Physician Assisted Suicide free essay sample

The role of a practicing medical doctor, or a physician, is defined by Mosby’s Dental Dictionary as a practitioner of medicine; one lawfully engaged in the practice of medicine. The essential word in this definition is lawful – physicians must act in a manner that is ethical to their practice and lawful to the country in which they are practicing. In most countries, murder and suicide are unlawful; therefore for a doctor to commit such an act would be considered as crime. For this reason, I stand by my belief that doctors should only prescribe life terminating drugs in certain cases, which I will explain below. To help strengthen my argument, I will use facts and opinions given by philosophers James Rachels and John Paul ll. James Rachels, an American philosopher who specialized in ethics, authored an article titled Active and Passive Euthanasia, which describes the difference between two forms of euthanasia. We will write a custom essay sample on Physician Assisted Suicide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Active euthanasia is defined as a circumstance in which a doctor administers drugs into a patient’s body with intent to end their life. Passive euthanasia is when a doctor withdraws from giving their patient medical attention, knowing that without the care they will seize to survive. After reading Rachels’ article, I was able to differentiate between the two forms of physician assisted suicide, which essentially helped in my deliberation if it should be permissible. Additionally, my argument is based upon the definition and viewpoint philosopher John Paul II’s gave of euthanasia in his article The Tragedy of Euthanasia. In his article euthanasia is described as â€Å"an action or omission which of itself and by intention causes death, with the purpose of eliminating all suffering. † Paul stated that depending on the circumstances, this practice is malicious and can fall into the categories of suicide and murder (Paul 204). Another key component to my argument is derived from John Arras’s three criteria for physicians assisted suicide. The three criteria are: that all request for eath be truly voluntary, all reasonable alternatives to PAS and active euthanasia must be explored before granting the request for death, and a system must be kept to record all cases of PAS in order to prevent abuse (Arras 232). Arras created these criteria with the hopes that it would prevent abuse of physicians assisted suicide and that is only acted on in appropriate circumstances. The two criteria which support my argument is voluntary action and that all other options have been explored. Like Arras, I believe there are a limited number of situations in which PAS should be an option. From what I have gathered, I have determined my own personal opinion, which is that when physician assisted suicide is required and only when it is required, it should be completed as passive euthanasia. Situational details for my argument are as follows: Physicians assisted suicide should only be acted upon in extreme situations in which the patient has either 1. ) Been in a permanent vegetative state for at least six months, and the family has determined to seize treatment. In this circumstance, drugs should not be administered to illicit death. Instead, all treatment should be ended. 2. ) Been given a short amount of time (less than a month) to live and wishes to pass away peacefully instead of suffering, the physician can end treatment. In no case should a drug be prescribed to end the patient’s life, but by the patient’s request the physician can administer pain killers or a numbing drug for the patient to exit peacefully. 3. ) has an ample amount of time to live, but still has the desire to exit life, the physician should offer alternatives to the patient – euthanasia not being one of them. I have specifically identified the three situations above, because I feel only in these cases should the doctor seriously consider the option of PAS, or in the situation of option three, how to alternatively assist a patient who is seriously considering euthanasia. In the first case, I mention the doctor’s patient being in a permanent vegetative state – medically defined as patients who have an irreversible loss of brain damage who are left permanently unaware and extremely unlike to ever recover. The vegetative state case is a vital circumstance in which the doctor should consider euthanasia, because these patients will most likely never function fully as human beings again, therefore never to lead a life worth living. The decision is only to be made by the family, guardian, or caregiver of the patient rather the doctor should end treatment to allow to patient to live. However, this should only be done after six months of complete inactivity of the patient, to secure there is no chance of revival. If the family requests for their loved one to be kept alive after the six month, their wishes must be granted; the doctor shall have no say in the decision. In the case of a patient with a short amount of time to live (for example, if a disease was quickly eating and decomposing their body) and there was no cure that would keep them alive, doctors should also seize treatment if it’s is the patients wish to do so. If their wish is to be at peace for the remainder of their lifetime, the doctor should be admitted to prescribe painkillers or numbing medicines, in order to make the patient comfortable. Still, even in this circumstance, the physician should not consider active euthanasia. To prescribe a patient with deadly drugs at this point their life, would be to take a life too soon. Actions such as this would be considered murder, which is unlawful for a human being and unethical for a practicing physician. I included the third case in my argument, a patient with an ample amount of life left with the wish to end it, because I assume this is a case physicians are faced with commonly. A situation described in Timothy Quill’s article, Death and Dignity, pertains to this circumstance. One of Quill’s patients, a 45-year-old woman with Leukemia, has been under his care for years. One day she reached a point where her health had reached another decline, but instead of completing another round of chemotherapy, she wanted to enjoy the rest of the time she had with her family. After sometime, she requested sleeping pills from Quill, to exit life peacefully – he completed her prescription and within a matter of days she had taken her life. I believe Quill was wrong for giving her the prescription – this is a form of active euthanasia, and more so, a case of murder. The end of her life was determined by herself and Quill, not by the natural course her life was supposed to take. Yes, she would have eventually died at some point due to her illness, however her actual death was premature. A doctor should not have the power to decide the course of someone’s life. When a physician is presented with circumstances similar to Quill’s, they should insist on helping their patient find alternative options. This ties back into Arras’s three criteria – explore all alternatives to PAS before granting a patients wish to end their life. My justification for being completely against active euthanasia most likely stems from my strong sense of optimism. I believe life will lead its own course and should not be interrupted by others, but even more so I believe in a sense of hope and perseverance, and ultimately justice. When a patient decides to take his or her life and a doctor succumbs to the idea, the reality of the future for a patient is completely ignored. If the patient has an option between life and death – the option chosen should always be life. In our society we look down at perfectly healthy people who commit suicide, and I feel these situations are no different. I also believe these situations should be looked at in term of justice. A physician, rather given permission or not, has no greater right than any other human being to take another’s life. However, I do understand that while I am emotionally tied to this issue, there are others who think more strategically and who may have objections to the points I have made. The strongest objection I have discovered is that the fault should not be placed on the doctor, when the decision to end their life is the patients. They feel the doctor is not committing murder. I understand the logic behind this thought, however, I stand by the definition that I mentioned early in the essay – a physician is to act ethically and lawfully. More than any other duty of a physician, their job is to keep their patients healthy. In no way, does speeding up the process of death allow a patient to improve their health status. I also respond to this objection by restating that a physician has no greater right than any other human being when it comes to ending a life. A physician who commits active euthanasia should be accused and tried just as any other human who kills another. I believe physician assisted suicide should be legalized but with strict restrictions to prevent abuse and unnecessary deaths committed by physicians. The restrictions should follow stern codes, which will be determined by the government and medical associations, in order to maintain a just and trustworthy health system. Physician Assisted Suicide free essay sample In the medical field there are massive amounts of treatments for various diseases. Some treatments are going to help the patient feel more comfortable; however, some are going to counteract the problem, and others are going to help kill the patient. Physician assisted suicide is defined by medterms. com as â€Å"the  voluntary  termination of ones own life by administration of a  lethal  substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician.   Any person wishing to undergo assisted suicide in Oregon must be at least 18 years of age and have a terminal illness. This illness must be within its final stages and leave the patient with less than six months to live. Within these six months a patient can request the treatment, but must orally request twice, and provide a written request once as well. In order to receive this treatment, however, a second physician must give a second opinion on the length the patient has to live. We will write a custom essay sample on Physician Assisted Suicide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In her article, â€Å"Physician-Assisted Suicide: Compassionate Liberation or Murder? Vicki Lachman talks about the option that patients have to request a lethal dosage of medication. She explores the moral conscience of nurses, the ethical and moral issues, and the legal issues that surround a patient’s request for lethal dosages. Similarly in her article, â€Å"Physician-Assisted Suicide: Development, Status, and Nursing Perspectives,† Theresa F. Rose gives background on the history of physician assisted suicide. She investigates the perspectives that nurses have on the issue and their personal views on the subject. Joris Gielen and his coworkers show a different angle in their article, â€Å"Religion and Nurses’ Attitudes to Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide. † Their goal was to find the viewpoint of nurses on physician assisted suicide in regards to their religious beliefs. There are many different viewpoints on physician assisted suicide and they come from many different sources. Although physician assisted suicide may seem like a personal liberation from suffering for the patient, it is emotionally stressing on healthcare professionals. Within the healthcare spectrum the nursing staff is the closest to the patient and must deal with the moral feelings caused by physician assisted suicide. Nursing staff are going to have the closest contact with patients and their families, and therefore, will become attached to the families. This makes it difficult to live with such a decision. According to Lachman, â€Å"nurses who frequently care for dying patients did tend to be less supportive of euthanasia. †(124) Personally I can say that caring for a dying patient is very difficult. The patient may be struggling and having trouble breathing or swallowing, but they are still hanging on. In this case it is the nursing staff that tries to make the patient as comfortable as possible, but there is no thought of helping them die. There is a conscious thought to always have the patient’s comfort first place, and any other behavior would go against the moral standard set by many medical professionals. Assisting with suicide also violates the Code for Nurses with Interpretative Statements as well as any other ethical code put into place by established nursing associations. Doctors also have a moral issue in dealing with physician assisted suicide. Although the nurses generally have more contact with the patients, the doctors are still very present with patients. While nurses have the connection with patients that would be very difficult to harm, physicians have a very difficult job as well. The physician has to fulfill the wishes of the patient and prescribe the needed medication. This in itself seems unethical because the doctor is prescribing a lethal dosage of medication that will ultimately kill their patient. Furthermore, doctors must recite an oath that ensures they are only practicing to help patients, not harm them. The Hippocratic Oath is recited by new physicians stating they will practice medicine ethically. In the original version it says, â€Å"I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. † This statement goes strictly against any physician assisted suicide plans. Ultimately physician assisted suicide goes against moral and ethical judgment that is placed within the â€Å"hands† of a practicing physician. Moral behavior of a murderer is considered lacking in many cases, but how are physicians who administer a lethal dosage of drugs any different? There are many physicians who are participating in assisted suicide, but they all have lives within their hands. They are responsible for the lives they have been entrusted with. In Norway any physician that helped with assisted suicide was charged with â€Å"accessory to murder. † In the United States there are many laws regarding murder, but accessory to murder is also a charge. A person who is considered an accessory to murder is â€Å"not typically present at the scene of the crime, but contributes to the success of the crime before or after the fact. † This statement creates a controversial wave within the country. Those physicians who are prescribing deadly doses of medication are knowingly providing a means to kill someone. Even though the physician does not administer the drugs themselves, the patient is still being killed because of the physician’s prescription. The immorality of prescribing lethal drugs may be heavily felt by the prescribing physician after administration. Many physicians are affected by the procedure after it has taken place. They are held responsible, but not liable, for the patient and their death. They provided the needed prescription to cause death to a patient. In a survey mentioned in an article by Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr. , M. D. , FACR, it was stated that, â€Å"53% of physicians received comfort from having helped a patient with euthanasia or PAS, 24% regretted performing euthanasia or PAS, and 16% of the physicians reported that the emotional burden of performing euthanasia or PAS adversely affected their medical practice. It is obvious that the effects of such a traumatic experience are hard on any physician. The act of killing someone, even if it is just prescribing the needed medication, is hard on the conscious mind of any psychologically sound person. Although it would seem that the physicians practicing physician assisted suicide should know what kind of psychological battle they are getting into, some are finding it m ore difficult than they first believed. These physicians have to prescribe a drug that will kill their patient, the one they have tried to keep as healthy as possible.

How to Create Amazing Content Upgrades for Your Blog - CoSchedule

How to Create Amazing Content Upgrades for Your Blog If you know anything about online marketing, you are aware of the power of email. After all, email has a 3800% ROI. Yes, email is that  powerful. But in order to use email to grow your business, you first need to have an email list. And to get one, you need to acquire subscribers. There are many tactics you can use to get more subscribers for your email list, but theres one that has been the darling of the online marketing world for the past few years. Im talking about content upgrades. If you dont know what they are, I will explain you everything you need to know about them. Lets get started. How to Create Amazing Content Upgrades for Your BlogWhat Content Upgrades Really Are A content upgrade is any kind of extra content that your blog's visitors can get access to in exchange for their email address. In a way, they resemble to lead magnets, in the sense you send them something for their email address. But what sets them apart is what makes content upgrades so effective. First of all, a content upgrade needs to be relevant  to the content piece that visitors are already consuming. Then, they need to add extra value  to the reader for free. Content upgrades need to add extra value to the readerFor example, the content upgrade you can find at the bottom of this article, a checklist with everything you will have learned, was made just for this article. On the contrary, if I had created a highly detailed and actionable yet unrelated lead magnet, it wouldn't have the same impact on you. You may not be as enticed to download it compared to the lead magnet because it may not be relevant to you. The key of a content upgrade, however, isn't just to let a visitor download something related to an article. In the case of this article, I could have offered you a resource list with related articles to this one. That could work because it's related to this article. But would it add extra value to you? Probably not. I could easily link to those articles and that would be it. What matters the most, and what makes people want to download content upgrades so much, is that they add a lot of extra value to the article, and most importantly, to the reader. Content upgrades are so hot right because for one reason: they work. Let me show you some examples of famous people that have used content upgrades to grow their businesses: Brian Dean from Backlinko  increased his conversion rate from 0.54%. to 4.82%. Clay Collins, co-founder of LeadPages, said that content upgrades  were the number one factor  in growing their email list. James Scherrer from Wishpond, found content upgrades convert  their visitors 575% better  compared to the articles that don't feature one. One company that uses content upgrades, not surprisingly, is , the company that hosts this same blog. I can't speak for their results, but I can imagine given the amazing job they are doing with their content marketing and promotion, and the relevancy of their offers, they must be doing great. For example, in one of their most recent articles, as soon as you start scrolling down they offer you a "template bundle" with information that is related and expands the idea of the article. I don't know about you, but downloading a bundle of templates sounds really good. This is how uses content upgrades, and they do it great. Now you know what they are and well they work, I will show you how you can create one to start getting these same results. Recommended Reading: 113 Content Types to Organize With Your Marketing Calendar How to Create Content Upgrades for Your Blog Step #1: Define the Problem Your Content Is Solving As you already know by now, content upgrades have to be relevant to your visitors' problems. As a consequence, before you create your content upgrades, you need to make sure you know what these problems are. You may think  you know, but you need to be 100% sure to be able to improve your conversion rate and make your visitors happy. In order to find your visitors' problems, you need to ask yourself a few questions that will help you dig deeper on the problem at hand: What is the content piece about? What is the audience? What problem is your content trying to solve? What are you trying to teach them? What can you  teach them? Let's take this article as an example. The answer to each question in the order they were asked would be: This article is about what content upgrades are and how to use them to get more email subscribers. The audience is made up of bloggers, content marketers, and marketing managers that are trying to grow their email list. Your problem is you want to grow your email but you can't or don't know. You may also want to grow it faster than you currently are. I'm trying to teach you how to grow your email list with a technique called content upgrades. I can teach you why they are so powerful because I have case studies to show, and also how to implement them because I have done it many times in the past. As you can see, all these questions put in evidence the problem this article is solving. This gives me a good idea of what you are trying to accomplish by reading this article, and how I can help you solving it. But most importantly, it gives me a better idea of how I can deliver extra value through the content upgrade. Creating content upgrades? Ask, "How can I deliver extra value?Step #2: Develop the Content Piece In this step, you only need to do what you normally would: you create your content. Since you already know the problem you are trying to solve, you only need to deliver that solution within your content piece. In the case of this article, it took me over 2k words to deliver all the value I could to help you solve your problem: growing your email list. Now, it's time to see how we can expand this value through the content upgrade. Step #3: Expand the Value You may know what problems your audience have, and you have already created the solution to that problem in the form of an article. Now it's time to expand on its value. First of all, remember there's a finite amount of problems you can solve for your audience, mainly because your audience is (and should be) finite as well. If you have ever created buyer personas for your blog, you know you need to target your content  towards a small group of people with a clear set of problems. With that said, you need to ask yourself, how will overdeliver  on your value? Just giving them a PDF without adding anything extra won't make much of a difference on your visitors' life. Always focus on adding more value, so it's a no-brainer for your visitors to download your content upgrade. The easiest way to expand on the value of your content piece is by taking the biggest lessons and insights, and make them better. There are plenty of ways you can do that: Expand on the insight Make it more actionable Make it easier to understand Show a step-by-step process of how you can implement it Show pictures of how it's done Show videos of how it's done Provide templates Provide transcriptions Provide a mind map with all the insights or concepts Create a graphic explaining them These ideas will help you provide the additional value your visitors are looking for, and what will make them want to download your content upgrade. Recommended Reading: The 6 Types of Social Media Content That Will Give You the Greatest Value Step #4: Define the Type of Content Upgrade Before we move on to the creation of the content upgrade, which is the one that most people focus on first, you need to define what kind of content upgrade you will create. Here's the thing, there are many types of content upgrades you can use. There's no right or wrong content upgrade per se, as it depends on your content piece, your style, and the value you are giving away. The most common ones are: Article in PDF Audio version Cheat sheet Checklist Resource list Templates Transcription Video Worksheets My favorite one is the checklist, as it takes a whole article, and condenses its value in a few pages. Not only that, but they are also action-focused. I've personally found they work better than the other ones as well. Still, you should try a few types and see which one works better for you. If you are still wondering what these different types of content upgrades look like, here there are some examples that will hopefully inspire you: Optin Monster Type: Cheat Sheat Article: 700+ Power Words That Will Boost Your Conversions Value: Get the each of the 700 words in one simple list, organized by type. Backlinko Type: Checklist Article: SEO Strategy Case Study (#1 Ranking 963% More Traffic) Value: Take a step-by-step look of the specific actions you need to implement to get more inbound links with guesto-graphics. Video Fruit Type: Video training Article: Expanded Guest Post: How to 100x the effectiveness of your next guest post Value: See a video screencast with Bryan Harris implementing the steps mentioned in the article to expand the value of the guest posts. Nerd Marketing Type: Audio transcription Article: Podcast 27: A â€Å"One-Two Punch† Email Campaign to Increase Order Frequency Value: If you can't listen to the podcast, or prefer to read and not listen (like I do), read a word-by-word transcription of the email campaign Drew Sanocki uses to increase order frequency. LeadPages Type: Worksheet Article: The Unique Content Process: How To Write What No One Has Ever Written Value: Find the most important insights of the unique content process explained in the article without having to sift back through the post later. Recommended Reading: How to Generate and Nurture Leads With Brittany Berger from Mention Step #5: Create Content Upgrade Now that you have everything in place, it's time to (finally!) create your content upgrade. Here's when you want to take some time to make sure you make your content upgrade as awesome as possible. After all, if you are giving away a lot of extra value, you can't do it while you are multitasking or in between calls. When creating your content upgrade, there are a few different roads you can take, from the best and most expensive to the cheapest (and probably worst quality). Hire a Designer This is probably the best way to go. Unless you are a designer yourself, you don't have the skills nor time to create a good-looking content upgrade. However, if you are going to hire a designer, make sure to get a good one. Remember that you always get what you pay for. If you have a designer in-house, then this is a no-brainer for you. But if you don't, it may end up being a bit expensive for you. Still, it may be worth the investment. If you are going to hire a designer, make sure to get a good one.Two companies that may help you create and design a high-quality content upgrade are Design Pickle  and Pug Shop Design. They offer design services for a flat free and at a good price. Use Beacon One tool that was created just to create content upgrades and lead magnets is called Beacon. It's probably one of the best-hidden marketing tools out there, so I highly recommend you take a look at it. It's a bit buggy, but it does its job at a good price. It has everything you need for any kind of content upgrade you want to create. They let you import your content, pick a template, customize it, and once you have it finished, you only need to click "Save" and "Export PDF" and you are done. If you end up downloading my content upgrade at the bottom of the article, you will see how their content upgrades look like. Use Canva Canva  is like Photoshop for amateurs (like me). You can make some pretty neat designs, and if you are creative enough, you may end up with a cool simple design. This is best for small checklists and the like, not for long or complex ones. Do It Yourself You can always fall into the common DIY trend and try to do something with Word, Pages, iBooks Author or Photoshop. Depending on your skills, this may be a good idea or not. If you are like me, it's probably not. I used iBooks Authorfor a while, and it worked pretty well. But they didn't look very professional, so I stopped using it once I started with Beacon. You can still use these tools for simple resource lists and PDF versions, not for checklists and worksheets, or any other more complex kind of content upgrade. Recommended Reading: How to Create an E-Book and Publish it on Amazon KDP Step #6: Create Landing Page If you remember what I said in the beginning, you give out content upgrades in exchange for someone else's email. But where do you make this exchange? It's not that your visitors will send you a postcard with their email address so you can add them to your list in 3 to 5 business days. That's a bit old-fashioned, don't you think? You need to do it in a convenient and seamless way. That's what landing pages are for. You create a page just for people to visit, put their email information, and download the content upgrade. My favorite tool to do this is by far LeadPages. You only need to pick a template, put the copy where it belongs, add your content upgrade, create a simple autoresponder email sequence, and publish it. This is how you do it: First, open an account with them. They don't have a free trial, rather they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. Either way, I highly recommend you spend the money on their tool, as it's one of the best and most fundamental pieces of any online marketing campaign. Once you have opened your account, you will be taken to My Page, which is kind of a dashboard for your account. Before creating the LeadPage, we need to add the content upgrade. To do that, click on your username on the right, and click "Lead Magnets". Click on "Create New Lead Magnet" button on the right. Then, give your lead magnet a name, upload it, choose a sender email and name. Finally, add a simple message that the recipients of the email will see when they get the content upgrade on their email account. Don't overcomplicate this, because you can change it later. Once you are done with this, go back to the LeadPages page and click on the "Create New Page" button. Then, pick any of the dozens of free templates they show you. Filter by "Opt In" and sort by "Highest Converting". Pick one of the first ones you see. For the sake of this example, I will use this article to create the landing page. As you can see below, I simply added the name of this article in the landing page's title, and nothing else. Before clicking the "Publish" button, we need to integrate the content upgrade. To do so, click the CTA button and then the little link icon that shows up below it. Then, click the "View/Edit" button as you can see below. Then, click once again the big CTA button, and when the "Edit Your Form" sidebar shows up to your left, click the "Follow-up" tab. In there, below the "Add a File", choose the content upgrade you previously uploaded. Then, click "Save Close Form". Then I clicked "Publish". Just remember people are already sold to your content upgrade, so you don't have to overcomplicate this. Look at my landing page below and you will see. It's uber-minimalistic. Just the name of the article, the download button, and nothing more. Just remember people are already sold to your content upgrade, so you don't have to overcomplicate this. Look at my landing page below and you will see. It's uber-minimalistic. Just the name of the article, the download button, and nothing more. Step #7: Promote Within Your Post Now it's time to put the content upgrade where it belongs: in your articles. You need to make sure people know there's something valuable waiting for them. Otherwise, they will most likely ignore it when they see it. You have a few options to do so. Create a Knowledge Gap This is something I learned from Bryan Harris. He recommends opening what he calls a "knowledge gap", like the one you found at the intro of this article, and then close it at the end, as you can see below. This creates a "gap" in the mind of your visitors that makes them want to scroll down and see what's the article about, and how they can get that extra value. Add Banners and Slide-Ins Another way is to add a static banner or a slide-in within your article so people "bump" into it as they read. This is what usually does, as I showed you before. Put It at the End (and Hope for the Best) This is what many people (or most?) do. They just put the content upgrade at the end with just a link, and hope people will find it. Apparently, these people think since they already took the time to create the content, they don't have the time to actually promote it correctly. Don't make this mistake. Make sure everyone finds and click on the link that leads to the content upgrade. Using the awesome Pareto Principle, 80% of your results will come from 20% of your time. This is your 20%, so make sure you use it right. Promote your content upgrade. Grow your list.

Risk Management and financial derivatives Essay

Risk Management and financial derivatives - Essay Example In this regard, pharmaceutical firms are relatively more volatile than most companies in other industries ("Risk Management in the Pharmaceuticals Industry" 2005). This paper discusses the major business risks that have significant impact on pharmaceutical companies, specifically AstraZeneca. Moreover, it explains how the company utilises derivative financial instruments such as interest rate swaps and forward foreign contracts to minimise its exposure to financial risks brought about by fluctuations in the interest rate and exchange rate. This paper also presents alternative strategies that the firm can adopt in order to hedge against these risks. Based on their annual reports, AstraZeneca and other multinational pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline and Merck have identified risk factors affecting their operations. These are summarised as follows: Most pharmaceutical companies have recognised that the pharmaceutical companies throughout the world have become highly competitive ("Risk Management in the Pharmaceuticals Industry" 2005). AstraZeneca cited that industry consolidation have resulted in the establishment of few but very large and formidable companies which are able to match, if not exceed, the firm's resources allocated for research and development as well as marketing. This threatens the company's competitive edge, thus, directly impacting its bottomline ("AstraZeneca Annual Report" 2004). Similarly, GlaxoSmithKline explained that product innovations and advent of technological advances which competitors may adopt could adversely affect the firm's operating results ("GlaxoSmithKline Annual Report" 2001). These factors have facilitated the emergence of new global players, particularly in the markets of China and India, which are playing increasingly significant roles in the business models of industry players ("China and India: Risk and Returns in Asia's Blockbuster Pharma Markets" 2005). Apart form these, AstraZeneca also mentioned that risk relative to competition is aggravated by the loss or expiration of patents, marketing exclusivity and trademarks. The company noted that once patent protection or other types of marketing exclusivity for a certain product have expired, lower priced generic copy products may be legally manufactured. The introduction of generic products generally leads to substantial loss of sales for the pharmaceutical companies' proprietary products ("GlaxoSmithKline Annual Report" 2001). The competition from generic medicines exerts downward pressure on profit margins and results in decreasing revenues. This is evidenced by the study conducted by Deloitte which asserts that the very large number of drugs coming off patent in the next three to five years equates to billions of dollars in current in potential sales. However, it is estimated that the pharmaceutical giants could lose about $35 billion to $50 billion in product sales during the said time frame due to competition from generic brands. (Rhodes & Mulder 2004) Regulatory Approvals and Price Controls Pharmaceutical companies are also facing increasing pressures from regulatory bodies in various countries. In

The BP gulf oil spill Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The BP gulf oil spill - Assignment Example The BP gulf oil spill As a result of the explosion, 4.9 millions barrels of crude oil were released into the surrounding water before the wells were capped in July. The spilt oil caused considerable damage to the wildlife and marine animals. Similarly, on July 6th 2011, it was reported that ExxonMobil had spill around a 1000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River on the coast of Montana as an underground pipeline under the river bed ruptured. While ExxonMobil has taken on the responsibility of cleaning the river and all damage caused, the question arises whether the government has done enough to protect the environment from further such disasters. Surely after the BP oil spill, such a disaster should not have occurred, especially barely a year after the last one. What did the government do in light of the first disaster, and what will they be doing after this one? If these companies are drilling for oil, they are naturally doing it with the consent of the government, who are in turn doing it for the betterment of the citizens. But if they are doing so, do they not have a responsibility to ensure that all risk of the cost of doing so is reduced and minimal? And if it is indeed their responsibility to do so, in the light of the fact that failure to do so has occurred time and again, what is the government doing to prevent further such mistakes. More importantly, why do these mistakes occur, time and again. When investigatio n was carried out into the causes behind the BP oil spill it was found that had overlooked several factors, that had they been correctly addressed might have prevented the accident2. For the sake of cutting back on costs, BP, Halliburton and Transocean had worked on a lower budget, thereby compromising on quality control. For example. BP had overlooked the strength of the cement being used in the walls of the pipes, as well as incorrectly cementing the walls of the pipes34. Furthermore, the failed result of several pressure tests were also ignored, which had they been properly addressed, might have prevented the ultimate bursting of the well. But while BP was considerably criticized for their faults in preventing the oil spill, the fact was that the US government also missed considerable chances to prevent the attack and then later on further responses in light of the attack5. For one thing, officials initially underestimated the threat of a leak, taking on the word of BP officials when they were asked about it a year earlier6. Once the leak occurred, they underestimated the extent of the leak. They was assumed that oil on the surface of the water was merely that: on the surface. It was not understood that it was spilling from an underground source, and thereby spread not only on the surface but rather throughout the water. As a result of this underestimation, the government disregarded the need for critical action, trusting the word of the company that said would take care of it. Oil critics say that government officials rely on oil companies to manage the oil spills, meaning they do not go into the investigation personally by going on site or into an in-depth investigation, thereby making their response to the spill inadequate. Critics also say that the government should not trust that companies have enough resources to judge in advance whether a risk exists and then once it occurs, whether they have the resources to take care of it. In the light that it doe sn't, the government sh

International Financial Accounting and Theory Essay

International Financial Accounting and Theory - Essay Example The development of corporate governance in the UK since 1991 up to 2011 is assessed in this paper with a discussion on the various reports which are involved in the changes in the governance of companies in the UK. There were many corporate governance failures within UK companies such as Maxwell communications in the mid and late 1980s which included risky acquisitions, large debts and missing company assets. This led to the setting up of a committee in May 1991 which was chaired by Sir Adrian Cadbury to investigate the failures in corporate governance of companies with an aim of making recommendations for necessary changes to the control of companies. Shelmerdine and Walter (2001, p. 142) assert that the aim of the committee was to perform a thorough investigation of the corporate governance system in British Companies so that relevant suggestions would be provided in their report to ensure that the confidence of investors on the British Companies was regained. The Cadbury report wh ich was released in December 1992 recommended that the companies which were listed in the report had to provide their annual accounting reports which had to be reviewed by auditors for verification and compliance. The Cadbury report also recommended for a remuneration committee for each company to cater for the rights of the shareholders of British companies as said by Pendleton (2005, p. 107). The Greenbury Committee which was formed after the Cadbury Committee produced its report on corporate governance in 1995. The Greenbury committee was created in response to the need for a review of the remuneration of company directors. The Greenbury report which followed the guidelines of the Cadbury report made recommendations for the improvements on the control of the remuneration of company executives. Therefore the report recommended that the remuneration committees of companies should comprise at least three non-executive committee members to make decisions on executive remuneration pac kage. According to Sheridan, Jones and Marston (2006, p. 419), the Hampel committee which was created to recommend changes in the corporate governance of British companies released its report in 1998. The report recommended corporate governance which protected the interests of investors. The Hampel report acted to endorse the recommendations of earlier reports on corporate governance so that improvements were made. More developments in the corporate governance of the UK companies were demonstrated by the 1999 Turnbull Report which provided company directors guidance for internal control of companies which followed a combined code of early reports. The report defined the obligation of directors in relation to providing proper internal controls that ensured quality in auditing and reporting the annual financial reports as demonstrated by Pendleton (2005, p. 113). The Higgs Report of 2003 was based on the review of the effectiveness of non-directors in execution of their roles within c ompanies. The Higgs report was in support of the existing guidelines of corporate governance and created a guidance that was based on the review of previous scandals in British companies. The guidance of the Higgs Report was amended in December 2009 by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). The Draft guidance of the ICSA was

Role Of Extra Regional Powers In The Indian Ocean Region

Role Of Extra Regional Powers In The Indian Ocean Region Zone of Peace. There have been numerous attempts to declare IOR as a Zone of Peace dating back to 1971. Various meetings to work out the modalities have been fruitless. Former United States, Secretary of State, Madeline Albright had said that the efforts to make the Indian Ocean Region a Zone of Peace should be disbanded because the region has too many states whose interests are far too varied and the IOR states maintain more important relations with foreign states than within themselves  [1]  . 2. Having seen the strategic relevance of IOR in Chapter 2, let us now analyse the role and interest of a few important extra-regional powers. USA 3. Genesis of Americas Role. The US strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region grew with the process of decolonisation in IOR. The 1973 Arab-Israel war and the subsequent oil embargo resulted in strong efforts being made ensure oil traffic and price security. In his State of the Union Address on 23 Jan 1980, President Carter asserted that, Any attempt by an outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the USA, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force  [2]  . 4. US Naval Presence. The US Navy maintains a permanent presence of between 15 to 35 warships in the Indian Ocean at any given time. The US Fifth Fleet is based at Bahrain. Besides, the Fifth Fleet, the Sixth Fleet of the USCENTCOM and the Seventh Fleet of the USPACCOM are readily available to augment forces in the Indian Ocean  [3]  . US Pacific and Central Command 5. Interests. US role and policy in the IOR depends on fulfilling the following self-interests:- (a) Energy Security. (b) Economic Security. (c) Restrict Chinas influence in IOR. (d) Support/Basing facilities for War against Terror. (e) Strategic Partnership with India. United Kingdom 6. British Territory. In 1965, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was formed out of individual groups of islands in the Western and Central Indian Ocean. In 1966, Diego Garcia was leased to US  [4]  . The British Royal Navy however maintains a permanent presence in the Persian Gulf in the form of multinational forces, UN Peace-keeping duties, and a Naval and Marine detachment at Diego Garcia. 7. Interests. Economically, the region is vital to UK being the source of about 40% of its oil supplies and an important supplier of non-ferrous metal imports. However there is no intention to maintain naval presence in the region though it is militarily supporting US policies in the region  [5]  . France 8. French Indian Ocean Territories. France possesses a large number of strategically located islands in the Western Indian Ocean, the largest of these being Le Reunion and Mayotte islands. France maintains a sizeable force in the IOR, comprising of about 10,000 men and 20 warships. Additionally, Djibouti is a major logistics base for French naval forces deployed from the Atlantic and Mediterranean commands. Owing to the islands, France considers herself to be a regional power in the Indian Ocean, rather than an extra -regional one. Consequently, France is a member of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), an organisation for regional cooperation, which includes Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros. Frances deep involvement in the Indian Ocean is also evident from her defence agreements with Djibouti, Comoros, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Madagascar and Mauritius  [6]  . Reunion Headquarters of French Forces in the Indian Ocean 9. French Interests. The French EEZ in the Indian Ocean amounts to a approximately 2  ½ million square kilometres, which is more than a quarter of the total French EEZ. Consequently, French naval activity in the waters of the Indian Ocean represents about 30 percent of the total French maritime activity. The French Indian Ocean territories are of strategic significance as they are on the cross roads of major commercial maritime traffic. There is extensive fishing, meteorological and geophysical research activity being undertaken by the French in these regions. France depends on West Asian oil and has trade interests with various littorals  [7]  . Japan 10. Japans proactive role in IOR is pre-requisite to Japan not only for its global status but also vital for its economic interests, especially since the sub-region is the source and transit for its energy lifeline. It is also wary of Chinas domination in South China Sea. 11. JMSDF is a large force which enforces a maritime control zone up to 1000 nm, thereby adequately addressing its security concerns and ensuring the protection of its EEZ assets. However, due to the constraint posed by the Japanese Constitution, it has been unable to assist the sub-region to secure the sea-lines against non- traditional threats. Japans commitment to Southeast Asia has thus been limited to financial and technological assistance for navigational safety and prevention of pollution  [8]  . 12. However, Japan is now actively considering a Constitutional review to break free from the legal handicap, including in terms of collective-security. This would make Japan more militarily assertive and enable it to safeguard its vital security interests in Southeast Asia  [9]  . Japan also recognises Indias strategic location in IOR and understands the vital role that India can play in securing its SLOCs. Russia 13. During Cold war, erstwhile USSR succeeded in gaining access to several bases in the IOR for forward basing and gathering intelligence. Infact, the number of Soviet bases and ships often exceeded those of US. Although it did have a lull period post 1992-1993, she still enjoys diplomatic relations with most of the littorals in IOR. These relations have great potential for cooperation in high technology, oil and gas pipelines. 14. Interests. The Indian Ocean Region is a vital link for Russia because it provides an all weather route for Russia between her Eastern and Western provinces. Besides Russia has security and trading interests in the northern reaches of the Indian Ocean. It also wants to maintain bases in the IOR to be able to influence world opinion in its favour. China 15. Chinese Influences. Over the years China has been widening her influence in the region. Today, China imports 32 percent of its oil needs, 58 % of which comes from Middle East. This figure is expected to double by 2012 with almost 70% oil requirement being met from Middle East  [10]  . Chinese state owned oil corporations are acquiring oil assets in Australia, Indonesia, Central Asia and Africa. The relationship between China and Myanmar (Communication facilities at Coco Islands, Sittwe Naval base), Bangladesh (Modernisation of Chittaong harbour), Sri Lanka (Construction of Hambantota harbour), Maldives (Submarine base) and Pakistan (Deep Sea port at Gwadar) have a strategic intention to strategically encircle India through String of Pearl  [11]  . The establishment of a free trade area with ASEAN countries is another important consideration. 16. Chinese Interests. Chinese interests in the IOR are growing and can be summarised as follows  [12]  :- (a) Containment of India. The efforts to contain India both economically and geopolitically, because it is the only regional nation that can pose a threat to its expansionist tendency in future. (b) Second Strike Capability. To maintain a second strike capability in the Indian Ocean. (c) Counter US Threat. To monitor activities in the Indian Ocean and counter increased US presence in the region. (d) Secured Oil Supply. Chinas energy needs are being fulfilled by import from Persian Gulf. Hence it is significant for China to safeguard these supply lines. Prognosis of Extra-Regional Influences 17. Indian Ocean region is potentially the most volatile and significant area, where the interests of the world powers are merging. All extra-regional powers have concerns over their energy security coming from Persian Gulf and through various choke points. The security of sea lanes against the threat of piracy and maritime terrorism is another threat. Additionally, these powers do not want the others to grow powerful by influencing the littorals in the IOR. And a few, such as France also need to maintain territorial integrity of their interests in IOR. 18. India has a geographically advantageous position in the IOR and finds herself in a position where she has to perform a balancing act to protect her interests in the region, which are vital to her progress and deal with the presence of extra regional powers. End Notes

Internet Taxation Essay -- Taxing Internet Web Essays

Internet Taxation Should states and local governments be able to impose internet tax on individuals and corporations? Maybe they should not, but they are. There are currently twelve states and the district of Colombia that currently impose sales tax on internet access. There are also 10 states that presently collect taxes on data downloads. Who pays for these taxes? And how is this tax computed? Is there truly justification for this taxation or is it just another way for federal, states, and local governments to collect potentially huge tax revenues? And what effects will these taxes have on the internet? Would taxing the internet kill the industry? In any case, individuals should educate themselves about internet taxation. There are three primary types of internet taxes: taxes on internet access, Sales and use tax, taxation on information and other non-tangible goods obtained from the internet (http://by4fd.bay4.hotmail.msn.com). One type of internet tax is the Internet access tax. These are taxes enforced on individuals or corporations for use internet access. Currently, there are 10 states which charge for internet access. These taxes are sometimes undetected by the customer because the tax is already embedded in the information or data processing services fee or the telecommunication services fee that is already being paid. So it is likely that firms or individuals don’t even realize they are paying this internet tax. If the internet tax is not already imbedded in these fees it would mean that the firm or individual would have to pay additional fees to access the internet. In many situations the imposed taxes are paid for by the internet service provider. For the states that are not currently paying taxes f... ...ack and watch internet retailers take advantage for so long. Though it seems fair to tax information and intangible goods, many internet customers are not going to be willing to pay for these taxes in addition to having to deal with longer time period to access the internet. Usually when people pay more they expect something in exchange. So taxing information and intangible goods does not seem like a wise move to make, unless there is a way of speeding up the internet speed and/or making internet access faster. Customers are just not going to pay more for less. This assignment has made me aware of what internet taxation is and informed me about the major controversy over it. I now know that there are many states in the U.S. that charge customers internet taxes. And I feel fortunate to live in Arizona where we do not have to pay these taxes at this time!!!

Discuss the Importance of Dreams in Of Mice and Men Essay

The book ‘Of Mice and Men’ was published in September, 1937 and was set in the depression of the 1930s in California at the location of Soledad. Steinbeck uses ‘Soledad’ because it translates as loneliness which arises the point that the time in which this book was set was a time of loneliness where it was very unusual to have a companion or family with you which led to the existence of dreams; to look forward to more pleasant and happier times. At this time: 1930s America, most Americans had the so-called American Dream. This was to own their own piece of land as well as being the boss of it. This was the common dream amongst ranch workers to have something to live for and aid them with their loneliness. The dream came into existence in the 1800s when land was more readily available. By the 1930s, when this novella was set, it was almost impossible to make their dreams a reality due to the 1929 Wall Street stock market collapse which had resulted in prices increasing drastically, and more importantly; there was a desperate act of poverty making people sell what they had and live on the streets. This is what led to the rugged individualism of each person. As well as this, it was made even more difficult as most land had been bought beforehand. It is due to the Wall Street Crash that many went to California for work. President Roosevelt at that time had the job of directing workers such as George and Lennie to ranches or farms where there was work. Steinbeck uses Lennie and George to personify the dream of the migrant worker; own their own land along with giving the opportunity to settle in the ‘promised land (California)’. Migrant workers are labourers who work on ranches as harvesters involving lifting heavy materials; hard work for little wages. They have no family or friends as they continuously travel to different ranches in California in order to keep work. This is how workers had to get jobs and was the way of life for migrant workers. In relation to this, work card were important as it gave them a work permit which ranch owners required when recruiting. In comparison to modern day working conditions, workers such as George and Lennie would not receive holidays, sickness payments or old age pensions from their ranch. Therefore, futures for most men looked bleak. Without dreams, no-one would have reason to keep going. An example of this is Lennie wanting his own animals in the future to ‘pet.’ There is symbolism within the book that refers to the Garden of Eden. He sets the scene of this by using description such as â€Å"Willows fresh and green with every spring† which could be interpreted as referring to the Garden of Eden. I believe Steinbeck is trying to put across the imperfectness of humans along with temptation and results of doing a â€Å"bad thing† (said by Lennie). Lennie shows that temptation causes him to lose his way and represents the imperfection of humans. His desire to pet soft objects without foreseeing the consequences puts him on a collision course with others. Also, the girl in Weed and Curley’s wife are both temptations that made his curiosity grow and he could not resist. Curley’s wife could be seen as the serpent in the garden; a liar, a temptation, a manipulator of men to get her way. Like Eve, she is curious, in this case about Lennie. Her actions are innocent but the outcomes are bad, (telling Lennie to touch her soft hair in the barn which leads to her death) just as Eve’s actions caused them and human beings to be sent of the ‘perfect place.’ Curley’s wife’s actions tempt Lennie whose actions cause him along with the others to lose their dream of a little farm. Lastly, Adam and Eve were thrown out of Eden for going against God; therefore mankind is in loneliness and wandering. Steinbeck shows this when George asks who used to live on his bunk with Candy replying that he had just left: â€Å"gimme my time one might like any guy would.† After this, George then brings Lennie along which creates suspicion because two men didn’t travel together; â€Å"Hardly none of the guys ever travel together.† There was a big contrast in the timeless rural vision of America and what was to all but end this: the 1930s Depression. The vision was that workers will move up the ranks of working to eventually own their individual land; however this would never be when the 1930s Depression occurred. There was a big drop in every economic growth along with very high unemployment. It also resulted in countries leaving the gold standard in order to recover. These reasons helped the American Dream to not be a successful one for so many. Steinbeck is effective and does well to imply that there is another world other then the perfect one that was envisaged by everyone by saying: â€Å"beaten hard by the boys coming down from the ranches† and â€Å"beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway.† Words such as â€Å"beaten hard† and â€Å"tramps† suggest this other world and show the stark contrast between dreams and reality. The main characters include George, who is a small, quick man with well-defined features. He is a migrant ranch worker who dreams of one day saving enough money to buy his own place and being his own boss, many men in the Depression dreamed of this. His only set back is his mentally handicapped friend Lennie whom he travels with and has been since he promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara he would look after him after she died. Looking after Lennie stops George from working towards his dream and even prevent him from having a normal life of a rancher, because of this, George and Lennie regularly fight. George yearns for companionship as can be told by the metaphor of him playing solitaire. The tension of having to look after Lennie and himself shows in George and he shows a wide variety of emotions during the novella, from anger to patience to sadness. Lennie is mentally slow, he’s enormous. He is George’s companion and he is the source of the all the novel’s conflict. He is George’s opposite both mentally and physically. Lennie’s innocence and helplessness, his childish actions, such is his desire to pet soft things makes him likeable to the readers of the novella. George and Lennie’s dream is more materialistic than to just own land and be their own boss, as they envision a place where â€Å"nobody gona get hurt nor steal from them.† The friendship between the two is firmly rooted in their dream. Candy and Crooks along with others are also caught up in the dream. Curly’s wife also had a dream which was to become a movie star. But in one way or another, all the dreams of these workers are smashed.

Eating Fast Food May Cause Obesity

Elizabeth Collins English 1302 March 27, 2013 Eating Fast Food May Cause Obesity Most American eat out daily and fast food is fried and high in calories, the bottom line is it’s all about choices. Making the decision to choose fried, baked or grilled food is a choice. Fast food, namely McDonald’s, tends to get a bad rap, McDonald’s got a bad rap because it is not only convenient but they made their food look attractive and desirable to kids. They placed those golden arches high in the air on the bright neon sign, and they put toys in their happy meals.While McDonald’s happy meals was not the most nutritious, now there are options as to what you can put in a kids happy meal. Statistics show that more than two-third of United States adults are obese: â€Å"Currently 58% of adults and 39% of children are classified as overweight or obese. † (4). Younger adults are less like to be obesity than adults at age sixty. In 1999-2000 obesity among boys increas ed from fourteen percent to eighteen point six percent in 2009-2010; there was no significance change among girls.In 1999-2000 obesity rate was 13. 8% and 15. % in 2009-2010. Then in 2007-2010 there was no change in general in obesity among boys and girls. Around 25% of children are overweight or obese. Most children that are obese in their childhood will be obese in their adult life. It is appropriate to say fast food may cause obesity. According to these statistics; this is because at most fast food restaurants you can up-size: medium, large, or super-size. Ordering oversized portions of servings may cause you to overeat.Although in the past McDonalds was blamed for a large part of obesity rate, McDonalds has made efforts to consciously make consumers more aware of what their food contains. It has also made more choices available, with much better nutritional value. In comparison, KFC chicken pot pies has 790 calories in them and wouldn’t this much soda be higher in calorie s. Much like big business where there’s a need; there’s an opportunity to make money, but many fast food restaurants are putting more healthier choices on their menu: For instance, Chipotle, my fit foods, Fuddruckers, 2nd even Luby’s.Studies have been done to show the effect of fast food on obesity. Americans may be prone to other behaviors that affect obesity when they eat fast food. It is a concern that fast food restaurants close to schools lead more children to obesity. To begin with, Data is computed to determine how many miles the fast food restaurants is within distance of the school. Knowingly there is a fast food restaurant in the area; if the restaurant is very close to the school, its questionable how so and that is a good way to recognize the effect of fast food on obesity.Next, the studies monitor a rich set of school and area individuality in their analysis. Finally, over a period of time, these studies will vary. Not long ago I was asked to look a t a choice between making a hot dog using a hot dog bun or using regular bread. The actual content of the hot dog is pretty ordinary, but the biggest difference can be made when choosing to eat an actual bun versus using bread for better or worse? Some people say fast food does not cause obesity.They say fast food restaurants have food now with less calories and a menu to show how many calories in the serving you are eating, and that fast food restaurants has more than doubled, because more American say it convenient to eat out than the go home and cook. While in the reports on popular press have repeatedly suggested that fast food is slightly to blame for the rise of the obesity rate in the U. S, it’s hard to show a connection between fast food and obesity. As an American, you have the ability to make healthier choices, so do it.With all things considered, you just need to know what to order and watch the amount of calories you take in. On salads, try using Balsamic Vinaigre tte instead of Ranch or Thousand Island. Consider picking grilled chicken over breaded. Maybe try eating a sandwich without any type of dressing, or just try exercising at least twice a week. Yes; fast food can cause obesity, but it’s all about the choices we make. Work Cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Jan. 2011.Web. 25 Mar. 2013. . â€Å"How Is Fast Food Contributing to Obesity in America? † LIVESTRONG. COM. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. http://www. livestrong. com/article/457854-how-is-fast-food-contributing-to-obesity-in-america/. â€Å"Obesity Facts. † Obesity Facts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. . â€Å"The National Bureau of Economic Research. † The National Bureau of Economic Research. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. .

The Prevalence of School Violence

The Prevalence of School Violence As teachers, parents, and students prepare for school each day, we hope that fears of school violence is not their major concern. Sadly, violence of one sort or another is part of many schools today. In a study of the class of 2000, CBS News found that, while 96 percent of students felt safe in school, 53 percent said that a shooting was possible in their school. 22 percent of students knew classmates who regularly carried weapons to campus. Are student perceptions accurate? How common is school violence? Are children safe at school? How can parents and teachers ensure safety for everyone? Rates of School Violence According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there was an average of 47 violent deaths at schools from the 1992/1993 school year through 2015/2016. Thats over a thousand deaths in under 25 years. The following information comes from the NCES commissioned a survey of Principals in 1,234 regular public elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the 1996/1997 school year. The good news is that 43 percent of public schools reported no crime, and 90 percent reported no serious violent crimes. Still they found violence and crime to be far too common in the school setting. 57 percent of public elementary and secondary school principals stated that one or more incidents of crime or violence were reported to the police.10 percent of all public schools had one or more serious violent crimes (murder, rape, sexual battery, suicide, physical attack or fight with a weapon, or robbery).The most reported crime was physical attacks or fights without a weapon.Most of the serious violent crimes occurred in middle and high schools.A greater percentage of violent crimes occurred in city schools and in large schools with over 1000 students. When asked about their personal experiences, a quarter of students surveyed in 1999s Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher reported having been a victim of a violent crime in or around the school. Scarier still, one in eight students had at some time carried a weapon to school. These statistics indicated increases from the previous 1993 survey. Even so, teachers, students, and law enforcement officials all revealed that their overall perceptions were that violence was decreasing. How do we address this complacency and make our schools safer in fact as well as in feeling? Combating School Violence School violence is everyones problem to solve. The community, administrators, teachers, parents, and students must come together and make schools safe. What forms of prevention and punishment are schools relying on? Some schools have a low security system in place, meaning that they have no guards or metal detectors, but they do control access to school buildings. Others rely on moderate security, which means either employing a full-time guard with no metal detectors or controlled access to the buildings, or a part-time guard with controlled access to the buildings. Still others have stringent security which means they have a full-time guard, use metal detectors, and control who has access to the campus. Almost no schools have no security measures at all. One correlation is that the schools with the highest security are the ones that have the highest instances of crime. But what about the other schools? Neither Columbine, Sandy Hook, or Stoneman-Douglas were considered high risk schools. Schools across the country have instituted violence prevention programs and zero tolerance policies. One step schools take to increase security levels is issuing name badges which must be worn at all times. This may not stop students from causing violence, but it allows teachers and administrators have to more easily identify the students who cause disruptions. Furthermore, badges could prevent outsiders from invading a campus. What Can Parents Do? They can pay attention to subtle and overt changes in their children. Many times there are warning signs well in advance of violence. They can watch for these and report them to guidance counselors. Some examples include: Sudden lack of interestObsessions with violent or hateful games or videosDepression and mood swingsWriting that shows despair and isolationLack of anger management skillsTalking about death or bringing weapons to schoolViolence towards animals What Can Teachers Do? Worries about school violence should not hamper the job educators must perform. Remain aware of the possibility that violence could erupt anywhere. Strive to work together to create a safe academic environment. Teachers are in a tough situation, because if they step in physically to address violence or fights, they may themselves be targeted by defensive or abusive students or parents. Still, teachers are often in the best position to prevent classroom violence. Similar to parents, watch for the above warnings signsTalk to parents about concerns they might haveRemember to keep the lines of communication open with students and parentsBring concerns to guidance counselors and administrationBe consistent in enforcing classroom and school policiesCreate a prejudice-free classroom policy from the first day, and enforce itTeach anger management skills as the need arisesModel healthy behavior and responsesCreate a plan to handle emergency situations with your students What Can Students Do? Look out for and take care of each otherRespect others and their feelingsRefuse to succumb to negative peer pressure, especially when violence is involvedReport any knowledge of weapons on campusTell your teachers about suspicious behaviors of other studentsWalk away from confrontations Resources and Further Reading Binns, Katherine, and Dana Markow. â€Å"The Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher, 1999: Violence in Americas Public Schools- Five Years Later.† Institute of Education Sciences, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 30 Apr. 1999.Center for the Study and Prevention of ViolenceNational Center for Education StatisticsNational Crime Prevention CouncilNational School Safety CenterOffice of Safe and Healthy StudentsSafe Supportive Learning

Aroma Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aroma Therapy - Essay Example This discussion briefly examines the history of aroma therapy then details the benefits and potential risks. It also provides scientific evidence for its power to heal, its applications and delivery methods and describes numerous conditions that would potentially improve from aroma therapy in addition to its prevalent use. Aromatics and herbs have been used for treating a number of ailments and the preservation of food since the earliest beginnings of humankind. The Egyptians are credited with originating the method of Aromatherapy that people today would likely recognize. They were the first to record using the infusion method to extract aromatic plant oils to use for medicinal purposes. At about this same time, 2700 BC, the Chinese are known to use a form of aroma therapy. India has also used aromatherapy for centuries. Western societies knew little of aroma therapy until the 1800’s. The term aroma therapy was coined in 1937 when a scientist published the healing affects of lavender oil after he accidentally burned his hand and used the oil he was experimenting with at the time (Ancient Times, 2007). People use specific therapeutic, or essential, oils for specific needs such as a mood enhancer, to relax or for an energy boost. â€Å"Not all oils are used to calm the body. Some, such as rosemary in the bath, can be used to stimulate the body† (Urbick, 2006). Users of therapeutic oils also receive the added bonus of the inherent healing effects of aromatic oils which many do not realize is a side-benefit of the therapy. Many types of oils contain similar health-enhancing properties found in domestic cleaning agents such as anti-viral, anti-septic and anti-fungal agents. Oils are extracted from many types of plants by utilizing an assortment of methods such as cold expression, alcohol extraction or steam distillation. Therapeutic oils are usually used externally and can be used in combination, or

Data Warehouse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Data Warehouse - Essay Example The data warehousing is a multi-task activity and it quite different from traditional transaction-oriented operational database management activity. It involves various state – of – art application tools and techniques for aggregating and thereby summarizing large amounts of data that assists in an effective data management and retrial. A state-of-the-art application in the data warehousing is one that can achieve a near-real-time situation. Most organizations call for immediate decision-making, which needs real-time analysis, and presentation of decision-making. Many data warehouse applications achieve this by shortening the loading cycles using micro batch ETL. These applications have unique characteristics which include: highly scalable data mining algorithms, ease of integration with other components, efficient and secure in database processes, ease of use and user-friendliness and can support relevant standards. It is, however, important to have proper consideratio ns while choosing the methodology to use in the implementation of the applications and also the entire system. Two options are available. Both of the approaches have both advantages and disadvantages; therefore, the organization should consider the individual components and the nature of activities before deciding which approach to use. In any case, it is important to consider factors such as the volume of work, user technical skills, availability of budget and the time available to carry out the activity. (Prabhu, and Venkatesan, 20). What Have Been Notable Successes that We Can Emulate? There are numerous notable success stories of organization that can be emulated. One of such stories is Hallmark Cards. Hallmark Cards with $3.6 billion in annual sales and 20,000 employees, is a leader in the personal expressions industry. It has approximately 40,000 products selling through over 40,000 retail outlets. Since as a personal expression industry, it was very critical for the company business to understand what is happening at retail outlets in order to react quickly to changes in the environment. Hallmark utilized the warehouse environment with data mart along with decision support system (DSS) to help his management to understand market environment to launch a major new product line. By using data mart,