Examining Government Regulations

The current government regulations I researched pertain to the clinical guidelines and the civil rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Portland, Oregon. Many people living with HIV/AIDS, at some point during their illness, find themselves in need of housing assistance and support services. Stable housing promotes improved health, sobriety or decreased use of alcohol and illegal drugs, and, for some, a return to paid employment and productive social activities. As the number of people living with HIV/AIDS continues to grow in both urban and rural areas throughout the United States, stakeholders must find new ways to address their needs to promote the health and well-being of these individuals and their families. Increasingly, maximizing the resources available to people who need them requires partnering across mainstream housing and human services systems to ensure continuity of care, program efficiency, and that there is â€Å"no wrong door† to assistance for clients at risk. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommended public health law reform as part of its Healthy People 2010 initiative. Public health law in many states is ripe for reform. Oregon state legislature has suggested that existing state statutes are ineffective in responding to contemporary health threats for many reasons. These statutes pre-date modern scientific and constitutional developments and lack adequate standards of privacy, due process, and risk assessment. Forty percent of Oregonians with HIV need housing assistance, and a survey of Oregon service agency representatives cited the lack of affordable housing as the number-one barrier to stability for Oregonians living with HIV/AIDS. Critical issues were identified and recommendations developed to improve the ability of these systems to cooperatively meet the housing and services needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Oregon. The obstacles that would prevent me from meeting the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS are 1. Limited Awareness of Resources Dedicated to People Living with HIV/AIDS Many potential housing and services partners lack awareness or accurate knowledge of existing resources dedicated to, or which can be used to serve, people living with HIV/AIDS, and that lack of awareness may limit partnerships. 2. Confidentiality Concerns The need to maintain client confidentiality restricts the ways that OHOP housing coordinators and other organizations and individuals can publicize their activities and resources. . Limited Staff Capacity and Knowledge HIV Care and Treatment staff may lack familiarity with aspects of partner systems, including affordable housing, and have limited resources and time to conduct marketing and outreach to potential partners and planning bodies. Discrimination adds to the daily struggles faced by the growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States – people who are predominantly poor and disproportionately African American or Latino. Every agency’s biggest problems facing their clients involve meeting basic needs – coping with poverty, hunger, illiteracy, inadequate medical care, lack of transportation, and homelessness. In addition to those basic needs issues, people with HIV face a series of critical civil rights problems. Individuals living with HIV/AIDS need to know their rights and need the resources to advocate for themselves when their rights are threatened. They also need national legal organizations like the ACLU AIDS Project to enforce their civil rights and civil liberties through litigation, public education and legislative advocacy. Recommendations: †¢ Develop simple, discreet material to publicize OHOP and related services and opportunities, and distribute it widely. †¢ Present to current and potential partners, including faith-based and community-based grass roots organizations with information tailored to their interests. †¢ Engage provider agency staff, clients, and other regional participants in publicizing the need, opportunity, and benefits of investing in housing and services for people living with HIV/AIDS. †¢ Focus attention on improving coordination with planning, data, and other elements of homeless systems. †¢ Promote Shelter Care and other bonus projects through agreements to streamline or share sponsor administrative costs. †¢ Conduct outreach and seek partnerships with landlords and property managers. Oregon Housing and Opportunities in Partnership (OHOP) Program Many people living with HIV/AIDS find themselves in need of housing assistance and support services at so me point during their illness. As many as 60 percent of all persons living with HIV/AIDS report a lifetime experience of homelessness or housing instability. Stable housing promotes improved health, sobriety or decreased use of alcohol and illegal drugs, and, for some people living with HIV/AIDS, a return to paid employment and productive social activities. The federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program provides funding, distributed by both formula and competition, dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. This funding is not only necessary but critical to have the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS met adequately. Examining Government Regulations The current government regulations I researched pertain to the clinical guidelines and the civil rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Portland, Oregon. Many people living with HIV/AIDS, at some point during their illness, find themselves in need of housing assistance and support services. Stable housing promotes improved health, sobriety or decreased use of alcohol and illegal drugs, and, for some, a return to paid employment and productive social activities. As the number of people living with HIV/AIDS continues to grow in both urban and rural areas throughout the United States, stakeholders must find new ways to address their needs to promote the health and well-being of these individuals and their families. Increasingly, maximizing the resources available to people who need them requires partnering across mainstream housing and human services systems to ensure continuity of care, program efficiency, and that there is â€Å"no wrong door† to assistance for clients at risk. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommended public health law reform as part of its Healthy People 2010 initiative. Public health law in many states is ripe for reform. Oregon state legislature has suggested that existing state statutes are ineffective in responding to contemporary health threats for many reasons. These statutes pre-date modern scientific and constitutional developments and lack adequate standards of privacy, due process, and risk assessment. Forty percent of Oregonians with HIV need housing assistance, and a survey of Oregon service agency representatives cited the lack of affordable housing as the number-one barrier to stability for Oregonians living with HIV/AIDS. Critical issues were identified and recommendations developed to improve the ability of these systems to cooperatively meet the housing and services needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Oregon. The obstacles that would prevent me from meeting the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS are 1. Limited Awareness of Resources Dedicated to People Living with HIV/AIDS Many potential housing and services partners lack awareness or accurate knowledge of existing resources dedicated to, or which can be used to serve, people living with HIV/AIDS, and that lack of awareness may limit partnerships. 2. Confidentiality Concerns The need to maintain client confidentiality restricts the ways that OHOP housing coordinators and other organizations and individuals can publicize their activities and resources. . Limited Staff Capacity and Knowledge HIV Care and Treatment staff may lack familiarity with aspects of partner systems, including affordable housing, and have limited resources and time to conduct marketing and outreach to potential partners and planning bodies. Discrimination adds to the daily struggles faced by the growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States – people who are predominantly poor and disproportionately African American or Latino. Every agency’s biggest problems facing their clients involve meeting basic needs – coping with poverty, hunger, illiteracy, inadequate medical care, lack of transportation, and homelessness. In addition to those basic needs issues, people with HIV face a series of critical civil rights problems. Individuals living with HIV/AIDS need to know their rights and need the resources to advocate for themselves when their rights are threatened. They also need national legal organizations like the ACLU AIDS Project to enforce their civil rights and civil liberties through litigation, public education and legislative advocacy. Recommendations: †¢ Develop simple, discreet material to publicize OHOP and related services and opportunities, and distribute it widely. †¢ Present to current and potential partners, including faith-based and community-based grass roots organizations with information tailored to their interests. †¢ Engage provider agency staff, clients, and other regional participants in publicizing the need, opportunity, and benefits of investing in housing and services for people living with HIV/AIDS. †¢ Focus attention on improving coordination with planning, data, and other elements of homeless systems. †¢ Promote Shelter Care and other bonus projects through agreements to streamline or share sponsor administrative costs. †¢ Conduct outreach and seek partnerships with landlords and property managers. Oregon Housing and Opportunities in Partnership (OHOP) Program Many people living with HIV/AIDS find themselves in need of housing assistance and support services at so me point during their illness. As many as 60 percent of all persons living with HIV/AIDS report a lifetime experience of homelessness or housing instability. Stable housing promotes improved health, sobriety or decreased use of alcohol and illegal drugs, and, for some people living with HIV/AIDS, a return to paid employment and productive social activities. The federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program provides funding, distributed by both formula and competition, dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. This funding is not only necessary but critical to have the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS met adequately.

School Policy – Behaviour

â€Å"Research evidence suggests that pupils' behaviour can be influenced by all the major features and processes of a school. These include the quality of its leadership, classroom management, behaviour policy, curriculum, pastoral care, buildings and physical environment, organisation and timetable and relationships with parents. † (Elton Report, DES, 1989) The secondary education issue I have chosen to focus on for this presentation is Whole School Behaviour Policies and how such policies can influence the teaching and learning experiences in school through the use of sanctions and rewards.I chose this area to focus on because, as a student teacher on a teaching placement, behaviour in schools is one of my biggest concerns and also because, according to the Elton Report and other literature I have read, it appears that this is a major area of concern throughout secondary schools in the UK. The Elton Report, a national enquiry into discipline in schools, was established by t he Secretary of State for Education and Science in March 1989 in response to concern about the problems facing the teaching profession.Their task was to â€Å"recommend action to the government, local authorities, voluntary bodies, governors, headteachers, teachers and parents aimed at improving behaviour in schools for effective teaching and learning to take place†. (Elton Report, DES, 1989) The Elton Report has formed the basis of much of the current legislation on school behavioural policies and offers guidance for schools in drawing up their own behaviour policies.The main findings and recommendations of the Elton Report can be summarised in the following points (Teachernet, 2008): †¢School’s should adopt a ‘whole-school’ approach to their behaviour policies and the teachers’ approach should be one of consistency and fairness †¢Schools should have a clear vision for managing behaviour through establishing clear rules and boundaries, wi th emphasis on the positive. †¢All must adhere to policy principles, and teachers should model behaviour and interactions in a positive and supportive way. Boundaries should be made clear and sanctions should be in place, but the emphasis is on praise and rewarding good behaviour. †¢All staff should recognise that the quality of teaching and learning has a significant impact on pupils’ behaviour â€Å"A school's central purpose is that children should learn. Good behaviour makes effective teaching and learning possible. Bad behaviour disrupts these processes. † (Elton Report, DES, 1989) In September 2003, the government’s Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) launched the Behaviour and Attendance strand of the Key Stage 3 Strategy.This programme aims to provide advice, support and training for all secondary schools in England to promote positive behaviour and tackle issues of low-level disruption. It recommends that senior leadership tea ms in schools will carry out audits of behaviour and attendance and, from these, will establish priorities for the whole school. They will then plan actions to further improve their policy and practice and will draw up training plans for their staff. (Behaviour4learning, 2008) At my year one placement school I witnessed these recommendations put into practise in the classroom through the implementation of the school’s Behaviour Policy.The placement school is a mixed comprehensive school in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. The head teacher’s perception of the school’s catchment area is that it is a predominantly working class area of London with high levels of poverty and unemployment. According to the school’s latest Ofsted inspection report the number of pupils who are registered SEN (Special Educational Needs) is above the national average. Although not all special needs are connected to behaviour, it is largely acknowledged that if a child finds le arning very difficult it is possible that incidents of poor behaviour can occur. Cowley, 2006) The school has a behaviour policy in place and, by adhering to it, aims to promote a â€Å"positive learning and teaching community for staff and pupils. † (Swanlea School Behaviour Policy) The main aims, as summarised in the policy, are: †¢To ensure that behaviour is a whole school responsibility †¢To ensure that rewards and sanctions procedures are applied fairly and consistently †¢To foster compassion and tolerance, celebrate diversity and develop a sense of citizenship and care for the whole community and environment †¢To enable all pupils, irrespective of race, class, gender and ability, to achieve their personal best. Swanlea School Behaviour Policy) The policy also sets out the rights of staff and students, which are summarised as: †¢Every student has the right to learn at his or her optimum rate, without being hindered by others †¢Every student has the right to live each day in school without fear. Bullying, threatening behaviour, racial or sexual harassment and damage to property will not be tolerated. †¢All staff have the right to go about their work without being hampered (Swanlea School Behaviour Policy)This reflects a clear alignment with research by Cowley (2006) who states that: â€Å"Different types of school have very different and specific behavioural problems, and ideally the whole-school behaviour policy should be linked closely to the particular difficulties your school faces. † (Cowley, 2006, p172) The school’s behaviour policy is clearly in place to create a positive environment for pupils but it is also there for the benefit of teachers and staff to create a positive working environment and enable the teacher to effectively teach without disturbance. It’s important to keep in mind that the reason we need to manage behaviour at all is so that we can actually get on with teaching. â €  (Cowley, 2006, p96) The policy was established by the head teacher, deputies and heads of department together with the behaviour support team. It is managed by the deputy head teacher and is reviewed each term, through consultations with heads of department and the behaviour support team, at designated ‘Behavioural Policy Review’ meetings.These meeting allow for changes to be made if the policy appears to be ineffective and, for example, if incidents of bad behaviour have increased. In order to check the effectiveness of the policy, the deputy head teacher analyses data, in the form of exclusion rates, details of incidents of bullying and racist abuse and the use of sanctions and rewards. All of the school’s staff, including teachers and support staff, are responsible for ensuring that the behaviour policy and procedures are followed and applied.This ‘guidance framework’ has made it easier for staff to respond to incidents of bad and good behav iour consistently and fairly and for all students to be made aware of the policy. As recommended in research by Rogers (2006): â€Å"When schools have a common framework for classroom behaviour agreements, each successive year group becomes increasingly conscious of ‘the way we do things here’. â€Å"This enables some sense of common understandings and expectations about appropriate and fair behaviour and also some reasonable consistency in behaviour management by adults across the school. (Rogers, 2006, p46) The behaviour policy states that all staff are expected to model the high standards of behaviour and punctuality expected of pupils. Form tutors are also expected to support and encourage individual pupils through praise, positive reinforcement and contact with parents. The policy also advises that form teachers are directly involved with low level behaviour issues, such as addressing school uniform issues. The school believes that maintaining a level of consiste ncy across all staff and department, with regards to the behaviour policy, ensures that all pupils are aware of its contents.This is in line with Rogers’ (1995) and Cowley’s (2006) findings, who say that a whole-school behaviour policy is effective when it:- †¢Is created in conjunction with all the staff †¢undergoes a continuous process of change †¢is consistently applied All pupils at the school carry a travelling diary to lessons in which homework and behavioural issues such as lateness are monitored and recorded. The ‘travelling diary’ contains a summary of the school’s behaviour policy and expectations – further ensuring that the students are aware of the policy contents.Assemblies on the theme of respect and behaviour are also delivered to the pupils on a regular basis. â€Å"The behaviour policy is well constructed and understood by most students and applied evenly by all staff. † (Ofsted, 2007) The school has in p lace a system of sanctions and rewards to deal with negative and positive behaviour respectively. Depending on the severity of the negative behaviour in the school, the sanctions range from a verbal ‘telling off’ to the child being placed in the school’s isolation unit. Sanctions are there to offer corrective measures to indicate to the perpetrator that the displayed behaviour is not acceptable and provide and opportunity for the individual to redeem him/her self. † (Swanlea School Behaviour Policy) The behaviour policy states that the school aims to support a positive learning environment for students through the use of rewards for good behaviour. This ranges from praise from the teacher to formal awards and prizes at the school’s annual awards ceremony and during assemblies. This in reflected by Cowley (2006) who says: Using rewards is one of the most effective ways of getting better behaviour†¦. This will help you maintain a positive focus an d atmosphere in your classroom. † (Cowley, 2006, p81) However, it is challenged by Kyriacou (1998) who argues that it is ‘effective teaching’ not rewards that create better behaviour. â€Å"The most important point to bear in mind in considering discipline is that creating the necessary order is more to do with the skills involved in effective teaching in general than it is to do with how you deal with pupil misbehaviour itself. (Kyriacou, 1998, p79) To sum up, from classroom observations at my placement school I frequently observed incidents of students’ bad behaviour and how these incidents were dealt with in the design and technology department. It was apparent that the design and technology department, like the rest of the school, is closely following the guidance in the behaviour policy and is very efficient at dealing with bad behaviour. This appears to have a positive impact on the school in that it creates a safe environment for the pupils.However, on a daily basis I observed poorly behaved children being given break time detentions and several children receiving the ‘ultimate sanction’ of the isolation unit. While this appears to be effective in that it creates an ordered classroom environment for teaching and learning to take place, I frequently observed the well behaved pupils going un-noticed in the school’s efforts to stamp out bad behaviour. .â€Å"We can get trapped into giving lots of rewards to our tricky students, to keep them onside and get them to co-operate.But don’t overlook those children who work hard all the time – they deserve to receive recognition for their efforts as well. † (Cowley, 2006, p83) This suggests that their behaviour policy is not working as effectively as it could and that a solution could be to have, embedded in the behaviour policy, a system of rewarding good behaviour and recognising hard working children, as well as responding to the studentsâ€⠄¢ bad behaviour. References †¢Cowley, S. 2006), Getting the Buggers to Behave, Continuum International Publishing Group, London †¢HMSO (1989) The Elton Report: Enquiry into Discipline in Schools, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London †¢Kyriacou, C (1998), Essential Teaching Skills, Nelson Thornes Ltd, Cheltenham †¢Laslett, R and Smith, C (1984) Effective Classroom Management, Croom Helm Ltd, Kent †¢Rogers, B (2006) Classroom Behaviour: A Practical Guide for Effective Teaching, Behaviour Management and Colleague Support, Paul Chapman Publishing, London †¢Rogers, B (1995) Behaviour Management: A Whole-School Approach, Scholastic Australia, Gosford †¢Swanlea School Behaviour Policy, London Web references †¢Behaviour4Learning. Accessed 20. 11. 08 www. behaviour4learning. ac. uk †¢Department for Children, Schools and Families. Accessed 20. 11. 08; www. standards. dfes. gov. uk †¢Office for Standards in Education. Accessed 20. 11. 08 ww w. ofsted. gov. uk †¢Teachernet. Accessed 20. 11. 08 www. teachernet. gov. uk

Building Flexibility Into Contracts

The main rationale for building flexibility into an outsourcing contract is based on the premise that factors both internally and externally may change and thus impact the achievement of the desired objectives of the outsourcing. For example, the internal requirements of the sourcing organization may change during the outsourcing contract or another supplier in the supply market may achieve a technology breakthrough, which allows it to realize significant performance improvements.In the latter case, the establishment of a long-term contract with a competing supplier prevents the sourcing organization from accessing the superior capabilities of this supplier. Therefore, incorporating elements into a contract that create flexibility can ensure that the desired benefits are being achieved from outsourcing and in particular, ensure that the sourcing organization is not locked into a relationship with an uncompetitive supplier.Likewise, building flexibility into contracts aids organizatio ns in benefiting from the outsourcers’ cost improvements as they occurred, avoid lawsuits and save face in the future. Ways to Build Flexibility into Contracts McIvor (2005) related that flexibility can be achieved through either incomplete or incentive contracts. Incomplete contracting creates a situation in which parts of the contract can be renegotiated based upon changes in circumstances. It is mainly concerned with optimization over time, seeking to minimize the costs of adapting to the constantly changing conditions of the economic environment.There are a number of methods incorporating flexibility into a contract through incomplete contracting like price flexibility, renegotiation, contract length and early termination (Langfield-Smith, Smith and Stringer, 2000). Price flexibility allows prices to be renegotiated as circumstances change during the contract. Incorporating price flexibility means that all future contingencies do not have to be fully considered at the out set, as the buyer and supplier are aware that prices can be adjusted to reflect changes in circumstances.For example, changes in the requirements of the sourcing organization during the contract may necessitate an adjustment in prices. In renegotiation, mechanisms are incorporated into the contract that allow for renegotiation based upon changes in the business environment. The contract may include specific clauses under which renegotiation should occur including fixed calendar dates or changes in economic indices. Renegotiation often involves renegotiating more than price and can also focus on the terms of contract.The employment of shorter contracts can be employed to achieve flexibility. At the end of the contract period a new contract can be negotiated that reflects the current circumstances both internally and externally. Rather than have the five- to seven-year contracts of the last decade, contracts are now being broken into manageable timeframes which have short initial term s and options for extensions. Few organizations can predict their needs with any certainty over long lengths of time, thus it is prudent to have flexibility over the contract continuance.A clause may be incorporated into the contract that sets out the conditions under which the contract may be terminated. The omission of such a clause can result in considerable penalties in the event of the contract being terminated prematurely. Incentive contracting, on the other hand, involves incorporating mechanisms into the contract that allow the supplier to share any cost savings or profits generated through the outsourcing relationship (Dimitri, Piga and Spagnolo, 2006).Taking advantage of a contractor’s general objective to maximize profits by giving it the opportunity to earn a greater profit if it performs the contract efficiently lies at the core of incentive contracting. The essence of said contracting type is the effort by one individual or organization (the principal) to induce and reward certain behaviors by another (the agent). It has been the subject of considerable discussion in the economics literature, as incentive contracts are often employed to encourage performance improvements in the outsourcing arrangement in areas such as cost reduction and service levels (Bolton and Dewatripont, 2005).This type of contract stimulates the contractor to limit costs by leaving him a fraction of cost savings, but at the same time it reimburses him some money in case of cost overrun. The contract will include mechanisms that ensure the supplier shares any savings that are realized from performance improvements. Incentivization can create a more cooperative relationship between parties, overcoming the traditional adversarial approach to contracting.The purpose of the incentives is not just to motivate the contractor but to tie performance of all participants to the contract’s objectives. The proper use of an incentive contract aligns the priorities of contra ct participants who would otherwise have diverse motives. Potential Risks of Building in Too Much Flexibility Nowhere is the potential trade-off between control and flexibility more apparent than when it comes to designing the contract. As with anything that is too much, there are potential risks of building in too much flexibility into contracts.By having too much contract flexibility, short-term opportunistic behavior is more likely, which is why classical legal contracts remove flexibility by building in as much legally enforceable control as possible that protects both parties from such behavior. With respect to incomplete contracting, problems arise when any agreement is negotiated under conditions of incomplete or asymmetric information, risk and uncertainty. It has also been associated with certain organizational costs, as it needs to be revised or renegotiated as the future unfolds.John (2000) identifies three such types of costs: ex post costs of haggling over the terms of the revised contract upon renegotiation; those related to inefficient agreements caused by asymmetric information; and ex ante costs of not investing in relation-specific investments in fear of encountering ‘hold-up’ behavior upon contract renegotiation. Since it is impossible to write a complete contract that specifies what the agent is required to do in all contingencies, legal precedent is employed to determine obligations of the contracting parties that are not explicitly written into a contract.Familiar contractual forms have the advantage that there is a wealth of legal precedent concerning them. Thus, disputes are likely to be resolved speedily. More exotic contractual forms, for which there are few legal precedents, are more prone to costly and acrimonious legal disputes (Aghion and Bolton, 2002). Further, incomplete contracting discourages both relation-specific investments and value-enhancing agreements.When it comes to incentive contracting which operates on the theory of the carrot and the stick (there’s a financial carrot for a supplier for better than agreed-on quality, reliability, delivery or performance and a financial stick for worse than agreed-on levels of those parameters), the principle is attractive but the practice is another matter. Suppliers are reluctant to accept financial penalties, especially for reliability targets are not reached, and customers are reluctant to extend financial incentives to suppliers if agreed-on targets are not met.In incentive contracting, the risks' amount, probability, and impact are major factors influencing the design of the contract since the main purpose of this is transferring the risks. As well, there are several limitations to incentive contracting, as it depends on a purchaser with the ability to specify performance, the possibility of meaningful performance measures that can be identified, agreed upon and implemented, the existence of resources to oversee and monitor performance , and the practical ability to take action, including replacing the contractor, where performance is unsatisfactory.The front pages provide too-frequent illustration of the ways in which contract incentives designed by the best and most well-intentioned experts may yield unintended adverse consequences. Incentives can divert attention from other important goals, work too well on their own terms, or encourage distorted reporting. WORKS CITED 1. Aghion, P. & Bolton, P. (2002). On Partial Contracting. European Economic Review. 46, 745-753. 2. Bolton, P. & Dewatripont, M.(2005). Contract Theory. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 3. Dimitri, N. , Piga, G. & Spagnolo, G. (2006). The Handbook of Procurement. New York: Cambridge University Press. 4. Langfield-Smith, K. , Smith, D. & Stringer, C. (2000). Managing the Outsourcing Relationship. Australia: University of South Wales Press, Ltd. 5. McIvor, R. (2005). The Outsourcing Process: Strategies for Evaluation and Manag ement. New York: Cambridge University

Google and Education Essay

Google is today’s era is contextual to the education. The Google application is spreading tremendously in the field of education whether it is through the Google search engine for searching different information or through the books and scholarly articles search. Children of all ages and of numerous courses from different parts of world are using the Google as an educational package. The students are finding the Google as a much promising website for searching the valuable information. Many students have participated in the Google project. Using Google Docs & Spreadsheets the student aware of different educational virtues like Google Earth has provided the student about the different perspectives related to the earth. The Google has empowered the education with many descent tools like mail, calendar, Google Earth, Books, Scholarly articles and others. The Google has offered the students with its application and provide them the power of fast communication like email, instant messaging, calendar and other. The Google has made the information and knowledge to be shared all over the world speedily and effectively without any error. The Google has outspread the knowledge transfer by providing huge data storage either through books or through mails. The embedded Google presentation like power point has conceptualized the idea of knowledge transfer interactively as the presentation on slides is much better and effective than reading books. The Google images have provided the stuff related to each and every field. The Google images have provided the teachers and professors to make their presentations more effective as compared to earlier. The Google images have covered all the fields like geography, buildings and other stuffs. Earlier in making slides, the teachers and professors had to spend a lot of time. Today by the Google images, the photographs can be converted into slides very easily. This is experienced by the many of the students and scholars. The Google has provided huge area illustrations from every period and from every field whether it is related to the nature or related to the history. The Google has provided the material at the fingertips of the people. Now the people can make their slides and transparencies on their own. The Google News has given a platform for viewing the news and information of whole world. The students can get through the numerous perspectives of the knowledge. The different area of information in the world is covered by the Google through the Google news. The Google Notebook has the feature for the student as a tool of research. The student can paraphrase and refine the educational material through it. By the Google Notebook the student can share their knowledge also to their colleague and with their mentors. Even they can public their knowledge to the others also. Thus the knowledge sharing is made easy by the Google. The Google has announced to launch the Google Apps Platform in the Arizona State University and the schools which are using the Google APIs including the e-mail gateways also. This contains the tools from the Google like Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar. The virtues from this pack includes the back-end infrastructure like directories, single logon platforms etc. The Google uses the effective values such as the security Assertion Markup Language to support single logon and an XML interface based on Representational State Transfer to link to directory services. These services are being used by the users frequently. These services for the educational purpose are an effective step taken by the Google to incorporate the whole knowledge sharing easy. The Google is incorporating its educational packs and services all over the world for making the education interactive and easy. The Google search engine is the most efficient tool provided by the Google up to now. One can search the whole websites according to his requirements. The different articles, bolgs and other information, needed by the students and others can be obtained easily. The people can search the whole stuff he need on the internet in every area of the world. The new updates from the different websites are included and updated by the Google frequently and regularly. This feature of updating the data resources has included by the Google which is appreciated by the scholars all over the world. The Google Earth has incorporated the users for educational purposes. The users can search the roads, geographical features, maps through the Google Earth. The student can search different locations through the Google Earth. The student can see different historical features also and take them into their studies. The Google Earth has incorporated the three-dimensional view also to locate the buildings, and other historical buildings also. The maps on the Google Earth can also be viewed and studied through the Google Earth. The Google Reader has been termed as the inbox of the web by the users. The Google Reader was termed as a must tool for the academic students. The users can find current information on the Google Reader. The student related to every discipline can find the information related to its field. The versatility of the Google Reader has incorporated different fields. It contains the information related to the medicines, history, as well as related to the geography and other fields also. This feature has made the Google Reader, a powerful tool for the education purpose. The Google Book Search has empowered the users for exploring the books written by the author in different parts of the world. The books are updated regularly by the Google. The Google Book Search option has enabled the student to read the books free of cost. The Google Book Search has incorporated numerous features like updating the list of editions, references to the Scholarly Work about the books, related articles, selected pages from the books and others. Even one can search the books according to its key words search. The Google has shown the way for exploration in education according to every perspective. The users can explore the Google as a knowledge database for their requirements. The Google has helped the education a lot. The educational knowledge provided by the Google has helped the students as well as the scholars, teachers and professors also. The different features and tools from the Google have helped the education for the growth of the students. References: 1) Max W. Fischer, Gaga Over Google: Photo Images Bring Lessons to Life, Education World. 2) Google More†¦an Introduction to Google in Education, CUE Conference-Palm Springs, California, Monday, March 05, 2007. 3) Fontana, John, Google education app hints at plan for service, Network World, Monday, October 16 2006. 4) Jeff VanDrimmelen, Google and Education, February 2nd, 2007. 5) Jeff VanDrimmelen, Google Reader and the Academic Community, October 31st, 2006. 6) Mehran Sahami, About the Google Education Summit, 10/26/2007.

Classical Empires Dbq

DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTION: Daoism-Buddhism Directions The following question is based on the accompanying documents. (The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise). The question is designed to test your ability to work with and understand historical documents. Write an essay that: †¢ Has relevant thesis and supports that thesis with evidence from the documents. †¢ Uses all or all but one of the documents. †¢ Analyzes the documents by grouping them in as many appropriate ways as possible and does not simply summarize the documents individually. Takes into account both the sources of the documents and the authors’ points of view. Essay Prompt Analyze the similarities and differences between the two religions, and what makes these religions unique. Based on the following documents, discuss classical empires. What types of additional documentation would help determine the benefits and difficulties of running classical empires? Historical Background Buddhism and Taoism are both mainly centered in eastern China, and many people are confused between the two. Not very many people understand whatBuddhists stand for, but many people only know they live to find meaning, and to reach nirvana. Taoists look to end the sufferings in life. Document 1 Document 2 Document 3 Document 4 Document 5 Document 6 Document 7 Document 7 Document 8 Citations http://www. sacred-texts. com/bud/btg/btg03. htm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Taijitu http://www. wadsworth. com/religion_d/special_features/popups/maps/matthews_world/content/map_91. html http://www. diffen. com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Taoism http://www. accesstoinsight. org/lib/authors/bogoda/wheel397. html http://www. chebucto. ns. ca/Philosophy/Taichi/taoism. tml http://www. chebucto. ns. ca/Philosophy/Taichi/taoism. html http://www. buzzle. com/articles/taoism-beliefs. html & http://buddhismbeliefs. org/ ———————– Robert Bogoda, A Simpl e Guide to Life, 1994 To make the best use of our human potential, we need not only a practical aim in life, but a life plan for achieving that aim. The preceding two sections of this essay show the groundwork for developing a proper sense of values, the values essential for gaining happiness, success, and security within the mundane life and for progressing towards the ultimate goal of the Buddhist path, Nibbana.While we walk along the path to liberation, as laypeople we have to live in the world, and our immediate objective will be to make our life in the world both a means to worldly success and a stepping-stone to final liberation. [pic] Lama Surya Das, Buddhism Plain and Simple This picture depicts the god of Buddhism, Buddha. In this picture he can be seen as a calm, wise, and intelligent man. He seems like he just might be meditating. This is the way of Buddha, being wise, kind, and finding meaning in life. This is the way many Buddhists believe they should be.Tai Chi Chuan, Taoism and the Philosophy The religious current of Taoism evolved its own pantheon of deities that were worshipped in temples by the various sects. These Taoist deities, like the Buddhist or Hindu pantheon, represented different qualities and attributes and various ceremonies, depending on circumstances were conducted to appeal to them. Unlike most religions, Taoism has more than one religious figure. In fact, they have about 27 deities, which all stand for different individual things, such as pure ones, immortals, the 3 officials, and many more.Tai Chi Chuan, Taoism and the Philosophy A Taijitu, the main symbol of the Taoist spirituality. Please note however, that the true Taijitu symbol shows the white (or red) spiral on the top, so that the dividing line creates a backwards S shape. Yin and yang are not opposing forces (dualities), but complementary forces, unseen (hidden, feminine) and seen (manifest, masculine), that interact to form a greater whole, as part of a dynamic system . Everything has both yin and yang aspects as light could not be understood if darkness didn't exist, and shadow cannot exist without light. pic] Paul Carus, Buddha, the Gospel, 1909 All compound things shall be dissolved again, worlds will break to pieces and our individualities will be scattered; but the words of Buddha will remain for ever. The extinction of self is salvation; the annihilation of self is the condition of enlightenment; the blotting out of self is Nirvana. Major beliefs of Taoism Major beliefs of Buddhism Taoism has the same worldview as Confucianism or ancient Chinese folk religion. Its philosophy operates within the same paradigms. It celebrates man's association and interdependency with nature.Moving on to a wider plane, the relationship between religion and the universe takes the form of veneration, which lies beyond the confines of time and space, ancestor worship and belief in the sovereign. The principles on which the system thrives even today include Ch'i, Feng Shui, interdependency between life and death, the Eight Immortals and the Ultimate Reality. Life exists in itself – there is no inherent meaning attached to life. However – as all human beings (and animals) wish for happiness and not to suffer – the purpose of life may be said to end that suffering.Buddhism teaches that in an interconnected world, all actions have consequences (karma). The consequences of acts undertaken in this and earlier lifetimes will be felt in a next one, in a process known as reincarnation. It is a Buddhist aim to educate oneself and meditate in order to escape from this cycle of rebirth, to enter Nirvana. | |Buddhism |Taoism | |Geographical predominance: |Tibet, Sri Lanka, North America. |Asia, North America. |Goal of religion: |To gain enlightenment and nirvana. |To gain balance in life. | |Place of origin: |Nepal, India. |China | |Principle: |Desire leads to suffering. |Taoists believe that life is good. Taoism | | | |lays emphas is on the body. | |Status of Adam: |N/A. |N/A. | |Place of worship: |Pagodas, Temples. Temple, shrine | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Warren Matthews, World Religions, [pic] In this map, Daoism, or Taoism, along with Buddhism, are mainly in the eastern portion of China. Most likely, location doesn’t have anything to due with your religion, but what is either forced on you, or which you would like to choose.

Leading and Managing in Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 41

Leading and Managing in Nursing - Case Study Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that Ryan is not a shy nurse and is a risk taker as is evident from his move from a large hospital to a small one and the fact that he has not yet given up on his graduate studies simply because the rest of the nurses are dissuading him to do so. He can use his courage and relentlessness and approach the Chief Nursing Officer on the position and pledge to work hard. The Chief Nursing Officer is also new to the hospital just like Ryan is and hence this is another resource he can exploit and put in his own advantage as the two are new and share knowledge, experience, and vision the rest of the staff does not have. This might gain him not only entry into the governance structure but a good position in shared governance the structure as well. Ryan can use his previous job as a resource to grant him entry into another job with a positive work environment. The fact that he worked for over a year in a big renowned hospital immed iately after completion of his undergraduate course indicates that he is an exemplary student who deserves to be in any good hospital. He can also use his political influence as a practice council member in Magnet Hospital to indicate that he has big dreams and is a visionary leader who is not only lazy and contented at being on the hospital bedside but would like to join the leadership and bring more changes in the nursing world. This should be corroborated by his almost immediate entry into a graduate program which many people delay until they are older and have gained several years of experience. Ryan should inform them about individual rights each nurse has on how to run his or her life. His rights permit him to advance his education to whatever level he wants and no one can question him or dissuade him from doing that. Since the negative comments are likely to lead to conflict most of the time, Ryan should employ conflict resolution skills as well as collective bargain methods to redirect their comments.

Book War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book War - Essay Example The fact that her hair and shoulders were covered with frost, Ping concluded that she must have been there all night. This shows one of the effects the ban to reading had on young people. At first Ping thought that she was reading one of Mao’s books but later realizes that it was the story of Little Mermaid. He had wanted to read the book but only when he was able to read a book on his own, the revolution began and booked were termed as poisonous weed. The fact that the girl had disguised the book with a cover of Mao’s works shows how eager people were to read. She had felt the need to read the book but could not do that openly in fear of the government. This is one instance that shows how cruel the government’s decision was on those that really wanted to read. Ping and his neighbor decided to carry out a secret book exchange program. This emphasizes their determination to keep reading despite threats form the government. Ping later discovers a box of books that his mother had hidden. Whenever his mother discovered a book he was reading, she would order him to tear it and burn the pages. Then she would explain that it was for their safety with tears in her eyes. The author says that their hearts were turned into ashes. This can be taken to imply desperation and safe pity. All they could do was stick to the instructions from the government or risk their lives. In his last stanza, when the last of the books was burnt, he sat in the chicken coop. It was here that all the stories became alive in him as tears flowed freely. He then started telling stories to friends, siblings, and neighbors. These were stories he had read from the forbidden books and some that he had made up. From this experience, the author concludes that even if books are banned and burnt, hope and stories are still alive. The experience from this story emphasizes the importance of stories to people, even to children. Books carry stories that

Healthcare and Social Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare and Social Media - Research Paper Example It has been noticed that the application of social media has become more significant in recent days. During the last decade, it has been determined that the application of social media has increased enormously in the field of global healthcare industry (Sultz & Young, 2009). Presently, a large number of healthcare organizations have adopted social media tools for developing a better communication system with consumers and build strong relationship. In accordance with PricewaterhouseCoopers (2012), 42% of the global healthcare industry consumers have used social media in order to access health related services and information (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2012). Healthcare organizations usually use social media in order to accomplish organizational goals of communicating and building relationship with patients. Additionally, healthcare organizations have utilized social media platform as an intermediary with the intention of sharing healthcare related information and researches globally. It has been implemented by healthcare organizations in order to enhance care and treatment provisions (Sultz & Young, 2009). According to the report published by Computer Science Corporation (2012), it has been identified that during the year 2011, 65% of the healthcare organizations had used Twitter as a marketing strategy, whereas Facebook and YouTube had been used by 54% and 50% of healthcare organizations respectively (Computer Science Corporation, 2012). According to report of KPMG International Cooperative (2011), social media has offered and introduced several new dimensions with respect to communication and marketing in front of the healthcare industry. Social media has provided the platform through which healthcare professionals and organizations are sharing ideas, information and experiences with each other in order to enhance the quality of medical services, care and treatment facilities (KPMG International Cooperative, 2011). On the contrary, healthcare

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 8

Project Management - Essay Example Literature has suggested a number of benefits which can be achieved by outsourcing the payroll system. Majorly, it is considered to outsource in order to achieve the cost reduction benefits, where the exceptional contractor’s performance and its low-cost structure can reduce the cost directly, as well as it converted the fixed cost into the variable costs and also by lowering the in-house staff (Seth & Sethi, 2011). Other indirect benefits resulting in the cost reductions are increasing efficiency by more focus on main business operations, employee retention with specialized programs designed strategically by vendor, bettered the risk management, and also minimizing the firm’s politics (Turnbull, 2002; Rubery, Cooke, Marchington, & Earnshaw, 2003). The outsourcing Payroll system has some other benefits resulting in revenue enhancements. The direct revenue enhancement occurs through more cash generation and savings, which is achieved by transferring the assets needed to manage payroll towards the vendor, so it lowers the investment and make the resources available for further purposes (Seth & Sethi, 2011). While it also increases the revenues indirectly by improving customer services and satisfaction resulting in increased sales, gaining more contacts through vendor PR, speeding up, expansion, legal compliance and also by accessing the advanced technology through vendors’ specialized services (Adler, 2003). On the other hand, there is little evidence found in literature to realize these benefits. As (Dickmann & Tyson, 2005) has argued that there are more costs incurred while outsourcing the payroll system due to more transaction costs. Additionally, according to (Mellewigt, Madhok, & Weibel, 2007), there is an ethical is sue of payroll outsourcing, which is the critical employee’ information security breaches. Moreover, the lower control over HR functions,

No selected topic yet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

No selected topic yet - Essay Example Extreme heat waves is one of the many health effects of global warming. For instance in 2003, it claimed 70,000 lives in Europe alone. Bad air, allergy and asthma are part of the health issues. Global warming increases smog pollution some areas and intensify pollen allergies and asthma. Other issue associated with global warming are infectious diseases, food and waterborne infection outbreaks. Warming temperatures, irregular periods of deluges and droughts, as well as ecosystem disruptions have contributed to more extensive outbreaks of contagious diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, which at any point affects the economy of the country in one way or the other. Rising global temperatures speed up the melting of ice caps and glaciers and cause premature ice thaw on rivers and seas. This causes a rise in sea level, hence flooding is increased, which, affects living organisms dearly (Archer, 10). Global warming is a problem to be addressed seriously by all countries and governments in the world. Failure to put serious, practical measures to end the situation may result into long-term effects to both human beings, wildlife, and the environment at

Management Planning Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Planning - Research Paper Example Selected Organization The organization whose planning function we are going to evaluate is Halliburton. Halliburton is a provider of different products and services to the energy sector of different countries. Some of the main activities of this company include managing geological data, locating hydrocarbons, construction of the wells, drilling, and managing lifecycle of the reservoirs. Planning For the managers at Halliburton, planning holds great importance in all processes of management. At Halliburton, planning means to recognize organizational goals and to develop proper strategies to meet those goals. Planning not only includes setting goals for the future but also includes development of tactics and strategies to meet those goals. Managers at Halliburton firmly believe that they cannot achieve desired goals without planning. For proper planning, managers consider many factors, such as, availability of resources, assessment of organizational environment, future trends of the oil and gas industry, assessment of industrial demands, and proper use of capital. At Halliburton, there are many kinds of planning which managers do for the success of the organization. Some of those types of planning include marketing planning, construction planning, production planning, event planning, and project planning. Marketing planning means to develop suitable strategies for the marketing of the company’s products and services.... For construction planning, managers consider different aspects of a project to develop a plan for that project. Some of the major aspects, which managers consider, include site of the project, needs of the client firm, geological survey, and feasibility of the project. Production managers also do proper planning to enhance production services, such as, pipeline process services, well intervention services, and oil and gas production services. For project planning, managers consider nature of the project, availability of the resources required to complete the project, due date of the project, and effective use of human resource and technology to meet the targets. Tatum (2011) states, â€Å"Like any type of business planning, project planning is about gaining the most benefit while making the wisest use of available resources†. Influence of Legal Issues, Ethics, and CSR on Planning There are many factors, which put a deep impact on the planning function of an organization. In ca se of Halliburton, some of the main factors, which influence the planning function of Halliburton, include legal issues, ethics, and corporate social responsibility. Let us discuss the impact of each of these three factors on the planning function of management at Halliburton. Legal Issues Legal issues are those issues, which revolve around a business’s policies, planning, and structure. â€Å"Business managers and owners must at all times be prepared to spend some time around legal issues that may arise† (Beck, 2011). Analyzing legal issues related to different business processes and policies is very critical for a company’s success. Managers at Halliburton focus towards all sorts of legal issues while doing any kind of business planning in order to ensure effective planning

How does the Film 'North by Northwest' Convey Espionage from the Essay

How does the Film 'North by Northwest' Convey Espionage from the 1950's - Essay Example The two powers never had direct military action, but the period contained sets of high tension crises and race for supremacy. The Cold War era affected the culture of the US. Soldiers who served in the World War II returned home and started new lives and families. They started new businesses and the trade expanded along with job opportunities. The 1950s witnessed major events that was a huge leap and changed our culture and lifestyle. President Harry Truman approved production of the Hydrogen Bomb. 1951 saw the introduction of television and in 1958 the US launched its first satellite Explorer I. National Airlines started domestic passenger flights in 1958. These are major developments in a decade and have affected our culture and society. These were baby steps and foundation of events that led US to supremacy in culture, economy and military as well. The atomic explosions in the 1950s demonstrated power of the US and the Soviet Union and the events were the cause of escalation of th e Cold War. The decade included the Korean War and the beginning of the space race. Along with these developments intelligence gathering accelerated and espionage activities increased. The decade was very active and it had profound effects on the culture as well. The culture of the time is fairly represented by the films. The paper, however, is aimed at studying the culture of the decade along with examination of Alfred Hitchcock’s film North by Northwest in context with the espionage activities at the time. Before examining the film in detail, it is necessary to give a brief plot along with introduction to characters. Alfred Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock was an English born film director. His films usually centered on murder or espionage, with deception and chase sequences. Mistaken identity was common in his films. An innocent man wrongly accused of crime or espionage was a theme in many of his films. His greatest strength was his expertise in building and maintaining suspense . He used very elaborate with editing techniques and used camera viewpoints for his visual effects. The soundtracks were carefully chosen and edited.1 His thrillers maintained reality and believability which was different than other spy films of the time. Alfred Hitchcock was the main spy film director who made this genre popular in the 1930s. The Cold War era increased desire of audiences to see spy thrillers and the 1950s saw a major growth in this genre. Alfred Hitchcock made many of the spy films in the decade and depicted the espionage activities along with culture. Government operations along with operational style and activities of intelligence agencies were shown in the films. Spies and their work were mostly fiction but the films gave audiences an insight into the profession. Furthermore, the Cold War saw an increase in real world espionage activities and the intelligence agencies were very active at the time. The films, especially by Alfred Hitchcock came close to depictin g real world scenarios in espionage and were liked by audience for being suspense spy thrillers. North by Northwest â€Å"North by Northwest† was a Cold War spy story released in the year 1959 by Alfred Hitchcock. The cast included Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The film’s theme is of mistaken identity with an innocent man chased by an unknown organization. The main theme of this motion picture is espionage activity and shows some insight into government intelligence agen

Attention Deficit Disorder Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Attention Deficit Disorder - Term Paper Example This leads to a lack of attention and it affects activities of an individual in everyday life (Grosenbach 2000 & Whiteman et al 1995). Thus it is a fact that ADD is a real and treatable psychological disorder; not just an excuse for people to misbehave. ADD derives its roots from the early eighteenth century when it was diagnosed by George Still. The name however was not designated for the disorder in 1902 by Still. George Still found 20 children with problems of attention deficiency and postulated a theory which stated that the children may be suffering from some genetic disorder which accounted for their unusual behavior. At that time the disorder was named as the Defect of Moral Thought by George Still. These symptoms were then analyzed again in 1922 and they were named as â€Å"Post Encephalitic Behavior Disorder†. In 1937 Charles Bradley used stimulants to treat children who were supposed to be suffering from this disorder and it was because of this work that in 1956 Rita lin as a drug was introduced to treat the hyperactivity disorder. In early 1960 the disorder was named as â€Å"Minimal Brain Dysfunction† and still stimulants were used to treat the disorder. In the latter stages of 1960 the disorder became known as â€Å"Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood†. ... ADD is diagnosed on the basis of psychiatric assessment and a detailed in depth discussion with the parents or teachers, and on the basis of a questionnaire taken by the child if he or she is old enough. The data collected is compared with a standard list of signs and symptoms, termed as "Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV" (DSM 4) for North America and with "International Statistical Classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD 10)" for European Nations, where ADD is given the name of "hyperkinetic disorder" (Berger et al 2008). The affected individuals lack the ability to stay focused and are inattentive. They are hyperactive and are easily distracted. These symptoms can be present individually or as a combination of both of the above. ADD is the most common psychiatric disorder diagnosed in children affecting them at the frequency of 3-5%, though 4-7% of the affected children continue to suffer in the adulthood as well. Boys are affected 2-4 ti mes more frequently than girls are. These symptoms are considered a part of normal developmental behavior of a child at a young age, but when these symptoms do not resolve with increasing age or if the severity of the symptoms worsens, and then this leads to the diagnosis of ADHD (Southhall 2007; Berger et al 2008). According to the National Resource Center on ADHD, 5-8 percent of children of the school going age are affected with this condition and 2-4 percent of adults develop this disorder. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also indicated that 8 million children in the United States between the ages of 3 to 17 years have been diagnosed by this

Introduction to Communication-Positive Responses to Relational Personal Statement

Introduction to Communication-Positive Responses to Relational Conflicts-discussion - Personal Statement Example I would lash out, and this led to verbal conflict towards my workmates. The whole situation led to decreased productivity, and it got the attention of the manager. In any workplace, healthy environments lead to empowered employees, and lack of that leads to decreased productivity (Daudelin, 38). Healthy environments ensure that there is mutual respect between the manager and the employee as well as between the employees (Daudelin, 38). In this situation, the manager decided to take a collaborative approach by having a sit-down with members of the team and addressing the issues. Understanding this situation makes the issues clear and coherent (Daudelin, 40). The manager addressed the issue of how tasks assignment in the workplace, and embarked on making changes that ensured that these tasks were equal. The issue was solved the issue in this

Disscusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Disscusion - Essay Example A name given to these social misfits is ‘berdache’. According to Devor, the tension bound by the notion of ‘me’ and ‘I’ is called self and gender identity are at the core of the development of self (89). Cofer, being both Puerto Rican and white says that, in her early years, she was referred to as blanca (white). She was lighter than her mother but darker than her father (61). Cofer narrates that while getting kicked out of a store, the storekeeper called her dirty brown, saying it was her natural color (67). She ran home to wash her hands with hot water and soap, and her skin remained the same color. Even though, the ‘I’ knew she was clean, the ‘Me’ part reminded her that she was the color of coffee with milk in it. She had big eyes, and a round face and she knew she was pretty, yet at Catholic school, the pretty white girls were especially the teachers’ favorites. The ‘I’ confided in her that she lived a well enough decent life with her parents. However, the ‘Me’ chided her about Ted’s father’s comments that, being Puerto Rican, they lived like rats. The notion of ‘I’ should surpass that of ‘Me’ because society will never be pleased. It is somewhat like a gaping black hole that sucks out most of the good about an individual and leaves emptiness. In as much as society guides in shaping the general gender norms of individuals, it should not be given too much power. An individual knows himself/herself better than anyone else, and society will be more concerned about tearing apart the negative rather than building on the positive. From Cofer’s story of her body, the issue of race and color is clearly evident, and she goes to great lengths to clarify the impact it had on her life while she was growing up. Many a times, she felt small and sorely inadequate, especially in sports and her

Psychology - Personality Test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychology - Personality Test - Essay Example Since this type belongs to the three traits expected from an effective leader (conscientiousness, openness and extroversion), one confirms readiness and the ability to lead in various endeavors. Past experiences working with groups in the academic setting has exhibited competencies in assuming leadership roles. For instance, when there are group projects, there have been several times that one was assigned or elected as the group leader and the personality traits of being orderly, focusing on complying with responsibilities, being reliable and conscientious were evidently manifested. As a leader, one recognized the importance of delegating responsibilities to members and monitoring their progress. With the personality type that was exuded, one acknowledged that focus on the accomplishment of tasks is crucial to ensure that the defined goals are achieved. However, one likewise realized that there is a need to develop openness and extroversion to enable the leader to solicit relevant i nputs from other members and followers, and to encourage them to be productive and facilitate towards contributing effectively towards the defined goals in a more conducive and motivated

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History - Essay Example The participation of Southern states in the adoption of the amendments of ending slavery was a light to the blacks; however, they reject the 14th amendments and this incited the Radical Republicans in passing Reconstruction Acts. These acts brought about division in Southern states based on their racial differences. 2. Describe the kind of violence Lucy McMillan experiences via 1871. How does this illustrate the problem of reconstruction? Lucy McMillan experiences the 1871 violence between Blacks and the Whites during the reconstruction era. McMillan illustrates the problems of reconstruction as it directly affects the citizens of North and South. The problems included lack of knowledge concerning land problems by most of the black leaders who had participated in the Reconstruction this made it possible for the whites to win over them. 3. How do the Louisiana Black Codes reinstate a kind of â€Å"virtual slavery† in 1865? Louisiana succeeded in his deal of protecting the Black s, his codes had significance in ending virtual slavery, and he denied the pardons involving those who had killed the African American war prisoners. Louisiana allowed each state in creating a new constitution, this came after taking an oath of allegiance by 10% of the total voters, through Louisiana’s efforts ending of discrimination of the blacks. 4. What kind of tribute does William Howard Day give to President Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln is not connected to any religious beliefs he, however, hold a strong believe that God is all-powerful. William Howard Day gave tributes to President Lincoln concerning his leadership especially during the reconstruction era. William confounded the president about his act of spending money and that his leadership is not trustworthy. William also pointed out Lincoln’s weakness as a man full of pride and self-centeredness. CHAPTER TWO 1. Is frontier settlement best understood as the story of competing ethnic, religious, and racial groups , or is it best understood as the place where capitalism left its mark? Frontier settlement is the region within a country fronting on another country usually neighboring country, in this settlement there are habitations. Frontier is usually a political and geographical region and found near a boundary. Frontier settlement being a political area can be best understood as a story involving competing ethnic, political and religious groups. 2. Was the West truly the place where Americans were most individualistic, democratic, and free, as Turner argued, or was it actually riddled with inequalities? Fredrick Jackson Turner in his thesis called Frontier or Turner Thesis stressed the liberty involving movement of releasing Americans from Europeans. From his thesis, it can be concluded that the west was not the place for Americans, the acquisition of the place based on the inequalities hence lacking democracy and full of individualistic. 3. One of the biggest occurrences of the 1870s was C uster’s Last Stand. Discuss the reminiscences of the battle. Custer’s Last Stand occurred in 1876, is a battle involving the most prominent act, which was pioneered by several leaders of war. The battle left several reminiscences among those who were involved and those who were affected. Several people killed 268 were killed, and 55 injured during the battle the battle led to displacement of hundreds of people. 4. Why did the

The Hunger Games and Reality TV Essay Example for Free

The Hunger Games and Reality TV Essay In the novel The Hunger Games, many aspects relate to reality TV. Through the Gamemakers and, in television producers the truth is altered. The line separating fact and fiction is truly blurred. The producers do their job so well that it leaves the audience questioning every move on the show. They wonder â€Å"where is the real in reality TV? † The answer is that due to their mixed genre and producer editing there is not any. Reality TV is not just one genre, but a mix of two. The producers â€Å"[use] the documentary-fiction genre mix to help market its product. † [ ] This â€Å"new† genre allows some leeway in the reality and fictional aspects of the show. â€Å"Reality series use documentary techniques to generate emotional accuracy; that is, the sense that these people are showing you their true emotions or are behaving in psychologically convincing ways, even if the events they are reacting to are obviously staged. †[1] The fictional aspect of this genre is what producers rely on for more ratings. Treating the show as a fictional sitcom lets the producers stage events to create more drama. They can do this easily but still have to be wary of the documentary side of the genre. If the audience can tell that there are too many fake scenes on the show they will not watch it. Viewers can go from â€Å"this show is so good,† to as Samantha Bee put it, â€Å"a totally, unabashedly fake, phony, manipulated, a sham. †[ ] Some shows can not only rely on the genre mix but also must rely on their editors. Editors of reality TV shows are the true stars because they choose what kind of story to tell. In The Hunger Games, the Gamemakers chose to tell the story of the star-crossed lovers of District 12. In reality TV the editors do the same. IF anything would harm the shows view ratings the editors take care of it. Take for instance on the CBS show Big Brother; racists comments were made during the online live feed, but knowing that would hurt the viewer ratings the editors chose to take it out of the episode air on television a few days later. [ ] This caused uproar since because it showed how manipulated reality TV shows are. Editors can also make shows more interesting by combining clips to create drama. They do their job so well that it leaves the audience questioning every move on the show. The editors also take weeks and weeks of filming and squeeze it into a 45 minute show. In reality TV, the fictional part of the genre outshines the documentary part. Through the producers’ and editors actions the truth is altered and the audience is feed lies. The line separating fact and fiction is not blurred, but broken. The audience may think it is real but it is all fake.

The most difficult decision I have made and its personal effect Essay Example for Free

The most difficult decision I have made and its personal effect Essay In 2011, I joined Company ABC as a business development manager. A mining company, this experience gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and experiences beyond the realm of marketing. I enjoyed my work there greatly and learned a lot about both the mining and energy industries. In 2012, Company ABC transferred me to a sister company that was solely focused on coal mining. I accepted the transfer happily as I believed it would continue to offer opportunities to grow within the industry. Additionally, the vast amount of resources and compensation from the company allowed me to engage in higher-level business with larger corporations. My primary responsibility at this time was to secure strategic partnerships and financial resources as a means of expanding our research and development programs and expanding our coal mining operations. I was also tasked with researching alternative renewable energy sources to more wholly develop the company’s projects. I enjoyed a great deal of success at this time and, more importantly, able to save a great deal of money in preparation for my MBA. Despite the growth the company saw at this time and my own personal gains, I was faced with a very difficult decision. Often my superiors would encourage me to engage in unethical business practices to secure partnerships and contracts that were more lucrative. This included bribery, unethical consideration, or the giving of gifts to persuade clients and associates. While the prospect of personal financial gain was very tempting to me, I knew that if I followed my superiors’ directives I could never be truly proud of my work. Against the advice of co-workers and family alike, I chose not to follow a path that would make me ashamed or guilty about my work. I decided to leave the company shortly after this problem arose choosing instead to follow a path I could be proud of. Shortly after leaving, I joined Company XYZ. While the opportunity for growth within the company and the amount of compensation is much less, I know that the quality and proper nature of the work is much more fulfilling in the end. While I reflect on my time with Company ABC and their sister company, I have fond memories and will be grateful for the opportunity and amount of learning I enjoyed in such a short period. However, that experience also taught me there is no amount of money that can cover up a lack of pride in your work.

The Poverty Problem Essay Example for Free

The Poverty Problem Essay In almost every part of the world, the plague that poverty is can be seen. Even in the most prosperous countries and cities, there are gray areas that reek of poverty. However, poverty is not unsolvable. Pogge (2005, p. 2) highlights one aspect of solving global poverty which involves the prosperous countries. To Pogge, the rationalization of economists that poverty is caused by local factors is what is wrong. It is wrong to think that helping poverty-stricken countries is charity and that withholding help does not make them morally irresponsible. In another aspect, poverty is not just the absence of a stable and good income; it is the absence of opportunities that would allow one to live a tolerable life. Many people live in the absence of sufficient food, shelter, education and health care. These are the basic needs of humans yet they are being deprived of this. They are also often exposed or are vulnerable to ill health, economic dislocation, natural disasters, and ill treatment by the state. There is a huge difference between the situation in rich and in poor countries. In rich countries, 1 of 100 children does not reach its fifth birthday while in poor countries one in five children die before reaching 5, often because of hunger or disease. There is also a huge different in terms of nourishment. In rich countries, less than 5 percent of children are malnourished but in poor countries, more than 50 percent are malnourished (Nwaobi, 3). One of the most poverty-stricken places on the planet may be Africa as its economic performance fall short of all other countries. Most Africans live by $0. 65 a day and this number is even growing at an exponential rate. Poverty in Africa could even become â€Å"dynastic’ such that there is no improvement in the situations. The children of the poor remain just as poor. Africa also suffers from inequality in terms of income, assets, control over public resources, access to services, and pervasive insecurity. This only aggravates the situation in Africa. Nigeria may be a rich country but the people there still suffer from poverty. Politics in Nigeria also resulted in a worsening income distribution—the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer (Nwaobi, 3-4). Children are especially affected in times of poverty. Since children are still dependents on their parents or guardians, they can only enter or avoid poverty by the level of their family’s financial capacity and economic capabilities. Children cannot do anything about their economic condition until they become adults and are able to fend for themselves. While different governments have a variety of programs to ease children’s suffering because of poverty, it can only do so much. Even in the presence of such programs, children still suffer (Gunn Duncan, 1997, 55-56). The well-being of a child is measured in a variety of categories, namely (1) physical health, (2) cognitive ability, (3) school achievements, (4) emotional and behavioral outcomes, and (5) teenage out-of-wedlock childbearing. Children born from poverty often are underweight which makes them vulnerable to sickness if not born with a sickness. They also often suffer from stunted growth and lead poisoning. Poor children are also 1. 3 times as likely to have learning disabilities and development delays. Since these children suffer financially and cannot afford schooling, they only suffer the more. In the absence of education and experience, these children have a lesser chance of getting out of poverty as they grow old. Additionally, poor children have also been found to be more vulnerable to emotional and behavioral problems. Also, several studies have highlighted that a limited family income have led teenage girls to have non-marital childbirths (Gunn Duncan, 1997, 57-64). While the United States can be considered as one of the richest nations, it has its own share of poverty-related problems. In solving poverty in the United States, several assumptions were initially proposed. Capitalism is not the solution to poverty and even as capitalism can create jobs, there is no assurance that all these jobs will provide an income greater than the minimum wage. However, even as capitalism is not the absolute solution, the poverty problem should be solved using a capitalist approach and not with a socialist approach. Even in good economic times, the US does not have enough jobs to support its populace and there is a need for subsidies, social services and collecting adequate taxes. The government also needs to deal with people who are poor not because they cannot work but because they are lazy. Solving poverty does not demand a single solution. It needs a complex solution since there are different levels of poverty. Additionally, the government needs more taxes to help solve poverty and this means higher taxes from people far above the poverty line. It may seem unfair but it is a legitimate solution. Lastly, since solving poverty will solve other social problems, investing on poverty-alleviation is a good way to go and should always be the first problem to address (How Can We Solve, pp. 61-63). While it has been noted that poverty is present even in the most prosperous nations, it is not insurmountable, though it may require much effort to combat. Poverty is the source of all social problems so solving poverty should always be the first step that the government should take. Poverty has a lot of negative implications especially with children since they still do not have an economic liability. No one step can solve poverty since this is a complex problem, what should be done is create a number of assumptions depending on the depth of the poverty problem and come up with solutions based on these assumptions. ? References Pogge, T. (2005). World Poverty and Human Rights. Ethics and International Affairs 19 (1). Nwaobi, G. Solving the Poverty Crisis in Nigeria: An Applied General Equilibrium Approach. Quantitative Economic Research Bureau. Department of Economics: University of Abuja. Gunn, J. Duncan G. (2007). The Effects of Poverty on Children. Children and Poverty, 7 (2). How Can We Solve The Problem of Poverty. Available from: Pine Forge http://www. pineforge. com/upm-data/13691_Chapter4. pdf

HR Management Challenges at Jaguar Land Rover

HR Management Challenges at Jaguar Land Rover 1. Introduction This report is being presented in response to a request by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to analyse and assess some important HR implications of the current initiatives by some leading UK companies to send some of their brightest talent to work in emerging markets in order to gain fruitful international experience. Jaguar Land Rover, an iconic British company that has in the past gone through very difficult times and was purchased by the Indian TATA Group of Companies, has been steadily improving its operational and financial performance during past two years. Much of the companys growth is arising from its success in the newly developing emerging markets of the world. Whilst the company still has to make its presence felt in India, the home country of its new owners, its sales are steadily improving in countries like China and Russia, which have many high income individuals ready to spend on high performance luxury cars. The JLR management has recently initiated a proposal for sending some of its best senior managers to China and Russia to gain important international experience (Peacock, 2010, p 1). The company has further more informed its managers that strong experience in such international postings will improve their chances for progression to the board of directors. The Chinese market is extremely important to JLR, second in numbers only to the UK and the USA (Peacock, 2010, p 1). The company is also investigating the possibility of establishing a joint venture in China for the manufacture of thousands of cars (Bowman, 2010, p 1-2). With emerging markets like China, India and Russia becoming increasingly important to western business corporations, many British and American companies are actively investigating the idea of sending their managers to such countries to gain important international experience and insight (Bowman, 2010, p 1-2). JLRs proposal to send some of its key managers abroad was followed by the news of a survey of 418 UK executives that revealed that 40% of companies have plans to send more of their employees to emerging markets in East Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Asia (Bowman, 2010, p 1-2). Such proposals for systematic relocation of high quality organisational talent from home environments to overseas locations is bound to have a number of HR implications, not just from the individuals likely to be effected by such moves, but also by their bosses, who might not be willing to be deprived of bright employees working under them. Whilst such moves by UK companies are bound to have a number of organisational implications, this report deals with three specific HR issues namely, (a) organisational change, (b) cultural differences in international human resource management and (c) Talent Management. 2. Organisational Change Contemporary business organisations like JLR operate in extremely dynamic environments that are constantly being influenced and impacted by changes in technologies and in marketing and economic environments. JLR has in fact suffered extensively in the past because of its inability to respond adequately to global developments in the markets for luxury cars. Its takeover by the India based TATA group has been followed by a number of initiatives in different operational and marketing areas with good results. The company has decided to expand beyond its traditional markets in the UK and the United States and is actively searching for new markets in the Middle East, Russia, China and other emerging economies. Such changes in marketing strategies have been prompted and necessitated by the huge ongoing change in global economies and the expansion of wealth to the emerging and developing economies. Adoption of different organisational strategies often results in the need to bring about significant, long lasting and beneficial organisational change (Bovey, 2001, p 372). Such organisational change requires an identification of where an organisation should be, compared to where it is today, for achievement of strategic objectives, and the formulation and implementation of strategies to take the organisation from where it is to where it should be (Bovey, 2001, p 372). Whilst organisational change can be required on account of a number of environmental and marketing reasons, such change is essentially brought about through the agency of organisational managers and employees and needs to be viewed mainly through HR perspectives (Bovey, 2001, p 372). Numerous studies have confirmed time and again that the majority of organisational change initiatives are unsuccessful in achieving all or some of the original change objectives despite their being widespread agreement about the importance and relevance of such change (Hayes, 2006, p 87). Whilst some change initiatives may founder and lead to adverse consequences because they were essentially grounded in wrong decisions and inappropriate strategic thought, the majority of reasons behind the failure of otherwise important and desirable change initiatives largely occur because of various employee related issues (Hayes, 2006, p 87). There is general agreement on the fact that change initiatives brought about only through orders of senior managers are unlikely to be successful without strong support, involvement and participation of employees. Much of organisational resistance to change comes about from the apprehensions and insecurities of employees in being able to cope with the demand s of the planned changes. Such insecurities could arise from the prospects of having to learn new technologies, work in different locations, handle different people and exploit new markets (Hayes, 2006, p 87). The employees of JLR who are being asked to move to locations in China may well suffer from various apprehensions about the impact of such movements on their personal and professional lives. Such changes could lead to their having to be separated from their wives and children and working in different social, cultural, economic and legal environments (Hayes, 2006, p 87). Resistance to change is a much examined organisational phenomenon. Change management experts like Lewin and Kotter have advanced useful methods for implementation of organisational change. Lewin recommends a three stage change management process that consists of unfreeze, change and freeze stages (Lewin, 2005, p 14). Kotter on the other hand recommends that change should be brought in more gradually over the course of eight appropriate stages (Kotter, 2009, p 7). Whilst such tools for bringing about organisational change have been found to be useful, management experts assert that good change management stems out of effective leadership. Leaders are responsible for bringing about effective organisational change (Kotter, 2009, p 54). It is their responsibility to determine the change objectives, engage in transparent and clear communication about the need for change with organisational employees, identify and motivate change champions throughout the organisation, back change initiatives with physical and human resources and be committed to the achievement of the change objective (Kotter, 2009, p 54). JLR is in the process of implementing a number of change initiatives to improve its strategic processes, market share and operating efficiencies. The proposal to send its talented managers to an important business location like China in order to prepare them for board level positions is integral to such organisational change initiatives. The organisation leadership will have to take care to ensure the careful and appropriate implementation of such processes to achieve change objectives. 3. The Impact of Cultural Differences in International HR Management Globalisation, along with the liberalisation of isolated economies like those of the erstwhile Soviet bloc, China and India, has helped in the development of enormous business opportunities for western corporations (Zakaria, 2000, p 497). Western MNCs have being quick to spot the huge potential markets in these regions and have increased their marketing and production operations across Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and Asia, both to make use of their low cost economic environments and to exploit their growing and attractive markets (Zakaria, 2000, p 497). China represents an important destination for JLR and constitutes the third most important market for the company with potential for substantial future growth. The country is also an attractive destination for the establishment of economic production operations. Whilst the country is extremely important for the achievement of the organisations overall strategy, the success of such a strategy will be significantly influenced by the ability of the company and its managers to succeed in significantly different environmental conditions in China (Stulz, 2003, p 315). Whilst China is making strong efforts to integrate into the global economy, its social, cultural, economic, legal and political environment is significantly different from those of the UK and the USA (Stulz, 2003, p 315). MNC managers are required to handle numerous variables and deal with complex challenges in such foreign environments, many of which are not relevant in their home locations (Stulz, 2003, p 315). The need for such managers to operate in essentially different cultural environments is among the most significant of such challenges. The effect of such cultural differences on the functioning of expatriate managers is often extensive and is commonly termed as culture shock (Gallagher, 1996, p 228). HR experts state that culture shocks can not only affect the effectiveness of expatriate managers to succeed in their assignments, but t hat the ability of such managers to successfully operate in foreign conditions is largely dependent on their ability to recognise, plan for and overcome cultural differences (Gallagher, 1996, p 228). Cultural experts like Hofstede and Trompenaars have studied the issue in details and analysed specific reasons for such differences, which are unique to the social and cultural milieu of individual nations (Gallagher, 1996, p 228). It is important to appreciate that such cultural differences can lead to the emergence of frustration and feelings of strain, which can arise from not understanding the thoughts and actions of local people. Such strain and frustration can lead to anger, depression and helplessness (Maznevski, et al, 2002, p 276). International managers have to be trained to cope with the emotional, thinking and social aspects of cultural differences (Maznevski, et al, 2002, p 276). It becomes very important for organisations to engage in carefully planned and deliberated effo rts to orient their managers to deal with a vast range of cultural differences, especially so when managers have to be sent to countries with very different cultures (Stulz, 2003, p 315). The senior management of JLR must taker careful note of this aspect of international operations and engage in appropriate action, if it wishes to truly exploit the enormous opportunities available in China. 4. Talent Management Talent management represents a complex array of interrelated HR processes that are jointly used to improve the quality of organisational talent (Farndale, et al, 2010, p 32). With it widely being accepted that human resource constitute the most important organisational resource in modern day business, most well run organisations aim to utilise their human resources effectively by taking specific steps to sharpen and improve organisational talent (Farndale, et al, 2010, p 32). Mckinsey referred to this growing movement for improvement of organisational talent as the war for talent. With competition intensifying progressively across the world, most organisations realise that the maintenance and enhancement of competitive advantage is significantly dependent upon their ability to recruit, attract, develop and retain talent (Farndale, et al, 2010, p 32). JLR competes, in its segment of high priced luxury cars with globally famous competitors like BMW, Mercedes Benz and Toyota, all of whi ch are known for the superior quality of their managerial staff and workforce. JLR must also thus make deliberate efforts and adopt appropriate HR policies to nourish, nurture and reward its in house talent and make efforts to attract the best of external talent from outside. Its efforts to send employees who have been recognised on account of their superior management skills to China in order to develop them for senior organisational positions is an important HR process for development of organisational talent (Guthridge Komm, 2008, p 5). The exposure of these chosen managers to very different working and cultural environments will help them to understand different cultures and work with diverse types of people in alien environments (Guthridge Komm, 2008, p 5). Such exposure will help these employees extensively in understanding and appreciating the global economy and important company markets. It will also help them to obtain a world view and appreciate human diversity. Such experience should be invaluable in their development as professional managers (Guthridge Komm, 2008, p 5). Reward and remuneration policies also constitute an integral part of talent management processes (Briscoe, et al, 2009, p 46). Organisational talent not only has to be nurtured but also has to be rewarded handsomely in order to build organisational loyalty and retain it in house (Briscoe, et al, 2009, p 46). JLRs proposal to tie up assignments in China with positive weightage for future board level positions indicates its organisational policy to handsomely reward managers who are committed to organisational interest and personal and professional development. JLR must follow up its proposal to send these managers to China with transparent and clear communication on the reasons for doing so and how such an initiative will help the organisation as well as the individual managers. 5. Conclusions

Discovery Of Losartan Potassium Health And Social Care Essay

Discovery Of Losartan Potassium Health And Social Care Essay Losartan is the first angiotensin II receptor antagonist drug to be marketed for use mainly to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Losartan was first discovered in March 1986 by scientists on their first assignments at a corporate research laboratory, in Du Pont, as DuP 753(Merck 954), a highly potent and orally active non-peptide Ang II receptor antagonist. At the time, DuPont as a company was rather new to pharmaceutical business. The company had previously been dealing in chemicals, but the in the 1970s when the demand for Petroleum and its related products natural gas drove prices high, management attempted to diversify the business by seeking other business avenues to reduce their dependency on chemicals in a hope of also increasing their profit. As a result of creating new business, DuPont had ventured into pharmaceuticals and other life sciences businesses by the 1980s. Losartan work was one of the compounds DuPont research labs worked on. The company being inexperience in this area of business, hired Robert I. Taber, a scientist with two decades of research experience with Schering, to head pharmaceutical research at DuPont.It was Taber who recognized the areas of potentials and encouraged the research team to delve further. However, DuPont being a fairly young company in these areas would lead to other weighty problems, and these issues were quickly settled by a collaboration with the more experienced Merck, who also recognised the Potential of Losartan and convinced DuPont that there was more to be gained by working on Losartan. Development of Losartan was done after a series of efforts. The final market product was Co-Developed with Scientists from both Merck DuPont. [BHARDWAJ, G., 2006] Losartan was approved by the FDA in April 1995, and it was then launched that month as the first non-peptide anti-hypertensive drug in the new class of Ang II receptor antagonists. Merck started selling losartan under the trade names CozaarT and HyzaarT with annual sales in excess of $3 Billion Dollars by 2005. Chemical Structure (IUPAC) nomenclature (2-butyl-4-chloro-1-{[2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) biphenyl-4-yl] methyl}-1H-imidazol-5-yl) methanol Chemical data Formula C22H23ClN6O Mol. mass 422.91 Action of Losartan Losartan selectively inhibits all Ang II responses that have been studied and lowered blood pressure in several animal models of renin-dependent hypertension. In animals, the antihypertensive efficacy of losartan has been found to be similar to that of the ACE Inhibitors (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors) but, unlike ACE inhibitors, losartan is a more selective inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system since it does not affect the metabolism of kinins. Compared with peptide Ang II antagonists (e.g. saralasin), losartan has significant advantages, including a long duration of action, effective oral absorption and no Ang II agonist activity. [SIEGL, P.K., 1993] Indications Hypertension Losartan tablets is indicated for the treatment of hypertension. Losartan can be used alone or used in combination with other antihypertensive agents, including diuretics. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX., 2009] Hypertensive Patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Losartan is also indicated in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy to reduce the risk of stroke, but there has been a study to suggest that Losartan is not beneficial with Black patients in reducing the risk of stroke. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX.,2009] In the LIFE study, it was found out that Black patients with conditions of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy had a lower risk of stroke on atenolol than on Losartan. However, there was some shortcomings of the LIFE study, as it did not provide evidence that the benefits of Losartan in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy by reducing the risk of cardiovascular events applied to Black patients. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX.,2009] Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Losartan is also very useful in the treatment of patients with diabetic nephropathy, where there is an elevation of serum creatinine and proteinuria (urinary albumin to creatinine ratio à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 300 mg/g) in patients that have type 2 diabetes and a history of hypertension. In this group, Losartan has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of the nephropathy. This is measured by the occurrence of doubling of serum creatinine or end stage renal disease where there is need for dialysis or renal transplantation. [Rx LIST THE INTERNET DRUG INDEX.,2009] SPECIFIC PRODUCTS ( CONTAINING THIS DRUG) AVAILABLE FOR USE IN GIVEN CONDITION Combination therapy: A combination therapy is used if losartan monotherapy alone is not sufficient to control hypertension. Hence, losartan is available in combination with hydrochlorothiazide in different strengths as follows:[BRITISH NATIONAL FORMULARY., 2009] Losartan 50mg + Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg Losartan 100mg + Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5mg Losartan 100mg + Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg. The above combination is used for treatment of high blood pressure and stroke in patients with heart disease. It is a prescription only medicine. [MEDICINES AND HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS REGULATORY AGENCY., 2009] EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY FOR THIS TREATMENT. Clinical trials have shown a better efficiency of losartan as an antihypertensive by itself and a further higher efficiency in a combined state with hydrochlorothiazide. For example : a double-blind, multicenter, randomized, parallel group study performed on African Americans (who are generally less responsive to monotherapy from any hypertensive class), with severe hypertension have shown a significant reduction in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure with losartan monotherapy (45.8%) when compared with placebo (27.2%) . In the same study, the combination losartan/ hydrochlorothiazide regimen showed significant higher reductions (62.7%) in blood pressure compared with losartan monotherapy or placebo. More over, both the regimens i.e losartan monotherapy and the losartan/hydrochlorothiazide were as well tolerated as the placebo[FLACK, et al., 2001]. Other studies were performed on hypertensive patients who had discontinued treatment with calcium channel blockers and angiote nsin converting enzyme inhibitors due to side effects like peripheral edema or dry cough respectively. These patients when treated with losartan have shown as much reduction and control over blood pressure as they use to with previous therapies.[GIOVANNETTI, et al., 1997]. And quite interestingly it has also been observed that the clinical side effects were minimal with losartan treatment and the haematologic and biochemical profiles were also not disturbed. [GIOVANNETTI, et al., 1997] Studies performed on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic parameters of losartan on healthy male volunteers and also on special patient groups like elderly patients with renal impairment and those having liver disease, suggest that losartan is orally active and its effect lasts for over 24 hours. None of the patient groups showed any significant pharmacokinetic interactions[McINTYRE, et al., 1997]. Losartan 50mg appears to be a safe starting and maintenance dose in most patient populations. However, when an additive effect is required, it can be easily combined with thiazide diuretics to achieve the target blood pressure. Losartan has low discontinuation rate and it has also been observed that it was not associated with cough even in patients who experience this side effect with to ACE inhibitors [McINTYRE, et al., 1997]. A BRIEF COMPARISON WITH OTHER MEDICINAL PRODUCT USED TO TREAT THE SAME AILMENT Losartan potassium, is an angiotensin receptor antagonist (AT1) used in the treatment of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. However, a comparison with other ARB(e.g. valsartan and candesartan) shows that, these drugs have the same mechanism of action, though, their differences in pharmacokinetic profile may be responsible for their differences in efficacy in the treatment of hypertension. Losartan and valsartan when compared, exhibited a similar reduction in blood pressure at a lower concentration ,however, valsartan has a higher response rate and more effective 24hours blood pressure control rate at the dose of 160mg and 80mg respectively than losartan at 100mg and 50mg respectively.[BURNIER BRUNNER 2000]. Candesartan 8mg and 16mg has also demonstrated a more lasting antihypertensive effect than losartan 50mg and 100mg in ambulatory BP monitoring.[LACOURCIERE ASMAR 1999] A brief comparison with other medicinal products from the other class like B- adrenergic blocker(e.g. atenolol), ACEI(e.g. enerlapril), calcium channel blocker(e.g. felodipine) and diuretics were based on the efficacy, tolerability and safety in the treatment of essential hypertension. Losartan , when compared with amilodipine has been shown to exhibit a similar clinically relevant reduction in patients with systolic blood pressure, however, losartan was better tolerated as evidenced by fewer clinically adverse effect(CAE)and discontinuation compare with amlodipine [VOLPE, et al., 2003]. Meanwhile, in the contrasting effect of losartan, nifedipine GIT, and fosinopril on the ambulatory blood pressure, cardiac structure and function, and protective function of the endothelium in patients with essential hypertension, nifedipine GIT is superior to others in plate- granule membrane protein (GMP), while fosinopril and losartan had a preffered action to nifedipine GIT in reversing ventricul ar hypertrophy, however, losartan was better tolerated than the other drugs [QI XIURONG 2001]. Losartan potassium has been known to exhibit a fewer drug related adverse effect in contrast to other medicinal products in the other classes used in the treatment of hypertension. [GOLDBERG, et al., 1995] In summary, losartan potassium has an excellent tolerability profile in patient with essential hypertension and, in a demographic sub group of elderly versus young, women versus men and black versus non black; it has been shown to have an excellent safety profile. ADVANTAGES OF LOSARTAN POTASSIUM. Side effect; In the treatment of hypertension, losartan has exhibited fewer drug related side effect when it was compared with other class of antihypertensive agents .[GOLDBERG, et al., 1995] Tolerance; when compared in patients with essential hypertension, losartan was better tolerated than other agents from the other class and hence an excellent tolerability profile. Safety profile; It has a good safety profile in a demographic sub groups. It doesnt produce rebound high blood pressure when it is withdrawn. DISADVANTAGES OF LOSARTAN POTASSIUM. 1 Losartan has been associated with some damaging effect on the foetus which may include reduced body weight, death and kidney injuries hence it is contraindicated in pregnancy. [GOLDBERG, et al., 1995] Analysis of the market potential for the development of new drug candidates to treat the given condition Development of new drug products has always been a challenging task. Growth in technology resulted in an evolution in pharmaceutical world and has paved way for research and development to meet demands for more efficient products. About one billion people have been affected by hypertension world wide and reports also says that in US alone 65 millions people are affected by high blood pressure.[SMITH ASHIYA 2007]. This indicates the level of demand of antihypertensives world wide. Efforts have been made and many potential drugs have been developed till date. However the expiry of patents of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) opened doors for arrival of cheap generic products which resulted in a threat to the global pharmaceutical market. Data monitoring of the sales of antihypertensives in seven major global markets (i.e UK, France, US, Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan ) predicted sales of upto $ 29.5 billions by 2018, which would be a drop of $6 billion when compared to that of 2008. Considering above threats, the big pharmaceutical companies are under an impression that it is not worth to spend on research and development of novel therapies and they appear to be moving away from investing in research and development to develop more efficient antihypertensive therapies. [THE MEDICAL NEWS., 2009] Product Name Patent Number Patent Expiration Mercks COZAAR (losartan potassium) 5,138,069*PED  Ã‚   11 Feb,2010 Mercks COZAAR (losartan potassium) 5,153,197*PED   06 Apr, 2010 Mercks COZAAR (losartan potassium) 5,210,079*PED  Ã‚   11 Nov,2010 Table showing the expiry of patent of COZAAR (losartan potassium) Angiotensin receptor blocker. [DRUG PATENT WATCH., 2010] Short comings of the existing treatment to justify new drug development Though antihypertensive agents were able to achieve significant control over hypertension induced morbidity and mortality, still there is much to be done. For example: disappointments associated with coronary artery disease, risk of cardiovascular events even after treatment with antiphyertensive agents and comparatively higher possibility of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients compared to normotensive patients. These effects are thought to be due to inability of existing antihypertensives to reverse other associated factors like left ventricular hypertrophy, negative metabolic effects and risk associated with overtreatment.[HANSSON, L., 1991]. Hence there is a need for an ideal hypertensive agent which may be able to control blood pressure to normotensive levels whilst being free of negative metabolic effects. Moreover, it should also be able to reverss cardiovascular changes like cardiac hypertrophy and control tissue damage in case of possible vascular complications. [H ANSSON, L., 1991]. Analysis of data available on search engines indicates the promising role of upcoming gene therapy and nano-technology to produce new drug candidates. For example: Exploring areas like gene transcripton, molecular genetic regulation of blood pressure ( targeting genetic risk factors as in cases of essential hypertension) appears to be a new hope for future developments of antihypertensives.[KURTZ GARDNER 1998] Possible potential for new therapy. Research is currently being carried out to explore the potential of upcoming gene therapy and nano-technology to produce new drug candidates. For example: Areas like gene transcripton, molecular genetic regulation of blood pressure ( targeting genetic risk factors as in case of essential hypertension) appears to be a new hope for future developments of antihypertensives.[KURTZ GARDNER 1998]. However alternatively, combination products containing antihypertensives and statins could be a new hope for future developments. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦