Monday, September 30, 2019
Basketball: Visual Perception and Eye
Does crossed hand-eye dominance affect free throw shooting in basketball? The purpose of this experiment is to learn about crossed hand eye dominance and help increase free throw percentage in basketball. Some further investigations could include testing if crossed hand-eye dominance effected hand-eye coordination, if air pressure will affect the dynamics of ball bouncing, or if people that are left-dominant or right-dominant affect any certain thing. First, the eye dominance test was conducted, which determines the dominant eye. From that it is determined if the subject was crossed hand eye dominant, or uncrossed hand eye dominant.Does crossed hand-eye dominance affect free throw shooting in basketball? Hand-eye dominance and how it affects basketball shooting are the focus of what is expected to learn about. The idea of having a dominant hand (being left-handed or0 right-handed) is familiar to everyone. What may not be so familiar is the concept of a dominant eye. Most people are a ccustomed to using both eyes together, and don't think much about situations where it might matter if one eye is dominant over the other. When shooting free throws in basketball, players often hold the ball up at face-level when preparing for the shot.In this position, the ball can easily block (at least partially) the eye on the same side of the body as the shooting hand. For shooters with uncrossed hand and eye dominances, this would mean that the dominant eye was partially blocked. For shooters with crossed hand and eye dominances, this would mean that the non-dominant eye was partially blocked. Clearly, basketball players must use their vision to locate the target and judge distance and line before skills take over to send the ball on its way. Hand and eye dominance must work together to help ones score baskets.Crossed hand eye dominance alone will not help ones score, but with other factors involved, it might help one score a basket. If one is crossed hand-eye dominant, then th eir shooting percentage will increase because when players shoot free throws, they often hold the ball up at face-level when preparing for the shot. In this position, the ball can easily block the eye on the same side of the body as the shooting hand. For shooters with uncrossed hand and eye dominances, this would mean that the dominant eye was partially blocked. For shooters with crossed hand and eye ominances, this would mean that the non-dominant eye was partially blocked. The independent variable is if you are cross hand-eye dominant, and the dependent variable is how many free-throws you make. Eye dominance refers to the eye that the brain prefers, or one that has stronger processing in the brain than the other. People usually have one eye that likes to take over when binocular vision is impaired, or one eye that is more sensitive to visual discrimination. During suppression, when the brain chooses to process only one eye, the other eye is in essence shut down.Usually it makes no difference in correcting for visual defects with eyeglasses or contacts. Data from previously done experiments support this hypothesis. One experiment done by Keith Hines and Robert Thurman stated that crossed hand-eye dominant people have a higher free throw percentage than uncrossed hand-eye dominant people. Another experiment proved the same results. This project was conducted by Ashton W. Pomrehn, who found that crossed hand-eye dominance has a positive effect on basketball players.It makes logical sense that crossed hand-eye dominance would have a positive effect on free throw percentage because if you have uncrossed hand-eye dominance, your dominant eye is blocked by the hand shooting the basketball. According to an article in â€Å"Experimental Psychology,†the proper sequence of vision and action in shooting a basketball is not conclusively affected by crossed hand-eye dominance. Experiments testing the accuracy of basketball players shooting the ball through a var iety of visual stimuli showed that, among other things, individuals tend to adjust to whatever dominant hand-eye combination they possess.Shooting a basketball simply reflects their hand-eye skills in general. Some key terms are: dominance- the normal tendency for one side of the brain to be more important than the other in controlling certain functions, as speech and language: crossed- mixed, usually with two components; and, eye dominance- the tendency to prefer visual input from one eye to the other. More key terms are: Hand dominance- the preference of one hand to perform fine and gross motor tasks; and, crossed hand eye Dominance- having opposite dominances in eyes and hands.There are a few key points to know while conducting this experiment. â€Å"Eye Dominance†refers to the eye that the brain â€Å"prefers†or one that has stronger â€Å"processing†in the brain than the other. People usually have one eye that likes to â€Å"take over†when binocu lar vision is impaired, or one eye that is more sensitive to visual discrimination. During suppression, when the brain â€Å"chooses†to process only one eye, the other eye is â€Å"shut down†. Usually it makes no difference in correcting for visual defects with eyeglasses or contacts.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Management of a Software Development Project Essay
Introduction Many years ago, general services offered by hotels like dinner reservations, room reservations and other services were done manually. Most hotels used books, ledgers and papers to record names of guests, their duration of stay and contact details. This required a lot of effort and time. Since the advent of the information age however, dynamic and interactive websites have been introduced which have more efficient and faster technological features and capabilities for the management of hotel services. For any business to remain competitive, it is necessary to maintain an online presence in order to reach out to customers all over the world and compete on a global platform. Reservations and payments are now done online to ensure that conduction of business is faster and more convenient for customers. Definition of Project Management A project is a temporary endeavor that is done to generate a unique product or service (Duncan 1996). Project Management is an activity that involves the overall supervision, management and co-ordination of all activities related to accomplishing a set activity. It always has a start and a finish date. According to Whitten, Project Management is a process that starts at the beginning of a project, is conducted throughout a project and doesn’t end until after the project is completed (2001).  According to Duncan (1996), Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to activities to fulfill stakeholders’ needs and expectations. It usually involves finding a balance among scope, time, cost, quality, and varying expectations of stakeholders. Another definition of Project Management is â€Å" the process of scoping, planning, staffing, conducting, directing, and managing the development of a system at an affordable cost within a specified time frame†(Whitten, Bentley & Dittman 2001, p.124). Importance of Project Management According to Dr Malcolm Wheatley, â€Å"Project management as a management discipline, supports much economic activity.†In major industries like Information Technology, Software Development, Construction, Pharmaceuticals, and Aerospace, project management is fundamental. Project Management is also important in governments that have set goals and milestones which can only be achieved with effective management practices. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the US Department of Commerce, estimated in 2001 that the US companies spend $2.3trn on projects every year (2000).  Project management is important in any economic activity because it ensures adequate planning, scheduling and successful execution of a project; it also helps to reduce possible risks associated with a project and ensure minimal hitches. Project Management is indeed important to every economy. Many projects fail because of poor knowledge of Project Management concepts. Its relevance cannot be over emphasized. Role of the Project Manager The project manager is in charge of daily management and supervision of the project. He manages the project to ensure that things go according to plan. He also communicates with all stakeholders and project team members to ensure that there’s a clear understanding of general requirements. The project manager confirms users’ requirements to make sure that these requirements are incorporated into the end-product. A project manager engages in scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, scheduling, directing, controlling and closing a project (Whitten 2001, p.127). Swot Analysis The Regency Hotels has several strengths that serve as advantages. It has the potential to expand its services to customers internationally due to the number of branches it has, internet availability and its unique services. It is also strategically located, can leverage on its positioning and has a wide customer base. Its two major weaknesses are: 1) it has a static website which cannot provide interactive functions like online payments, online reservations, message boards, fan clubs, and so on. 2) It does not have skilled IT staff in-house that can manage the online system when it is eventually deployed. There are however, opportunities for it to become one of the best hotels in the world by maintaining a consistent and interactive global presence.  Increased competition is the major threat to Regency Hotels. Most hotels today, have a strong online presence that offers customers various services that make their experiences with the hotel more memorable and convenient, like booking and paying online. Regency Hotels is yet to rise to the challenge. Development methodology The software development methodology to be adopted for the production of this system is the waterfall method. This is an approach to software development that specifies that a project should be grouped into phases and one phase must be completed before the next. The project is carried out in a logical manner through a pre-determined number of steps. This method is preferred because the duration of the project is only two weeks and the requirements are clear.  With the waterfall method, project reviews are conducted between stages, which represent milestones. This provides an organized scenario that ensures required documentation and quality management of the developed application is carried out (Sorensen 1995). Project Scope The project scope definition involves clarifying the boundaries of the project. Regency Hotels in addition to available technological features like retrieving customers’ information, billing, checking for room availability, desires a system with added capabilities of online booking and payment. This project involves building a system that can accept online booking and payment options by customers. A portal will be developed to include the following features: Online reservations, online payment, checking room availability, checking in, checking out, discussion group and general information on the hotel. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) will be added to the website to provide for added security when paying online; search functions will be provided on web pages to check for room availability and booking; e-mail and discussion group facilities will be included to facilitate communication between customers and the hotel; and other technological features from the available website will be incorporated into the new portal to ensure that a robust system that meets the expectations of Stakeholders at Regency Hotels is built. The final system will be deployed at the hotel and tested. Staff members that need to be trained will be identified and educated on how to use the system. The change management process will be made easier for staff of Regency Hotel by ensuring that they are adequately trained, resources are provide to assist them, and maintenance/ support plans are put in place. Result of using COCOMO model to estimate effort, duration and number of people required. The Constructive Cost Model, known as COCOMO was developed by Barry Boehm in 1981. It is based on the waterfall model and is used for estimating the number of person and months needed to develop software. It also estimates the development schedule in months. The development mode for this project is organic because it is a small and straight-forward one. A small team with sufficient experience work together to develop the portal system (Merlo-Schett 2002). COCOMO is defined in terms of three basic models: The Basic model, the Intermediate model and the detailed model. The KDSI is the size of the project in Kilo delivered source instructions. These are source lines that are created by the project team. Using the Intermediate COCOMO I, calculation is done as follows: Required: Portal system for online payment and booking Development Effort (MM) = a * KDSI b Effort and development Time (TDEV) =  2.5 * MM c With organic mode of development, a = 3.2, b = 1.05, c = 0.38 4 modules to implement: Data entry – 0.5 KDSI Data update – 0.3 KDSI Online Reservations – 0.8 KDSI Online Payment – 0.7 KDSI System SIZE 2.3 KDSI MM = 3.2 * 2.3 1.05  = 7.7 TDEV = 2.5 * MM c = 2.5* 7.7 0.38 = 5.4 (Project needs more than 5 months to complete) Number of people to be hired = MM/TDEV = 7.7/5.4 = 1.4 (This means that more than one team member is needed to execute the project). The major shortcoming of the above calculation is that value of the KDSI used is approximate (Merlo-Schett 2002). Hardware and Software Requirements At least four separate computers will be needed for building the portal, testing it and hosting it.  Softwares like Macromedia Dreamweaver, Java, PHP, SQL Server and Visual Basic .NET will be needed for building the portal. A central server for hosting and managing user connections to the portal will also be required.  Work Breakdown Structure Work Breakdown Structure shows the hierarchical decomposition of projects into phases, activities and tasks (Whitten 2001, p.135). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION 1.1      Identify sponsors and stakeholders 1.2      Meet with sponsors and stakeholders to clarify system requirements 1.3      Produce Software Requirements Specification Draft 1.4      Sign-off on software requirements TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICATION 2.1      Determine hardware and software needed for developing the system 2.2      Procure hardware and software needed for system development 2.3      Set-up hardware and software for use SCOPE MANAGEMENT 3.1      Develop a written scope statement as a basis for future project decisions 3.2      Verify Scope of the Project with sponsors 3.3      Perform Scope Change Control to prevent scope creep COST & SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT 4.1      Develop an estimate of project costs 4.2      Schedule Meeting with Stakeholders to agree on cost and deadline 4.3      Receive Payment from Stakeholders 4.4      Allocate cost estimates to individual work items 4.5      Evaluate actual versus projected schedule 4.6      Control changes to project budget to avoid going over the budget 4.7      Compare actual and budgeted costs 4.8      Schedule Development 4.9      Schedule Control HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PHASE 5.1      Identify Project Roles/Conduct Organizational Planning 5.2      Determine Skills of People needed to develop system 5.3      Determine number of people to work on the project 5.4      Recruit Project Team Members 5.5      Engage staff with appropriate skills 5.6      Develop individual and group skills to enhance project performance ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT PHASE 6.1      Develop activity list for project team members 6.2      Sub-divide major project deliverables into smaller components 6.3      Assign Team Members to tasks and deliverables 6.4      Supervise activities within the project team 6.5      Evaluate Performance and Productivity 6.6      Update activity list as necessary 6.7      Conduct meetings and review status reports on software development PROJECT OFFICE ADMINISTRATION 7.1      Attend to daily activities or events concerning the project 7.2      General project supervision PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 8.1      Determine information and communication needs of stakeholders 8.2      Provide information to stakeholders in a timely fashion 8.3      Put contact details of all team members and stakeholders into the database 8.4      Performance reporting to stakeholders through status reports, progress measurement and forecasting 8.5      Set up meetings with project team members 8.6      Develop status reports for the project RISK MANAGEMENT 9.1      Identify all possible risks within the project and effects on project 9.2      Define steps for responding to threats 9.3      Respond to changes in risks during the course of the project QUALITY MANAGEMENT 10.1    Identify quality standards relevant to the project and how to satisfy them 10.2    Evaluate overall project performance 10.3    Define Quality Assurance Specifications 10.4    Code and check the system for compliance with quality standards 10.5    Test System to make sure it fits clients’ requirements Hand-Over of Project 11.1    Ensure adherence to client requirement 11.2    Conduct Customer Acceptance Tests 11.3    Review Software User Manuals 11.4    Sign off & Certify Solution Development 11.5    Submit Project Close-out Report 11.6    Terminate Project Project scheduling (Please refer to attached Microsoft Project document for dependency between activities, network diagram, critical path and Gantt chart) A Project network diagram displays the logical relationships of project activities. A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that shows tasks against timelines. Each bar is equivalent to a project task. Gantt charts show, tasks that can be performed at the same time (Whitten 2001, p.128).Any tasks on the critical path cannot be delayed. Name of Activity   Duration Starting Date  Finishing Date  Software Requirement Specification 1 Day Wed 4/23/08 Wed 4/23/08 Technology Specification   1 Day Thu 4/24/08 Thu 4/24/08 Scope Management   10 Days  Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08   Cost & Schedule Management   12 Days Wed 4/23/08 Thu 5/8/08 Human Resources Management Phase 8 Days Wed 4/23/08 Fri 5/2/08   Activity Management Phase   10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Office Administration   10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Communications   10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Risk Management   10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Quality Management   10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Hand-Over of Project   10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Possible risks related to the software development project Every project has its own share of risks. Risks associated with this project are outlined below: The period of time given for the execution of the project is short. The COCOMO model shows that a project of such magnitude requires at least 5 months for completion. There is a risk of the project exceeding the time frame allocated by the stakeholders. User requirements may change or expand during the duration of project. There is a risk of having to accommodate changes to the design of the portal. This is known as scope creep and may affect the schedule and budget (Whitten 2001). With the obvious need to procure softwares for the development of the portal system, resources like time and money may not be sufficient. There is a risk of taking short cuts around the system development methodology in order to meet the deadline and not exceed the budget. This might affect the quality of the final product. Another potential risk is that of feature creep. This refers to the uncontrolled addition of technical features to a system that is being developed without regard to schedule and budget (Whitten 2001, p.125). A portal system is a robust application that is designed to fulfill various needs of an organization. The temptation to add more features is always a prevalent risk There is the risk of a team member resigning from the project. This will cause a considerable loss of time. There is also the risk of insufficient communication within the project team which may lead to misunderstanding of customers’ requirements, and cause a deviation from the project plan, budget and schedule. Project Monitoring Project monitoring involves supervising the project throughout its lifecycle. This is important in order to know how things are going and to solve any problem that may arise during the course of the project. This can be done via meetings, emails, reports on progress and finances and also by observing project management best practices. Conclusion            Applying the principles of Project Management to the development of the portal system at Regency Hotels will go a long way to ensure that the objectives are met on time, within budget and that the software product will be of the desired quality. Project Management is a crucial practice that should be encouraged in every sector of the economy. It ensures that money, energy and time are not wasted on failed projects. With sufficient project management practices in place, stakeholders and contractors can conduct businesses without bothering about the hitches involved with long-term projects. Regardless of the end product, which could be a new service, product or knowledge, project management ensures that a successful outcome is achieved within the available resources and time frame. References Whitten, JL, Bentley, LD, & Dittman, KC 2001, Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 5th edn, Mc Graw-Hill, New York. Wheatley, M 2000, The Importance of Project Management, Project Smart. Available from: [22 April 2008] Sorensen, R 1995, A comparison of Software Development Methodologies, Software Technology Support Centre. Available from: [24 April 2008] Duncan, WR 1996, A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMI Standards Committee. Available from: [24 April 2008] Merlo-Schett, N 2002, ‘COCOMO Constructive Cost Model’, Proceedings of the seminar cost estimation W 2002/2003, pp. 1-24. Available from: [22 April 2008]. Â
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Financial Problems
Having the ability to pay monthly bills can be a challenge for some people. There are can be many solutions to this problem. One should evaluate the monthly bills to determine what is necessary. Consolidating credit debt may help. If all else fails try consulting a financial advisor. These steps are just a few steps that one may take in the steps to financial stability. One step that many find easy is evaluation of bills. Evaluating ones monthly bills could help lower that person’s monthly debt. The debtor should begin by writing down all monthly bills. He or she should evaluate what bills are necessary and which ones are not. Once that person has defined the bills by status, he or she needs to compare what each non necessity items can be removed. For example, if you have a cell phone with unlimited minutes do you need a house phone with all the amenities? If a person has internet access at home does he need mobile access for his laptops? Once the person has answered these questions he should then cancel any unnecessary bills. This person may utilize the internet and comparison shop for monthly rates on things deemed necessary. One may also interview neighbors and relatives to compare their similar service bills. This evaluation process should have great potential to a person with high number of bills. This may not help as much with a person who has a large amount of credit bills. A person with a large amount of credit bills may consider debt consolidation. Debt consolidation would consolidate credit card and finance bills into to one monthly payment. This is a loan so one must look for the best rates. Getting quotes from your bank or credit union should be your first start. Get the quotes in writing and remember to read the fine print. Look for late fees, balloon payments, and early payoff penalties. Also one may research the lending institution on BBB to verify lending practices, and maybe complaints. Networking with friends and family can also be a good source of information. One must remember that there is professional help for financial problems. A person who may have a hard time evaluating bills and may not be comfortable talking to banks may benefit from a financial advisor. A financial advisor is a professional who gives advice and financial planning services to an individual. This person may charge a fee or commission for this service. One may begin searching for an advisor through his bank or credit union. For those persons in financial stress this service is sometime offered for free. The financial advisor would evaluate your monthly income and ask you a series of questions. He or she may also set short term and long term goals for you. This will enable you to see progress clearly. This is just a simple outline of how one may concure financial burdens. This is just a simple outline of how one may conquer financial burdens. If a person can evaluate their own problems they have the majority of the problem solved. Being able to evaluate the problem would also allow a person to know the exact amount of money needed for a debt consolidation. Also knowing that you are not sure about all of your finances can inspire you to seek help from a professional that can help you understand. Understanding is the key no matter what strategy you choose. One must understand exactly what their problem is and also that they have reached a limit. Knowing what their limit is another key to financial recovery. Debt evaluation, debt consolidation, or hiring a financial advisor may be a great help to someone in financial despair.
Friday, September 27, 2019
THE (ME )IN LEADERSHIP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
THE (ME )IN LEADERSHIP - Essay Example During the process, I learned to be more critical of myself because this was a necessary requisite of being an effective leader. I learned that â€Å"it is necessary for a â€Å"leader, who possesses a clear self-concept through private self-consciousness, to be more likely to possess a strong purpose-in-life. Having a strong purpose involves consistency in self-identity (i.e., self-concept clarity) (Campbell, 1990 :59; Frankl, 1992). This clear awareness of my â€Å"self†translates to a clearer sense of goal and purpose which will evolve as a Self-Belief. Self-belief which will improve my inner confidence therefore will succeed and overcome any obstacle to achieve the best outcomes for service improvement. I also learned that this â€Å"mirroring as the reflections of self that a group member encounters in other group members, in the group leader, or in the group as a whole (Bion, 1961) harmonizes us within and eliminates discord beginning from perception of how I observe myself through my peers. I learned that this awareness of my â€Å"Self†and environment is a necessary aptitude for leadership in addition to technical competencies. As Gardner (1983) expounds â€Å"expanding on the concepts presented in early intelligence work as well as social intelligence theory, developed a theory of multiple intelligences. ...one of the seven areas of intelligence discussed in multiple intelligence theory, personal intelligence, corresponds to earlier theories such as social intelligence†. This emotional intelligence also provided me with the competencies such as self-awareness, self-regulation, personal motivation, empathy and strong social skills that enable me to be a democratic leader; a leader that involve and commit others not only in achieving a desired result but also the process of achieving it. My belief in democratic leadership was reinforced when Lawler (2001: 16-17) argued that democracy is inevitable, even in the workplace . . . Hi erarchial organizations are simply too inflexible and rigid to compete effectively in today's business environment. They fail to attract the right human capital and to produce the right core competencies and organizational capabilities. As a result, they need to be replaced by lateral forms of organization that rely heavily on teams, information technology, networks, shared leadership, and involved employees . . . [These new organizational forms] will have flat, agile structures, open information, power that moves to expertise, and systems that create knowledge and employees throughout the organization. Democratic leadership â€Å"functions as a means of engendering compliance with dominant goals and values and harnessing staff commitment, ideas, expertise and experience to realizing these†(Woods, 2004). I preferred a democratic process in dealing and decision making because the seeming differences will make us aware of the different perspectives that may be unknown to us be fore. Therefore, better approach and solution to certain issues may crystallize after the free flow of ideas. This has to be understood because â€Å" understanding and cooperation of superiors, peers, and subordinates, it takes time to build these relationships†(Kayser, 1973;24). In conclusion of the previous module, I learned that to effectively lead and manage others, I must lead and manage my â€Å"Self†first. To direct others, it is imperative that I must have
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Answer 8 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Answer 8 questions - Assignment Example It can save all files and project related correspondence under one umbrella in one and e) Dimdim: it provides a place to convene online meetings, web conferences and webinars in the cloud (Kip). Q. 2. Who first developed and launched the SQL database? SQL known as Standard English Query Language was initially developed by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce in the early 70s of 19the century at International Business Machines. In late 1970s, Oracle Corporation saw the potential of the concepts introduced by Cod, Chamberlin, and Boyce and subsequently developed own SQL-based RDBMS. It was successfully tested at the sites of the customers which encouraged IBM to develop commercial products based on their systems. After successful testing of SQL at the sites of customer, IBM began to develop its commercial products for the customers in the year 1979, 1981 and 1983 respectively (W3schools.com). Q. 3. Search some internet sites for Blue Tooth devices. Select one and di scuss the advantages and disadvantages of the one you selected. There are numerous products wherein Bluetooth exists. Few of them are telephones, media players, Lego Mind storms NXT, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Wii, headsets, modems and watches. It is very useful technology while transferring data/information from one device to another device or from one device to so many devices near to each other (Official Play Station Website). Here are the advantages and disadvantages of one of PS Vita that has been selected from internet searches. It is accessible from both 3G and Wi-Fi. It has 5 inch OLED Screen. It back Blue tooth technology. It has a small flash based memory card. Users may have other options as well i.e. play PSP titles, minis and PSone classics titles, offered on PS Store. It is not compatible with PS3 and PS2 title. It does not carry any video output feature. Its Battery is intact. It lacks support UMD. It can be introduced stereoscopic 3D without glasses (O fficial Play Station Website). Q. 4. Describe briefly the history of Amazon.com who started it, when and what is Amazon’s annual sales? Everyone knows that Amazon.com is an American e-commerce company located at Washington. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and placed it products in 1995. Initially it begun with an online bookstore, subsequently added with number of products in their menu (VHSs, DVDs, music CDs, MP3s, computer software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys), and more the passage of time. The journey which started in a garage becomes one of the greatest ecommerce sites now days. As far as the generation of revenue is concerned, it will touch to the height of $100 billion in annual sales at the end of next year (Amazongenius.com).  Q. 5. How does MIS differ from IT? IT is a comprehensive computer field in general which can be subdivided into many careers. Take the examples of Network Administrator, Security, Hardware, Softwar e & Application Development, Database Administrator, Desktop Support Technician etc., In accordance with the available definition; Information Systems Management is an
GENETICS Huntington's Disease MUST HAVE BIOLOGY BACKGROUND Essay
GENETICS Huntington's Disease MUST HAVE BIOLOGY BACKGROUND - Essay Example But as this molecular cartography advances, clinical medicine is turning topsy-turvy in its wake. Huntingtons disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease. Appearing usually in the third or fourth decade of life, it can begin in early childhood or old age. A triad of disturbances is pathognomonic: uncontrolled involuntary movements usually including chorea, intellectual decline, and psychiatric disturbance, mostly depression. The disease progresses for twenty years toward an inevitably fatal outcome, and therapy is palliative at best. Families, scientists, and clinicians involved with research on or treatment of Huntingtons disease have been .aware that their development of counseling and diagnostic program using DNA markers could be as precedent-setting as the discovery of the marker itself. They have been trying to act with caution and sensitivity, at the same time making the test available. The Tests offered. Presymptomatic and prenatal testing can now be carried out with a number of different markers to enable risks to be changed from 50 percent to 96 percent or higher of being positive or negative for the gene of Huntingtons disease. Even though there has been some uncertainty as to the exact location of the gene within the most telomeric band on chromosome 4, there are sufficient markers to alter a persons risk significantly if a family is genetically informative. Initially, less than half of all families listed on the National Huntingtons Disease Roster at Indiana University had such an appropriate structure. Owing to the increased informativeness of recently developed markers, recent estimates suggest that up to 75 percent of individuals coming for testing will be found to have genetically informative families. Prenatal Diagnosis. Two types of prenatal diagnostic tests are available: 1) a non-disclosing prenatal or "exclusion test," and 2) a fully disclosing diagnostic test. In a
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Major Paper 2500 words - subject religions of asia Essay
Major Paper 2500 words - subject religions of asia - Essay Example g of expansion of open communes, to promote education in Muslim nations, and to recognize and prioritize radical asylums so as to engage with greater efficient in the war against terror. According to certain approximations there is an estimated number of 1.2 billion Muslims globally, and of these around 60% are to be found in Asia. 15% are Arab Muslims and one third of the Muslim population is living in South Asia (Malbouisson, 2006). Islam in Southeast Asia is more temperate in nature as compared to in most of the Middle East. This is partially due to the manner in which Islam has developed in Southeast Asia. Islam was first introduced in Southeast Asia by traders instead of military invasions as was the case in most of South Asia and the Middle East. Buddhist, Hindu, and animist cultures in Indonesia also covered Islam. It was at the end of the seventeenth century that Islam reached most of Southeast Asia. Asian Islam is more politically varied as compared to the Middle Eastern Islam. In Asia Islam has been experiencing a renewal. RAND analyst Angel Rabasa clears out many elements that have contributed to this Islamic revival in Asia. Those factors are national as well as external. Domestically, the influence of globalisation and the effect of western tradition are responsible for it, particularly the influence of speedy industrialization and the resultant urbanization. In 1997 there was the Asian economic disaster due to which the dictatorial Suharto government was overthrown and it resulted in political space for Indonesian Islamists. Muslim nationalist rebels have been continuing their effort in the Philippines and Thailand whereas the Parti Islam se Malaysia has exerted through the political organisation so as to encourage an Islamist programme at the same time as in antagonism in Malaysia. External factors consist of the present circumstance of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Arab-Israeli dispute, the 1979 Islamic transformation in Iran, the taking out of
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
International Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
International Strategic Management - Essay Example So, it is evident that for an organization to become sustainable it has to optimally care for people as well as the planet and this brings into the picture the concept of Triple Bottom Line (TBL). This concept is also known as the ‘people-planet-profit’ approach because as the name suggests, organization must have three different bottom lines of people, planet, and profit to function effectively and achieve success. However, this concept might not be applicable to the organizations during certain situations, necessitating corrective strategies. So, this concept of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) will be evaluated here firstly focusing on how it is indeed useful for businesses and then discussing the difficulties of measuring the social and environmental contributions that a business makes and how these difficulties can be managed. Triple Bottom Line (TBL) was originally an accounting framework which focused mainly on profits, return on investment, and shareholder value. However, it was John Elkington who reoriented this concept to include environmental as well as social dimensions in 1980s. He further strengthened this reorientation by coining the phrase â€Å"people, planet, profit†in 1994. Elkington (2004, p.3) has defined TBL as the concept that â€Å"focuses corporations not just on the economic value they add, but also on the environmental and social value they add (or destroy)†. Elkington brings in broader perspectives by referring TBL to all the processes, issues, and values that organizations have to manage in order to eliminate or minimize their negative impacts on the social and environmental aspects. â€Å"This involves being clear about the company’s purpose and taking into consideration the needs of all the company’s stakeholdersâ€â€shareholders, customers, emplo yees, business partners, governments, local communities and the public†(Elkington 2004, p.3). Chapman & Milne (2004)
Monday, September 23, 2019
Alfred Stieglitz and His the Steerage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Alfred Stieglitz and His the Steerage - Essay Example he snapshots a rich color and picturesqueness, although Stieglitz said: â€Å"I do not object to retouching, dodging or accentuation as long as they do not interfere with the natural qualities of photographic technique†(cited in Whelan, 1995). This photo evolutional trend had been called â€Å"the pictorializm†. Snapshots, so much adored by the follower of this stream, were made by the hand camera or the fixed device, but in the only unrepeatable moment, and, as a result of a painstaking artistic work they were becoming the unique photo pictures, the art masterpieces. But this passion didn’t last for a long time and later it became inexplicable, why the goals posed by the pictorializm can be satisfied only by the photo technology. Alfred Stieglitz, who for nearly 15 years was organizing the exhibitions of young budding photographers and artists, at first, in the 1900-s was affected an active combination of photography and art, and later, after ten years, his gal lery began to pay more attention on the pictorial art itself. New times had come, and pictorializm as a trend became the production of sentimental pictures. So Alfred Stieglitz deeply changes his manner of taking photos. In the 1890-s he was walking the streets with his â€Å"detective†camera and making the reportage photos, not retouching or amplifying them at all. In the later years he talked about the researches of the unknown and said he was looking for the subjects for his works in the sixty yards of his house door. In those days such considerations were innovatory, that was the time of sentimental, genre, compositional and â€Å"highart†photos , criticized by Emerson, the author of the â€Å"Naturalistic photography†, but still popular in the New-York photo clubs, and these wire-drawn images were hanged... The essay "Alfred Stieglitz and his the Steerage" gives detailed information about a famous photographer and explores the story of his greatest photographs of all time. He was the first who acquainted famous by its conservative views American society with the works of such genius of that time as Picasso, Braque, Rodin, Brancusi, Matisse, Dyushan, Cezanne, Americans Max Lieberman and James McNeill. Artists and litterateurs concentrated their attention on the searches of new methods for the description of reality, and, thereby. In the first decades of 20-th century the modernism appeared as the complex of artistic trends (futurism, expressionism, cubism, constructivism, surrealism, abstract art etc.), which were advancing till the Second World War. Alfred Stieglitz is a foremen of piktorializm, the editor of an association of amateur photography enthusiasts. But when within the group the division had started, and members of the Camera Club began to oppose his restrictive editorial poli cies, Stieglitz and several of his friends-photographers ruptured with the Club and established the Photo-Secession group†. Photo portraits Made by Stieglitz were lucid and profound, capitally showing their dispositions. In the 1925 all his works were demonstrated in the gallery of Mitchell Kennerly. But the most famous his work is The Steerage. It was captured in 1907 on the lower deck of one of the largest ships in the world at that time because the snapshot had chased the lower class passenger’s area, known on most ships as the steerage.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Wilfred Owen Essay Example for Free
Wilfred Owen Essay Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was born on 18 March 1893 and died on 4 November 1918. He was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War. His shocking, graphic poetry about the First World War was very heavily influenced by his friend, Siegfried Sassoon. There was a vast contrast between his poetry about the war and that of others, such as Rupert Brooke, as his took on a completely different perspective, and showed the readers a whole new side of the war. This wasn’t how he always looked at the war though. It was out of his own free choice that he joined the army, but it was two traumatic experiences that caused his view point to change so drastically. Firstly, he was thrown into the air when hit by a trench mortar and landed in the remains of a fellow soldier. Then, he was trapped for days in a German dugout. It was these two horrible experiences that caused his dramatic change of mind, and caused him to suffer from ‘shell shock’, which led to him being sent to a hospital for treatment. That was where he met fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon, and this meeting changed his life. In March 1918, he was sent to a command depot in Ripon, and here, a number of poems were written. After he had recovered, he was sent back to the front line, and tragically, a mere week before the war ended, he was shot in the head and died. Owen started writing poems long before the war, and he stated that he started at the age of ten. His friend, Siegfried Sassoon had a large effect on his poetry, especially in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’. These show direct results of Sassoon’s influence. A poem by Pat Barker was written about their relationship. His poetry changed significantly in 1917, where as part of his therapy his doctor got him to write his experiences down into poems. Though thousands of poems were published during the war, very few were acknowledged, and even fewer were loved, but Owen was one of them. Only 5 of Wilfred’s poems were published before he died. It was a popular belief that Owen was a homosexual, and there were some elements of homoeroticism in his poems, though he never actually said this. Historians have speculated as to whether he had an affair with Scott-Moncrieff, as Scott had dedicated many of his works to ‘Mr. W.O.’, but Owen never responded on this matter. It was only as a result of Sassoon being shot that led to his decision to return to the front line back in France, even though he could have chosen not to. He felt he needed to ‘take Sassoon’s place’. However, Sassoon was strongly opposed to the idea, and even threatened to ‘stab him in the leg’ if he tried it. Aware of what Sassoon thought, Owen didn’t tell him he went ahead with it and returned to the front line. He was killed whilst crossing the canal on 4 November 1918.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Services for Community Healthcare
Services for Community Healthcare Introduction (2000-3000) Essential services Community pharmacies provide various services to their customers every day. These services include essential services such as dispensing medicines, dispensing appliances, repeat dispensing, clinical governance, signposting, promotion of healthy lifestyle, disposal of unwanted medicines and support for self-care. These services are delivered by all pharmacies as part of the NHS pharmacy contract.[1] Advanced services There are four advanced services that can be delivered by the community pharmacies if they meet the criteria set up in the contract. These services include Medicines Use Reviews (MUR), New Medicines Service (NMS), Appliance Use Reviews (AUR) and Stoma Appliance Customisation (SAC).[2] Most customers visit pharmacies in order to receive essential services. Customer’s perspectives on community pharmacies can be based around other factors as well as the quality of service they received from their pharmacist. Therefore customer’s perception of community pharmacies is of extreme importance as they deliver various services to patients on daily basis. Each pharmacist has a duty of care to their patients. Pharmacists are easily accessible and highly trusted in the communities. Their responsibilities include dispensing medicines as well as providing pharmaceutical care. They can increase patient’s participation in their own care by educating them about their disease, explaining the importance of adherence and increasing awareness of the most common side effects.[3] They can counsel patients about drugs such as appropriate drug usage, administration, dosage, side effects, storage and drug–drug and drug–food interactions.[4] Pharmaceutical Care Pharmaceutical care is described as the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definitive outcomes that improve a patient’s quality of life.[5] Later a new definition emerged in which pharmaceutical care was described as â€Å"A practice in which the practitioner takes responsibility for the patients’ drug related needs and is held accountable for this commitment†[6] Many people are prescribed multiple and long term medication. Pharmaceutical care includes collecting information, assessing information, setting appropriate objectives, selecting appropriate therapy and monitoring the effectiveness of therapy and educating patients on medicine use. All steps need the involvement of patient from collecting information to the selection of therapy and implementing that therapy for the benefit of the patient. Today’s pharmacist needs to make patients the centre of their attention. Pharmacists can maximise the therapeutic benefit to the patient by using a multidisciplinary approach such as consultation with other healthcare professionals and the patients themselves. Pharmacists can play a fundamental role in the overall patient experience as they are a critical source of drug knowledge in community, hospitals and industry. Different roles are played by the pharmacists throughout the world such as some prepare and supply medicines whilst others share their expertise and knowledge with healthcare professionals and patients and work in medicines information teams.[7] Social change through health promotion campaigns, media and internet has led to increased risk awareness amongst the public and therefore there is an increase in demand for their questions to be answered and their issues to be taken up by healthcare professionals. Pharmacists are at the forefront of this interaction and they must lead as a model to others and develop confidence amongst their patients by appropriately dealing with their concerns. They can do this by keeping themselves up to date with the latest developments in the pharmaceutical industry. The media plays a key role in influencing public opinion regarding the quality of treatment and the variety of different drugs used to treat disease. Pharmacists should ensure that they are fully aware of such topics and can thoroughly answer any issues raised in their pharmacy. A good example of this is the advice that the pharmacists can offer to their patients in regards to their smoking habits. They can play a proactive role in identifying the fact that they smoke and then tailoring them to the appropriate smoking cessation schemes. This will improve the quality of pharmaceutical services, instilling confidence in the patient with the fact that pharmacist is an effective point of call. In recent years, provision of pharmacy services has shifted more towards pharmaceutical care along with medicine supply.[8] Although some personal and social barriers exist in pharmacist-patient communication[9] but the involvement of patients in their own care is helping to eliminate these barriers.[10] The quality of pharmaceutical care depends on the ability of the pharmacist. An outcome of the therapy can be improved if regular interactions are maintained between the pharmacist and the patient.[11] Many studies have shown that patients feel they benefit more if they maintain a regular contact with the pharmacist and they consider pharmacist to be an important source of information for medicines and minor ailments.[12][13][14] The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made a valuable contribution to the recognition of the importance of a pharmacist’s role worldwide, especially in quality assurance and the safe and effective administration of drugs.[15] WHO along with International Pharmaceutical Federation proposed a seven star pharmacist concept, which requires future pharmacists to possess specific knowledge, attitude, skills and behaviour.[16] In addition WHO recommends 1 pharmacist per 2000 population to ensure optimum benefit to the society from efficient provision of pharmaceutical services. Each pharmacist should be held accountable for the cost, quality and results of pharmaceutical care provided to the patients. Also they should be involved in decisions about health policies.[17] Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) Pharmacists can play a vital role in healthcare by preventing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) caused by overdosing, medication errors and non-adherence. ADRs include any undesirable outcome that can be attributed to the action of a drug. ADRs can cause various problems such as: the driving of further complications in existing disease, delaying the cure of a disease, mimicking other disease states. As a consequence this result in ineffective treatment as the drug induced problem goes unrecognised. Thus, causing patients to lose confidence in their pharmacist and the overall quality of their treatment. This demonstrates that ADRs are a driving force behind additional problems e.g 6.5% of hospital admissions are due to drug therapy problems.[18] 10% of patients admitted to acute hospitals experienced an adverse drug reaction. Half of these were considered preventable.[19] 14.7% of hospital in-patients are as a consequence of ADRs. ADRs are also a significant cause of morbidity thus increasing the length of stay of patients by an average of 0.25 days/patient per admission episode. The drugs most frequently associated with ADRs are diuretics, opioid analgesics, anticoagulants and NSAID’s.[20] These four drug groups account for 50% of all drug related admissions. As an example ADRs caused by NSAID’s account for 12,000 bleeding ulcers/year leading to 2,000 deaths/year.[21] Pharmacist’s Significance One of the very important aspects of this profession involves every professional working to their full potential to provide the best possible care and service to their customers. However, if a pharmacist does not provide the optimum attention and care to their patients then it can bring down the reputation and the effectiveness of the profession. Pharmacists are of utmost importance in ensuring that their attitude towards this side of the practice is as critical as ensuring the clinical and legal correctness of a prescription. This can not only correct the mistakes made while dispensing but ensure a significant benefit to the patient’s health from the therapy utilised to benefit the patient. A lack of consideration towards this aspect of the practice is harmful to the patient and the NHS as it will prolong the time required to manage and cure the conditions under treatment. Quality of services delivered by community pharmacies is mostly assessed by patient’s opinion and customer satisfaction surveys which are carried out as an integral component of the essential services through clinical governance.[22] The responsibility of ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines lies with the pharmacists whether it is community or hospital pharmacy. Pharmacists can fulfil this responsibility by counselling patients about their conditions and medications.[23] Precise role of the community pharmacist is defined by General Pharmaceutical Counsel (GPHC) and other professional pharmaceutical associations.[24] Public Perception of Community Pharmacist Public view of pharmacists is not that of healthcare advisors thus limiting pharmacist’s role and restricting them in providing beneficial services to the public. There is a need to educate public about the role a pharmacist could play in providing advice and guidance in minor ailments and pharmacists being the first line of approach when faced with a health related issue. Consumers who approach pharmacists are those who have previous experience of receiving help from pharmacists to treat minor ailments. Even then they don’t use pharmacists as first point of contact they normally tend to research and self-diagnose before seeking help from a healthcare professional such as a pharmacist. Thus this limits the role a pharmacist could play in giving advice and helping customers.[25] Patient-pharmacist interaction is an essential tool to discovering better strategies and methods that could be employed in everyday practice to make the service better and more useful. This can be done by asking for opinions from the patients about the services that they have received while attending a pharmacy. These can be used to evaluate the need for a new intervention and improve the quality of current services.[26] Also these observations can form a guideline when implementing improved strategies and referred to when measuring an improvement in the quality of service.[27] Customer Satisfaction Satisfaction has been defined as â€Å"the health care recipient’s reaction to salient aspects of his or her service experience†by Cleary and McNeil.[28] A study has defined customer satisfaction as an emotional response which relates to expectations and develops after consumption experience.[29] Throughout the world many studies have been conducted in to the role of the pharmacist and patient satisfaction from the community pharmacies. [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] A study in Qatar reported that public does not understand the role of community pharmacists as healthcare provider. [41] However, people in Maltese and Portuguese understand community pharmacist’s roles as a healthcare provider. [42] Public in Saudi Arabia appreciated pharmacists role and did approach them for advice. [43] Most Australians feel that pharmacist do not explain medication use properly. [44] Japanese customers would like direct communication with pharmacist and convenient opening hours. [45] A study in Canada reported high levels of customer satisfaction from the services provided by community pharmacies.[46] Hargie et al conducted a study in UK in 1992 to measure consumer perceptions and attitudes to community pharmacy services. They found that 32% of people considered pharmacists as business orientated, 26% considered pharmacists as health orientated and 42% considered them as both health and business. [47] Community pharmacies were highly rated in US by the pub lic in a survey in 1997. [48] A study by Larson et al. (2002) into patient satisfaction found that customers were more satisfied with the friendly approach by the staff than the pharmaceutical care by the pharmacists. [49] Another study by Cerulli (2002) reported that customers had a positive impression of community pharmacists and a foundation of customer-pharmacist relationship had been established. [50] The US national pharmacy consumer survey in 2002 reported high satisfaction with pharmacy services. [51] Most reports suggest that customers are satisfied with the pharmacist as drug experts and the services provided by community pharmacies. However some aspects can be improved such as the privacy, confidentiality and unequal treatment of customers.[52] This study can provide important information about patient’s perception of community pharmacies and the changes required to improve quality of performance. [1] http://psnc.org.uk/services-commissioning/essential-services/ [2] http://psnc.org.uk/services-commissioning/essential-services/ [3] Bluml BM. Definition of medication therapy management: development of professionwide consensus. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2005;45:566–572 [4] Hà ¤mmerlein A., Griese N., Schulz M. Survey of drug-related problems identified by community pharmacies. Ann Pharmacother. 2007;41(11):1825–1832. [PubMed] [5] Hepler C.D., Strand L.M.: Am. J. Hosp. Pharm. 47, 533 (1990). [6] Strand L.M.: J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 37, 474, (1997) [7]Gilbert L.: Curr. Sociol.49, 97 (2001). [8]. Kotecki J.E.: J. Commun. Health, 27, 291 (2002). Worley M.M. Schommer J.C., Brown L.M., Hadsall R.S., Ranelli P.L., Stratton T.P., Uden D.L.: Res. Social Adm. Pharm. 3, 47 (2007). [9]Paluck E.C., Green LW, Frankish CJ, Fielding DW, Haverkamp B: Eval. Health Prof. 26, 380 (2003). [10]Tio J., LaCaze A., Cottrell N.: Pharm. World Sci. 29, 73 (2007) [11]Nau D.P., Ried L.D., Lipowski E.E., Kimberlin C., Pendergast J., Spivey-Miller S.: J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 40, 36 (2000). [12]Tio J., LaCaze A., Cottrell N.: Pharm. World Sci. 29, 73 (2007). [13] [14]. Nau D.P., Ried L.D., Lipowski E.E., Kimberlin C., Pendergast J., Spivey-Miller S.: J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 40, 36 (2000). [15] Dunlop J.A., Shaw J.P.: Pharm. World Sci. 24, 224 (2002). [16]Zammit D.: Pharm. J. 271, 468 (2003). [17]Khan, R.A., Pharmacy education and healthcare.Dawn, Pakistan, June 29 (2007). [18]Pirmohamed et al, British Medical Journal2004; 329: 15-19 [19]Vincent C et al, British Medical Journal2001; 322: 517-519 (http://bmj.bmjjournals.com) [20](Davies EC et al PLoS ONE 2009; 4(2): e4439) [21](Davies EC et al PLoS ONE 2009; 4(2): e4439) [22] Ried LD, Wang F, Young H, Awiphan R. Patients’ satisfaction and their perception of the pharmacist. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash) 1999;39(6):835–842. [PubMed] [23] Hepler CD, Strand LM. Opportunities and responsibilities in pharmaceutical care. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1990;47:533–543. [PubMed] [24] FIP International Pharmaceutical Federation. URL: http://www.fip.org/community_pharmacy . [15 April 2014]. [25] Advice provided in British community pharmacies: what people want and what they get. Hassell K1, Noyce P, Rogers A, Harris J, Wilkinson J. [26] Kucukarslan S.N., Nadkarni A. Evaluating medication-related services in a hospital setting using the disconfirmation of expectations model of satisfaction. Res Social Dam Pharm. 2008;4(1):12–22. [PubMed] [27] Iqbal Z, Jalees AF, Khar Roop Krishen KR, Sushama T. Pharmacist as an Indispensable Part of Health Care System: A Survey, Outcome and Reflections. Indian J. Pharm. Educ. Res. 42(1), Jan- Mar, 2008:78–83. [28] Cleary PD, McNeil BJ. Patient satisfaction as an indicator of quality care. Inquiry. 1988;25(1):25-36. [PubMed] [29] Oparah A.C., Kikanme L.C. Consumer satisfaction with community pharmacies in Warri. Nigeria. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2006;2(4):499–511. [PubMed] [30] Wirth F., Tabone F., Azzopardi L.M., Gauci M., Zarb-Adami M., Serracino-Inglott A. Consumer perception of the community pharmacist and community pharmacy services in Malta. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research. 2010;1:189–194. [31] Cavaco A.M., Dias J.P., Bates I.P. Consumers’ perceptions of community pharmacy in Portugal: a qualitative exploratory study. Pharm World Sci. 2005;27(1):54–60. [PubMed] [32] Bawazir S.A. Consumer attitudes towards community pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia. Int J Pharm Pract. 2004;12:83–89. [33] Oritz M, Liden D, Thomas R, Morgan G, Morland R. The impact of professional services on pharmacy patronage: findings of a pharmacy practice foundation survey (Part 6) Aust J Pharm 1987; 68: 207–14. [34] Farris K.B., Stenton S.B., Samnani M., Samycia D. How satisfied are your patients? Can Pharm J. 2000;10:32–36. [35] Kamei M., Teshima K., Fukushima N., Nakamura T. Investigation of patients’ demand for community pharmacies: Relationship between pharmacy services and patient satisfaction. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2001;121(3):215–220. [PubMed] [36] Hargie O., Morrow N., Woodman C. Consumer perceptions of and attitudes to community pharmacy services. Pharm J. 1992;249:988–991. [37] Briesacher B., Corey R. Patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical services at independent and chain pharmacies. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 1997;54:531–536. [PubMed] [38] Larson L.N., Rovers J.P., MacKeigan L.D. Patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care: Update of a validated instrument. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2002;42:44–50. [PubMed] [39] Cerulli J. Patients’ perceptions of independent community pharmacists. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2002;42:279–282. [PubMed] [40] Stergachis A., Maine L.L., Brown L. The 2001 national pharmacy consumer survey. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2002;42:568–576. [PubMed] [41] El Hajj M.S., Salem S., Mansoor H. Public’s attitudes towards community pharmacy in Qatar: a pilot study. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2011;5:405–422. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [42] Wirth F., Tabone F., Azzopardi L.M., Gauci M., Zarb-Adami M., Serracino-Inglott A. Consumer perception of the community pharmacist and community pharmacy services in Malta. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research. 2010;1:189–194. [43] Bawazir S.A. Consumer attitudes towards community pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia. Int J Pharm Pract. 2004;12:83–89. [44] Oritz M, Liden D, Thomas R, Morgan G, Morland R. The impact of professional services on pharmacy patronage: findings of a pharmacy practice foundation survey (Part 6) Aust J Pharm 1987; 68: 207–14. [45] Farris K.B., Stenton S.B., Samnani M., Samycia D. How satisfied are your patients? Can Pharm J. 2000;10:32–36. [46] Kamei M., Teshima K., Fukushima N., Nakamura T. Investigation of patients’ demand for community pharmacies: Relationship between pharmacy services and patient satisfaction. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2001;121(3):215–220. [PubMed] [47] Hargie O., Morrow N., Woodman C. Consumer perceptions of and attitudes to community pharmacy services. Pharm J. 1992;249:988–991. [48] Briesacher B., Corey R. Patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical services at independent and chain pharmacies. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 1997;54:531–536. [PubMed] [49] Larson L.N., Rovers J.P., MacKeigan L.D. Patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care: Update of a validated instrument. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2002;42:44–50. [PubMed] [50] Cerulli J. Patients’ perceptions of independent community pharmacists. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2002;42:279–282. [PubMed] [51] Stergachis A., Maine L.L., Brown L. The 2001 national pharmacy consumer survey. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2002;42:568–576. [PubMed] [52] The Contribution of Community Pharmacy to Improving the Public’s Health (Anderson, Blenkinsopp Armstrong, Pharmacy Health Link, 2009) http://www.pharmacyhealthlink.org.uk/?q=evidence_base_reports>; [accessed 18.04.14].
Friday, September 20, 2019
The Self Reflection Paper English Language Essay
The Self Reflection Paper English Language Essay Since a young boy, I have always listened to my mothers advice or orders. She is the one who taught me at home, commanded me to do things, and especially punished me when I did something wrong, or forgot doing what she had told me to do. When punishing me, she always said, Next time, listen to me carefully. Therefore, to avoid the punishment, I always tried to listen to her attentively and to do what she asked me to do, and that affects my learning style today, in particular one in learning English. As I have recognized, I learn most by carefully listening to the lectures before I start doing things. But that is not the only learning style of mine. Trying to think hard to find the logical reasons is also another way that makes me learn most. In other words, my learning styles are Abstract Conceptualization and Reflective Observation, the combination of which is called Assimilator (Kolb, 1985). However, it depends on subject matters. For some particular learning activities, the most e ffective way to get the knowledge for me is to do and practice them, which Kolb (1985) refers to Active Experimentation. In terms of learning English, I will talk about my experience at Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL). Since the first year, when learning the content-based subjects, such as Introduction to Environment, Introduction to Sociology, Global Studies, and Literature studies, I have always tried to carefully listen to the lectures, and take some notes since they are always been the most effective for me to understand the lessons. In addition, when reading the textbooks, for the exam in particular, I usually do not try to memorize things, but to think critically to figure out the logical reasons or ways to explain them although they are the key terms. Trying to reason something or find ways to explain it always makes me understand the lesson more deeply and remember it longer. Memorization usually does not work with me. Some students may learn most by actually doing or experimenting thing right away, but I am not that kind. I like to study the whole thing, or observe people doing things first before I start doing myself. In learning grammar in Core English, for instance, I like deductive method by starting to study the rules and the usages of the grammar points before doing the exercises. At the same time, I also use inductive method whenever possible to create my own theories to understand or memorize the grammar points. For example, when learning the adjectives order, opinion + size + quality/character + age + shape + color + participles + origin + material + type + purpose (Foley Hall, 2003, p. 219), I try to create my own ways to memorize the order, by taking the initial(s) of each word, and cluster them. It becomes OS QASh CPOM TY. These clusters are those that are familiar with me, and therefore make me remember them easily (though the others may find them even more complicated than the origi nals). However, not all the skills do I learn these ways. For instance, learning to improve the four macro skills listening, reading, speaking, and writing, I have only one key word, practice. The more I practice these skills, the more I learn. To practice the skills, I also try to relate them to my hobby. For example, I like watching cartoons, so I always take this hobby to improve my listening skill. I watch mostly hilarious cartoons dubbed in English, which helps me not only relax but also improve the listening skill subconsciously. I also like reading novels, and short stories in English, especially the detective ones, and that helps me improve my reading skill. For speaking skill, I always try to practice speaking whenever possible. I always take opportunity to speak English to my friends, in particular Luy Vannda (Joe), who always reminds me to use English instead of Khmer when making a conversation. To improve writing skills, I just simply try hard to finish assignment or journals a ssigned by the lecturers. I do not seem to care much about finding other activities to improve this skill, but I always put much effort on writing each pieces. To me, trying to get things done like this helps me improve my writing skill a lot. In short, I called myself assimilator, for I learn most by observing, thinking critically, and forming my own ways of understanding things. I like to synthesize various ideas and observation into an integrated whole before I actually start doing things myself. I try to find logical and precise ways or theories to understand things. If I cannot find one, I am more unlikely to understand the lesson. Nevertheless, I do not apply this learning style to all types of learning skills. For some skills, like the four macro skills, I simply try to practice them as much as possible.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The Green Mile Essay -- Essays Papers
The Green Mile For my third quarter book report I read The Green Mile written by Stephen King. This book is about an old man, Paul Edgecomb, recalling his experiences when he worked as the cell block captain in Cold Mountain state penitentiary. Paul was the cell block captain of death row in this Alabama correctional institute. This story takes place in a nursing home. The narrator Paul is writing a book about when he was cell block captain in 1932. During the time he is writing his book he points out how people never change, how there is always the bully, and so on. He compares writing the book to a time machine. Both seem to take him back to 1932, and every lasdetail is clear. This book made me feel involved. As the reader you start off in the nursing home, with Paul, and ...
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein :: essays research papers
The Hobbit Title: The Hobbit Author: J.R.R. Tolkien Setting: The setting of the story takes place in the lands of Wilderland. It is through Wilderland that the hobbit and the dwarves travel to retrieve their lost treasure. As they move on through Wilderland, they encounter different people and different problems, making it more of an adventure. Characters: protagonists: Bilbo Baggins- he is the main character of story. The tiny hobbit is convinced by the great wizard Gandalf to undertake a long journey with thirteen dwarves to help them retrieve their lost treasure. Bilbo, at first, seems to be of no use to the dwarfs, almost getting them killed by the giant trolls. Eventually he shows his value to dwarves by saving them numerous times from death and imprisonment. Thorin- He is the most important dwarf. His father was the king under the mountain of Lonely Mountain. After the fall of his kingdom, the treasure that belonged to his father was lost to the evil dragon Smaug. He leads the other twelve dwarfs in hopes of regaining the treasure and his kingdom. Gandalf- He is the great wizard who helped organize the adventure. At first he travels with the dwarves and the hobbit but leaves them because he has other business to attend to. Beorn- is a large man who can change shapes into other animals. He lives by himself in large house with animals who he can speak to. He helps the dwarves and the hobbit after they have escaped from the goblins. He later joins them in the Battle of the Five Armies to help defeat the goblins and and the wargs. Bard- He is the man who slays Smaug and becomes the new master of the town where the men dwell on Long Lake. antagonists: the trolls (Bert, Tom, Bill)- they capture the dwarves and Bilbo with the intention of eating them. They are saved when Gandalf creates confusion between them (the trolls) allowing the adventurers to escape. Goblins- they also capture the adventurers but not before Thorin could kill the Great Goblin and then escape. This caused them to pursue the group and their anger towards them led to the cause the Battle of the Five Armies. Smaug- He is the evil dragon who takes over Lonely Mountain and all its gold within it. He is stirred from his sleep by Bilbo and while trying to destroy the town on the river, he is killed by Bard. Exposition: The general situation is revealed by the narrator who tells the story in the third person. The narrator makes direct comments usually explaining parts of the story that won't be made clear until later in the novel.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Gun Control Essay
â€Å"Should Private Gun Ownership Be Banned?†Widespread gun ownership in a community could provide a general deterrent to criminal predation, lowering the risk to owners and non-owners alike. But widespread gun ownership could also lead to increased risks of various sorts, including the possibility that guns will be misused by the owners or transferred to dangerous people through theft or unregulated sale. Whether the social costs of gun ownership are positive or negative is arguably the most fundamental question for the regulation of firearms in the United States. Gun control laws and policy vary greatly around the world. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have very strict limits on gun possession while others, such as the United States, have relatively modest limits. In some countries, the topic remains a source of intense debate with proponents generally arguing the dangers of widespread gun ownership, and opponents generally arguing individual rights of self-protection as well as individual liberties in general. So me in the United States view gun ownership as a civil right (Snyder i-ii), where the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. One of the earliest U.S. gun-control legislation at the state level were the black codes (laws that replaced the pre Civil War era slave codes which, among other things, prohibited black ownership of firearms) in an attempt to prevent blacks’ having access to the full rights of citizens, including rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment (Halbrook 108). Laws of this type later used racially neutral language to survive legal challenge, but were expected to be enforced against blacks rather than whites. Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, where 20 young children were killed, Wayne LaPierre, vice-president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) proposed, at an NRA press conference, that the solution to such tragedies is to place armed officers in schools, saying: â€Å"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun†(Washington post). LaPierre blamed the media, politicians in favor of gun-free zones, U.S. mental health services, and violent movies and video games for the shooting. He introduced an NRA-backed proposal to put armed guards in all schools in the U.S., which he called the National Model School Shield Program. In January 2013, the Newtown school board voted unanimously to ask for police officer presence in all of its elementary schools. A 2004 review by the National Research Council concluded that, â€Å"higher rates of household firearms ownership are associated with higher rates of gun suicide, that illegal diversions from legitimate commerce are important sources of crime guns and guns used in suicide, that firearms are used defensively many times per day, and that some types of targeted police interventions may effectively lower gun crime and violence†(Welford). Another review conducted in 2011 by the Firearm Injury Center at Penn determined that, â€Å"the correlation be tween firearm availability and rates of homicide is consistent across high income industrialized nations: in general, where there are more firearms, there are higher rates of homicide overall†. A 2004 review of the literature conducted by researchers at the Harvard Injury Control Research Center similarly found that, â€Å"a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries†(Homicide – Firearms Research). Reviews by the HICRC also assessed variation in gun ownership and violence in the United States and found that the same pattern held: states with higher gun ownership had higher rates of homicide, both gun-related and overall. A review published in 2011 found that the health risks of a gun in the home are greater than the benefits, based on evidence that the presence of guns increases the risk of completed suicides and evidence that guns increase the intimidation and murder rate of women (Hemenway 502). The researchers found no credible evidence that guns in the home reduce the severity of injury in a break-in or confrontation or act as a deterrent of assault. A p revious study (2003) had similarly found that the presence of a gun in the home significantly increased the risk of suicide and adult homicide (Wiebe 12). A number of studies have examined the correlation between rates of gun ownership and gun-related, as well as overall, homicide and suicide rates internationally. Martin Killias, in a 1993 study covering 21 countries, found that there were significant correlations between gun ownership and gun-related suicide and homicide rates. Gun control has a serious public health, political and economic concerns that need to be addressed respectively. HEALTH/SAFETY Every year, more than two thousand people die in the United States from gun-related injuries. The population groups most affected by these avoidable deaths are children and young adolescents. The misuse of firearms is a problem worldwide, of course. However, the incidence of firearm use does vary from country to country. According to the United Nations Report on Firearm Regulation, Crime Prevention, and Criminal Justice (1997), the United States has â€Å"weaker firearm regulations and higher numbers of deaths involving firearms than all other industrialized and even most developing nations.†The study also noted that the total firearm death rate in the United States in 1995 was 13.7 per 100,000 people, â€Å"three times the average rate among other responding countries and the third highest, after Brazil and Jamaica†. More than half the homes in the United States possess firearms, so it is hardly surprising that they rank among the â€Å"ten leading causes of death ac counting for more than 30,000 deaths annually†(Wintermute 3107). While most people have guns primarily for sporting activities, many owners also have them for personal protection and security purposes. The public health approach to violence prevention attempts not only to reduce the occurrence of violence, but also to limit the numbers of fatal and nonfatal injuries when such events occur. To prevent gun-related violence, indeed any type of violence, it is important to understand the dynamics of violence as well as the role of different kinds of weapons in both fatal and nonfatal injuries. Research from around the world indicates that socio-structural factor such as high unemployment rates, ethnic and religious hostilities, political instability, financial inequalities, lack of resources, and economic deprivation increase the likelihood of violence. When guns are readily available in such settings, or where legislation to curb their illegitimate use is lax or inappropriate, injuries are more likely to occur, intentional or otherwise. Individual factors can also precipitate violence, including the use of firearms. Substance and alcohol abuse, mental disorders, feelings of personal i nadequacy and social isolation, and an individual’s experience with violence in the home are among some of the factors that have been associated with violence. The more guns there are in circulation, the greater the likelihood that they will be misused. Hence, from a public health perspective, it is important to devise strategies which aim to ensure that those in possession of arms use them for legitimate purposes and not for violent or criminal acts. There are a variety of ways of dealing with the problems caused by guns in society, and legislation is one of the methods most commonly used. Franklin Zimring has noted that laws that regulate gun use fall into three categories: those that limit the place and the manner of firearm use, those that keep guns out of the hands of high-risk users, and those that ban high risk firearms. Place and manner legislation sets out to do as it suggests, to limit certain uses of firearms in certain locations. Examples include banning the use of firearms in public places and prohibiting the carrying of a firearm (except for those carried by security personnel and police). This legislation is difficult to impl ement, however, without the active support of the police force, and that support requires additional funding to make sure that police monitor potentially violent events. Successful place and manner legislation has been implemented in the country of Columbia, where firearms are involved in 80 percent of homicides. Here, an innovative gun control intervention was implemented by the Program for Development, Security, and Peace (DESEPAZ), in collaboration with the Mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third largest city. A police-enforced ban was introduced in Cali that prohibited carrying firearms on weekends, public paydays, public holidays, and election days because â€Å"such periods were historically associated with higher rates of homicide†(Villaveces 1206). Media-led information campaigns informed the public of the new gun control measure. On the days when the ban was in operation, police set up strategically located checkpoints in areas of the city where criminal activities were commonplace, and they conducted random searches of individuals. â€Å"During the ban, police policy directed that if a legally acquired firearm was found on an individual, the weapon was to be temporarily taken from the individual and the individual fined. Individuals without proof of legally acquiring the firearm were to be arrested and the firearm permanently confiscated†(Villaveces1206). Denying high-risk users access to firearms is the second type of legislative tool to control gun misuse. In order for this approach to work, the law has to define clearly who falls into the category of â€Å"high-risk user.†The term is usually applied to convicted criminals, those deemed â€Å"mentally unfit,†and to drug addicts. It also applies to minors. Such legislation attempts to make it difficult for members of these groups to possess a firearm. Every year, in developed and developing countries across the globe, thousands of children and young adolescents die while playing with loaded guns. Additionally, studies have shown that adolescents are vulnerable in terms of firearm misuse and successful suicide attempts. In the United States between 1965 and 1985 â€Å"the rate of suicide involving firearms increased 36 percent, whereas the rate of suicide involving other methods remained constant. â€Å"Among adolescents and young adults, rates of suicide by firearms doubled during the same period†(Kellermann 467). Restricting minors the access to have weapons can help to reduce these events. Many states now attempt to prevent high-risk groups from obtaining firearms by identifying â€Å"ineligible†individuals before they can acquire a gun. Minors would obviously fall into this category. â€Å"The screening system included in U.S. legislation known as the Brady Bill which permits police to determine whether a pros pective gun purchaser has a criminal record. If the check turns up nothing the purchaser can obtain the gun†(Zimring 53). The third legislative strategy used to combat the misuse of firearms is to introduce legislation regulating the use of very dangerous weapons. Such â€Å"laws limit the supply of high risk weapons†and â€Å"can complement the strategy of decreasing high risk uses and users†(Zimring 53). Such supply reduction laws â€Å"strive to make the most dangerous guns so scarce that potential criminals cannot obtain them easily†(Zimring 52). They also set out rigid requirements that must be met to prove that possession of such a weapon is necessary. Sawed-off shotguns, machine guns, and certain military devices are the kinds of weapons covered by this type of legislation. Research into this area in the United States has shown that states in which such strict laws operate have lower levels of violent crime than states that do not. Another means of legislating for firearm misuse is to introduce stiff penalties for criminals caught using firearms. â€Å"More than half of t he states in the USA have passed such laws. This approach is popular with gun owners because the penalties concern only gun related crime and place no restrictions on firearm ownership†(Zimring 52). ECONOMICS After the school massacre in Newtown, everyone has been putting out proposals for how to reduce gun violence. President Obama created an inter-agency task force. The NRA asked for armed guards in every school and now economists are weighing in with their own, number-heavy approaches (Washington post). In the United States, there are an average of 32,300 deaths (the majority of which are suicide) and approximately 69,000 injuries annually most common in poor urban areas and frequently associated with gang violence, often involving male juveniles or young adult males, with an estimated annual cost of $100 billion(Bjerregaard and Alan 37). American society remains deeply divided over whether more restrictive gun control policies would save lives and prevent injuries. Scholars agree the rate of gun violence in the United States is higher than many developed OECD countries that practice strict gun control. The United States’ low life expectancy (relative to other wealthy countries) may be attributable to guns, with a reduction in average American lifespan of 104 days (Lemaire, 359). Disagreement exists among academics on the question of whether a causal relationship between gun availability and violence exists, and which, if any, gun controls would effectively lower gun related violence. Cook and Ludwig created a data set that used the number of suicides by firearm in a county as a proxy for gun ownership and checked it against a variety of existing survey data. They figured out the â€Å"social cost†of owning a gun. The two economists determined that a greater prevalence of guns in an area was associated with an increase in the murder rate, but not other types of violent crimes (guns, the authors argue, lead to â€Å"an intensification of criminal violence†). Why does this happen? One possibility: The two economists found evidence that if there are more legal guns in an area, it’s more likely that those guns will be transferred to â€Å"illegal†owners. When the two economists added up the costs of gun ownership, more injuries and m ore homicides and weighed them against various benefits, they concluded that the average household acquiring a gun imposed a net cost on the rest of society of somewhere between $100 to $1,800 per year (379-382). Now, normally when economists come across a product that has a negative externality like cigarettes or coal-fired plants, they recommend taxing or regulating it, so that the user of the product internalizes the costs that he or she is imposing on everyone else. In this case, an economist might suggest slapping a steeper tax on guns or bullets. Others might object that this isn’t fair. There are responsible gun owners and irresponsible gun owners. Not everyone with a gun imposes the same costs on society. Why should the tax be uniform? And that brings us to John Wasik’s recent essay at Forbes. Instead of a tax on guns, he recommends that gun owners be required to purchase liability insurance (Washington post). Different gun owners would pay different rates, depending on the risks involved. Who pays the least for gun insurance would be least likely to commit a crime with it. Economist John Lott, in his book More Guns, Less Crime, provides data showing that laws allowing law-abiding citizens to carry a gun legally in public may cause reductions in crime because potential criminals do not know who may be carrying a firearm. The data for Lott’s analysis came from the FBI’s crime statistics for all 3,054 US counties (Lott 50). University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt argues in his paper, Under standing Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors that Explain the Decline and Six that Do Not, that available data indicate that neither stricter gun control laws nor more liberal concealed carry laws have had any significant effect on the decline in crime in the 1990s. A comprehensive review of published studies of gun control, released in November 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was unable to determine any statistically significant effect resulting from such laws, although the authors suggest that further study may provide more conclusive information. Fully automatic firearms are legal in most states, but have requirements for registration and restriction under federal law. The National Firearms Act of 1934 required approval of the local police chief, federally registered fingerprints, federal background check and the payment of a $200 tax for initial registration and for each transfer. The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibited imports of all nonsporting firearms and created several new categories of restricted firearms. A provision of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 prohibited further registry of machine guns manufactured after it took effect. The result has been a massive rise in the price of machine-guns available for private ownership, as an increased demand chases the fixed, pre-1986 supply. For example, the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine-gun, which may be sold to law enforcement for about $1,000, costs a private citizen about $5,000 (Stewart). POLITICS Gun politics addresses safety issues and ideologies related to firearms through criminal and noncriminal use. Gun politics deals with rules, regulations, and restrictions on the use, ownership, as well as distribution of firearms. Gun control laws and policy vary greatly around the world. Some countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom or Germany, have very strict limits on gun possession while others, such as the United States, have relatively lenient limits. Most nations hold the power to protect them, others, and police their own territory as a fundamental power vested by sovereignty. However, this power can be lost under certain circumstances: some countries have been forced to disarm by other countries, upon losing a war, or by having arms embargos or sanctions placed on them. Likewise, nations that violate international arms control agreements, even if claiming to be acting within the scope of their national sovereignty, may find themselves with a range of penalties or sa nctions regarding firearms placed on them by other nations. National and regional police and security services enforce their own gun regulations. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) supports the United States’ International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) program â€Å"to aggressively enforce this mission and reduce the number of weapons that are illegally trafficked worldwide from the United States and used to commit acts of international terrorism, to subvert restrictions imposed by other nations on their residents, and to organized crime and narcotics-related activities. The issue of firearms has, at times, taken a high-profile position in United States culture and politics. Mass shootings (like the Columbine High School massacre, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and Virginia Tech massacre) have continually ignited political debates about gun control in the United States. According to a 2012 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 10% of Americans support banning all guns except for police and authorized personnel, 76% support gun ownership with some restrictions, and 10% support gun ownership with no restrictions. Michael Bouchard, Assistant Director/Field Operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, estimates, there are 5,000 gun shows annually in the United States. In 1959, the Gallup poll showed that 59% of Americans supported banning handgun possession. In 2011, the Gallup poll showed that 26% supported banning handgun possession. In 1990, the Gallup poll showed that 78% of Americans supported stricter laws on gu n sales than existed at the time, 17% felt the laws were fine as they were, and 2% supported less strict laws. In 2011, the Gallup poll showed that 43% supported stricter laws on gun sales, 44% felt the laws were fine as they were, and 11% supported less strict laws. In 2001, the Gallup poll showed that 51% of Americans preferred that current gun laws be enforced more strictly. In 2011, it was 60% (Gallup politics). A 2009 CNN/ORC poll found 39% favored stricter gun laws, 15% favored less strict gun laws, and 46% preferred no change. CNN reported that the drop in support (since the 2001 Gallup poll) came from self-identified independents and Republicans, with support among Democrats remaining consistent. There is a sharp divide between gun-rights proponents and gun-control proponents. This leads to intense political debate over the effectiveness of firearm regulation. Democrats are more likely to support stricter gun control than are Republicans. In an online 2010 Harris Poll, of Democrats, 70% favored stricter gun control, 7% favored less strict gun control, and 14% preferred neither. Of Republicans, 22% favored stricter control, 42% favored less strict control, and 27% preferred neither (Krane 1-2). In the same 2011 Gallup poll, 55% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents had a gun in their household compared to 40% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Of Republicans an d Republican-leaners, 41% personally owned a gun. Of Democrats and Democratic-leaners, 28% personally owned a gun (Gallup politics). Incidents of gun violence and self-defense have routinely ignited bitter debate. 12,632 murders were committed using firearms and 613 persons were killed unintentionally in 2007 (CDC 89). Surveys have suggested that guns are used in crime deterrence or prevention around 2.5 million times a year in the United States (LaPierre 23). In 2004, the NAACP filed suit against 45 gun manufacturers for creating what it called a â€Å"public nuisance†through the â€Å"negligent marketing†of handguns, which included models commonly described as Saturday night specials. The suit alleged that handgun manufacturers and distributors were guilty of marketing guns in a way that encouraged violence in black and Hispanic neighborhoods. The NAACP lawsuit and several similar suits, some brought by municipalities seeking reimbursement for medical cost associated with criminal shootings were dismissed in 2003. Gun-rights groups, most notably the National Rifle Association, portrayed it as â€Å"nuisance suits,†aimed at driving gun manufacturers (especially smaller firms) out of business through court costs alone, as damage awards were not expected. These suits prompted the passage of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) in October 2005. On January 22, 2013, Congressman Adam Schiff introduce d a bill in U.S. House of Representatives to counter the PLCAA, the The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act. CONCLUSION Since the days of the pioneers, guns have been around as part of the tradition in countries such as the United States of America (USA), Switzerland and Canada. In recent years, issues concerning the ownership and possession of private guns have become a hotly debated topic in these societies because of the rapid growth of gun crimes. However, guns are still valuable for self-defence. Allowance of private gun ownership can decrease crime rates and a gun abolition policy will produce unwanted outcomes to society. One of the arguments against banning private gun ownership is that allowing private use of guns is effective for self-protection. If a person carries a weapon, it can be used as self-defence against criminals. It is believed that citizens who are unarmed have higher chances to be targeted and assaulted by criminals as most lawbreakers would want to reduce their risks when committing crimes. The supporters of total gun confiscation argue that police who are allowed to carry fir earms will be able to stop the crimes. Americans are finally beginning to have a serious discussion about guns. One argument we’re hearing is the central pillar of the case for private gun ownership: that we are all safer when more individuals have guns because armed citizens deter crime and can defend themselves and others against it when deterrence fails. Those who don’t have guns, it’s said, are free riders on those who do, as the criminally disposed are less likely to engage in crime the more likely it is that their victim will be armed. When most citizens are armed, as they were in the Wild West, crime doesn’t cease. The criminals get better. There’s some sense to this argument, for even criminals don’t like being shot. But the logic is faulty, and a close look at it leads to the conclusion that the United States should ban private gun ownership entirely, or almost entirely. One would think that if widespread gun ownership had the robust deterrent effects that gun advocates claim it has, our country would be free of crime than other developed societies. But it’s not. When most citizens are armed, as they were in the Wild West, crime doesn’t cease. Instead, criminals work to be better armed, more efficient in their use of guns (â€Å"quicker on the draw†), and readier to use them. When this happens, those who get guns may be safer than they would be without them, but those without them become progressively more vulnerable. Gun advocates have a solution to this: the unarmed must arm themselves. But when more citizens get guns, further problems arise: people who would once have got in a fistfight instead shoot the person who provoked them; people are shot by mistake or by accident. And with guns so plentiful, any lunatic or criminally disposed person who has a sudden and perhaps only temporary urge to kill people can simply help himself to the contents of Mom’s gun cabinet. Perhaps most important, the more people there are who have guns, the less effective the police become. As more private individuals acquire guns, the power of the police declines and personal security becomes a matter of self-help. For the police to remain effective in a society in which most of those they must confront or arrest are armed, they must, like criminals, become better armed, more numerous, and readier to fire. But if they do that, guns won’t have produced a net reduction in the power of the government but will only have generated enormous private and public expenditures, leaving the balance of power between armed citizens and the state as it was before, the unarmed conspicuously worse off, and everyone poorer except the gun industry. The logic is as more private individuals acquire guns, the power of the police declines, personal security becomes more a matter of self-help, and the unarmed have an increasing incentive to get guns, until everyone is armed. The logic of private gun possession is thus similar to that of the nuclear arms race. When only one state gets nuclear weapons, it enhances its own security but reduces that of others, which have become more vulnerable. The other states the n have an incentive to get nuclear weapons to try to restore their security. As more states get them, the incentives for others increase. If eventually all get them, the potential for catastrophe whether through irrationality, misperception, or accident is great. Each state’s security is then much lower than it would be if none had nuclear weapons. But, as with nuclear weapons, we would all be safer if no one had guns or, rather, no one other than trained and legally constrained police officers. Gun advocates sometimes argue that a prohibition would violate individuals’ rights of self-defense. Imposing a ban on guns, they argue, would be tantamount to taking a person’s gun from her just as someone is about to kill her. But this is a defective analogy. Although a prohibition would deprive people of one effective means of self-defense, it would also ensure that there would be far fewer occasions on which a gun would be necessary or even useful for self-defense. Guns are only one means of self-defense and self-defense is only one means of achieving security against attack. It is the right to security against attack that is fundamental. In other Western countries, per capita homicide rates, as well as rates of violent crime involving guns, are a fraction of what they are in the United States (New York Times). Gun advocates claim it has nothing to do with our permissive gun laws or our customs and practices involving guns. If they are right, should we conclude that Americans are simply inherently more violent, more disposed to mental derangement, and less moral than people in other Western countries? If you resist that conclusion, you have little choice but to accept that our easy access to all manner of firearms is a large part of the explanation of why we kill each at a much higher rate than our counterparts elsewhere. REFERENCES Mcmahan J. The Stone: Why Gun ‘Control’ Is Not Enough. The New York Times December 19, 2012, 1:03 pm. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/why-gun-control-is-not-enough/. 5th April 2013. Kellermann A. L., Rivara F. P., Somes G., Reay D. T. â€Å"Suicide in the Home in Relation to Gun Ownership.†New England Journal of Medicine 327.7 (1992): 467-72. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1308093. 10th April, 2013. Villaveces A., Cummings P., Espitia V. E., Koepsell T. 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