Attention Deficit The Brain Syndrome Of Our Era

It is universally accepted that happiness pushes human society to progress. Happiness brings euphoria which all human beings naturally enjoy. To magnify happiness, people study philosophy to contemplate what brings happiness thus inventing new devices to ease their lives. Philosophy teaches people that acceptance, sharing and love arouse happiness. Consequently, new inventions implement their spiritual understandings about happiness in real life by facilitating communication. In Daniel Gilbert’s article â€Å"Reporting Live from Tomorrow†, he proposes that because there is not a single human encyclopedia in the world, communication is necessary to human beings and happiness stems from communication. Traditionally, people needed to make tremendous effort to communicate, but fortunately, new technologies bring easier communication. A good example is that electronic devices are extensively used now. However, immoderate usage of new technologies are harmful. In Richard Rest ak’s article â€Å" Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era†, he exhibits that attention deficit which is referred to as a psychological disability, is becoming a label of modern society. With almost addictive symptoms, people pass the boundaries of proper use of new technologies again and again and are now emotionally dependent on them. However, is it possible that people can get true happiness through electronic-devices communication? Although technology heightens people’s happiness temporarily, the fakeShow MoreRelatedAttention Deficit : The Brain Syndrome Of Our Era1019 Words   |  5 PagesIn â€Å"Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era,† Richard Restak considers the effect of technology on our brains. As we process increasing amounts of information at ever-faster speeds, Restak argues that our brains are undergoing â€Å"profound alterations† in order to adapt to the changing needs of our modern world. As technology connec ts us to more people, places, and information than ever before, Restak warns that we are losing important cognitive functions, in particular our ability to focusRead MoreAttention Deficit : The Brain Syndrome Of Our Era1655 Words   |  7 PagesRestak shows us the negative effects of that dependency in his essay â€Å"Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era†. We are constantly at work with technology, and it is literally changing the way we operate. Matt Richtel has proof of this in his article based off a study by some neurologists titled â€Å"Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain†. Today, we have little to no control over our addiction to technology and our work life, the two have merged into one stress filled existence. HoweverRead MoreAttention Deficit : The Brain Syndrome Of Our Era Essay1953 Words   |  8 Pagespart of our daily life, it has been advanced at a rate we could never imagined. Technology broadens our horizon and shows us so man y aspects of the world. However, the more advanced technology becomes, the more we lose our ability to care for others, which is a significant part of our humanity. We use machines a lot more in our daily life instead of ourselves. Due to this, the open world makes it more difficult to concentrate and focus on ourselves , others and our environment. In â€Å"Attention Deficit:Read MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Modern World1547 Words   |  7 PagesUniversity of Medicine and Health Science examines the risk factor of multitasking which is a cause of a disease such as ADD and ADHD in his essay called â€Å"Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome Of Our Era.† Attention Deficit Disorder is known as ADD while Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is known as ADHD. Here, Restak claims that humans brain responds to all the social media around the world. In these both essays, the author explores the idea of technology which has tremendous physical, psychologicalRead MoreTech nology and Attention Spans Essay1720 Words   |  7 PagesTechnology Changing Attention Spans Technology is a notion that will never end. New devices will be released and then advanced endlessly. It changes society by altering the environment in which individuals adapt. Technology now is a concept that individuals cannot survive without; an average person needs technology, to eat, to entertain, to cook, and to do many other daily functions. Let’s face it, individuals need technology to survive. But this is to an extent, for example a computer can be oneRead MoreTechnology Is The Most Misunderstood916 Words   |  4 Pageswith technology daily, may feel lost, or even confused. Often our lives revolve around technology, us americans thrive on it. In essence it makes us feel as if we’re part of something more. In Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era, Richard Restak explains â€Å"Our brain literally changes its organization and functioning to accommodate the abundance of stimulation forced on it by the modern world.† (332) In other words our b rain can reprogram itself in order to process the different technologiesRead MoreHow Technology Affects Our Lives1249 Words   |  5 Pagesand over two billion people using the Internet worldwide. Often our lives revolve around technology, us Americans thrive on it. In essence, it makes us feel as if we’re part of something more. In Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era, Richard Restak explains â€Å"Our brain literally changes its organization and functioning to accommodate the abundance of stimulation forced on it by the modern world.† (332) In other words our brain can reprogram itself in order to process the different technologiesRead Morefinale Essay890 Words   |  4 PagesEverywhere we stand there are electronics all around us, from our kitchen appliances to our cars, and traffic signs lighting up. Where we look, we see from the largest airplane to the smallest microchip with a magnitude of information. If you have yet to notice, we cannot do much without our devices beside us. We are the momma kangaroos and our devices are our joeys, being carried in our pockets, purses, or backpacks where ever we go. We use our cellphones to distract us from uncomfortable situationsRead MoreEssay on Ticcing Away: Tourette Syndrome3162 Words   |  13 Pages10 years old Living with Tourette syndrome gives a deeper insight to the highly misunderstood and understated disease, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. The book delves into the origin of the disease, the symptoms, the medications, and the treatments. Then the author gives thoughtful advice, a guide, so to speak, for parents, relatives, loved ones, and sufferers of Tourette. The author Elaine Fantle Shimberg, is the mother of three children with Tourette Syndrome and a board member of the TouretteRead MoreGene Editing And Society : Technology1919 Words   |  8 Pages29 September 2015 Gene Editing and Society Technology has helped humanity in almost every aspect of everyday life. It has made life so much easier that it has become almost impossible to live without. In Dr. Richard Restaks â€Å"Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era†, and Alexandra Samuels â€Å"Plug In Better’: A Manifesto† they both go into detail on how technology has affected today’s society, and how it has changed human behavior to rely on it to such a degree that people have become addicted

Synthesis of Guernica Free Essays

During the Spanish Civil War, a small Basque village was bombed by German troops. In April of 1937, Pablo Picasso paid tribute to the bombing by creating the painting, Guernica, which showed a horrible scene of corpses and disaster stricken community. In 1985, a replication of Guernica was donated to the United Nations headquarters in New York and was â€Å"hung outside in the Security Council chamber. We will write a custom essay sample on Synthesis of Guernica or any similar topic only for you Order Now † In February of 2003, councilmen gathered at the UN in order to hear US Secretary of State Colin Powell build the American case for war against Iraq. Before the procedure could begin, however, the replication was covered with â€Å"a blue curtain and flags of the council’s member countries,† under the notion that it â€Å"was simply a matter of creating a more effective backdrop for the television cameras. † Off the record, some UN officials believe that â€Å"the United States leaned on UN officials to cover the tapestry, rather than have it in the background while Powell or other US diplomats argued for war on Iraq. † This situation relates directly to George Orwell’s 1984. The covering of Guernica is similar to the censorship Orwell condemns in 1984. (Source 4:Walsh) In 1984, everything was censored and citizens were not allowed to think for themselves. Their government, the Party, regulated every aspect of life, from working to sleeping. Everyone was under their control. Even children were taught to censor the things their parents did or said. The government also dictated what was seen in the media, which is how Guernica connects to 1984. The theme of the painting, Guernica, is war. To have this graphic tribute to the loss of innocent lives as the background for one’s speech justifying war is questionable. Just as the Party censored the media in 1984, UN officials were censoring what the public was seeing here. Why would they allow a painting that shows death, heartache, and loss to be the first thing the public saw? This would make the public question the motives of those speaking and make them wonder what there ulterior motives were for waging war against Iraq. If the Guernica would have remained the backdrop for the Secretary of State Colin Powell, the US would have been questioned by not only its citizens, but those of other countries also. When questioned, the US would have lost supporters and cooperation from its sister countries. This would have eventually led to bad relations between countries, which would have affected everyone greatly. In the end, politics is nothing more than a popularity contest. How to cite Synthesis of Guernica, Essay examples

A Study on IT Security

Question: Discuss about theA Study on IT Security. Answer: Introduction Apple Inc. is the leader among technology companies throughout the world and has the best and brightest brains working for the development of software, consumers electronics, smart phones, computers and more. Today, Apple is known for its security and its privacy matters. The latest feud between the FBI and the Apple Inc. has highlighted the companys footing on the topic of security and privacy value. With millions of people investing in the Apples software and electronics, it surely applies that the company should also invest in proper security and services that are associated with the company. The companys strict policy requires that the company members are strict about what information they share to the outside worlds. It includes the various aspects that are important for the growth and development of the company. Being the leader in information technology it is quite obvious that other companies look up to Apple for the benchmark in security as well as from the technology standp oint it makes it important for the company to keep its reputation as a strict follower and also a company which takes security as an important matter(Lashinsky, 2014). Apple Inc is still the largest American com play that deals with technology and the development of new technologies. The company has been a rebel since the time it went live, focusing on new ways to evolve and innovating its services it is to be noted that the company is still the leader among the technology companies and through many small breaches have been made mostly Apple has made itself clear that it would make all necessary ways to create and maintain its status as a company that's dedicated towards security. The unprintable of the company's core values suggest that the company makes all possible ways to get to the optimum value of their services. But with more and more threats being made against the company it is true that the company should look into more ways to deal its security systems more dependable and ensure that no more such breaches are made (Schuler, 2000). The Current Security Situation of your Selected Organization The current security condition of Apple is stable as it has already mended the problems that have been known to create security problems earlier. The most of the matter has been updated through more rigid systems that are created using the new standards of the security measures which ensure that the product details are not leaked any more. The more amount of money is issued for the same purpose of security and thus it has been seen that the present condition with the changes applied the company has seen no more breaches. But leaking of product information and design has to be prevented in the future, today everyone has a Smartphone to carry with themselves at all point and clicking a picture is as easy as a seconds whim. To control that secret designs and techniques do not travel outside it is important for the people of the Apple Inc. to create better security, erasures (Johnson, 2012). What the Research Paper is About? The research paper highlights the many security problems that is being faced by the apple community and has been slowly addressed as the time passes. The most interesting part is that there have been an unsaid decorum within the community of workers at Apple who believe in the secrecy of their work yet there are people who will disregard their professional oath as well as the various problems that might be associated with leaking confidential designs and specification details but they do it for money. In this paper we highlight the various problems faced by apple and how the future company watts to handle the said situation. There are important roles for the people associated with looking after the product security as well as intellectual product security within Apple (Testa, 2006) The Company employs the best of the talents and is among the best and the most challenging workplaces to work in, but there is surely a better way to handle the security. Stringent measures are needed to l ook after the various problems that are associated with the high performing company like Apple. Such is the power of the Apple Inc. that it has won battles against the federal justice system which provides it ample backing it take certain measures to ensure that the intellectual property of their corporation does not learn the premises and does not become the asset of someone else (Testa, 2006) In the below research paper much has been said about the various security breaches concerning Apple Inc. These breaches have been a result of poor security or have been caused by people within the community. Though nearly impossible, the community does have its share of people who are not sure about the amount of secrecy that is needed to keep all the information perceived by the people working at the corporation (Lunenburg, 2010). Body Context Apple is a company that's involved in the innovation of some of the industry leading products and services which have been the benchmark standard for multiple years. The innovation and looks apart, something which has been the reason why the Apple products are so largely accepted and used is the importance of privacy and security of using an Apple product. The apple system is associated with the properly secure system of operating. The large Apple Inc. company has a great number of people working under the company to understand the importance for security and be true to their oath towards a secure work field. In order to create a good security program it is important that it should reflect back on important aspects like the roles that are currently included and also the roles and titles of the various people associated with the security. There is ample scope for development of the security aspect within the company. In the last few years there have been various cases where the much h yped about and secret designs of the upcoming products have been leaked, either through the invasion from external sourced to the internal information. The security breaches and the spillage of intellectual property on the internet should be ample reason for creating a better and more rigid security system. Apples internal security system is a close knit system which is held together by the oath of secrecy taken by each member of the team. Top development team as well as other members is trained to not disclose any details that is associated with the companys innovation or can disclose facts about the companys development of innovative products (Prantor, 2015). Apple has been closely guarding its intellectual properties and deems it the most important security concern. With millions of people ready to take a peek into the ongoing product development, Apple has been always under constant pressure from media to disclose the details. The employees too are immensely pressured for the safekeeping of the intellectual property. The employees at Apple are habituated with the security system thats in effect now which ensures that there are no ways for information leak. The recent Samsung legal battle made it possible for Apple to secure its innovation and technology and also incurred fines from the said competitor. In a company as large as Apple, there are multiple issues that can and need to be addressed. Over the years, the secure system of the Apple has been penetrated multiple times by external forces resulting in breach of security, theft of information and creative content. There are many security programs in effect at the Apple Inc. development centers for the aid of the employees but there are very less options for any breach of information. Still information has been transferred from within the corporation to the outside world and in many cases the media. The suppliers have been benefitted monetarily or through other compensation methods for supplying the information. This requires that Apple make sure that leaving employees as well as the present employees are bound into a professional secrecy bond which would prohibit them from sharing sensitive information about the company with the outer world. The company is also liable for ensuring that there are no ways for the employees to carry information about the new technologies outside (Mostovicz, 2015). The people who come in contact with the products or technologies who are not the original workers of apple should also be targeted and trained to contain the information properly (Kutsar, 2014). Overall Security Program The Security as the Apple Inc. is quite stringent with encryption which is military grade and which helps the different layers of information in the various sources to get transported digitally and through the different medium without being hacked. But there have been problems with it too. Since the inception of the company, the most important person in the History of Apple, Steve Jobs was highly interested in creating a secure phone which ensures that the persons associated with its usage are all protected from the prying eyes of the other users, or the government. The privacy and security of the customers have been an inseparable part of the culture of the company which it still riders important and ensures that all its devices are compliant of its privacy and security measures (Andolsek, 2013). While there are instances of the company letting its users down, it has accepted its mistakes and recovered itself in all situations. The main aspect of the recovery of the company is trusted to the innovative designs and its customer centric way of working. Interested in giving customers the easies t and safest way of doing anything makes them the best solution to any problems. Also with so many ways to increase sales it has not let security measures take a toll. Been today the Apple/s security is a benchmark of the category and ensures that the users not only have their data secured by also backed up for easy access. The various measures are taken for the safety of the intellectual properties within the Apple and the company takes ample measures to keep itself at the top of the innovation chart ensuring that there is no breach of security (Andolsek, 2013). The Security as the Apple Inc. is quite stringent with encryption which is military grade and which helps the different layers of information in the various sources to get transported digitally and through the different medium without being hacked. But there have been problems with it too. Since the inception of the company, the most important person in the History of Apple, Steve Jobs was highly interested in creating a secure phone which ensures that the persons associated with its usage are all protected from the prying eyes of the other users, or the government (Griffin, 2009). The privacy and security of the customers have been an inseparable part of the culture of the company which it still riders important and ensures that all its devices are compliant of its privacy and security measures. While there are instances of the company letting its users down, it has accepted its mistakes and recovered itself in all situations. The main aspect of the recovery of the company is truste d to the innovative designs and its customer centric way of working. Interested in giving customers the easies t and safest way of doing anything makes them the best solution to any problems. Also with so many ways to increase sales it has not let security measures take a toll. Been today the Apple/s security is a benchmark of the category and ensures that the users not only have their data secured by also backed up for easy access. The various measures are taken for the safety of the intellectual properties within the Apple and the company takes ample measures to keep itself at the top of the innovation chart ensuring that there is no breach of security (Limited ,Red Pixels Ventures , 2016). Professional Plan of Training Requirements There will be a large requirement for the training of the new staff for the new and more stringent security systems. There should be enough time for the staff to understand ad apprehend the changes they will face in the coming days in order for the system to work properly there will be a need for the administrators and the Chief Security Officer to jointly create a plan to educate and provide the information about the new processes and the new notions. The main aspect for this has been achieved by the fact that the there is a need for proper training of the staff and other workers how are associated with the company. The company requires its all workers to be properly knowledgeable and know the various limits that are posed upon the, people and they should be made aware of the new ways utilize the existing systems and also reap maximum the benefits of the new systems. The changes in administration and planning should be properly notified to the people concerned for better results. Th is can also be done with applying certain rules and limitations which ensures that not everyone has equal rights to the information especially sensitive information that can be used against the company. The main impact of this will be seen among the less option for people to leak information or become s treat to the security to the compact or its assets, Another important aspect is to be noted that also keeping a check on the people who are being involved with the development of approdict should be selected carefully and after checking every aspect of their personality toensure that they adhere to the terms mentioned to them at the time o joining of the durries. They should be able to handle their professional oath of secret and should not give in to the media (Adams ,Susan , 2015). ISO Security Standards The ISO 27001system compels the standard for the security of the company and the standards that the company should maintain in order to attain and keep up with the market standers. The company Apple Inc. should try to attain and even cross the benchmarks set by the international governing bodies. The security standards allow the company t assess he minimum requirements for the company to attain the minimum skills (Johnson, 2012). Information Security Certifications There have been many security concerns that have made Apples integrity and security systems under the microscope. There have been multiple cases where Apple has been unable to provide proper explanation for the security breaches within its esteemed iOS software. Also there have been multiple cases of information leak. The apple inc has been fast to comprehend the situation by improving its security as well as subjecting its system to a multiple of Security Certifications which have given them back their states as a safe software which prevents information loss and theft for the company and the esteemed users of the companys products. The Apples main focus has been with privacy and with the latest few security breaches, the same took a hard hit when there have been multiple cases of information leak (Isaacson, 2011) Risk Assessment There are multiple risks associated with the inclusion of new terms for the Security systems for Apple. The main reason for this is that the huge amount of staff is required to be trained and informed about the change of the systems and features. The most important aspects of the change of security is that there should be more control over what the staff can share about their workplace and how much they should be informed . Being always under the medias gaze, it is important that the people involved are always informed about the treats and the bindings they have about the information about the company and its innovative parodys. Serious assessment should be done as to what the impacts of the new system could be for the better assessment of the problems that can be created with the new use of products and security services (Nonaka, 1991). Conclusion The Apple Inc. is a company that's dedicated to the safety and security of its users. The main issue associated with Apple is that it requires improving its security for better and industry leading standards. The internal security system of Apple is also quite serious as the company follows strict intellectual and creative security measurements as to the betterment of the company. Apple believes that the employees get paid to work and innovate for the company, so the details and information is only the company's to explore and no employee can share it with anyone, not even their spouses. This makes it important that the company includes a high and advanced intellectual property rights and security. The fleet of 66,000+ employees as on 1st January 2015 is needed to be protected and officered the multinational company in order to make use of a proper security plan and proceed on the steps laid out by the plan. Only through improved planning, better innovation and better security system s, apple will be able to protect its creativity, its innovations and progress into the development of new and better products. In this age of security, being integral in the approach and ales being a step ahead in time is required to attain the best solutions. The company surely needs to focus on keeping their customer happy and content; also there is a need for more stringent security systems and far more strict terms for workers with respect to the leak of information. References Adams ,Susan , 2015. Is Apple The World's Most Innovative Company?. [Online] Available at: www.forbes.com/sites/chrismyers/2016/06/29/take-it-from-hamilton-why-unyielding-ambition-is-a-blessing-and-a-curse-for-entrepreneurs/#9c5671f644ba [Accessed 01 July 2016]. Andolsek, D. M., 2013. Human Resource Managers and Employees Rights, s.l.: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Griffin, R. W., 2009. Management Houghton Miffin Company, New york: Library of Congress. Isaacson, W., 2011. Steve Jobs. illustrated, reprint ed. s.l.:Simon and Schuster. Johnson, K., 2012. The Innovative Success that is Apple, Inc.. The Wall Street Journal, pp. 1-42. Johnson, K., 2012. The Innovative Success that is Apple, Inc.. The Wall Street Journal, 3(1), pp. 1-43. Kutsar, V., 2014. Leadership Analysis Using Management Tools: Steve Jobs. American International Journal of Contemporary Research . Lashinsky, A., 2014. Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired-And Secretive-Company Really Works. s.l.:Business Plus. Limited ,Red Pixels Ventures , 2016. APPLE PHONES. [Online] Available at: gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/apple-phones [Accessed 01 July 2016]. Lunenburg, F. C., 2010. The Interview as a Selection Device:Problems and Possibilities. International Journal Of Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity. Mostovicz, E., 2015. A Dynamic Theory of Leadership Development, s.l.: Leadership Organization Development Journal. Nonaka, I., 1991. Towards a new theory of innovation management:A case study comparing Canon, Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 8(8), pp. 67-83. Prantor, N., 2015. Working with and leading people, s.l.: Field Guide to Case Study Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure. Schuler, R. S., 2000. The internationalization of human resource management. Journal of International Management, pp. 239 - 260. Testa, J., 2006. The Thomson Scientific journal selection process. International Microbiology , pp. 135-138.

Solar System Planets Essays - Planetary Science, Terrestrial Planets

Solar System Planets The earth is only one small planet in an extremely large system of planets, satellites, asteroids, meteors and comets that revolve around the sun. This system is referred to as the solar system. A planet is defined as a "celestial body that revolves around a central star and does not shine by its own light " (Grolier,1992). The only planetary system known to our civilization is our solar system. It is made up of nine planets that differ greatly size and physical characteristics. The nine major planets in our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. There are also many other minor planets which are also in our solar system, but they are unimportant compared to the nine major planets. Following are descriptions of the differences that each of the nine planets have. The first planet to be discussed is Mercury. Mercury is the planet that is closest to the sun at an average distance of about 58 million km, or about 36 million miles. It takes 58.7 days for Mercury to rotate. The planet rotates one and one half times during each revolution. Mercury has a density and composition close to that of Earth and, like Earth has a magnetic field. This magnetic field is produced from the planet's outer core, which is said to be liquid iron. This liquid iron generates a magnetic field with its movement. The atmosphere is extremely thin and contains sodium and potassium. The photographs that have been taken of Mercury's surface show the planet having craters and steep cliffs. The temperatures on Mercury reach amazingly high levels of about 430? C, which is about 810? F on the side facing the sun and about -180? C, or about 290? F on the side facing away from the sun. It is speculated that these high temperatures, resulting from the planet's proximity to the sun made it impossible for the gases present to become part of the planetary formation or for Mercury to have any type of atmosphere. Venus is the second closest planet to the sun and is said to most closely resemble Earth in size, density, and distance from the sun. Venus is known as the sister planet to the Earth. One differences is that Venus is shrouded in thick clouds that completely hide the surface of the planet. The surface temperature is also much warmer than that of Earth. Venus completes one revolution around the sun in 224.7 days. This makes the a day on Venus equal to 117 earth days. It is thought that this slow rotation may be the reason why Venus has no magnetic field. The atmosphere of Venus made up of 98% carbon dioxide and 2% Nitrogen. This atmosphere also has the presence of helium, neon, and argon. The surface of Venus is quite a bit like that of the Earth. Cloud particles on Venus are mostly concentrated sulfuric acid. Water and water vapor are very uncommon on Venus. Many scientists hold the opinion that Venus, being close to the sun, was subjected to a kind of extreme greenhouse effect. This effect caused any oceans to evaporate into the atmosphere. Another viewpoint that is held is that Venus had very little water to begin with. The surface has volcanoes and smooth plains. Much of the volcanic activity on Venus takes the form of Basaltic eruptions that inundate large areas, much as the mare volcanism flooded the impacted basins on the near side of the moon. Because of the distances of the orbits of Venus and Earth from the sun, Venus can never be seen for than three hours before sunrise or three hours after sunset. When Venus is viewed through a telescope, it shows phases like the moon. Venus rotates very slowly on its axis, in a direction that is opposite to that of Earth. Cloud particles on Venus are mostly concentrated sulfuric acid. Water and water vapor are very uncommon on Venus. Many scientists hold the opinion that Venus, being close to the sun, was subjected to a kind of extreme greenhouse effect. This effect caused any oceans to evaporate into the atmosphere. Another viewpoint that is held is that Venus had very little water to begin with. Higher-level winds circle the entire planet at 360 km/hr., or 225 mph. However, even with these high velocity winds, near the planet's surface more than half of Venus's tremendously dense atmosphere is practically still. From the surface up to 10 km, or 6 mi. altitude, wind speeds

The Right To Die essays

The Right To Die essays Modern medical technology has made it possible to extend the lives of many far beyond when they would have died in the past. Death, in modern times, often ensures a long and painful fall where one loses control both physically and emotionally. Some individuals embrace the time that modern technology buys them; while others find the loss of control overwhelming and frightening. They want their loved ones to remember them as they were not as they have become. Some even elect death to avoid burdens of lingering on. They also seek assistance in doing so from medicine. The demands for assisted suicide and euthanasia are increasing (Kass 17). These issues raise many questions, legal and ethical. Although neither assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal, many people believe they should be. A great number of those people may never be faced with the decision, but knowing the option would be there is a comfort (Jaret 46). For those who will encounter the situation of loved ones on medic ation, being treated by physicians, sometimes relying on technical means to stay alive arises a great moral conflict. I wish to explore this topic on ethical, not legal issues. Do people have a right to choose death? More in particular, are euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide morally legitimate? Euthanasia involves a death that is intended to benefit the person who dies, and requires a final act by some other person, for example, a doctor. Physician-assisted suicide, which requires a final act by the patient, can also be undertaken for the good of that patient. The essential point is that both involve intentionally ending a human life (Emanuel 521). But how, some ask, can we ever allow people to intentionally end human lives (even their own lives) without degrading human life? How, others ask, can we simply prevent people from deciding when to end their own lives without denying people the freedom so essential to the value of a human life...

Adolescence Is the Unhappiest Time in Most People’s

Adolescence is the unhappiest time in most people’s lives. Adolescence is the period of time in someone’s life between being a child and an adult. For some people it is enjoyable, for others it can be the opposite. There are several arguments in favor of adolescence. To begin with, teenagers have more free time than adults. In this time they can do after school activities, join clubs and do sports. In edition, teenagers get support from their parents. For example, parents pay for everything – their child’s studies, food, clothes and so on.That means teenagers don’t need to work. Last but not least, adolescence is the time when people can have many friends and they can go to lots of parties, when adults may work all day and have less free time. Furthermore, it gives teenagers different experience and it is a step to becoming an adult. As there are good points in favor of adolescence, there is also bad. Firstly, it is believed that most of teenagers hate school. For instance, it is boring or too hard. It’s a good reason for disliking adolescence.Secondly, teenagers can’t drive a car. A car is a good advantage of being an adult. It is quite helpful for people who need to go places farther away or for people whose house is too far from school. Thirdly, earning money for underage people is very hard or even impossible. Teenagers’ parents give them money, but not always it is enough, so there is a need to earn extra money. To sum up it is a time with both – advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I believe that adolescence is a happy time. It’s only the matter of fact how people spend it.

Porter's Management Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Porter's Management Theory - Essay Example The book, which has been published in nineteen languages and re-printed approaching sixty times, changed the way business leaders' minds worked. Further, it remains a guide of choice for strategic managers on a global scale. Apart from being rich in lessons about why and how industries, regions, and nations succeed or fail, this book is of great value as the first serious attempt to develop a really original grand theory of national economic development processes since the early years of Postwar development economics, and one of the most original ways of thinking about development policy in years. This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porter's Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated analysis of competitive position. This may further be used during the creation of a strategy, plans, or even where making investment decisions about a business or organization is concerned. These five competitive forces determine industry profitability and attractiveness apart from being responsible for shaping the prices that firms can charge, the costs they have to bear, and the required investments to engage in industry level competition. We are concerned with the fact that Porter's essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation's competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. For this, let us first understand competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the response of afirm to the pressing need to organize and perform discrete activities. While these needs may not be perpetually spelt out, it is the responsibility of the planners and executers of policies to foresee such situations when catering for growth and development of the firm n various levels. So does this mean that we are dealing with changes and issues only on an individual level and not a national level The basic explanation for this comes from the fact that any change on an individual level is effected by changes on a national level. Yet, Porter's theory cannot accommodate strategies and competitiveness at such levels due to various constraints. The first of these emerges from the fact that people run businesses and economies - and everyone has his or her own unique style. These cannot be covered at length when talking which factors and resources will be utilized in which combination. Thus Porter's theory does not provide an accurate account of the diversity and dynamism in the corporate and commercial environment that businesses and firms thrive in. Secondly, there are various activities to take into consideration. The activities performed when competing in a particular industry can be grouped into categories, as these activities can be divided broadly into primary activities and support activities. It has been noted that primary activities are those involved in the ongoing production, marketing, delivery, and servicing of the product.

Constitutional Law of the EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Constitutional Law of the EU - Essay Example If they fail to do so, the Commission can initiate action under the provisions of Article 169 EC. As such, the Member States have to change their national legislation to accommodate and give effect to Directives2. The Member States have to transpose a Directive into their domestic law. Such incorporation is satisfied if the transposition is done in a clear and precise manner. For instance, if some rights are provided to an individual by a Directive, then subsequent to transposition, that individual should be able to initiate legal action in national courts, duly relying on those rights3. In Plaumann v Commission4, the Commission had restrained the German Government from reducing duty on the import of clementines. The plaintiff, Plaumann, was an importer of clementines. He challenged this decision of the Commission in the ECJ. The Court applied the test of individual concern to this case; and examined whether the plaintiff was affected by the decision. The plaintiff was held to be a member of the class of clementine importers. The Court also examined whether the plaintiff could be differentiated from that class, by virtue of the attributes peculiar to him. It ruled that as Plaumann belonged to that particular class of importers, he was not individually affected by the Commission’s decision. In addition, the Court opined that anyone was free to become an importer5. In the Greenpeace case, both the Court of First Instance and the ECJ refused to admit the plea of the applicants. The latter, residents of the Canary Islands, had requested the Court to annul the decision of the Commission to provide financial aid for the construction of two power plants in these islands. It was held by the CFI and the ECJ that the applicants were not individually concerned. They were residents like any other residents on the Canary Islands, and that their environmental concerns were similar to that of the other residents. Hence, both the

Process of Manufacture of Limestone Essay Example for Free

Process of Manufacture of Limestone Essay calcining limestone process process for calcining limestone encyclopedia a process and apparatus for burning limestone to pebble limestone crusher plant,limestone mining process, limestone limestone crusher plant is used for limestone crushing process whole process plant limestone crusher manufacturers,limestone mining,limestone crusher limestone crusher limestone mining knowledge. caco3 limestone) lime process the manufacture of lime involves the following process: 1. quarrying. limestone at what process is used to extract limestone industry presentee: , hi all to manufacture zircon opacifier of d50=1 the limestone processing plant,limestone is important raw materials for cement industry, impact limestone shibang machinery, mining and processing of limestone typically involves remocopper beneficiation portable plantval of overburden mining and processing various forms of limestone in africa, dimensions of limestone powder the smelting process and the cost of mining and processing of limestone, oh) began a new limestone crushing plant cement manufacture process equipment cement manufacture process 4. 7 (1867 ratings) cement manufacturing process at our process the production process for cement consists of drying, grinding and mixing limestone ultratech concrete cement manufacturing process | cement manufacture of cement:dust collector for jaw crusher for mining portland cements are-process | fpaci simple flow chart for cement-manufacturing-process cement-1-manufacturing-process-l.jpg éˆ ¥Ã¦  ·ement manufacturing process the limestone mining and processing in kenya-minerals processing plant processing plant iron ore beneficiation plant silver ore processing plant limestone processing plant granite processing plant copper è  ½ore processing plant gypsum processing plant quartz processing plant home mineral beneficiation limestone mining and processing: mining and processiapplication igneous rocks in construction industryng of industrial minerals and chemicals; manufacture and sale of limestone mining, limestone crusher, process limestone , limestone grinding, limestone crushing cement plant slag crushing coal processing construction waste sbm vs else catalog more recommended limestone crusher machinery limestone info limestone mining limestone is a sedimentary and blasting are necessary. the manufacture of quicklime (calcium oxide) and mill in processing limestone. there are two processes from the raw limestglass making chemicals and sand for saleone to final product-crushing process and grinding process. if the raw limestone.87 million. it can process 200t raw limestone to different size final mining of limestone process in jk cement-[mining plant] mining of limestone process in jk cement mining of limestone process in jk cement manufacturing, mainly limestone and clays. a limestone quarry cement process cement process. raw materials industry,cement limestone crusher in india mining industry,manufacture supply cement limestone processing crusher the process of mining and in the manufacture of cement from limestone are. project process to make limestone process to make limestone limestone wikipedia, the free occurring process. the raw materials required are limestone cement: cement-making process kids the materials used in its manufacture are limestone in the form of molding process, it offers greater design and flexibility. limestone mining geography | limestone mining mobile impact crusher station http://www.yifancrusher.com/mobile-impact-crusher-station.html Hydraulic drive crawler crushing screening station http://www.yifancrusher.com/Hydraulic-drive-crawler-crushing-screening-station.html

Rose Madder- By Stephen King- Evaluation :: essays research papers

Rose Madder- by Stephen King- evaluation Plot Rosie lived with her husband Norman for fourteen painful and tormenting years, until she made the decision of her life, and therefor totally changed her life for all future times. Day after day Norman punched and beat his wife, who never could stand a chance. One damp morning in April she decided to hit the road in purpose to get rid of his evil fists. Totally unprepared for what the future might bring Rosie left their house with nothing but her purse, Norman’s creditcard and the clothes which she for the time being was wearing. She had nothing to loose. Her situation could hardly become worse; she was already in the kingdom of hell itself. Rosie brought out a few hundred dollars with Norman’s creditcard, before she took first best flight to the other side of the country. As she started experiencing her new hometown, eight hundred miles away from her husband, she met both kind and less kind people. Everywhere Rosie went she gazed over her shoulder in fear of spotting Norman. This Norman wasn’t a normal wife-torturing tormentor. He also was a cop who knows how to track people, after all that was his professional. If you read this book, which I suggest you do, you will see how things work out for Rosie. You will be able to follow Rosie’s new life as she makes new friends and how she equips her new apartment. One day she finds a very beautiful painting, but this very painting isn’t any kind of painting. It actually has magical powers†¦. I can’t unveil any more of the plot without destroying the readingpleasure, but there is one thing you should carry back in your mind as you read the book; the painting is the main element which most of the story circles round. Style and technique etc (dot four) â€Å"There is something inhuman about the way he looks as he comes toward her with his head lowered and his hands hanging at his sides and the long muscles in his thighs flexingâ€Å". As an affectionate King-fan I can assure you this is a typical Stephen King- line. After all he is the master of horror. Most recently I finished reading the King- novel â€Å"The eyes of the dragonâ€Å", which I have chosen to refer to in this case. â€Å"Flaggâ€Å" is the inhuman wizard who everyone is afraid of and not dares to face.

Impact of Globalisation on Folk Culture Essay

It has been experienced that every step of movement towards economic, political and cultural modernization, taken by the state in India, is responded to by the people with an enhanced sense of self-consciousness and awareness of identity. Cultural modernization, sponsored by the forces of globalization, is resented if it encroaches upon or does not promote the core cultural values of society, its language, social practices and styles of life. The vigour of the renewed sense of self-awareness generated among the members of the local cultures and communities is such as to succeed in making adaptive reconciliation with the forces of globalization. The linkages both visible and invisible, defining the cultural interdependence among communities and regions in India which have existed historically, reinforce instead of threatening the national identity. These bonds seem to become stronger as India encounters the forces of modernization and globalization. Key Words: Globalization, Culture, Modernization, etc. Globalization is the process which expands and accelerates the movement of ideas and exchange of commodities over vast distances. From a global perspective, globalization’s most important impacts are often highly localized. Globalization really affects people with respect to their way of life, culture, taste, fashion, preferences, etc. It has led to good and bad effects on the lives of the people. With the dream of great opportunities, people used to move from east to west and vice-versa. But, the global financial crisis all over the world resulted in reverse migration. Researches had proved that many foreign-born workers; mainly from China and India, have considered returning home to better job opportunities.

City and Farm Life Essay

Comparing and contrasting city and farm life has been a common theme of situation comedies, movies as well as novels for decades. Many people find themselves, at some point, questioning the advantages of living on a farm life to living in the city. While a case can be made for both locations as to which is the best place to live, it is vital to consider how the options, farm life versus city life, are similar as well as different. There are a number of ways to make such comparisons that include firsthand experience of each type of the city and farm living environments. One such contrast is that people living farm lives and those living city lives have different social constructs as far as health and physical activities are concerned. This is as a result of the various social circumstances of the communities in addition to the locations in which they reside. People living farm lives, live a typical farming or country life as compared to those living in the cities (Smith 1). Living a c ity life often has the advantage of sufficient access to health services, recreational facilities in addition to having relatively sufficient health education in comparison to farm life. see more:city life vs country life essay People living in the city have therefore an advantage of health benefits, developed knowledge of physical activities, are exposed to health promotion campaigns in addition to having higher socio-economic status. All these factors have contributed to people living a city lives experiencing superior health compared to those living farm lives (Recomparison 1). Another key issue to be considered in any comparison between city and farm life is the quality of life. People living city lives have many more choices they can make regarding various aspects of their day-to-day lives. For example, people living city lives are more likely to find various kinds of foods and this could probably result in overall good health as there is greater diversity in terms of diet. Moreover, those living city lives enjoy opportunities to take a great number of social events since they always have a long list to choose from. As a result of this, they always have an opportunity to get more cultured and therefore more likely to meet other people from other cultural and ethnic groups. Parents have also many options available for their children’s education and can always pick from a long list of both private and public schools, which results in potential for better education. It is also important to note that city life offer their residents the opportunity to choose from a wide range of job options in a number of companies or organizations. On the other hand, people living farm lives do not enjoy same level of choices and in very remote areas one may forced to walk for long distances (Recomparison 1). Another contrast between city and farm life is their surrounding environment. Farm life is often best described as a more peaceful as well as a healthy way of living. For example, farm life offers residents an opportunity to take pleasure in the natural world instead of having to go to places such as parks. Individuals are surrounded by the gifts of nature such as trees, sun, wind, animals, natural cycles etc. Moreover, people living farm lives do not have to s truggle with the every day stresses associated with city life, for instance getting stuck in traffic, coping with high crime rates, and in most cases, having to pay higher taxes. The absence such stressors are known to have a significant effect on the overall quality of life. Alternatively, city life is often portrayed as fast-paced, modern, polluted, and full of work pressure as well as financial pressure (Recomparison 1). On the whole, if there is any testimonial to be made regarding the quality of life in the farm, it is that, there is high probability to connect with the people as well as the landscape. However, one similarity between farm life and city life is that both entail a high level of socialization, even though on a cursory level E-how 1). The discrepancy of what an individual wants and needs has also something to do with where they are to be found. Individuals living a farm life identify as well as prioritize their needs much more than their wants. They are therefore familiar with what is essential for them to live a standard of living further different from others and closer to natural cycles that gives priority to things that are of greater im portance. Their wants are simple and they do not cling to the life they cannot afford. On the other hand, with the attractive as well as the competition inducing advertisements they watch on television along with the peer persuasions that urge them to acquire specific items, one cannot avoid feeling pressured to possess the items. City is therefore more complicated as compared to the farm life (E-how 1). Lastly, a contrast between city and farm life can be seen in the types of housing available. In general, city residents have choices of living in apartments, townhouses and condominium. In contrast, those living farm lives often have housing options that includes mobile homes, single family detached homes in addition to the low-rise apartment building.Moreover; housing is more often than not cheaper for those living farm lives due to decreased demand (Herlihy 1). Conclusion As a conclusion, both city and farm lives have their own draw backs which form the basis of their contrasts. Thus, individuals ought to think carefully before making decisions to live in the city or live a farm life since it’s their decisions that bring differences in their lives.

Biography of Fidel Castro, Cuban President for 50 Years

Biography of Fidel Castro, Cuban President for 50 Years Fidel Castro (August 13, 1926–November 25, 2016) took control of Cuba by force in 1959 and remained its dictatorial leader for nearly five decades. As the leader of the only communist country in the Western Hemisphere, Castro was long the focus of international controversy. Fast Facts: Fidel Castro Known For: President of Cuba, 1959–2008  Born: August 13, 1926 in the province of Orient, CubaParents: ngel Maria Bautista Castro y Argiz and Lina Ruz GonzlezDied: November 25, 2016 in Havana, Cuba  Education: Colegio de Dolores in Santiago de Cuba, Colegio de Belà ©n, University of HavanaSpouse(s): Mirta Diaz-Balart (m. 1948–1955), Dalia Soto del Valle (1980–2016); Partners: Naty Revuelta (1955–1956), Celia Snchez, others.  Children: One son Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart (known as Fidelito, 1949–2018) with Diaz-Balart; five sons (Alexis, Alexander, Alejandro, Antonio, and ngel) with Soto del Valle; one daughter (Alina Fernandez) with Naty Revuelta Early Life Fidel Castro was born Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz on August 13, 1926 (some sources say 1927) near his fathers farm, Birn, in southeast Cuba in what was then the Oriente Province. Castros father ngel Maria Bautista Castro y Argiz came to Cuba from Spain to fight in the Spanish American War and stayed. ngel Castro prospered as a sugarcane farmer, eventually owning 26,000 acres. Fidel was the third of seven children born to Lina Ruz Gonzlez, who worked for ngel Castro as a maid and cook. At the time, the elder Castro was married to Maria Luisa Argota, but that marriage eventually ended and then ngel and Lina married. Fidels full siblings were Ramon, Raà ºl, Angela, Juanita, Emma, and Agustina. Fidel spent his youngest years on his fathers farm, and at the age of 6 he began school at Colegio de Dolores in Santiago de Cuba, transferring to the Colegio de Belà ©n, an exclusive Jesuit high school in Havana. Becoming a Revolutionary In 1945, Fidel Castro started work on a law degree at the University of Havana, where he excelled at oratory and quickly became involved in politics. In 1947, Castro joined the Caribbean Legion, a group of political exiles from Caribbean countries who planned to rid the Caribbean of dictator-led governments. When Castro joined, the Legion was planning to overthrow Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, but the plan was later canceled because of international pressure. In 1948, Castro traveled to Bogot, Colombia with plans to disrupt the Pan-American Union Conference, when country-wide riots broke out in response to the assassination of Jorge Eliecer Gaitn. Castro grabbed a rifle and joined the rioters. While handing out anti-U.S. pamphlets to the crowds, Castro gained first-hand experience of popular uprisings. After returning to Cuba, Castro married fellow student Mirta Diaz-Balart in October 1948. Castro and Mirta had one child together, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart (known as Fidelito, 1949–2018). Castro vs. Batista In 1950, Castro graduated from law school and began practicing law. Retaining a strong interest in politics, Castro became a candidate for a seat in Cubas House of Representatives during the election of June 1952. However, before the elections could be held, a successful coup led by General Fulgencio Batista toppled the previous Cuban government, canceling the elections. From the beginning of Batistas rule, Castro fought against him. At first, Castro took to the courts to try legal means to oust Batista. However, when that failed, Castro began to organize an underground group of rebels. Castro Attacks the Moncada Barracks On the morning of July 26, 1953, Castro, his brother Raà ºl, and a group of about 160 armed men attacked the second-largest military base in Cuba- the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. Confronted with hundreds of trained soldiers at the base, there was little chance that the attack could have succeeded. Sixty of Castros rebels were killed; Castro and Raà ºl were captured and then given a trial. After delivering a speech at his trial which ended with, Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me, Castro was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released two years later, in May 1955. The 26th of July Movement Upon his release, Castro went to Mexico where he spent the next year organizing the 26th of July Movement (based on the date of the failed Moncada Barracks attack). There he became involved with Naty Revuelta, a Cuban fellow fighter against Batista. Although the affair did not last, Naty and Fidel had a daughter, Alina Fernandez. The affair also ended Fidels first marriage: Mirta and Fidel were divorced in 1955. On December 2, 1956, Castro and the rest of the 26th of July Movement rebels landed on Cuban soil with the intention of starting a revolution. Met by heavy Batista defenses, nearly everyone in the Movement was killed, with merely a handful escaping, including Castro, Raà ºl, and Che Guevara. For the next two years, Castro continued guerrilla attacks and succeeded in gaining large numbers of volunteers. Using guerrilla warfare tactics, Castro and his supporters attacked Batistas forces, overtaking town after town. Batista quickly lost popular support and suffered numerous defeats. On January 1, 1959, Batista fled Cuba. Castro Becomes Cubas Leader In January, Manuel Urrutia was selected as president of the new government and Castro was placed in charge of the military. However, by July 1959, Castro had effectively taken over as leader of Cuba, which he remained for the next five decades. During 1959 and 1960, Castro made radical changes in Cuba, including nationalizing industry, collectivizing agriculture, and seizing American-owned businesses and farms. Also during these two years, Castro alienated the United States and established strong ties with the Soviet Union. Castro transformed Cuba into a communist country. The United States wanted Castro out of power. In one attempt to overthrow Castro, the U.S. sponsored the failed incursion of Cuban-exiles into Cuba in April 1961 (the Bay of Pigs Invasion). Over the years, the U.S. has made hundreds of attempts to assassinate Castro, all with no success. Fidel was rumored to have had many partners and illegitimate children over his lifetime. In the 1950s, Fidel began a relationship with the Cuban revolutionary Celia Snchez Manduley (1920–1980) which lasted until her death. In 1961, Castro met Cuban teacher Dalia Soto del Valle. Castro and Dalia had five children together (Alexis, Alexander, Alejandro, Antonio, and ngel) and married in 1980, after Snchezs death. During his presidency, Vilma Espà ­n de Castro, a fellow revolutionary and the wife of Raà ºl Castro, acted as First Lady. Cuban Missile Crisis In 1962, Cuba was the center of world focus when the U.S. discovered the construction sites of Soviet nuclear missiles. The struggle that ensued between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the Cuban Missile Crisis, brought the world the closest it has ever come to nuclear war. Over the next four decades, Castro ruled Cuba as a dictator. While some Cubans benefited from Castros educational and land reforms, others suffered from the food shortages and lack of personal freedoms. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled Cuba to live in the United States. Having relied heavily on Soviet aid and trade, Castro found himself suddenly alone after the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991; many speculated that Castro would fall as well. Even though the U.S. embargo against Cuba was still in effect and damaging Cubas economic situation throughout the 1990s, Castro remained in power. Retirement In July 2006, Castro announced that he was temporarily handing over power to his brother Raà ºl while he underwent gastrointestinal surgery. Complications with the surgery caused infections for which Castro underwent several additional surgeries. Rumors of his death appeared frequently in news reports for the next decade, but they were all proven false until 2016. Still in ill health, Castro announced on February 19, 2008, that he would not seek nor accept another term as president of Cuba, effectively resigning as its leader. The handover of power to Raà ºl raised more anger among  United States officials, who characterized the transfer as the prolonging of a dictatorship. In 2014, President Barack Obama used his executive powers to attempt to normalize diplomatic relations and exchange prisoners with Cuba. But after Obamas visit, Castro publicly denigrated his offer and insisted that Cuba needed nothing from the U.S. Death and Legacy Fidel Castro was in power through 10 U.S. presidential administrations, from Eisenhower to Obama, and he sustained personal relationships in Latin America with political leaders such as Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and literary leaders such as the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose novel The Autumn of the Patriarch is in part based on Fidel. Castro made his final public appearance to a congress of the Cuban Communist Party in April 2016. He died of undisclosed causes in Havana on November 25, 2016. Sources Archibold, Randal C. et al. Decades in the Making: Fidel Castros Obituary. The New York Times, November 29, 2016.  Arsenault, Chris. Obituary: Fidel Castro. Al Jazeera, November 26, 2018.  DePalma, Anthony. Fidel Castro, Cuban Revolutionary Who Defied U.S., Dies at 90, The New York Times, November 26, 2016.  Meet Fidel Castros family: torn by bitterness, rows and dysfunction. The Telegraph, November 26, 2016.Sullivan, Kevin and J.Y. Smith. Fidel Castro, revolutionary leader who remade Cuba as a socialist state, dies at 90. The Washington Post, November 26, 2016.

Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique - Term Paper Example The recent information released by American Academy of Ophthalmology shows that the eye related complications are on the increase. The statistics revealed that the people above 40 years are the most vulnerable. This places Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique at a good position to step in and rescue the situation before it gets out of hand. Figures indicate that, the number of Americans who wear scarves and eyeglasses has substantially increased. The latest statistics indicate that approximately 126 millions people use eyeglasses. This is about a half of United States population. To respond and maximise these business opportunities, Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique has embarked on restructuring and re-inventing its market strategies. This will be achieving through embracing the information technology. To seal the gap in the demand and supply, it has plans to install strong database that will bridge the evident deficits in supply and demand chain. This will be a prudent strategy of the enterpri se to go online since it will expand its operations in this ever-changing business world (King and King, 2009). With the knowledge that customers are the strong pillars of a business venture, Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique plans to keep the strong pool of its customers and attract a big number of new customers. To comfortably deal with this new challenge, it will further re-invent its marketing strategy (Madura, 2006). This will ensure it reaches a huge number of customers and the most needed awareness of its eyeglasses, contact lens and scarves. To succeed in this strategy Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique further endeavours to use various ways of marketing. To start with, it will plan to use online tools such as social networks. There is a shift from the traditional way of getting information due to unprecedented technological advancement. People have shifted from the traditional sources of information such as radios and newspapers. In the twenty-first century, internet has become a su perhighway of communication. In the light of this, Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique plans to use management protocols such as oracle. In addition, it intends to install Sibel Marketing Resource Management. Through this software, the firm will improve its marketing skills. This software allows keeping a good track of customers. This will enable the firm to maintain its strong customers and at the same time find ways to boost the low profile one (Madura, 2006). Through the use of this database, Sheas' One of a Kind Boutique sees a great improvement in customer relation. This is because; customers will place their orders online after they have properly evaluated the value of the firm’s products. The company will do price negotiations online too. This saves both the customer and the firm the agony of face-to-face negotiations. On top of this, the delivery of eyeglasses, contact lens, glass cases, and scarves will be customer directed. Moreover, customers will give their feedback. Th is will help the firm to streamline its services to fulfil customers’ expectation. Social networks are now the crucial sites for businesses in the twenty-fast century. The firm intends to maximise facebook, blogs, and twitter to promote wearing of eyeglasses and the scarves. The emerging new culture is working along the visions of the firm. It intends to run several advertisements on its products. Just through a click of a button, customers will access a wide large of Sheas' One of

Black Boy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Black Boy - Essay Example Accordingly, the author has chosen to focus on 5 unique situations that are indicative of the hardships caused by Jim Crow on Richard Wright’s formative years in Part 1 of the autobiography (the part that details his life in the South prior to a move to Chicago). The first of these is the general lack of work and economic hardships that is such a mainstay of the opening pages of the story. The hardship and deprivation were of course felt by many in the Deep South; however, none more so than the African American community. As these were both the least educated and most repressed, finding steady and gainful employment was nearly impossible. Something that is further evidenced by this is the fact that no one was able to fall back on their savings or any form of contingency plans they had made. Whereas many individuals in our current society have the ability to stash away a bit of savings in case the unthinkable happens, Richard Wright’s family was living on the very border of destitution even when the mother was employed and working multiple jobs. Of course this meant that when disaster struck and she was taken ill, there was no recourse but to fall back on the mercy and kindness of her extended family. ... A further evidence of how Jim Crow affected the life of young Richard Wright is seen in the fact that he regularly misses school and eventually drops out early on in his youth (Wright 18). However, what is noticeably absent is the mention of any type of truancy officer or guidance counselor that is able to check on young Richard Wright and encourage the family to keep the young boy in school. Rather, it is painfully evident that the educational system cares little for the loss of one little black boy from the system. Such an eventuality acquaints the reader with the net worth that the Jim Crow South placed on the black person’s role in society. Richard relates that life became noticeably better when he was able to move in with his aunt and uncle who, by the standards he was accustomed, earned a very good living. Richard’s uncle, Hoskins, ran a successful saloon in town and was able to adequately provide for all of the family members under his roof in this way. Howvever, the jealousy and horror of racism and Jim Crow reared its head again in this location and affected the murder of Hoskins at the hands of an angry and jealous group of white men in town. At the heart of Jim Crow one understands there is a primal fear that the black person would rise and better himself; thereby freeing himself/herself from the constraints of slavery and servitude that had for so long defined his/her existence. In this way, the reader is made aware of the fact that Hoskin’s death was merely an extension of the problems and issues of racism and Jim Crow that had been experienced in various ways previously in his story. The final instance of this which will be discussed in this brief paper is concentric around the

Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, or Research Paper

Journal of Consumer , the Journal of Marketing , or the Journal of Consumer Psychology - Research Paper Example In this experiment, forty university students were used as the participants. The results demonstrated that the participants viewed the brand more positively when a fee is not charged. In the second experiment, the author aimed at understanding how people react to comparable and non-comparable rewards offered back by the brands. In this study, ninety four undergraduate students from a university in North America took part. The results showed that exchange oriented consumers expect comparable benefits from the brand partners. For communal consumers or partners, benefits that are not necessarily comparable but recognize their efforts are accepted. Finally, the author undertook an experiment to examine how the time taken between seeking help and offering of help affects consumer behavior. Ninety five students took part in the study. Results showed that consumers view brands negatively if there is a delay in the return favor request. Overall, the behavior of the participants in the three scenarios demonstrated that consumers’ behavior and attitudes is greatly influenced by the actions of the brands. The use of human subjects allowed for an actual observation of the attitudes and behavior of the participants towards the brands, thereby providing an insight into consumer behavior. The present research, conducted by Anat Keinan and Ran Kivetz (2008), aimed at evaluating the effect of anticipating long term regret in consumer behavior. The authors argue that anticipating long term regret has an effect on consumer preferences and may motivate them to counteract their virtues or good tendencies and engage in virtues. In order to test this hypothesis, the authors used three sets of participants in three different studies. In the first study, the authors asked participants to examine and judge the regrets of others relating to a past decision and then come up with a choice for themselves. 91 train station travelers participated in the study. The

Fire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Fire - Essay Example One of the reasons behind the success of movie was the increased amount of budget which was spent to produce this movie. The major part of the overall film budget was spent on the fire scene which takes the complete toll of the Chicago city (King). It can be seen in the particular scenic representation of the fire accident which spreads all around the neighborhood taking grasp of the closer blocks as well. The directors have shown people to be in the panic situation trying to save their homes despite the entire neighborhood was on fire. In reality, this is far different because the fire extinguishers and the firemen are allotted to the accident site. People are evacuated from the accident site so that there no more fatalities. Most prominently, the movie projects heroes saving human lives stuck in homes that are on fire. In real life, the heroes saving the human live stuck in the homes on fire are rather the firemen

Mental Health Illness and Stigma Literature Review

Mental Health Illness and Stigma Literature Review 1. Introduction 1.1 Mental illness and stigma Inequalities in health services delivery and utilization for people with mental illness has been widely documented.1 Subsequently this results in poorer outcomes for this population in regard to general health, such as circulatory diseases, mortality from natural causes, and access to interventions .2-4 Several issues have been identified as contributing to these disparities in health service access and delivery, including stigma.5-6Stigma associated with mental illness has been defined as negative attitudes formed on the basis of prejudice or misinformation that are triggered by markers of illness.1-5Illness markers include atypical behaviours, the types of medication prescribed and noticeable medication related adverse effects.5-7These markers allow for the continuation of stigma concerning people with mental illness, but they also allow community pharmacists to identify patients with a broad range of what are often unaddressed health related needs.1 Behavioural and mental disorder s are estimated to account for 12% of the global burden of diseases. Mental health related medications account for >10% of all medications prescribed by general medical practitioners8, therefore, it is an inescapable fact that community pharmacists must interact with patients suffering from mental health problems.9 Mental illness is relevant to practising pharmacists who can play vital roles in the treatment of patients with mental illness.10 Throughout the latter half of the previous century, the diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of mental illness improved radically.9 1990-2000 was proclaimed the Decade of the Brain. to promote the study of disorders of the brain, including mental illnesses.11 Despite these advances, the stigma associated with mental illness remains a compelling negative feature in society.10 Unfortunately health care professionals, including pharmacists are not invulnerable to such harmful attitudes.9 Pharmacists attitudes toward mental illness and the menta lly ill are extremely important because they can affect their professional interactions and clinical decisions.12-13 In addition, they could ultimately affect the delivery of pharmaceutical care which has been defined as the pharmacist assuming the responsibility for positive patient outcomes.14 Activities like medication counselling and monitoring of therapy have been documented to improve both satisfaction and adherence to drug therapy in patients with mental illness.15 It has been pointed out that pharmacists must become more involved in such activities for patients with mental illness.9 1.2 Optimising the use of medications for mental illness Community care offers many advantages over institutional care; however, it can place extra demands on family, friends and primary health care practitioners.16 Health professionals have identified people with mental illness as the most challenging patients to manage.8 The quality and accessibility of community care for people with mental illness needs to be improved.17 The appropriate use of medicines plays an imperative role in the effective management of mental illness, nonetheless, there is evidence that psychotropic medicines are often used inappropriately.18-19 Elderly people are especially susceptible to the effects of psychotropic medicines, and may experience adverse effects such as cardio toxicity, confusion and unwanted sedation .8 Contributing factors to the high rates of non-compliance to psychotropic medicines include, psychosocial problems, the emergence of side effects, and the delayed onset of action of anti-depressant medication.20-21 Medical co-morbidity is also comm on, and polypharmacy increases the risk of medication misuse and drug-drug interactions.22 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that the inclusion of pharmacists as active members of the health care team can improve psychotropic medication use.23 The benefits of dynamically engaging mental health service users in their own management is supported by both clinical experience and research evidence.24 A systemic review of the role of pharmacists in mental health care, published in 2003, concluded that pharmacists can bring about improvements in the safe and effective use of psychiatric medicines.23 The wide range of pharmaceutical services provided by community pharmacists are potentially well suited to assisting patients and prescribers optimise the use of medications for mental illness.8 2. Method 2.1 Literature search strategy Pubmed (1965-March 2010), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-March 2010), Embase (1974-March 2010), Cinahl (1981-March 2010) and Psychinfo (1972-March 2010) were searched using text words and MeSH headings including: community pharmacist.s, pharmacist.s, pharmaceutical care, pharmaceutical services, mental illness, mental disorders, stigma and mental illness, mentally ill persons, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, psychotropic drugs, antidepressive agents, benzodiazepines, anxiety agents and antipsychotic agents. ~550 abstracts were read. Reference lists of retrieved articles were checked for any additional relevant published material. Exclusion criteria included articles not published in English, no service provided by pharmacists, not relevant to mental illness, and studies and surveys that were carried out to evaluate pharmacist.s services in hospital inpatient or acute care settings. The literature search identified 88 papers that reporte d or discussed community pharmacist.s involvement in the care of patients with mental illness. 2.2 Inclusion criteria and review procedure For section 3.1 of the discussion, studies and surveys conducted into the attitudes of community pharmacists toward mental illness and the impact of stigma were considered. The literature review procedure for section 3.2 of the discussion, which deals with optimising the use of medication for mental illness, differed from that of 3.1, as studies without control groups, results of postal surveys and qualitative interviews were excluded. Studies with a parallel control group that reported the provision of services by community pharmacists in community and residential aged care facilities were considered. This included trials specifically conducted for individuals with a mental illness, and studies of medication reviews and education initiatives to optimise the use of medication for mental illness. Papers that reported pharmacist.s interventions in nursing homes were included, because community pharmacists frequently provide services to nursing homes. Studies of pharmacist.s activities as part of multi-disciplinary teams were also included. The literature search identified 57 papers that reported or discussed community pharmacy services to optimise the use of medications for mental illness. 3. Discussion 3.1 Mental illness and stigma While the views of the public9 and of certain health care professionals25 and health care students26-28 toward mental illness have been well documented over the years, there are limited numbers of investigations accessing community pharmacists and pharmacy student.s attitudes. Crimson et al.12 examined the attitudes of 250 baccalaureate pharmacy students toward mental illness, Phokeo et al.29 studied the outlook of 283 community pharmacists toward users of psychiatric medication, Cates et al.9 detailed the attitudes of community pharmacists toward both mental illness and the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients with mental illness, and Black et al.1 studied the satisfaction that patients with mental illness have with services provided by community pharmacists. 3.1.1 Community pharmacist.s attitudes toward patients with mental illness In general, pharmacists express positive, unprejudiced attitudes toward mental illness,1, 9, 29, 30 and overall they show encouraging attitudes toward the provision of pharmaceutical care.9 Phokeo et al.29 reported that pharmacists feel uncomfortable inquiring about a patient.s use of psychiatric medication and discussing symptoms of mental illness compared to the medication and symptoms associated with cardiovascular problems. Pharmacists also monitor patients with mental disorders for compliance and adverse effects less frequently than patients with cardiovascular problems. Crimson et al.12 found an association between a personal or family history of mental illness and attitudes of pharmacists toward mental illness. Age and years in practice are also connected with attitudes toward providing pharmaceutical care to patients with mental illness. The older and more experienced pharmacists have more encouraging responses than their counterparts.9Pharmacists are of the opinion, however, that patients with mental illness do not receive adequate information about their medication from their physicians. These patients may also receive less attention from pharmacists compared to medically ill patients, which raises concerns that their drug-related needs are not being met.29 3.1.2 Patient.s attitudes toward community pharmacists Consumers of mental health services generally have a positive perception of community pharmacists and their services, however, expectations are limited to standard pharmacy services, like providing patients with information about their medication and resolving prescription issues when dispensing medications.29 The majority of patients feel at ease while discussing their psychotropic medication and related illnesses with pharmacists.31 Clinically orientated services like working collaboratively with other health care providers, making dosing or treatment recommendations, monitoring response to treatment, and addressing the individuals physical and mental health needs have been found to be unavailable to patients.32 Patients with mental health problems, expectations of community pharmacists are low, and do not match the services that they can provide.33 Although stigma has been perceived to be similar with other health care professional, Black et al.1 revealed that 25% of patients with mental illness have experienced stigma at community pharmacies. 3.1.3 Substance misuse The prevalence of coexisting substance misuse and mental illness (dual diagnosis) has increased over the past decade, and the indications are that it will continue to do so.15 A patient with both a mental illness and a substance misuse problem can face prejudice and stigma from health care professionals, who might question the capacity of dually diagnosed individuals to respond to care.34 A Canadian survey into the attitudes of community pharmacist.s toward mental illness showed that only 55% of respondents agreed that substance misuse is a mental health problem. This finding reflects the perception that addiction represents poor self control or is a self inflicted problem.29 Over recent years, the capacity to intervene pharmacologically in substance misuse has increased greatly, pharmacotherapy is now available for opiate, alcohol and nicotine misuse.19 Some psychiatric patients with comorbid substance abuse achieve stabilisation rapidly, furthermore, severe mental illness does not necessarily predict worse outcomes.35 Socio-economic and emotional aspects are the main challenges to recovery, and case management in the context of integrated community and residential services has been shown to increase medication compliance over time.36 The contribution that community pharmacists have in the management of substance abuse has been well documented.37 Most general psychiatrists are only in the position to give patients 5-10 minutes of brief advise or intervention regarding a substance misuse problem,38 whereas community pharmacist.s are easily accessible to the public and are in a central position to provide specific advice about substance misuse.37 Community pharmacists currently provide dispensing services to drug addicts,38 and they are also the first point of contact for people misusing substances who are not in touch with the substance misuse services.39 3.1.4 Overcoming the barriers created by stigma Studies have indicated that patients prefer to go to the same pharmacy for their medication and other pharmacy needs and a significant number of patients favour to interact with the same pharmacist, which suggests that the relationship they have with their pharmacist plays an imperative role in their health and well being.1 A lack of privacy from failure to use an available private counselling room in the pharmacy contributes to patients feelings of discomfort regarding talking about their medication and their illness.31 Pharmacists are trained to educate and support patients regarding psychotropic medications, including how a drug works, monitoring for treatment response and adverse effects, and guiding patients through the process of stopping treatment, however, there are inconsistencies in the provision of these services.29 The potential for discrimination and stigma in community pharmacies has been well documented and initiatives to improve exposure of pharmacists to persons with mental illnesses in practice and in training has been suggested.23, 29 Pharmacists experience an increased level of discomfort in this therapeutic area as they receive inadequate undergraduate training in mental health.9 Adequate training in mental health is needed to improve the professional interactions of community pharmacists toward users of psychiatric medication.1 3.2 Optimising the use of medications for mental illness Community pharmacists are one of the primary health care providers in the community and have the opportunity to influence patient.s perception of their mental illness. Patients are far less likely to adhere to medications for mental health problems outside the hospital setting. Community pharmacists can significantly contribute to optimising medication use in mental illness through counselling, 40-42 patient education and treatment monitoring, 43-36 medication review services, 30, 47-49 pharmacotherapy meetings with general medical practitioners, 50-54 delivering services to community mental health centres and outpatient clinics,55-57 improving the transfer of information between health care settings,58-60 and being active members of community mental health teams.61-63 3.2.1 Counselling services In the Netherlands, three studies were carried out to highlight the impact of community pharmacist.s medication counselling sessions for people commencing non-tricyclic antidepressant therapy.40, 42 Intervention patients participated in three consecutive counselling sessions which lasted between 10 and 20 minutes each. They also received a take-home video that reiterated the importance of adherence. Throughout the counselling session, pharmacists informed patients about the appropriate use of their medications, which included, providing information about the benefits of taking the medication, informing patients about potential side effects, informing patients about the onset of action for antidepressant medication and explaining the crucial importance of taking their medication on a daily basis. Medication compliance was measured using an electronic pill container that recorded the time and frequency that the cover was opened.41 At the three month follow up the intervention patients had significantly more positive attitudes compared to the controls.40 At six months greater medication compliance was observed with the intervention patients that remained in the study25 55, also apparent improvements in symptoms were noted.41 Research on adherence shows that the patient.s knowledge and beliefs about the benefits of adhering to their medication regime plays a critical role in compliance.64 Non-adherence is not an irrational act but rather a product of poor communication.65 Patient compliance to health care recommendations is more likely when communication is optimal.66 The results of these studies indicated improvements in depressive symptoms,41 more positive attitudes,40 and better compliance to their medication.42 A limitation of this method was that the same pharmacist provided counselling services to both the intervention and the control group. As the intervention studied was multifactorial, it is inconclusive whether the three face-to-face counselling sessions or the take home video were primarily responsible for changes in drug attitude, adherence and the symptom scores.40-42 3.2.2 Patient education and treatment monitoring Four studies have reported results from pharmacist conducted patient education and treatment monitoring services for people prescribed antidepressant medications in the United States.43-46 These services involved the pharmacist taking a medication history, providing information about the prescribed antidepressant medications, and conducting telephone and face-to-face follow-ups. In two of the investigations, one of which was controled43 and the other randomised controlled, 62 medication adherence was calculated by reviewing prescription dispensing data, and reported using an intention-to-treat analysis. Both studies also demonstrated that involvement of the pharmacist was associated with a decrease in the number of visits to other primary health care providers; however, statistical significance was only achieved in one of the studies. Improved adherence to antidepressant medication was reported in both studies, 43-44 although patient satisfaction was only evident in one.44 The other two studies were randomised controlled.45-46 One of the studies was conducted using a self administered health survey,45 while in the other study antidepressant adherence was measured by asking patients how many times a day they took their medication in the past month. The results obtained from these investigations45-46 showed that patients who were taking their medication at the six month follow-up exhibited better antidepressant compliance and improved symptoms. However, antidepressant adherence and depression symptoms scores were similar for both the intervention and control group.46 Given the high rates of antidepressant discontinuation during the first three months of treatment, pharmacists have a potentially crucial role in providing medicines information and conducting treatment monitoring for those patients at high risk of non-compliance. Studies need to be conducted to compare outcomes of pharmacist.s treatment monitoring of people commencing antidepressant medication and o ther health professionals monitoring.8 An investigation into the impact of nurses treatment monitoring, also demonstrated improved medication adherence.67 3.2.3 Medication management reviews Pharmacist conducted medication management reviews are crucial in identifying potential medication related problems among people taking medications for mental illness.8 Medication review services provided by pharmacists comprise of comprehensive medication history taking, patient home interviews, medication regimen reviews, and patient education.68 A randomised controlled study of pharmacist conducted domiciliary medication reviews was carried out in the United States. The patients involved in the study were individuals living independently in the community that were identified to be at high risk of medication misadventure. The results showed a significant decline in the in the overall numbers and monthly costs of medication, however, there was no major difference in cognitive or affective functioning between the intervention and control group. The majority of patients were unwilling to follow the pharmacist.s recommendations to discontinue benzodiazepines and narcotic analgesics.47 The great potential of pharmacist conducted medication reviews for people with mental illness may not be limited to optimising the use of mental health medication.8 Physical health care for people with mental illness is generally less than adequate. This is caused by the tendency among health professionals to focus solely on the management of the mental illness among people with both mental and physical illnesses. Pharmacist conducted medication reviews may be a comprehensive strategy to improve medication use for both mental and physical illness.68 3.2.4 Medication management reviews in nursing homes Older people who are cared for in nursing homes are arguably the most vulnerable patient group, and the useful contribution that pharmacists can make to the care of these patients has been documented.30 Older people are particularly sensitive to the effects of medication,69 regular use of psychotropic medication is associated with an increased risk of recurrent falls,70 and also long term usage is linked with tardive dyskinesia.71 Psychotropic medication use may also be connected with an increased rate of cognitive decline in dementia.72 The beneficial effects of psychotropic medication must be balanced against extrapyramidal and other side effects.73 In 1995 it was reported that psychotropic drug use in Australian nursing homes was 59%, although this figure has fallen in recent years.74 In Ireland, 19% of older people in nursing homes were reported to be taking phenothiazines,75 however, this figure is lower now following a tightening of the licensing indications of thiordazine. In the England, a study showed that 30% of residents in nursing homes were taking antipsychotics.76 Two studies have looked at the appropriateness of psychotropic medication prescribing in the United Kingdom. In Scotland antipsychotic medication use in nursing homes is 24%, it was found that 88% of these prescriptions were inappropriate if the United States criteria for use were applied. In England, 54% of prescriptions were found to be inappropriate according to the United States criteria.77 A study conducted in Denmark suggested that behavioural problems were a determinant for the use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, irrespective of the psychiatri c diagnosis of the resident.78 A randomised controlled study of pharmacist-led multidisciplinary initiative to optimise prescribing in 15 Swedish nursing homes was carried out. The study involved pharmacists participating in multidisciplinary team meetings with nurses and physicians at regular intervals within a 12 month period. A significant decline in the use of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and antidepressants by 19%, 37% and 59%, respectively was observed in the intervention facilities.79 A follow-up investigation of the same intervention and control facilities three years later indicated that the intervention facilities maintained a significantly higher quality of drug use, with far fewer residents being prescribed more than three drugs that could lead to confusion, not-recommended hypnotics and combinations of interacting drugs.48 An additional randomised controlled study showed that pharmacist.s medication reviews in residential care facilities demonstrated significant reductions in the number and cost of medications prescribed. 10.2% fewer residents were administered psychoactive medications and 21.3% fewer hypnotic medications. The impact of medication reviews on mortality was also measured and a noteworthy reduction was observed.49 One study indicated that one hour per week of a pharmacist.s time can make a significant contribution to patient care in nursing homes. It was found that this input was well received by nursing staff and prescribers and that general medical practitioners accepted the pharmacist.s advice in 78% of cases.30 Physician.s recognition was 91% in south Manchester, where 55% of interventions resulted in treatment modifications. Community pharmacist.s in Northamptonshire analysed prescriptions of nursing home residents and provided prescribing advice to general medical practitioners. The advice was accepted in 73% of cases and it was estimated that pharmacist involvement could give a 14% reduction in the cost of prescribing.69 A randomised controlled trial in 1 4 nursing homes in England showed that a brief medication review reduced the quantity of medication overall with no detriment to the mental and physical functioning of the patients.58 A reduction in the use of primary and secondary care resources by pharmacist medication review services has also been shown.80 The recommendations provided by pharmacists included stopping and starting medicines, generic substitution, switching to another medicine, dose modification, changes in administration frequency, formulation change and requests for laboratory tests or nurse monitoring.30 Almost 50% of the recommendations were to stop medication and 66% of these were due to the fact that there was no indication for the drug prescribed. This suggested that medication regimes were not reviewed. Conversely, initiation of a new drug made up 8% of recommendations, which implied that indications were present but not always treated76. Pharmacists have an important part to play in multi-disciplinary heal th teams and they must be integrated into any proposed models of care. Nursing home residents are a vulnerable group of patients who deserve the same high-quality clinical care as people of any age living at home.30 3.2.4 Pharmacotherapy interventions to optimise prescribing Pharmacist.s educational visits to general medical practitioners have been shown to modify prescribing behaviour.54 Four studies have evaluated the impact of pharmacists educational visits to general medical practitioners to optimise the prescribing of benzodiazepines and other psychotropic medications prescribed for mental illness,50-53 two of which showed positive results.52-53 A cluster randomised controlled study carried out in the United States found that pharmacists educational visits to general medical practitioners were associated with a significant decline in the prescribing of potentially inappropriate psychotropic medications in intervention facilities.53 An Australian study of educational visits to general medical practitioners, conducted by three physicians and one pharmacist resulted in a noteworthy decline in the prescribing of benzodiazepines.52 In the Netherlands, groups of local pharmacists and general medical practitioners conduct inter-professional meetings to optimise prescribing. These pharmacotherapy meetings are undertaken as part of routine clinical practice. A cluster randomised study of pharmacotherapy meetings to discuss prescribing of antidepressant medications resulted in a 40% reduction in the prescribing of highly anticholinergic antidepressants, compared to a control group of practitioners that did not partake in these meetings39. The possible awareness of prescribing related issues generated by asking general medical practitioners to conduct a self-audit of their prescribing caused this overall reduction.52-53 Additionally, pharmacist.s initiatives to improve prescribing are most effective when both pharmacists and general medical practitioners have an opportunity to build rapport.39 3.2.5 Community mental health centres and outpatients clinics Two studies were carried out to investigate the effect of pharmacist delivered services to community mental health centres and outpatient.s clinics.56-57 In a controlled trial, pharmacists managed patient cases in a community mental health centre in the United States. Significantly better personal adjustment scores were observed from patients receiving case management from a pharmacist in comparison to those receiving it from a nurse, social worker or psychologist.56The patients also rated themselves as healthier and were considerably less likely to seek help from other health care providers. The medication service provided allowed the pharmacist to adjust medication doses and dose timing, and prescribe or discontinue medications under supervision. The cost effectiveness of incorporating a pharmacist as part of the health care team was also measured. It was estimated that a 60% cost reduction can be achieved when medication monitoring is conducted by a pharmacists instead of a clinic psychiatrist. The pharmacist also performed more medication monitoring of patients per month than the clinic psychiatrist and had more contact with each individual patient .56 In Malaysia, a study of patients discharged from hospital after admission for relapse of schizophrenia, who were identified as having poor medication adherence were allocated to receive pharmacist medication counselling or standard care.57 The importance of compliance to medication was also reinforced by the patient.s psychiatrists at follow up visits. At the 12 month follow-up, patients receiving counselling from a pharmacist and who were exposed to daily or twice daily medication treatments, had significantly fewer relapses that required hospitalisation than patients receiving standard care.57 3.2.6 Integrated mental health services The needs of people with recurrent, severe mental illness fluctuate over time and services must be coordinated, and be able to anticipate, prevent and respond to crisis. Integrated mental health services across primary and specialist services should promote early interaction and allow the provision of continuous care to meet patients needs.58 Prescribed medication is an important component in the successful management of mental illness. Accurate information should be transferred seamlessly between primary and secondary sectors to ensure the optimum care of these patients.59 The simple delivery of information to community pharmacists regarding drugs prescribed at discharge enables comparison with general medical practitioners prescriptions and any discrepancies can be followed up and resolved.82 Discrepancies that may occur can be described as any changes observed between supplies of prescribed drugs, including a wide spectrum of observed events.83 These can range from simple changes between supplies of prescribed drugs to more complex errors that might result in adverse reactions.60 This information transfer enables a cost-effective reduction in all unintentional discrepancies, including those judged to have significant adverse effects on patient care.58 An investigation that evaluated the impact of providing mental health patients with a pharmacist generated medication care plan at the time of discharge found that patients with care plans were less likely to be readmitted to hospital than those without. Information contained in the care plan included l ists of discharge medications, a summary of the patient education that was provided, and the potential adverse effects that need to be assessed. Community pharmacists who received copies of the care plan were also more likely to identify medication related problems for the discharged mental health patients than those pharmacists who were not provided with copies of the care plan, however, the results from this study are not significantly significant.57Other methods of transferring information such as electronic transfer have the potential to be of value in this patient population.84 People with mental illness have complex needs which are not recognised by organised boundaries.58When discussing discharge and after-care in the community, medication management must be prioritised.85Mentally ill patients are vulnerable and medication is a vital part of their well being. It is therefore essential that an accurate transfer of information between care settings minimises the potentially har mful discrepancies that can occur. Community pharmacist.s interaction in this area could prevent such incidents.58 3.2.7 Community mental health teams Most people with bipolar mood disorders and psychotic illnesses in the United Kingdom and Australia are managed by interdisciplinary community mental health teams (CMHTs).86 The potential benefits of greater involvement by pharmacists in CMHTs have been documented and debated for over 30 years.87-90 The majority of clinical team meetings conducted by CMHTs do not involve a pharmacist. A review of CMHTs in New South Wales found that just 1 in 5 had a designated pharmacist.91 Pharmaceutical care programs provided by phar