The Continuum From Legitimacy To Fraud Research Paper

The Continuum From Legitimacy To Fraud - Research Paper Example The archival research employs the use of secondary data, making it difficult to determine proxies for managing of earnings. Several models developed for this proxy are unable to distinguish accurately amid opportunistic behavior of managers and true performance. Another archival research limitation is the inability to tap the managers’ incentives into earnings management. This research type has founded its argument on economic theory in an attempt to explain the occurrence of earnings management (Cozby, 2009). It is hard to confirm beyond doubt that firms with the motivating factors such bonuses, debts covenants and political reasons undertake earnings management because of these factors. Behavioral researchers have tried to handle these shortcomings by giving proof of the behavior of earnings management, which has greater construct validity (implying easily to measure and define) than archival perspective. Several methods can detect and measure earnings management empirically . The most discretional method is the discretional accrual, which assumes that managers can depend on their discretional ability concerning some accruals to use as the proxy testing of earnings management (J. W. Creswell & J. D. Creswell, 2009). Another method is single accrual where only one of accrual types, say depreciation estimates, exists. This method is ineffective because of difficulty in establishing the exceptional accrual required to manage earnings. In the distribution method of earnings management testing, loss reporting is avoided (McKee, 2005).... Earnings Management Stimuli Motivation of capital markets The accounting information is useful in the capital markets in influencing the stock price in the interim, and for this reason, managers alter the information to influence their firms’ performance in the stock market. The key incentive for earnings management is to promote investment in a firm through purchase of shares in the capital market. Many firms post unanticipated positive accruals, which enhance prior to initial public offer (IPO) and acquisition financed by stock. These situations increase the use of earnings management to boost incomes, making them more viable than those of other firms (McKee, 2005). Past studies of firms indirectly concur with this argument by stating that ownership of lower institutions represented by interim oriented investments with much stress on stock prices over lasting gains. In opposition, some studies illustrate the inducement of understating earnings before a management buyout. Ron en and Yaari in their study support a hypothesis showing that unanticipated negative accruals depict a decreasing income, making the buyout cheaper and easier. This permits the management of a firm to propose a price that emerges as reasonably beyond the market price but beneath the actual worth of the firm. This market price does not show the real firm’s economics (Ronen & Yaari, 2011). Another motivation reason for capital markets is to show that the earnings of the firm have met the requirements of financial management or analysts. There are firms that hardly meet or surpass the forecast of a financial analyst; hence, the management alters the earnings upwards in order to satisfy the forecast (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008). Besides, firms should avoid loss making and

Students with Learning Disabilities: Self-Concepts

Students with Learning Disabilities: Self-Concepts Learning disabilities (LD) is an umbrella term used to describe a number of other, more specific learning disabilities (SLD). Students with SLD comprise the largest single category of students with special needs (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2016). There are many obstacles that students with LD encounter. One of those obstacles being how they judge themselves based on comparisons of other students without LD. In order to better understand this obstacle, one must first examine how children with LD understand their disability and how this understanding is associated with global self-esteem and other self-perceptions. A study conducted by Cosden, Elliot, Noble, and Kelemen (1999) used an assessment consisting of three components: Harters What I am Like scale, Heymans Self-Perception of a Learning Disability (SPLD), and a series of open-ended questions about learning disabilities to determine how children with LD understand their disability and how this understanding is associated with global self-esteem and other self-perceptions. The study consisted of students from both elementary and junior high school. Cosden, Elliot, Noble, and Kelemen (1999) findings revealed that students in the junior high school group had more negative self-perceptions than did students in the elementary group. The largest population of students in each group was informed about their learning problems by school personnel, while other students were informed by their parents. 20% of the junior high students and over one-third of the elementary students reported that no one told them about their disability. A majority of ele mentary students were not able to explain LD in their own words, while one-third of junior high students were able to define learning disabilities as a specific academic problem. A majority of all students believed they would outgrow their LD; however, one-fourth of the junior high students stated that LD would continue to affect them, but not as severe. The remaining students felt that their learning disability would continue to affect them the same as now or didnt know what would happen in the future. Data from the SPLD scores showed that students who reported being informed about their learning disability from teachers had less positive perceptions of their learning disability than students who were told by their parents. Cosden, Elliot, Noble, and Kelemens (1999) revealed additional data that some students told by their teachers were able to articulate an accurate verbal description of their LD; while others told by their teachers demonstrated very little understanding. Therefor e, Cosden, Elliot, Noble, and Kelemens (1999) determined that the source of information had a mixed impact on the students self-understanding. There was some indication that greater knowledge about learning disabilities was associated with lower self-esteem for the children in this study. Now, that weve gained some insight on how self-understanding of ones learning disability affects self-esteem and self-perceptions, lets uncover what research shows about children with LD in regards to academic self-concept and self-esteem. Heyman (1990) examined the self-perception of a learning disability and its relations to academic self-concept and self-esteem. The instrument used for measuring self-esteem was the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory School Short Form, Form B (SCEI-SF). Academic self-concept was measured by three subscales of the Students Perception of Ability Scale (SPAS) developed by Boersma and Chapman (1979). Self-perception of ones learning disability (SPLD) was assessed by a 25-item scale developed by Heyman specific for this study. Participants were tested individually or in small groups of two to eight children. Heyman (1990) found a positive correlation between self-perception of learning disabilities and academic self-concept and self-esteem. Self-perception of learning disability explained 12% of the variability in self-esteem and more than 30% of the variability in academic self-concept. This relationship remained significant after controlling for sex, ethnicity, age, reading and math achi evement, self-contained versus mainstreamed class setting, and age at the time the learning disability was diagnosed. The results of Heymans (1990) study suggest that self-perception of the learning disability may have an effect on academic self-concept and self-esteem, which in turn may influence achievement for children with learning disabilities (Heyman, 1990). At this point, I will discuss differences in self-concept between a student with LD and nonhandicapped students. Cooley and Ayers (1988) investigated differences in self-concept between a student with LD and nonhandicapped students, differences between attributes made by students with LD and those made by nonhandicapped students when explaining success and failure, and the relationship between self-concept and the attributions used by the students. Instruments used for this study included The Piers-Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale and the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR). Cooley and Ayers (1988) analysis of the data indicated that the children with LD reported significantly lower self-concept scores than their nonhandicapped peers. Cooley and Ayers (1988) indicated that there was not a significant difference between attributes made by students with LD and those made by nonhandicapped students when explaining success and failure. In regards to the relationship between self-concept and attributions, analysis of Cooley and Ayers (1988) data suggested that external att ributions for success and ability attributions for failure are related to the self-concept scores. Below I will review students from primarily Hispanic backgrounds with LD. Gans, Kenny, and Ghany (2003) examined the self-concept of children with learning disabilities (LD) from primarily Hispanic backgrounds. The study compared children with LD and their peers without LD on self-concept and contributes to the literature by using a primarily Hispanic sample and by examining gender differences. The Piers-Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS) was selected for this study due to its theoretical understanding of self-concept, its ease of administration and the targeted population. The PHCSCS includes six cluster scales: Behavior, Intellectual and School Status, Physical Appearance and Attributes, Anxiety, Popularity, and Happiness and Satisfaction. Participants completed this 80-item scale by responding yes or no to the test statements. Gans, Kenny, and Ghany (2003) found that participants with LD scored significantly lower on the PHCSCS subscale of Intellectual and School Status than participants without LD. Also, Gans, Kenny, and Ghany (2003) found th at participants with LD scored lower on the PHCSCS subscale of Behavior than participants without LD. None of the other subscales yielded significant differences between participants with LD and those without LD. There was no difference between boys with LD and girls with LD on self-concept. The correlations of PHCSCS Subscales for students with LD and students without LD were presented. The correlation of Happiness with Behavior was significantly higher for students with LD than for the students without LD. No other subscale correlations were significantly different. This study focused on children from the primarily Hispanic background from only one school in an urban area. The results are generalized only to schools with similar populations; therefore, future research should employ larger samples of other ethnic groups. The next study will evaluate the self-concept of LD students versus academically gifted children. Educators and researchers traditionally relate self-concept with educational status, often concluding that children with LD have low self-concepts and academically gifted children have high self-concepts (Montgomery, 1994). Using the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale (MSCS), Montgomery (1994) assessed the self-concept of students with LD, comparing observer ratings and self-reports both within the LD group and across LD, nondisabled, and high-achieving classes. Montgomerys (1994) results show that children with LD report lower academic and competence self-concepts than do high achieving and nondisabled children. However, the three student groups; LD, Nondisabled, and High Achieving, did not differ significantly in their social, family, affect, or physical self-concepts. Montgomerys (1994) comparisons of teachers evaluations of LD, nondisabled, and high achieving students global self-concepts showed that teachers incorrectly evaluated children with LD as having lower self-concepts t han nondisabled or high achieving students. The teachers appeared to magnify the differences among the student groups and clearly differentiated among LD, nondisabled, and high achieving children did themselves. The teacher-children comparisons for each student group show that teachers did indeed underrate the self-concepts of the children with LD. Montgomery (1994) concluded that parent evaluations of the children with LD were equivalent to the childrens self-reports. Parents of nondisabled and high achieving children also assessed their childrens global self-concepts accurately. Lastly, I will discuss the effects of school placement and social support on the self-concept of children and adolescents with LD. The primary purpose of the study conducted by Forman (1988) was to examine the effects of two types of social factors; school placement and perceived social support, on the self-concepts of children and adolescents with LD. The LD students received three types of educational services: self-contained LD classrooms, remediation during part of the day in LD resource rooms, and not yet receiving LD services in school. Perceived social support was assessed using a self-report measure developed by Harter which provided information on the availability of support from parents, teachers, classmates, and friends. Formans (1988) finding concluded that the self-perceptions of the LD students and adolescents studied were related to their perceived access to adequate social support. Forman (1988) showed the higher social support from parents, classmates, teachers, and friends were associated with higher self-esteem in general self-worth, scholastic competence-specific behaviors, athletic competenc e, and behavioral conduct. Also, Forman (1988) revealed that school placement did not seem to affect self-concept in her sample of subjects. She contributed this to the small number of subjects in both resource and regular classroom placements, making it difficult to achieve statistically significant difference at the .01 level. Further research using a larger sample is needed to better assess the impact of school placement on students with LD. The research described above demonstrates some of the many obstacles that students with LD encounter. There were inconsistencies in the research regarding the self-concept of students with LD. Heyman (1990) noted that there is a positive correlation between self-perception of learning disabilities, academic self-concept, and self-esteem. Cooley and Ayers (1988) concluded that there is a difference between students with LD and nonhandicapped students self-concepts. Gans, Kenny, and Ghany (2003) suggested children from primarily Hispanic backgrounds with LD had lower self-concept based on their responses on the Piers-Harris Childrens Self-Concept Scale. Also, Montgomery (1994) found that students with LD had lower self-concept based on their responses on the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale. Additional factor such as placement of students with learning disabilities was also reviewed. Foreman (1988) showed that there isnt a reliable correlation between placement and self-concept. In conclusion, the research discussed in my literature review revealed that there are obstacles that students with LD encounter that affects their self-esteem and other self-perceptions. References Cooley, E.J. Ayres, R. R. (1988). Self-Concept and Success-Failure Attributes of  Nonhandicapped Students and Students with Learning Disabilities. Journal of Learning  Disabilities, 21, 174-178. Cosden, M., Elliot, K., Noble, S. Kelemen, E. (1999). Self-Understanding and Self-Esteem in  Children with Learning Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 22, 279-290. Forman, E.A. (1988). The effects of social support and school placement on the self-concept of  LD students. Learning Disability Quarterly, 11, 115-124. Gans, A. M., Kenny, M. C., Ghany, D. L. (2003). Comparing the Self-Concept of Students  With and Without Learning Disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities,36(3), 287-295. Heyman, W. B. (1990). The Self-Perception of a Learning Disability and Its Relationship to  Academic Self-Concept and Self-Esteem. Journal of Learning Disabilities,23(8), 472-475. Montgomery, M.S. (1994). Self-Concept and Children with Learning Disabilities: Observer-Child Concordance Across Six Context-Dependent Domains. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27(4), 254-262. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Digest of  Education Statistics, 2015 (NCES 2016-014), Table 204.30. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=64

My Miracle :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Miracle "Dad, I need to go to Hailey's to borrow a shirt for school tomorrow," I shouted from the back room. It had been a hard week for me. My cheerleading squad was preparing for a performance, and we had been practicing before and after school. While I waited for an answer from my dad, the game show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," sounded in the background. "Dad, I am going to run to Hailey's real quick," I repeated my shout. A reply came: "It's snowing pretty hard, wait for my show to end and I will take you. I am on my way to the store anyway." I looked out the window to see snow coming down pretty heavy. On any other day, I would have argued to leave right away, but for some reason I didn't argue. Ten or fifteen minutes later, however, I decided I really needed to go. I said, "Mom just take me, I have a lot of stuff to do tonight." My mom said she didn't want to drive on the bad roads. "Wait for your dad," she told me. So I waited. Finally, the show ended and we were on our way out the door. The roads were slippery and the snow was coming down hard. I looked out the windows of the car and in my mind, I heard my mom reminding me to slide the seat away from the dashboard. I chuckled to myself that a seventeen-year old would be too small to sit with an airbag, but I was. As I slid the seat back, my dad asked, "Cara is your seat belt on?" I fastened my seat belt and stared at the snow. It was a peaceful night; it felt quiet and serene. It felt good to have a few minutes of alone time with my dad. We were lost in conversation, and before I knew it we were in front of Hailey's house. I ran in and waved goodbye to my dad. I found the shirt I wanted, and played a game with Hailey and her sisters while we waited for my dad. We joked about my mismatching outfit that consisted of doctor scrubs, a football sweatshirt, and snow boots. While we were laughing, I noticed the headlights in the driveway and hurried out. I excitedly explained the game we had played to my dad as we drove away from Hailey's house.

My Personal Faith Essay

My personal faith and beliefs contribute to every aspect of my life. I come from a Christian family and a congregation of baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. My parents have always given me unconditional love and dedication, while teaching me healthy boundaries pertaining to life. Such as always putting the Lord first, being more concerned about the pain of consequences for irresponsibility, the rights and wrongs of my behavior, and what pain any of my actions may cause for others and God. My faith has enabled me to handle life challenges from my past and present. Some of these challenges have been series of events that I could hardly believe were happening, while others came with great joy. At five years old, my younger brother, Chandler, died unexpectedly. This was a tough challenge for my whole family to face. This challenge could have easily torn my family apart but together, as a team with God, we worked hard at picking up the pieces and moving forward even when there were days that seemed to be impossible. In the fifth grade, I was diagnosed with a common learning disability known as Attention Deficit Disorder. I am faced with this challenge on a daily basis. I have learned to cope with this disorder over the years by making prayer and patience priorities in helping me conquer this challenge. This challenge was especially difficult during my SAT and ACT tests. Certain scores on these tests were required to get into college and play NCAA football. The stress and pressure of taking these tests felt unbearable at times. While studying and before and during each test, I would remind myself that, through God, all things are possible. With God by my side, I was able to achieve the scores needed to reach my college and athletic goals. Varsity football has had an enormous impact on me during high school because it taught me how dedication and determination would help me succeed in academics as well as in extracurricular activities. Being part of a team helped me develop leadership skills within myself. Each time I step on the field, I put forth an effort to play my best. For me, each game started with a prayer that God would help me make good decisions and keep me and my team safe, win or lose. I earned many Regional and State awards for my achievements in football. All District First Team Defense 2011 and All Region Second Team Defense 2011 were two of my greatest achievements. Again, through God, all things are possible. Strong faith, good character and determination to succeed and live â€Å"a life that matters† can help anyone overcome any challenging situation that they are faced with in their lifetime. They also produce hope within oneself and set the foundation for an integral person to build on their morals and values. I plan to influence others to live â€Å"a life that matters† by staying true to my faith and hope within myself and allowing patience and perseverance to always be a strong characteristic of my character. I am going into the nursing program at Shepherd University in the fall. I plan to further my education into physical therapy. After my education is finished and I enter the working world, I want my greatest accomplishments to be encountering someone daily that I can portray my faith and integrity to that will make a difference in both our lives. I want to be able to reflect back on myself as a person who lived my entire life as one that mattered regardless of what stage of life or challenge that I am faced with at that time. As Christians, we are called and obligated to serve God with our time, talents, and material possessions but we must also recognize these areas as being entrusted to us to be used for the glory of God and helping others. God wants us to seek to bring others under the sway of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.

Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction Essay

†¢Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction: concerned with the end of civilization either through nuclear war, plague, or some other general disaster. Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world or civilization after such a disaster. The time frame may be immediately after the catastrophe, focusing on the travails or psychology of survivors, or considerably later, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten (or mythologized). Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in an agrarian, non-technological future world, or a  world where only scattered elements of technology remain. There is a considerable degree of blurring between this form of science fiction and that which deals with false utopias or dystopic societies. †¢ †¢Dark fantasy: a subgenre of fantasy which can refer to literary, artistic, and filmic works that combine fantasy with elements of horror. The term can be used broadly to refer to fantastical works that have a dark, gloomy atmosphere or a sense of horror and dread and a dark, often brooding, tone. †¢Gnome, being of earth (gnomus). He describes them as two spans high, very reluctant to interact with humans, and able to move through solid earth as easily as humans move through air. [4] [5] †¢Undine or nymph being of water Undines are almost invariably depicted as being female, which is consistent with the ancient idea that water is a female element. [8] They are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls,[9] and their beautiful singing voices[10] are sometimes heard over the sound of water. †¢Sylph, being of air (sylevestris) is a mythological spirit of the air †¢Salamander, being of fire (Vulcanus).

Substrate Definition in Chemistry and Other Sciences

Substrate Definition in Chemistry and Other Sciences The definition of substrate depends on the context in which the word is used, particularly in the sciences. Definitions of Substrate Substrate (chemistry): A substrate is the medium in which a chemical reaction takes place or the reagent in a reaction that provides a surface for absorption. For example, in the fermentation of yeast, the substrate the yeast acts upon is sugar to produce carbon dioxide. In biochemistry, an enzyme substrate is the substance the enzyme acts upon. Sometimes the word substrate is also used as a synonym for the reactant, which is the molecule consumed in a chemical reaction. Substrate (biology): In biology, the substrate may be the surface on which an organism grows or is attached. For example, a microbiological medium may be considered a substrate. The substrate may also be the material at the bottom of a habitat, such as gravel at the base of an aquarium. Substrate may also refer to the surface on which an organism moves. Substrate (materials science): In this context, a substrate is a base on which a process occurs. For example, if gold is electroplated over silver, the silver is the substrate. Substrate (geology): In geology, substrate is underlying stratum.

Constraints of Convention To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Example

Constraints of Convention To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Example Constraints of Convention To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Constraints of Convention To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Being subjected to constraints of any kind is an encumbrance many individuals endure at some point throughout their life. However, one’s ability to overcome a challenging situation truly defines them. Harper Lee explored the topic of an individual’s response to living constrained by conventions or circumstances specifically in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. By developing strongly established customs in the small town of Maycomb, Lee is effectively able to communicate the complex social system and constantly indicates that the root of the problems in Maycomb are connected to the unrealistic conventions that are present. Consequently, many characters in the novel must make difficult decisions – follow along with the traditional community, be able to develop their own stand and live against tradition or a little bit of both, just like Miss. Maudie. Ultimately, the importance of attempting to live unconstrained by conventional boundaries is conveyed and reinforced by Lee’s thoughts about an individuals need for freedom, balance of moral and ethical principles and for the sake of truth and honesty. Everyone should be entitled to freedom, but evidently, people did not believe so in the past. In the 1930s, the economy crash and the Great Depression that followed posed severe difficulty for many individuals. Yet, during that time, society’s conventions were still present. One example of these customs was the racial segregation that separated individuals, giving white people more opportunities than black people. Not only was the current economic situation challenging, but also the segregation removed all possible freedom from the black community. In the novel, Tom Robinson and the other members of his community are simply trying to gain the freedom they deserve as human beings, and Atticus is trying to help them gain this right. When Atticus is making his conclusive speech for Mayella Ewell’s case, he begins to discuss the â€Å"evi

The Treaty of Verdun

The Treaty of Verdun The Treaty of Verdun divided the empire that Charlemagne had built into three portions, which would be governed by his three surviving grandsons. It is significant because it not only marked the beginning of the empires dissolution, it laid out the general boundaries of what would become individual nation-states of Europe. Background of the Treaty of Verdun Upon the death of Charlemagne, his sole surviving son, Louis the Pious, inherited the entire Carolingian Empire. But Louis had several sons, and though he wanted the empire to remain a cohesive whole, he divided and re-divided the territory so that each might govern his own kingdom. The eldest, Lothair, was given the title of emperor, but amidst the re-apportioning and the revolts that resulted, his actual imperial power was severely curtailed. After the death of Louis in 840, Lothair tried to reclaim the power hed originally wielded as emperor, but his two surviving brothers, Louis the German and ​Charles the Bald, joined forces against him, and a bloody civil war ensued. Lothair was eventually forced to admit defeat. After extensive negotiations, the Treaty of Verdun was signed in August, 843. Terms of the Treaty of Verdun Under the terms of the treaty, Lothair was allowed to keep the title of emperor, but he no longer had any real authority over his brothers. He received the central portion of the empire, which included parts of present-day Belgium and much of the Netherlands, some of eastern France and western Germany, most of Switzerland, and a substantial portion of Italy. Charles was given the western part of the empire, which included most of present-day France,and Louis took the eastern part, which included most of present-day Germany.

Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Project - Research Paper Example However, research has shown that local members of the community are not benefiting much from the resources that are mined in their area. It has also been found that the working conditions of the employees are not favourable since the mine has been recently hit by a spate of strikes over pay issues. It has also been found that people who were protesting over improved working conditions were harshly treated and 34 lost their lives after the police opened fire on the protestors. In principle, organizations that extract natural resources in different places should plough back to the members of the community. It has been recommended that the company involved in this case should make efforts to empower the employees in particular so that they can also directly benefit from the natural resources that are obtained from their areas. This can be done through increasing their wages as well as creating community share trusts. This action is designed to fulfil the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concerns of the company. Overview of the topic In most cases, natural resources like minerals are exploited for various reasons. Minerals contribute towards economic growth and development if they are sold to other countries. Through exploitation of mineral resources in a particular area or country, employment is created and the welfare of the people is likely to be improved. There are many benefits that can be derived from extracting natural resources in a certain area. Development of infrastructure can also be promoted if a natural resource that is of commercial value is being mined in a particular area. Essentially, informed companies should make an effort to ensure that their activities also positively contribute to the growth and development of the areas they would be operating in. This can also help to create trust among the local members since they would stand to benefit from the wealth obtained from their backyard. However, this is not the case in some places that are rich in mineral resources since the people living around the area where the minerals are being mined live in abject poverty. This is in stark contrast to minerals millions of dollars extracted in these people’s background but they do not benefit from these resources. This is ironical because local residents in the communities where the precious minerals are mined are poor and they do not directly benefit from the wealth extracted from their backgrounds. This calls for organizations involved in this business to be more accountable and socially responsible for their activities. Essentially, the concept of â€Å"CSR maintains that businesses are part of the larger society in which they exist and are accountable to the society for their operations,† (Strydom, 2004 p.11). This means that organisations should strike a fine balance between the needs and interests of customers, needs of the environment and the need for businesses to realise their financial goals. This goes han d in hand with the concept of business ethics which tries to make a distinction between something that is morally good from bad (1994). Apart from inequalities in the distribution of wealth obtained from extraction of natural resources in a particular area, it can be seen that the local community members are also exposed to dangers such as environmental pollution that are directly caused by the activities of the company extracting the

Article response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article response - Essay Example The privacy of application should be guarded strongly and safely against illegal use and collection; that is without the consent of the device and application users. This is because it leaves the users vulnerable to exploitation and abuse by application proprietors and developers, who collect the said information. As such, the report recommended by the FTC should be seen through to its end in implementation and enforcement as without it many will suffer under lack of privacy. Especially affected are those that are still considered underage children as companies tend to collect their data even more than adults. This shows violation of rights since children do not have the power to know and even take legal action against the companies of their own accord as seen in â€Å"indicated that they were under age 13 without permission of their parents or disclosure of how it would use the information† (Wyatt). As a result, the move is strongly recommended to protect the privacy of inter net users on their mobile devices. However, the report has some significant flaw that cannot be overlooked which acts as a deal breaker for me. This is the guideline created to ensure that application developers stick to the defined code of conduct, which greatly interferes with the sense of creativity and revenue generation for developers, as well as the unexpected failure to meet requirements. This is of considerable concern following that it is likely that some of the companies providing application may do their best to meet the demands of the report, and still fall short of the requirement. The above is unintentional and may lead in unfavorable consequences for vendors and not on the developers since vendors shoulder the liability of the failures of the developer. The issue of collection of data without the users consent is not a new thing since most application found on the android platform, and especially those developed by Google tend to

Managing for future Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing for future - Assignment Example Part I: Analysing the environment Corporate social responsibility Tata steel is one of the firms which were the first to have a fully fledged corporate social responsibility program, not only in India but also around the world. This began with its founder in the early 20th century, who in his own words said that â€Å"In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but is in fact the very purpose of its existence" (Srivastava, 2012, p. 20). In the current time, Tata Steel Ltd. has a well grounded corporate social responsibility program which includes community development, environmental sustainability, employee relationships etc. This has made Tata to be recognized around the world due to its pioneering in this area (Mahesh, 2001). According to Mahajan (2003), Tata Steel Ltd. today spends between 5 and 7 % of its after tax profits to facilitate corporate social responsibility activities. This is a commendable amount of money to spend in corporate soci al responsibility programs. In this case study, commissioned and selected for studying the topic of CSR by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), it becomes very clear that Tata is one of the firms which have taken corporate social responsibility in a very serious way. ... to identify the impact on the community in which the project is being carried out. This helps in influencing the way Tata Steel Ltd. operates its project especially with regard to the impact on the community and the environment. An evaluation of Tata Steel Ltd’s corporate social responsibility programs indicates its dedication in terms of making sure that its operations don’t affect the community in a negative way. However, there are a number of issues which come up as one looks closer. The first issue is that although Tata Steel Ltd. has invested a lot in corporate social responsibility programs, these programs are mostly directed towards philanthropic programs to the communities. Offering scholarships, healthcare services and other community programs is just a very small part of the problem especially for a big firm like Tata Steel Ltd (Puneet, 2011). Tata steel has activities which are very destructive to the environment and it is necessary for the firm to be able to look beyond just having philanthropic programs. Although Tata Steel Ltd. states clearly in its CSR policies that its CSR goes beyond just philanthropic projects, it does not seem so in practice (Wilson, 2012). It is possible that despite the many corporate social responsibility programs that Tata steel has, the long term effects of its operations will exceed the benefits achieved by the community through Tata’s corporate social responsibility programs. This indicates that there are issues which must be looked at in a very serious way in order to close this gap. Tata must look beyond just having good corporate social responsibility programs and look at the ways in which it can deliver a more practical and useful CSR programs. Environmental

Current Issues in Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Current Issues in Finance - Essay Example As the paper highlights not to miss mentioning is the news of UK Prudential closing $35.5B takeover bid of AIG Asian due to pressure from the shareholders to lower the bid asking rate by $30B. Market was not in favor of clinching the deal, as after cancelling the deal, Prudential’s shares rose by 6.3% on Tuesday. At the same time, the ending of the takeover bid was a blow to the AIG efforts to pay back the loan of $132 billion to the Treasury from the proceeds of the sale to Prudential, which was taken to save the AIG from collapsing from the financial crisis in 2008. This discussion outlines that there could be a number of reasons attributed to a merger or acquisition wherein payment is made through stock. Companies are acquired with the aim of safer income streams, as cost of debt could be very high and banks won’t be forthcoming with the offer of reduced rate of interests. Mergers where price/earning ratio (P/E) is very high are not welcomed because of the fear of loss of income over share price. If a company’s stocks are an all-time high, in stead of paying cash it offers its new stock shares. But sometimes it becomes all the more difficult for the buyer company to evaluate the target company as the stock price of the target company rises due to the possibility of merger bid. Answers to the above questions can be reached at by analysing the cases of acquisitions and mergers in the literature in the recent past on the financial and valuation aspects of such acquisitions and mergers. There could be number of motives behind an acqui sition. Diversification in a different line of business has been an aim to be achieved through acquisition.

Iran and Italy - macro economics assignment Essay

Iran and Italy - macro economics assignment - Essay Example ay before it was hit by recession Italy was already experiencing poor economic performance of an average real GDP growth of only 1% per annum (Morsy and Sgherri, 2010, p.3). This was the period between 2001 and 2007. This growth rate was almost half the euro area growth rate. After the onset of recession in 2008, Italy faced a 7% decline in the GDP. In the first quarter of 2010 the economy started to recover from the poor performance. The recovery was halted in 2011 when the country reentered recession for the second time. The GDP fell by 0.2 % by the second quarter of 201l. By the end of the last quarter the GDP had declined further by 7%. This condition persisted in the first quarter of 2012 and then there was a little improvement although the GDP still remained negative. After the long contraction of the economic performance the GDP started improving in 2014 but it was still negative. The GDP is expected to become positive in the current year. Although a positive GDP is being anticipated the level expected will still below the euro average GDP. Iran on the other hand started facing a contraction in its business cycle in 2011. At the beginning of 2011, the country was facing a constant GDP growth rate of around 6% to 8% per annum. This increasing GDP was halted in mid 2011 when the GDP faced a significant drop. The GDP growth rate fell below 5% and the downward trend continued until July 2012. At this time the GDP had fallen greatly and was on the negative side. The growth rate at mid- year 2012 was estimated to be -10%. This was the lowest level achieved during the period. After the 2012 drop in GDP it started increasing at a constant rate until early 2013 a downward movement. The drop was short term and by mid 2013 the GDP growth rate had started rising again. By mid-year 2014 the GDP growth rate was positive again at a level of around 5%. One of the main reasons for the downward economic growth in Italy was the high public debt. The shrinking GDP in the

Poverty or hunger in either Asia or Africa and solutions to help Essay

Poverty or hunger in either Asia or Africa and solutions to help improve conditions - Essay Example Poverty in Africa has being captured in different avenues to demonstrate the suffering that the people of the continent undergo due to lack of access to basic facilities in their countries. The increased presence of low economic levels in Africa despite the progress and input that has been made by different international organizations has been associated with a number of factors and courses. Solutions are however available that if adopted and adequately implemented can address the food and basic needs shortage in the continent and eliminate the suffering of the people (Altman, Zitha and Gemma 349). The continued presence of abject poverty in Africa despite the economic progress in other parts of the globe has been attributed to a number of policy issues and political factors associated regional policies and approaches. While the poverty levels in other parts of the world have witnessed a steady decline, the problem in Africa has remained relatively stable and this has been associated with poor policy formulation and implementation. Africa has large tracts of arable and fertile farming lands especially in countries to the southern of the Sahara desert. However, the farming approach in the regions have not been effective in increasing the national harvest as farm ownership in these regions is subjected to tribal groupings and clanships (Beasley 24). This leads to unnecessary division of the arable land for subsistence farming which produces less output to feed the growing population and a reserve for the unforeseen future. The lack of freehold land holding in major African countries has been contributed to the increased lack of agricultural production and heightened poverty levels. In countries like South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, there are widespread unused lands which have a great agricultural potential and can contribute immensely to the agricultural basket of the country. However, the

Iran and Italy - macro economics assignment Essay

Iran and Italy - macro economics assignment - Essay Example ay before it was hit by recession Italy was already experiencing poor economic performance of an average real GDP growth of only 1% per annum (Morsy and Sgherri, 2010, p.3). This was the period between 2001 and 2007. This growth rate was almost half the euro area growth rate. After the onset of recession in 2008, Italy faced a 7% decline in the GDP. In the first quarter of 2010 the economy started to recover from the poor performance. The recovery was halted in 2011 when the country reentered recession for the second time. The GDP fell by 0.2 % by the second quarter of 201l. By the end of the last quarter the GDP had declined further by 7%. This condition persisted in the first quarter of 2012 and then there was a little improvement although the GDP still remained negative. After the long contraction of the economic performance the GDP started improving in 2014 but it was still negative. The GDP is expected to become positive in the current year. Although a positive GDP is being anticipated the level expected will still below the euro average GDP. Iran on the other hand started facing a contraction in its business cycle in 2011. At the beginning of 2011, the country was facing a constant GDP growth rate of around 6% to 8% per annum. This increasing GDP was halted in mid 2011 when the GDP faced a significant drop. The GDP growth rate fell below 5% and the downward trend continued until July 2012. At this time the GDP had fallen greatly and was on the negative side. The growth rate at mid- year 2012 was estimated to be -10%. This was the lowest level achieved during the period. After the 2012 drop in GDP it started increasing at a constant rate until early 2013 a downward movement. The drop was short term and by mid 2013 the GDP growth rate had started rising again. By mid-year 2014 the GDP growth rate was positive again at a level of around 5%. One of the main reasons for the downward economic growth in Italy was the high public debt. The shrinking GDP in the

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Uni 3 DB Essay

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Uni 3 DB - Essay Example Use of team contacts: Finding time to make students work together and giving responsibilities and roles to each group member can be difficult (Kelly, 2009). Therefore each group should structure a team contract to outline when and how the group can work as one. Options for interaction include audio bridging, e-mail, text-based chat, threaded discussion or document sharing. Team contacts help the instructor to easily track down students and students are able to contact on another without difficulties. Explain group work importance: Some students do not like working in groups although they need to see the benefits of such group works. This is because working teams is critical and students have to learn so that they can be functional when it is time to work (Kelly, 2009). This technique will be able to embark upon complex tasks together than they would individually, overcome fear, develop strong communication skills, challenge assumptions, manage time, receive encouragement when taking risks, share broad perspectives, develop new and better approaches of resolving differences and realize their strengths and

Corticosteroids and Mental Disorder

Corticosteroids and Mental Disorder Abstract Corticosteroid medication is an essential treatment in almost all medical specialties. Psychiatric side effects of corticosteroids may be both common and severe and include psychosis, mania, depression, delirium and dependence. Only a small evidence base exists about susceptibility to and epidemiology of these conditions. Corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder typically has an acute onset and is dose related. Manic symptoms predominate acutely however long term use may be associated with depression. Steroid dependence and withdrawal syndromes have been documented. Case reports suggest that a combination of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics may be useful in management severe acute effects. This article will give psychiatrists working in a general hospital a guide to the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder. Introduction Corticosteroids were first introduced into medical practice in the late 1940s, since when they have been used by almost all medical specialists as effective treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Over 5 million prescriptions are written for corticosteroids in the UK each year, at a cost of over  £100 million. (NHS Health Care Statistics 2005) About 1% of the general population and as many as 7% of hospitalized patients are receiving oral corticosteroid therapy at any given point in time. (NHS Health Care Statistics 2005) Whilst being renowned for important therapeutic actions they can have many adverse effects which must be considered in long term treatment. Physical effects such as osteoporosis, central obesity and immunosuppression are frequent in patients receiving corticosteroids. Psychiatric effects include alterations in mood, delirium, dementia and psychosis. As corticosteroids have a critical place in the management of chronic disease, psychiatrists should be equipped with the knowledge to recognize and manage corticosteroid induced mental disorder. This article describes the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of these conditions. Indications and Pharmacology There are several forms of corticosteroid medication licensed in the UK, including: betamethasone, cortisone acetate, deflazacort, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone (prednisolone) and triamcinolone. Each of these drugs has varying degrees of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid activity. All of the above preparations exist in oral or intramuscular form. Inhaled steroid preparations are also will not be discussed as there is little evidence that they can induce mental disorder. The main indications for these medications are: Suppression of inflammatory and allergic bowel disease; chronic or treatment resistant Asthma and COPD; Immunosuppression in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins disease, and Hormone sensitive breast cancer; Palliation of symptomatic end-stage malignant disease; Organ transplant rejection; Auto-immune (Rheumatic) disease such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosis and Wegners Granulomatosis. Corticosteroids are rapidly absorbed across the Gastro Intestinal  membrane following oral administration. Peak effects can be observed after 2 hours. The circulating drugs bind extensively to the plasma proteins Corticosteroid Binding Globulin (CBG), albumin and transcortin, with only the unbound portion of a dose active. Systemic prednisolone is quickly distributed into the kidneys, intestines, skin, liver and muscle. Corticosteroids also distribute into the breast milk and cross the placenta. Corticosteroids are predominantly metabolized by the liver to active metabolites then further metabolized to inactive compounds. These inactive metabolites, as well as a small portion of unchanged drug, undergo urinary excretion. The plasma elimination half-life is 1 hour whereas the biological half-life of prednisone is 18-36 hours. Corticosteroids act as glucocorticoid receptor agonists. On binding, the corticoreceptor-ligand complex translocates itself into the cell nucleus, where it binds to Glucocorticoid Response Elements (GRE) in the promoter region of target genes. Insert Figure 1 about here The DNA bound receptor then interacts with basic transcription factors, altering gene expression. There are high concentrations of CBG in specific brain areas such as the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex and these can therefore be thought of as a potential mediator of corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder. Chronic disease and corticosteroids In parallel to the psychiatric side effects of corticosteroid therapy, most chronic medical conditions may be associated with considerable psychiatric morbidity. A primary objective of the psychiatrist is to distinguish between the psychiatric effects of chronic illness and corticosteroids. The 1-year prevalence for ICD-10 depressive episode alone is 3 ·2% (95% CI 3 ·0-3 ·5) and an average of between about 9% and 23% of patients with one or more chronic physical diseases have co-morbid depression. In an international meta-analysis, patients with a variety of chronic physical diseases and co-morbid depression had significantly worse health scores than those with chronic disease alone. (Moussavi et al 2007) There are many potential reasons for this, including physical symptoms such as pain and secondary disability leading to loss of function. Studies of depression amongst the medically ill almost always fail however to account for possible corticosteroid effects. In patients with severe COPD given 30 mg of prednisolone for 14 days, when lung spirometry and mood state were measured, no changes in spirometry were detected until 7 days of active therapy. However, small but significant reductions in anxiety and depression were measured after 3 days of prednisolone and before any measurable improvement in lung function. This single study is a major part of a small evidence base suggesting that corticosteroids produce a mild sense of wellbeing rather than the wellbeing necessarily being a consequence of physical improvement. (Swinburn et al 1988) Classification, Epidemiology and Clinical Features Psychiatric side effects were first described and classified by Rome and Braceland in 1952 shortly after the initial introduction of corticosteroids into the pharmacopoeia. As can be noted in Table 1, the descriptions of symptoms in 1952 have an implicit hierarchy which places psychosis above ego disturbance of a neurotic nature and places these above euphoria. (Rome and Braceland 1952) Insert Table 1 about here Epidemiology The proportion of patients developing psychiatric symptoms during corticosteroid therapy has been reported to range from 3 to 75 percent, with a weighted average of about 28 percent. (Lewis and Smith 1983) Amongst the larger studies, the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program (Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program 1972) monitored 718 hospitalized medical patients who received prednisolone, of whom just 21 (3%)had acute psychiatric reactions: in 6 of 463 (1%) patients receiving 40mg prednisolone, 8 of 175 (5%) patients receiving 41-80mg and 7 of those receiving above 80mg (18%). The dose-response trend was significant, but the study was conducted in 1972 and deals with relatively small numbers of affected subjects who underwent only a basic psychiatric screening. In terms of speed of onset, symptoms appear to develop rapidly. In groups of both patients and healthy subjects, psychiatric symptoms occurred between 3 days and one week. (Lewis and Smith 1983, Hall 1979, Naber 1996) Evidence shows that significantly more women than men (P =0.009) develop psychiatric symptoms as a function of corticosteroid treatment. (Nielsen et al 1963) Prednisolone is the medication most cited to cause psychiatric side effects. In case reports, prednisolone was responsible for 37 cases followed by methylprednisolone, dexamethasone betamethasone, and hydrocortisone. (Lewis and Smith 1983) When dose equivalences were calculated, ranging from 5 to 200mg prednisolone per day, a mean dose of 58.3mg per day or more was cited as substantially raising the risk of a psychiatric reaction. This does not mean that psychiatric reactions only occur at higher dosages. While dosage is not related to the risk of developing mental disturbances, dosage nor duration of treatment seems to impact upon the time of onset, duration, severity, or type of mental disturbances and it is unclear whether patients with a history of psychiatric disorder are predisposed to such disturbances. (Ling 1981) Affective Symptoms The most common psychiatric reaction during glucocorticoid therapy is mood change, which accounts for almost 90 percent of the psychiatric reactions (Hall 1979, Stiefel 1989) In a review of 56 case studies of psychiatric reactions to steroids, of those reporting mood symptoms (45 cases), mania was observed in 48%, depression in 25%, and a mixed state in 9%. (Flores and Kenna) Reversible mood change can be seen in healthy control subjects after administration of prednisone and dexamethasone. One study showed that 8/12 healthy controls experienced this, with manic symptoms predominating. (Brown 1998) A further study which looked at methylprednisone in ophthalmology patients, all of whom were free of psychiatric disorder, found that 36% developed mania or depression during high dose steroid treatment. (Naber 1996) Studies examining the consequences of low dose steroid treatment have found little or no affective symptomatology (Swinburn 1988). With regard to steroid induced mania, patients typically report sudden euphoric mood, excessive energy, indefatigability and some grandiosity. In addition to the rapid development of mood symptoms, suicidality can be associated with steroid treatment. (Flores and Kenna). In addition to mood symptoms patients have been reported to experience sleep disturbances and weight gain. Recurrent affective disorder A further important consideration is whether any such affective disturbance involves one isolated episode or leads on to recurrent disorder. Nine patients whose initial clinical presentation met DSM-IV criteria for a steroid-induced mood disorder were shown in the long term to have a clinical course of bipolar disorder. (Wada 2001) Seven patients initially developed a manic or hypomanic state with sub-acute onset ranging from 1 to 3 months and six patients had manic episodes accompanied by psychotic features. The proportion of manic episodes relative to total mood episodes of the 9 patients was 66%, suggesting manic predominance. Seven patients had future mood episodes that had no direct relationship to corticosteroid therapy and were preceded by various psychosocial stressors. Four of 5 patients who received future steroids rapidly became manic or hypomanic. Recurrent cases of corticosteroid-induced mood disorder therefore appear to have clinical features such as sub-acute onset, fr equent accompanying psychotic features, and similar recurrent episodes in association with psychosocial stressors and corticosteroid use. Psychotic Symptoms In a review of 55 case reports of steroid induced psychiatric disorder, 58% of cases demonstrated psychotic symptoms. (Ling 1981) In 72% of the cases with psychotic symptoms, they were combined with an affective disorder. Similarly, in a review of 79 case reports there was a 71% incidence of psychotic symptoms with affective symptoms reported in over 75% of these. Hallucinations occurred in 58% of the cases and delusions in 74% .(Lewis and Smith 1983) In a more recent review of 56 case reports, psychotic symptoms were reported in 65% of cases. In eight of these, the development of psychotic symptoms was more clearly associated with the withdrawal, rather than with the administration, of steroids. (Flores and Kenna) Interestingly, but perhaps coincidentally, seven of these eight cases occurred in female patients. All eight cases included mood disturbance; 2 with depression, 4 with mania, and 2 with a mixed state. Cognitive effects The cognitive effects of corticosteroid therapy have been seen in patients receiving short term or long-term corticosteroids, and relate primarily to declarative or verbal memory. (Flores and Kenna) In one study, patients on corticosteroids had poorer performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), (a measure of declarative memory), the Stroop Color Word Test (a measure of working memory) performance, smaller hippocampal volumes and lower levels of N-acetyl aspartate (a putative marker of neuronal viability in the temporal lobe region). (Brown 2001) Deficits in declarative memory have been observed in subjects receiving as low as 4 to 5 days of dexamethasone or prednisone. (Newcomer 1999) A dose-dependent impairment in declarative memory has been reported with high dose (160 mg/day), but not low dose (40 mg/day) hydrocortisone. It appears that these cognitive impairments may be reversed with the reduction or withdrawal of corticosteroids. Similar results for declarative memory deficits are found in persons with Cushings disease. Such findings are consistent with reductions in hippocampal volume which are correlated with cortisol levels. (Starkman 1992) Steroid Dependence and withdrawal Several case reports suggest that corticosteroids may be abused for their euphoric effects. (34) Typically this will involve higher doses of oral systemic steroids although there is one report of dependence secondary to a nasal spray. (35) In a case review, 8 patients out of 11 cases of steroid dependency had a previous psychiatric history (predominantly depressive symptomatology), and 4 had a history of drug or alcohol mis-use or dependence. It has been suggested that patients who may request higher steroid doses or who resist dose reduction despite their improving health should be carefully monitored. (Stoudemire 1994) In the more recent review of case studies (Flores and Kenna), the development of psychiatric symptoms was also associated with the withdrawal of steroids. Corticosteroid withdrawal symptoms generally include depression and fatigue but mania and delirium have also been reported during dose reduction or discontinuation. Psychiatric symptoms during steroid withdrawal generally improve or resolve when corticosteroids are re introduced. Cushings disease and psychiatric disorder Cushings syndrome relates to the multi-organ over exposure of iatrogenic or endogenous corticosteroid and is associated with a variety of psychiatric and psychological disturbances. In one study examining 43 patients before and after treatment for Cushings psychopathology was observed in a considerable number. Only 8 patients of 43 with active Cushings syndrome (19%) were without psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric diagnoses included: neurotic depression in 20 (46%), possible neurotic depression in 1 (2%), reactive depression in 6 (14%), and non-specific neurotic symptoms in 8 (19%). Psychoses were suspected in 3 of the patients who were depressed, but none of the 43 patients with active Cushings syndrome had a definite diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Mania, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Generalised Anxiety Disorder. After treatment in 25 patients, when cortisol levels had been substantially reduced (to within normal limits in 88% of them), the percentage rated as psychiatrically asymptomatic increased from 19% to 68%. Scores for depression and anxiety showed significant improvements after treatment for Cushings syndrome and Eysenck Personality Inventory assessments showed a significant improvement in neuroticism score. (Kelly 1996) Treatment of Corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder There is a very limited literature on the treatment of corticosteroid induced mental disorder, although it can be noted from the forgoing that psychiatric symptoms generally resolve with discontinuation of the medication. In one review of the literature, tapering the dose of steroids alone appears to be effective up to 90% cases. (Flores and Kenna) Case studies also suggest that switching steroids may be of value. (Okishiro et al 2009) The primary objective in managing these conditions is to balance the relative risk of psychiatric disturbance against the medical consequences of withdrawing the steroid. The management of corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder can otherwise be largely divided into managing an acute psychotic/manic episode versus managing long term depressive symptoms and dependency. Although little evidence exists either way, it can be assumed that severe behavioral disturbance should be managed as it usually is symptomatically with appropriate doses of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. In terms of managing acute psychotic/manic episodes one study found that of 27 patients treated with lithium carbonate prophylactically none developed severe mood symptoms while receiving corticosteroids. However, six out of 44 patients (14%) not receiving lithium developed mania or depression. (Falk 1979) Antipsychotics, specifically haloperidol, risperidone and olanzapine, are noted from case reports to be useful in mania, mixed affective states, psychosis and delirium. A further case report suggested the successful use of low-dose olanzapine (2.5 mg/day) for severe mood swings and suicidal ideation in a patient with asthma on chronic prednisolone therapy. With regard to depressive symptoms, several case reports have demonstrated some evidence with lithium following the onset of depressive symptoms. Carbemazepine has been reported to be useful in managing both manic and depressive symptoms secondary to corticosteroids. (Wada 2001) There appears to be little benefit from the use of tricyclic antidepressants and in fact, a worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms has been reported. (Hall 1978) Case reports have been published describing the successful treatment of steroid-induced depression with sertraline, fluvoxamine, and fluoxetine. One such report supports the use of a combination of an antidepressant and antipsychotic in the treatment of steroid-induced psychotic depression (Ismail 2002). Case reports are noted to suggest the effectiveness of benzodiazepines, in the management of specific steroid-induced symptoms as insomnia and anxiety Conclusions Above all, it is clear that the literature on the psychiatric adverse effects of corticosteroids is limited and larger studies on medically ill populations need to be carried out. Clinical practice continues to be informed by case reports despite over 50 years of awareness of these problems. There exists a great opportunity for future research to find predictors of steroid response including their genetic and neuroimaging antecedents and it is clear that the literature could be enhanced with prospective studies and clinical trials. The ICD 10 codes steroid induced psychiatric disorder under F55.5 Abuse of non-dependence-producing substances Steroids or Hormones. No distinction is made about type or chronicity of symptoms. Arguably it may be more useful to classify steroids induced psychiatric disorder under F19.-Mental and behavioral disorders due to multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances. Corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder can pragmatically be classified at present as described in table 2. Insert Table 2 about here With regard to the acute corticosteroid syndrome, the clinical presentation can be diverse but the severity of the symptoms appears to be dose dependent and they tend to occur within the first week of steroid administration. Affective symptoms are most common and a hypomanic/manic presentation is most likely. Some patients appear to have sub clinical hypomanic symptoms which they do not report. Symptoms resolve in most cases on discontinuation of the steroid. Cases are best treated with a mixture of a mood stabilizer (possibly prophylactically) and antipsychotic. With regards to chronic steroid syndrome, the merits of continuation of the steroid must be considered and a small literature suggests that depression in this group can be managed with an SSRI and not a tricyclic antidepressant. In patients who are on long term steroids, a dependence and withdrawal syndrome may be seen. No evidence exists as to how this should be managed but again negotiation should occur between the clinicians and the patient on the need for steroids and a gradual tapering of dose should be considered. Presently it is not known whether individuals have idiosyncratic reaction to steroids or that, given a high enough dose everyone would suffer some mental disturbance. There is a suggestion that those with a previous affective disorder or a family history may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of steroids. If as many as 27% of those on high dose steroids suffer psychiatric symptoms, it is surprising that millions of patients do not present to psychiatric services. Case vignette: Steroid-induced psychosis A 40-year-old woman was admitted to a GI ward for corticosteroid treatment as a result of a flare-up of her inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Her previous psychiatric history included recurrent depression, for which she had been successfully prescribed fluoxetine by her GP for several years. She was treated for 5 days with prednisolone 40mg IV which was then switched to oral prednisolone prior to her discharge home. Over the next week she progressively became increasingly irritable, experiencing hyperacusis, preferring to stay up all night doing housework and decorating, and suffered from marked lability of mood, fluctuating from euphoria to extreme despair and tearfulness, and anxiety. She began to experience command hallucinations of her late father, who had suffered from schizophrenia, telling her to kill herself, as he had in fact done a number of years earlier. She experienced delusions of being unclean and malodorous. She was visibly seen to be responding to unseen stimuli. She was unable to leave her home for fear that people wished to harm her. On day 5 post-discharge her family sought help from her GP who recommended that she stop her steroids, after noting that 18 years earlier she had experienced a similar episode in response to steroid treatment for her Crohns disease. Her GP prescribed Chlorpromazine but unfortunately the patient developed a marked pill-rolling tremor and akathisia. Next day the patient attended a GI outpatient clinic and due to her distress and anxiety a psychiatric opinion was immediately sought. She was informally admitted and commenced on olanzepine and diazepam with a significant diminution of her psychosis and anxiety such that after a few days she was able to be discharged home. Over the next several weeks she was closely followed-up by liaison psychiatry as an outpatient. Her psychotic symptoms had completely resolved with olanzapine treatment. She did, however, continued to experience low mood and anxiety as a result of on going stress associated with her IBD and required further treatment with antidepressant medications.

Strategic Change in Government Based on Organization Hierarchy Essay

Strategic Change in Government Based on Organization Hierarchy The literature supports the position that there should be a relationship between the structure and organization change. This study was undertaken to determine how different organization roles, hierarchy, and sizes affect planned strategic change. A survey instrument was administered to top federal government agency leadership to assess change in their organization. The intention is to draw common relationships between organization change and specific categories or sizes of organizations. Role of Change Business strategy and structure have always been related. Organizational change involves innovation, process improvement, and organizational redesign (Galbraith and Lawler, 1993). They also noted that the hierarchical structure is related to changes in speed, quality and productivity. In recent years, the pace of change has accelerated so drastically that most organizational structures and management principles have no hope of adjusting or adapting (Hammer and Champy, 1993). Today’s changes are discontinuous and happening at a geometric rate. Organizations must be sufficiently agile to be instantly reconfigurable to meet new demands (Tetenbaum, 1998). Change efforts involve attempting to reduce discrepancies between the real and the ideal (Hersey and Blanchard, 1993). The change could be a first order change that occurs in a stable system that itself remains unchanged. It could be a second order change when fundamental properties of the system are changed such as the fall of communism (Hersey and Blanchard, 1993). Evolutionary changes are gradual and tend to be first order while revolutionary changes are second order. Both of these events could be driving the changes described in this study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some changes are limited and incremental in nature. Strategic, system wide changes implemented under crisis conditions are highly risky. Nadler and Tushman (1990) found that all strategic organizational changes initiated under crisis conditions with short time constraints were by far the riskiest. Such changes usually require a change in core values. Some recent trends that have generally lead to significant changes in corporate culture are reengineering, shift to horizontal forms of organizing, total quality management (Daft, 1998). These should not negate the i... ...tudy in TQM, leadership, and organizational culture in a government agency. Public Administration Review, 56: 227-236. Scott, W. R. (1998). Organizations rational, natural, and open systems (4th ed.). San Francisco: Chandler Publishing. Scott, W. R. 1998. Organizations rational, natural, and open systems (4th ed.). San Francisco: Chandler Publishing. Seidman, H. (1998). Politics, position, and power: The dynamics of federal organization (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Seidman, H. (1998). Politics, position, and power: The dynamics of federal organization (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Senge, P. 1990. The fifth discipline. New York, NY: Doubleday. Tetenbaum, T. J. (spring 1998). Shifting Paradigms: From Newton to chasos. Organizatinal Dynamics, pp. 21-33. Tushman, M. L., & Romanelli, E. 1985. Organization evolution: A metamorphosis model of convergence and reorientation. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior, 7. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. United States government manual 2000. Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Strategic Change in Government Based on Organization Hierarchy Essay Strategic Change in Government Based on Organization Hierarchy The literature supports the position that there should be a relationship between the structure and organization change. This study was undertaken to determine how different organization roles, hierarchy, and sizes affect planned strategic change. A survey instrument was administered to top federal government agency leadership to assess change in their organization. The intention is to draw common relationships between organization change and specific categories or sizes of organizations. Role of Change Business strategy and structure have always been related. Organizational change involves innovation, process improvement, and organizational redesign (Galbraith and Lawler, 1993). They also noted that the hierarchical structure is related to changes in speed, quality and productivity. In recent years, the pace of change has accelerated so drastically that most organizational structures and management principles have no hope of adjusting or adapting (Hammer and Champy, 1993). Today’s changes are discontinuous and happening at a geometric rate. Organizations must be sufficiently agile to be instantly reconfigurable to meet new demands (Tetenbaum, 1998). Change efforts involve attempting to reduce discrepancies between the real and the ideal (Hersey and Blanchard, 1993). The change could be a first order change that occurs in a stable system that itself remains unchanged. It could be a second order change when fundamental properties of the system are changed such as the fall of communism (Hersey and Blanchard, 1993). Evolutionary changes are gradual and tend to be first order while revolutionary changes are second order. Both of these events could be driving the changes described in this study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some changes are limited and incremental in nature. Strategic, system wide changes implemented under crisis conditions are highly risky. Nadler and Tushman (1990) found that all strategic organizational changes initiated under crisis conditions with short time constraints were by far the riskiest. Such changes usually require a change in core values. Some recent trends that have generally lead to significant changes in corporate culture are reengineering, shift to horizontal forms of organizing, total quality management (Daft, 1998). These should not negate the i... ...tudy in TQM, leadership, and organizational culture in a government agency. Public Administration Review, 56: 227-236. Scott, W. R. (1998). Organizations rational, natural, and open systems (4th ed.). San Francisco: Chandler Publishing. Scott, W. R. 1998. Organizations rational, natural, and open systems (4th ed.). San Francisco: Chandler Publishing. Seidman, H. (1998). Politics, position, and power: The dynamics of federal organization (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Seidman, H. (1998). Politics, position, and power: The dynamics of federal organization (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Senge, P. 1990. The fifth discipline. New York, NY: Doubleday. Tetenbaum, T. J. (spring 1998). Shifting Paradigms: From Newton to chasos. Organizatinal Dynamics, pp. 21-33. Tushman, M. L., & Romanelli, E. 1985. Organization evolution: A metamorphosis model of convergence and reorientation. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior, 7. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. United States government manual 2000. Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Life Role Essay -- Personal Narrative Roles Essays

Life Role For every role that is â€Å"performed† in one’s life, the antithesis of that role also is performed. As I examine my many roles that I play in life, I realize that the majority of my time spent on this planet has been filled with learning. We all are eternal students, I guess you could say; this would at least be true in an ideal world. And for every individual whom consumes his or herself with being a student, that person also is a teacher. Too often the definition of teaching gets associated with a labeled person- a person with chalk-stained hands and a bright red apple upon a desk. I believe that teaching goes far beyond any one person who can stand in front of a classroom and program minds with information that will help pass standardized tests, information that will be vastly useless in the â€Å"real world†. More useful in our day-to-day reality are the lessons we take from regular people in our lives. Our parents are our first teachers and the ones that we probably obtain the most information from. Yet most of them do not have a degree in education. And those same parents will learn more from their children than they could have ever been taught in a classroom. The point here is that from the day we are born, we are students and teachers all at the same time. And these are the roles that I feel are most important to discuss as far as their application to my life. It is difficult to pinpoint the social influences that molded my role. Rather than being shaped from a handful of individuals, I think it was affected more by a collaboration of everyone I have encountered throughout my life. Just as everyone, in their own little way, make an impression on one’s life, so do they impact the role that we will continue to play throughout our lives. Obviously, though, some people are more important in this formation process. These people, of course, are our parents, schoolteachers, close friends, confidants, siblings, and anyone else whom we are relatively close to throughout our lives. Much like everything else in life, you may be good or bad at any certain role that you play. As far as teaching goes, some are good and helpful whereas some are destructive. Teaching does not always have to be a positive effort. A younger sibling may pick up bad habits from his or her older brother or sister, etc. It is likely that a strength or weakness in our te... ...clearly defined roles. Maybe this is just because that person chose to exemplify a certain role by making it a career, or maybe it’s because that person has become obsessed with one of their roles in life. They may forsake things in their own life in order to carry out this role. This is well illustrated in a quote by an opera singer named Mary Garden, who was never married or had friends of her own because she worked so hard to create the facade of whatever character she was playing at the time. She stated, â€Å"The others ‘acted’ a role; I was the role. She who was Mary Garden died so that it might live. That was my genius ... and my sacrifice. It drained off so much of me that by comparison my private life was empty. I could not give myself completely twice.† There are many roles to play in this drama that is life. It’s an impressive feat to be able to juggle all of these roles. To me, the most important lesson is to keep one role ongoing even though you may have to do the opposite side of it. What I mean by this is never stop being certain because of a question and never stop doctoring if you have to be a patient and never stop teaching while you feel that you must learn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Literature Review of Fault Tolerant Systems

CHAPTER-2 PROBLEM STATEMENT Aim of the undertakingis to build Fault Tolerant System. Fault Tolerant system is a system which runs efficaciously in any status. Even if there is a mistake in the processor our system will observe it and advise to user or admin. It will non merely notify but we are seeking that it will take mistake over the air. Triple Modular Redundancy is bosom of our system ; it detects the mistake through vote system. To build a CFTP design is a truly complex work and needs a important sum of clip to complete. In order to hold a flawless design, tonss of conditions need to be considered and all jobs should be solved in a sensible manner. Choosing constituents may take few yearss or months depending on how much information or information is collected. Decisions may still be changed at the last minute due to some unpredictable state of affairss or inevitable factors. Any alteration in the concluding design on a constituent sometimes will do a series of alterations to others. It is obvious that constructing a fully-functional CFTP does take much attempt and interior decorators have to truly understand how circuits relate each other in order to revise or debug it. Unfortunately, graduate pupils at Naval Postgraduate School merely stay a short sum of clip. A large design like CFTP is chopped into several sections and assigned to different pupils. In this clip restraints, pupils non merely necessitate t o recognize what old pupils have done but besides take up a design in advancement. Largely, pupils picking up the sections do non hold a opportunity to larn straight from pupils who have worked on this design earlier. Therefore, thesis becomes an of import interface of experience heritage between coevalss of pupils. CHAPTER-3 LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 LITERATURE SURVEY: – 3.1.1. Lashomb’s Design Peter A. LaShomb expressed many constructs in both TMR design and FPGA choice. Traditional solutions for radiation effects were introduced including hardware redundancy, like Quadded Logic, and package betterment for mistake tolerance, like clip redundancy or package redundancy. In the TMR subdivision, RADHARD and COTS were compared in handiness, public presentation and cost. Potential benefits of those two were clearly described as good. The processor used in his TMR design was KCPSM, an 8-bit microcontroller. It was free downloaded from Xilinx’s web site and served as a readily available test-case processor while waiting handiness of other high public presentation processors. Constructing and testing of the TMR were done on Xilinx Foundation series package which was available at Naval Postgraduate School ( NPS ) . Voters and an mistake encoder were designed and explained in item. Other issues including interrupt modus operandi and memory/error accountant were left as follow- on research. In the FPGA subdivision, different FPGAs were compared in a figure of facets. Five major parametric quantities for taking a good FPGA were gate count, handiness of hardware and package, bundles ( flat-pack vs. ball-grid-array ) , re-programmability and radiation tolerance. The Xilinx XCV800 was chosen as the campaigner at that clip for future execution [ 25 ] . 3.1.2. Ebert’s Research A complete CFTP conceptual design presented was in Dean A. Ebert’s thesis. For hardware considerations, his thesis discussed why specific constituents were chosen and how french friess communicated in an incorporate circuit. More item and realistic constructs about FPGA and CFTP constellations were described than earlier and french friess were selected based on a figure of space-environment considerations. Discussion of system memory was of import and first described in this thesis. Memory constellation accountant, functional logic and glue logic were besides new thoughts ne'er talked about in old work. The TMR circuitry was non one of the chief subjects in his research, but from his work one can visualise the external connexions of the FPGA and understand the function of TMR in the CFTP procedure. Figure 4 illustrates the layout of the board he developed The CFTP will be launched into LEO orbit on two orbiters, NPSAT-1 and Mid- STAR-1, in 2006. How the Department of Defense a nd Navy Space Experiment Review Board ( SERB ) and the Space Test Program ( STP ) Office were involved with these two orbiters was described in his thesis. Other paperss related to plan descriptions and demands of the STP office were attached every bit appendixes as good [ 26 ] . 3.1.3. Johnson’s Implementation Steven A. Johnson [ 5 ] focused his work on TMR design. The indispensable constituents to do a circuit be fault-tolerant were identified. Circuits designed in Lashomb’s thesis could non be used due to different design architecture and the important ascent of computer-aided-design package employed. Basic constructs for building a TMR circuit were still the same, but implemented in a different manner. All processor end product signals have to be voted. Interrupt was compiled in a province diagram and used to trip the interrupt service modus operandi to rectify an mistake inside the processor.ESSDwas used to salvage the mistake syndrome in order to offer a log file for analysis. The off-chip memory for the CFTP is Von Neumann architecture. The Von Neumann architecture has merely one reference coach and one information coach. Due to this difference, aConciliatorwas designed to organize different timing restraints in order to do a proper read and compose on memory. Normally, TMR communicates withConciliatorin order to entree memory. Meanwhile, the syndrome informations is latched intoESSDirrespective of an mistake happening or non. When an mistake occurs, a signal will be sent to disrupt and starts the Interrupt Service Routine ( ISR ) . At this minute, KDLX is stalled andESSDsaves the mistake syndrome to memory throughConciliator. Then interrupTgenerates a TRAP direction to KDLX and leads the whole circuit into an mistake rectification status. When KDLX sees the TRAP direction, it jumps to a specific memory location and the plan counter value before the leap is saved in an interrupt reference registry ( IAR ) , a particular registry inside KDLX. In the mistake rectification status, the contents of all registries inside KDLX are saved to memory through electors. Then, each registry is reloaded from memory. The intent for making this measure is to rectify any incompatibilities of the registries in all three KDLX processors. Since all contents ha ve to go through electors while salvaging, any mistake inside any registry will be corrected [ 26 ] . 3.1.4. N-Modular Keun Soo Yim, et.al. [ 8 ] nowadayss fault-tolerant, programmable elector architecture for software-implementedNitrogen-tuple modular redundant ( NMR ) computing machine systems. Software NMR is a cost-effective solution for high-performance, mission-critical computing machine systems because this can be built on top of commercial off-the-shelf ( COTS ) devices. Due to the big volume and entropy of voting informations, package NMR system requires a programmable elector. Our experiment shows that voting package that executes on a processor has the time-of-check-to-time-of-use ( TOCTTOU ) exposures and is unable to digest long continuance mistakes. In order to turn to these two jobs, we present a special-purpose elector processor and its embedded package architecture. The processor has a set of new instructions and hardware faculties that are used by the package in order to speed up the vote package executing and turn to the identified two dependability jobs. We have implemented the pr esented system on an FPGA platform. Our rating consequence shows that utilizing the presented system reduces the executing clip of mistake sensing codifications ( normally used in voting package ) by 14 % and their codification size by 56 % . Our mistake injection experiments validate that the presented system removes the TOCTTOU exposures and recovers under both transient and long continuance mistakes. This is achieved by utilizing 0.7 % excess hardware in a baseline processor [ 27 ] .

Carp Reaction Paper

REACTION PAPER: COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM For a long period of time, Philippine land was owned by the private sectors. This started during the Spanish regime when the land was primarily owned by the large landlords and the friars. The Philippine farmers found it hard to acquire land during that time because the only basis for ownership is ancestral domain ship. Agrarian rights were established during the American occupation, but only few initiatives were given and the rich families still continue to own the Philippine land. The first comprehensive agrarian reform order was attempted in the country in 1972. A month after the martial law, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree no. 27 making the Philippines a land reform nation. This reform order states that an individual cannot own more than seven hectares of land. The remaining area will be given out in portions to individual tenants. The tenant may acquire a maximum of 3 hectares of irrigated land or 5 hectares of unused land in exchange for payments such as royalty taxes, etc. This reform program was unpopular thus making it a total failure. On June 22, 1987, President Corazon Aquino outlined the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) through Presidential Proclamation 131 and Executive Order 229. The law was enacted by the 8th Congress of the Philippines and signed by former President Aquino on June 10, 1988. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law is the basis of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which was the centerpiece program of President Corazon Aquino’s Administration. The program was said to have an underlying political motivation for it formed one of the major points against Marcos during President Aquino’s Presidential campaign. The essence of CARP is asset revaluation or redistribution of wealth so that the landless farmers can have access to capital resources in order to promote their welfare. Its aim is the equitable distribution and ownership of land to the tiller and to provide opportunities for a dignified quality of life to the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs). To accomplish these objectives, provisions were made for adequate support services for rural development and economic-size farms were established as the basis of Philippine Agriculture. The program was given a special fund of P50 billion. The sources of the Agrarian Reform Fund was proceeds of the sale of the Assets of the Asset Privatization Trust (ATP), the sale of the ill-gotten wealth recovered through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and other appropriate sources. The CARP has an 8. 1 million hectare scope. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was assigned to distribute 4. 3 million while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was assigned with 3. 8 million hectares to distribute. As of December 2005, it was reported that The Department of Agrarian Reform had distributed 3. 5 million hectares and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 2. 93 million hectares. Even though the DAR and the DENR distributed a large number of lands, it didn’t reach the goal set in the program. â€Å"Twenty Years later, the Government’s land reform effort has woefully short of its goals – by some 1. 3 million hectares of private farmland† (Facts not Slogan, t he Business Mirror) The distribution of land to the tiller is below the expected target. It was not accomplished during the first term of CARP which was 10 years. The government’s slowness in land transfer activities is because of the following factors: 1. lack of political will to implement agrarian reform 2. manifest in operational and legal bottlenecks 3. blockades by big land owners who have seats in Congress and posts in the Government bureaucracy But the main reason was the lack of resources to fund the program. The actual requirement estimated by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) in 1987 was 221. 09 billion to ensure the program’s full implementation. However, only P100 billion was given under the law. The fund provided was less than half of what is required. There were numerous issues concerning the implementation of CARP. The biggest of which is the lack of support services for the ARBs to ensure the productivity of the lands that were distributed to the farmers. â€Å"Then there is the matter of official commitment to the program—or rather, the lack of it. Frequently cited is a study in Negros Occidental, which showed that 97 percent of agrarian-reform beneficiaries (ARBs) have received no government support services, that 41 percent of ARBs have either abandoned or sold the rights to the land awarded to them under the CARP, that 98. percent of ARBs have not paid land taxes, etc. Moreover, Negros Occidental has remained a hotbed of insurgent activity. † (Facts, not Slogans. Business Mirror) â€Å"Beneficiaries of land reform also lacked sufficient support to make their farms viable. Ownership is just one step in making a decent living out of farmland. The owner needs agricultural know-how as well as technical and financi al resources to plant the right crops at the right time, and use the proper pesticides and fertilizers. At harvest time he needs access to post-harvest facilities, and then assistance in marketing his crops. Knowledge of crop rotation could maximize the use of a small farmland. † (The Promise of Agrarian Reform. The Philippine Star, 6/02/09) â€Å"There weren’t enough farm-to-market roads, processing and distribution facilities, irrigation and market support. † Because of the absence of these minimum requirements, a number of CARP Beneficiaries were prompted to sell their farms, sometimes to â€Å"buyers† hired by the original owners. Without the necessary support, ownership is useless. Another problem is landowner resistance. The poor implementation of the program is the reason why private agricultural lands remain undistributed. A common carp loophole used by landowners to escape relinquishing their lands is through the reclassification of their land into residential, commercial and industrial lands which are excluded from CARP. Just this year, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the extension of the Agrarian Reform Program, Republic Act No. 9700 or the CARP Extension and Reform Law (CARPer), which allocated P150 billion for agrarian reform, to be distributed in five years. Sixty percent of the budget will go to land acquisition and forty percent to support services. â€Å"The new law, a consolidation of House Bill 4077 and Senate Bill 2666, is called CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPer) and extends the program from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2014. It provides a P150-billion outlay for the acquisition and distribution of 1. 6 million hectares of all agricultural lands, as well as support services for 1. 2 million farmer-beneficiaries. † (Booster Shot for Agrarian Reform. Business Mirror) â€Å"The reforms in RA 9700 include provisions on the sourcing of the funds, which will allow the Department of Agrarian Reform to target the acquisition and distribution of the remaining 1 million hectares or so of agricultural lands covered by CARP at a much faster pace; the creation of a joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Agrarian Reform, or COCAR, to closely monitor the implementation of the new law; the strengthening of the ban on land-use conversion by landowners eager to avoid CARP, by extending the scope of the ban to allow no exceptions, by levying heavier penalties for illegal conversion of agricultural land into non-agricultural use and by mandating the automatic coverage of converted land if the conversion is unimplemented or its terms violated—thus legislating the lesson from the Sumilao farmers’ issue. † (CARPer, Right and Wrong. Philippine Daily Inquirer) CONCLUSION In my opinion, the government focused only on distributin g lands and not in the other objectives that were stated in the law. As pointed out in the editorials which I’ve read. It’s not enough to own land in order to become prosperous in agriculture. A farmer needs the necessary equipment to harvest his crops and also knowledge in marketing in order to sell his crops. A poor farmer even if given rights to own land won’t be able to change financial status because what is given to him is not enough. As for the loopholes in the CARP, I hope the implementation of the CARPer will resolve the problem concerning the evasion of redistribution of estates. The revised CARPer should target the weaknesses of the old program and make sure that the implementation would be better this time than the previous program. The Philippines is still far from accomplishing agrarian reform even after 50 years. If they keep it up in this rate, it’ll take a very long time to lift our Filipino farmers from poverty.

Macbeth – Analysis of Fear. In Macbeth, it is evident of how fear can affect any character

Fear is a significant factor in building a person's character, be it affecting their actions, their words, regardless of whether it is right or wrong. This emotional quality, of which can motivate one to success as well as to downfall, had played an important role in countless works of literature. As for the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, fear was the main motivating factor in influencing the actions and reactions towards the witches' prophecies of Macbeth, in addition to of Lady Macbeth. Seen through the development of the plotline, the final outcome of the play was affected greatly by fear and also inspired by how this particular sentiment can dominate and control the nature of mankind. Following the death of Duncan, Macbeth's subsequent acts of murder were carried out of fear and insecurity for his position as the king of Scotland. Once Duncan's body was discovered, Macbeth had immediately rushed up to the king's chamber and killed the two sleeping guards. He justified himself by saying ‘Who could refrain, That had a heart to love, and in that heart Courage to make's love known? ‘ (2. . 112-114) Out of fear and without thinking straight, Macbeth has slain the grooms of Duncan in order to deprive them of a chance to justify themselves. The over-exaggerated passion displayed by Macbeth, as well as the amplified account of his courage, fired up the rising suspicions of Macbeth's true intentions in the incident. His fear of getting caught and accused of Duncan's death only further enhanced his fear of Banquo, who was beginning to doubt the justice behind Macbeth's new status. As in the witches' prophecies, Banquo was destined to father generation after generation of Scottish kings. Macbeth demonstrated his anxiety regarding his royal legacy by commenting ‘To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep' (3. 1. 48-50). This lead to his participation in the murder of Banquo, where Macbeth's cautious attitude insisted that committing a second crime would further secure his role as king. This characteristic of Macbeth's fear was also shown much later into the play after meeting with the apparitions. Upon learning that ‘none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth' (4. 1. 8-81), Macbeth immediately scoffed ‘Then live, Macduff. What need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure, And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live' (4. 1. 82-84). Macbeth's psychological mindset was indicated through this quote, his vigilance drove him to the desire of murdering Macduff and hence his family. Therefore, fear precipitated Macbeth's many redundant murders, which then amplified his downfall. Lady Macbeth was greatly consumed by fear and guilt that she was slowly losing her sanity, as a result of not being able to handle what she had done to Duncan. In the quote of ‘Out, damned spot! Out, I say! ‘ (5. 1. 30), Lady Macbeth was trying to wash out what she saw as blood on her hands. The repetition of the word ‘out' towards an inanimate object – something insignificant – emphasized her emotionally instable behaviour and inability to control her sentiments. Also, Lady Macbeth's fear of blood contrasted greatly with Macbeth's obsession with murder and bloodbath in the latter half of the play: when Macbeth utilized his fear in evolving into a vigilant character, Lady Macbeth deteriorates from a callous character into one overwhelmed with fear. She mentioned hell – ‘Hell is murky' (5. 1. 31), announcing her fear of going there for what she has done. Initially, Lady Macbeth had been the driving force behind Macbeth's ambition to be king, masking whatever fears she occupied by calling proposed threats bluff as like in the quote ‘What need we fear who knows it when none can call our power to account? ‘ (5. 1. 32-33) Nevertheless, Lady Macbeth's role became smaller and more insignificant as the play neared the end as she was driven mad by guilt. Unable to take the torment, it was implied that she ended up taking her own life right before the battle between Macbeth and the English troops began – ‘The queen, my lord, is dead' (5. 5. 17) – which demonstrated her fear and what fear can do to a person. The witches' prophecies, particularly the apparitions, were a main source of fear for Macbeth, where he fell further into a belief of what fate had in store for him. The straightforward warning from the first apparition – ‘Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife. ‘ (4. 1. 1-2)' – angered Macbeth greatly and drove him to kill Macduff's family. This then further motivated Macduff to slay Macbeth in combat. The second and third apparitions then told of the causes of Macbeth's downfall. Once the battle commenced, Macbeth repeatedly announced the prophecies, either to himself or to whatever audience is there to listen, fearing he would have forgotten. He would declare ‘Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear' (5. 3. 2-3) and ‘I will not be afraid of death and bane, Till Birnam forest comes to Dunsinane' (5. . 61-62). The fear of Macbeth's own defeat had lead to a constant reminder for himself to continue fighting and living until the predictions did come true. Meanwhile, his consistent repetitions of the apparitions' predictions implied a certain mindset of where he saw them as a protection against whatever harm. In using verbs like ‘cannot' and ‘will', the determination of Macbeth is demonstrated, as well as him trying to calm himself down in trying to be relieved of whatever emotions or fears which may affect his performance. On the other hand, Macbeth's obsession with the prophecies also weakened himself. Once having killed Young Siward in battle, Macbeth laughed ‘Thou wast born of woman. But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandished by man that's of a woman born' (5. 7. 15-17) and this lead to the underestimation of Macduff once they started to fight and hence brought the tyrant and protagonist of the play to his end. In conclusion, fear plays a part in one's decisions in every day life. Though one may hide his or her fears behind a strong exterior, it remains a potent motivating force throughout life. In Macbeth, it is evident of how fear can affect any character. For the duration of the play, Macbeth's fears of losing his position as king contributed to his many acts of murder in the means of being cautious. Similar to Lady Macbeth who found relief from her fears in death, Macbeth then buried himself into the witches' prophecies; trusting whatever was told for security and, in the end, lead to his downfall. Therefore, fear can force people into great situations, motivating and hindering actions as stimuli for accomplishment in life.