Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Education In the Future
The future will have many new advances in education. Like the great Benjamin Franklin wrote thirteen virtues for basic living, there will be virtues in education that will be necessary to provide an equal opportunity to learn. Educational virtues will have to be followed in the future to better the knowledge of the world. Basic courtesy should be common in an educational environment. Tolerance will be needed so that everyone will have an equal opportunity to gain knowledge. No one person will learn more than others. Being opinionated of others can lead to problems, and arguments. No judgements of people should be based on knowledge. Every opinion is as valuable as another. Everyone will be treated equal, and all people will respect each other. Equality will be a very important value in the future. Education will take on many different changes, which will make the learning process a timely, organized part of life. Progression will change the way people learn. Basic skills will progress overtime. Everything will be gradually taught at a younger age. The learning process will be an important aspect of life. Observation will be an important key to everyday life, especially education. By obtaining information by using ears rather than words, everyone can hear what everyone has to say. Effort is key to developing a full rewarding education. By trying the hardest for everything, there can be great rewards. All people may reach full potential, if there is an aspiration to succeed. Everyone should be driven to learn and grow smarter. By having full awareness to details and paying attention to them, everything should come naturally. In general, education will pave the way to the future, by changing the way people think. By having goodwill and using special skills for the good of all, there should be no intent to harm another through what is not known. Devotion is a positive attribute that helps all people attain a higher level of knowledge. By contributing all thoughts others do not have, everyone can have the same level of understanding. Balance is needed to help spread the learning process out, over the period of a lifetime, and to prevent overdoing it too quickly. By having control people will learn to respect authority. Learning to control anger and aggression towards one another will lead to unity. There is a total abundance of information that can be learned through the education process. There is no limit or maximum amount of knowledge that can be gained during a lifetime. Educational virtues will be needed in the future to better the knowledge of the world. Learning will be a lifelong steady process. It will be rewarding and challenging yet fun and enjoyable. Courtesy to others will be necessary to find unity and peace. The learning process will be in every part of daily life. Education will make the future a better place to live by paving the way people think. Just as Benjamin Franklinâ⬠s virtues were created to turn bad habits into good, educational virtues will make learning a smoother part of life and will provide a path for all children to follow in the future.
Sexual Harassment in Global Human Resource Management
ââ¬Å"Sexual Harassment has been pointed out as the most increasing, widespread problem faced by women in the workforce (Kadue & Lindeman, 1997). â⬠Therefore, I will write to you about what sexual harassment is and what constitutes it, where the United States and other countries stand on this issue (the global view), types of sexual harassment, how to identify it, major problems related to sexual harassment, disciplinary actions the offender may face, and affects sexual harassment may have on the victim. Sexual Harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct that is of a sexual nature. ââ¬Å"Women bring about 85 percent of all sexual harassment charges (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). â⬠ââ¬Å"A recent study found that retaliation claims occur in 47 percent of sexual harassment cases (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). Following are a few items that constitute sexual harassment: submitting to or rejecting conduct is an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment; submitting to or rejecting the conduct is a basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; the conduct unreasonably interferes with an individuals work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment (Fisher, Schoenfeldt, Shaw, 1999). In the past, the things that constituted sexual harassment were very vague. Due to this, when attorneys were in pursuit of their evidence, they had to be very aggressive. The behaviors associated with sexual harassment include threats or coercion which are linked to tangible job benefits and/ or those which involve unwanted gestures, unwanted touching or physical contact (Backstrom & McDonald, 2008). â⬠Looking at sexual harassment globally, cultures differ in the type of behavior that is acceptable between the sexes and there seems to be considerable possibility of misunderstanding when employees of diverse cultures and genders meet in the workplace (Hardman, Heidelberg and Talbot, 1996). Behavior that Americans consider unacceptable is likely to occur in countries where the sexes are not equal under the law in society (Hardman et al. , 1996). â⬠There are just a few countries that have laws against sexual harassment. ââ¬Å"As of 1992, only Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United States had regulations in place (Hardman et al. , 1996). â⬠ââ¬Å"One of the things mitigating the workplace a pproach to harassment in Germany was the structure of labor relations (Dobbin, 2006). ââ¬Å"There the industrial relations system was collaborative rather than top-down, which meant that directives have to be worked out at the level of workplace Works Council (Dobbins, 2006). â⬠In Americaââ¬â¢s legal system, companies banned flirting and office romance because they were concerned about the courts banning them. ââ¬Å"The French saw excessive Puritanism in the American approach, and so French feminists first won a law with a limited definition of harassment as abuse of power by someone in an official capacity (Dobbins, 2006)â⬠. France made a 2002 revision of the law that made sexual harassment equal to moral harassment and violence, but they didnââ¬â¢t do it by inheriting American ideas. France separated harassment from Puritanism and then connected it with other types of psychological violence. ââ¬Å"Employees in Germany and Italy do not necessarily have to have cause to fire employees who engage in sexual harassment, even if employees violate company policy (Maatman, 2000). â⬠ââ¬Å"Employers who terminate harassers may be forced to pay them termination indemnities (Maatman, 2000). ââ¬Å"In Spain and Thailand, labor law concepts based on termination indemnity provisions allow employees to terminate their employment relationships due to sexual harassment. In turn, termination indemnity laws require employers to pay employees substantial severance pay if the cause of their termination is sexual harassment (Maatman, 2000). â⬠ââ¬Å"Venezuelan law prohibits sexual harassment by virtue of enac tment of the Law on Violence against Women and Family. The new law establishes the crime of sexual harassment, as well as penalties for its violation (Maatman, 2000). The crime that someone might serve for sexual harassment is three to 12 months in prison. Also, the offender has to pay the victim double the amount of accumulative damage that caused the sexual harassment along with access to positions and promotions. Employers are held responsible for monetary penalties; individual supervisors could go to jail. ââ¬Å"Executives are potentially liable, and the company may have to cover a harasser's costs (Maatman, 2000). â⬠ââ¬Å"The mandatory termination indemnity laws of many foreign countriesââ¬âas well as the potential for steep fines and even jail terms for employees who cross he lineââ¬âshould give employers entering the international arena some pause. Businesses that establish offices overseas can face extensive liability exposure for ill-advised personnel decisi ons and unsound loss-control protocols (Maatman, 2000). ââ¬Å"Sound implementation of personnel policies and practices aimed at combating sexual harassment can help minimize these risks. Proactive HR administration can preserve corporate reputation and brand image, enhance recruiting and retention of a competitive workforce and avoid violation of international sexual harassment laws (Maatman, 2000). To reduce incidents, companies should brief expatriates on regulations in regards to male and female behavior at work. When harassment takes place in an overseas establishment, it is less clear whose standards should apply ââ¬â those of the host country or those of the home country (Hardman et al. , 1996). ââ¬Å"If freedom from unwanted sexual advances or overtly discriminatory behavior is considered a universal human right, then firms should protect this right in their operations worldwide (Hardman et al. , 1996). â⬠ââ¬Å"U. S. ased corporations must be aware that their American employees have the statutory right to sue for this discrimination occurring throughout the world (Maatman, 2000). â⬠ââ¬Å"Applicants, workers and terminated employees who are U. S. citizens and are subjected to discriminatory practices anywhere in the world may file a discrimination charge against their U. S. employers (Maatman, 2000). â⬠There is no easy answer to the problem of sexu al harassment and the misunderstanding that can occur across many different cultures. There are two types of sexual harassment that are recognized by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the courts (Philips, 1997). They are as follows: Quid Pro quo and hostile environment sexual harassment. Quid Pro quo (this for that) happens when an employee makes it clear to a manager or supervisor that his or her sexual demands are unwanted and as a result of that loses an economic benefit, such as employment, an increase in salary or employment. Only managers and supervisors, not coworkers, can engage in quid pro quo harassment (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). A hostile environment sexual harassment is a sexual discrimination and the harassment must be harsh enough to alter the victimââ¬â¢s employment conditions and create an abusive work area. A hostile environment usually requires a pattern of offensive sexual behavior rather than a single, isolated remark or display (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). ââ¬Å"Most sexual harassment charges arise from claims of a hostile environment (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). â⬠ââ¬Å"Some experts believe male-dominated workplaces are likely to be the most hostile to women (Zwettler, 1997). Management can enforce a policy against sexual harassment. This policy should first, clearly define what behaviors constitute sexual harassment, secondly, State in clear language that harassment will not be tolerated in the workplace, thirdly, identify the responsibilities of supervisors and employees in preventing harassment and lastly, spell out steps to take in reporting an incident of sexual harassment (S carbourough and Zimmerer, 2006). The effects of sexual harassment differ from person to person. It depends on how severe and how long the harassment went on. Victims of severe or chronic sexual harassment can suffer the same mental effects as someone who has been raped. Some of the health and psychological effects of sexual harassment are relocating to another city, another job, or another school, loss of career, absenteeism, and stress in relationships, decreasing work and school performance, guilt, headaches, feeling violated, eating disorders, having angry feelings towards the harasser and many more. In summary, some things you need to remember if you are being harassed is donââ¬â¢t quit your job, act quickly, get support from your coworkers, ridicule the harasser, use your union grievance procedures, notify the company, keep a diary, and find other victims (Moore & White, 1997). Preventing sexual harassment is the best solution, and the key to prevention is educating employees about what constitutes sexual harassment (Scarbourough and Zimmerer, 2006). Training programs are designed to raise employeesââ¬â¢ awareness of what might be offensive to other workers and how to avoid sexual harassment altogether (Scarbourough and Zimmerer, 2006).
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Maths Trick Chapter 1
Lesson1 Lesson1 These lessons are based on Vedic Mathsâ⬠principles and other maths tricks. These principles are general in nature and can be applied in many ways and very very useful in commercial arthematics. I hope all of you like these lessons and make your calculation more fast and save lot of time in daily calculations and examinations or any entrance test like CAT /IIT /BANK PO /ENGINEERING ENTRANCE TEST/PMT /MCA ENTRANCE TEST/MBA ENTRANCE TEST etc etc Method for multiplying numbers where the first figures are same and the last figures add to1 0 . 42 x 48 = Both numbers here start with 4 and the last igures (2 and 8) add up to 10. just multiply 4 by 5 (the next number up) to get 20 for the first part of the answer. And we multiply the last figures: 2 x 8 = 16 to get the last part of the answer Method for multiplying numbers where the first figures add up 10 and the last figures are same 44X64 Here first figures are 4 and 6 and their add up 10 and unit figures of both numb er are same Just multiplying the last figures 4Ãâ"4=16 Put it at right hand side Again multiplying the first figures and add common degit(4Ãâ"6 )+4=24+4=28 put it at left hand side Now we get required answer2816Similarly 36Ãâ"76 , 6X6 =36 right hand side , (3Ãâ"7)+6= 21+6=27 left hand side Required answer is 2736 NOTE If multiplication of last figures is less than 10 add zero before unit digit Ex 81Ãâ"21 , 1Ãâ"1=01,( 8Ãâ"2)+1= 16+1=17 Required answer 1701 Method for multiplying numbers where the first numberâ⬠s add up10 and and the second number's digits are same 46X55 Here first number's add up is 10 and second number ââ¬Å"s digits are common i. e 5 Just multiplying last figures of both numbers 6Ãâ"5 =30 put it at right hand side Again multiplying first figures of both numbers and add common digit of second number (4Ãâ"5)+5 =20+5 =25 put it left hand sideRequired answer is 2530 ( If multiplication is in unit in first step add zero before it) file:///D|/Docu ments%20and%20Settings/sanjay/Desktop/maths%20tricks/lesson1ur20. htm (1 of 3)6/25/2003 4:00:19 PM Lesson1 Multiplying numbers just over 100. 108 x 109 = 11772 The answer is in two parts: 117 and 72, 117 is just 108 + 9 (or 109 + 8), and 72 is just 8 x 9. Similarly 107 x 106 = 11342 HOW USEFUL IS THIS CALCULATION! EXAMPLE 1 Compute the amount and the compound intrest on Rs 10000. 00 on 2. years at4%per annum. Now 4Ãâ"4=16 and 4+4=8 put 10 it becomes Rs 10816. 00 How simple ! o calculation no extra time ! Practice Test 1 Solve mentally these questions Note down your calculation time by watch (Suggested time 90 seconds) 22 X 28 35 X 35 48 X 42 73 X 33 12 X 92 48 X 28 28 X 22 37 X 88 91 X 66 118 X105 109 X108 112 X106 91 X 99 33 X 37 55X55 Now check your answer with the help of a calculator Back Home Next file:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/sanjay/Desktop/maths%20tricks/lesson1ur20. htm (2 of 3)6/25/2003 4:00:19 PM Lesson1 file:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/sanjay/Desktop/maths% 20tricks/lesson1ur20. htm (3 of 3)6/25/2003 4:00:19 PM
Monday, July 29, 2019
System Requirements Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
System Requirements - Article Example This shows the client how accurate and secure software will be received. Software requirement document not only holds the client requirements but also the flow of the software. It tells each and every step in form of use cases that is to be performing while using software. It details the methods and plans that will be the part of testing before the submission of the project to the client. Moreover it compiles all the hardware specifications that are required for the software to run. It also holds the security plans for the software. This document helps client to estimate the software by company rules and regulation in addition of the requirements defined. Software requirement specification satisfies the client how accurate, modularized, prioritize; secure, analyzed, complete, verified and testable the software will be when developed. Not only client it helps the developer in the next phase to develop the software accordingly. How the software should be divided When to deliver which function Which function should be worked on earlier Etc. The paramount reason for system specification that later in the middle of production if team changes or any of the senior changes especially the on who interacts the client changes can get updated to the project then and there. If Software specification document would not prepared later... Engineering is the process to solve a problem. This involves steps like, analyzing the problem, thinking of different solutions, deciding which is best solution, calculation, evaluations, working to solve the problem and last but not least testing if the problem solved in a right manner or not. As science divides itself in number of different fields similarly engineering can be done in each field. The most common and known example of engineering is civil engineering. Sometimes we think that how these big bridges over the sea lay up Who are ones and how they made airplanes What made these cars run on roads Etc. these few kind of questions arose many times in mind. These all includes in civil engineering. Civil engineers are intelligent moreover bold enough to work for the convenience of people. They work day and night to plan the routes for roads, Design Bridge that allows people to cross huge rivers and seas. Civil engineering passes through with same set of steps as other engineering. That is, they analyze the problem, think what solution can be, calculate and decide which solutions fit best to solve the problem. Plan it, design it, and hire other people in their teams to help them implement the solution. Test in different ways and then allow the public to use it. Considering engineering, then civil engineering is same as software engineering. The only difference in civil engineering and software engineering is that if engineering fails, software crashes the maximum can be is, data is lost but in case of civil engineering the loss can be the human creatures. Thus, engineering should be done very carefully. That is requirements should be
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Evidence Based Nursing. Watchful Waiting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Evidence Based Nursing. Watchful Waiting - Essay Example It is a solid guideline developed specifically for physicians when treating cases and complications emanating from AOM. The adduced evidence in the article is quite relevant to nursing practice owing to the many sources of data that have been used to develop it. In addition, the guidelines were compiled by specialists from different medical fields that are allied to AOM such as infectious diseases and microbiology. Although the steps outlined in the source are many, they are quite simple to follow for any medical practitioner. It completely discourages the automatic prescription of antibiotics for AOM cases. Block, S. L. (1997). Causative Pathogens, Antibiotic Resistance and Therapeutic Considerations in Acute Otitis Media. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 16, 449ââ¬â456. This article can be classified as a filtered as well as summary of evidence which came about through a symposium that discussed the challenges of antibiotic resistance. In the recent past, there has been an unprecedented increase of antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics which has affects the treatment of AOM. This is because antibiotics have been viewed as the choice of treatment and as such, their prescription has been abused. The evidence summary in the article summarizes way of handling antibiotic resistance and therefore makes it appropriate for nursing practice. Underlying causative microbes of AOM are different and it follows then that before prescription of antibiotics the causative pathogens must be known. Moreover, research has shown that some antibiotics are only effective in particular pathogens which underscore the need for proper diagnosis of causative pathogens. Kelley, P. E., Friedman, N., Johnson, C. (2007). Ear, nose, and throat. In W. W. Hay, M. J. Levin, J. M. Sondheimer, & R. R. Deterding (Eds.), Current Pediatric Diagnosis And Treatment (18th ed., pp. 459ââ¬â492). New York: Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill. The information contained in this source is on ears, nose and throat infections which in different ways are connected to AOM. As such, it is a filtered article which articulates the different pathogens that cause infections in ears, nose and throat. These three parts (ears, nose and throat) are in close proximity and therefore infection in one part can be easily transmitted to other areas. Moreover, the article is also an evidence based guideline due to the information that it avails on diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of infections that are found within those three parts. The information here is detailed, well researched and presented thereby making it appropriate for nursing practice. Much of the information is summarized in a diagram that contains steps to follow when handling cases of AOM. McCracken, G. H. (1998). Treatment of Acute Otitis Media In An Era Of Increasing Microbial Resistance. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 17, 576ââ¬â579 Just like the previous three articles, this article is both an evidence summary an d a filtered source because it articulates the way forward when handling AOM cases. It synthesizes many peer reviewed articles and states that there is no single or clear way of treating cases of AOM. This is because the causative pathogens are different with varying levels of virulence and sometimes antibiotics may be used in combination. It follows then that there is no standard way of handling AOM cases due to factors such as efficacy of antibiotics, causative pathogens and their virulence. The appropriateness of this article to nursing practice is found in its excellent articulation and synthesis of
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Court History and Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Court History and Purpose - Essay Example In the United States of America, courts are organized into two systems; the state and federal court systems. In this respect, the U.S. court system is organized in dual or has a two-tier structure as noted by Siegel, Schmalleger and Worrall (2011). The state courts have the responsibility of hearing cases that do not involve the federal government or several states. The two tier system historically came about as original colonies surrendered their independence to the central government while maintaining jurisdictional distinction. The development of courts in the U.S. is a result of several factors. Some of the elements that have played a role in court development in this respect include common law, early legal codes, and precedent (Siegel, Schmalleger & Worrall, 2011). Common law tradition that is applicable in the U.S. today originated in England (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). This tradition was applied in British colonies in the middle ages. On the other hand, civil law tradition orig inated in the same period in continental Europe. The tradition was applied in European colonies including Portugal and Spain and later was adopted by numerous countries including Japan and Russia. Civil law systems have legal codes that are comprehensive and that are constantly updated. Civil law outlines the framework within which judges work and make rulings with legal scholars and legislators playing the more critical roles in the system. Civil law originated in Latin and was applicable to all citizens of Rome. In time, ancient Roman law principles were adopted by Europeans in an effort to meet modern needs (Stein, 2009). With the practice of civil law in Europe became common practice, local customs found a significant role as a basis for the development of law. The U.S. legal system is firmly grounded on common law tradition as practiced in England in the early days (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). In as much as common law relies on a few statutes, most decisions made in this respect are based on precedent. This means that the courts today make decisions on issues based on similar cases that have been decided in the past. Generally uncodified, common law has been practiced in courts based on court records, and year books. As an example, Louisiana state law is founded on civil law (codified law) owing to the fact that the state was previously a territory for the Spanish and French (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). California on the other hand has a state civil code that is based on traditional Roman civil law although the law as practiced is mostly common law. The stateââ¬â¢s current community property law, for example, is based on the legal customs of ancient Spain as opposed to English common law (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). As can be seen from the examples given above, the common and civil law traditions as applied in the U.S. courts have a rich history and are associated with ancient foundations of modern law. Role of courts in criminal justice Criminal justice enc ompasses the set of government institutions and practices that are dedicated to the maintenance of social order, crime prevention, and sanctioning of those who contravene the law. While several organizations and government agencies form part of the criminal justice system, one of the main players in this respect is the court. The court plays a major function in criminal justice system. The separation of the roles of elements of the criminal
Friday, July 26, 2019
Critical Art Theory Of Raja Ravi Varmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Critical Art Theory Of Raja Ravi Varmas - Essay Example However, it should be noted that Raja Ravi Varma was noted for this realistic depiction of scenes from epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. He was recognized as a painter who made a fusion between Indian and Western art forms in terms of academic art. His talents were highly recognized in the west because of the depictions of bright colors and stylishly postured women in the sari. One such recognition came in 1873 with the Vienna Art Exhibition first prize. To the western world, he is regarded as one of the most prolific painters of the Indian tradition. But this could be termed as a bit exaggerated in the sense that during his time (1848- 1906) there were other stalwarts of the artists whose philosophies were not completely understood or conceptualized by the western art connoisseurs. During the period Raja Ravi Verma was working the most prominent of his contemporary colleagues were Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy and Gopal Ghosh of the 'Bengal School'. This was a school of thought process that was deeply influenced by the philosophic revival or renaissance of ancient Indian learning or values by the poet Rabindranath Tagore. These people choose subjects from both Indian history and mythology and juxtaposed them with the modern nationalist feeling of the time in the late 19th century. Their approach was guided by the philosophical essence of the philosophies of Hinduism with relevance to the political drifts and agitations against the British Raj in India. It was a form of painting with a mission of an extended approach of non-violence. (King, 2001, 143) So much is narrated about the Bengal School because at the same given point of time Raja Ravi Verma's approach towards painting was more religious than nationalist which stands a stark difference with his contemporary artists as he chooses to neglect the philosophical and the most important part of Hindu or Indian painting. Religion and philosophy are completely two different aspects of the trade. The religion of Hinduism is supposed to be formulated at around BC 2500 with the advent of the Aryans into the Indian subcontinent. But the religion in the context of a Hindu is not so much faith but mostly a way of life. It could be safely mentioned that Hinduism does not speak of a specific faith or code of conduct but is basically an accumulation of various school of philosophical thoughts. Under this perspective, a Hindu is free to choose his mode of philosophy where even the existence of a God is not mandatory. There are six main schools of thoughts called "sadadarshan" within the parameter of a Hindu philosophical essence and four of these schools overlook the need of a God altogether. (Fletcher, 2003, 276) Ã
Thursday, July 25, 2019
INFLUENCE OF INTERVENTION ON MEDIA RELATING TO TOBACCO CONTROL ISSUES Essay
INFLUENCE OF INTERVENTION ON MEDIA RELATING TO TOBACCO CONTROL ISSUES IN INDIA - Essay Example As tobacco consumption becomes a global concern, countries around the globe face the rising concerns attributable to tobacco use. In this condition, India is not different. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS India,2010) is a mechanism that has been developed to track tobacco prevalence, exposure to second hand smoking, exposure to tobacco advertising /promotion, cessation, knowledge and attitudes; that are critical for tobacco control program, policies and evaluation. GATS India provide these estimates at national and state level and has captured urban/rural and gender specific data. In the report, GATS India (2010) has shown that 35% of adults or one-third of the population of India use tobacco in some form or another. Of these 35% adult users, 21 % use only smokeless tobacco, 9% only smoke and 5% smoke as well as use smokeless tobacco. Based on these figures, it is estimated that tobacco users in India is round 274.9 million, with 163.7 million users of only smokeless tobacco, 68.9 million only smokers, and 42.3 million users of both smoking and smokeless tobacco (GATS India, 2010, p xxxv). Furthermore, the prevalence of overall tobacco use among males is 48 percent while among females is 20 percent (GATS India, 2010). In this context, the government of India, in 2003, has enacted the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003 (COTPA). The law prohibits the use of tobacco to protect the health of the public, to ban its advertisement and to provide for regulation of trade, commerce, production, supply and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products in the country (Ministry of Health, 2003). The key elements of COPTA includes The Smoke-free Rule was revised on October 2008 to redefine the term ââ¬Ëpublic placeââ¬â¢ in order to
Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Final - Essay Example (Plunkett 67) . On Feb 2005, Verizon approved to acquire MCI Company. The acquisition was to benefit it in terms of economics of scale and access to a wider base of customers. By the year 2006, MCI was already integrated into Verizon thus adopting the name verizon business. It then became the largest telecommunication company in the U.S In terms of its sales i.e. 75.11 billion; assets added up to 168.13 US dollars and the company had a profit of 9.4 billion US dollars. Later with the mergers of Bell South and AT and TINC, It became the largest telecommunications company based on its profits and assets in the world. (Plunkett 68) The company principality operates in the US with its headquarters in New York. It offers wireless and wireline services such as voice, network access, data services, broadband video and global internet protocol networks. Verizon communications Inc operates in more than 150 nations worldwide. Verizon voice messaging services is offered for both businesses and residences. Verizonââ¬â¢s Cell co partnership operates the second largest wireless telecomm network in the US In terms of the number of subscribers and revenue. It is also one of the major US carriers to utilize the CDMA technology and uses 8 billion US dollar annually in its maintenance and expansion. It offers both voice and 3G data services for example, text and picture messaging, over the air downloadable applications and wireless broadband based on EV-DO Rev A. It also carries various mobile services and phones eg LG, Motorola and Samsung. (Lutz 138) Verizonââ¬â¢s video services was launched in September , 2005 and uses optical fibre network to distribute more than 330 channels, 180 digital videos and music channels and 1800 video on demand titles. DSL internet services are offered to the same areas where phone services are provided. It is known to have the largest number of spammers of all networks globally. Verizonââ¬â¢s
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
LoE Project Rules Against Hersay Research Paper
LoE Project Rules Against Hersay - Research Paper Example It draws conclusions on the basis of observation made by others. This rule is completely against the direct evidence made by the persons in the case involved in the court. The rule negates the importance of the verdict of the person who is directly involved in the incident reported for claiming the rights in court. Instead, another person presents the facts from his own point of view that cannot be considered as authentic in most of the cases (Graham, 1982). The definition made by researchers for Hearsay is that an out-of-court statement that is used to prove the verdict inside the court. The word ââ¬Ëout-of-courtââ¬â¢ needs some explanation. It contains all the necessary explanations that are not directly part of the court proceedings. These are either the observations of verdicts of others. The rule of hearsay might be used by persons to provide evidence to save or enforce punishment against the real evidence. It may be used to manipulate the truth in the favor of the motives of the witness. He may tell the observation of some other person in a sugar-coated way that serves his own purpose or aim. It may be used in those cases in which the Declarant is either unavailable for presenting himself to the court or he is not confident enough to record his statements in front of the jury. In normal cases, the purpose of the witness is to provide his statements to help in solving the case under the oath. His statements are based on the direct evidence concluded from his experience, study, or observation. The witness is directly involved in the case. In case of Hearsay, the Declarant lies outside the court. His oath doesnââ¬â¢t have any role in the proceedings of the court. He just feeds his information to another person who plays the role of witness. The witness will present the information based on the feedback from Declarant. This feedback is based on the indirect observation on the part of the
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
History of Education in USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
History of Education in USA - Research Paper Example He realized that different student had different academic needs and advocated activities in his curriculum. Jefferson pushed a system of education which accomplished the base of strong foundation of universities and colleges. In 1786 Benjamin Rush presented an educational system which he hoped would meet the needs of democratic ideology. He was of the view that the sanctuary of a nation lies in a proper education. He advocated education for both men and women to understand the principles of democracy and to implement it properly. Noah Webster, during his tenor, identified the need for schools to have text books in American language and experienced a conflict towards the British which they currently used. His unique achievement was American dictionary, which he created instead of following other dictionaries. The federal government has played its role to improve standard of education throughout America. They have strived to help citizen in getting better quality of education by lending extra money to those who need it. Most of the credit goes to G.I Bill, National Defence Education Act (NDEA), and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), because of which many Americans have been able to get higher education. Granting federal land to the states for educational purposes started with the Northwest ordinance of 1785. The G.I. Bill of rights is the base which worked as a lime stone for providing educational benefits for veterans of World War II. The general aim of this legislation has been to compensate veterans for their services and sacrifices. Many veterans took advantage from this Act and graduated from this program with prolific careers. Federal government also established number of schools for specific purposes and encouraged recreational education in acts as NDEA in 1958. Political dynamics laid hurdles in actions of federal aid legislation, but the situation changed when Soviet Union, rival of US created space satellite. Another act that promoted federal financial aids further, was ESEA of 1965. Where NSEA emphasized on science and math, ESEA responded to the prominent social change in society. The ESEA related to President Lyndon Johnson's program "War on Poverty" encouraged special programs for children of poor families. In 1981 this act was named chapter 1 of Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA). (Christen Baylis-Heerschop, 2007). The National Service Legislation of 1993 (the National and Community Trust Act), and the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (better known as Public Law 94-142) are merely current extensions of federal involvement in education that reaches back to American historical beginnings. The 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Education Amendments of 1997 extended provisions of Public Law 94-142 to all citizens from ages 2 to 21. Provisions of both acts are under continuing review by congressional committees to clarify various provisions. The acts require inclusion, or placing students with physical and emotional challenges in regular classrooms. The 2005 funding reauthorization act, "Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities," expanded, defined, and clarified
Monday, July 22, 2019
A Tale of Two Cities Character Carton Analysis Essay Example for Free
A Tale of Two Cities Character Carton Analysis Essay In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Cartonââ¬â¢s character went through a series of decisions that affected the outcome of the novel. Sydney Carton looks almost looks exactly the same as Charles Darnay, but the main difference, was that Darnay was sober a majority of the time, and he cared and worked for his life. Lucie, the love of Cartonââ¬â¢s life, had fallen in love with Darnay. After Carton realized that Lucie would have picked him if he hadnââ¬â¢t been so slavish and drunk a majority of the time, he decided to change. He knew he had already lost Lucie, but he thought that maybe he could still use the rest of his life for the better. His decision to change was not state out right, but the events in the novel, led the reader to the conclusion, that he turned around his life for Lucie. At the beginning of the novel, when Carton is first introduced, he is sitting in the courtroom staring at the ceiling. The author made it seem like Carton did not care what was going on in the courtroom, but later the reader discovers that Carton was listening to the case the entire time. Carton had heard a flaw in the prosecutorââ¬â¢s plan, and he gave a note to Stryver, resulting in an acquittal, which Stryver had received full credit. As the reader continues reading, it is later discovered that Carton is the hand guiding Stryver, while Stryver is just the image. Carton never did anything for himself; because he was too busy helping others. Later in the novel, Carton planned an almost full proof plan to help Charles Darnay. Even though he had made the decision to change, and think out a plan, he never lost the characteristic of putting others before himself. Although he took the place of the Darnay, before his death, he took it for Lucie. As Cartonââ¬â¢s character is slowly unfolded throughout the second book, the reader can conclude that Carton dislikes Darnay. Carton dislikes Darnay, because Darnay is the constant reminder to Carton of what he could have been like, if he had not made bad choices in law school and made good choices in general. Whenever Carton came over to the Manetteââ¬â¢s home, and was in the presence of Darnay, he was even more quiet then usual. However, when he decided to turn his life around, he buried his hatred for Darnay, and treated him with respect. Even with this decision, carton could not have Lucie, but she accepted him as part of her own family, and he was content with that. At the end of the novel, Carton takes time to plan out a five-step plan to save Darnay, and ends up sacrificing himself for a man he use to hate. Part of Cartonââ¬â¢s old personality, was that he always wore his emotions on his sleeve. He thought he was useless and he lacked self-esteem. This was shown throughout the beginning of the book, for he was a drunk resembling his worthless life. He didnââ¬â¢t speak in the conversation unless it was a topic that he truly cared for. Right before his change, he professed his love to Lucie. After his change, he learned to hide his emotions. Although he may not like Darnay, he kept those feelings to himself. He stayed mysterious in Book III, in order for his plan to be successful and his appearance to be surprising. The character, Sydney Carton, was given a second chance as their life was resurrected. Lucie Manette is responsible for the resurrection of Sydney Carton, for she was the inspiration that got Sydney Carton off his feet. Carton twice saves Charles Darnay even though he disliked him. Carton described himself as a wasted creature but Lucy explained that she had faith in him and that he was capable of doing better things. He ended up promising that he would do anything for her, sacrificing his life for Charles Darnay. By hiding his emotions, he was able to carry out a plan without anyone attempting to stop him. Carton strived to become a better person and change his life around because Lucie believed in him. Because of the change in Carton, Darnayââ¬â¢s life is spared and Carton dies with dignity, knowing his life was not a waste.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
An Ethical Examination Abbott And The Pharmaceutical Industry Commerce Essay
An Ethical Examination Abbott And The Pharmaceutical Industry Commerce Essay Despite the pharmaceutical industry having notable contributions to society, including the research and development of the oxycontin to relief peoples pain, there has been some ethical problems that arose. The industry has the patent issue and lots of people abuse the drug. It was thought of as an unethical issue from the Abbott case and companies producing oxycontin to get benefits. Some companies also pay physicians to prescribe their drugs. Whereas, oxycontin is the best drug to release pain and pharmaceutical industry and it is very beneficial to economy. This report will examine the different aspects pertaining to the topic of Ethics of the Pharmaceutical Industry. On overview of history, development, and value chain of the Canadian pharmaceutical industry will be discussed. Then, the PEST analysis of Abbott is being talked. The essential shareholder groups of interest are on discussion in details. The approval process for new drugs, the potential over-medication of societies and the role of pharmaceutical companies are described. Meanwhile, the economic and social impacts of the production and distribution of Oxycodone from the following perspectives will be analyzed: 1. Utilitarianism; 2. Rights; 3. Justice; 4. Virtue Ethics. This report concludes with the issue management approach demonstrated by the Canadian government and Carrolls four part corporate social responsibility definitions, and which is from the perspectives of economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. Corporate social performances, such as auditing, reporting, com munication should be recorded in terms of making the management know the problems or updates within the lower levels of management to make effective policies. Table of Context Introductionà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg .4 Part 1 History Developmentà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.4 Value Chainà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.5 Comprehensive Analysis of the Industryà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..pg.7 Part 2 Pest analysis for Abbottà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.9 Six Main Stakeholders Interestsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..pg.12 Part 3 The production and use of Oxycodoneà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.15 Drug patentsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.16 The approval process for new drugsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.17 The potential over-medication of societies and the role of pharmaceutical companiesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.18 Part 4 Utilitarianismà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.19 Rightsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.21 Justice à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.22 Virtue Ethicsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.24 Part 5 Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Social Responsiveness, Corporte Social Performanceà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.25 Conclusionà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.28 Referencesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg.29 Appendix Aà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.32 Appendix Bà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.pg.33 Appendix Cà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦pg 35 Introduction Canadians on average spend 31 billion dollars in the pharmaceutical industry, which makes it very powerful and influential. Our goal is to analyze the industry in a business ethics perspective. To do this we will look at the value chain and development of the pharmaceutical industry in Canada, a PEST analysis of Abbott, the ethical issues linked to the use and overmedication of oxycodone as well as the drug patent system, the social and economic impacts of the production of oxycodone, and addressing the industries record in corporate social performance, responsibility, and responsiveness. Part 1: History Development Have you ever wondered how important pharmaceutical companies are to society? How did the pharmaceutical industry begin in Canada? These question and more will be answered in this segment. The first major pharmaceutical company in Canada started in Toronto in the year 1879 and was founded by Edward B. Shuttleworth (Toronto Region Research Alliance, 2010). Toronto has developed through the years as one of the leaders in this industry in North America. Toronto Region Research Alliance reports that Twenty-five of the top 50 global pharmaceutical companies have Canadian headquarters in the Toronto Region. (Toronto Region Research Alliance, 2010). It is interesting to know that the first foreign-owned pharmaceutical company in Canada started here in Windsor, Walkerville by Parke Davis and Co in 1887 (Lexchin, 2006). This decision by Mr. Davis helped develop Canadas pharmaceutical industry. From 1879 to present the pharmaceutical industry has advanced substantially. Conferring to the Canadian Encyclopedia in the 1940s our pharmaceutical industry was producing a large amount of drugs efficiently (economy to scales) (Lexchin,2006). This was a huge improvement in the industry because now companies were able to focus on mass producing drugs, and able to have a larger profit margin on it. Also conferring to the Canadian Encyclopedia in the 1970s and 1980s, Canada started to produce their own generic drug companies (Lexchin, 2006). In 1921, the University of Toronto developed several drugs that transformed the way diabetes is treated. This drug contains Insulin that has saved an enormous amount of people and helped reduce the suffering for those with diabetes. Patents came a long way in this industry. Patents acts like a copyright not allowing people to copy your idea. Patents life span is currently 17 years. In the past companies that had a patent on their product had a monopoly type of power. After Bill C-22 companies do not have this power on a patent, we will discuss this topic later. Part 1: Value Chain Research and Development In Canada before a drug can be approved for the general public it has to go through several tests and studies. These drugs will be tested on animals and eventually on humans. The researcher goal is try to discover a product the public will use. Once the researcher had thought of a drug that will help people; the researcher and the scientist have to develop the product. They will develop their product by testing it on animals and alter it till they receive desirable results. It takes about eight and a half years to test the drug and get it approve to sell (Health Canada, 2011). Pre-clinical Research In order to reach this step a company needs to submit data that helps them prove their drug is safe for pre-clinical testing. Pre-clinical testing is when a company tests their drugs in a laboratory on animals. They are looking at a variety of factors such as the animal toxics level and pharmacologic affects (Health Canada, 2011). According to Health Canada at this stage sponsors are asked to determine the toxicity of the drug in at least two species of animals, from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the proposed duration of use of the substance (Health Canada, 2011). Clinical Trial At this stage the drug is deemed safe to test it on humans. During these trials, a substance is administered to humans and is evaluated for its safety and effectiveness in treating, preventing, or diagnosing a specific disease or condition. The results of this testing is the single most important factor in the approval or disapproval of a new drug (Health Canada, 2011). If the results of the clinical trial turn out to be positive, the drug is ready to hit the markets. A New Drug Submission (NDS) is sent with complete information on the new drug at the end of the clinical testing. If the NDS are positive the company is allowed to sell their drug in Canada (Lexchin, 2006). Manufacture, Marketing and Sales At this final stage the pharmaceutical companies looks for ways to reduce the costs of drug production. Companys need to make sure they have the right paperwork to start manufacturing the product. Also the company needs to make sure they market the product well and honestly. The company also needs to make sure that they are constantly monitoring their products making sure its safe and safely distributed. Part 1: Comprehensive Analysis of the Industry Research costs the Canadian pharmaceutical industry millions of dollars annually. The research cost is high because drug companies are trying to develop treatments for variety of types of diseases and illness. Usually the companys purpose on inventing a new treatment is to gain future revenues. It is currently estimated to cost about eight hundred million dollars to research and market a new drug (Canadian Pharmacists Association, 2012). Canada develops eighty new drugs a year and only ten percent of these new drugs have significant improvements over existing drugs (Lexchin, 2006) Unlike other industries the pharmaceutical industry has a high cost on research and development. The industry spends millions of dollars, inventing new drugs, and develops existing drugs. Companies in this industry spend millions of dollars on marketing and educating people about their product. With high costs and short patent life; is it worth it to companies to spend a significant amount of money on developing their product just to be copied by another company in the future? Thinking that the cost of developing a drug is extremely high the government should help the pharmaceutical industry in this aspect. Instead of helping in 1987 Brain Mulroney introduced Bill C-22. Through the Bill the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board was created. Their job is to watch over and make the price of the patented drugs. At one point this company raised the price of patents that in some situations the company would have no choice and give up their patent. One thing that was not fair for the companies who develop the product was they were forced to licensing their product. Other companies were allowed to produce their product and pay a royalty fee to the founder company. The problem is the royalty fees are very minimal considering how much startup costs the founding company had to go through. A huge issue about Bill C-22 coming into effect is it took away incentive to do research and create new drugs. Companies are worried about producing their product as cheaply and efficiently as possible to increase their profit margin. Patented Medicine Prices Review Board requires 10 percent of a companys revenues. In 2007 only 8.3 percent was spent on research in this industry (Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, N.D.). In Appendix C shows the user where the research money was spent. It interesting to note; the majority of the research money was spent in applied research. Applied Research is used on trying to improve the product and the manufacturing process. The government has another impact on this industry through their policies. The federal government implemented their Food and Drug Act in 1939. This act gave the government some power over this industry. The Federal government decided they needed the companies in the industry to report to Food and Drug Directorate (1959) (Lexchin, 2006). This organization monitors the industry to make sure everyone is following the rules. This Food and Drug Act has been modified throughout the years because of past events. An example is in 1963, 115 kids were born with malformations of the limbs because their mothers took thalidomide (Lexchin, 2006). Standards in this industry after this event and companies must inform their users who cannot take the drug. This act prohibits false advertising, but it cannot control how the doctors actually use the drugs (Lexchin, 2006). Part 2: Pest analysis for Abbott According to the Cambridge Dictionary; pest analysis is (political, economic, social, and technological) assesses a market including competitors, from the standpoint of a particular proposition or a business. A management method that examines the effect that events or influences from outside may have on the performance of a company or organization. (PEST Analysis) Political: Abbott labs and its competitors are all seriously affected by government regulations. For example, they include long term challenges like patent expiration and FDA approval. All these rules and regulations are affected by political factors. Under the Medicare Modernization Act, drug prices are negotiated between private drug plans and private drug manufactures which prohibits government to set up a price structure or even participate in the negotiations. The Congress and white house are trying to lower drug prices, which could decrease revenue for Abbott. If Abbott is forced to lower its drug prices, it would be hit hard as half of the revenue it generates comes from pharmaceuticals. (Abbott laboratories Stock, 2006) The development, sale and distribution of Abbotts products are subjected to a broad set of rules and regulations. These regulatory actions can result in delay of the release of the product or seizure or recall of products. Violations of these rules may be punishable by civil or criminal sanctions. In some cases there are payable fines, imprisonment or even exclusion from participation in health care programs. These regulations are very broad in scope and are subjected to many developing interpretations, which could require Abbott to gain significant costs associated with altering one or more of its marketing or sales practices. Moreover, if these laws are violated, Abbott could disturb its business. This would not only affect Abbotts revenues and profitability but would also result in a negative image of Abbott. (Abbott laboratories filings, 2006) Economics: Abbott produces a drug called Humira. This is used for rheumatoid arthritis patients. This is one of the main revenue generator drugs, which makes up more than half of the pharmaceutical divisions revenue. Niaspan, another drug produced by Abbott, is the only drug available in the market to decrease cardiovascular risk. This drug increases HDL also known as good cholesterol to minimize the risk. Another popular drug produced by Abbot was Depakote. Abbott lost much of its revenue in 2008 because of generic competition, for the first time. Generic competition in Abbotts pharmaceutical division hurt US sales; however this has been partially offset by international growth. (Abbott Laboratories Stock, 2006) Emerging markets represents one of the greatest opportunities in health care. Emerging markets already make up more than 20 percent of Abbotts overall business. Abbott Laboratories Inc will pay $3.7 billion to acquire the branded generics business of Indias Piramal healthcare. Annual payments of $400 million would be made till four years for Piramals healthcare solutions business. Moreover, it will also pay $2.12 billion up-front. According to Abbott, it will have the largest market share in India, at seven percent. According to Mr. White, the chairman and chief executive of Abbott, this deal is one of the several he has taken to reshape the company and grow outside the United States. Abbott predicts the sales in India to be more than $2.5 billion by 2020. Abbott is paying 8.7 times annual sales for the Piamal unit. By contrast, Cipla trades at 4.5 times sales. Abbott is rapidly establishing a leadership position in branded generics and emerging markets (Abbott Laboratories to pay $1.6 billion, 2010) said Wells Fargo analyst Larry Biegelsen in a research note. Social: Abbott is a constantly changing health care industry. So, for a company like this, market share is a primary focus. Market share can be gained by increasing a demand for the medicines or off course by introducing new and improved medicines. Abbotts toughest competition includes generic drugs and this has put a lot of pressure on pharmaceutical industries as a whole. Moreover patent infringement is another challenge. Medtronic Inc. said on Monday it would pay $400 million to Abbott Laboratories Inc. as part of an agreement to settle a legal dispute over heart stent technology. (Kelly, 2009) Abbotts produces drugs such as Humira, Xience V and Niaspan. These drugs are faced by constant competition from many other pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson Johnson (JNJ) and Amegen (AMGN). A competition like this makes it very challenging for Abbott to deal with legal problems Abbot is a company which fulfills its social responsibilities. It operates with many applicable laws and regulations concerning environmental protection. Abbott believes that it has a social and environmental responsibility towards the community where it operates. For example, Abbotts capital expenditure in 2010 was $9 million and operating expenditures in 2010 for pollution control was approximately $65 million. Capital and operating expenditures in 2011 for pollution control were estimated to be $15 million and $67 million respectively. (Abbott Laboratories Filings, 2006) Abbott has been identified as a responsible party in investigations at many locations in the United States of America by Superfund. Abbott believes that costs related to investigations and remediation and costs which help the company to follow the social rules and regulations, have no consequences on Abbotts financial position, results of operation or cash flows. (Abbott Laboratories Filings, 2006) Technological: Producing new products over time is how a firm progresses. This requires technological knowledge, the ability to combine knowledge elements into valuable new products, and the complementary assets that facilitate the manufacturing, sales, and distribution of those products. (Nerkar, 2004) Abbott is the first pharmaceutical company to have a special laboratory for radioactive pharmaceuticals or radiopharmaceuticals. This progress leads to the creation of what will become the worlds leading immunodiagnostics business. (History Abbott) After Abbott introduces Selsun Suspension shampoo for dandruff control, the company establishes an employee contributory stock purchase plan to benefit its employees. Several major products are introduced worldwide, including a test to screen and monitor therapy for prostate cancer, self-test kit for HIV and many more. Part 2: Six Main Stakeholders Interests Abbots customers are a stakeholder and their main interest is the availability of products that are safe and effective. They look for a price that is reasonable and affordable. They need as much information about the disease as possible and the ways to prevent it through drugs and available treatment. They also look for advocacy for patient needs and support for patient organizations. Health care professionals are also the stakeholders and their main concern is quality, safety and efficacy of products and most importantly proper product use. Information and education about the latest tools and technologies is also an interest of this stakeholder. Research and development is another key interest of this group. Interestingly, reasonable and ethical behavior is also an interest to the health care professionals which can be achieved through ethical marketing practices. Government is another stakeholder of Abbot. Affordable pricing and ethical business practices is this groups main concern. Government makes a partnership to help address health care needs. Government and Abbot together make policies that foster access to medicines and vaccines. Moreover, Employees are another stakeholder group and its main interest is to get training and development. They also want to get involved in their communities and most importantly they want to improve and maintain their own health and well-being. Local communities are another important stakeholder group. Their main interest is that Abbot operates in a responsible and safe manner, wherever it operates. Philanthropic commitment to unmet community needs is another concern. Lastly, suppliers are another stakeholder group. Ethics, labor laws and health and safety issues are this stakeholders primary interest. Support for small and diverse suppliers is also a key interest. Abbot is committed to developing safe and effective medicines that save and enhance lives. Abbot aims to make its products at affordable and fair prices and to offer low cost or even free options for customers, when possible. For example Abbot was engaged in discussions with patients group and associations. It was also involved with customer care lines, patient assistance programs and market research. This resulted in gaining important insight as to how Abbot could improve their products and develop new ones. They increased awareness among stakeholder groups of potentials for patient assistance for medicines and of contributions of drugs and other products as part of tragedy relief. Abbott is increasing awareness among the stakeholders and proving a lot of its products as part of disaster relief. Abbot seeks new insight into patient and consumer needs and is committed to leveraging these insights into meaningful products. Moreover, health care professionals play a key role in proper diagnosis treatment and rehabilitation, and work closely to create a greater understanding of disease states and its treatment. Abbott also helps to maintain high standards of integrity in all of its dealings with health care professionals. An example of this is Abbotts educational program for health care professionals. And also the technological exchanges to bolster knowledge of health care professionals. The result of these efforts was improved understandings of emerging challenges on the front lines of health care. Abbott received feedback on the quality, safety and efficacy of existing products and partner with health care professionals conducting vital research. (Abbott Global Citizenship) Government being a key stakeholder wants affordable prices and ethical business practices. So, Abbot aims to make products available at affordable prices. They want to foster well informed health care professionals, progressive policies and enhanced infrastructure, which are very important to health care access. In addition to that, Abbott holds all their employees to the maximum ethical standards. Abbott has worked with the governments to set prices at reasonable levels. They have talked with governments about major health care policy developments. Abbot has participated in numerous U.S. and international trade groups, consistent with the guidelines in Abbotts code of business conduct. (Abbott: Global Citizenship) It has shared learning on needs of various communities. Furthermore, it has given updates on major health care policy developments. Local communities are another important stakeholder. Their key concerns are safe and responsible operations where Abbott operates. Abbott gives full attention to its local communities. They have fully engaged in the communities where they operate, and they treaty their local societies with admiration. Abbott engages in thoughtful and effective philanthropy. (Abbott Global Citizenship) Moreover, Abbott employs local people and pays taxes to the local governments. They support educational efforts, cultural and civic programs and community health care organizations. An example can be seen when Abbott in 2011, paid 1.8 billion in income taxes. Abbott maintains strong relationships with the communities where they operate. Part 3: The Production and Use of Oxycodone At the end of February 2012 Purdue Pharma Canada, the company behind oxycontin, stopped production of their popular narcotic and moved to a new painkiller opiate in the oxycodone family called Oxyneo. Oxyneo is an amazing step up from oxycontin because it is made in a way so that it cannot be dissolved in water to be injected (it turns into a gel if you try), and it is very difficult to ground up and snort. These changes do not affected people taking the drug properly for medical uses but thats only four out of every12,000 addicts. These people taking oxycontin for the highs have moved on to harder drugs to fill the hole oxycontin left. A recent statistic from Alex Crees of Fox news states the percentage of people who reported using Oxycontin to get high in the past 30 days at least once fell from 47.4 percent to 30 percent. During the same time period, the percentage of people who reported using heroin nearly doubled. (Crees) This raises a lot of ethical questions one of which has t o do with utilitarianism, how can this move possible benefit the most people when the majority is the one being moved onto harder drugs? This of course raises questions of its own such as if it was so dangerous why was it introduced in the first place, and to that I can simply say no other medication can do what it can do. For a lot of people dealing with chronic acute pain there are very few options available and oxycodone is an attractive alternative to the also opiate based morphine which causes nausea and is half as strong as oxycodone. In the end of the day for the sake of utilitarianism I would say they probably did the right thing by changing the formula but it is all based on perspectives. Another ethical issue that has to do with the lack of corporate social responsibility of Purdue, one moral argument for CSR is that Corporations cause social problems, and hence have a responsibility to solve those they have caused and to prevent further social problems from arising. (Cran e p. 51) with this statement we can see that Purdue caused a problem and did not really take responsibility for that problem or overly try to prevent it as well. It was the government that forced the cancelation of distribution of oxycontin, not the good will of the corporation, and it was also government regulation demanding the new formula. Purdue should have set up public centers to help deal with the people who were using their product and are now dealing with withdrawals. They had ethical responsibility they did not live up to. Part 3: Drug Patents In the realm of medical or drug patenting there is also a slew of ethical problems that must be dealt with. In our modern patenting system it is too easy for procedures or medications to be unavailable to those who need them because of issues with patents. A lot of procedures require the doctor or physician have bought the right to use the procedures and only in a certain way. These are often sold only in smaller quantities for higher prices limiting the amount of good they can do. The ethical problem arises when a person comes in for treatment and a patented procedure becomes unavailable to patients who require it, and in worst-case scenarios where no other alternative exists. In a case like this utilitarianism must be questioned as to why they can justify hurting so many people so a few at the top can make a lot more money. Distributive justice is also an ethical issue that relates to this. Some people will argue that due to distributive justice patents are ethical because the fram ework of distributive justice rewards the inventor and people cant coast on his success. However if we look at it by its definition distributive justice is concerns the nature of aà socially justà allocation ofà goodsà in a society. (Distributive justice Wikipedia) We can see that by having these patents that limit the availability of processes and medications people need were are heading in the opposite way of distributive justice, fewer people are getting benefit of a product. In this way I really believe that the patent system especially pertaining to drugs has a very pre conventional thought process of what can help me Ill do. They have all this knowledge that could help millions but because there is no immediate monetary benefit for the corporations to open up the patents to everyone in need it wont happen and many innocent people could get sick, get worse, or even die. Part 3: The Approval Process For New Drugs To understand the ethical issues in improvement process for new drugs you must first understand how the process plays out. There are 4 main steps to the process of getting a pill tested and okayed for sales, the first step is to test on animals, then the next is to perform clinical testing on humans, next up is a review by the food and drug administration, and the last step is post marketing surveillance. In this last step the pill has been granted limited application by the FDA and is applied to thousands of people for testing. At this stage it is not determined if the pill is either safe or efficacious. (Kuncl Logue, 2005). Patents last 17 years and this four-step process takes about 11 years so you can understand the urgency of their actions. The unethical behavior comes in on the fourth step where it is in the hands of marketing surveillance because the importance they determine for the drug is the chances of it actually coming to store shelves. You see a new pill would cost abo ut $800 million dollars not counting the 15-year research period so they are very valuable and only explored if the chances are high for payback. Ten to fifteen percent of all gross profits from a pharmaceutical company go back into research. Because of these high costs of business a lot of pills that could help a lot of people but not enough to turn a profit are often declined or have their funding stopped which can leave innocent people without a cure. The ethical problem here is the industry doesnt practice stakeholder theory at all, they are acting to just appease the shareholders but not the other stakeholders like the consumers that could have their lives saved, the employees whos families could have needed those medicines, the government that may have rewarded you for coming up with a cheaper more efficient drug and the list of stakeholders goes on. Part 3: The Potential Over-Medication of Societies and the Role of Pharmaceutical Companies Seven million people say they use prescription drugs for non-medial reasons and 39% of drug user use prescriptions over street drugs like cocaine and heroin so why are we seeing this trend? I believe it is due to aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical industries, for reasons previously discussed there is a lot of money spent in the industry just to get new drugs approved, and thats reasonable that they want to market it and spread the word to make back their loss. However the way they go about doing it is unethical and wrong, you see when these new drugs are released they are often released under a wider umbrella of uses than first clinically intended. The unfortunate reality is that for most new drugs, safety and efficacy are scientifically proven for only a small subset of patient
Sande Society and the Sowei Mask
Sande Society and the Sowei Mask Political, Educational, and Gender Aspects of the Womens Society of the Mende The Sowei Mask of the Sande Society is a symbol for the Mende people of Sierra Leone representing the ideals of feminine beauty, but the Sande Society also plays a key role in the nurturing, livelihood, and induction of young women into adults. This mask defines a goal for young women as well as symbolizes their transition from children to adults and, the Sande are the tools behind the Sowei which shape and mold the initiates of their society into women capable of managing marriage, political power, and even spiritual secrets. The Sowei Mask itself is carved from wood carefully with close attention to detail. Each mark is made with a greater picture in mind and at the end of the process the mask will epitomize the Mendes idealities of grace, beauty, and serenity. After the carving, the mask is painted and polished to a black, glossy shine. There are many Sowei Masks, all of which possess the black, glossy shine, but each mask can differ in many areas. The Sowei Masks can possess rolls of fat on the neck, scarification patters on the face, elaborate hairstyles, raffia around neck, and many other qualities which give it the elegance that it possesses. (Cosentino 17) The particular mask on display in the Stanley Collection has two small scarification patterns in low relief on either cheek of the mask, a beautiful hairstyle with a small bird perched on top. The mask is full of curves and the light catches off the surface to accent the slight cuts made along the hair of the figure give it a life like quality wh ich complements the serenity of the masks expression. Not only does the mask represent outer beauty, but also references the beauty of a womans inner strength and character. (Becker 82) The encircling ridges of a Sowei Mask which represent rolls of fat also are part of the origin of the mask. When a Sande society member who is particularly renowned for her choreography and dancing skill she is said to dream of diving into a pool, which is the dwelling place for female spirits. As she rises from the water, the ripples of the water on the surface form the rings around the base of the mask. The often complex and always elegant hairstyles of Sowei Masks are said to have come from Sande officials falling into water and emerges with a beautiful hairstyle.(Textbook 180) In performance, the Sowei is danced by the ndoli jowui alongside a second mask, the gondei, which is the antithesis of the Sowei. The gondei is sometimes a discarded Sowei Mask which has been worn down or broken. Occasionally pieces of trash such as tin cans or shells are attached to the gondei, further separating it from the Sowei. It is only when we see both masks that we separate the beauty and grace of the Sowei further from that of the grotesque and hideous form of the gondei. By having the two masks juxtaposed, we can see the grace and elegance in which the Sowei is danced in comparison with the ugly, stumbling dance of the gondei. The performance itself occurs in the weeks before the public portion of the Sande initiation. When the Sowei emerges from the bush to dance, she is admired and greeted by the entire town. (Cosentino 16-7) When the initiates themselves are present at the dance, they wear braclets of palm leaf fibers and body nets with small iron plates. Their faces ar e smeared with animal fat giving them a more youthful appearance. (Newland 125) To the Sande the Sowei Mask as a manifest of power from the spirit world. It is for this reason that while the Sowei Mask is the integral piece to bring the power needed to invest the initiates with everything they will need to marry, the mask also can appear in other places. Smaller versions can appear on the staffs and other objects used by higher ranking members of the Sande and small figures also are common. These objects represent the medicine of the Sande and their connection with the spirits. (Textbook 180) The Sande society itself is enormous; each village usually has its own Sande society governed by a council of elders. (Ellis 200) These elders are not only in charge of initation rites into the Sande society, and thusly into adulthood, but also the birthing, education, circumcision, political aspects, and spiritual aspects of the initiates underneath them. Once puberty is reached, the initiates are taken into the bush and taught the things they need to know to become adult women. Topics such as sex, dancing, fishing, cooking, and secrete medicines are discussed and generally a clitoridectomy, a female circumcision, is performed. After the initiates complete their training, they are eligible to marry and invested with fertility (Leach 58), but are taught that jealousy for ones co-wives is greatly discouraged. Initiates are also called and described by sex-specific terms from the moment they graduate into full genderhood. Men are forbidden from the Sande bush just as the women are from the Poro, the mens secrete society, bush. It is the responsibility of the Sande elders to punish any man who takes an initiate from the bush severely. The Soweis medicine is feared and when a man is pointed out as having broken a Sande law there is a fine or some other penalty which an elder determines. (Newland 125) Elder Sande officials are still susceptible to medicines which can affect their ability to deliver children, circumcise the initiates, and other tasks which are key to their position. The Poro and Sande societies together govern Mende ideas about gender and men and womens lives. Both genders have gender-specific tasks that are used to define a persons masculinity or femininity. Each group gives access to specific male and female medicines and social and political support. Both groups also give elders of the societies access to a higher status position in the villages. This status is known as a big man or big woman. The title comes with the responsibility of caring for the political or financial assistance of others. In Mende society both men and women can become a big person or numu wa. While the Sande will protect women from exploitation, abuse, and give them political and social support, the society also produces asymmetry. The high-ranking members usually gain their position from descent, and by controlling the important knowledge of the Sande, they are able to elicit loyalty or even material goods from the initiates and their families. In this way, the Sande s ociety acts as a driving force in socio-political structures in what would otherwise be a male dominated society. With the polarized and parallel powers of the Poro and Sande societies, women are not considered inferior to men, they are only considered different. (Leach 59-60) The Sande serve as mentors for young girls becoming women, but they also serve as friends and colleagues. Every woman who is considered an adult in Mende culture has been initiated and graduated from the Sande society. The initiates they graduate with become their social system of support and the society leaders are there to protect them as well. It is in this way that we see that all Mende women are connected. In summary, the Sowei Mask demonstrates the inner and outer beauty of the perfect woman, which every initiate of the Sande society and thus every woman considered an adult, strives to attain. Not only do the Sande teach young women about life, but also provide them with a network of support for the rest of their lives. In this way, the Sowei Mask represents not only the Sande, but all adult Mende women and their unavoidable connection to each other.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
The Mexican U.s. Connection Essay -- essays research papers
The Mexican U.S. Connection Mexico and the United States have been close together, at the same time being so far apart. Mexico and the U.S. have maintained a healthy neighbor to neighbor relationship over the centuries. There have been disputes of course, but for the most part we are working together. When striving to maintain a healthy relationship between neighboring countries, certain problems arise. When the countries don't have the same standard of living, people might try and migrate illegally to the better country. When one country has more illegal drugs than the other, people might try smuggling the drugs. Also, trade between the countries is always a factor in keeping a healthy connection. The first issue to deal with is illegal immigration. Doris Meissner, Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner, announced the INS would pump 185 more agents and an array of equipment, including two new helicopters, seven more infrared scopes, eight miles of fencing and 172 additional sensors to detect and deter illegal immigration traffic along a 16-mile stretch between Otay Mountain and the Tecate Port of Entry. The area has been inundated by immigrant smugglers who have been forced east because of increased Border Patrol activity along the 14-mile corridor from the Pacific Ocean and Imperial Beach to Otay Mesa. The effort, known as Operation Gatekeeper, was launched in October 1994. Meissner said the latest effort, an extension of Operation Gatekeeper, would add five Border Patrol agents on horseback to patrol the back country and three dog teams to be assigned to checkpoints along rural roads. Meissner also announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would join the operation to break up illegal smuggling rings at the border. She said the Border Patrol would step up the use of checkpoints in the Temecula area, where smugglers usually end up trying to evade the Border Patrol checkpoint. In March, a van carrying illegal immigrants overturned near there as its driver tried to avoid agents; eight illegal immigrants were killed and 18 others injured. In Los Angeles, an alleged smuggler of illegal immigrants who police say was at the wheel of a pickup truck during a chase in April which ended with the televised police beatings of two undocumented aliens from Mexico, pleaded not guilty to f... ... added that the challenges that the Mexican economy faces have not changed with the passage of the NAFTA and that its effects will not be immediate. The Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC) asked the government to open spaces for public consultation and participation to deal with the repercussions of the NAFTA. RMALC representatives announced that if the NAFTA is ratified by the Mexican Senate, they will mobilize to obtain a profound re- negotiation of the NAFTA which benefits the majority of the population. According to RMALC members, the re-negotiation should include the recognition of asymmetries between the participating countries' economies and aspects of the social agenda which have been left out of the agreement. Said RMALC Director Bertha Lujan, "We still don't know the popular vote on the NAFTA." Thus, all the factors in keeping good connections between neighboring countries have been discussed. Some out there might argue that there is more to it. This is my argument and I stand firm in the belief that Mexico and the U.S. have a steady connection and have many things that interact between them. That is what makes the Mexican-U.S. connection so beautiful.
Friday, July 19, 2019
The Paradox Of Community Essay -- essays research papers
The Paradox of Community à à à à à ââ¬Å"One can see that insiders are caught in the paradox of community: The same cultural vocabulary that undermines community is simultaneously that community's idiom of self-affirmationâ⬠(Greenhouse, et al. 175). In Law and Community, David M. Engel explores how ordinary people in a small, rural, Illinois town perceive the law, courts, litigants, and community. By analyzing the legal practices and relations in Sander County, it is evident that law and the courts play a central role in the processes of making and unmaking communities. Furthermore, this study illustrates how such manifestations, reflections of the ââ¬Å"insider'sâ⬠ideology, fail to live up to the promises for ââ¬Å" lawâ⬠in our society. à à à à à In the 1970s, Sander County was undergoing great social and economic changes. Agriculture, a central part of life for most residents, became more mechanized and a few large manufacturing plants opened, bringing in ââ¬Å"quite a number of a certain elementâ⬠Sander County had ââ¬Å"never had beforeâ⬠(29). Long- time residents, worried about change, express what they believe to be ââ¬Å"the new role of laws and the courts in the local and national societyââ¬Å" (1). à à à à à Though personal injury litigation rates are lower in Sander County than other major types of litigation, a norm of aversion towards this legal discourse is evident throughout the majority of the community. Those who enforce personal injury claims are viewed by fellow residents as greedy, selfish, and ââ¬Å"quick to sue.â⬠Litigation is portrayed as weakening the collective values personified in the law as a means of turning the law against the community to make an ââ¬Å"easy buckâ⬠(144). Even highly respected members of the community are criticized for making personal injury claims. For example, a minister filed a suit after slipping and falling at a school. A local observer commented by saying there are ââ¬Å"a lot of people who are resentful for it, because...he chose to sueâ⬠(28). The long-time residents of Sander County were experiencing a prevalent sense of a collapse in the conventional dependencies and exchanges that had typified life in Sander County. Understandings of personal injury claims are largely shaped by these societal transformations as the local populace encounters them and also by the notion that traditional relati... ...ty (Carter 11). The irony lies in the fact that the power of the insiders as a whole disempowers the individual, whether the individual is an insider or an outsider. Every member of Sander County is rather powerless before the law; the efforts to keep the town safe from change paradoxically caused a lack of trust in the legal process. This lack of trust contributes to the chaos of community that already existed in Sander County. à à à à à ââ¬Å"Law is a language by which we constantly reconstruct our communitiesâ⬠(Carter viii). Instead of constructing community through just legal discourse, Sander County destructed what it had left of a community in a desperate act of warding of that which it did not understand (or did not want to understand). Law in practice, in Sander County, does not produce justice; it produces inequality. This prevalent inequality, or difference, is a ââ¬Å"justification of litigation by ââ¬Ëinsiders' in defense of their communityâ⬠(Greenhouse, et al. 175). They fail to see that their myth of community is challenging ââ¬Å"community.â⬠Disempowerment and inequality will not generate trust. Furthermore, of what use, or longevity, is a community without trust?
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Mankind As A Problem :: essays research papers
The biggest blight on the face of the planet is mankind. The major problems facing the world today can all be traced in one way or another back to the interference of man. The human race has yielded too much power for the past several thousands of years and it is time for a stern, quick change in the world. Mankind has walked with impunity from place to place upon the face of this planet and only in a few instances has it rendered anything other than death or chaos. My purpose with this essay is to illustrate that the human race is almost not worth running. Creatures endowed with such inborn capabilities have sunken to a level below any seen before. While capable of such acts of beauty and wonder, they instead choose to act selfishly and without reason. à à à à à The human race is, like every living thing, an animal. However, the human race is unlike any other animal on the face of this planet. The human race is more brutal then other animals. The human race is the only animal that will set out to commit genocide or slaughter its own kind by amounts I can not begin to fathom. The human race has done this many times through itââ¬â¢s past and shows no signs of altering. Nazi Germany almost eliminated the entire Jewish population from Europe, and killed millions before they could be stopped. Communist Russia, under the leadership of Stalin, conducted many tests and experiments on humans that lead to the deaths of millions more for no purpose other than to satisfy one manââ¬â¢s curious side. The human race for centuries, and in some parts of the world still does committed slavery. Brutality of human against human has been a common theme through the years, but if you go club one baby seal you would get the chair. Humans h ave come to accept brutality upon themselves as a fact of life but sit in disgust when it is committed against something else. Part of what makes man so dangerous and problematic is his intelligence level. The human race is the smartest thing on the planet Earth. This has put him on top of the food chain where he can do the most damage to the world as a whole. His intelligence has allowed him to advance technologically throughout history. His advances in technology have come with problems to not only him, but also the world.
Somatic Marker Hypothesis
Critically evaluate to what extent the ââ¬Ësomatic-marker hypothesisââ¬â¢ explains how decisions are made in the face of an uncertain outcome. In mind of Kim Sterelnyââ¬â¢s (2007) statement that ââ¬ËHuman Life is one long decision treeââ¬â¢, it is not surprising that there has been a vast amount of research into the process of how we evaluate the desirability of alternative choices and select a particular option.One area of research, of particular interest here, is Damasioââ¬â¢s Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) (1991) which uses the neuroeconomic approach through its integration of the fields of psychology, neuroscience and economics to invoke an understanding of how one makes a decision (Damasio, Tranel & Damasio, 1998). This Theory supports the RAF hypothesis that significant risky outcomes elicit emotional reactions (Stanfey, Loewenstein, McClue & Cohen, 2006,).The SMH proposes that stochastic decision making is the result of emotion-based biasing signals in the b ody- in particular from the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VMPFC) (Bechara, Damasio, Tranel & Damasio, 2005). This concept will be discussed in further detail (with reference to itââ¬â¢s origin and experimental support), followed by a critical analysis of the extent to which the SMH successfully explains what it contends to.Since the SMH focuses solely on the role of emotion in decision making, the Rationale Planning Model (1995) will also be examined in comparison to the SMH for itââ¬â¢s explanation of decision making as a purely logical and rational process. The Rational Planning Model by Banfield (1995) proposes that the decision maker consciously undergoes five steps when coming to a decision and so approaches the choice in a very rational manner. Subsequently, an evaluation of the two theories for stochastic decision making will follow to discern how well they account for stochastic decision making.The SMH stemmed from attempts to explain why a patient (E. V. R. ), with an ablation of the VMPFC, often engaged in behaviors that were detrimental to his wellbeing (Damasio, 1996). Emotion was originally believed to be a disruptive force in decision making, but since the VMPFC is in charge of emotional function, it was now speculated to be essential for the ability to make a decision. Further investigation into this phenomenon through neuropsychological examination, found that those patients with damage to their VMPFC evinced a generally flat affect and an inability to respond to emotional situations (Bolla et al. 003). Thus, Damasio extracted that the decision making deficits experienced by these patients was a result of this altered psychophysiological response (Damasio, 1996). His SMH contends that when presented with a decision, the normal brain will use the VMPFC to react emotionally to the situation and generate ââ¬Ësomatic markersââ¬â¢ in order to come to a decision. A somatic marker is best defined as the brains construction of a physiolog ical change that it apprehends for the selection of a particular strategy. It supposedly guides attention towards the more advantageous option (Dalgleish, 2004).This enables the organism to react quicker to external stimuli as it no longer needs to wait for the activity to emerge in the periphery before it can elicit a reaction (Dalgleish, 2004). Furthermore, the VMPFC is thought to support association learning between complex situations and the somatic changes usually experienced during a particular situation (Jameson, Hinson, & Whitney, 2004). Put simply, once a previous situation that elicited similar somatic markers is identified, the VMPFC can use past experiences to rapidly evaluate possible behavior responses.So when the VMPFC suffers impairment, the somatic marker system can no longer be activated, resulting in an absence of physiological feedback and an inability to predict long term punishments and rewards. This occurrence has been termed ââ¬ËMyopia for the futureââ¬â ¢, where a decision may only be formulated by the use of a logical cost-benefit analysis (Dalgleish, 2004). However, if one was presented with an uncertain situation, the result would be marked impairment. The SMH substantiates its argument through the experimental paradigm: the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) (Bechara et al, 1997, cited in Dunn, Dalgleish & Lawrence, 2006).The task measures decision making in patients with VMPFC brain lesions and compares it to those people with a normally functioning VMPFC. The experiment involves selecting a card from a choice of four decks- each of which attributes different levels of reward and punishment in the form of winning or losing pretend money. Two of the decks provide a low reward and a low level of punishment and were labeled the advantageous decks. The remaining two decks provide a high reward and a high level of punishment and were named the disadvantageous decks. Control articipants initially sampled both decks equally but shifted their choice to the advantageous decks after experiencing the high punishment from the disadvantageous one. Conversely, the subjects with damage to their VMPFC were seemingly insensitive to the negative consequences of the disadvantageous decks and would continually choose from these decks on account of their high reward (Dunn et al. 2006). The study concludes that the reason the patients failed to comprehend the advantageous decks as the more profitable option, was due to their inability to generate the somatic markers necessary for such a realization (Dunn et al. 006). Furthermore, Bechara et al. (2005) combined the gambling task with the measurement of skin-conductance response (SCR). It was found that control subjects elicited larger anticipatory SCRs before picking from the disadvantageous decks as oppose to the advantageous decks. The absence of anticipatory SCRs in the VMPFC lesion group confirmed the failure for the VMPFC to activate negative, physiological marking signals based o n previous punishment history which ultimately made them insensitive to the possibility of future punishment from the deck (Schmitt, Brinkley & Newman, 1999).Hence, a positive correlation between successful IGT performance and a healthy participantsââ¬â¢ ability to develop somatic marker signals was reported. The extensive validation of the IGT, strengthens the evidence for the role of emotion in decision making. For example, patients with various kinds of frontal lobe damage and patients with lesions to the lateral temporal or occipital cortex have also been tested in the IGT (Best, Williams & Coccaro, 2002). Of these patients, only the ones with damage to their VMPFC appear to be impaired on the task (Bechara, Damasio & Damasio, 2000).Furthermore, Overman (2004) has conducted a study outside of the Iowa laboratory and has replicated Damasioââ¬â¢s findings with the extension of gender differences. Overmanââ¬â¢s results showed that adolescent men chose from the decks on the basis of long-term outcome only. Moreover, the predictive validity of the IGT and therefore SMH, has demonstrated an association between the response of OCD patients to pharmacotherapy and performance on the IGT (Cavedini, Bassi, Zozi & Bellodi, 2004).This depicts the behavioral form of the IGT to be a very sensitive measure of decision making as its results are highly applicable to real world decision making (e. g. those with OCD). Although the study does much to support the SMH argument, it has also received a lot of criticism which will be subsequently addressed. It has been contested that the work from the Iowa laboratory provides only superficial support for the SMH, since closer analysis can reveal issues that potentially undermine its argument for decision making in the face of an uncertain outcome.For example, Maia & McClelland (2004) contend that the IGT can be performed through access to conscious, explicit knowledge since the task allows a lengthy time to deliberate over each decision- especially since the outcomes are presented in explicit numerical form. Thus, they refute the claim that task acquisition necessarily requires the generation of non conscious ââ¬Ësomatic markerââ¬â¢ signals which effectively weakens the extent to which the SMH accurately explains decision making in terms of emotion- for it may not be the result of an implicit neural mechanism (Maia & McClelland, 2004. Another criticism of the IGT (and therefore the SMH) is that the patients with VMPFC damage could have been quite apathetic to the studyââ¬â¢s demands and expectations. Barrash, Tranel & Anderson (2000) report that patients with lesions to their VMPFC often experience symptoms of apathy and are actually capable of improving their emotional response to affective images if instructed to look carefully. Therefore, if the patients are in fact competent of generating anticipatory SCRs and successfully completing the task, it can be postulated that enhancing their en gagement levels would raise their results to match the control groups.In terms of the implications this would have for the SMH, it would serve as evidence that emotion does not play that great a role in decision making since they can still obtain the same results with impaired emotional ability. Furthermore, Fellows and Farah (2005) have suggested that the syndrome of apathy may deserve more attention in understanding impaired decision making. Similarly, another symptom of VMPFC damage, which can adversely affect performance in the IGT, is impaired reversal learning (Rolls, Hornak, Wade & McGrath, 1994).The IGT is centred on a response reversal in which involves a shift in preference from the two initially rewarding decks to the other two decks due to subsequent punishment (Rolls et al. 1994). Both Fellows & Farah (2005) and Rolls et al (1994), corroborate that lesions to the VMPFC allow normal acquisition but impaired reversal on simple reversal learning tasks. Therefore, the impai red reversal learning, rather than the inability to generate somatic markers, may well account for why patients find it so difficult to perform correctly in the IGT.Fellows & Farah (2005) devised a study to test this notion by removing the response reversal. It was found that by eliminating the rewards of the two disadvantageous decks in the opening trials, the performance of the VMPFC impaired patients was the same as that of the control volunteers. This research suggests that the IGT may not have been testing the role of emotion in decision making but instead, how capable the subjects were in their response reversal.Therefore, the extent to which the SMH explains how decisions are made is further limited since the evidence that emotions play a direct role is very weak. Additionally, the SMH is arguably only applicable to certain decision making and cannot account for those decisions that need rationality and a thoughtful, conscious planning process. Banfieldââ¬â¢s Rational Plan ning Model (1959) (RPM), on the other hand, may serve as a good explanation for decision making in such a situation.Banfield states that a rational decision is made when the decision maker lists all the opportunities for action, recognises all the consequences and selects the action based on the preferred consequence. Additionally, Banfield defines a ââ¬Ëplanââ¬â¢ as a decision with regard to a course of action, involving a similar process as any rational choice. The RPM consists of four main stages: the analysis of the situation, the end reduction and elaboration (formulating an image of the future had an option been picked), the design of courses of action, and the comparative evaluation of consequences (Banfield, 1995).Banfieldââ¬â¢s RPM is the most widely subscribed planning theory to date and although it has experienced criticism, it has been hailed very useful in explaining how we make important decisions. According to Stiftel (2000), important decisions are ones whic h demand explicit conscious planning such as buying a house or taking a new job. These decisions are arguably unlikely to be a result of the emotional hunches or gut instincts that Damasio discusses since they almost always involved a mental list of pros and cons before arriving at a decision.However, this theory fails to explain why some people make irrational and illogical decisions in the face of an uncertain outcome. For example, criminals do not logically plan or weigh up the consequences of an action before undertaking, which highlights that there are multiple explanations for how people make decisions. Banfield recognises that people are generally very opportunistic in their daily decision making as rather than materialising a course of action, people will improvise and meet each crisis as it arises.For instance, large industries rarely look forward more than five to ten years and government planning is even less effective (Stiftel). Since Banfield himself appreciates that th e majority of decisions are the unintended outcome of a ââ¬Ësocial process rather than the conscious product of deliberation and calculationââ¬â¢, there is clearly a cause to investigate the role of social processes in decision making (Banfield, 1995 pp. 13). In conclusion, the extent to which the Somatic Marker Hypothesis explains decision making in the face of an uncertain outcome is limited.As it has been demonstrated, Damasioââ¬â¢s SMH attempts to pin decision making down to emotional biasing signals alone and has received various criticisms for its empirical support. For example, it attempts to validate its theory by testing VMPFC patients who may already be too cognitively impaired to perform the task (Barrash et al, 2000). Additionally, the extent to which the IGT measures an implicit response has also been questioned on the grounds that the task allows a great deal of time for deliberation (Maia & McClelland).Thus, Banfieldââ¬â¢s Rational Planning Model was exami ned as an alternative explanation for decision making. The RPM does a lot to discredit the SMH and is essentially a valuable explanation of how we make decisions since it highlights that the majority of important decisions force the individual into a conscious process of planning and analysing. However, like the SMH, the RPM alone cannot explain decision making for there are individuals (criminals) who defy deliberation. This highlights that decisions are most likely the cause of an interplay of factors, depending on both the situation and person.To summarise, the SMH does little to explain the tricky phenomenon of decision making in the face of an uncertain outcome- but it would be too deterministic to deem this process down to just one theory alone. Referencing: Banfield, E. C. (1959), ââ¬Å"Ends and means in planningâ⬠, International Social Science Journal, Vol. 11, pp. 361-8. Barrash, J. , Tranel, D. , Anderson, S. W. , (2000). Acquired personality distrubances associated with bilateral damage to the ventromedial prefrontal region. Developmental Neuropsychology 18 (3), 355ââ¬â381. Bechara, A. , Damasio, H. , Damasio, A. R. , (2000).Emotion, decision making and the orbitofrontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex 10, 295ââ¬â307 Bechara, A. , Damasio, H. , Tranel, D. , Damasio, A. R. , (2005). The Iowa Gambling Task and the somatic marker hypothesis: some questions and answers. 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