Holistic Care of Older Adults Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Holistic Care of Older Adults - Research Paper Example cant events Relationships Work and home Summary statements Organization/quality (Total 10 points) Older adult identified with initials only (2 points) Key information present (7 points) Well-organized/brief (maximum 1 page) (1 point) Sketchy, missing some information (5 points) Older adult’s name used (0 points) Missing critical information (2 points) Lacks continuity or is too wordy/long (0 points) Analysis of Life Review Goal and benefits of Life Review Similarity to remembering Difference from remembering Erikson Developmental Stage Description of client Ego integrity rating (1-10) Rationale for rating Citations regarding Erikson’s theory (Total 45 points) 4+ benefits (10 points) Comparison with 2+ examples (10 points) Contrast with 2+ examples (6 points) Theory with 2 specific examples (10 points) Rating present and plausible (3 points) Rationale clear from example (3 points) 1+ reference in text (3 points) 2-3 benefits (7 points) Comparison with 1 example (5 points ) Contrast with 1 example (3 points) Theory with 1 specific example (8 points) 0-1 benefits (0-2 points) Comparison without examples (3 points) No comparison (0 points) Contrast without examples or no contrast (0 points) Loose connection between theory and client (3 points); Missing description of theory or no connection (0 points) Rating missing or implausible (0 points) Rationale unclear or example missing (0 points) No references in text (0 points) Reflections Value and reason Most significant point of interview Difficult/anguishing part Impact on clinical practice Personal legacy (Total 14 points) Statement(s) with 1+ reason(s) (3 points) Example(s) with 1+ reason(s) (3 points) Example(s) with 1+ reason(s) or statement of none (3 points) Example(s) with 1+ reason(s) (3 points) Definition,... D.A. is an 88 year old white male living with his wife and two grandsons in Forest Hill, Texas. He was born in Anniston, Alabama the third born of four children. After the demise of his father, D.A’s mother moved them to Abilene, Texas. His childhood was tough following his father’s demise and his mother lack of a better job. His education, however, was secured due to his best grades, which landed him several scholarships. He became a high school teacher in Abilene, where he also met his wife and was blessed with three children. He had not experienced significant illness in his life apart from one time when he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis at age 63, but he was able to get the right treatment. Aside from his childhood family struggles D.A. is content that, he has lived a good and successful life. Analysis of the Life Review Interview Through science, we are able to learn that the human body undergoes various changes as we age. This knowledge is necessary to the nursing profession as it offers more information on how nursing care should be assessed, planned, and delivered (Nursing Center, 2013). In the current health care setting, nurses are caring for more adults, aged 65 and above, more than any other age group. This situation, therefore, requires that more nurses be equipped with extra knowledge and skills; to be able to care for this population. This however poses a huge problem as less than one percent of nurses are taught these skills in school (Nursing Center, 2013).

School and Communities Essay Example for Free

School and Communities Essay A school leader guides a student for such a brief moment, but is one of the connections that contribute to a student being successful and allowing for the student to transition easily in the learning environment? According to the recommended readings there is a correlation between the student’s home, community, and the school that facilitates the student’s transitions into and throughout the school system, leading to an environment that supports student success. There are several major transitions starting with kindergarten and progressing to the middle school level, and then onto high school. Each transitional time is critical and requires additional support to continue and to achieve academically. Based on my review of various articles, the following topics are promising directions that have emerged as areas that will make the connection powerful and successful. Family involvement during Kindergarten preparation is essential for young students to achieve to their potential. The importance of being prepared academically for school, and its implications for parents, has been the subject of extensive research and attention. One recent study suggests that fostering parent support and  parent learning about Kindergarten readiness can help ensure that children are adequately prepared to start school (Starkey Klein, 2000; Perroncel, 2000). In my readings it was suggested that a network of social connections that support children and families during the Kindergarten transition are needed, including interactions between teachers and children, children and peers, parents and teachers, and preschool teachers and Kindergarten teachers. While there is an increased amount of evidence about the elements that support Kindergarten readiness, there is also a need to better integrate the early childhood development literature to  fully understand the connections that make a difference and allow the student to be successful. For example, Fantuzzo et al. (2000) conducted a study to assess parent involvement for children in day care, Head Start, and Kindergarten. Studies such as this can begin to build understanding of how parent involvement changes from pre-school to Kindergarten. Future research can also build our understanding of the specific types of family and community connections that provide a strong support network for children, particularly those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, as they prepare to enter Kindergarten. STUDENT TRANSITION THROUGH EDUCATION LEVELS 3 Despite the continued occurrence of the myth that family and community connections are primarily important at the elementary school level, researchers have begun exploring the effects of school, family, and community connections during transitions to middle and high school as well. Gutman and Midgley (2000) found that during the transition from the elementary level to the middle school level, both school factors and family factors were important to support academic achievement in African American students. Another study found that, contrary to popular belief, middle and high school students do want their parents to be involved, especially in terms of homework help and other home-based types of support and involvement (Catsambis Garland, 1997). This study found that parent involvement does not decline, as expected, but rather shifts as students move into middle and high school. Although they continued to be involved, parents reported increasing dissatisfaction with their role in relationship to the school, especially involving school policy (Catsambis Garland). These results confirm the importance of continued exploration of needs that students have during the transition to middle school and to high school, and roles that families play in supporting these transitions. The impact of school outreach is an important finding. School outreach and invitations to families and community members have a significant impact on the level and quality of family and community connections. In at least three studies, it has been found to have a greater impact than family characteristics on previous student academic achievement (Van Voorhis, 2000; Simon, 2000; Chrispeels Rivero, 2000). Simon found that when schools reach out, and families and community members feel that the school is extending invitations at a personal level, they respond with higher attendance at school-based activities and better quality of family involvement at home. The unique role that schools play in initiating and setting the tone for connections with families and the community cannot be denied. Researchers have also suggested that more research is needed regards to what motivates individual school staff members to reach out to parents and community and how  school staff can be further motivated and supported in building these relationships. STUDENT TRANSITION THROUGH EDUCATION LEVELS 4 There is a growing understanding of the role that relationships between staff in schools and community organizations play in the development of successful collaborations between school and communities. Jehlet al. (2001) suggests that there are â€Å"sticking points,† in organizational cultures and values that can hinder school-community connections. They suggest that these sticking points must be understood and addressed in order to build effective partnerships. These disconnects can be exacerbated by the lack of personal relationships that build trust and understanding between school and community staff (Center for Mental Health in Schools, 1999a). It is clear that family, school, and community connections can benefit children from before the time they enter Kindergarten until after they graduate from high school. Our charge in the educational field of study is to come together to address the issues highlighted in this synthesis paper and to clarify the concept and outcomes of family and community connections with schools. In doing so we will better understand these connections and create the knowledge needed to realize the potential of family, school, and community connections for student learning and student’s success. STUDENT TRANSITION THROUGH EDUCATION LEVELS 5 References Catsambis, S. , Garland, J. E. (1997). Parental involvement in students education during middle school and high school (CRESPAR Report 18). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University. ED423328. http://www. csos. jhu. edu/crespar/Reports/report18entire. htm Center for Mental Health in Schools. (1999a). Expanding educational reform to address barriers to learning: Restructuring student support services and enhancing school community partnerships. Los Angeles, CA: Center for Mental Health in Schools. http://smhp. psych. ucla. edu/pdfdocs/Report/Expand. pdf Fantuzzo, J. , Tighe, E. , Childs, S. (2000). Family involvement questionnaire: A multivariate assessment of family participation in early childhood education. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(2), 367-375. Gutman, L. M. , Midgley, C. (2000). The role of protective factors in supporting the academic achievement of poor African American students during the middle school transition. Journal of Youth and  Adolescence, 29(2), 223-249. Jehl, J. , Blank, M. J. , McCloud, B. (2001). Education and community building: Connecting two worlds. Washington, DC: Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc. http://www. communityschools. org/combuild. pdf Starkey, P. , Klein, A. (2000). Fostering parental support for children’s mathematical development: An intervention with Head Start families. Early Education and Development, 11(5), 659-680. Van Voorhis, F. L. (2000). The effects of interactive (TIPS) homework on family involvement and science achievement of middle grade students. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Florida.

Educational Philosophy Statement :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Educational Philosophy Statement I wrote my first educational philosophy during my first semester in college. Now I have earned 67 hours of college credit, gaining more knowledge in all areas. My determination to earn a teaching degree remains strong, and my self-motivation is ever-present. I also have a large support group of friends and family who encourage me to continue even though my peers are retiring. The high school teacher that sparked my desire to teach continues to encourage my efforts also. My philosophy of education has changed slightly. I still believe that children are eager to please and ready to learn. My experience in a Russian orphanage with 350 orphans has made me more aware of children’s needs, physically and emotionally. Upon returning home from this trip, my eyes were opened to the needs of children in our community and state. I am more aware of the strong need for an education for each and every child. My views on the purpose of education have broadened, and I understand the value of quality education. Not only does an education prepare the student for his/her adult life, but also it boosts an individual’s self esteem to the highest level possible. I have experienced this first-hand and feel more comfortable and self-assured since taking college courses. The knowledge I have gained has given me confidence that only higher learning can give. I want to instill this philosophy into my students to increase their desire to learn. They need to know that an education can help them reach their goals in life. My view about my method of teaching has slightly changed. I will still use learning centers, hands-on activities, and creative play, but I have learned that a student must be challenged. A student who doesn’t feel challenged by his schoolwork soon becomes bored and uninterested. Learning must be exciting and rewarding. My views on curriculum haven’t changed much. I still see reading as the most important subject, along with writing. While taking several English courses, I found a love and appreciation of literature and writing.

Dying With Grace, Living in Peace: Hospice Care in America Essay

The beginning of life is celebrated. Books and resources are shared among friends and family in preparation for becoming a new parent. So, what happens as we approach the end of life? Unfortunately, the same care and sharing rarely occurs in those circumstances and many face the process of dying unprepared. In fact, though most people state they would prefer to die at home, this is often not where death occurs. Many Americans spend their last days attached to medical apparatus that keeps the body alive, but it does not allow for communication with family and often requires heavy sedation. Additionally, this level of treatment comes at a high price. As a society, we must become as comfortable in addressing the end of life process as we are with the beginning of life. One way that this can be done more effectively is through increased knowledge and use of hospice care. Hospice care is a viable option that provides substantial health care cost savings, physical comfort to the p atient, and emotional and spiritual support to the caregivers, however as hospice systems become more commercialized, care must be taken to avoid the pitfalls that are inherent in larger organizations. Hospice care is a relatively young option in the United States. In fact, the first hospice organization was founded in 1971 in the US after gaining acceptance in England in the 1950s (Jensen, 2012). Hospice care is provided to those who are diagnosed with a terminal condition that is expected to culminate in death within six months. Unlike regular health care which focuses on curative procedures, hospice services focus on the comfort of the patient in order to ease the process of dying. These services provide benefits to the patient and the caregive... ...NHPCO facts and figures: Hopice care in America. Alexandria, VA. Perry, J. E., & Stone, R. C. (2011). In the business of dying: Questioning the commercialization of hospice. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 39(2), 224-234. doi:1111/j.1748-720X.2011.0059.x Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2012). Quality of life at the end of life: A guide to hospice and palliative care at home or in a hospice facility. Retrieved from Helpguide.org: www.helpguide.org/elder/hospice_care.htm Seeger, P. (2012). Turn, turn, turn lyrics. Retrieved from metrolyrics.com: http://www.metrolyrics.com/turn-turn-turn-to-everything-there-is-a-season-lyrics-the-byrds.html Taylor, D., Ostermann, J., Houtven, C. V., Tulsky, J., & Steinhauser, K. (2007). What length of hospice use maximizes reduction in medical expenditures near death in the US Medicare program? Social Science & Medicine, 1466-1478.

The feasibility and profitability of a wind farm, proposed to supply the island town of Lowton with electricity

The following report investigates the feasibility and profitability of a wind farm, proposed to supply the island town of Lowton with electricity. Using cost-benefit analysis techniques including spreadsheets formulated using Microsoft Excel the validity of the potential construction (15 turbines) was established. The Results (including equations formulated) are available in table format in the ‘Presentation Of Results' section (p 7). Other factors, including the difficulties involved in the environmental decision-making process are discussed, for example the difficulties surrounding applying a monetary value to natural resources, pollution levels and visual intrusion. The strengths and weaknesses of the decision making process are highlighted. Environmental concerns and the importance of developing alternative energy sources are discussed. The report concludes that the construction of the proposed wind farm should go ahead, and that it could be a profitable enterprise. Introduction This report is to investigate and appraise the environmental impact of a potential wind farm for the small island town of Lowton, while assessing the profitability and feasibility of this. The island is inhabited by 1000 residents and currently has power supplied by a conventional power plant on the mainland, which owns a 650 watt electrical power station. The wind farm in question would be small (about 15 turbines) which would be expected to service the town for 20 years each. The immediate cost of constructing and installing the turbines would be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million per mega watt (MW) and the potential output should be reached by the end of the second year. The cost of the fuel replaced by the wind power creates a saving of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 per MW hour. Due to the fact wind is an uncontrollable phenomenon it is not available 100% of the time. The potential availability is estimated at 50% A spreadsheet shall be devised using Microsoft excel in order to determine the financial benefits/losses. The possible environmental impacts shall also be discussed and weighed up, using moral and financial arguments. Aims & Objectives The aims and objectives of this report are to assess the profitability and feasibility of the construction of the proposed wind farm. Economic modelling skills shall be used to create and explain a discounted cash flow model. A brief environmental impact assessment shall be created along with a discussion of environmental valuation techniques. Background To Study The town of Lowton lies on a small island in two miles into the English Channel. It is not densely populated; having only 1000 residents- therefore does not have a high demand for power. The current situation sees the electricity being supplied by a local power company on the mainland via undersea cables. The company in question have a 650 MW conventional power station. The cost of constructing and implementing the 5MW wind farm would be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million per MW at the start (year 1) and would be subject to later discounts due to the low maintenance costs of the turbines. The cost of the wind power would save à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 on coal per hour. Methodology The primary supplied data was entered into a Microsoft excel spreadsheet (capital cost, capacity in MW, wind efficiency levels, capital repayments, discount rate, MW per hour of turbines, compared with the cost per MW hour of turbines and conventional generators. The NPV function, found in ‘f'- financial section- was used and the appropriate formulas were input. (Supplied on spreadsheets) In addition to the above information sheets issued by the Department of Trade & Industry were studies for further information. The spreadsheet was then altered to demonstrate the way in which a variation in wind efficiency may affect the NPV, should the turbines be less effective than anticipated. Presentation Of Results Discussion & Analysis Of Results The results show the potential wind farm to be a profitable project. The discount rate is used in long term projects to reflect the fact things are worth more in the present than in the future so it is the opposite of compounding. 30% was decided to be the efficiency rate in the sensitivity analysis, as it is possible that a wind farm that operates on full speed 50% of the time to have an annual output of 30% efficiency. People are impatient and would rather be instantly rewarded for something than wait to be rewarded in the future, even when this means sacrificing potentially larger gains for smaller immediate ones. This is basically human nature as the future is uncertain. A person may die for example, or shares/projects may collapse before the maximum potential is obtained. The cost of long-term investment also means a persons financial resources are tied up so unavailable for other purposes. Discounting can also be accused of belittling future benefits and the way it asks people to make personal decisions based on their own values about public goods closes off public debate. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) should also be used for determining the worth of a project. It should not merely be a financial decision when hard to value resources/phenomenon's (e.g. habitat) are involved. This raises moral and ethical questions. It is incredibly hard to attempt to put a value on human life. One way in which economists do this is by paying wages at levels which reflect the risk of the job involved e.g. soldiers earn more than teachers due to the extremely high risks associated with being sent into battle. Rather than place a value on the individual it is considered more sensitive to see it in terms of altering the morbidity rate e.g. discovering how much a household will pay to cut pollution levels, which would save lives each year. Studies have shown that by cutting pollution levels by 26.570 GWH may reduce deaths by as many as 80. Many other factors are almost impossible to put a price on, e.g. visual intrusion, noise levels. CBA does offer the opportunity to bring the costs and benefits of potential developments into the decision-making framework (as the name would suggest) and provide a ‘precident'- a way to approach environmental problems from a solid standpoint. It also allows sensitivity analysis to be conducted to establish variations in assumptions. It is a transparent process that allows outsiders the chance to see how a decision has been made. The downsides of CBA, however, include the fact that it has to assign a cash value to a natural/environmental phenomenon. There is a possibility the process may be miss-used to promote a political decision as opposed to promoting a neutral investigative /objective standpoint, as the results of the ‘Pevensey Levels' exercise in Sussex illustrated. Cost & Value Of Wind Energy The cost of wind energy is dependant on the initial cost and productivity of the turbines. In this case it is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 per MW hour. Installation costs may be covered relatively quickly in a successful case due to the low maintenance costs and 20-year lifespan of each turbine. The annual output of the turbines, however, is dependant on the position and mean wind speed of their erection site, which directly affects the cost of electricity per unit. Despite the fact the proposed site is expected to reach its full potential 50% of the time (meaning the annual output may be the equivalent of working on full power 25-30% of the time) the supply tends to peak with demand, e.g. in the dark windy winter months when there is more demand for heating and lighting. Although typical wind farms produce 2-3 times less power than conventional plants they are environmentally friendly, sustainable and low maintenance in comparison. The government is currently trying to encourage the switch from conventional power plants to alternatives. It established the NFFO (Non-Fossil Fuel Order) in 1991-1998 that is now being succeeded by NFFO2- the aim of which is to subsidise and popularise the use of sustainable resources until they are in a position to compete with conventional and more traditional ones. The success of this scheme depends largely on the ever-volatile energy market. THE PRICE OF PROGRESSION? Due to the fact many benefits of sustainable power sources are long term it can be hard to interest investors. It is also hard to put a monetary value on factors such as pollution reduction, human life or the loss of wilderness land/habitat. PUBLIC SAFETY: Any man made product has a risk of malfunction but the risk from a wind turbine is considerably less than that of a plane or car engine etc. Coupled with the fact they are usually situated far from housing/roads the chance of receiving physical injury from a turbine is minimal. Despite the fact it is possible for a rotary blade to become detached in high winds nobody has ever been injured by one, and it is unlikely a person would be nearby in such bad weather conditions. Environmental Impacts RISK TO WILDLIFE: There is little risk to wildlife posed by wind farms. They produce little noise, and studies do not show them to disturb wild animals. Farmers can even graze livestock up to the base of the turbines Birds may be slightly at risk of flying into the turbines, but they are no more likely to do this than they are likely to fly into conventional power pylons or be hit by aircraft/road vehicles. Local wildlife is indeed likely to benefit from the construction of a wind farm, through the cuts in pollution levels and subsequent rise in air quality. LOSS OF WILDERNESS LAND: A method known as the ‘Clawson Method' is used to assess the monetary value of a wilderness area. It is also called the ‘Travel-Cost Analysis'. Visitors to a site in question will be interviewed to establish how far they have travelled to reach the area, from five graded zones surrounding the site. Figures are then derived from each 1000 visitors and the travel cost is considered to be the cost of their visit. This method however fails to look at the land as a future resource or take account of habitat/rare species living there. All the above factors need to be addressed along with our need to cut toxic emissions and pollutants from industry, plus preserve fossil fuels. Despite the fact that developing alternative energy sources in the short term is unlikely to be immensely profitable it is another step towards a sustainable national grid. Consumer Objections: A BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE? Some people consider wind farms to be intrusive, and complain about the sights/sounds emitted. This depends greatly on the location in question-most ‘farms' are built far from urbanised land or other developments, sights of national beauty or very popular recreational ground. There is little that can be done at present to alter the appearance of the turbines. Very little noise is produced, so little even livestock appear unconcerned. Manufacturers are nevertheless working to make them even quieter. PUBLIC BIAS? It is possible that public ignorance and bias is at the root of many complains. A lack of awareness may encourage low tolerance levels, especially amongst those who are unfamiliar with modern technology and pollution problems. NIMBY Syndrome (Not In MY Back Yard) may also contribute to peoples dissatisfaction, especially those who live downwind. Conclusion: The spreadsheet analysis of the potential wind farm indicates it would be a profitable enterprise, due to the high Net Present Value produced. This is however only deducted from a model that is only as good as the person who designed it and the assumptions it is based on. It is therefore subject to any number of unforeseen crises, and should merely be viewed as a hypothesis. The Cost-Benefit Analysis also indicates that switching to environmentally friendly sources of power would be advantageous to both present and future generations. Discounting affects future generations as the higher the discount rate, the quicker the non-sustainable resources are likely to be exhausted. The approach may backfire if the benefits are not obtainable for a prolonged period as investment will be virtually impossible to find. It is therefore hard to protect slow-replenishing resources like tropical hardwoods. Discounting can even help to accrue worse future damage-however devastating the effects-if the future damage will not be felt for several generations. There is no real alternative to CBA despite of its faults, so it should be refined rather than disregarded as a source of decision-making. Environmental decision-making is a sensitive issue. The only possible other way is to use a citizens jury. Where this has been tried however the members failed to fully understand what was expected of them , or how to place prices on abstract phenomenon. Most educated individuals recognise the benefits to society gained from switching to ‘green' (sustainable) energy sources. The development of these sources are still in the early stages and are not going to affect the conventional production of power in the short term, it is still important to develop and popularise such alternatives today. This is the only way in which they will win social and scientific approval and eventually overcome fossil fuel consuming plants as a source of power.

Data Mining in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example

Data Mining in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example Data Mining in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Data Mining in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay A Look at Data Mining in the Pharmaceutical Industry Topics Covered: 1) What is Data Mining and why is it used? 2) How is Data Mining used in the Pharmaceutical Industry? 3) Recent debate in the legality of Data Mining and the Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of the growing use of technology in the healthcare arena by using data to enhance their marketing efforts and increase the quality of research and development. The process of data mining allows companies to extract useful information from large sets of individual data. This process provides a knowledge that is vital to a pharmaceutical company’s competitive position and organizational decision-making. â€Å"Data Mining enables firms and organizations to make calculated decisions by assembling, accumulating, analyzing and accessing corporate data. It uses variety of tools like query and reporting tools, analytical processing tools, and Decision Support System (DSS) tools† (Rangan, 2007). 1) What is Data Mining and why is it used? Data mining is the practice of automatically searching large stores of data to discover patterns and trends that go beyond simple analysis. Data mining uses sophisticated mathematical algorithms to segment the data and evaluate the probability of future events. Data mining is also known as Knowledge Discovery in Data (KDD)† (Oracle, 2008). As stated, data mining is used to help find patterns and relationships stored within large sets of data, these patterns and relationships are then used to provide know ledge and value to the end user. The data can help prove and support earlier predictions usually based on statistics or aid in uncovering new information about products and customers. It is usually used by business intelligence organizations, and financial analysts, but is increasingly being used in the sciences to extract information from the enormous data sets generated by modern experimental and observational methods. Data mining is being increasingly used in business to help identify trends that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. There are several different opinions on the exact â€Å"steps† of data mining, but they all agree on these basics: planning, modeling and extracting information. Oracle defines 4 steps in the data mining process: 1) problem definition, 2) data gathering and preparation, 3) model building and evaluation, and 4) knowledge deployment. The first step of data mining is to understand the purpose, scope and requirements of the project . Once the project is specified from a business perspective, it can be formulated as a data mining problem and a preliminary implementation plan can be developed† (Oracle, 2008). The data gathering process takes a look at how well the data serves the purpose of the project. In this step many changes can be made to the attributes of the data so that they better serve the objective and requirements of the project. This process can play a large part in the value of the knowledge and information derived from the data. For example, you might transform a DATE_OF_BIRTH column to AGE; you might insert the average income in cases where the INCOME column is null† (Oracle, 2008). The third step of data mining is to build and evaluate the model. The model should be tested and evaluated to make sure that it will answer the question and stay within the requirements of the business objectives stated in the first phase of the process. The final phase includes knowledge deployment which is where actual information and realization comes from the data. Here is where the relationships and patterns are turned into something meaningful that meets the objective of the project. There are several techniques used for data mining, some of them have been used for decades prior to the information technology boom that has changed the system dramatically. According to (Alex Berson, 2000), these â€Å"classic† techniques include Statistics, Neighborhoods and Clustering while the â€Å"next generation† techniques include Trees, Networks and Rules. In the end the purpose of each of these techniques is to explore data (usually large amounts of data typically business or market related) in search of consistent patterns and/or systematic relationships between variables, and then to validate the findings by applying the detected patterns to new subsets of data† (StatSoft, 2011). As stated above, data mining is often used to solve business decision problems, â€Å"it provides ways to quantitatively measure what business users should already know qualitatively† (Linoff, 2004). A growing number of industries are using data mining to become more competitive in their market by primarily focusing on the customers; increasing their customer relationships and increasing customer acquisition. 2) How is Data Mining Used in the Pharmaceutical Industry? The pharmaceutical industry has copious uses for data mining which include increasing the efficiency of research and development, contributing to drug safety information and to increasing the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. Understanding that the benefit of data mining is allowing for the extraction of useful information from large sets of individual data, it is evident that the pharmaceutical industry has a need for this process. The abundance of diseases prevalent in the world, the multitude of drugs available for each disease, and the variety of patients that take the products, produces massive amounts of information available in the industry. Pharmaceutical companies have begun to use this data to benefit patient safety, physician knowledge and their own marketing efforts. Data mining can be used while companies are researching and testing new products. â€Å"Scientists run experiments to determine activity of potential drugs† (Rangan, 2007). They are able to use process that produce results and relationships much faster, they can quickly determine activity on â€Å"relevant genes or to find drug compounds that have desirable characteristics† (Rangan, 2007). â€Å"By relating the chemical structure of different compounds to their pharmacological activity, [data mining] can bringing a degree of predictability to drug screening procedures that, until now, have tended to be a bit hit and miss† (Results, 2009). That should help scientists and pharmaceutical companies identify more effective compounds to treat different diseases, allowing them to find drug leads in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of current methods. † The earlier methods of experimentation was very time consuming and had to be done over and ov er again each time a new drug was being researched, none of the old information was every used to help with speedier development. Data mining allows the past research to be used when picking compounds as opposed to just randomly choosing and testing. As a drug gets further into the development and into the clinical trial stages, data mining can help predict which diseases and patients will benefit from the drug. Based on past information data mining will provide a correlation between the new molecules, disease states and patients. For example, Pfizer is â€Å"turning to sophisticated data mining techniques to help improve the design of new trials, to better understand possible new uses for existing drugs, and to help examine how drugs are being used after they have been approved† (Salamone). During trial phases they are able to â€Å"understand safety and efficacy profiles within the patient population by tackling the question of patient selection within the framework of demonstrating groups that are most responsive. Data mining framework enables specialists to create customized nodes that can be shared throughout the organization† (Rangan, 2007). Additionally, one of the greatest benefits of data mining in the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare world is the discovery of adverse events and drug toxicity in patients. It could help determine the adverse reactions associated with a specific drug and still go a step further to show if any specific condition aggravates the adverse reaction for eg age, sex, and obesity (Novartis Business Intelligence report, 2004). Data mining is useful in almost every stage of drug discovery and can aid in toxicity detection, side effect profiles and can work to uncover responsiveness in certain patients. â€Å"The patterns that emerge from data mining this information will not only improve our understanding of this disease, but could give practitioners new insights into prevention and treatment. (Rangan, 2007). As addressed above, a limiting factor in past and current pharmaceutical data is the sheer amount of data and lack of information that exists in the industry. Knowledge and information is being slowed at even a physician and patient level, for example the FDA estimates that only 1% of serious adverse events are actually reported to the companies after they h appen because most practicing healthcare providers do not have the time or means to report the adverse events and have no need for the data at a later time. There is a strong need for data mining techniques within the pharmaceutical industry to understand and detect possible adverse events before they happen to patients. Outside of product research, development and safety, pharmaceutical organizations are using data mining techniques to increase their marketing efforts directly to the consumer as well as to the prescribing physician. They are able to see a better return on the investment of resources based on mining the prescription data released by pharmacies. As discussed earlier, many businesses are using data mining to increase their customer relationships nd encourage product growth. They are able to use the data to gather knowledge and information in order to create more effective and efficient sales strategies. â€Å"Data mining can be used to supplement the pharmaceutical companies marketing efforts by market segmentation, measuring return on investment (ROI) and understanding profitable managed care formulary status. â€Å"A p harmaceutical company can analyze its recent sales force activity and their results to improve targeting of high-value physicians and determine which marketing activities will have the greatest impact in the next few months. The data needs to include competitor market activity as well as information about the local health care systems. The results can be distributed to the sales force via a wide-area network that enables the representatives to review the recommendations from the perspective of the key attributes in the decision process. The ongoing, dynamic analysis of the data warehouse allows best practices from throughout the organization to be applied in specific sales situations. † (Alex Berson, 2000) Market segmentation allows for tailored messaging and information to be given to appropriate customers where their need is specifically met. Prescribing information allows the sales representatives to spend appropriate time and resources on customers that have the most need for individual products based on their patient population and historical prescribing trends. â€Å"Supplemented by survey data, patient and physician interviews, information gleaned from epidemiological studies and managed care organizations, questionnaires on web sites, and other market research, a quite detailed picture of a customer base can be identified, with marketing strategies devised accordingly† (Cohen). This is critical at the launch of a product, in order to determine the â€Å"early adopters† that will drive a product use and share their success with professional peers. A successful product launch to the right market segment can allow a product to surpass its competitors in the field. Especially in the era of â€Å"me-too† products with similar efficacy and slightly lower side effects than earlier competitors, the effectiveness of a product launch is vital to the career of the product. Identifying the early adopters and focusing tailored promotional efforts on this segment (as opposed to broadcasting a general message to all physicians) can be crucial to the success of the product† (Cohen). Measuring the ROI of certain programs and resources the organizations use, can help save time and money by making sure the resources are being put in the most favorable places to produce the most amount of business and patient satisfaction. Data mining allows pharmaceutical companies to get an idea of how their field promotions and direct to consumer promotion programs are driving business results. The promotional efforts of these organizations are tremendous and indlude field promotions: representative sales calls, peer-to-peer dinner meetings, exhibits at conventions, promotional samples, and direct to consumer advertising which include: commercials, websites, patient education materials the companies spend billions of dollars on the promotion of a single product. Data mining can help stream line the customers that are targeted for these promotional events and help make more accurate decisions on where to spend their resources so that they make sense for the physician, patient and the organization. The formulary status of a specific drug is very dependent on the location and area in question. The managed care market dynamics are very critical to effective targeting and marketing of pharmaceutical companies. Physicians are generally unaware of specific prescription coverage on certain health care plans, especially if a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) is used in lieu of the actual healthcare benefits to manage prescriptions. For this reason it is important that each organization have the data to support the needs of the various customers and plans to help physicians overcome the obstacles they encounter while prescribing certain drugs to their specific environment. There are many facets of the pharmaceutical industry, including patient care and marketing that can widely benefit from utilizing decision support systems and data mining. The process is revolutionizing early drug discovery and increasing the speed and effectiveness that scientists have in uncovering new molecules to treat various disease states. It has a place in patient safety by providing early detection of drug-on-drug interactions, toxicity and adverse reactions. Finally it is widely used to supplement the marketing efforts in the field and increase the business acumen and accuracy of the promotional side of the industry. 3) Recent debate in the legality of Data Mining and the Pharmaceutical Industry In the past 10 years, the pharmaceutical industry has been scrutinized for various activities that have lawmakers on the watch and uncertain about the agenda these organizations have when promoting their products. With the blatant need for healthcare reform and a slow demise of the American healthcare industry this scrutiny of the pharmaceutical industry has steadily increased and the reputation of these organizations has increasingly plummeted. Within this scrutiny, authorities have begun to question the lawfulness of data mining and the use of prescription-drug records used in promotional efforts. Some argue that the data-mining is purely to grow market share for money-hungry companies and has little relation to the care or need of patients and physicians. As recently as 2011 the Supreme Court heard a case assessing the legality of prescription-drug records being used to promote pharmaceutical products. After a patient fills a prescription â€Å"pharmacies can sell the other information in those prescriptions to data-mining companies (they cannot sell patient identification information), who sift through all this information, spot trends and patterns, and then sell that to, as in this case, drug companies, who can then have their sales representatives do targeted marketing of brand-name drugs to doctors† (Coyle, 2011). Drug makers buy prescription records that reveal the prescribing practices of individual doctors from data mining companies and, based on the information, practice a type of marketing called detailing, in which sales representatives, who already know which doctors prescribe certain kinds of medications, pitch information about new drugs they think will be of interest to the doctor† (Lewis, 2011). The discrepancy existed in the State of Vermont where lawmakers made it unlawful to sell this information without the prescribing physicians consent, however this law was ruled unconstitutional in the lower federal appellate court, bringing the decision to the Supreme Court. The following is an excerpt from an interview done after the hearing. Vermonts purpose in enacting the law was to protect the privacy of the doctors information, to encourage prescription of generic drugs, which would help lower health costs in the state, and also to protect the public health, which it felt could be endangered by drug companies sales representatives presenting one-sided information to the doctors. Then, on the other side, you have the drug companies and other businesses concerned that if the court restricts access to this kind of information then, that they wont get the kind of information they say they need to make important business decisions, ot just marketing decisions, research decisions, ot her decisions that they think could be beneficial to consumers† (Coyle, 2011). The Supreme Court ended up over-ruling this decision based on the First Amendment right and gave pharmaceutical industries a big victory in their use of Data Mining. â€Å"The Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 majority decision and ruled that the law interfered with the pharmaceutical industrys First Amendment right to market its products (Lewis, 2011). † Despite the controversy, it is evident that there is a wealth of knowledge and information to be gained by the use of data mining in the pharmaceutical industry. It is a process that allows an organization to streamline the massive amounts of data and make educated research developments and business decisions based on the information. Alex Berson, S. S. (2000). Building Data Application for CRM. McGraw-Hill. Cohen, J. (n. d. ). Data Mining of Market Knowledge in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Data Mining of Market Knowledge in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Coyle, M. (2011, April 26). National Law Journal. (R. Suarez, Interviewer) Lewis, N. (2011, Januray 24). Drug Prescription Data Mining Cleared by the Supreme Court. Retrieved August 09, 2011, from Informtion Week: informationweek. com/news/healthcare/security-privacy/231000397 Linoff, G. (2004). Data Miners. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from Data Miners Inc. : data-miners. com/resources/SUGI29-Survival. pdf Oracle. (2008, May). Data Mining Concepts. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from Oracle: http://download. oracle. com/docs/cd/B28359_01/datamine. 111/b28129/process. htm Rangan, J. (2007). Applications of Data Mining Techniques in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Journal of Theoretical and Implied Information Technology, 7. Results, I. (2009, Feb 3). Data Mining Promises to Dig Up New Drugs. Retrieved August 9, 2011, from Science Daily: sciencedaily. com/releases/2009/02/090202140042. htm Salamone, S. (n. d. ). Pfizer Data Mining Focuses on Clinical Trials. Retrieved August 09, 2011, from Bio. It. Com: bio-itworld. com/newsitems/2006/february/02-23-06-news-pfizer StatSoft. (2011). Statsoft: Data Mining Techniques. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from Statsoft: statsoft. com/textbook/data-mining-techniques/#eda

Tamba Sebba Essays - Federalism, United States Constitution

Tamba Sebba Essays - Federalism, United States Constitution Tamba Sebba Professor Wilkinson U.S. History 1301 09/25/17 The constitution was a document that was written that the newly independent America become unified and aid it to become it is today. But what were some of the motives that led to its creation? The primary source helped support the claims that Holton made within his document it added credibility and help prove Holton's conclusion To First determine whether the primary source contradicts Woody Holton's conclusion you first must understand Holton and be able to fully grasp what Holton was trying to say. The first thing is that Holton credits farmer for being the motive for the convention. Holton explains that the Constitution was a means to limit the inference of ordinary Americans had within the government. In addition, he believed that it was also a means to help bring in the ideas of democracy and as a to help transfer power from the state government to the national government. The primary source may seem like it contradiction Holton's claim with the ideas shown in document 5, which is a debate of how Congress, alone show that many of the men in the convention where in favor of the idea of the people having a hand in the election process and that it would be unjust to them to leave it to the government. But then uses the other source to show how the founding fathers changed the idea to form the syste m of government we have today letting people have a say in their state governments but leaving them out on the national government decision The constitution was made to empower the people due to the mistreatment of the people by England which was a huge cause that would lead to the American revolution. So most of the men present were in favor of a free government where the people had more say in the affairs of the government. The men present wanted to push the idea that of an open free government to help push out the ideals that had been establishing under the rule in England and as they saw it did not work out so the wanted to do the opposite on England government a setup transparency within the government. But the men slowly begin to realize that with this free government not everyone would turn out happy son the begin to form a structure where that could limit the public hand in government affairs but still make it seem like the people still had the control. Another example where the primary source supports Holton's conclusion is that the constitution was also formed so that the American could develop their own currency (paper money). In both document 2 and 3 Curtis talks about the economic motive that would help form the Constitution. Which Holton talk about how there were economic motives within the forming of the Constitution but in truth it was a key factor because with Americas new found independence they would have to restructure their economy from being a colony relying on England to aid them to now an independent country with our own currency and their own way of making money for not only the states but a country as a whole . This would be easier to accomplish if all the states were under one union. And with this, it supports Holton's claim of uniting the states under one union. Lastly, the idea of federalism started to form making it to where the states had their government that the public could put their two cents in but in actuality the big decisions were made by the national government with little to none public interference. Forming a perfect model that would help unify the country In document 8 9, Which are part of collection of paper that pushed the idea of federalism and also pushed the ratification of the constitution, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton want to sway the public opinion of this free government and introduce the people to democracy showing the people that It was different from the way that England had ruled the country and also making it to where the people would believe that they would have a say

Class Actinopterygii Facts and Examples

Class Actinopterygii Facts and Examples The group of ray-finned fishes (Class Actinopterygii) encompasses over 20,000 species of fish that have rays, or spines, in their fins. This separates them from the lobe-finned fishes (Class Sarcopterygii, e.g., the lungfish and coelacanth), which have fleshy fins. Ray-finned fishes make up about half of all known vertebrate species. This group of fish is very diverse, so species come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The ray-finned fishes include some of the most well-known fish, including tuna, cod, and even seahorses. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Feeding Ray-finned fishes have a wide variety of feeding strategies. One interesting technique is that of the anglerfish, which entice their prey toward them using a movable (sometimes light-emitting) spine that is above the fishs eyes. Some fish, such as the bluefin tuna, are excellent predators, speedily capturing their prey as they swim through the water. Habitat and Distribution Ray-finned fishes live in a wide variety of habitats, including the deep sea, tropical reefs, polar regions, lakes, rivers, ponds and desert springs. Reproduction Ray-finned fishes may lay eggs or bear live young, depending on the species. African cichlids actually keep their eggs and protect the young in their mouth. Some, like seahorses, have elaborate courtship rituals. Conservation and Human Uses Ray-finned fishes have long been sought for human consumption, with some species considered overfished. In addition to commercial fishing, many species are recreationally fished. They are also used in aquariums. Threats to ray-finned fishes include overexploitation, habitat destruction, and pollution.

Oka Conflict of Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oka Conflict of Canada - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that political conflicts are the most common form of conflicts occurring among many regions around the world. These disputes are caused by different reasons and despite their nature being political; the fundamental course defines the actual conflict. Environmental conflicts refer to disputes occurring between different interest groups because of existing resources available within the natural environment. These conflicts are defined through the various natural resources available within the environment, which might be lost or gained following the occurrence of the conflict. The nature of the Oka conflict results in the identification of the conflict as being environmental. The disputed land that the conflicting parties were interested in contained numerous resources that the government and the Mohawk community were interested in keeping. The hard-line stands that each party maintained contributed significantly in the development of the conflict, from a simple dispute, to become a full-blown conflict between different parties. The failure to effectively resolve the environmental dispute resulted in the explosion of the dispute to become a conflict. As the paper highlights the environmental dispute involved land, which was utilised by the Mohawk community as their ancestral land although the community did not have sufficient prrof of ownership of the land. Documentation for the land ownership by the community had not been of any significance until the dispute occurred. The community had lived within the confines of the land and developed an attachment to the land, which would be extremely difficult to break. This community has been involved in numerous land claims with the government, which have always been rejected by the government. The local community had continuously sought injunctions to prevent the occupancy of the land by foreigners but the government had always rejected their applications.

Integrated management system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Integrated management system - Essay Example According to Griffith (1999), an integrated management system (IMS) is ‘the organizational structure, resources and procedures used to plan, monitor and control project quality, safety and environment’. The need for an integrated management system has been felt basically because of considering the adoption of an Environment Management System (EMS) and/or an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OH&SMS) besides a Quality Management System (QMS), as per the business and industry requirements (Stamou, 2003), as Figure 1 depicts the centre of an Integrated Management System and examples of standards through which the integration can be attained. An IMS is shown situated at the centre of the three systems, adopting common features of all the three management systems. As all standards have been securely implemented in the marketplace of different industry sectors, the certification organisations are in favour of an integrated approach wherein a company has a single management system in place in stead of many systems functioning individually showing allegiance to many standards at a time. Having independent management systems under the command of different independent management teams, according to certification agencies, is a risky proposition as each management system would take the organisation in a different direction making the focus on company objectives blurred. Only integration can solve the problem by bringing cohesiveness in the implementation of different standards (Dr. Brewer et al. 2005). An integrated management system fulfills the needs of any organisation, of any size and sector, assimilating the elements of two or more management systems into single unitary system by maintaining and following documentation, policies, procedures and processes holistically. Those organizations already into a single established management system are more prone to and

Explain this statement and conclude your discussion by saying whether Essay

Explain this statement and conclude your discussion by saying whether or not you agree with the law commission's current proposa - Essay Example Laws regarding the rights of consumers across the UK were not protective enough to sufficiently safeguard the interest of consumers. The new laws were, therefore, put forward to enhance sanity in sales of products and consumption of faulty products. In order to show that the grievances presented by the European Commission were heard, the Law Commission published laws that would protect the consumers against consumption of faulty goods. Law Commission made an indirect response to the European Commission’s paper with pretence that it was responding to the 2002 Consumer Sales Directive. Whether or not the publication of the Law Commission was ignited by the October release of the European Commission, these laws are a sure relief to the UK consumers. The laws protect the rights of consumers in a way that had not been possible in the past. A critical analysis of the Law Commission Proposals and Remedies for Faulty goods to Consumers relays a lot to be desired about the laws. The ne ed for harmonization of European consumer rights and related remedies was the primary objective of both publications. Whereas the consultative paper was not designed to directly respond to the â€Å"The European Law Commission Proposals†, it indirectly touched the core values of that proposal as an attempt to harmonize all United Kingdom Laws relating to consumer rights and remedies with those of the Commission proposals. This Consultative paper further earmarked an indirect advice to the commission regarding short term remedies to be harmonized across Union members without necessarily deviating from the traditional Contract Law remedies like rejection, repair and replacement or rescission (The Joint Consultative Paper, 2009, P.63). European Commission Proposals are another area of the laws that exhibit great deal of fascinating and likeable issues. The Law Commission Proposals were aimed at achieving the â€Å"consumer acquis† across the European Union relating to goo ds consumed and trading rights (The European Law Commission,2008). These rights include the right of withdrawal by the consumer from an ambigueous contract and is associated with the â€Å"cooling off period†, the need to protect consumers from â€Å"aggressive commercial practices†, removal of all trade barriers across all member states boarders, promotion of online contractual arrangements or trading among other things. The right of withdrawal is concerned with door to door and distance trading activities including both goods and services rendered to the consumer (Schultze, 2009, P.179). By all means, such steps to protect the rights of citizens of the wider European Union are a reason to smile about. The commission proposals are most likely going to enhance economic productivity of the region with increased trade and commerce. These European Commission proposals are majorly intended to harmonize trading activities among European states and once the Union has achieve d this, it will have a better competitive advantage over other regions in trade and industry. The major bottleneck is understanding the micro and macro economic factors that drives businesses. More in particular is an understanding of the

Disaster Relief Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disaster Relief Assessment - Essay Example Natural disasters include earthquakes, floods, volcanic activities, tornadoes, cyclones, typhoons and severe storms. There should be the proper planning of the goals and the communication facility must be improved greatly. Proper task forces should always be ready who can tackle the situation in their own innovative way. Steps should be taken so that there can be proper thought about the situation by which it will be much easier to represent things that can be done. Theoretical approach can help to take a bigger step when the problem arises. The insurance and healthcare services should be improved so that the emergency situations can be responded effectively (Eisenman et. al. 2007). Disaster relief assessment also includes the development in the telecommunication facilities. The officials should be trained virtually so that they can be able to do things in a proper way and will have the ability to face all types of disasters. Educational programs can be undertaken so that the people can be alert about the various types of diseases and then they can take some minimum steps when they face such situations (Forgette, et. al., 2009).

Financial Analysis for Managers Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Analysis for Managers - Article Example However, the highly competitive nature of today’s corporate world has given rise to an essence of unethical behaviour which underlies a majority of business operations; in order to ensure their success. Many a times, unethical behaviour in the workplace has an immense negative impact on the organization and its employees. These effects can be psychological, financial, social, or even bureaucratic in nature. Financially speaking, if a company adheres to unethical means, then it endangers its image in the eyes of the public, and less people would be interested in dealing with the firm. These may include suppliers, financial institutions, customers and distributors. Such a trade-less condition obviously is a set-back to the revenue, and thus the profit of the company. Moreover, from an intra-firm point of view, employees would have lesser faith in a company which does not deal ethically with the public, as there emerges a possibility of the firm using corrupt means against employ ees; if need be someday. Not only does this encourage the existing workforce to leave the firm, it also keeps potential employees to join the firm. This proves to be disastrous for the company’s overall growth and progress.

Disaster Relief Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disaster Relief Assessment - Essay Example Natural disasters include earthquakes, floods, volcanic activities, tornadoes, cyclones, typhoons and severe storms. There should be the proper planning of the goals and the communication facility must be improved greatly. Proper task forces should always be ready who can tackle the situation in their own innovative way. Steps should be taken so that there can be proper thought about the situation by which it will be much easier to represent things that can be done. Theoretical approach can help to take a bigger step when the problem arises. The insurance and healthcare services should be improved so that the emergency situations can be responded effectively (Eisenman et. al. 2007). Disaster relief assessment also includes the development in the telecommunication facilities. The officials should be trained virtually so that they can be able to do things in a proper way and will have the ability to face all types of disasters. Educational programs can be undertaken so that the people can be alert about the various types of diseases and then they can take some minimum steps when they face such situations (Forgette, et. al., 2009).

Biology as an important aspect of gender and sexuality Research Paper

Biology as an important aspect of gender and sexuality - Research Paper Example re considered to have emerged from the ramifications of biology. Gender groups in the society segregated based on male and female divisions have long occupied the larger sections of the social sphere. These groups were observed in previous times to have carved out their social identities based on responsibilities and duties assigned to them by dearth of their biological birth. Thus biology is considered to have contributed to the construction of masculine and feminine ideals in society (Lewis, 2003, p.11-12). The division of social groups into such masculine and feminine characteristics to a larger extent is observed to cause the emergence of a patriarchal society, which in turn likes to dominate over the female class. The female groups, owing to the fact of continuous oppression and due submission of their desires have started revolting to this. Further, with the rise in different heterogeneous groups, the rise of homogeneous groups is also found to have grown up in a gradual fashio n, demanding increased space in the social circles (Murrin et al., 2011, p.511). Society also observes the rise in feminine circles reflecting different demands to gain further potential in the male dominated society. This has led to the increasing politicisation of the social system constructed under the banner of gender patterns. Again, the rise in homogeneous circles like gays and lesbians have lead to further threatening of the existing heterogeneous groups pertaining to the male and females. Thus it is observed that the understandings of gender groups are being endeavoured to be segregated from its biological roots. In this light, the paper endeavours to understand that despite the attempts to segregate the study of gender groups from its biological roots, it is now considered worthwhile to return back to its biological base (Carver and Pikalo, 2008, p.168). An Understanding of the Current Debates made on Gender, Sex, Sexuality and Culture Gender as a concept has received much importance in the current era owing to the fact that it helps in creating a separate identity for the sexes living in the society. It is often considered that biology has contributed a lot in creating this gender distinction and thus is conceived to be a natural factor. It is held that Biology alone determines the role the different sex groups needs to play in the society. However it is also held that sex, biology and the nature at large work based on a continuum. They do not have any conflict between them. The conflict arises in regards to their usage in the social context. In the social fervour the concept of gender takes a more dominating position than that of sexual dynamism as reflected in the domains of biology. Gender roles in the society have led to the creation of separate identity groups focusing on separate tasks to help the society progress. However in the changing world the portrayal of different advertisements reflect the change in the socio-dynamic relationships betwe en the two genders as the feminist class rises to shoulder the responsibilities previously held to be the possessions of only their male counterparts. Yet again biology comes into front declaring that the priority of the female or the women class is to produce and rear the children and the men to work for running the family (Baines and Marrin, 2005, p.260). The issue of sex, gender

Industry analysis & competitor analysis Essay Example for Free

Industry analysis competitor analysis Essay At present, the U. S. market is dominated by several major companies marketing weight loss products, such as NutriSystem, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. All of these companies sell pre-packaged diet food and offer additional services, such as weigh loss advice and counseling. NutriSystem specializes in comprehensive monthly food packages with a 28-day supply of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts. Its primary markets are the United States and Canada. A peculiar feature of NutriSystem is that the company does not distribute its products to the retail network but relies on direct sales instead: it sells its products through the Internet, telephone, and QVC, a television shopping network (Yahoo! Finance 2010). Jenny Craig mainly operates in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico and offers a range of entrees and snacks together with support in counseling at Jenny Craig Centers, over the phone, and online (Jenny Craig 2010). In 2006, it was acquired by Nestle, the largest food and drink company in the world. It also sells most of its product through direct sales. Weight Watchers is a global company that markets a wide variety of foods and snacks as well as online tools for weight loss. Its best known innovation is the point system: every food is assigned value in points, based on its calories, fat and fiber, which helps people to keep track of how what they eat (Weight Watcher 2010). Weight Watchers sells its products though a variety of channels, including retail. However, it is necessary to keep in mind that the segment in which all of the aforementioned companies compete is food and beverage market, the second largest segment of the market for weigh loss products which is projected to overtake the devices, accessories and services segment, the largest at present, by 2014 (MarketsandMarkets 2009). Lifewave belongs to the devices, accessories and services segment; here its direct competitors are Dermathol, Hoodia, Bell Lifestyle Products, The Pink Patch and a number of smaller companies.

Difference between Culture Industry and Creative Industry

Difference between Culture Industry and Creative Industry Introduction The culture industry and creative industry have both been frequently mentioned in the last few years, sometimes separately and at other times interchangeably. Communities have always been proud of their cultures. The advent of technology and innovation has been combined with the culture and thus there is promotion of culture but with some economic gain which has contributed to employment and economic growth, thus providing a holistic approach towards the integration of culture, technology and economics. Creative industries add the concept of creativity in the integration of culture, economics and technology. Though the concept of creative industries is still very new, the industry has experienced substantial growth in the last few years. Creative industries generated an estimated income of US$424 billion in 2005 (Basu, 2005). The industry has provided job opportunities to millions of people all over the world, employing more than 6 million (Kunzmann, 2007). This paper will analyze the difference between the culture industries and the creative industries and the impact of economization of culture on conditions of labor in the creative industry. Creative industry includes a variety of industries with the advertising industry being one of them. This paper will use the advertising industry as an example in analyzing the impact of economization of culture on labor in the creative industry. Difference between the Culture Industries and the Creative Industries Culture Industry Cultural industries are those economic activities that produce tangible or intangible artistic and creative products and which can be exploited to generate wealth through exploitation of cultural assets. UNESCO defines cultural industries as those goods and services that combine creation, production and commercialization of contents which are intangible and cultural in nature. These industries use creativity, cultural knowledge and intellectual property to produce products and services with social and cultural meaning (UNESCO, 2010). The one distinct feature in cultural goods and services is that they encourage culture by promoting and maintaining cultural diversity and enhance democracy in accessing culture. Each society has its own culture which is expressed in the peoples values and identities. Recently this culture has been amalgamated with creativity and economics and thus coming up with creative economy. Creative economy combines economics, culture and modern technology. This concept should be used in forming strategies that are results oriented in the developing countries. According to OConnor, the culture industry became more meaningful after integrating with the modern systems of monopoly capitalism. Before this, culture had been considered as just a status symbol, or as a form of decoration. Views changed and culture was being considered as an economic resource worth of attention from the policymakers. It was seen as a potential tool for economic development and employment creation and one which could be used for tourism purposes as well as creating an image for the community. Cultural industries are characterized by some of these features (Kunzmann, 2007); they are small firms with low or average wage rates. In most cases the providers are self employed and they experience high levels of job satisfaction. They have flexible working hours and a low degree of unionization. The providers get their customers through high network integration and hence a high consumer dependency. Creative Industry Different regions have different meanings and classifications of creative industries. These meanings have been structured and classified to form four models, the UK DCMS model, Symbolic text model concentric circles model and WIPO copyright model. Creative industries are economic activities that are based on an individuals skills and talent whereby the talent is exploited and generated to create wealth and to develop intellectual property. The basic inputs in these industries are creativity and intellectual capital, while the end products are tangible goods and intangible intellectual property or artistic services. These end products have original creativity, economic value and an objective to meet the market demand. Creativity includes coming up with original, imaginative, ideas in art, cultural products and scientific creations, and coming up with end products that are inspiring and inventive. Creative industries form a creative economy, (United Nations, 2008). According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) creative industries are divided into four groups, the arts, heritage, media and functional creations. Creative economy helps in creating jobs and promoting exports, cultural diversity, and thus contributes to the growth of the economy. It allows for the amalgamation of economics, cultural and creativity which is combined with technology, intellectual property and tourism objectives to result to a creative economy. It has a macro and micro effect on the economy. The market structure is diverse and can be artistic individuals, small scale businesses and even big multinational companies. The creative businesses experienced an 8.7 percent growth rate between 2000 and 2005. In 2005 the goods and services contributed to 3.4 percent of the world f with gross earnings of $424.4 billion. In 2003 the industry employed 5.6 million people in the European Union countries. Creativity is used in the interaction of the other four forms of capital, social capital, cultural capital human capital and structural or institutional capital leading to what is now known as the 5cs. The industry is being regulated under the Intellectual Property Rights, i.e. copyrights, patents or trade. The problem with the IP is the fact that they favor advanced countries and the developing countries have to agree to these terms. Difference between Creative Industry and Culture Industry The difference between creative industries and cultural industries is distinct and at times the two have been used interchangeably. Creative industries are centered on cultural industries, but not restricted to them. The one way to differentiate cultural product and services is that they may have a cultural characteristic that is not measurable by monetary terms. There is a value attached to the products or services both by the producer and the consumer. This value maybe that the product being used as a source of identity for the specific community. The difference ca also be found in that when producing cultural products, it requires, a human activity input, they are symbolic and they are used in passing a message, and there is potential for intellectual property that is unique to whoever is producing it, be it be an individual or the group. Since there is creativity in the cultural goods and products, it can be said that they are a subset of creative goods and services and yet taking into consideration that creative goods and services cover a wider range of products. Creative goods do not have a unique cultural value in them. When used distinctively, creative products and services are only meant for commercial purposes, but they need creativity to be produced. This may include fashion designs and software creation. In contrast to culture industries, creative industries are mainly big or middle size companies. They pay high salaries especially to their senior staff. The organizations in the creative industries have fixed official working hours for their employees. Examples of cultural products include artwork, musical performances, literature, film, television and video game (Kunzman, 2007). On the other hand, the creative industries include the arts, media (film, tv, and radio), music, advertising and publishing, architecture and design, software development and digital media design. The Impact of the Economization of Culture on Conditions of Labor in the Creative Industries, (Advertising Industry) Economization of Culture Economization of culture refers to making the best of culture to achieve the best effects economically or otherwise. The culture of economics is the analysis of the cultural sector, and involves assessment and organization of the cultural industries, both creative and performance heritage, whether they are publicly of privately owned. In this aspect, culture is seen as a production or a commodity for consumption by the public, who are taken as the consumers. Economization of culture results from the increase in the volume of capital from cultural products through the markets. In turn there is marketization of culture (Mestrovic, 2004). It means letting culture content is to influence the commodity production. The culture gets financial support as this financial support is justified by the economic gains it will bring back to the society. Culture economics involves the interaction of creativity, cultural policies with technological and trade policies. Creativity refers to formulation of new ides which are applied together to create an original work of art and cultural products, functional creations, scientific inventions. Creativity has an economic aspect to it as it involves generation and exploitation of this creativity and generates economic benefits to the creative entrepreneur. This creativity leads to innovation which boosts productivity levels leading to an increase in economic growth and job creation. Creative economy has evolved from recognizing that there is a way that culture and economy can be merged and that both can be utilized for development purposes. As a result of the countries that use creativity in their culture for economic purposes also help in preserving their own culture, informing others about their cultures as well as earning from this culture. Thus it helps in cultural diversity, promoting social inclusion as well as enhancing human development. It leads to creative class, creative entrepreneurs, creative cities, creative clusters, networks and creative districts. Creative economies drive the economy through technology through multimedia and telecommunication, demand for the creative products and fueling of growth in tourism. The creative economies also drive the economy by creating innovative ideas that help in organizations remaining competitive (Hartley,2005). It is the responsibility of each country to set its own policies in regard to the promotion of creative economies. However the UNCTAD has a mandate to assist governments in formulating their policies and especially for developing countries. One of the creative industries is the advertising industry. The advertising industry includes production of advertising materials, PR campaigns, creation of advertisements and promotions, consumer research and insights, media planning, buying and evaluation and management of client marketing activity and communication plans. Advertising has been affected positively by the development of creative economy. Advertisements will be directed to potential customers and to attract the customers, advertisers have to be creative and at the same time respecting the culture of the people. Creative economy has therefore have had a big impact on advertising where creativity, culture and the economy are merged and used effectively through creative advertisement through the media, publishing and over the internet. In addition to this, creative industries are expected to continue to grow and thus create employment. This will be created by the increasing demand for cultural products and services (Euro pean Commission, 2010). The creative industries have contributed to the growth in employment and especially since the industry is labor intensive. There is however some difficult in measuring the effect of advertising on the labor sector brought about by the differing definitions and categorization of creative industry. The industry employs copywriters, those who create drawings, photographers, painters and market researchers. There are more jobs to choose from and in some cases, there is flexibility in the working hours making them more dynamic. In the US the industry had employed about 416,300 people in August 2009, after facing a decline resulting from the global financial crisis. The industry had employed 478,600 in October 2007. In the US the industrys wages make almost 44 percent of the nations total revenues (Kirchhoff, 2009). The advertising industry has a major impact on the labor markets. In the UK, the advertising industry generated an income of  £15.988billion net of VAT IN 1998 while the rest of the creative sector reported  £13 billion. In the 2000, the sector employed 92,800 people (Svob-Dokic, 2005). In the US the industry accounts for 2% of the countrys output (Kirchhoff, 2009). Another effect of creative industries and advertising is the fact that in most cases they make use of modern technology and machines. This has had both a positive and negative effect in employment. The positive effect is that the employee works at a first rate thus getting time for leisure or time to pursue other interests. The impact of creative industry on the labor market will depend on the policies set by the government. A government that supports the creative industry will be way ahead in creating employment. In addition to this there should be policies on the structures of employment to minimize on the insecurities in the advertisement industry and creative industries in general. In so doing the government will help in tapping the unexploited labor (Mestrovic, 2004). There is high potential for growth in the creative industries including in advertising (European Commission on culture, 2010). The government or the relevant authorities should ensure policies that avoid exploitation of those who invent the products and services. In addition to this, the advertising industry can be used to erode culture through advertisements which are against the culture of the natives or through advertisements that may be discriminative in nature. This may lead to bans by the authorities which may lead to some people loosing their jobs. In most creative industries labor is disorganized. This results from the fact that it is a young industry and which has not yet identified itself with the trade unions. According to Lovink and Rossiter (2007) the creations of creative industries have contributed to the erosion of the trade unions. Most of the people employed in this industry are young people. There is a possible feeling of insecurity in this industry, since the employees do not have the trade unions to defend their needs, thus creating social insecurity. Most of the employees are self employed or are temporarily employed adding more to the feeling of insecurity. The sector employs people on contract or temporary basis thus a lot of insecurity involved. In the EU countries, 18 percent of employees in the culture industry were temporarily employed. 29 percent of those in the culture industry in the EU countries are self employed (Svob-Dokic, 2005). Another negative effect of advertising has impacted on employment is that being a creative activity it employs modern technology and machines and thus creating unemployment to a number of people which results from the fact that the machines work at a faster rate than humans. Conclusion The amalgamation of culture, economics and technology has resulted to the growth in creative industries. There are many benefits that may result from the continuous growth in this industry. Creative industries assist in preserving peoples culture while at the same time earning income for the providers of these goods and services. The relevant authorities should come up with policies to protect their citizens from exploitation and to provide any other resources that may be required to ensure a stable growth in this industry. Since each country holds different cultures, there cannot be a global policy in the creative industry; it is the responsibility of the government to put into place strategies that are relevant to its people. The industries growth will lead to employment. As it has been noted there is instability and insecurity in employment in the creative industries. The government should include policies to address this in its strategy. These strategies should be reconciled to other national policies for the country. In the end, the creative industries will create jobs, generate income, and promote social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development.

Nurse Shortage in Saudi Arabia Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction Background The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has committed vast resources by allocating more than 13 percent of its annual budget in improving the Kingdom’s medical care system, with the ultimate goal of providing free medical care for everyone. This commitment has been translated to more than 330 hospitals operated by the government and the private sector, with a capacity of more than 50,000 beds. Of these hospitals, 184 are run by the government, with more than 16 thousand doctors, 40 thousand nurses, and more than 25 thousand assistant nurses according to the Ministry of Health (2003). Based on these figures and the Saudi population of 20 million people, to satisfy and maintain the current health care standard, one out of every two hundred Saudi nationals and residents should work within the Saudi medical sector. This number would not include all other personnel working within the private medical sector or other personnel working behind the scenes; where all managerial and logistical decisi ons are being made. This task of maintaining the current standard is hard, especially at the nursing level. With a country that has a young history, young education system, and young population with more than 50 percent of its citizens under the age of 18 years old. With these facts, having enough nurses seems to be an impossible task to be achieved. Other factors as long working hours and working night shifts in a country that is over protective of its wives and daughters are also factors that contribute to hardening the task. Due to these issues among others, Saudi Arabia has become one of the most nurse importing countries in the world, if not the most, with over 80 percent of its nurses are non-Saudi nationals. The Shortage: To understand the Saudi shortage in nurses, one has to understand the Saudi dependence on foreign nurses. In a country as young as Saudi Arabia; going from the tribal age to the informational age in less than 70 years was and still considered a dream come true for many people. With a low literacy rates, 15 percent for men and less than 2 percent for women in 1970, Saudi Arabia with its new untapped oil reserved was committed in producing and providing the best for its citizens; schools, hospitals, communities, industries, and jobs. As result, Saudi Arabia has decided that it would import all means and personnel in need to produce a be... .... In addition, the Human Recourses Mangers should look into improving the nurses’ living standard by increasing Saudi nurses pay. These decisions can encourage more Saudis to join the nursing field which would reflect in reducing KAUH dependency on foreign nurses as more Saudis join the field. Conclusion Today, King Abdulaziz University Hospital is having a hard time in providing quality care to its patients due to nurse shortage that it the hospital is experiencing. Yet, with some minor adjustment within the hospital’s recruitment program, one can be assured and certain that these programs would do what it meant to do. Until the huge investment that the Saudi Arabia is inputting within the Saudi education system pay, dependency on foreign nurses would be an essential part of the Saudi health care system. References Mistory of Health, (2003), www.moh.com.sa. Polt, C. (2003), http://nursinghumor.com/nurse_forum/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3790/page/4/view/collapsed/sb/9/o/all/fpart/1 Sadeeq, M., (2003), Nursing Jobs for Saudis, www.alwatan.com, Issue 2298. Sergeant, H., (2002), Labour's asylum policy is to fool the public that all is well, Telegraph.co.uk,(Filed: 16/12/2002).

Film Essay - Cultural Turmoil in Francis Ford Coppola’s Movie, Apocalyp

Cultural Turmoil in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now The era of the 1960’s was one of change, just like so many of the enduring songs say. With words like revolution and freedom being used to promote movements that changed our society forever. The most important being the Civil Rights movement, and arguably the most influential: the sexual revolution. While great new ideas and beliefs were starting to take root, morals and social constructs that had been established were endangered of being lost in the mix. The moral code that had endured for so long was suddenly overlooked, or overpowered by a generation that was not interesting in listening to the older, conventional generations. The pressure to find new ways of thinking made it hard to know what was right and what was wrong, to know which beliefs to hold on to and which ones to replace. Francis Ford Coppola’s â€Å"Apocalypse Now† reflects the cultural turmoil that developed in the 1960’s. Coppola uses the knowledge of a person who lived in that time to magnify musical, cultural icon, Coppola uses Willard to show the content of the film surpasses the content of the meaning. Captain Kilgore is the tyrannical irresponsible leader, and Lance is the youth who is a victim of his time. Coppola’s portrayal of the Vietnam War could be considered amplified by his artistic imagination. What sets the Vietnam War apart from previous war--the World Wars-- is that this was the first war that was televised. For the first time in history true to life visuals were broadcast into the homes of American civilians as the war was happening. The perspective of war changed forever. When Coppola set out to recreate the events in Vietnam in 1979, he did it with this knowledge th... ...lings, funneled through the immature emotional matrix of soldiers. This is more than just a movie, it's an exploration of the cultural ramifications that came during the 1960’s, in part because of the Vietnam War. Works Cited Brantlinger, Patrick. â€Å"Heart of Darkness: Anti-Imperialism, Racism, or Impressionism?†: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Ed. Ross C. Murfin. Boston: Bedford, 1996. Conrad, Joseph. â€Å"Heart of Darkness† Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Ed. Ross C. Murfin. Boston: Bedford, 1996. Coppola, Francis Ford. â€Å"Apocalypse Now†. Omni Zoetrope Studios, 1979. Grieff, Louis K. â€Å"Soldier, Sailor, Surfer, Chef†: Conrad’s Ethics and the Margins of Apocalypse Now. Lit-Film-Quarterly. 20.3(1992): 188-98. Miller, J. Hillis. â€Å"Heart of Darkness Revisited.†: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Ed. Ross C. Murfin. Boston: Bedford, 1996.

Native American Vision Quest Essay

Vision Quest: A vision quest is a rite of passage in Native American cultures and more specifically the Oji-Cree. It was undertaken by a person when they reached puberty. The vision quest comprised of going to the wild for about ten days to fast. This took place either at the top of a hill or if need be a platform built in a tree. During the vision it is expected that at least one or more spirits would take pity on the individual and become his or her protector in the ordeal as well as a source of spiritual power for life. The carrying out of the vision quest was normally for males only in some Native American cultures; however for the Oji-Cree both males and females participated in this quest. During the vision fast power could be obtained and subsequently enhanced by fasting. During the course of the vision quest an individual would also receive his or her secret name from their spirit protector. The vision quest constituted for half of the spiritual rituals the Oji-Cree would undertake the other half being the shaking tent ceremony. The historical significance of this ritual was it was undertaken by individuals to provide power for themselves. Power was important as the Oji-Cree believed that power was inherent in every living thing and object, thus making it a important part of their way of life. Torah: The torah or also known as the law are the first five books of the Bible. It contains the essence of Judaism as well as ethical teachings and basic guidance. The Torah also contains the Ten Commandments which were given to the Hebrews by the Prophet Moses. The books that make up the Torah are Genesis (creation), Exodus (departure), Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Although sometimes it may contain The Prophets and usually the Psalms and other writings however some Hebrew scholars omit the Psalms and other writings. In the Christian faith the Torah is known as the Old Testament. The Torah provides modern day Jews with a explanation of what occurred in the time of the biblical Hebrews, events such as the conquest of Canaan and the exploration into the promised land are written in the Torah. The Torah is an integral part of the Jewish faith and is a corner stone in the teaching and spreading of the Jewish faith. Complimentary religious texts include the Mishnah and Talmud. In addition to providing the Jewish faith with guidelines and commandments the Torah also allowed for the academic interpretation of Hebrew teachings. These studies and interpretations were carried out by men called Rabbis which means teacher or my master. The Torah had increased significance during the Greek occupation of Judah as it became the foundation for the law of Judah in an attempt to preserve Jewish religion. The Torah also saw translation by the hands of the Greeks later on as the Greeks were fascinated by Judaism. This translation was named the Septuagint (in Greek it was Septuaginta) which meant seventy, seventy being the number of translators needed. Qur’an: The Qur’an is the central religious text of the Muslim faith. Islamic adherents believe that the Qur’an is the verbatim word of God. It`s origins start when the Prophet of the Muslim faith Mohammed was approached by the angel Gabriel during the month of Ramadan on Mount Hira. This was a repeat experience as it happened in later points in his life. In light of the fact that he was illiterate, he recited the teachings he had heard from Gabriel and by extension God to his followers who wrote them down. Similar to the Torah and the Bible the Qur’an was a written copy of oral tradition. However while the Torah and the Bible had multiple authors, Mohammed was the sole individual who dictated the Qur’an. In Arabic the word Qur’an means reading or recitation and it is generally believed that the Qur’an was to be the final message of God to humanity, making Mohammed merely the vessel from which this was sent. The Qur’an is tremendously significant to Muslims as in their eyes it is more than just a Holy Book, they see it as divine thought in written form consisting of the very mind and essence of God being communicated through Mohammed to humanity. It is a similar concept to the Christian concept of Logos, which is the Word of God being incarnate in Jesus Christ. The Muslim equivalent of Logos would be the Qur’an. Like the Christian`s Bible and the Hebrews Torah the Qur’an provides the framework of the Muslim faith as well is integral to the carrying out of the religions tenants. The Qur’an has influenced many events across history and can be considered the finest piece of literature in the Arabic Language. Sunni: Sunni is one of the sects of Islam, the other being Shi’a . Sunni is also the majority sect in Islam. The origins of the Sunni sect are intertwined with the Shi’as’ in an event known as the Shi’sm. The origins of Shi’sm derive from the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed named Ali. Most historians believed that Ali was the first male to embrace the Prophet’s message of Islam. His adherents also believed that he was he rightful successor of the Prophet and that he had been chosen by the prophet as the political and spiritual leader of Islam. The Sunnis were the faction who did not believe that the Prophet had selected Ali to succeed him. This clash of beliefs caused a schism with Islam and saw the creation of Sunnis and Shi’ites. While this schism was centuries ago it has significant implications in the modern day setting especially in the Middle east. In Iraq a part of the current warfare which is occurring is between the two groups. While Sunnis are a majority in most of the Muslim world, Iraq is predominantly Shi’a. The President of Iraq Saddam Hussein belonged to the Sunni faction and represented the minority rule over the majority in the country. While the Sunni faction differs from the Shi’a on terms of succession and other doctrine both groups agree that Allah is one and Mohammed is his last prophet. Regarding Islam, Sunni is often referred as the orthodox version of the religion. Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is a 700 hundred verse Hindu scripture. It is a veda or a old sacred book of Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita is an epic poem describing classical Hinduism and was composed approximately near the end of the pre-classical age and beginning of the classical age of Hinduism. Its writing form is as a narrative of a great battle and is a section of a larger work known as Mahabharata, which was created much earlier in time. The premise of the Bhagavad Gita is :Prior to the battle a great warrior, Ajuna hesitates to fight. His charioteer, Krishna teaches him that it is his purpose and destiny to fight. Ajuna’s charioteer turns out to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu or in Hindu culture an avatar. The Bhagavad Gita is a compilation of centuries of developing worship, mediation and thought. The text consists of developed concepts of classical Hinduism touching on several points such as the gods Vishnu and Shiva and the concepts of karma, dharma, reincarnation and cases. The dimensions of the Bhagavad Gita are 18 chapters and 700 verses found in the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita was spiritually important as it served as a source of spiritual knowledge as well as serves to reveal the purpose and goal of human existence. Master K’ung: Master K’ung or more commonly known as Confucius is one of the most important Chinese philosophers. He is traditionally hailed as the father of philosophical school of Confucianism. In addition to his capacity as a philosopher Master K’ung was also traditionally known as a was a thinker, political figure and educator. Master k’ung was said to have lived from 551-479 B.  C, his teachings were transferred orally by his students, emphasizing a way of life called ren. Ren was defined as right living and was achieved through li or ethical propriety, good manners and traditional ritualistic practices. According to his teachings family was seen as the central vehicle to cultivate these attributes. Master K’ung’s thoughts became available in a book known as the Analects. Master K’ung’s journey consisted of him leaving his life behind and wandering with a band of disciples until he found internal peace. While claims are unlikely, Master K’ung is attributed with works known as the Five Classics. These classics consist of the Shu Ching or Classic of History (writings and speeches from ancient Chinese rulers), the Shih Ching or Classic of Poetry (300 poems and songs), the I Ching or Classic of Changes (the description of a divinatory system), the Ch’un Ch’iu or Spring and Autumn Annal (a history of the state of Lu from 722 to 484 BC) and the Li Ching or Classic of Rites (a group of three books on the Li the rites of propriety. In addition there was also a now lost sixth book called the Yueh Ching or Classic of Music. Maste K’ung had a tremendous legacy which effected the world, as millions around the world would apply his wisdom and thoughts even in this day and age.