Do Patients Really Have a Choice in Anaesthesia and Surgery Essay

Do Patients Really Have a Choice in Anaesthesia and Surgery - Essay Example The mere condition of having sensation blocked or the nerves being desensitized is not accepted by many and there may be each to their own reasoning for it. The anesthesia is used to avoid the person undergoing surgery from pain or distress. For different issues, different kinds of anesthesia may be used. There is general, local, regional and dissociative anesthesia, each one used in different cases as each one has their own varying effects. Consent, is now an integral part of pre anesthetic consultation. Nowadays, given the evolved role within the health institutions, plus the legal and ethical issues, the patients are informed about the procedure they will be subjected to during the surgery. Disclosure of information seems to be the most legal and ethical discussion in the consent process. Given the function of any anesthesia, this consent is vital. This reinforces the idea that the given ‘consent’ to the patient before any surgery, is not actually being asked to accep t a procedure but is being offered a range of options from which to choose. Any medical profession indeed respects the patient’s reasoned choice and their right in law to refuse treatments. As anesthetists, the consent process can serve more than one purpose. It protects the practitioner from any ethical or legal issues. It ensures that the patient has agreed to the given way of treatment. The consent is a representation of the choice the patients have today in this. (Slater. R, 2007) No matter what examination or treatment one has to undergo, one may ask their anesthetist if there is any choice in the anesthetic method. One should also understand that some surgeons are more content operating on patients who have received one form of anesthetic rather than another. This most often means that the patient has a general anesthetic, which involves temporary unconsciousness. The article on All about Anesthesia, Do you have a choice, talks about the surgeon not having to choose the type of anesthesia one will receive, unless there is no anesthesia involved in one’s case. (2012) However, the surgeon may discuss the choice with the patient and with their anesthetist. In the same way, ones anesthetist does not choose what operation one will have or how it will be carried out. Again, ones anesthetist may discuss the operation with the patient and the surgeon, particularly if one has special anesthesia problems. The type of anesthesia varies with the given situation. Example for a finger ligament being torn off or the finger’s bone being broken may allow for local anesthesia, this type of a surgery allows a choice from the range of anesthesia. On the other side, during a caesarian, spinal or epidural anesthesia can be used. This type of scenario may allow less choice for the patient because general anesthesia may be harmful to the baby. Another case may involve a heart surgery, which will involve the use of general anesthesia and confine the choice o f the patient. Given the intensity of the situation like a heart surgery, a patient can not choose spinal anesthesia for their own good. This aspect suggests that a patient’s choice depends on the situation they are in. The beginning of this article stated a brief case where the patient would not agree to get their sensation paralyzed for a while, may be due to a range of reasons. These may involve the patient not approving the idea of losing control, issue of allergy,

Political Party and Internet Essay Example for Free

Political Party and Internet Essay HARATAL In modern strife torn state hartal has become a common affair. It is observed at the call of a political party or parties to press their demand to protest against the corruption, misuse of power and the evil deeds of the ruling party. Sometimes students and people of a locality call hartal to express their demands. On a hartal day normal course of life is stopped. All means of transport and vehicles do not move on the roads. People are to take a lot of troubles to attend their offices. They go on foot as vehicles are not available. As a result the attendance is very negligible in the offices, factories, industries and shops. The economy of the country suffers a heavy loss. Mills, factories, industries and shops stop their work. All the business centers, markets and shop remain closed. The supporters in favor of hartal bring their procession. Often clashes occur between the police and the picketers. Sometimes clashes take place between the supporters of the opposition and the ruling political parties which result in some deaths. On a hartal day the sufferings of the people know no bound LOAD SHEDDING Load-shedding is the suspension of electricity supply on certain lines when demand is greater than the generation. It occurs when the generation of power is less than the demand. Besides, unplanned distribution and illegal connection of electricity are also responsible for it. It creates various serious problems. The students are affected by it if it occurs at night. They sit idly in the dark closing their books. They suffer terribly owing to load-shedding on the night before their examination. Mills, factories, industries, all academic and socio-economic institution seriously suffer due to it. It seems that everything comes to a standstill and so life becomes rally painful. In a country like ours it is very difficult to solve the problem of load-shedding. Yet we can go a long way by establishing new power plants, ensuring planned distribution, reducing system loss and checking illegal connections. If these are ensured, we may expect to get rid of the curse of load-shedding. Governme nt should also take effective steps in this regard. Computer The computer is one of the most brilliant gifts of science. This device was originally developed by Charles Babbage. Most countries have developed fast due to computerization. Writing a program is essential for a computer. Speed, accuracy, reliability, and integrity are the main characteristics of a computer. Many of the routine activities today at home and in business are done by computers. The computer has proved a friend and servant of science, technology and industry. Most offices, shops, factories and industries use computers. The Internet is a storehouse of information. The computer is boon to all. Telecommunication and satellite imageries are computer based. Computer has made the world a global village today. The Internet The information system of the world has become globalized with the magical touch of internet. Like a spider-web the Internet has spread its interconnected link with tens, hundreds or even thousands of computers. And it has enabled them to share information and communication with one another widely, effectively and inexpensively.The Internet has made it possible for people all over the world to bring the information and communication system within their palm. The Internet has brought new opportunities to government, education and business. Governments use the Internet for internal communication, distribution of information and automated tax processing. Bangladesh as a developing country does not have access to the Internet in all spheres. Still internet here has some access to the business world and the banking system. Educational institutions also use the Internet to some extent. Internet here also allows a great variety in digital entertainment. People can enjoy music, movie, gaming, chatting with friends, sharing views and ideas about world affairs just by pressing few keys. We hope that we will get full-fledged access to the Internet, an international computer network, to make our Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country. TRAFFIC JAM Traffic jam is one of the most irritating problems in bangladesh. It has taken a very serious shape in city areas.This problem is the result of rapid growth of population and the increasing number of vehicle. In proportion to our population, roads have not increased. Moreover, cities are full of rickshaw and rickshaw pulles do not follow the traffic rules never maintain a queue while waiting to proceed. Untimely loading, unloading of goods of trucks, unauthorised markets by the road side, unwise parking to vehicles, public meeting, processions etc. Generally cause traffic jam. Narrow roads in another cause of traffic jam. Most often traffic jam occurs at office time and also at the time when the officer break. Sometimes traffic jam is so heavy that it blocks half a kilometre. It kills our valuable time and cause great suffering to the dying patients being carried in the ambulance. However, this problem can be solved by adopting some measures. Well planned spacious road should be constructed. one way movement of vehicles should be introduced.Traffic rules should be imposed strictly so that the drivers are bound to obey them. The number of traffic police should be increased.

Major studies of conformity

Major studies of conformity This essay will describe and evaluate several major studies of conformity. Conformity has been defined in number of ways. Crutchfield (1955), defined conformity as yielding to group pressure. Mann 1969 agrees with Crutchfield, however Mann (1969), argues that it may take different forms and be based on motives other than group pressure. (Gross p 479) Conformity is a change in belief or behaviour in response to real or imagined group pressure where there is no direct request to comply with the rest of the group norm Zimbardo and Leippe (1991). A lot of research has been done to try and understand the situations individuals need to be in to conform and the factors affecting conformity. However there are various cultural and methodological considerations that affect the understanding of conformity research. The first study would be Jenness in 1932. Jenness was the first person to study conformity. Jenness asked students to estimate the number of beans in a bottle. Taking individuals estimates first then placed the individuals into groups and asked them to discuss their estimates. Once the findings had been calculated he found that the students in particular groups would conform to a group average. According to Jenness in a situation where the answer was unknown they listened to their peers and would in his view conform. His research was criticised by Sherif (1935) because the experiment was not taken out in ecologically valid circumstances. The students were not in surroundings that were familiar to them thus behaving differently. Critics have argued that the students may have conformed in order to make the results easier for the psychologist. This demonstrates informational social influence and is explained in a classic study by Sheriff. Methodologically the first major problem encountered when testing conformity was the ambiguity of the situations the participants were placed in. This was highlighted by Mustafer Sherif (1935) when he used the auto-kinetic effect to test conformity. The Auto-kinetic effect is a perceptual illusion where participants perceive light moving when in fact it is stationary. Participants were placed in a darkened room in which they could see a light that was stationary. They were asked to record how far the light moved and on their own they settled on individual estimates however when the participants were put in a room together with other participants they were encouraged to shout out their estimates. Sherif found that they started with different answers but then all came to agree on the same answer. Then after they split up the group into individuals again Sherif found that they gave the answer they had settled on with the group. In Sherifs research into conformity (1935), the aim was to see if people conform to a group norm. The results of the test showed that individual responses differed to those from the group response. The post-experimental interviews said that the participants denied being influenced, they struggled to get the correct answers, and they never actually felt part of the group. The conclusions drawn from this said that the participants conformed towards the group norm because they were uncertain about their own individual responses. Sherif then argued that his results showed conformity however there was a problem with the methodology. This conformity research was criticised to be artificial and lacking ecological validity. Also, because the task was thought to be ambiguous and that there were no real answers, the participants were more likely to conform. As the answer was very ambiguous and there wasnt an obvious answer it was argued that participants are more likely to conform as they are never completely certain of their answer. This methodology therefore affects Sherifs interpretation of conformity as it is not very reliable Solomon Asch (1951) was the psychologist that challenged Sherifs methodological and in 1951 he created The Asch Paradigm where he tested conformity rates to very unambiguous situations. In his experiment there was one participant and seven to nine other confederates who knew about the experiment. The group was asked to identify lengths of vertical lines and match up a given vertical line to one of three in another display. Each confederate gave their answer and the participant sat in the next-to-last seat. On some questions all the confederates would give the wrong answer and Asch observed the conformity rate of the participant agreeing with the wrong answer even though the answer was very obvious. Asch found that 32% of the trials, the naive subject conformed to answer given by the rest of the group, and 72% of naive subjects conformed at least once. 13 out of 50 naive participants never conformed. When he interviewed the naive participants afterward, he found that conformity existe d on three levels: distortion of judgement, distortion of perception and distortion of action. Those who experienced distortion of judgement conformed because they trusted the groups judgement over their own. Those that experienced distortion of action knew that they were right, but changed conformed to avoid ridicule from the rest of the group. Finally, those who experienced distortion of perception actually believed that they saw the groups choice as matching the line on the card. The aim of the experiment was still to see if people would conform towards the group norm. The results showed that the individuals conformed to the group norm, even if the answers were wrong. The naive participant explained their reasons for conforming to be because they didnt want to spoil the experiment, look stupid, their eyes must have been deceiving them, and because they felt that the group was probably right. This experiment also told us that the influence from three or more stooges gave more of a reason to conform than if there was one stooge. The conclusions for this study were that the people conformed for public compliance rather than public acceptance. Also it seemed like people with low self esteem were more likely to conform. The methodology in this experiment was a lot more accurate then Sherifs experiment as the answers are very unambiguous and if the participants were on their own or first then they would almost certainly have given the right answer. The results from this experiment are therefore can be a better explanation of conformity than Sherif; however there are other methodological problems which make this experiment fairly inaccurate in the interpretation of conformity. However there are also ethical issues about the experiment. The main criticisms for this experiment was that it was artificial, time-consuming, time-dependant and unethical. The experiment lacks ecological validity due to a lack of both experimental and mundane realism. It lacks experimental realism as some participants worked out what the experiment was or at least thought the experimenter wanted them to answer the same as the others and therefore the conformity rates could be unreliable. It also lacks mundane realism as the situation does not reflect a real life situation and therefore people may act differently in real life and maybe the conformity rate would be lower. Crutchfield (1954) criticized Asch that the type of experiment undertaken by Asch is very time consuming, as only one person can be tested at a time. Richard Crutchfield decided to change the experimental method so that several people, usually five, could be tested simultaneously. The same kind of problem as Asch used, was used. Each participant sat in a booth with an array of lights and switches in front of them. They were told to give their answers and each were told that they were last to guess and the others guesses were indicated by the lights on the panel. However each participant was actually given the same display, which on about half the trials was actually incorrect. Crutchfield aimed to find out whether people conformed to unambiguous tasks when the pressure from others was more imagined than real. Crutchfield found that 37% conformed all of the time but 46% some of the time. The results found were really similar to Aschs but had a lower conformity rate. This concluded tha t there is conformity to imagined pressure. The experiment was criticised to have specific people used that were perhaps more conforming. Also it lacked external validity. The time the experiment was done in (1950s) was generally a more conforming time, so that could have been one of the reasons why the people conformed more. This experiment was also thought to be unethical as the participant were lied to and could have been embarrassed. Stanley Milgram (1963) conducted an experiment on obedience that highlighted the persuasive power of authority in social psychology for the first time. His experiment exceeded all expectation and led to greater awareness of authority and how much power it credited the perpetrator of it. Participants were made to give increasing electric shocks to someone (who was an actor pretending to be receiving the shocks through wires) when the person gave the wrong answer to a question. Many of the participants continued to the highest voltage (450V). There were many reasons why participants obeyed, such as the fact that the experiment was in a professional setting (Yale University). The experimenter was an authority figure and so was trusted; and the subjects were told that anything that went wrong would not be their responsibility. It was also because the participants could not see the victim which made it seem less real to them or it could have been because the participant had taken on a rol e so they felt that they were someone else. Milgrams work has been criticised both on ethical and methodological grounds. Baumrind (1964) believed that Milgram showed insufficient respect for his participants, there were insufficient steps taken to protect them, and his procedures could have long term effects on the participants. Orne and Holland (1968) argued that the participants did not believe they were giving electric shocks and they were just playing along with their role in the study. A famous example showing conformity was the experiment Zimbardo et al., (1973) carried out the prison simulation experiment at Stanford University. The aim of the experiment was to see the psychological effects of making an average person into a prisoner or guard. After less than 36 hours one of the prisoners had to be released from the experiment due to severe depression. Others who were acting as prisoners also showed signs of anxiety and depression. According to Zimbardo, these results showed how easily people could adapt to a new role in a new situation and behave out of character to fit that role. He quoted Note that anyone ever doubted the horrors of prison, but rather it had been assumed that it was the predispositions of the guards (sadistic) and the prisoners (sociapathic) that made prisons evil places. Our study holds constant and positive the dispositional alternative and reveals the power of social, institutionalised forces to make good men engage in evil deeds. (Gross p 500) There have been many criticisms levelled at his study, (Savin 1973) argues that the prisoners did not give fully informed consent; they didnt really know what was going to happen to them. They were humiliated and dehumanised by the procedure when reaching the prison (strip searched and deloused). Savin also argued the point the ends did not justify the means. The study had become too real and should never have been carried out. Perrin and Spencer (1980) tried to repeat Aschs study in England in the late 1970s. They found very little evidence of conformity, leading them to conclude that Aschs effect was a child of its time. However the low levels of conformity found in Perrin and Spencers study may have occurred because they used engineering students who had been given training in the importance of accurate measurement and therefore had more confidence in their own opinions. Bond and Smith (1996) also considered changes into conformity over time based on studies carried out in the United States. They conclude as follows; Level of conformity in general had steadily declined since Aschs studies in the early 1950 (Bond Smith p 124). The conformity rate has been found to alter across time within a culture, though overall trends are far from clear. There is also variation between cultures. These differences are related to social norms. As a conclusion, it is fair to say that people conform for many reasons, all that have is one main aim and that is to fit in with the group. Mainly, people want to be accepted in their society and because they have the need for certainty. People who are within any society or culture and its beliefs, with regards of what is expected and acceptable can be forced in certain situations to behave in anti-social ways. As their behaviour becomes adaptive to meet the needs of normative social influence without doing so could lead them to receiving social and/or cultural rejection. The researches briefly tells us how conformity works, however do psychologists tend to bother what happens after the research has been carried out on the naive participant? Some of the naive participant reported feeling quite stressed on the critical trials, which had a psychological harm on them. Do psychologists use deception to have their researches carried out? or should I say, Are they justified?! Above all, the researches have further broadened my knowledge on how individuals react in certain situation and has taking me one-step closer in understanding the world. REFERENCES Asch, S. E. (1955). Opinions and social pressure. Scientific American, pp. 31-35. Banyard, P, Grayson, A. (2000) Introducing Psychological Research; Seventy Studies that Shape Psychology, 2nd Edition. London: Macmillan. Bond, R, Smith, P. (1996) Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis of studies using Aschs (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 111-137. GROSS, R. (1996) The Science Of Mind And Behaviour, 3rd Edition. London: Hodder and Stoughton. GROSS, R. (1999) Key Studies in Psychology, 3rd Edition. London: Hodder and Stoughton. Milgram, S. (1983) Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. New York: Harper/Collins. Moscovici, S, Faucheux, C. (1972) Social influence, conformity bias and the study of active minorities. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental psychology, (pp. 149 202). New York: Academic Press. Myers, G. (2005) Social Psychology, 8th Edition. London: McGraw-Hill. Savin, H.B (1973) Professors and Psychological Researchers: Conflicting Values In Conflicting Rolls. Sherif, M. (1936) The Psychology of Social Norms. New York: Harper Collins.

Leveraging Mobile Device Applications for Boeing Travel and Expense Ser

Abstract—More companies are leveraging mobile device applications that integrate with their existing travel and expense systems to provide frequent business travelers with the necessary tools to efficiently book trips and expense their expenditures using mobile devices, thus allowing business travelers to be more productive, which saves the company money. Currently, almost twenty-three thousand Boeing employees have been issued BlackBerry Smartphones. Ninety-percent of these employees make more than one trip per month. Currently, Boeing is not maximizing the use of the BlackBerry Smartphones by using a mobile application for Boeing Travel and Expense management to decrease costs by allowing employees to be more productive. Since twenty-three thousand employees already have been issued BlackBerry Smartphones we can leverage these devices and implement a mobile device application that integrates with our current Travel and Expense Systems that we have purchased from Concur Travel. Purchasing a mobile applications solution from Concur Travel will allow Boeing travelers to save time; reduce costs; increase productivity; and better serve our customers. I. MOTIVATION Concur’s mobile capability will provide Boeing with the perfect solution for employees, managers and executive staff who no longer have to wait until they return to the ofï ¬ ce to complete or approve an expense report. Travelers will be able to use the mobile app to take pictures of their receipts and complete expense reports using their BlackBerrys. When they return to the ofï ¬ ce they don’t have to sit at a desk all day to do one expense report on paper or come back to the ofï ¬ ce just to approve an expense report [1]. The primary drivers for implementing a Concur Tr... ...al%20Report%20-%20Long%20Version.pdf. [2] Concur, "Concur Give Organization Best-in-Class Travel and Expense Experience," nd. [Online]. Available: http://assets.concur.com/case-studies/medium-large-business-travel-expense-cannon-cochran-management-services.pdf. [3] Aberdeen Group, "Mobile Technology: Filling the Gap in Modern Expense Management," March 2011. [Online]. Available: http://assets.concur.com/whitepaper/mobile-technology.pdf. [4] Concur, "Concur’s Mobile Solution Keeps Growing Motion Picture Exhibitor on the Go," April 2011. [Online]. Available: http://assets.concur.com/case-studies/cinemark-case-study.pdf. [5] Concur, "Building an Effective Business Case: Automating Travel Booking and Expense Reporting Processing," February 2009. [Online]. Available: http://www.travelwise.co.uk/business/downloads/CNQRWP-Building_an_Effective_Business_Case_NA.pdf.

Champion equality, diversity and inclusion Essay

1: Understand diversity, equality and inclusion in own area of responsibility Diversity means difference. Diversity recognizes that although people have things in common with each other, they are also different and unique in many ways. Diversity is about recognizing and valuing those differences. It therefore consists of visible and non-visible factors, which include personal characteristics such as background, culture, personality and work-style in addition to the characteristics that are protected under discrimination legislation in terms of race, disability, gender, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age. By recognizing and understanding our individual differences and embracing them, and moving beyond simple tolerance, we can create a productive environment in which everybody feels valued. Equality is about ‘creating a fairer society, where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential’ (DoH, 2004). Equality means being equal in status, rights and opportunities no matter what their race disability, gender, religion, beliefs and cultural differences, sexual orientation and age. see more:potential effects of barriers to equality and inclusion By eliminating prejudice and discrimination, we can deliver services that are personal, fair and diverse and a society that is healthier and happier.  Inclusion is a sense of belonging, feeling included, and feeling respected, valued for who you are, feeling a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so than you can achieve your best. Inclusion ensures everyone has access to resources, rights, goods and services, and is able to participate to activities. 1.1 Explain models of practice that underpin equality, diversity and inclusion in own area of responsibility There are 2 main models of practice underpinning equality diversity and inclusion: the â€Å"equal opportunities model† and the â€Å"difference and diversity model†. In my role of registered manager, I am responsible for ensuring that all individuals, their families, members of staff, care workers and all those I work in partnership with, are treated equally, with dignity and respect. Within the adult home care setting there is a range of policies which formally sets out guidelines and procedures for ensuring equality. The equal opportunity policy takes into account the rights of all individuals and groups within the settings (â€Å"equal opportunities model†). In my managerial role, I promote equality and uphold individual’s equality of opportunity, individual rights and choice, their privacy, individuality, independence, dignity and respect. I also promote equality of care, and confidentiality. In practice I support each individual wherever needed, inclusion, adapted to the individual needs. I support inclusion by ensuring that, whatever their background or situation, are able to participate fully in all aspects of the care being delivered. Inclusive practices ensure that everyone feels valued and has a sense of belonging. Inclusion in our settings is about providing the same opportunities and access to high quality education as well as valuing differences as something we can learn and be empowered from rather than threatened (â€Å"difference and diversity model†). 1.2 Analyse the potential effects of barriers to equality and inclusion in own area of responsibility There are many barriers to diversity and inclusion. The biggest ones are generally prejudice, culture and upbringing and religious beliefs. Prejudice is â€Å"a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or personal experience† thus creating barriers to recognizing equality of rights for all. Cultural barriers can prevent, for example, consideration of spiritual,  relational or dietary needs that do not conform with expected traditional expectations. Religious belief, where different religious beliefs are not taken into account, and minorities are marginalized and not acknowledged.  Other significant barriers could be structural, institutional and personal: Structural, where circumstances create or result in barriers – for example in access to a ‘good education’ adequate housing, sufficient income to meet basic needs. Institutional, where policies, processes, practices sustain an organizational or service culture that excludes certain people or groups. Personal barriers, where staff can hold individual prejudices that influence their practice. These actions may be conscious, but they can often be unconscious or unwitting. Some vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals need more support to ensure their voice is heard and they are able to have power in the decision making process. Within our setting, if potential barriers to equality and inclusion arise, they are flagged and staff has a good understanding of individual customers. Barriers are then removed or minimized – the care delivery is adapted, person centered and where required resources or equipment provided. In order to minimize the effects of these potential barriers, we always ensure that: †¢ All care delivered is appropriate to the age and level of need. †¢ All staff are positively encouraged to deliver care to someone with complex needs in which they might not usually be engaged. †¢ All staff working with those using our service understands the policy on diversity and equality. †¢ We provide all literature in easy to read and large print to accommodate our customer’s needs. †¢ All practices and procedures in the setting are discussed and anything that is identified as  being discriminatory towards any group or individual is amended. †¢ Management has a sound knowledge of diversity, equality and anti-discrimination issues. †¢ We assess and raise the level of awareness amongst the team about diversity and equality issues and practice. The detrimental effect of barriers to diversity and inclusion can foster low morale and lack of motivation in our care workers and customers. Having an awareness of these potential barriers and their effects allows us to address them timely and effectively. 1. EQUALITY ACT 2010 Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. The act replaced previous antidiscrimination laws with a single act to make the law simpler and to remove inconsistencies. This makes the law easier for people to understand and comply with. The act also strengthened protection in some situations. The act covers nine protected characteristics, which cannot be used as a reason to treat people unfairly. Every person has one or more of the protected characteristics, so the act protects everyone against unfair treatment. The protected characteristics are: †¢ age †¢ disability †¢ gender reassignment †¢ marriage and civil partnership †¢ pregnancy and maternity †¢ race †¢ religion or belief †¢ sex †¢ sexual orientation The Equality Act sets out the different ways in which it is unlawful to treat someone, such as direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation and failing to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled  person. The act prohibits unfair treatment in the workplace, when providing goods, facilities and services, when exercising public functions, in the disposal and management of premises, in education and by associations (such as private clubs). The equality act will for instance impact on my role as manager with regards recruitment. You will need to ensure that my job specification does not discriminate against particular groups of applicants. When processing applications you should concentrate on an individual’s abilities to do the job, not their disabilities. Make adaptations to accommodate individual’s differences e.g. working hours, special equipment needs etc. The impact legislation and policy has on the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion within my setting is ensuring policy and procedures are written and adhered to and carried out within the setting, that all staff has an awareness of legislation and policy surrounding equality, diversity and inclusion in practice.

Charles Dickens

Dickens is using figures of speech to make pictures in the readers head and he is therefore helping people imagine the things he is telling about. One would say that Dickens is using metaphors to put a picture on his story and to make everyone feels how awful and terrible Coketown is. â€Å"Coketown was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it; but, as matters stood it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted face of a savage. He also uses the same word again and again to make his negative impression of the factory clear. â€Å"It contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one another (†¦)†. After reading the story you almost smell the smoke and see the clouds of smoke in front of you. â€Å"It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever, and never got uncoiled. When you have read that description of the smoke you can feel it everywhere around you like a snake sneaking around because of the metaphor Dickens is making. Another metaphor you can find is when Dickens has to describe the steam-engine. He does that by using a huge animal like an elephant to make people imagine how enormous the engine is. â€Å"(†¦) and where the piston of the steam-engine worked monotonously up and down, like the head of an elephant in a state of melancholy madness† Finally you can conclude that Dickens uses a lot of metaphors and figures of speech to make the reader fells how it is being in Coketown.

Biography of John Gibbon, Heart-Lung Machine Inventor

Biography of John Gibbon, Heart-Lung Machine Inventor John Heysham Gibbon Jr. (Sept. 29,  1903–Feb. 5, 1973) was an American surgeon who was widely known for creating the first heart-lung machine. He proved the efficacy of the concept in 1935 when he used an external pump as an  artificial heart  during an operation on a cat. Eighteen years later, he performed the first successful open-heart operation on a human using his  heart-lung machine. Fast Facts: John Heysham Gibbon Known For: Inventor of the heart-lung machineBorn: Sept. 29,  1903 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaParents: John Heysham Gibbon Sr., Marjorie YoungDied: Feb. 5, 1973 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaEducation: Princeton University, Jefferson Medical CollegeAwards and Honors: Distinguished Service Award from International College of Surgery, fellowship from Royal College of Surgeons, Gairdner Foundation International Award from University of TorontoSpouse: Mary HopkinsonChildren: Mary, John, Alice, and Marjorie Early Life of John Gibbon Gibbon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 29, 1903, the second of four children of surgeon John Heysham Gibbon Sr. and Marjorie Young. He earned his B.A. from  Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1923 and his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1927. He completed his internship at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1929. The following year, he went to Harvard Medical School as a research fellow in surgery. Gibbon was a sixth-generation physician. One of his great-uncles, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, is memorialized by a monument to his bravery on the Union side in the Battle of Gettysburg, while another uncle was a brigade surgeon for the Confederacy in the same battle. In 1931 Gibbon married Mary Hopkinson, a surgical researcher who was an assistant in his work. They had four children: Mary, John, Alice, and Marjorie. Early Experiments It was the loss of a young patient in 1931, who died despite emergency surgery for a blood clot in her lungs, that first stirred Gibbons interest in developing an artificial device for bypassing the heart and lungs and allowing for more effective heart surgery techniques. Gibbon believed that if doctors could keep blood oxygenated during lung procedures, many other patients could be saved. While he was dissuaded by all with whom he broached the subject, Gibbon, who had a talent for engineering as well as medicine, independently continued his experiments and tests. In 1935, he used a prototype heart-lung bypass machine that took over cardiac and respiratory functions of a cat, keeping it alive for 26 minutes. Gibbons World War II Army service in the China-Burma-India Theater temporarily interrupted his research, but after the war he began a new series of experiments with dogs. For his research to proceed to humans, though, he would need help on three fronts, from doctors and engineers. Help Arrives In 1945, American cardiothoracic surgeon Clarence Dennis built a modified Gibbon pump that permitted a complete bypass of the heart and lungs during surgery. The machine, however, was hard to clean, caused infections, and never reached human testing. Then came Swedish physician Viking Olov Bjork, who invented an improved oxygenator with multiple rotating screen discs over which a film of blood was injected. Oxygen was passed over the discs, providing sufficient oxygenation for an adult human. After Gibbon returned from military service and restarted his research, he met Thomas J. Watson, CEO of International Business Machines (IBM), which was establishing itself as a premier computer research, development, and manufacturing firm. Watson, who was trained as an engineer, expressed interest in Gibbons heart-lung-machine project, and Gibbon explained his ideas in detail. Shortly thereafter, a team of IBM engineers arrived at Jefferson Medical College to work with Gibbon. By 1949, they had a working machine- the Model I- that Gibbon could try on humans. The first patient, a 15-month-old girl with severe heart failure, didnt survive the procedure. An autopsy later revealed that she had an unknown congenital heart defect. By the time Gibbon identified a second likely patient, the IBM team had developed the Model II. It used a refined method of cascading blood down a thin sheet of film to oxygenate it rather than the whirling technique, which could potentially damage blood corpuscles. Using the new method, 12 dogs were kept alive for more than an hour during heart operations, paving the way for the next step. Success in Humans It was time for another try, this time on humans.  On May 6, 1953, Cecelia Bavolek became the first person to successfully undergo open-heart bypass surgery with the Model II totally supporting her heart and lung functions during the procedure. The operation closed a serious defect between the upper chambers of the 18-year-olds heart. Bavolek was connected to the device for 45 minutes. For 26 of those minutes, her body totally depended upon the machine’s artificial cardiac and respiratory functions. It was the first successful intracardiac surgery of its kind performed on a human patient. By 1956 IBM, well on its way to dominating the fledgling computer industry, was eliminating many of its non-core programs. The engineering team was withdrawn from Philadelphia- but not before producing the Model III- and the huge field of biomedical devices was left to other companies, such as Medtronic and  Hewlett-Packard. That same year, Gibbon became the Samuel D. Gross professor of surgery and head of the surgery department at Jefferson Medical College and Hospital, positions he would hold until 1967. Death Gibbon, perhaps ironically, suffered from heart trouble in his later years. He had his first heart attack  in July 1972 and died of another massive heart attack while playing tennis on Feb. 5, 1973. Legacy Gibbons heart-lung machine undoubtedly saved countless lives. He is also remembered for writing a standard textbook on chest surgery and for teaching and mentoring countless physicians. Upon his death, the Jefferson Medical College renamed its newest building after him. Over his career, he was a visiting or consulting surgeon at several hospitals and medical schools. His awards included the Distinguished Service Award from the International College of Surgery (1959), an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in England (1959), the Gairdner Foundation International Award from the University of Toronto (1960), honorary Sc.D. degrees from  Princeton University  (1961) and the University of Pennsylvania (1965), and the Research Achievement Award from the American Heart Association (1965). Sources Dr. John H. Gibbon Jr. and Jeffersons Heart-Lung Machine: Commemoration of the Worlds First Successful Bypass Surgery. Thomas Jefferson University.John Heysham Gibbon Biography. Engineering and Technology History Wiki.John Heysham Gibbon, 1903-1973: American Surgeon. Encyclopedia.com

Regulation in the Financial Crisis 2008

Regulation in the Financial Crisis 2008 Introduction The US led global financial crisis that struck in 2007 and persisted through 08 and 09 adversely affected the stability of the global economy. The impact of the crisis escalated far beyond its point of origin (US) and affected the countries around the world while spilling over from the financial system into the real economy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Regulation in the Financial Crisis 2008 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The implications of the crisis were wide ranging and still difficult to conceptualize. This has led to extensive analysis of the financial crisis by policy makers and financial analyst in a bid to develop and formulate measures that would avert future crises and stabilize the global economy. While numerous claims have been put forth to explain the causes of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, there is almost a universal agreement that the major causes of the financial crisis was the c ombination of a credit boom and a housing bubble that took place in the United States. The post 2007 crisis consequently features the establishment of numerous regulatory initiatives offering diagnoses and presenting recommendations for financial stabilization. Through literature review, the research paper analyses the varying causes that the crisis has been attributed to, the policies which various major governments sought to implement in response to the crisis, the effectiveness and failures of such policies. The research paper further proposes the alternative areas of focus that may serve to avert future crisis in order to achieve consistent financial stability. Reasons for the 2007-09 global financial crises The decline in the US housing market resulting from the failure of sub prime mortgages and mortgage backed securities coupled with an ensuing credit boom marked the beginning of the financial crisis (Canster Cannex 2011). The housing market suffered a major blow as the major ity homeowners defaulted on the (sub prime) loans. As a consequence of borrowers defaulting on loans, the financial institutions faced a major challenge as they repossessed the property at a loss which led to a liquidity crisis in banks and their lending capacity was consequently diminished (Obersteiner 2011). In addition, there was lack of confidence by US investors which led to emergence of a credit crunch. The consumer confidence was limited due to widespread uncertainties in the economy. While the housing bubble and the credit crunch in United States has been widely attributed as the major cause of the 2007 financial crisis, a valid argument still stands that the crisis resulted from poorly regulated lending by financial institutions.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The collapse of major financial institutions led to widespread panic as governments across the g lobe struggled to rescue the major financial institutions in their regions from collapsing. The Australian government launched the stimulus packages which were aimed at rescuing the collapsing economy while the government of United States proposed a $700 billion rescue plan (Obersteiner 2011). This was met with substantial opposition by congressmen who felt that such spending of taxpayers’ money to rescue Wall Street investment bankers was not justified. Metodi Lazarov (2009) argued that if liquidity was the actual cause of the global financial crisis, then providing more liquidity through reduced interest rates that made borrowing easier would have been appropriate in solving the situation. He cites the ignorance of major financial institutions on their own business models of secularization as the major cause of persistent financial crisis. He further attributes the crisis to globalization, financial innovation and asymmetry of information (Lazarov 2009). Lazarov suggests th at the presence of liquidity effects increases the chances of systemic breakdown of any given connectivity between financial institutions which may have caused the crisis. While he agrees that the financial system contained the effects from the housing bubble, he emphasizes on the need for a new and advanced regulatory framework which will shape the financial systems in the future. Fiscal measures are also among the main reasons why investors ran into large risky market such as sub prime which has been cited as a major cause of the 2007 financial crisis. The US government’s move to issue mortgage backed securities coupled with the relative decline in prime mortgage set the stage for the onset of the financial crisis (Lazarov 2009). This saw a significant increase in sub prime mortgage lending which was not in adherence to the government and financial regulations. Further, nationalization of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac led to increased investor confidence which led to over reliance of market participants on government guarantees (Lazarov 2009). Responses of Major Economies to the Global Financial Crisis Australia In Australia, the financial crisis struck at a time when the local economy was suffering from massive inflation. In response to these challenges, the Australian government announced its stimulus packages worth $ 10.4b and the government further sought to guarantee the bank deposits (Canster Cannex 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Regulation in the Financial Crisis 2008 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The economic stimulus played a major role in improving the economy which was suffering from recession and incorporated government transfer payment to consumers which in turn increased sales especially over 2008 Christmas period. The government also provided assistance to various sectors in the economy such as the automotive industry since lenders had lost confidence in the market leaving banks as the only credit providers. As the condition of the economy continued to worsen in the beginning of 2009, the government announced a second stimulus package where the government injected $ 47 billion to boost the economy which was then allocated to ailing sectors such as education, housing, infrastructure, small businesses, as well as provision of cash bonuses (Canster Cannex 2011). Consequently, the country suffered less impact of the global financial crisis relative to other major economies of the world. Financial experts argued that the county’s economy was more insulated but evidence of general slowdown in the housing market, and unemployment was still evident in the Australian economy and some questioned the massive government packages claiming that they would haunt the country’s economy in the future as they seek to repay debt. United States In the United States, the financial crisis stimulated substantial debate regarding the governance o f global financial markets with the policy makers calling for the creation of a global financial regulator to monitor both domestic financial markets and ensure that other countries implement adequate prudential regulations (Zimmermann 2010). The 2007 financial crisis which set off as the US housing market collapsed offered no guarantee of US leadership in the creation and modification of suitable global financial standards. In deed, the US regulators faced major challenges in trying to focus on the international economy while its internal economy was falling apart. The early stages of the crises were therefore characterized by deep cuts in the US federal funds interest rates nationalization of Northern Bank UK, introduction of the term auction facility at the Federal Reserve, the take over of a major investment bank, Bear Stearns, among other measures (Obersteiner 2011). However, some of the interventions put forth only served to prolong the crisis rather than providing a solution to the situation. In December of 2007, the US government introduced the term auction facility which made it easier for banks to borrow from federal reserves (Taylor 2008). The measure was aimed at increasing the flow of credit in the money market through the reduction of interest rates. This saw a substantial reduction of spreads in the money market during the initial periods of its implementation but this trend only lasted for a short period of time.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government’s temporary cash infusions implemented under the stimulus Act of 2008 which aimed at sending financial support amounting to over $ 100 billion to individuals and families in the United States was not successful either. Just like the liquidity facilities, the temporary cash infusions were not focused on dealing with the underlying causes of the financial crisis and since the rebate was financed through borrowing rather than money creation, the policy only served to intensify national debt (Taylor 2008). The failure of this policy was further intensified by consumer’s failure to spend as predicted by the permanent income theory of consumption. Consumer spending remained limited due to widespread uncertainties and the consumption was not jumpstarted according to the policy maker’s expectations which consequently increased income rather than consumption. The initial cuts in interest rates in 2008 which saw the federal funds rate target decrease to 2% presented a major challenge to an economy that was already struggling with a credit crunch. Slight reduction in interest rates would perhaps have been effective in rectifying the situation. However, this was only achievable if the interest rates cuts were much less aggressive. The sharp cuts in the federal funds rates led to the depreciation of the dollar which in turn resulted in plummeting of world oil prices evidenced by the doubling of prices from $ 70 per barrel to $ 140 in a period of one year (Taylor 2008). United Kingdom The United States credit crisis appeared as a foreign concern for United Kingdom in the early 2007 (Tindall 2007). However, in mid 2007, when BNP Paribas announced that it would be unable to withdraw funds from its hedge funds and Northern Rock requested for emergency financial support from the Bank of England, the effect of the financial crisis became a reality in the region. In response to the crisis, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exch equer Alistair Darling, and the Bank of England governor Mervin King sought to implement policies which were aimed at managing the global financial crisis that had hit the region’s economy. The measures included the nationalization of financial institutions and purchase of risky assets (Tindall 2009). The financial regulators in UK ensured that the value added tax was reduced from 17.5% to 15%, the pension for the aged was raised while the government introduced new tax breaks (Tindall 2009). A total of  £ 300 billion was injected into the economy in an attempt to salvage the situation while the bank interest rates were slashed to a historic 0.5 in March 2009 after the 50 billion pound rescue package failed to take effect in the preceding months (Obersteiner 2011). Effectiveness of International Regulation in Dealing with the Crisis The severity of the global financial crisis revealed major weaknesses in the international architecture for prudential financial regulation that has been constructed since the mid 1970s (Zimmerman 2010). While policy makers responded to the crisis through a flurry of ambitious initiatives to reform international standards and strengthen the international regulatory regimes, the questions remain as to whether the regulation of global finance will safeguard the global economy against such crisis in the future and to what extent the financial regulation system should be changed in response to the crisis. This would only be effective if applied on a global scale since the regulations may impose a greater cost on domestic firms than foreign markets resulting in disequilibrium. It is evident from the severity of the global financial crisis that there are substantial weaknesses in the international financial regulation mechanism. Consequently, the aftermath of the crisis saw the formulation of numerous reports and regulatory initiatives which were published by national regulatory agencies, financial industry associations and inter national standards setting bodies. The financial stability forum further integrated these initiatives into a unified international coordinated response which was released in 2008 and incorporated over sixty recommendations to the crisis. While the policy presented through the financial stability forums were quickly endorsed by the G7 among other major international bodies, the effectiveness of the recommendations in the long run remained in question. Since the international financial regulation has emerged in response to the power and interest of the world’s major economies, most of these policies favoured the sectors where leading states could reap benefits while the areas where they would incur greater costs were narrowed in scope. Consequently, the measures proposed served to benefit the major world economies and continued to economically oppress the developing economies. In the analysis of the 2007 global financial crisis, the lasting power of US and Britain economies glo bal financial regulation should be critically analyzed. This is because the domination of these countries in the global market has adversely affected the global economy due to the fragmented, weak, and exclusive institutional context that has emerged in the recent past. Indeed, David Singer agrees that the central role played by United States in the global economy requires able leadership and ambitious regulatory regimes in absence of which results in increasingly vague principles and guidelines which puts the future of the economy at risk (Zimmermann 2010). Elliot Posner further observed that the European Union was very eager to use their economic influence to export EU models to the international level during the crisis (Zimmermann 2010). The fact that the financial crisis hit at a time when the European Union had increased its capacity to influence international regulatory outcomes due to intensified regional integration and its increasing financial market size further raises a l ot of concerns regarding the effectiveness of these economies in international financial regulation. Governments and policy makers should therefore aim at ensuring the shift of power from major economies by diminishing the role of US and British financial markets and major firms in international regulation and putting less emphasis on their financial power which stems from the reputation of New York and London financial centres (Zimmermann 2010). Although the East Asia and other emerging powers are not ready to take on the leadership role in international regulation politics, their active contribution to international regulation seeks to challenge the status quo and are more critical of the existing international standards in banking regulations which may lead to reforms necessary to ensure future stability of the global economy (Zimmermann 2010). Domestic Policies and the Financial Crisis Past literature has revealed that when the domestic societal actors are engaged in debates abo ut international financial regulation, the scope is often narrow relative to other economic areas such as trade politics (Zimmermann 2010). This is primarily due to the complexity of issues involved, the consequences, and an institutional context that in most advanced countries gives financial analysts and regulators considerable autonomy from domestic interests and legislative assemblies. Societal actors who take active interests in constructive international financial debates are financial market participants who are directly affected by international regulations. These actors are mostly concerned with adjustment costs of new standards and view international regulation coordination as a means to gain access to a greater market share. Consequently, they often oppose intrusive regulatory measures and support market driven solutions which limits the efficiency of measures presented to solve the financial crisis. Domestic politics have indeed played a major role in the financial crisi s with the large scale use of the tax payers’ money to rescue financial institutions being used as a tool for politicizing financial regulations especially in the United States and Britain. Consequently, domestic politics unleashed pressure in favour of stronger regulation policies and increased the involvement of legislative bodies in financial regulation (Zimmermann 2010). Consequently, the severity of the 2007 financial crisis demanded the generation of new kinds of regulations for defensive reasons at a time of weakened political legitimacy and for improvement of industries, confidence restoration, and increasing market share. However, the politicization of financial regulation in Europe had an effect of weakening the association between European Union policy entrepreneurs and multinational financial firms which hindered the effectiveness of such policies in solving the financial crisis. Conclusion and Recommendations The global financial crisis of 2007 adversely affected the global economy leading to a recession. While many causes have been put forth to explain the reasons for its occurrence, the housing bubble and the credit crisis in the US have been cited as the major causes of the crisis. In order to reduce the likelihood of such crisis from occurring in the future, much emphasis has been put on increased international financial regulation. However, the appropriate policy response to the crisis extends beyond tougher international regulations to smarter requirements combined with effective political and financial leadership (IMF 2009). This is because as evidenced in the crisis, the banking sector which is already highly regulated proved vulnerable to the systemic shock which has been attributed to lack of coordination and adequate communication in the sector. Consequently the government and financial regulators should aim at restoring the market disciplines, address the fiscal risks posed by systemic institutions, and restoring the level and q uality of bank capital in order to avoid such crisis from occurring in the future (IMF 2009). In addition, the role of international financial regulation should be delegated to both major and developing economies in order to promote efficiency and avoid conflict of interests. Reference List Canster Cannex, 2011. Global Financial Crisis-What Caused It And How The World Responded? Web. International Monetary Fund, 2009. Global Financial Stability Report: 40095. Washington D. C., International Monetary Fund. Lazarov, M., 2009. The Global Financial Crisis 2007-2008: Crisis of Human Knowledge and Government Intervention. Web. Obersteiner, T. Schemes To Asset Relief Measures and Restructuring Plans: EU State Aid Policy And Banking Institutes During The Financial Crisis. Germany, GRIN Verlag. Taylor, B. J., 2008. Financial Crisis and the Policy Responses: An Empirical Analysis of What Went Wrong. Web. Tindall, K., 2009. Framing the Global Economic Downturn: Crisis Rhetoric and the Politics of Recession. Australia, ANU E Press. Zimmermann, H., 2010. Global Finance in Crisis: The Politics of International Regulatory Change. New York, Taylor and Francis.

What is the nature of human existence from a Heideggerian perspective, Essay

What is the nature of human existence from a Heideggerian perspective, and what relevance may this have to psychotherapy - Essay Example This paper will examine the application of existential philosophy to psychotherapy, particularly focusing on Heidegger’s approach, though other existentialists will be touched upon in order to form a more general overview of Heidegger’s theory as it stands alone and in comparison to other similar theories. Heidegger’s concept of being and his fundamental issue of where being begins will be explored, as well as his notion of dasein and anxiety in application to psychotherapy. It will then be evaluated in order assess its effectiveness and contributions to psychotherapy both actual and potential. It will ultimately argued that Heidegger’s contributions to psychotherapy have the potential to be extremely useful, though they have as of yet struggled to have any major influences on psychotherapy practice. While this is due to the seemingly negative lack of structure when applying existentialism and philosophy in general to psychotherapy, it is possible that aft er some time the philosophical approach to psychotherapy can gradually develop into a methodical, structured practice. Heidegger was greatly influenced by philosophers such as Jaspers (1964) and laid the ground for later philosophers such as Binswanger (1963). The central theme of all was the shift from psychiatry to philosophy so that human problems and paradoxes could be better understood. This was of course initially received as an almost impossible task. A number of philosophers have applied existentialism to psychotherapy in several different forms and manners (Frankl, 1967; Szasz, 1965), and the stubbornness with which theories have been proposed suggests that future approaches to psychotherapy will increasingly incorporate existential themes. Heidegger’s existential philosophy concentrates on the supra and inter personal dimensions through its attempts to discover and analyse

Political systems in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political systems in India - Essay Example And, with perhaps the greatest market in the whole of Asia, India would be an obvious target of Nokia Mobile phones ltd. A robust economy, led by able and intelligent men, and a great variety of people with a variety of needs, Nokia would not only be hugely successful, but also would have the added advantage of successful experimentation. Nokia, a Finland based company, initially started out as a pulp industry before emerging as the Telecommunications giant. Named the world's most respected company for production of consumer durables, Nokia is the world's largest cellular phone company, with a global market of 34%, as on Q2 of 2006, and has a net worth of 4.639 billion Euros1. With headquarters in Espoo, Finland, Nokia's R&D facilities are spread out all over the world. The Indian market is best for launching Nokia phones due to a variety of reasons. Firstly, the market is not uniform. The market comprises of different sections of people, who have diverse tastes and needs. Fulfilling all those needs would be a challenge for a cell phone giant like Nokia. Secondly, the Indian market provides excellent grounds for experimentation. The people are always open to new and exciting ideas.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 3

Case study - Essay Example inhibitory or excitatory) and determine the specific behavior of the receptor. There are four NTs important with reference to alcohol effect and dependence, the excitatory NT glutamate, the inhibitory NT GABA (gamma- aminobutyric acid) & the two NTs involved in the reward process: Dopamine and serotonin. In initial exposure, alcohol induces production of dopamine, which onsets the encoding of these incidences as environment linked memories in cortex of brain. It also influences the excitatory and inhibitory NTs which in absence of alcohol, maintain a balance. Under the influence of alcohol, an important subset of glutamate (N-methyl D-aspartate, NMDA) is inhibited, thus causing inhibition of excitatory impulse.The primary effect of alcohol, however is on NT GABA: its inhibitory effect is enhanced, resulting in suppresing neuronal activity of receptor cell. Here one of the key features of brain comes into play, that is adaptation. Adaptation in the same system, i.e. homologous adaptation results with repeated exposure to alcohol, and thus a tolerance is developed, GABA receptors become less responsive to GABA and higher alcohol concentrations are required to achieve the same level of suppression. Upon withdrawl of alcohol, GABA receptors still remain less responsive and hence resulting in an imbalance in favor of excitatory NT. The situation is further aggravated by the enhanced activity of excitatory NT glutamate, the receptors for which remain elevated even after withdrawl of alcohol. Both these effects have the cumulative effect of hyperexcitability, which leads to craving for alcohol and withdrawl symptoms. Added to this is the hetrologous adaptation of brain, i.e the homeostatic response in one system as result of changes in another system. It is very difficult to discern these changes more so because they are not mutually exclusive. And therefore doubts arise as to which one of these neurochemical pathway is actually responsible for

Brief assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brief - Assignment Example then the enforcement would operate to deprive the Shute’s the clear day to the court to pursue justice following the evidence given by the petitioner indicating that they was hindrances when pursuing ligation be it due financial capability or physically challenged ( Phillip134) Reasoning: Since the statement that was produced by the petitioner was freely acted they negotiated on the issue to board the ship thus, does not support fully determination of the court order on the forum brought forward by the plaintiff. The clause in a passage contract is not enforceable in an easy manner simply because the contract was not subjected for bargaining. In this case it is completely out of reason to assume that cruise passenger would bargain the term of the contract regarding to the cruise ticket form. Nevertheless, it is permissible in such of kind of contract to follow he clause that cruise could subject a cruise line to ligation in different interest hence, expelling confusion on the filed suit when defended thereby sparing the plaintiff time and operating cost ( Charles 96) Decision and Remedy: Following a serious inconvenience caused by the plaintiff Carnival Cruise are enforced to stick to the agreement despite of Shute bargaining for the ticket thereby litigation is pursued on Plaintiff (Phillipe 65) Fact: The plaintiff suit a case on a assumed action in California state court against T-mobile claiming breach of the state’s unfair business practices statute occurring out of early termination fees charged the service providers through telephone line hence, the sale contract locked cellular phones making it not easy for customers to use following switch of another carrier (Dan 34) Issue: The compelled arbitration pursuant to the service agreement negotiation clause which propels they class action waiver to T- Mobile service provider hence, causing the provision statement unenforceable (Dan 300) Reasoning: According to federal Arbitration Act anticipate

HRM- Individual Report 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HRM- Individual Report 1 - Essay Example However, the practice of the effective leadership process also involves the intervention of the learning method by the leader along with the evaluation of the organisational development (Collins, 2002). Likewise, Leadership and Management Development (LMD) have been witnessed as widely practiced by contemporary organisations to stimulate operational efficiency through enhanced use of the human resources. Hereby, the report tends to develop a critical understanding about the fundamental concept of LMD along with the objectives and purposes within an organisation. Moreover, the report also details the strategic process of LMD and explores its relationship with organisational performance from a critical perspective. The concept of LMD can be simply elaborated as a planned and integrated approach, which enables managers and leaders of a particular organisation to increase their operational controlling and management efficiencies. In relation to the rapidly developing business environment, the definition of LMD can be termed as an effective learning approach for the leaders and/or managers to develop their competency level in response to the changing opportunities and trends in the respective business industry (CIPD, 2010). The primary objective of LMD may consist of numerous practices that not only improves controlling and managing capabilities of the organisation, but also helps managers and leaders to strengthen their decision-making processes. The objectives of LMD can be observed to characterise few major aspects that can enable leaders and managers to improve their performances within an organisation (CIPD, 2010). Cropping or fertilising knowledge and managerial capabilities of the leaders is further ascertained as one of the major objectives of LMD. Moreover, enabling leaders to gain adequate managing capability of the organisational inheritance can

Managing Conflict In A Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Conflict In A Project - Research Paper Example Kerzner (2010), states that managers spend as much as 42% of their time resolving conflicts. It is therefore necessary that project management include effective study of conflicts and sound conflict resolution procedures. This paper will look into managing conflict in a project. Definition of a project. A project can be defined as a specific undertaking within a given timeframe aimed at producing a unique product or products, service or results. In science or marketing, a project may be defined as a corroborative undertaking between individuals or teams usually involving design or research that is carefully planned with the aim of achieving a particular objective (Kerzner, 2010). In carrying out a project, the aspect of project management involves harmonizing and organizing all the project activities with an aim to enable timely completion of the project and its success. In order to appreciate the reasons why conflicts may build up in course of the project development, it is importan t to discuss briefly the various stages of a project and the key role players in each stage. Stages of a Project. 1. Project Initiation. During this stage, the initial scope of the project is determined, estimates about cost and time of completion are done, the degree of complexity of the project is determined and material implications studied. A different aspect of initiation also involves building customer relationship, setting up the project team and establishes a project workbook (Ohlendorf, n.d.). 2. Project planning. During this phase, the project work is broken down into specific activities for specific role players. Material sourcing and supply is done, clear channels of communication between the various entities is done such as relationship between the project manger and the quality assurance team, or the flow of work procedures between the project engineers and the logistics teams(Ohlendorf, n.d.). Risk identification and evaluation is done at this stage. Conflict may aris e if any of the teams differ with another team, such as suppliers and quality assurances teams. 3. Project execution This is the most practical and most noticeable level of the project. It involves the actual processes of construction, supply of materials, evaluation of work procedures, management of changes to procedures and decisions, reporting of progress to stakeholders or sponsors as well as customers, and preparation of the project for the next phase (Ohlendorf, n.d.). 4. Project control This stage involves refining the aspects of the project that hinder proper realization of its goal. In this stage additional installation maybe done, specific installations removed, decisions changed or made and input from the end consumers or the stakeholders sought. The stage is characterized by radical decisions and is very vulnerable to conflicts (Ohlendorf, n.d.). 5. Project closing. This is the final stage. Here the project is put together and it should function. Evaluation of team membe rs, project review and consumer contact are usually done in this phase. Conflicts may still arise in this stage

Brief assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brief - Assignment Example then the enforcement would operate to deprive the Shute’s the clear day to the court to pursue justice following the evidence given by the petitioner indicating that they was hindrances when pursuing ligation be it due financial capability or physically challenged ( Phillip134) Reasoning: Since the statement that was produced by the petitioner was freely acted they negotiated on the issue to board the ship thus, does not support fully determination of the court order on the forum brought forward by the plaintiff. The clause in a passage contract is not enforceable in an easy manner simply because the contract was not subjected for bargaining. In this case it is completely out of reason to assume that cruise passenger would bargain the term of the contract regarding to the cruise ticket form. Nevertheless, it is permissible in such of kind of contract to follow he clause that cruise could subject a cruise line to ligation in different interest hence, expelling confusion on the filed suit when defended thereby sparing the plaintiff time and operating cost ( Charles 96) Decision and Remedy: Following a serious inconvenience caused by the plaintiff Carnival Cruise are enforced to stick to the agreement despite of Shute bargaining for the ticket thereby litigation is pursued on Plaintiff (Phillipe 65) Fact: The plaintiff suit a case on a assumed action in California state court against T-mobile claiming breach of the state’s unfair business practices statute occurring out of early termination fees charged the service providers through telephone line hence, the sale contract locked cellular phones making it not easy for customers to use following switch of another carrier (Dan 34) Issue: The compelled arbitration pursuant to the service agreement negotiation clause which propels they class action waiver to T- Mobile service provider hence, causing the provision statement unenforceable (Dan 300) Reasoning: According to federal Arbitration Act anticipate

Managing Conflict In A Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Conflict In A Project - Research Paper Example Kerzner (2010), states that managers spend as much as 42% of their time resolving conflicts. It is therefore necessary that project management include effective study of conflicts and sound conflict resolution procedures. This paper will look into managing conflict in a project. Definition of a project. A project can be defined as a specific undertaking within a given timeframe aimed at producing a unique product or products, service or results. In science or marketing, a project may be defined as a corroborative undertaking between individuals or teams usually involving design or research that is carefully planned with the aim of achieving a particular objective (Kerzner, 2010). In carrying out a project, the aspect of project management involves harmonizing and organizing all the project activities with an aim to enable timely completion of the project and its success. In order to appreciate the reasons why conflicts may build up in course of the project development, it is importan t to discuss briefly the various stages of a project and the key role players in each stage. Stages of a Project. 1. Project Initiation. During this stage, the initial scope of the project is determined, estimates about cost and time of completion are done, the degree of complexity of the project is determined and material implications studied. A different aspect of initiation also involves building customer relationship, setting up the project team and establishes a project workbook (Ohlendorf, n.d.). 2. Project planning. During this phase, the project work is broken down into specific activities for specific role players. Material sourcing and supply is done, clear channels of communication between the various entities is done such as relationship between the project manger and the quality assurance team, or the flow of work procedures between the project engineers and the logistics teams(Ohlendorf, n.d.). Risk identification and evaluation is done at this stage. Conflict may aris e if any of the teams differ with another team, such as suppliers and quality assurances teams. 3. Project execution This is the most practical and most noticeable level of the project. It involves the actual processes of construction, supply of materials, evaluation of work procedures, management of changes to procedures and decisions, reporting of progress to stakeholders or sponsors as well as customers, and preparation of the project for the next phase (Ohlendorf, n.d.). 4. Project control This stage involves refining the aspects of the project that hinder proper realization of its goal. In this stage additional installation maybe done, specific installations removed, decisions changed or made and input from the end consumers or the stakeholders sought. The stage is characterized by radical decisions and is very vulnerable to conflicts (Ohlendorf, n.d.). 5. Project closing. This is the final stage. Here the project is put together and it should function. Evaluation of team membe rs, project review and consumer contact are usually done in this phase. Conflicts may still arise in this stage

Home of Mercy Essay Example for Free

Home of Mercy Essay Home of Mercy Home of Mercy is a sonnet written by Gwen Harwood during modern era Australia. It depicts the lifestyle of a select few group of â€Å"ruined girls†, who have been impregnated and exiled to live with the nuns throughout the course of their pregnancy, in hope of exoneration. It deals with the confronting issue of the loss youthful innocence; is a wrong decision made in your teenage years really enough to have the rest of your social life destroyed? Gwen Harwood’s poem raises the problem of teenage pregnancy. Pregnancy in juveniles was something that shamed an entire family. With very few options, the young women were forced to live with the Catholic nuns in hope that god will show mercy upon them. The text was clearly written with a clear understanding of the feelings of the exiled women and the obvious suppression undergone by these girls. To some extent, â€Å"Home of Mercy† loses some of its power in a modern context because of teenage pregnancies becoming more and more accepted. I think Gwen Harwood wrote her poem to not only outline the problem of unplanned pregnancy, but for the â€Å"onlooker† to have a different perception on this topic. Most people would look at them as â€Å"the ruined girls†, but I think Harwood is trying to make the reader feel compassion and sympathy for these underappreciated girls. She implies that they live very harsh lives, and touches on the notion that they aren’t mature physically (or mentally) when she refers to them as having â€Å"ripening bodies. In my opinion, Gwen is blatantly telling the reader that they should see both sides of this argument and not to jump to conclusions about them. The mood of â€Å"Home of Mercy† is one of its fundamental tools in persuasion. It contains a very strong emotion of suppression and domination, with a strong influence of a lifeless and depressing overtone. A main emotion is the strict and forceful routine enforced by the Catholic Church. The opening sentence â€Å"By two and two † already suggests that they are standing in regimented lines. The next line â€Å"at the neat margin of the convent grass† re-instates the sharp, tense lines symbolically representing their sharp, tense lives. The girls are shown as being ultimately dominated; â€Å"They kneel†, â€Å"their intolerable weekday rigour. †, â€Å"they will launder†. They have no say: â€Å"an old nun who silences their talking†, and are forced to do exactly what the nuns tell them or face life-long solitude. â€Å"Home of Mercy† is structured like a conventional Petrarchan sonnet (abba rhyming scheme), with a few minor flaws in the flow (line 1 and 4 have 11 syllables, and line 6 has 12). A strange aspect of the poem is the use of language. The poem is about a group of girls being treated like the scum of the Earth, yet there aren’t many violent or hateful words at all. Most of the meaning is put through symbolic references and metaphors. The most hateful words are sin and brutish, which are only used toward the end of the poem for effect. Visual imagery is also strong in Harwood’s poem. The opening line â€Å"By two and two† already gives the reader the impression that the girls are under strict control. angels will wrestle them with brutish vigour† is metaphorically saying that even the sacred angels won’t be by their side; that everyone is against them. â€Å"Home of Mercy† has iambic pentameter, with 10 syllables per line in most. A good example of Gwen using sounds to give effect to the poem is â€Å"They smooth with roughened hands†, the soft sounds of â€Å"smooth† in contrast of the harsh sounds of â€Å" roughened† have almost an onomatopoeic effect. Also, the line â€Å"faces of mischievous children in distress† contains sibilance of the â€Å"s† sound. â€Å"Home of Mercy†

General Cable Company (GCC) SWOT Analysis

General Cable Company (GCC) SWOT Analysis Overview This section of the paper analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by General Cable. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are identified and evaluated to determine the ways to capitalize, improve, or avoid these factors to strengthen General Cable as a company. Each of the categories is explained in details to see how it will impact the business or give it a competitive advantage. Below is the SWOT diagram. Strengths Geographically diversified  (may also pose as a weakness) Wide product breadth Lean efficient operation Weaknesses 1. Geographically diversified Political instability Volatile foreign currency exchange 2. Excessive debt dependency 3. Over dependence on one key supplier Opportunities Expansion into emerging markets Strong growth Government support of alternative energy Demand for greater communication bandwidth and global connectivity Threats Volatile commodity market Stringent regulations Litigations Strengths Geographically Diversified GCC operates in three geographical segments namely North America, Europe and North Africa, and the Rest of World (ROW). The biggest markets and contributors of income are the United States and Spain markets. With the focus of long term growth however, it is predicted that there will be increasing population and wealth emerge from the developing countries so GCC has been focusing on diversifying geographically.1 The recession in the United States and slow market in Spain proved that diversifying geographically has been an excellent move. Earlier this year, GCC acquired a major stake of Phoenix Power Cables, a cable manufacturer in Durban, South Africa as one of the moves to further diversify its market and increase its business and presence in Sub-Saharan Africa. 2 GCC is also increasing its presence in its Rest of World (ROW) market by strategic acquisition of local companies and/or building manufacturing plant. This wide international presence allows GCC to have several sources of revenue and globalize GCC as a brand in different parts of the world. It also allows GCC to not depend on a certain geographic markets and helps reduce business risks considerably by spreading its revenue sources. With a successful track record of overseas acquisition, combined with their technical know-how and expertise in the business, GCC is poised to leverage itself as a major global player amidst the ever changing business world. Even though geographic diversification is considered as a strength for GCC, this can also posed a weakness for the company. Detailed discussion of this is presented in the next section. Wide Product Breadth GCC has the broadest product offering in the industry. It offers wide variety of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products which are sold to different markets and industries. These products are used not only in the cable industry but in other industries as well, such as, communication, construction, transportation, and oil and gas companies. The wire and cable industry is highly competitive and by providing a wide variety of products is a competitive strength for GCC. This diversified product offering helps reducing the impact of market volatility in one particular product segment and provides economic stability. Lean Efficient Operation GCC is a one of the leaders in the wire and cable industry and it strives very hard to be as lean and as productive as possible to give it a competitive edge. As an ongoing effort to reduce waste and costs, GCC spends considerable time and resources to educate its employees on how to reduce waste and cost and provide them with Lean Six Sigma manufacturing cost containment training. Talk about from the financial paper. Operating income and gross profit were up in 2008 and GCC attributed some of these achievements to improved efficiency as a result of continued Lean manufacturing initiatives. With a leaner and more efficient operation than the industry, GCC possesses a competitive edge. It allows them to profit more from the operation with its lower cost structure or sell the products at a lower price than the competitors but still making the same amount of profit. Weaknesses Geographically Diversified As mentioned earlier in the section, geographic diversification is a competitive strength for GCC. However, it is also a weakness for GCC. Geographically diversified means GCC operates in various parts of the world and exposed to different government rules and regulation, political instability in each country, as well as volatile foreign currency. GCC has a significant investment in Thailand and is therefore subject to the political instability there. In late 2006, Thailands elected government was overthrown which created a lot of unrest and instability in the nation. This inevitably posed as a problem for GCC to smoothly operate in Thailand and may negatively impact the financial health of Thailands operation. Volatile foreign exchange rates can pose as an advantage or disadvantage. Favorable year-over-year foreign currency translation is a benefit while unfavorable translation means a loss that GCC has to bear and report in the financial statement. For example, Venezuelan government recently decided to devalue its currency for non-essential goods from 4.30 Bolivars to each US Dollar to 2.15 which means that $40-$45 million USD will need to be written off from the balance sheet.3 All of these factors may have negative impact on General Cables financial numbers as it influences sales, growth and net profit. Unfavorable foreign currency and political instability are some of the factors associated with having a global presence. GCC has to find ways to overcome these weaknesses by constantly monitoring current and prospective rules and regulations in each country and assess the likelihood and impact of them on GCC. Foreign exchange futures can also be used to lessen the impact of volatile foreign exchange rates. Excessive Debt Dependency As mentioned in the earlier portion of the paper, GCC is highly leveraged by debt and this may potentially have an adverse effect on GCCs financial position. Talk about paper. GCC competitive edge may be limited as it may be harder for GCC to obtain further financing due to the significant amount of debt it possesses. Net income may also be adversely affected when business is bad and cash flow is limited and there is a significant amount of debt repayments to be made. Over Dependence On One Key Supplier More than 90% of General Cable 2008 copper rod purchase was supplied by one key supplier. This posed as a high risk for General Cable if this key supplier fails or for any reason, fail to supply GCC with adequate material. GCC did not have any long term purchase agreements with this key supplier and it is extremely hard to find another key supplier that can supply raw materials in such a short notice. Any unanticipated problems and interruptions with this supplier could have a material adverse effect on GCC. Be it natural catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes or the suppliers own financial and company problem, all of this will have a negative impact on GCCs operation and financial performance. To shield itself from this weakness, GCC has to identify new prospective supplier. GCC needs a supplier who is reliable, reputable, and has the ability to supply massive amount of raw material at the right time and price. However it seems that GCC is reluctant to do so, based on the statement in the 2008 annual report that identifying and accessing alternative suppliers may increase their costs. The likelihood that this key supplier will be problematic should be minimal considering that GCC has outweighed the benefits and cost of identifying new supplier. Opportunities Expansion Into The Emerging Markets As there are massive growth and wealth coming from the emerging markets, GCC has been trying to expand further into these emerging markets and leverage their 150 years of technical expertise and One Company approach. China and India are one the largest emerging markets right now and GCC has considerable investment and presence in both of these countries. Its expansion strategies include acquisition and building manufacturing facilities. GCC recently acquired a local specialty cable manufacturer as it plans to reach out to the Chinese automotive and industrial markets.4In 2007, GCC started its expansion in India by entering a joint venture with a local firm to leverage itself in the construction cables industry for the Indian market.5 GCC is vigorously expanding worldwide by leveraging opportunities in the emerging markets from building new world cup stadium in south Africa for the world cup to reaching into the local markets in China and India. These projects, along with the recent acquisition and expansion in other emerging markets, further GCCs strategy to expand globally into economies that are building their energy infrastructure. This creates an opportunity for the company to increase its sales and brand presence by providing energy and electrical infrastructure cables in these emerging markets. The opportunity in the emerging markets will also help strengthen GCC as a company as it presents more revenue sources and also helps reduce business risks considerably by spreading its revenue sources. Strong Growth Government Support In Alternative Energy With the ever increasing desire for energy independence and environmental concern, alternative energy such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power is poised to grow rapidly. General Cable is one of the leading cable companies that support alternative energy by creating products that provide solutions in the alternative energy sectors. In 2008, more than $400 million of industrial and energy cable is sold to the terrestrial wind farm market globally and this number will continue to climb in the future.1 Alternative energy such as biofuels, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, and wind provided 11.37% of domestic U.S. energy production in June 2009. This is a gain from the half of 2007 where alternative energy represents only 9.89% of the domestic energy production.6 The government support in the alternative energy movement is also an excellent opportunities for GCC. The economic stimulus package passed by congress supports renewable alternative energy and this will enhance investments and thus increase demands for GCC products. Both strong growth and government support for alternative energy allows GCC to capitalize on this opportunity to further enhance its market position and financial performance. Demand For Greater Communication Bandwidth And Global Connectivity As the demand for bandwidth increases to support the increasing need for global connectivity and communication, the demand for GCC products will inevitably surge. An article from ‘IT News Africa states that the demand for international connectivity has been much higher than anticipated, which proves there is a definite need for all the international cables global high-speed.7 Internet users will also increase as the emerging markets become more wealthy and require faster connection. This increase in demand is an opportunity that GCC has to capitalize on. Successfully capitalizing on this opportunity will have a positive impact for GCCs financial performance and reputation. GCC has taken considerable steps to take advantage of this increase in demand. It invested in multi-billion dollar of submarine optic communications markets, the medium for faster global connectivity. It is also in a stage to acquire a patent for a newly introduced product which will be used in networking cable technology spectrum. Threats Volatile Commodity Market GCC transforms basic raw materials such as copper, aluminum, petrochemicals and steel into highly engineered wire and cable products. Raw materials account for approximately 75% of the conversion cost which means that fluctuation in raw materials prices may adversely affect GCC cost of sales and in turn, its competitive pricing. The price of copper and aluminum, in recent months, has been extremely volatile. Another issue with the commodity market is that big increase in the prices will substantially decrease demand for wire and cable products and ultimately, will have a negative impact on GCC financial performance. GCC has been involved in numerous commodity hedging programs to shield itself from volatile copper and other raw material prices. However, due to the nature of the financial hedging, it is still no guarantee that they will always be able to protect themselves from the volatility. Stringent Regulations Operating in the wire and cable industry as well as having worldwide operation exposed GCC to numerous complex rules and regulations. The regulations range from import and export rules, individual government policies on the industry, environmental laws, to electronic or telecommunication rules. All of these factors are threats that may materially impact GCCs growth strategy, performance, and reputation. It is noted, however, that GCC is doing its best to ensure that the employees, subsidiaries, contractors, and agents comply with the rules and regulations. Litigations By the end of 2008, GCC and its subsidiaries have been involved in 34,730 lawsuits, 1,275 out of the lawsuits are pending non-maritime asbestos cases.1 These litigation claims are worth millions of dollars combine. If GCC is found guilty in any of the lawsuits and subjected to hefty monetary fines and payments, it will materially impact GCC operation and financial performance. However, GCC has been fighting these lawsuits for the past 20 years and therefore have the experience in defending itself against these lawsuits. In the past 20 years, GCC has had no cases proceed to verdict from those lawsuits and in many cases, was dismissed as a defendant. However, there is no guarantee in the foreseeable future that GCC will always have the upper hand in the lawsuits. Therefore the litigations faced by GCC is considered as a considerable threat. Conclusion GCCs global presence and lean operation put it at a competitive advantage in the industry. It allows GCC to have a wide spread of income source and avoid that economy cyclicality when one country is in recession. As it was discussed in previous section, however, global presence is also a weakness for GCC. Exposure to political instability and fluctuations in the foreign exchange market may have adverse effect on GCCs operation and financial performance. Wide product breadth is also another strength in that it helps reducing the impact of market volatility in one particular product segment and provides economic stability. In order to remain competitive in the industry, GCC has to not only maintain its strengths that give it a competitive advantage, but it also needs to capitalize on the opportunities available to the firm. The strong support and growth for alternative energy as well as increasing demand for greater bandwidth and connectivity are some of the opportunities that GCC has already capitalized on and will continue to do so. However, the rising raw material prices and volatility in the commodity market could pressurize the companys profit margins, thus posing a threat to the firm. Litigations that GCC is involved in is also a threat to the firms operation and financial performance if and when it is found guilty. It is crucial for GCC to continually analyze and assess its SWOT factors to see how it is going to impact the company. Doing so allows GCC to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities as well as take appropriate measure to decrease the likelihood of the threats and weakness from occurring. Annual report. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MzMxNTkwfENoaWxkSUQ9MzEzNzYyfFR5cGU9MQ==t=1 http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2010/01/18/daily10.html?ana=yfcpc http://investor.generalcable.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=81254p=irol-newsArticleID=1374797highlight= http://www.generalcable.com.cn/ http://www.nema.org/media/ind/20070419b.cfm http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/09/power-politics-growth-in-renewable-energy-outpaces-nuclear-fossil-fuels.html http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=3921