morning medication and to check that everything will be alright although she missed her morning medication. It is the service user’s right to refuse this service if they want to. It is my duty of care to ensure that service users are supported accordingly and when they refuse a service that I record and report this. People with a learning difficulty have the same rights as anyone else in deciding whether or not to engage in a particular activity. It is important as it is my duty to ensure service users’ safety. For example a service user may be a smoker and insist on smoking in her bedroom at night instead of in the smoking room and ignores all advice from staff who are concerned about the safety of everyone. Another example could be a service user who is a little unsteady on his feet but decides he wants to go out and use a bus or train instead of a taxi; he may be at risk of falling and injuring himself, staff and/or others around him. Explain where to get additional support and advice about how to resolve such dilemmas: I can get additional support and advice about how to resolve dilemmas from training, supervision, from my Manager, the internet and also from appropriate professionals such as the GP or the person’s advocate. For example it is my responsibility to ensure that I assist service users in making complaints and to make sure that their complaint is taken seriously and that they are listened to. An advocate could be a person that supports a service user when needed and help with advising about how to resolve dilemmas. Describe how to respond to complaints: All complaints and concerns are dealt with fairly in my workplace and we  respond to individuals’ needs. It is important that all complaints are reported to a senior staff member and logged. Once logged it looked into by the Manager who will try and resolve it. All complaints received are important and must be taken seriously. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) requires my organisation to gather, evaluate and generate reports about complaints – this is to ensure the continual improvement of the service. The main point of these procedures is for service users to exercise their rights. Staff should also respond appropriately to any complaint they receive from service users or their families. If an informal complaint is made this should be discussed and this may stop it becoming a formal issue. The staff member receiving the complaint should listen carefully, take everything into consideration that is said and let the service user know what will then happen. If complaints are not responded to by staff appropriately then the service and the service provider will not improve. The main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints and how to respond to complaints: There are stated steps to follow when a complaint is made. In my workplace we first have to make sure that the service user is given the correct form to complete; and sometimes staff help service users to complete these when they are not able to especially when they have been given poor services. All complaints must be dealt with quickly and fairly. In my workplace the Manager is responsible for conducting the investigation when a complaint is received and a written letter is sent out to the service user to inform them that the complaint is being dealt with and timescales are given to them for a response. The complaints policy ensures that service users are given a good service and protected from harm and abuse as all complaints have to be responded to and regulatory bodies notified. PRINCIPLES OF SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE Define the following seven types of abuse and for each include their associated signs and symptoms: physical, sexual, emotional/psychological, financial, institutional, self-neglect and neglect by others 1) Physical abuse is deliberate physical force that may result in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Both old and young people can be physically abused. There are signs or indicators to show physical abuse and there are ways in which victims and abusers act or interact with each other. Physical abuse includes the smashing of furniture and personal belongings, being pushed or shoved, being held against your will, slapped, bitten, kicked, pinched, punched, choked or ducked under water, threatened or hurt with a weapon, threats of violence, locked in or out of the house, hair pulled †¦burnt with cigarettes, acid, an iron, hot food or water †¦ Signs of physical abuse in adults are: bruising, particularly in well-protected and covered areas, fractures, sprains or dislocations, lacerations, burns – including friction burns and scalds, drowsiness, pressure sores, cowering and flinching, unexplained hair loss, significant weight loss, etc†¦. Symptoms include feeling low, angry and in pain. 2) Sexual abuse is when a person is forced or tricked into taking part in any kind of sexual activity. When sexual contact is non-consensual, it is an abuse. It can happen to men and women of any age that is both old and young. It can include sexual penetration of any part of the body with a penis, finger or any object, sexual exploitation, making threats about sexual activities, exposure to pornographic material, touching of breast or genitals, kissing, etc. Activities such as showing pornographic material, forcing the person to watch sex acts or forcing the person to undress are also considered sexual abuse. The signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in the elderly can be bruises around breasts or genitals, genital infections, unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding, torn, stained, or bloody underwear, disturbed sleep patterns, vulnerable adult appears withdrawn and fearful, inappropriate dressing, etc†¦ 3) Emotional Abuse is where one person gains power and control over another through words and gestures which gradually undermine the other’s self-respect†¦Emotional abuse can be name-calling, blaming, screaming, making threats, yelling†¦.neglecting, manipulation, not listening, withholding affection†¦belittling and untrue accusations. Signs of emotional abuse are depression, anxiety, withdrawing or refusing affection, fearful or agitation, lower self-esteem and self-confidence, shouting or swearing, behaviours such as rocking, hair twisting and self-mutilation, vulnerable adult withdrawn and fearful†¦ 4) Financial abuse is stealing or defrauding someone of money, goods and/or property, allowing others to steal money or property, tricking or threatening individuals into giving away money or property, withholding money, refusing to allow individuals to manage their finances, etc. for example when a support worker is taking money from a service users’ purse without his or her knowledge. Signs of financial abuse are signatures on cheques that do not resemble the service users’ signature, or signed when the service user cannot write, unexplained withdrawals of large sums of money by a person accompanying the service user, lack of amenities, such as TV, personal grooming items, appropriate clothing, that the service user should be able to afford, deliberate isolation of service user from friends and family, resulting in the support worker alone having total control, the unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family†¦. Symptoms include the person feeling fearful, anxious, embarrassed and belittled. 5) Institutional abuse happens when the lifestyles of service users are sacrificed in favour of the routines and/or restrictive practices of the home. Institutional abuse comprises neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, discriminatory abuse, psychological and emotional abuse, financial abuse, service users not being allowed to go out, their personal letters are opened and read, their privacy not respected, their interest  not at the centre of every decision being made, excessive medication and complaints procedure not made available for the service users. Signs and symptoms include lack of own personal clothing and possessions, †¦no flexibility of bedtimes, eating times or waking times, dirty clothing or bed linen, misuse of medication, lack of care plans, lack of heating, staff entering into service users’ rooms without knocking. 6) Self-neglect is when a person does not pay attention to their health and well-being. Service users can neglect themselves due to illness or depression or might intentionally neglect themselves. The signs and symptoms include: living in dirty conditions, poor personal hygiene, poor nutrition†¦not getting medical help, not being interested in the way they look, long toe nails not taking medication. 7) Neglect is when a carer does not carry out their duty of care and fails to care for a service user this can be deliberate or unintentional due to the carer being ill or stressed†¦ Signs and symptoms of neglect include absence of food, water, and heat†¦ poor personal hygiene including soiled clothing, dirty nails and skin†¦inappropriately dressed for cold or hot weather, bedsores†¦.constant hunger, withdrawn, illness†¦ Different factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse: Living with the carer may increase the chances for abuse to occur as this may cause stress and resentment if the carer feels they cannot cope. If an individual is looked after staff who do not have the right training, any supervision at work or support, are stressed, have personal problems or do not like working in care then this can increase the risk of an individual being abused. If an individual is not mobile, is confused, has dementia, or is aggressive or challenging then this can increase the risk of abuse as the carer might not know how to deal with this, get frustrated and might take it personally and abuse the individual. Domestic violence can also play a part as can the relationship between the individual and their parent or spouse if it was poor and involved abuse. KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO SUSPECTED OR ALLEGED ABUSE The actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused: If I suspect abuse through noticing a sign of physical abuse or change in the behaviour of an individual, I will make sure that I ask the individual what has happened telling the individual the changes that I have noticed. If it is in my place of work and the name of the person that abused the individual is known, whether staff or another service user, I must also record and report this. I will listen to the individual carefully; it is up to them to tell me, I would not ask them any questions about this as this is not part of my job role and would stay calm. I will make sure that I record what the individual tells me using the individual’s own words. I will make sure that I reassure the individual and explain that their safety is the most important and that it is my duty of care to tell the manager. I will make sure that I let my manager know what has happened immediately and pass this information on in private and make sure my report is also confidential. I will only report and record the facts – what the individual has told me. Depending on what is found out the individual might need to continue to be monitored and a plan of care will be put in place that must be followed to protect the service user. ‘I will make sure that I let my manager know and report and record this in private but if the allegation is about my manager or the manager is unwilling to do anything, I will follow my company policy of reporting abuse and report to CQC. The actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused: If an individual alleges that they are being abused, I will make sure that I listen to the individual carefully to know exactly what happened. If it is in my place of work and the name of the person that abused the individual is known, whether staff or another service user, I must also record and report this. I will make sure that I record the detail of all allegations that the individual tells me using the individual’s own words; I will not ask any questions or make any judgements about what I have been told and I will stay calm. I will make sure that I record the date and time when the abuse was reported and then sign this record. I will make sure that I take the allegations seriously and reassure the individual that they are right to tell me as their safety is the most important.  I will make sure that I let my manager know and report and record this in private but if the allegation is about my manager or the manager is unwilling to do anything, I will follow my company policy of reporting abuse and report to CQC. Different ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved: Ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved are as follows: By leaving things as they are and not touching anything.  By not removing, cleaning or washing what the individual is wearing and by not handling the individual’s clothes or bedding. By keeping the area safe and not allowing anyone to enter into the area. By recording and reporting carefully, confidentially and in full all that was told to me by both the individual and others if present at the time and also what I noticed; stating the facts only. By preserving any first aid items used. UNDERSTAND THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL CONTEXT OF SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION FROM ABUSE National policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse and explain the roles of different agencies: National policies – †¦.’Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the Vetting and Barring Scheme run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Criminal Records Bureau, Human Rights Act 1998. Local Systems – Safeguarding  Adults Boards, Safeguarding policies and procedures for vulnerable adults.’ Safeguarding Adults Boards – these bring together a number of different local agencies that work with vulnerable adults to share information and monitor their work i.e. local agencies like the police, MIND, housing teams, advocacy groups. The Police – their role is to safeguard vulnerable adults, investigate all reports of vulnerable adult abuse and protect and uphold the rights of vulnerable adults. CQC – to monitor and provide guidance on what all health and social care providers must do to safeguard vulnerable adults from abuse; the safeguarding policies, procedures and systems developed are in place to prevent vulnerable adults from being abused Reports into serious failures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse: A report about Castlebeck Care Ltd which failed to ensure that the vulnerable living at Winterbourne View were adequately protected from risk, including the risks of unsafe practices by its own staff. Individuals in Winterbourne View which is a home owned by Castlebeck Care Ltd were pinned down, slapped, doused in cold water and repeatedly taunted and teased by staff in the home. Castlebeck Care Ltd failed to notify the Care Quality Commission of these incidents, injuries to individuals and of occasions when individuals had gone missing. A report about the murder of Steven Hoskin, a young man with learning difficulties who was abused and murdered in July 2006. In addition to being pushed over the railway and falling from a great height, it was also found that Steven had taken paracetamol tablets, had been drinking alcohol and had sustained recent injuries from cigarette burns. In addition he suffered appalling treatment from his abusers who took over his bed sit and he had neck bruises from having been hauled around his home by his own pet’s dog-lead and the backs of his hands had the  marks of foot-prints. Where can you go to get information and advice about your role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse?: Local authority Adult Services Department like Social Services My manager, colleagues My company’s policies and procedures on safeguarding The internet Care Quality Commission Independent Safeguarding Authority Books Training and advice from training centres.’ UNDERSTAND WAYS TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ABUSE How working with person centred values can reduce the likelihood of abuse: Person-centred values include the individuality of the person, the rights of the individual, the individual’s choice, the individual’s privacy, the individual’s independence, the individual’s dignity and the individual being respected If person centred values are taken into consideration when supporting an individual there is less likely to be abuse as all the staff will be working in the same way and will feel shamed if they abuse because of the way that they have been taught to work. If an individual is considered to have a say in what he or she wants and is at the centre of any decision, it will be more unlikely that there is abuse. The individual will know what suits him or her and will not get so frustrated. I always put the service users I work with, their families and friends at the centre of any decision about them and they are an active partner in their own care. Individuals decide what to do, where to go, what clothes to wear and are treated with dignity, respect, confidentiality and are able to make their own choices.’ How encouraging active participation can reduce the likelihood of abuse: Active participation is a way of working that recognises an individual’s right to participate in the activities and relationships of everyday life as independently as possible; the individual is regarded as an active partner in their own care or support, rather than a passive recipient. So if the individual participates actively in their daily activities, which is what I practice, then the risk of abuse is low. For example in choosing the kind of meal to prepare I support individuals to make the lists of what they want to buy and go shopping with them so that they can choose the brand they want. The individual cooks the food the way they want it with little or no support. This is the same with all choices of clothes and outings. How promoting choice and rights can reduce the likelihood of abuse: Individuals are supported to make their choices in anything they want like in choosing food or drink, in what to wear, whether to use hot or cold water to bathe, etc. No individual will choose what will hurt him or her therefore abuse is reduced to the minimum. Individuals’ rights are promoted throughout the service. My service user has the right to do anything that they wish to do and if it is what they want as long as it is not dangerous; a risk assessment is then done to stop any abuse happening. I ensure that I promote service users’ rights and choices by allowing them to make their own choices and support them to have the rights of anyone else. Why an accessible complaints procedure is important for reducing the likelihood of abuse’: The complaints procedure gives the complainant the right to be heard and supported to make their views known. An accessible complaints procedure is understandable and easy to use. It sets out clearly how to make a complaint, the steps that will be taken when the complaint is looked into. It also provides flexibility in relation to target response times. An accessible complaints procedure resolves complaints more quickly as the complainant feels that they are being listened to and their complaint taken seriously. This sets up an open culture of making sure that abuse will not be tolerated in any form and encourages the complainant to not accept this. I remember when Mr R felt very happy when his complaint of being denied sleep was recorded in the complaints procedure. I supported him to write down the complaint and this was taken seriously†¦. Unsafe practices that may affect the wellbeing of individuals’: Unsanitary conditions can spread infection as cross-contamination can occur and can affect the well-being of the individual and others. Improper hand washing can also pose a risk. Dirty kitchen surfaces and equipment can spread infections, not covering hair when cooking can pose a risk to individual as can not reporting faulty equipment when working or not having cleaning materials can also be unsafe. In terms of health and safety not having risk assessments in place when a service user hurts themselves. Staff not checking when a service user is ill or unsteady on their feet. Staff not recording in care plans about a service user’s wellbeing and health and not monitoring them. Other unsafe practices which also amount to abuse can occur such as leaving a service user on the toilet too long, ignoring or not listening to them.  Marks on body not taken seriously and complaints not taken seriously can put them at more danger, harm and risk of abuse. I ensure that I keep to all the procedures for checking for abuse and the wellbeing of the individuals that I work with; by following these and the individual’s care plan I keep within the minimum standards of care and also work in a person centred way to make sure all individuals are happy and safe. The actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified ’: If I identify unsafe practices then I must follow the whistle-blowing procedure and report to the appropriate person(s). I will report to my manager immediately or if it involves my manager then to another appropriate person(s). I will monitor all unsafe practices and make sure that I record and report in full all the evidence and then will talk to my manager because all unsafe practices are dangerous practices that could cause harm to the individual and others. For example, I talked to my manager last week about things being left on the stairs that may cause service users and others to fall over and hurt themselves. She has talked to the staff and now this has stopped. The actions to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response: If suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been  done in response or if it has to do with my manager then I will report to the next level or manager. If it has to do with my manager then I will report to management, then to the social worker and safeguarding team and to the care quality commission and even to the police depending on the response I get. When I worked in a nursing home there was some abuse of service users being left too long on the toilet and I talked to the nurse in charge and changes were made immediately. I had to record the information and give the nurse and manager a copy of my confidential report. If the nurse or manager had not done this then I would follow the whistle blowing procedure.