Childhood Vaccination A Deadly Misunderstanding

Childhood Vaccination: A Deadly Misunderstanding? In the year 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a scientific article that would eventually weaken the human species in both Europe and the United States and sow distrust in the idea of getting children properly vaccinated (Kolodziejski). In his article, Dr. Wakefield falsely claimed that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could be connected with the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (Kolodziejski). Unfortunately, even though Dr. Wakefield’s study was discredited the â€Å"damage was already done† (McLeod 8). The article caused a decline of vaccinations of children by their parents for fear of unintentionally inflicting ASD upon them. Years later, Celebrities Jenny†¦show more content†¦Although some of these statements might be thought to be true, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the Food Drug Administration (FDA) have found no connection between vaccination and the development of autistic spectrum disorder through testing and observation (â€Å"Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism†). No matter what potential dangers could be spouted about vaccinations, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that vaccination has saved countless lives. The way a vaccine works is by introducing a weaker version of a disease to the immune system as antigens and allowing the immune system to construct proper defenses (antibodies) in case it were to ever come in contact with the standard version of the same disease. This should be done while the child is a few months old because they lose the immunities they gain from their mother not long after they are born (Multiple Vaccines and the Immune System.). The first documented instance of vaccination occurred in the year 1796 by Edward Jenner, an English physician (Malone 262). According to Roth, Jenner figured out that immunity from smallpox could be achieved by â€Å"inoculating a person with material from a cowpox lesion† which is essentially infecting a person with a milder and weaker disease so that they would not contract a much deadlier one (Roth). It may sound crude, but this paved the way for vaccinations and allowed smallpox to become the

The Conflicting Nature Of Power In Shakespeares King...

When an individual is situated in a position of power, their actions are determined by their present company. In this way, an individual may act in conflicting ways in order to please their present audience and thus are removed from the power they are deemed to possess. The pivotal characters in William Shakespeare s King Henry IV Part 1 successfully portray the conflicting nature of power throughout the play and ultimately comment on how aspects of politics are subject to the opinions of spectators. Politics is defined as the process of making decisions applying to all members of each group, involving a variety of groups resulting in the nature of politics changing depending on the participants. The conflict between Prince Hal and King†¦show more content†¦Henry laments over the fact that Hal is not the son he would have liked, religiously alluding to the unruliness of his son that he has no control over is the punishment from God as a result of his usurpation of the thron e. This religious allusion reflecting on Henry’s sins demonstrates the both the political power the King obtains, as he deposed the previous King, but also the powerlessness he has in correspondence to the Lord, and his own conscience. In addition, Henry use of the term â€Å"grafted† describes Prince Hal’s connection to Falstaff and the subsequent rejection of his more important blood relations and thus his role as the heir to the English throne. It can be argued that Hal purposely attempts to separate himself from the royal role that his father sets for him, understanding that his father usurped the Divine Right of Kings and thus sought the company of individuals that would successfully result in the disapproval of his father and the Royal Court. Hal finds companions in the rouges in which inhabit the Boar s Head Inn and Eastcheap, including the thieving surrogate father Falstaff. However, while the two locations and companies are considered to differ starkl y, Shakespeare successfully mirrors the separate destinations in first two scenes between the Royal Court and the â€Å"Rouge Court† found in the Boar’s Head Inn. Whilst the occupants are of the Inn are freely labelled as thieves, the occupants of theShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Henry Iv928 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s plays Macbeth and Henry IV Part One are both plays that are wrought with the notion of destiny. The journeys that Macbeth and Hal undertake throughout these plays are contrastingly different and each play takes on a different perspective of destiny. In Macbeth destiny is attempted to be controlled by Macbeth himself whereas Hal has a destiny that he was born into, a destiny to be king. Both are portrayed differently in different spheres of their society this will be explored furtherRead More A Freudian Reading of Hamlet and Titus Andronicus Essay2542 Words   |  11 Pagesclose readings of language. Therefore, by under standing Freudian theory, we can gain a deeper understanding of literature. This essay attempts to discover how Freud’s psychoanalytical accounts of human nature can bring us to a deeper understanding of the family relationships at work in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Titus Andronicus. According to Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams we all have repressed wishes and desires. One of the most common of these repressed desires is the wish to sexually possessRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesThis book Logical Reasoning by Bradley H. Dowden is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. That is, you are free to share, copy, distribute, store, and transmit all or any part of the work under the following conditions: (1) Attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author, namely by citing his name, the book title, and the relevant page numbers (but not in any way that suggests that the book Logical Reasoning or its

The Blind Side free essay sample

The Blind Side written by John Lee Hancock is based on true life events about Baltimore Ravens NFL player, Michael Oher. This sport related comedy drama will not only warm your heart but can also change your perspective on love and family. It’s an excellent example of how one person can change their fate with determination and the moral support of others. Michael Oher’s story begins with him occasionally homeless and staying with his inattentive drug addict mother in a broken home with a remote father. His luck turned as his dad’s friend helps him get into an all Christian private school where Coach Cotton sees potential in him as a future football star. As Michael looks for another place to sleep and keep warm, he is found by worrisome, overprotective mother Leigh Anne Tuophy who asked Michael where he was staying that night. Her motherly instincts took over and invited Michael to stay the night, despite her having no knowledge of his background. What makes The Blind Sides such a compelling story is the fact that it tells a true-life story of a boy with little or no prospects. It is a film about human relationships; the need to reach out to the one less fortunate but most importantly, it’s a film about believing in oneself and following one’s convictions even when the whole world might be against you. The Blind Side is an excellent, uplifting movie with fine storytelling. This is my second time watching this movie and I still love it. It is a movie that you just can’t miss. This is an inspirational movie that all families should see. The movie was very touching, it had good messages, great role models and a very truly inspiring main character. Sandra Bullock’s character was the most interesting one for me. She played Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wealthy woman with a great heart. She adopted Michael, a big black kid who was very shy and careless. A movie like The Blind Side is an eye-opening contrast to those of us who take the littlest things for granted like even owning our own bed to those who might not even have a place to call home. There is a very strong message of Christian faith in The Blind Side. It’s very clear that Leigh Anne helps Michael because she is a Christian and thinks it’s the right thing to do. They pray around the table and speak freely about their faith. The biblical admonition to care for orphans is lived out by this family. It’s encuraging to know that this is based on a true story and to put our beliefs into practice more and reach out to those in need. One of the scenes that struck me most was when Michael told her he’d never had a bed before. She is knocked sideways and goes into her bedroom and closes the door and sits down. There were no close-ups of a tear sliding down her cheek, she just sits there with a very shocked expression on her face. Shocked at what bringing Michael into her life taught her, trying to absorb it and take it all in. It was a very touching scene. After watching this movie, it change the way I through about this topic. The blindside is the side that no one sees or understands. If you cover someone’s blind side that means you have their back. Blindside is just the side from which you cannot see, or the hit you take because you cannot see it coming. I don’t really know much about football but watching this movie made it clear. When things go well and also be reminded as in life, winning doesn’t count but it’s how you play the game that counts. One of my favorite quotes in the movie, â€Å"You are changing that boy’s life†¦. No, he is changing mine. † I love this quote because it’s really sweet knowing how Leigh Anne feels about brining Michael in her life. Michael saved her family in the way she never saw it coming. Michael brings her family more closer together then they were before. For someone to let someone in and not knowing anything about him or her says a lot about who they are. It is hard to believe that there are people like the Tuohys in this world. There are chances in life that a person may come along one that can change our life perspectives. How we approach things, and be courageous enough to do something about the problems in life. It may have a life long impact on another person and might make a huge difference for you as well. Seeing this movie I feel that communication is one of the requirements in life. Humans are social creatures, they depend on each other’s help. This movie shows characteristics, abilities, values, goals, roles and shows that a family value is the most important things in life. It was a very heart touching movie.

Popularity of Angels free essay sample

Examines reasons for the growing interest belief in angels in late 1990s: increase in New Age mysticism, the coming millenium, the Internet. This paper is an examination of the renewed interest in belief in angels. Angels are figures found primarily in Christianity, Judaism, and Islamic religions, who act as divine intermediaries between human beings and god. Although they are mentioned extensively in the Bible and other religious writings, angels have recently enjoyed a resurgence of attention. The returning interest in angelic intervention is reflected in everything from the media to the marketplace. This increase in popularity may be attributed to a number of factors. This paper argues three explanations: the increase in New Age mysticism, which also includes belief in UFOs and conspiracy theories; the effects of the coming millennium, which encourages widespread fear, hope, and a need to feel personally connected to the universe; and the explosion of internet access, which allows. We will write a custom essay sample on Popularity of Angels or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page .

Metaphysical Imagery in the Works of John Donne

Metaphysical Imagery in the Works of John Donne Metaphysical poetry is a blend of passionate feelings and paradoxical style. John Donne is believed to be one of the best of metaphysical poets. There are many examples of metaphysical imagery in the works of John Donne. The metaphysical imagery of John Donne will be brought into view by the examples he used throughout his poetry.Donne begins "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" by indicating a preference for their departure to be unobtrusive, to be as restrained as possible in their parting, by using an analogy between the couple and "virtuous men." He describes,As virtuous men pass mildly away,And whisper to their souls to go,Whilst some of their sad friends do say,The breath goes now, and some say, no [...]. (1-4)Through descriptions of "mildly" and "whisper" he reveals his wish for their separation to be as temperate as possible. Donne calls for a similar restraint in their passing, for no fuss, tears or sighs, referring to the typical hyperbolic lovers and using them as a vision of how not to act, "So let us melt and make no noise, / No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move [...]"I believe this is a photograph taken of a portrait...(5-6). Here the intellectual begins to take over the sentimentality, or impulsiveness of the scene, "Donne perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy, when he should engage their hearts and entertain them with the softness of love" (Bennett 1).So let us melt, and make no noise,No teare-floods, nor sigh-tempests move,T'were prophanation of our joyesTo tell the layetie our love [...]. (5-8)The word "melt" implies a change in physical state. The bond of lovers will dissolve quietly. "Noise" refers to "tear floods" and "sigh tempests" that the speaker pleads with his love not to leave. He continues by...

What to Know About Zeta Potential

What to Know About Zeta Potential The zeta potential (ÃŽ ¶-potential) is the potential difference across phase boundaries between solids and liquids. Its a measure of the electrical charge of particles are that are suspended in liquid. Since zeta potential is not equal to the electric surface potential in a double layer or to the Stern potential, it is often the only value that can be used to describe double-layer properties of a colloidal dispersion. Zeta potential, also known as electrokinetic potential, is measured in millivolts (mV). In colloids, zeta potential is the electric potential difference across the ionic layer around a charged colloid ion. Put another way; its the potential in the interface double layer at the slipping plane. Typically, the higher the zeta-potential, the more stable the colloid. Zeta potential that is less negative than -15 mV typically represents the beginnings of agglomeration of particles. When the zeta-potential equals zero, the colloid will precipitate into a solid. Measuring Zeta Potential Zeta potential cannot be directly measured. It is calculated from theoretical models or estimated experimentally, often based on electrophoretic mobility. Basically, to determine zeta potential, one tracks that rate at which a charged particle moves in response to an electric field. Particles that possess a zeta potential will migrate toward the opposite-charged electrode. The rate of migration is proportional to zeta potential. Velocity typically is measured using a Laser Doppler Anemometer. The calculation is based on a theory described in 1903 by Marian Smoluchowski. Smoluchowskis theory is valid for any concentration or shape of dispersed particles. However, it assumes a sufficiently thin double layer, and it ignores any contribution of surface conductivity. Newer theories are used to perform electroacoustic and electrokinetic analyses under these conditions. There is a device called a zeta meter its expensive, but a trained operator can interpret the estimated values that it produces. Zeta meters typically rely on one of two electroacoustic effects: electric sonic amplitude and colloid vibration current. The advantage of using an electroacoustic method to characterize zeta potential is that the sample does not need to be diluted. Applications of Zeta Potential Since the physical properties of suspensions and colloids largely depend on the properties of the particle-liquid interface, knowing the zeta potential has practical applications. Zeta Potential Measurements are used to Prepare colloidal dispersions for cosmetics, inks, dyes, foams, and other chemicalsDestroy undesirable colloidal dispersions during water and sewage treatment, preparation of beer and wine, and dispersing aerosol productsReduce cost of additives by calculating the minimum amount needed to achieve the desired effect, such as the amount of flocculant added to water during water treatmentIncorporate colloidal dispersion during manufacturing, as in cements, pottery, coatings, etc.Utilize desirable properties of colloids, which include capillary action and detergency. Properties may be applied for mineral flotation, impurity absorption, separating petroleum from reservoir rock, wetting phenomena, and electrophoretic deposition of paints or coatingsMicroelectrophoresis to characterize blood, bacteria, and other biological surfacesCharacterize the properties of clay-water systemsMany other uses in mineral processing, ceramics manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, pharmaceutical producti on, etc. References American Filtration and Separations Society, What Is Zeta Potential? Brookhaven Instruments, Zeta Potential Applications. Colloidal Dynamics, Electroacoustic Tutorials, The Zeta Potential (1999). M. von Smoluchowski, Bull. Int. Acad. Sci. Cracovie, 184 (1903). Dukhin, S.S. and Semenikhin, N.M. Koll. Zhur., 32, 366 (1970).

Should We Expand Our Support of Literacy Programs for Homeless Essay

Should We Expand Our Support of Literacy Programs for Homeless Children - Essay Example There are several causes of homelessness, such as domestic violence, economic hardships and war. Homelessness is bad because it creates chaos and instability in the family and threatens development of children. Researchers have found that homeless children are mostly made to forego literary and language opportunities. It is known in this context that disruption in educational development and stressed family relationships can lead to severe adversities in a child’s later learning environment (Duffield and Lovell, 2008). Communities are now beginning to realize that while addressing the issue of homelessness, it is not merely enough to resolve problems relative to food and shelter. It is imperative to provide children with literary support through which they can get over with the challenges of coping with homelessness. Research has also shown that in general, homeless children stand higher chances of suffering from health and psychological problems and developmental issues and g enerally demonstrate poor performance in school as compared to other children having permanent housing (US Department of Education, 2011). It is for these reasons that society must expand support of literacy programs for homeless children. Main Body Because of homelessness, children are put at strong risks of poor health. Research has indicated that as compared to children having permanent homes, homeless children stand four times more chances of being in poor health. Such children are two times more likely to visit emergency medical centers and to be deprived of the normal immunizations that are necessary for children. Moreover, homeless children have to often go without food and it is because of these reasons that these children perform poorly in academics. Homeless children get poor results in schools because they have to under go immense turmoil and are at constant risk of being shifted from one school to another, in addition to being made to skip school for an indefinite number of days because of the need to meet their basic family needs. It has been established through research that mobility has a devastating impact on children’s achievements and that it significantly reduces such children’s chances of graduating from high school. Schools are known to provide support to homeless children but they continue to face some unique hurdles in education such as not being able to comply with enrollment conditions relative to proof of residence, guardianship, health records etc. They often change their residences frequently, resulting in unstable schooling and continuity in education. These children are considerably constrained because of lack of transport facilities, inadequate clothing and school supplies, hunger, fatigue and poor health. Mostly, these difficulties for homeless children are not addressed and they are not able to attend school, which prevents them from getting an education that is supposed to be guaranteed by law (Iowa Department of Education, 2004). If initiatives are taken by schools to address the needs of homeless children, a sanctuary of support and stability can be created for them. They can be provided opportunities in acquiring skills needed to rise above poverty and to maintain a sound household as

Mercy Killing or Just Killing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Mercy Killing or Just Killing - Essay Example Proponents for euthanasia have passionately defended their position for accepting and adopting its practice. World people are facing ever-growing moral dilemmas. With the advancements in the medical field also come new procedures as well as easier ways to deal with problems. A popular moral dilemma that comes to mind is abortion. Now many people are against abortion for religious reasons. Moreover, just like abortion, many consider assisted suicide as murder. However, it is both ridiculous and irrelevant to argue on whether assisted suicide should be legal. When I was young, my Oma (grandmother) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. For years, she lingered in the home as her mind slowly decayed over time. First, she could not remember how to speak English. She would be talking and resort to her childhood language at random points. Therefore, she would say a 10-word sentence and a half of it would be spoken in English. Next came the hard memory, she would forget simple tasks and could not be left on her own. She would forget the location of the bathroom was in her own home. Next was perhaps the hardest to deal with, she forgot our names. First came distant relatives but finally, she could not remember my mom’s name, her own daughter. Lastly, she forgot how to do pretty much anything; she could not button shirts, she could not even move at all. When she was in the home, she got bedsores from lack of movement. Moreover, she could not get up to go to the bathroom. Now, this is obviously horrible but the worst was the few mom ents where she had a small amount of clarity where 2 seconds here 3 seconds there she would remember how to talk. I recall one such moment when she simply said to my mom who was visiting her in the home, she simply said, â€Å"help me.† I remember how it crushed my mother and crushed me. Now everyone has his or her own religion and personal belief but I will now ask you a very philosophical question.  

Determining the Formula of an Unknown Hydrate Essay Example for Free

Determining the Formula of an Unknown Hydrate Essay The final equations that was concluded after the experiment and the calculations are CuSO4 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5H2O and MgSO4 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5H2O. There are 5 water molecules per Copper (II) Sulphate and 7 water molecules per Magnesium Sulphate. The compounds are all hydrates which is a substance that contains water. This occurs when crystals form from the evaporation of an aqueous solution of a salt and water molecules become included into the crystal. The hydrates were heated and lost its water of hydration and made it possible to calculate how much water was in the hydrate and the water to salt ratio. The percentage error for the Copper (II) Sulfate was 4.61%. It is a large error but the coefficient was correctly rounded to the accepted value of 5. The percentage error for Epsom salts was 5.51% which is also very large but can also be rounded to the accepted value of 7. Errors and Limitations Error Explanation Suggested Improvements No lid Without a lid on the evaporating dish, the powder popped out the dish when heated therefore causing the mass of the remaining substance to be lower Using a lid Imprecise measurements of mass Causing the mass of the evaporating dish, H2O and the remaining hydrate to be lowered or raised and therefore makes the final formula incorrect Making sure the surface of the scale is clean and waiting until the weight displayed has completely stopped No depth in experiment More experiments can be done for comparison and further our knowledge of hydrates Another Sulfate hydrate to compare the hydrates and see if there is a pattern of the different hydrate and the number of water molecules due to factors of periodicity. Also we could have also just used sulfate hydrate to observe how adding another element affect the water and salt ratio. Overheating of the substances The hydrates were heated under the Bunsen burner and were left under the heat for too long. This could alter the result by lowering the mass, which would increase the water to salt ratio. Mixing the powder to evenly distribute the heat to prevent overheating the salt. Not letting the substance cool before weighing it This would raise the mass of the anhydrate because the water molecules would not be entirely evaporated making the substance left heavier. Having more patience and letting the salt completely cool before weighing Oval chunks of CuSO4 remain after burning Not all of the water of hydration has been removed which will throw off the result by decreasing the mole of water and the increase the final water to salt ratio. Break up the chunks before heating or while heating.

Invasive plants Essay -- Native Plant Species, Environment

Since we are accustomed to a life full of modern conveniences, it is important to remember that human survival still depends on the planet's natural diversity. Pennsylvania has 25,000 species of plants and animals, with more than 2,100 being native (IConserve, 2007). It is critical to appreciate the sustainable use of these natural resources that influence our beautiful state’s economic health and quality of life of all Pennsylvanians. Yet many threats to our home’s biodiversity are present. One significant threat is invasive plant species that are eliminating native plant species. Invasive plants are plants which grow aggressively, spreading and displacing other plants (Ball, 2002). Whether it is intentional or not, they are often introduced by humans. On the other hand, native plants are pants that existed within Pennsylvania before European settlement. Because they are meant to grow here, they are quite beneficial to the environment as well as people (Fell 19 95). In order to preserve Pennsylvania’s health and natural beauty, it is essential to control the growth of invasive plant species while supporting the growth of native plant species. When Pennsylvania was first settled in the 1600’s by William Penn, abundant plants covered about 90% of the state (IConserve 2007). All of these plants are considered to be natives because they existed in the area before human settlement. Unfortunately, due to human interactions with nature, the landscape has changed significantly over time. Many plants that once defined Pennsylvania have been lost; however, this problem can be reversed to some extent. By 2000, five percent of Pennsylvania’s native plant species had been lost and another twenty-five percent were in danger o... ...s that are invasive and controlling or destroying any invasive species. These plants are adaptable and grow well under a wide range of conditions and therefore have a much better chance of thriving. It is also important to use fertilizers in moderation because high nitrogen often stimulates the aggressive growth of plants (Fell, 1995). Planning land management is also important. Weekly mowing is important for the maintenance of lawns and weeding is important for gardens. Pennsylvania’s meadows should be mowed annually and woodlands should be monitored for the need to remove invasive plant species (Ball, 2001). Unfortunately, invasive plants are causing problems not only in Pennsylvania, but all across the country (Invasive Plants: Silent Invaders, 2004). It is essential that efforts are made in order to keep this plant crisis from deteriorating further.

Recruitment and Retention

Demand for academic staff in Higher Education has been increasing2 and may be expected to continue to increase given the Government’s intention that participation in Higher Education should increase substantially amongst those aged 18 to 30 years old. At the same time, recruitment and retention problems have been growing in prominence (HEFCE, 2003) and there has been a long-standing concern that the sector faces a ‘retirement bulge’, as academics from the 1960s expansion reach retirement.Consequently, there is concern about the adequacy of the future supply of academics. Other substantial changes in Higher Education in the past 10 to 20 years are likely to have contributed to the tightness of the academic labour market3. Polytechnics were granted university status in 1992, changing their funding regime, their focus and the demands on staff. The number of students has grown substantially, a growth which has not been matched by staff increases resulting in a large i ncrease in the student:staff ratio.Changes in funding have led to much greater emphasis on research output (through the Research Assessment Exercise, the RAE), teaching quality (through the requirements of the Quality Assurance Agency, the QAA) and on academics raising research and consultancy funds. Other changes include tighter contractual terms (affecting holidays and hours worked), an increase in the use of short-term and hourly-paid contracts and the loss of tenure. Overall, these changes have tended to alter the nature of the job, reducing autonomy and increasing the workload, including that of administrative and teaching tasks.At the same time, both the salaries and status of academics are perceived to have deteriorated relative to alternative careers (Halsey, 1992; Keep et al. , 1996). Substantial change in the nature of any job is likely to increase turnover, as a mismatch develops between the nature of the job to which people were recruited and the actual job. If these cha nges tend to reduce the quality of the job, rather than just change it, and if the applicant requirements are not altered (and, probably, lowered), recruitment will also become more difficult.Both turnover and recruitment difficulties will be exacerbated by a relative decline in pay. Overview of the study Against this background, the study was designed to identify the factors which lead to individuals entering and leaving academic employment in the English Higher Education sector. Although the main focus was entry and exit from the sector, recruitment to and retention by individual institutions can shed light on this and was also investigated.For the purposes of the study academic employment was defined as jobs in higher education institutions (Universities and Colleges of Higher Education) whose main function was academic teaching or academic research, irrespective of the contractual terms of the job holder. Thus lecturing (e. g. Professors, and Lecturers) and research staff (e. g. Research Assistants, post-docs and Senior Research Fellows) are included, but academic-related staff (e. g. technicians) are not. Full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary staff within these groups are included4.Two main groups of academics were excluded from the study: those in Further Education Institutions and those on clinical rates of pay. The resources of the study precluded inclusion of these two groups5. Following discussion with the DfES, it was decided to focus on staff at English HEIs. This was done in order to prevent differences in the funding and structure of the HE sectors obscuring the analysis. Two exceptions to this rule are the analysis of the HESA data on research students and the chapter on international comparisons of pay (Chapter 4). These are discussed in more detail in sections 1. . 1 and 1. 1. 2 below (and in further detail in Appendix C and Appendix D). The study had five, inter-related, strands: †¢ a literature review to establish the nature of the recruitment and retention problems and to identify previous evidence on the factors affecting recruitment and retention; this was conducted from March to May 2003; †¢ analysis of HESA staff and student data, 2001/02, to provide a descriptive analysis of turnover in academia, to identify the basic characteristics of employment in the sector and to identify the student supply into academia6; a comparative analysis of pay, using 2001 data, both for comparable employment nationally and for academics in Higher Education internationally, in order to establish the competitiveness of academic pay; †¢ qualitative research within universities exploring human resource policies and practices and factors affecting entry and exit from the sector; the fieldwork was conducted between July 2003 and July 2004; 4 However, the coverage of hourly paid staff is severely limited, owing to limitations in the HESA data (see below) and to practical difficulties of sampling for the survey (see b elow). Inclusion of the former would have extended the study to Further Education Institutions. The latter have different terms, conditions and employment patterns from other academics in HEIs and so a larger sample would have been required to adequately cover this group. Staff on clinical rates accounted for five per cent of academic staff (HESA Individualised Staff Record 2001/2). 6 Analysis of more recent HESA data and of trends over time is contained in HEFCE (2005a) and HEFCE (2005b). 3 quantitative surveys of academic staff and of research students to identify factors which affect recruitment into academia and retention; the fieldwork was conducted between May and July 2004. The research findings are affected by the policies and practices in effect at the time. To assist the reader, the DfES has produced a list of relevant Higher Education initiatives since the survey fieldwork. These are listed in Appendix H. Below, essential aspects of the methods are described. Further deta ils of the methods appear in appendices. Appendix A describes the qualitative research.Appendix B discusses the quantitative surveys of academic staff and research students. Appendix C describes the HESA staff and student datasets. Appendix D describes the data used for the intra- and international pay comparisons. Appendix F describes the model used for the analysis of the likelihood of students entering academia. Appendix G describes the econometric analysis of job satisfaction and intentions to leave academia. 1. 1. 1 HESA staff and student data7 For staff, the HESA Individualised Staff Record for the academic year 2001/02 was used.The analysis was confined to institutions in England and to staff who were not on clinical grades. The sole exception to this is chapter 4, where the focus is expanded to the whole of the UK, to maintain consistency with the international comparisons analysis. For the study’s purposes, the Individualised Staff Record data has two important limit ations. Firstly, they exclude employees8 whose total academic employment is below that of 25 per cent of a full-time academic (i. e. those with short hours or with substantial management and administrative responsibilities are excluded)9.One of the implications is that hourly-paid staff will be substantially under-reported and is unlikely to be representative of hourly-paid staff as a whole. Secondly, the data relating to leavers suffer from a high level of nonreporting: around 60 per cent of leavers’ destinations are missing10. Therefore the findings on movement out of the sector must be treated with caution. For students, the Combined Student/Module Record for the academic year 2001/2 was used. This was combined with the First Destination Supplement (FDS), relating to those students who left in 2001/2.The analysis was not limited to students from English higher education institutions because the appropriate pool of domestic entrants into Higher Education academic post is th e whole of the UK. It is important 7 Note that the University of North London was not included in either the staff or student data supplied by HESA because the university has asked that its individual data is not released. 8 Strictly, they exclude contracts whose total academic employment is below that of 25 per cent of a full-time academic, as the record reports contracts rather than individuals.For more information see Appendix C. 9 However, there are staff in the Individualised Staff Record with their FTE recorded as less than 25%; the majority of these records relate to staff who arrived or left during the year. 10 Internal work by HEFCE that matched the 2001-2 survey with that for the following year using staff code, data of birth and sex, found that 20% of those for whom the destination was not known remained at the same institution, 5% were found at a different institution and the remainder could not be matched with a record in the second year.This latter group are made up of those who left the sector and those who remained but whose record in the second year did not match with respect to one of the three criteria. 4 to note that the destination of postgraduate research students in the FDS has a particularly low level of response (38%). Further details are given in Appendix C. 1. 1. 2 The comparative analysis of pay The comparative analysis of pay uses data from national labour force surveys (and censuses in nine countries. These were chosen to illustrate the types of countries to and from which most international movement with UK academia occurs.They include the main English–speaking countries to which UK academics move (the USA and Australia), together with other English-speaking nations (New Zealand and Canada), three European countries (Denmark, France and Sweden) and Japan. The analysis of the labour force survey data used in the international comparisons used data from the whole of the UK. This was to increase the sample size. However, we w ould not expect to find significant differences within the UK. Identifying higher education academics was done using information on occupation and industry where available.In most countries we were able to obtain a sample group that matched the UK sample. Exceptions to this were the US, where the sample also included academic staff at state colleges, who also conduct teaching undertaken in the FE sector in the UK, and Australia and New Zealand, where it is possible that our sample excludes some researchers who have no teaching responsibilities. We discuss the implications of this in Chapter 4 and Appendix D. Comparisons were made in both nominal and real terms. Earnings were converted using exchange rates to make nominal comparisons.In order to account for differences in the cost of living, purchasing power parity exchange rates developed by the OECD were used to make real earnings comparisons. Further details are given in Appendix D. 1. 1. 3 The qualitative and quantitative survey research Qualitative research was conducted in thirteen English universities and quantitative research conducted in a subset of these. A structured sample of universities was selected to ensure coverage of different types of universities (new, old and colleges of Higher Education), universities in London and elsewhere and universities with differing research ratings.Institutions with fewer than 200 academic staff and most specialist institutions11 were excluded. Small institutions were excluded because economies of scale in setting up the quantitative survey meant that their inclusion would have led to a smaller survey, as the project resources could not increase the sample through an increased number of institutions. Specialist institutions were excluded for similar reasons. (This did not reduce the subject coverage, as subjects taught in specialist institutions are also found in other HEIs. The purpose of the qualitative research was to identify factors which might affect recruitm ent and retention, including human resource practices and staff preferences. Qualitative interviews were held with senior staff with responsibility for 11 ‘Specialist institution’ is a classification developed for funding purposes and refers to institutions where 60 percent or more of funding is allocated to one or two cost centres. 5 human resourcing and, in eight of the universities, interviews were conducted with heads of two departments, and a sample of their academic staff and research students.A survey of academic staff was conducted in ten12 of these universities. The survey covered both research and lecturing staff. Full-and part-time staff were included, but hourly paid staff were excluded (see Appendix B). The questionnaire collected data on personal characteristics, employment history, views on aspects of the job and career intentions. The survey was web-based. A total of 2805 staff responded, a response rate of 32 per cent. Survey data have been re-weighted to be representative of university academic staff in English HEIs.For more information on the weighting and other issues relating to the staff survey see section B. 1 of Appendix B. A survey of research students (full-time and part-time) was conducted in nine of the universities, where research students were those undertaking a Masters degree mainly by research or a doctorate. The questionnaire collected data on personal characteristics, employment history and career intentions. The survey was web-based. A total of 1330 research students responded, a response rate of 29 per cent. Survey data have been re-weighted to be representative of research students in English HEIs.For more information on the weighting and other issues relating to the staff survey see Section B. 7. Further details are given in Appendix B. 1. 2 Nomenclature Throughout this report the following nomenclature is used: †¢ Student when referring to the student survey refers to research student. †¢ ‘Ac ademic’, ‘academic staff’ refers to those employed in higher education institutions on either the research grade or the lecturing grade. †¢ University is used to refer to all higher education institutions, whether a university or a college. New and old universities. New13 universities are those that received university status in 1992 (when polytechnics and many colleges of Higher Education converted to university status) or later; old universities are those which had university status before this date. 1. 3 Report layout The structure of the report is as follows. The next chapter sets the scene by presenting evidence on turnover and recruitment and retention problems in higher 12 The aim had been to survey staff and students in twelve universities.Unfortunately, not all the universities were able to supply the sample, either due to data protection considerations or due to difficulties providing an email contact list. 13 This nomenclature is in common use now , but, previously, ‘new university’ was used to denote universities established in the 1960s and early 1970s. Perhaps the term was also used in the nineteenth century to refer to the redbrick universities when the sector was expanded in the Victorian era. 6 education. It also presents evidence on the factors affecting recruitment and retention of academics.Chapter 3 then describes the structure of academic employment in Higher Education, including the grade structure and contractual status, and the main characteristics of academic staff. This description is used to raise some of the factors which might affect recruitment and retention. Chapter 4 continues with the theme of structure, focusing on pay, and examines relative pay to investigate whether pay differences may be a cause of recruitment and retention difficulties. Both domestic and international comparisons are made.

Of mice and men-Discuss the importance of the American dream Essay

Dictionary: the American dream An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: â€Å"In the deepening gloom of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Dictionary: dream a cherished desire The American Dream is a dream of success, fame and wealth achieved in the United States of America. It’s thought to be achievable by â€Å"hard work, courage, and determination†, or by â€Å"getting rich quick†. The concept often involves moving upward in the social classes, and may involve icons such as car, house, partner and pet. This definition of the American dream is universal, but it can have a different meaning for different classes of people. People have dreams The novel of mice and men, written by John Steinbeck, is set in 1930’s California during the Great Depression. The two main characters called George and Lennie are migrant workers travelling from ranch to ranch just to get by and make a little money so that one day they can live their own American dream. Throughout the book, Lennie always asks George to tell him and re-tell him their dream of someday owning their own land. ‘Someday we’re gonna get our jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs.’ The use of the word someday shows a sense of longing and uncertainty; he doesn’t know if it will happen soon or even at all. Because of the time the book is set or George and Lennie’s lifestyle, their dream is not the exact definition of the ‘American dream’. It is more to do with freedom and the amount of land owned which equals a higher status in society the more land you owned. George and Lennie’s dream is motivated by the fact that they have no stability in where they live or work. Being migrant workers, they have a very unsettled lifestyle because they don’t know how long they will be needed to work there. After they aren’t needed or if they get fired, it could take a long time to find another job. Their dream of owning a rural house on their own in the Salinas valley is a comforting thought of stability and not having to worry about nowhere to live. The Salinas valley is not a typical rural setting of America, but as George and Lennie have not traveled far, it is their idea of perfect. There are no comfortable houses, but vast orchards, vineyards, and ranched thoroughly tended. In the book, the Californian countryside is described in vast detail at the beginning and end of every chapter. Steinbeck uses description of the surroundings as he, like Lennie developed a close bond with nature. In my opinion, this is Steinnbeck’s dream Other characters living on the ranch also have similar dreams. The migrant worker candy for example is afraid of being alone and dreams of living out the rest of his life with company. When he hears about George and Lennie’s dream asks them if he can join them so he wont be lonely. ‘S’pose I went in with you guys. How’d that be? When they can me I wont have no place else to go an’ I can’t get no more jobs.’ He is desperate so he pleads with them even though he hasn’t known them very long. Another person on the ranch with a dream is Curley’s wife. Her dream is of fame and fortune †Nother time I met a guy-he was in the pitchers. He said he’d put me in the movies. Said I was a natural. Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it. I never got that letter. I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.’ She has this dream as an escape from her husband who is very sexist and discriminatory against women. At the time the book is set, women were treated poorly and only thought of as housewives for bringing up children and were used commonly for sex purposes. Curley treats ‘Curley’s wife’ poorly so she dreams about being rich and famous being a movie star. Ironically, this is the dream of many American people nowadays; to be rich and famous as they aspire to be the everyday celebrities we see today. Another dream of hers is also not to be lonely. She explains to Lennie ‘ I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.’ This shows that she is lonely because she confides in him about her problem and she doesn’t know him at all. Crooks is the Negro stable buck. He has a separate room away from the white people living and working on the ranch. This also shows the amount of racism at the time the story is set. It seems his dream is to not be treated differently because of his skin colour. He says ‘ I ain’t wanted ’cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.’ It is obvious that he doesn’t agree with these comments by the way he speaks. He ‘speaks sharply’ showing he is angry about these comments. He talks about everyone else except for him playing cards implying that he would like to play cards too, along with everyone else. In conclusion, I think that the American dream is important to different characters in different ways and different interpretations.

Communication Between Parents and Children Essays

Communication Between Parents and Children Essays Communication Between Parents and Children Essay Communication Between Parents and Children Essay The causes of the lack of communication between parents and children can have several causes: personal characteristics, distances, traumas, addictions etc. In the case of the story read, A Day s Wait, little Chats is sick: He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ache to move; his father reacts Like any parent would react by asking if the child is not feeling well: Whats the matter, Chats; son responds by saying that he Just has a headache. A dad that Is more sensitive to the feelings of the son would have Insisted upon noting that the son does not appear to be feeling well. There Is parents who do not have facility to handle and deal with their childrens feelings, perhaps because he himself has gone through a salary situation, a trauma. The alcoholism can disrupt for obvious reasons: If the father cannot deal with their own feelings Imagine with other people. Distance and also Intuitive, depending on the availability of technologies. However these are not cases of history. In dealing with the consequences of the lack of communication between parents and children, these may vary between fights, more trauma, family breakdown, separation, misunderstandings, dislikes etc. In the case of this reading, one of the major consequences was the anguish in which the child spent all day: He lay still in the bed and Seemed very detached from what was going on. So, to avoid these situations, the best thing to do to and try to understand the other persons feelings, try to imagine what the other person is going through, insisting because sometimes when people go through bad situations they may find it difficult to express their feelings and end falling in a zone of bitterness. In the case of this story, the resolution left the question of the child: About what time do you think l m going to die?

Meaning and History of the Term Robber Baron

Meaning and History of the Term Robber Baron Robber Baron was a term applied to a businessman in the 19th century who engaged in unethical and monopolistic practices, utilized corrupt  political influence, faced almost no business regulation, and amassed enormous wealth. The term itself was not coined in the 1800s, but actually dated back centuries It was originally applied to noblemen in the Middle Ages who functioned as feudal warlords and were literally â€Å"robber barons.† In the 1870s the term began to be used to describe business tycoons, and the usage persisted throughout the rest of the 19th century. The late 1800s and the first decade of the 20th century are sometimes referred to as an age of robber barons. The Rise of Robber Barons As the United States transformed into an industrial society with little regulation of business, it was possible for small numbers of men to dominate crucial industries. Conditions which favored vast accumulations of wealth included the extensive natural resources being discovered as the country expanded, the enormous potential workforce of immigrants arriving in the country, and the general acceleration of business in the years following the Civil War. Railroad builders, in particular, needing political influence to build their railways, became adept at influencing politicians through the use of lobbyists, or in some cases, outright bribery. In the public mind, robber barons were often associated with political corruption. The concept of laissez faire capitalism, which dictated no government regulation of business, was promoted.  Facing few  impediments to creating  monopolies, engaging in  shady stock trading practices,  or exploiting workers, some individuals made enormous fortunes. Examples of Robber Barons As the term robber baron came into common usage, it was often applied to a small group of men. Notable examples were: Cornelius Vanderbilt, owner of steamship lines and railroads.Andrew Carnegie, steel manufacturer.J.P. Morgan, financier, and banker.John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil.Jay Gould, Wall Street trader.Jim  Fisk, Wall Street trader.Russell Sage, financier. The men who were called robber barons were often  portrayed in a positive light, as â€Å"self-made men† who had helped build the nation and in the process created many jobs for American workers. However, the public mood turned against them in the late 19th century. Criticism from newspapers and social critics began to find an audience. And American workers began to organize in great numbers as the labor movement accelerated. Events in labor history, such as the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike, intensified public resentment toward the wealthy. The conditions of workers, when contrasted with the lavish lifestyles of millionaire industrialists, created widespread resentment. Even other businessmen felt exploited by monopolistic practices as it was virtually impossible to compete in some fields. Common citizens became aware that monopolists could more easily exploit workers. There was even a public backlash against the lavish displays of wealth often exhibited by the very wealthy of the age. Critics noted the concentration of wealth as evil or weakness of society, and satirists, such as Mark Twain, derided the showiness of the robber barons as â€Å"the Gilded Age.† In the 1880s journalists such as Nellie Bly performed pioneering work exposing the practices of unscrupulous businessmen. And Blys newspaper, Joseph Pulitzers New York World, positioned itself as the newspaper of the people and often criticized wealthy businessmen. In 1894 the protest march by Coxeys Army drew enormous publicity to a group of protesters who often spoke out against a wealthy ruling class that exploited workers. And the pioneering photojournalist Jacob Riis, in his classic book How the Other Half Lives, helped to highlight the great gap between the wealthy and the suffering poor in New York Citys slum neighborhoods. Legislation Aimed at Robber Barons The public’s increasingly negative view of trusts, or monopolies, transformed into legislation with the passage of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1890. The law did not end the reign of robber barons, but it signaled that the era of unregulated business would be coming to an end. Over time, many of the practices of the robber barons would become illegal as further legislation sought to ensure  fairness in  American business. Sources: The Robber Barons.  Development of the Industrial U.S. Reference Library, edited by Sonia G. Benson, et al., vol. 1: Almanac, UXL, 2006, pp. 84-99. Robber Barons.  Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, edited by Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk, vol. 2, Gale, 2000, pp. 879-880.

Organisational Behaviour Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organisational Behaviour - Coursework Example The control policies should respond to the changing business environment. Our seminar question dealt with analyzing the control activities of News International-News of the world. The organisation was established in 1843 and is the largest selling English Language newspaper in the world. It is a subsidiary company of News International and the chief executive officer is Rebekah Brooks. The organisational behaviour has made the organisation lose its public image due to poor control procedures and numerous complains from the public (Williams, 2011). The control environment encompasses the overall attitudes, awareness and actions of the management regarding the importance of control in the organisation. The management styles, values and organisational culture will provide the platform on which controls in the organisation are operated. The organisation can implement either centralized or decentralized control strategies (Griffin 2012). A centralized control strategy entails a high hiera rchy, many formal rules and procedures and standardized policies. On the other hand, decentralized control strategy is characterized by less formal procedures and decentralized decision making. Some of the control strategies include market control, bureaucratic control and clan control. News International relied mainly on gossip in exposing celebrity scandals, and the target market was the younger generation. They used unethical means in obtaining information like hacking mobile phones and stalking the celebrities. The organisation soon attracted a negative image by being nicknamed News of the Screws. Control measures usually focus on the output and behaviour of employees in the organisation. Acceptable behaviours will improve organisational outputs while output controls will maintain the quality of outputs through minimizing errors and customer complaints. The agency theory of control asserts that the â€Å"principal will determine the work the agent performs† (Pfister 2009: 23). The agent should act in the best interests of the principal. News of the World was an agent of the shareholders. The management ignored the interests of the shareholders by conducting their business activities in an unethical manner. News of the World experienced a conflict of interest since the journalists were also under pressure to satisfy the needs of the customers thus increasing the market share of the newspaper. The management should have provided the employees with more meaningful jobs and not hacking celebrity phones. The organisational culture should also respect people rights to privacy. The cybernetic model of control is geared at aligning the individual goals with the organisational

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Business Ethics - Article Example In this way they make money. The SEC put out a warning that they will be looking closing at hedge funds that make over 3%. Is it right for the SEC to do this? There are a bunch of moral questions involved in this issue. One could place moral questions on the role of hedge funds. Is it right for hedge funds to purchase stocks expecting to make a profit because they know the stock's value is overly price. 2. The SEC should not put out such warnings because they will be capping the profit initiative, the ability of people to make a profit whenever they see it. This sounds more like a right under our free market system. Another argument is that it is not possible to truely regulate the market without be unfair to those who have made an earnest buck in the market. Some investors may be lucky, or some hedge fund operators may have done good due diligence research and they should be awarded whatever profit that comes their way. 3. The SEC should put out such warnings. Hedge funds have been known to create create market changes based on pure speculation, resulting in market busts where a lot of people lose their money.

College and career goals and why I should receive this schlorship Essay

College and career goals and why I should receive this schlorship - Essay Example I decided to pursue a career in acting at an early age and my first experience was when I was in third grade. I took part in the third grade talent show, my performance was exemplary, and the audience together with my teacher was thoroughly impressed and encouraged me to pursue a career in acting. Since then I have taken acting classes at KD Studios in Dallas. Additionally, I have taken part in a movie (A Race against Time- The Sharla Bulter Story Extra MSD Production Directed by Maurice Durham) as an extra and several school plays. I am also a member of the National Thespian Society and was the President of the Desoto Chapter Of the National Thespian Society (2013/14) and won the Award for All Star Cast (Lead) – UIL One Act Play â€Å"The Insanity of Mary Girard† (2013) Dancing (Hip Hop). I always keep myself updated with the developments taking place in the acting (Conley 99). My academic performance is satisfactory and I have a 3.3 GPA. I am also an avid learner who is willing to do all it takes to excel in my studies. While I continuously looking for ways to improve my proficiency in acting, this scholarship would transform my life and help me achieve my career goals. The institution’s rationale for choosing Justin as the best candidate for the scholarship lies behind the fact that he is a talented, motivated and experienced actor who is willing to do all that it take to improve his acting

Leadership and Change in Nursing

Leadership and Change in Nursing Leadership and Change Kym Bell I have chosen to use Jersey College in Trenton, New Jersey for my leadership change project. Jersey College is an educational nursing program that provides the combination of Licensed Practical nursing (LPN); Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and bridge programs for Registered Nurses (RN). The college is located in an urban setting with the student body predominantly from lower income families. The college provides, â€Å"education for adults through an open curriculum that accommodates diverse lifestyles† (Jersey College, 2014). The school prides itself on being the conduit to provide diverse opportunities for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), LPN’s, RN’s. The program provides the opportunity for LPN’s and RN’s to acquire a BSN. Jersey College was founded in 2003 and was originally called The Center for Allied Health Nursing Education. In 2004, the LPN program was approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. Since opening in 2004, the school has grown to incorporate two New Jersey campuses and two Florida campuses. The school is affiliated with many institutions who provide a variety of other educational opportunities for students (Jersey College, 2014, p. 1). In the past few years, there has been a decrease in the availability of nursing faculties and training sites for nursing students. This has increased the need for nursing instructors to look at alternative clinical sites. A variety of clinical sites are needed to provide students diverse learning and training opportunities. These practice opportunities are needed to prepare students to become independent professional heath care workers. One solution to this problem is to establish a virtual skills laboratory software program. The stakeholders for this project will be the college, instructors, students, parents, and the future communities that these students will be working in. Organizational Structure There is an organizational structure that depicts the framework for running Jersey College (Appendix A). There is a board of directors that hold the governing power. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is included in this group. The budget and financial management of the college is overseen by the CEO. The board hires the president of the college. Presently the president of Jersey College is Steven Litvak. He responsible for organizing, constructing, executing, and assessing the financial aspect of the college. The president is responsible for maintaining and establishing the mission, purpose, and policies of the college. The nursing education department is led by the Dean of Students. The education department is split into the Practical Nursing Program and the Professional Nursing Program. The two combined programs have a budget for educational needs. If a large purchase needs to be approved the department must submit a written request to the Dean of Nursing. The request is then submi tted to the president who then submits the request to the Board of Directors. The school is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE), New Jersey Higher (NJ) Education, and the New Jersey State Board of Nursing (Jersey College, 2014). The department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has supported grants that will sponsor a wide variety of research grants to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care in the use of technology. My plan is to apply for a grant called Faculty development: Integrated technology into nursing education and practice (ITNEP). The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2014) offers a grant that provides support to nursing collaboratives for faculty development in the use of information and other technologies in order to expand the capacity of collegiate schools of nursing to educate students for 21st century health care practice. Nursing collaboratives will use health care information systems to enhance nursing education and practice, optimize patient safety, and drive improvements in health care quality (HHS, 2014, para. 1). Assessment of Readiness Jersey College has a very small simulation lab that has very poor ventilation and very few nursing supplies. There are currently two students in my group that have latex allergies and cannot physically work in the skills lab without having allergic reactions. The students often complain that, even though there are many mannequins, there are no simulators that attach to the mannequins. Many of the other machines and supplies are in disrepair. The mannequins’ teaching capabilities are outdated. Many of them have missing limbs or do not have anatomically correct parts. For example, one of the mannequin’s tracheostomy hole is drilled incorrectly so that the student can only put in the tracheostomy tube upside down. The students do not feel that they are truly getting exposure to best practice in the present skills lab. The cost of replacing the lab has been discussed at many meetings and the concept of implementing a virtual lab has been in committee for the past year. The committee has researched many options and has come up with pros and cons of switching to a virtual lab. With the assistance of community and government funding options, the future of a virtual skills lab appears to be on the horizon. According to the Joint Commission (2014), one of the major causes of a sentinel event in the United States is the lack of communication. This means miscommunication is usually demonstrated in the form of â€Å"wrong patient, wrong site, and wrong procedure†. A sentinel event is a recurring medical issue within a facility that causes patient harm. The Joint Commission has recognized that many of these errors can be avoided by taking a â€Å"time out†. The â€Å"time out† procedure requires a consensus of all healthcare individuals that are involved with the patient. Everyone must stop what they are doing to verify that they have the correct patient; the correct site being assessed; and the correct paperwork/lab results must be verified. Nursing students need to recognize how important it is to verbally and nonverbally communicate with each other to avoid potential medical mistakes. The use of a virtual nursing skills lab can mimic medical situations in a safe and consistent environment. This type of laboratory will provide multiple opportunities for students to interact and communicate with a variety of cyber patients. Nursing students can utilize a virtual environment to learn clinical skills and to practice communication techniques. These skills will be useful when students are interacting with patients, families and other healthcare team members. Currently, the students do not have ample opportunities to access a computer during their class time. Many of the students, over ninety percent, have computers of their own. The nursing program is not currently set up to allow access to class information or other learning materials online. The Dean of Nursing is a very forward thinking person and has petitioned the president to acquire a working virtual laboratory. The Dean and instructors would like to update the school’s equipment and keep the facilities modern and technologically savvy. The new program will keep current students up to date and a new virtual laboratory would be a great way to entice new students into the program. Analysis of Data There are many different types of leadership theories, I chose to use Lippett’s Theory of change. This type of theory decrees that a leader is needed to promote the need for change. Lippitt, Watson, Westley (1958) utilized the basics of Lewin’s Theory of Change which included the concept of freeze, unfreezing and refreezing. Lippitt expanded on Lewin’s theory by adding four more steps. Lippitt et al. (1958) discovered that: Maintaining a favorable balance of forces is a continuous job for the change agent and client system, beginning with the initial decision to undertake a change project or helping relationship and continuing until the project has been completed (p. 73). Lippitt’s Theory of change has seven phases. Phase 1: Recognize there is a problem The problem is that the current hands-on skills laboratory is out of date and in need of a massive facelift. The cost of this renovation would be staggering to the institution. Phase 2: Assess the motivation and capacity for change The students, as well as faculty, have voiced their opinions that either a new skills hands on laboratory or virtual laboratory needs to be added to enhance the teaching/learning capability of the school. Phase 3: Assess the resources and motivation of the change There is a grant and government funding for the school to replace the current lab with a virtual one. Many of the faculty have gone back to school and have been exposed to new technological advances. Virtual software can provide nursing students with a multitude of learning opportunities that cannot always be accessed in the â€Å"real† world. The faculty is eager to learn how to work within an online environment. They have stated that they are willing to be instructed in how to run this type of lab. Upper management is willing to put in the time and energy that is necessary to make this change. Phase 4-Design the progressive stages of change The stages that will take place will be: Have a representative, from the selected virtual laboratory software company to come and speak to those staff members that have volunteered to be â€Å"Super Users†. Implement a training sessions for â€Å"Super Users†. These are fellow colleagues that that are given extensive training to assist others in transitioning to a new product or service. Meet with the nurse managers to provide training using the new laboratory software. Answer all questions and concerns that may affect each individual instructor’s educational needs for each specific laboratory classroom. Provide training sessions for educators to provide each instructor guidelines for the new software. Go â€Å"live† with the virtual laboratory software with students. Phase 5: Ensure the role and responsibility of the change agent is clearly understood Clearly identify as many of the problems as possible to fix prior to going â€Å"live† with the program. Ensure that everyone that works with this change will have technical backup and support. Confirm that there will be a representative from the company to answer any and all questions. Phase 6: Maintain the change through communication, feedback, and group coordination There will be evaluation forms for managers and students to provide feedback. Users will be surveyed to evaluate any changes that may be needed to support their teaching/learning needs. The evaluation will be an ongoing process. As problems arise, there will be a representative available on site or by telephone to assist any users. Phase 7: Gradually remove the change agent At the initial phase of the project, there will be a representative on site to help anyone who is having trouble accessing or understanding how to navigate the new laboratory software. After the first six or eight weeks, the physical presence of the software company will no longer be on site but, there will always be twenty-four hour telephone support (Lippitt, Watson, Westley, 1958). Plan for Change After careful research, by a chosen committee, a specific software program will be bought by the college. The college is currently looking into the software called â€Å"The Digital Clinical Experienceâ„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  made by Shadow Health. Farmer (2014) states that there are over four hundred colleges and universities that are currently using this type of software in their nursing programs. The article goes on to state that the Shadow Health’s program â€Å"is broken down into ten modules, each of which correlate with a body system students study in class† (Farmer, 2014, para. 10). The acquisition committee has a chairwomen that will contact the software developer and set up a demonstration of the product. The committee members will have the opportunity to talk to one of the four hundred present user sites and observe the software in action. Once the decision has been made to purchase this program, the training will begin. Phase I will be the technical part of installing and updating any computer equipment that the school has. Phase II will be educating and training the instructors and â€Å"Super Users†. Phase III will be educating the students and remaining faculty. Phase IV Take the program â€Å"live† and start assigning lessons within the software website. There will be follow up meetings and suggestion boxes to evaluate the staff and students feedback in using this new system. The staff and students need to feel like their suggestions and feedback will make a difference in promoting advanced learning. The amount of money it will take to update, install, and train faculty and students will be added into the cost of tuition. The research committee has evaluated the cost and have estimated that the increase in semester cost will be two-hundred and fifty dollars per student. There will be opportunities for students to reduce this cost by applying for grants and/or financial aid. Evaluation As with any change, it will take time and dedication for staff and students to get used to the new software and work within an online environment. There will be an initial survey for students and faculty prior to starting the online learning lab project. After the software has been up and running for six months, a follow up survey will be given to evaluate the student’s and staff’s perception of the learning quality provided by the software. The students should be aware that there will always be technical support available to them and that instructors will be reasonable regarding grades and assignment within this initial new setting. The students should be contacted, by the instructor, via email numerous times throughout the semester and asked if they are experiencing any issues or concerns with the new software (O’Neil, Fisher, Rietschel, 2014, p. 134). The continuous evaluation process will allow the college to work with the software developers to custom fit the needs of the college. References Farmer, R. (October, 2014) Virtual patient teaches nursing students lessons in real-life care. Nurse.com. Retrieved from http://news.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014141009007#.VFvjrvnF8mvAssets/ 092014_SpaceCoastBusinessMagazine_FlCTWWinners.pdf Jersey College. (2014). About us: Accreditation and licensing. Retrieved from http://www.jerseycollege.edu/about/accreditation-licensing/ Joint Commission. (2014) Sentinel event data: root causes by event type 1995–2Q2014. Retrieved from http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/General_Information_1995-2Q_2014.pdf Lippitt, R., Watson, J. Westley, B. (1958). The dynamics of planned change. New York: Harcourt Brace. O’Neil, C., Fisher, C., Rietschel, M. (2014). Developing online learning environments in nursing education (3rd Ed.). New York: Springer. Shadow Health. (2014). Health assessment software. Retrieved from http://www.shadowhealth.com/health-assessment.html The Center for Allied Health Nursing Education. (January, 2012). Faculty guidelines for practicum experiences. United States Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS). (2014). Faculty development: Integrated technology into nursing education and practice (INTEP). Retrieved from http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/grants/itnep.html Appendix A ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF JERSEY COLLEGE Admission Advisors `Education Coordinator Financial Aid Planner Career Services AdvisorProgram Administrator Media Services and LibrarianNursing Faculty Administrative AssistantProgram Administrator Registrar Nursing Faculty Academic Affairs Coordinator The Center for Allied Health Nursing Education. (January, 2012, p. 14)

Review of Research Paper on Creating Home-Made Stem Cells

Our paper discusses an important step in the research surrounding stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells are found in the early blastocyst, and can differentiate into different cell types such as neurons, cardiac muscle, or blood cells. As is explained elsewhere on this paper, stem cells are extremely useful and hold amazing medical potential, especially to â€Å"grow† specific cells, tissues, and even organs for patients. Controversy mires the progress of stem cell research from embryos, however, and technical problems exist along with the ethical ones. Marius Wernig and his team of scientists have had success studying a way to get around this, however. What if, instead of taking stem cells from newly created embryos, an individual’s own cells could be used? The cells in the adult body are no longer stem cells; they aren’t pluripotent, and can only be a certain type. But with special techniques, it’s actually possible to induce these adult cells to become stem cells, with a pluripotency that allows them to develop into whatever cell type is needed! In this experiment, induced pluripotent stem cells were created using the fibroblast cells from mice. Fibroblasts were removed from underneath the skin of the subject mice. In order to revert the cell back to a induced pluripotent state, four specially selected transcription factors (Oct 4, Sox 2, c-Myc and Klf4) were used. These four transcription factors were each incorporated into the DNA of a virus that lacked the capacity to infect, and the fibroblasts were exposed to these viruses. Just like normal viruses, these injected their DNA into the fibroblast cells, and the DNA was incorporated into the cell. Now the fibroblasts contained the new transcription ... ... become a breeding ground for debate as well as a popular platform for presidential candidates. These topics have also become very partisan issues, Democrats being known to fully support stem cell research and Republicans being known to disagree with the practices involved with it. In 2004, stem cell research was a particularly hot topic, and it is commonly thought that President Bush’s second term was won that year due to his stance on embryonic stem cell research. He thought is was unethical to create any more embryonic stem cell lines, but that the use of the existing ones for research was acceptable. Works Cited Wernig, Marius, Alexander Meissner, Ruth Foreman, Tobias Brambrink, Manching Ku, Konrad Hochedlinger, Bradley E. Bernstein & Rudolf Jaenisch. "In vitro reprogramming of fibroblasts into pluripotent ES-cell-like state." Nature 448(2007): 318-325.

Case Study Crescent Pure Essay

Due to Crescent being Portland Drake Beverages’ (PDB) first entry into the U.S. sport/energy beverage market, there are some issues that PDB should consider with regard to Crescent’s impending launch. These issues consist of determining what customers want, being discussion-worthy and being transparent. Before launching Crescent it is essential to make sure that there is a place for Crescent in the market. Sarah Ryan, Vice President of Marketing for PDB, is doing this by trying to specify whether Crescent fits in the market better as an energy drink, a sport drink or a healthy organic beverage. Being discussion-worthy is another important issue to consider because it is important to make sure Crescent’s product stands out against the various other energy/sport beverage companies that are coming out with their own products. By captivating your consumers with something discussion-worthy, you’ll foster organic word-of-mouth about your brand. Being transparent is also a vital issue to consider because consumers have so many options on where to spend their money for sport/energy drinks. By being transparent and showing consumers exactly where their money is going, Crescent’s product will attract consumers. Letting consumers know where Crescent’s products are coming from and why they are priced they way they are gives power to the consumer, and helps them feel confident about their purchases. The factors that should influence the position of Crescent are competitors, market segmentation and market size. The market segmentation for sport drinks and energy drinks are distinguished through levels of hydration provided, energy provided, nutrition provided and favorable taste provided. Most energy drinks have higher energy, lower nutrition, lower hydration and  lower favorable taste compared to sports drinks. Additionally, the largest group of energy drink consumers were males between the ages of 18-34. Also parents of children were more likely to consume energy drinks and the highest volume of drinks consumed was by respondents with a household income below $25,000 per year. For sport drinks, roughly half of men consumed them, while only a third of women did. Furthermore, although 40% of men found sports drinks refreshing, only 27% of females did. Sports drinks appealed to younger consumers, 62% of those between the ages of 18 to 24. Crescent’s best target is males a nd females between the ages of 18-35. PDB must decide whether or not to position Crescent as an energy drink, a sport drink, or a healthy organic beverage. The advantages for positioning Crescent as an energy drink is that the market size for energy drinks has grown 40% between 2010 and 2012. Energy drinks were estimated to be $8.5 billion in the United States in 2013; forecasts projected that figure to reach $13.5 billion by 2015. Another advantage is that Crescent is a beverage that consists of organic ingredients that are a healthier option than most energy drinks. This is an advantage because sales of energy drinks with lower levels of caffeine and purer ingredients are rising due to consumer demand for healthier food and beverage choices. A disadvantage for positioning Crescent as an energy drink is that many potential consumers view energy drinks as unhealthy and might not see past that when PDB launches their new Crescent energy drink. Due to news stories highlighting the alleged health risks from energy drinks, 32% of consumers over 18 indicated they drank an energy drink in the last six months, 11% of who were drinking fewer energy drinks than they had a year earlier. The advantages of positioning Crescent as a sport drink is that the market size is also increasing. The market increased 9% between 2007 and 2012. In 2012, sports drinks reached $6.3 billion in the United States and are expected to grow to $9.58 billion by 2017. Another advantage of positioning Crescent as a sports drink is that diet and low-sugar beverages, which did not exist before 2009, had grown by 33% between 2010 and 2012. The market size for diet and low-sugar sports drinks is expected to increase from $1.4 billion in 2012 to $2.97 billion in 2017. This is perfect for PDB because  the Crescent beverage is based on being a diet, low-sugar, and overall healthy option. The disadvantage of PDB positioning Crescent as a sports drink is the concern regarding rising childhood obesity rates resulting in government-mandated guidelines to remove high-calorie sugary drinks and snacks, including sports drinks, from school vending machines. This could be a negative impact on the amount of sports drinks young consumers buy, who make up a large portion of the sports drinks that are consumed. The advantages of positioning Crescent as a healthy organic beverage is due to consumers currently moving towards healthier food and beverage options, as mentioned earlier. It is a market that is currently growing and will continue to grow. The disadvantage of positioning Crescent as a healthy organic beverage is that it lacks the energy that is provided by other energy drinks due to its use of organic ingredients. A focus group feedback found that some young consumers noted that Crescent had less energy than they had hoped. The positioning strategy that I would select would be a healthy organic beverage. It is important to find what draws you apart from the competition and then advertise based on that. The target market that Crescent wants to attract are people who are health conscious and consumers who buy sugary energy and sport drinks aren’t going to be as health conscious. Other implications that this will have for other elements of the marketing mix is that PDB could potentially raise the price for a Crescent beverage because some consumers from the focus group questioned PDB’s ability to deliver quality organic ingredients at $2.75, when most healthy organic beverages are above $3.00. Another implication this will have for other elements of the marketing mix is where this product is going to be sold. If Crescent is being sold as a healthy organic beverage then it must be sold in a store that sells other healthy and organic products in order to provide for the right target market. Lastly, Crescent will have to be advertised as a healthy organic beverage through packaging, commercials and other forms of advertisement showing that this product is healthy and only organic ingredients are used to make it.

Economic, Political, and Social Factors Related to Aids in Africa

Without a single doubt, one can say politics has been the main driving forces in the spread of this disease. Once the â€Å"triple cocktail† was discovered by doctors, it managed to signal an era in which AIDS was no longer a fatal disease. Nevertheless, the high costs of this drug meant that it was unaffordable to patients from the undeveloped countries where stigma and desperation flourished. Additionally, patients in developed countries such as America were incapable of being introduced to this remedy if they were incompetent in affording health care.Patients felt defeated, restless, isolated, and accepted that there is a social disorder accommodated with this disease. There was a political conflict in subordinating the expenses of this medicine in countries such as Brazil where health care is guaranteed for all its citizens. South African government further encountered a tragic failure in battling with this epidemic that was overwhelming its country. President Mbeki came i nto power with an unconventional message and promised solutions for AIDS.When Mbeki was leading a nation with more infections than any country in the world, he affirmed throughout his speech that HIV is not the causation of AIDS but an environmental or social condition such as poverty, and banned the cocktail claiming it was toxic for the population. Hence, the fundamental proposition that arose was if HIV doesn’t cause AIDS, then how would anti-HIV drugs lead to such dramatic improvement in one’s well-being and how does AIDS get passed on to a child from a mother who is infected with HIV.This evidently proved that denial and neglect in African government for covering the cost burden of these drugs in order to save the lives of its citizens. Indubitably there is a monumental controversy regarding the funding for AIDS drugs globally. If our mission is to reach equity and justice in our society, we must ensure funding for AIDS drugs and also ensure practical preventative factors are provided for all our citizens regardless of their socioeconomic status.