Free Labor And Slave Labor Essay - 1540 Words

Capitalism was the sole purpose for being the cause of an exponential use of slaves in all aspects of production. Notably, it involved an economic system whose basis originates from private ownership of all the means of production as well as the production of goods and services majorly meant for profit. With characteristics such as accumulation of capital, labor, private property ownership, and competitive market. Therefore, there was a great need for means of production hence slavery. However, there is a close relationship between free and slave labor as used in production. The paper uses â€Å"Capitalism and Slavery† (William, 1961) as a primary source material to compare the profitability of free labor and slave labor through an in-depth discussion of the role the African slavery played in the development of capitalism in the New World. Free labor and slave labor both have profits in the production process and would be applied differently at various places. For instance, sl ave labor was profitable in activities in which little skills and versatility in production process were required. It is worth noting that, the use of slave labor to cultivate a fresh soil is more profitable than the use of free men in the cultivation of an exhausted land. However, the use of slave labor was the option at the earlier stages of development of colonies, although slaved labor was unskillful, given reluctantly, and lacks versatility (Eltis, 2000). Moreover, use of slave labor were not moral butShow MoreRelatedThe Morality Of Slave Labor Versus Free Market Capitalism1095 Words   |  5 Pagesabout the morals of slave labor versus free market capitalism. Abolitionists tended to support capitalism, or even socialism, and would argue that slave labor is immoral. Supporters of slavery would argue that Christianity allowed for slave labor, and it also created a more equal society; one much closer to the socialist dream than European philosophers could hope for. The image of â€Å"Lowell Offering† depicts free market labor in which the worker is paid for the fruits of their labor. â€Å"Slavery Justified†Read MoreThe Ancient Greek Civilization Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagescivilizations was founded upon the shoulders of slave labor has gone around for ages despite scholastic efforts to counter the assertion. Nevertheless, it is vital to consider a particular civilization as a case study in order to really unearth the truth behind such assertion. For example the Greek Civilization, studies indicate that Greece may have surpassed many other civilizations of its time, especially concerning acquisition and use of forced labor (Cuffel page 323). Amazingly, research effortsRead MoreWhich Greek Civilization Was Based On Slave Labor Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesThe Extent To Which Greek Civilization Was Based On Slave Labor The assumption that all of the formidable early civilizations were founded upon the shoulders of slave labor has gone round for ages despite scholastic efforts to counter the assertion from time immemorial. Nevertheless, it is vital to consider a particular civilization as a case study in order to really unearth the truth behind such sentiments. Taking for example the Greek civilization, studies indicate that Greece may have surpassedRead MoreB Du Bois s Black Reconstruction1408 Words   |  6 Pagestheir Black slaves. Black slaves were the most exploited group during Black Reconstruction; however, despite being the most exploited group of people in America, White workers were also exploited which lead to the groups having two different movements. Black slaves were the most exploited group in America during the time preceding the Civil War by planters and White workers. Du Bois viewed the Black person as the most exploited person in capitalism because he formed â€Å"that mass of labor which had neitherRead MoreThe New World During The 19th Century Essay1607 Words   |  7 PagesBefore labor become modernized, it was a means to construct the New World during its formation in the late fifteenth century. After Christopher Columbus and the Spaniards discovered what would now be called the Americas, the use of labor became intensely racialized during the centuries to follow. This foreign land became a new territory in which the Europeans believed they could control to gain wealth and power. The manpower used to construct the European settlements included certain forms of coercedRead MoreSlavery : Slavery And Slavery901 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans to Jamestown, Virginia. The slaves came to Jamestown to work on the tobacco pla ntations. The slaves were also sent to other colonies such as South Carolina to work on the cotton plantations. Slaves were people who worked for no pay. This caused the land owners to make more profit from their plantations because they didn’t have to pay their workers. Southern slave owners, specifically in South Carolina, relied on slavery as a major part of their economy. ​When slaves came to Virginia many laws wereRead MoreThe Root Of The War Between The States1441 Words   |  6 Pagessocial class, and labor. These four issues, how they interacted, evolved, how the North and South viewed them is what laid the foundation of the road to war and beyond. However before addressing the beyond the paper will address the South’s viewpoint. Central to the South’s perception was the institution of slavery. Slavery was the keystone of Southern society, almost everything pertaining to the Southern way of life was touched by slavery. At the time South the basis for being a slave was race. Of allRead MoreSlavery 1680-18601039 Words   |  5 Pagesthey had freedom, agreements to be released from indentured servants and free with rights. Indentured servants were quite scarce and expensive and the issue of equal rights presented a major challenge to developing slave states like Virginia. Indentured servants slowly became life long servants, having no chance of release at a certain age. By 1660, laws were being enacted that defined the regulated slave relations. By 1680, slaves were chattel, nothing but property sold as commodities and traded. WithRead MoreLabor As An Agent Of Production And The Differences Of Productive Labor And Unproductive Labor1235 Words   |  5 PagesIn this paper, I will discuss labor as an agen t of production and the differences of productive labor and unproductive labor. Labor condition will capture slavery to the wages in economy. The labor production has tailored for human use, to use to an operations or positions. When it came to making bread, labor for the baker was equal to the labor for the miller which make the produced for the baker? When it comes to employment for substance such as corn, flour and wheat involves more than one stateRead MoreThe Kansas- Nebraska Act Essay1085 Words   |  5 Pagesthe American political arena with is idea of popular sovereignty, his bill convinced non-Democratic Northern party factions to join together and oppose the Democratic power in American politics. The non-democratic parties that join forces were the Free-soilers, Anti- Nebraska Whigs, Anti- Nebraska Democrats, Nativist groups and Abolitionists. These groups created the Republican Party. The Republican Party unlike parties before it was a purely sectional party. The Republican Party made its first

My Philosophy of Life Free Essays

My philosophy of life Is quite simple. When I was younger, I would always be more focused on the things that people had. I would look at my other cousins, and since the parents had better jobs than my mom, they would have nicer clothes, or the newest v died games before I did all the time. We will write a custom essay sample on My Philosophy of Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now This would make me feel really self conscious through hoot my childhood, not necessarily because I was worried about not getting as much as they would. When I turned 16 and goat Job, I had decided that I was going to save all my money, and eventually get all the nice things that my cousins had. It was at this same time to o, that I had started to fall In love with the Idea of going to concerts, and finding new music to listen to. I would be spending all my money on concerts, and would never have anything concur et to tangibly have with my money, and my cousins would still have all these nice possess ones they could hold onto. I had the experiences that they didn’t, but they were Just embedded in my mind, and they could physically touch and use theirs, it didn’t seem fair. When I had decided to move to Florida to visit my step dad for a few months before moving to Boston to go to Emerson College, that was when my perspective changed. Were at a hot spring south of our town of residence Call, called Alexander Springs. How to cite My Philosophy of Life, Papers

Advanced Financial Accounting for DelGro- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theAdvanced Financial Accountingfor Comfort DelGro. Answer: Introduction Comfort DelGro Corporation Limited is identified to be the market leader of the private coach services and the public scheduled bus sectors in the Singapore. The public listed subsidiary SBS Transit Ltd is depicted to be operating at the fleet of about 3448 buses and 255 bus routes are considered. It also comprises of the 205 bus services, 23 niche bus services and 25 premium bus services (Welch, 2014). The Comfort DelGro Corporation Limited consists of the 350 fleet buses with including the buses that are belonging to the subcontractors. Comfort DelGRo Corporation Limited operates in seven countries such as Singapore, China, UK, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Ireland. The company always tries to maintain a good relationship with their investors and with shareholders by providing them with the correct information at the correct time. The literature which is being explained in this report is consisting of the changes to the accounting requirements is affecting the company or the no t along with the judging the effects revealed on the financial statements as presented by the company (Bacon, 2010). The pros and the cons are also discussed at the end of this report which justifies the effect created by the company. Henceforth the primary objective is being defined in the form of the literature as provided in this report. Changes to Accounting Requirements The most important thing which is being observed in the form of the changes in the IAS 17 and IFRS 16 is that the way of bringing the operating lease into the account of the balance sheet which is being produced by the companies. As under the IAS 17, a lessee is not obligated to be presenting the report of the assets and the liabilities from the operating leases. But in the case of the IFRS 16, a lessee is obligated to be presenting the report of the assets and the liabilities in the financial statements in the form of the operating leases (Arnold, 2012). IFRS-enabled this for the purpose of recognizing the arising rights and the values of the assets and the liabilities as it is being represented on the balance sheet. IAS 17: It shows operating lease which is presented off balance in the form of the single expenses. The finance lease is only being represented in the balance sheet. IFRS16: It shows the recognition of the operating lease which is being used for recognizing the assets and the liabilities on the balance sheet. The operating lease is being presented in the form for the purpose of reporting the depreciation and the interests separately (Correia, 2005). Effects on Financial Statements The new lease rules stated in the IFRS 16 will impose a significant impact on the financial statements of the ComforDelGro. The financial statement should show recognition, measurement and disclosures of the leases. The company has to disclose the financial information about the leasing of the assets. The company has to recognize the values of the leasing, impairment losses and depreciation charges (Besley, 2016). The company has to recognize the value of the items on the basis of the transfer of rewards and risks. The financial statements of the company show the details of the leases and also all the details of transaction. The lessee has to recognize all the assets and liabilities and the lessor has to classify leases as finance or operating. The value of both the group and company has been decreased from the year 2015 to 2016 which means that some of the assets have been removed or dismantled. Thus, according to the new lease standard, the company has to show the changes in their balance sheet (Dauber, 2005). The company has to evaluate under the recognition principle of the costs of the assets and liabilities. The assets, liabilities, capital, income, cash flow, are included in the financial statements. The shareholders would be able to determine and evaluate the valuation of the lease account. These new amendments drop significant impact on the preparation of the financial statements of the companies, and the ComfortDelgro is also affected by these new changes. The new standard can be beneficial in both accounting and operational aspects of ComfortDelgro (Emery, Finnerty and Stowe, 2011). The arrangement of the new leases can be more competitive and can decrease the risk of the companies. The effects of the changing accounting standards are related to the management processes and the adjustment mechanism of the company. The effect is also linked to the investors, before investing money they will be able to know about the value of the company due to the implementation of the new lease standard. The balance sheet should show the value of the asset which will provide appropriate information. Financing leases and the focus to the real cost of the lease assets is the effect of the International Financial Reporting Standard 16 (IFRS16). The auditors represent the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and they have to follow the standard. The audit evidence obtains the sufficient and appropriate information to provide a fair view of financial statement (Helbk, Lindset, and McLellan, 2010). The implementation of the new leases has a significant effect on the preparation of the financial statements. It is effective in the identification of the compound and judgmental leases arrangement. Based on the figure of the business the new standard is useful in the making of significant differences in the assets ratio. In the case ComfortDelgro, the effects of the new standard will be felt across and have an impact on the risk management plans. According to the financial decla ration of the ComfortDelGro Company, the board of director represents the financial position as per the report. It affects the non-parametric analysis of the financial ratio and the calculating other ratio. Without depending on the leases intensity, the International Financial Reporting Standard 16 (IFRS16) affects the assets value of the companies. The effect of IFRS16 may be more than the expected value which is considered as the minimum lease payment declared by IFRS16 (Horngren, 2013). It is useful in the risk management, financial, operational control and in the other processes. It has an impact on the advanced financial accounting which facilitates the analysis of the financial results. So in the application of the new leases IFRS16 rather than the old one, IAS17 is more profitable than before. The investors will be able to get the appropriate value of the leases and classification of lease. The calculation of the financial ratios will be changed on the basis of new standard r equirements, and the shareholders will get an accurate result of the financial statements. Effects on ComforDelGro The changes in the standard will impose significant impact on the financial statements of the company. It evaluates the items on recognition of the lease costs and its classification. The price of the items of ComfortDelgro can be measured reliably. The impact of the changes in new lease requirements in retail is expected to be mostly significantly, and it impacts ComfortDelgro substantially (Mott, 2008). The new standard has brought the biggest change in the making of financial reports according to the standards if the assets are bought and financed with debt, the assets and liabilities arising from the lease must be brought onto a lease balance sheet. Hence, the company ComfortDelgros material off-balance sheet leases that IFRS 16 is projected to better results in an increase of financial liabilities and lease assets. According to the IASB expects key financial ratios derived from a ComfortDelgro reported to some assets and liabilities to change. Hence, the lease the finance lease receivable along with the vehicles procured under finance lease plans are considered as finance lease of the company ComfortDelGro. The arrangement of the expenditure related to leases and other some effects (Oppermann, 2009). The new standard removes the differentiation of operating lease and finance lease and all lease are treating as the finance lease. The appreciation of the expense is related to rent and own lease and as well as the portfolio of contracts. The dimension of the increase in service of profit and finance costs that depends on the suggestion of leasing to ComfortDelgro and measurement or the discount rates applied (Rahman, 2015). The new IFRS 16 standard has brought the principles that are used for detection, measurement plus disclosure of the lease. The reduction of the leased asset will be documented on a straight-line basis that outflow decreases over the contract terms as upon the rent due to responsibility decreases. Under at the new normal, a lease is agreement or part of a contract that conveys to use the right asset for an extended period in replace for reflection. Reduction operating cost and interest expenses cannot be collective in the income declaration. Attention expenditure is presented based on an accounting policy election that by IAS 7 Statement of cash flows. To obtain all of the economic benefits from the utilization of the identified asset, the use of the directly identified asset significantly made. Lesser are required to apply IFRS 15 to distribute the consideration in the agreement. Many contracts of ComfortDelgro contain a lease engaged with a concurrence to obtain or sell other goods or services. It is required to originally be familiar with lease liability for the responsibility to make lease payments and use of right assets to use the underlying asset for the lease term (Parrino, 2015). Use of safe assets is subjected to mutilation testing under IAS 36 Impairment of assets. The new lease rule effect on the gearing ratio of ComfortDelgro as it changes the liabilities of the company, so the debt ratio of the is also changed. Moreover, due to the changes in debt the financial position of ComfortDelgro is also changed. Lessees create the contractibility to reflect concentration and decrease the liability and to imitate on lease payments made. For an individual off balance sheet lease, the expenditure recognized was typically the same in each of the periods throughout the lease term that ComfortDelgro known as operating lease expenses characteristically on a straight line basis. The related use of a true asset is depreciated in agreement with the depreciation requi rements of assets. Lessees premeasured the contract obligation upon the incident of individual actions. Use of right assets presented unconnectedly from the other assets on the balance sheet or disclosed separately in notes (Rayman, 2013). For operating leases, lesser continues to be familiar with the underlying asset. The new standard will require ComfortDelgro to do more than just exchange its obtainable operation lease commitments that expos to reproduce lease assets and liabilities. These actions will need participation from a selection of departments across ComfortDelgro. The cost to put into practice and carry on to meet the terms of new leases standard could be substantial for most lessees. Conclusion The change in the lease standards is representing that the company had to show all the details of the leases in the balance sheet as per the standards of the IFRS 16 (Schroeder, Clark and Cathey, 2011). The pros and the cons of the changes are surrounding the discussion which is revolving around the effect on the financial statements and the effect on the selected company is depicted to be showing that the investors are benefitted by this a lot since, they can have each and every detailed information of the company's assets which will be listed on the balance sheet (Tracy, 2013). The values and classification of the leases will be determined and evaluated by the shareholders. References Arnold, G. (2012).Corporate financial management. Harlow, England: Pearson. Bacon, F. (2010).Corporate financial management. Acton, MA: Copley Custom Textbooks. Besley, S. (2016).Corporate finance. [Place of publication not identified]: Cengage Learning. Correia, C. (2005).Corporate financial management. Cottesloe, W.A.: Skystone Investments. Dauber, N. (2005).2006 Auditing standards. Canada: Thomson. Emery, D., Finnerty, J. and Stowe, J. (2011).Corporate financial management. Morristown, NJ: Wohl Publishing. Helbk, M., Lindset, S. and McLellan, B. (2010).Corporate finance. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press/McGraw-Hill Education. Horngren, C. (2013).Accounting. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Australia. Mott, G. (2008).Accounting fro Non-Accountants (7th Edition). London, GBR: Kogan Page, Limited. Oppermann, H. (2009).Accounting standards. Lansdowne: Juta. Parrino, R. (2015).Corporate Finance. Singapore: John Wiley Sons. Rahman, N. (2015).Corporate Finance. North Ryde: McGraw-Hill Australia. Rayman, R. (2013).Accounting Standards. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Schroeder, R., Clark, M., and Cathey, J. (2011). Financial accounting theory and analysis. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Tracy, J. (2013).Accounting for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Welch, I. (2014).Corporate finance. Los Angeles: Ivo Welch.

The Electoral College Essays (2003 words) - Voting Systems

The Electoral College When the Constitutional Convention gathered in 1784 they had the difficult task of determining how our government should be assembled and what systems we should use to elect them. They quickly decided congress should have the powers to pass laws and the people should elect these people to ensure they are following the will of the people. But who should elect the president? Congress was the initial choice of most of the framers, but then they realized they first dilemma; by having congress elect the president, he would be loyal only to congress and not the people. The second and most logically thought was to have the people elect the president. However, this too was a problem in the eyes of most of the framers. They felt that people were prone to being rash and emotional and therefore could not be trusted to make a wise decision. So then congress settled on the final choice, which was to be a compromise between the smaller and larger states, which would ensure that the president would be fairly and wisely selected and that smaller states would have the same power as larger states. This system is called the Electoral College. In the Electoral College, each state is granted one vote for every representative and one for every senator, thus ensuring that each state would be equally represented when electing the president. However, the same question arises every four years, are the ideals that were used to create the Electoral College system over 200 years ago still applicable today or have that outlived their intended purposes? In order to answer that we must first explore the purposes for setting up the Electoral College and then determine how relevant it is to today. The first purpose for setting up the Electoral College was to ensure that congress did not have too much power. When the system of government was finally decided on, our founding fathers understood the importance of the balance of power within the three branches of the government. They called this system checks and balances. This system was set up to ensure that the government would remain loyal to the people and loyal to their states (Hamilton). In The Federalist Papers, No. 68, Alexander Hamilton discusses the importance of having the president elected by the Electoral College. He said that in order to ensure that we do not end up with the same problems that America had with the monarch of England, it was important that the balance of power was spread throughout the government and that no one portion have too much power. Another reason Alexander Hamilton gave for not having congress elect the president was that the founders wanted to reassure states that they had not given up all their power to a federal government. In order to ratify the constitution, the framers knew that it would have to be approved in each of the thirteen states. They also knew that these states would be skeptical of a powerful central government that would have the ability to take away all their rights. So, they would have to make sure that each of these states was comfortable with the amount of power given to each branch of the central government. This point is also clearly evident today. During the election this year, the Republican Party ran on a platform that included the premise of a smaller government. This platform was in line with an MSNBC poll that was taken in July 2000, which asked this question, Do you think it is important to limit the size of the federal government? Over 72 percent of the 4,143 people surveyed said they believed that it is important to limit the size of the government. So even in the age of government programs which help support the citizens of this nation, people still understand the importance of keeping our government small. The second purpose for the Electoral College was to give smaller states the same rights and powers as the larger states. There are two primary reasons why the smaller states have the same, if not more, power than the larger states when it comes to electing the president. The first is, a presidential candidate must

3 Common Comma Errors

3 Common Comma Errors 3 Common Comma Errors 3 Common Comma Errors By Mark Nichol The following sample sentences and the discussion that follows each point out three frequently found punctuation errors in which a comma is extraneously inserted or erroneously omitted. 1. â€Å"The giant, blue eyeball that washed up on a Florida beach likely came from a swordfish.† The adjectives giant and blue are noncoordinate, which means they’re not parallel in function. You can say, of course, that an eyeball is giant and that it is blue, but the second test of adjectival coordination, whether the words can gracefully be transposed, does not work; â€Å"the blue giant eyeball† is awkward. Why? A convention in English called the royal order of adjectives assigns specific starting positions to different types of descriptive words, and size precedes color. Therefore, â€Å"blue eyeball† becomes a temporary compound modified by giant, and therefore no intervening punctuation is required: â€Å"The giant blue eyeball that washed up on a Florida beach likely came from a swordfish.† 2. â€Å"Move over vampires, goblins and haunted houses, this kind of Halloween terror aims to shake up even the toughest warriors.† The introductory phrase in this sentence, a form of address to the subject that is increasingly common in lead paragraphs in journalistic contexts (to the point of becoming a tired clichà ©), is just that an introductory phrase. And though short introductory phrases are often inserted at the beginning of a sentence without following punctuation, in this case, â€Å"Move over vampires† is a miscue that readers might read to mean â€Å"proceed on top of bloodsucking beings.† I prefer consistency over inconsistency and recommend always punctuating introductory phrases; whether you follow that advice or not, do it here: â€Å"Move over, vampires, goblins, and haunted houses, this kind of Halloween terror aims to shake up even the toughest warriors.† 3. â€Å"The convention will be delayed until Tuesday because of the threat of the tropical storm Isaac now bearing down on Florida.† There are at least two effective solutions to the problem here, which is that â€Å"angry tropical storm† and Isaac are appositives, which means that one noun or noun phrase refers to the other. As written, without punctuation, the sentence implies that more than one angry tropical storm bearing down on Florida exists at this time, and one is called Isaac. But because only one storm, named Isaac (â€Å"one storm† and â€Å"named Isaac† are in apposition), is bearing down on Florida, the interchangeable noun and noun phrase are set off with an appositive comma: â€Å"The convention will be delayed until Tuesday because of the threat of Isaac, the tropical storm now bearing down on Florida.† Another option is to refer to Isaac with the modifying phrase â€Å"tropical storm† and follow the wording with a descriptive phrase, set off by a comma, that serves an appositive function: â€Å"The convention will be delayed until Tuesday because of the threat of the tropical storm Isaac, now bearing down on Florida.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101What's a Male Mistress?Passed vs Past

Profile of Emilio Jacinto of the Philippines

Profile of Emilio Jacinto of the Philippines   Whether their skin be dark or white, all human persons are equal; one may be superior in knowledge, in wealth, in beauty, but not in being more human. - Emilio Jacinto, Kartilya ng Katipunan. Emilio Jacinto was an eloquent and brave young man, known as both the soul and the brain of the Katipunan, Andres Bonifacios revolutionary organization.  In his short life, Jacinto helped to lead the fight for Filipino independence from Spain.  He laid out principles for the new government envisioned by Bonifacio; in the end, however, neither man would survive to see the Spanish overthrown. Early Life Not much is known about Emilio Jacintos early life.  We do know that he was born in Manila on December 15, 1875, the son of a prominent merchant.  Emilio received a good education, and was fluent in both Tagalog and Spanish.  He went to the San Juan de Letran College briefly. Deciding to study law, he transferred to the University of Santo Tomas, where a future president of the Philippines, Manuel Quezon, was among his classmates. Jacinto was just 19 years old when news arrived that the Spanish had arrested his hero, Jose Rizal.  Galvanized, the young man left school and joined with Andres Bonifacio and others to form the Katipunan, or Highest and Most Respected Society of the Children of the Country.  When the Spanish executed Rizal on trumped-up charges in December of 1896, the Katipunan rallied its followers to war. Revolution Emilio Jacinto served as the spokesperson for the Katipunan, as well as handling its finances.  Andres Bonifacio was not well-educated, so he deferred to his younger comrade on such matters.  Jacinto wrote for the official Katipunan newspaper, the Kalayaan.  He also penned the official handbook of the movement, called the Kartilya ng Katipunan.  Despite his young age of just 21, Jacinto became a general in the groups guerrilla army, taking an active role in the fight against the Spanish near Manila. Unfortunately, Jacintos friend and sponsor, Andres Bonifacio, had gotten into a heated rivalry with a Katipunan leader from a wealthy family called Emilio Aguinaldo.  Aguinaldo, who led the Magdalo faction of Katipunan, rigged an election to have himself named president of the revolutionary government.  He then had Bonifacio arrested for treason.  Aguinaldo ordered the May 10, 1897 execution of Bonifacio and his brother.  The self-proclaimed president then approached Emilio Jacinto, trying to recruit him to his branch of the organization, but Jacinto refused. Emilio Jacinto lived and fought the Spanish in Magdalena, Laguna.  He was seriously injured in a battle at the Maimpis River in February of 1898, but found refuge in the Santa Maria Magdalena Parish Church, which now boasts a marker noting the event. Although he survived this wound, the young revolutionary would not live for much longer.  He died on April 16, 1898, of malaria.  General Emilio Jacinto was just 23 years old. His life was marked with tragedy and loss, but Emilio Jacintos enlightened ideas helped to shape the Philippine Revolution.  His eloquent words and humanist touch served as a counter-balance to the blunt ruthlessness of revolutionaries such as Emilio Aguinaldo, who would go on to become the first president of the new Republic of the Philippines. As Jacinto himself put it in the Kartilya, The worth of a person is not in being a king, not in the shape of his nose or the whiteness of his face, nor in being a priest, representative of God, nor in the loftiness of the position he holds on this earth.  That person is pure and truly noble, even though he was born in the forest and knows no language but his own, who is possessed of good character, is true to his word, has dignity and honor, who does not oppress others nor help their oppressors, who knows how to feel for and care for his native land.

A critical evaluation of infection control issues for the patients Essay

A critical evaluation of infection control issues for the patients withconjunctivitis - Essay Example In so doing, the said specialty nurses are expected to attend to the actual and potential needs of the clients who are experiencing visual impairment or deficits. As such, this paper aims to critically analyze infection control issues pertaining to conjunctivitis, which is one of the ophthalmic ailments that are of major concern to ophthalmic nurses. ANYONE can get conjunctivitis (Health Protection Agency [HPA] North West, 2007) — students in school, patients in hospital or long-term care facilities, and even doctors and nurses in any health care institution. Due to its highly infective nature, prompt intervention and appropriate management are definitely indispensable. In this regard, nursing interventions that are particularly focused on infection control issues in clients with conjunctivitis shall be typified in due course of this paper. Hence, the discussion and critical analysis herein shall be guided by reputable references and relevant literatures in order to exemplify the aforementioned purpose of this essay. Conjunctivitis, which is commonly called â€Å"pinkeye†, is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the eyelids― bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva― and extends over the white of the eye (sclera) (Berman et al., 2008). In general, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) North West (2007), the characteristics of conjunctivitis are (1) swollen eyelids - sometimes causing the eye to almost fully close, (2) pink/red eyes, (3) sore, itchy and sometimes painful eyes, (4) a discharge causing the eye to be sticky and crusty, and (5) sometimes the sticky discharge may cause the eyelids to stick together after sleeping (HPA, 2007). Moreover, conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria, virus, allergy, chemical, or other irritants (San Diego City Schools Nursing and Wellness Program, 2002). On the other hand, conjunctivitis can also be caused by foreign bodies (HPA, 2007; Berman et al., 2008: 586). An example of

Supply Chain Simulation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Supply Chain Simulation - Term Paper Example An effective system of production management is sufficient to make a company stand out. This report provides effective and efficient ways of handling the production activities of the firm so as to ensure its financial strength and enhanced earnings. Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 4 1.1Problem Statement/ Opportunity 4 1.2Scope of the Report 4 1.3Background 5 1.3.1Legacy Technology 5 1.3.2Customer Satisfaction 5 2.1Proposed Solution: Supply Chain Management 6 2.2Cost of the Project 6 2.3Adequacy of Funds 9 2.4Project Benefits 11 2.4.1Estimated Annual Savings 11 2.4.2Just in Time and Lean Operations Usage 13 2.5Management of Inventory 14 2.6Work Cells Vs. Straight line Method 15 2.7Continuous Improvement Program 16 The main objective of the organisation has always been to achieve total quality management throughout the organisation. Therefore, every new project is sufficiently scrutinized with the aim of establishing the impact it has on the rest of the organisation. To achieve total quali ty management with the new project, employees will be adequately empowered through training, constant feedback and engagement in the implementation of the supply chain management to ensure maximum contribution from them. 18 CHAPTER 3 18 3.1Conclusion 18 References 19 CHAPTER 1 1.1 Problem Statement/ Opportunity Our current production capacity is not up to the industry standards. To begin with, our client base has expanded in recent years and nothing has been done to adjust the production process to accommodate the changes being experienced. The present production capacity of the firm does not meet the present market needs. This has perhaps to a great extent contributed to the loss of customers every year. The fact the company gains new customers every year cannot in anyway justify the loss of the existing ones. A lot of company finances are usually spent in attaining new clients which can be cut by engaging in activities that facilitate customer retention. Among those ways of retain ing customers entails engaging in company practices that ensures that the needs and expectations of the customers are met in terms of service and product quality, availability of sufficient products as and when they are needed as well as appropriate pricing. This report was generated with the main aim of bringing to light the means by which the current production processes can be adjusted to enhance company performance as well as please and increase the client base. 1.2 Scope of the Report This report shows the production activities that our company can engage in to enhance the company performance. Matters of the supply chain management and any possible changes that can enhance the company performance have been analysed in this report. Resource allocation in the form of budgetary control was kept into consideration when developing this report. The probable changes in the finance structure of the company are presented in the form of balance sheet and income statement in the form of a ttachment in this case. The best ways of supply chain management such as just in time, lean operations as well as effective management of the inventory are well outlined in this report. 1.3 Background Despite the fact that ABC Limited Company has been successfully running its operations to a certain extent, more can be done to achieve more success. Increased efficiency and effectiveness could be achieved by making changes in certain

Most Interesting Day of My Life Essay Example for Free

Most Interesting Day of My Life Essay But, culture is something that you cannot actually see, except through its physical manifestations in your work place. Culture is especially influenced by the organization’s founder, executives, and other managerial staff because of their role in decision making and strategic direction. Culture is the behavior that results when a group arrives at a set of generally unspoken and unwritten rules for working together. Culture is not usually defined as good or bad, although aspects of your culture likely support your progress and success and other aspects of life. â€Å"Employees learn the culture of their workplace by seeing how people react in various situations and by understanding what is important to management by observing what they do (more than by what they say)†. â€Å"Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people†. How employees learn culture? Culture is transmitted to employees in a number of ways . An organization’s culture is made up of all of the life experiences each employee brings to the organization. The following points is more significant in learn culture. * Stories * Rituals * Material symbols * Language Stories: Stories such as these circulate through many organizations. They typically contain a narrative of events about the organization’s founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, reduction in the workforce, relocation of employees, reactions to past mistakes, and organizational coping. These stories anchor the present in the past and provide explanations and legitimacy for current practices. The stories reflect what made progress and what it will take to continue that success.

The History of Computers :: Computers Technology Essays

The History of Computers Thousands of years ago calculations were done using people’s fingers and pebbles that were found just lying around. Technology has transformed so much that today the most complicated computations are done within seconds. Human dependency on computers is increasing everyday. Just think how hard it would be to live a week without a computer. We owe the advancements of computers and other such electronic devices to the intelligence of men of the past. The history of the computer dates back all the way to the prehistoric times. The first step towards the development of the computer, the abacus, was developed in Babylonia in 500 B.C. and functioned as a simple counting tool. It was not until thousands of years later that the first calculator was produced. In 1623, the first mechanical calculator was invented by Wilhelm Schikard, the â€Å"Calculating Clock,† as it was often referred to as, â€Å"performed it’s operations by wheels, which worked similar to a car’s odometer† (Evolution, 1). Still, there had not yet been anything invented that could even be characterized as a computer. Finally, in 1625 the slide rule was created becoming â€Å"the first analog computer of the modern ages† (Evolution, 1). One of the biggest breakthroughs came from by Blaise Pascal in 1642, who invented a mechanical calculator whose main function was adding and subtracting numbers. Years later, Gottfr ied Leibnez improved Pascal’s model by allowing it to also perform such operations as multiplying, dividing, taking the square root. Technology continued to prosper in the computer world into the nineteenth century. A major figure during this time is Charles Babbage, designed the idea of the Difference Engine in the year 1820. It was a calculating machine designed to tabulate the results of mathematical functions (Evans, 38). Babbage, however, never completed this invention because he came up with a newer creation in which he named the Analytical Engine. This computer was expected to solve â€Å"any mathematical problem† (Triumph, 2). It relied on the punch card input. The machine was never actually finished by Babbage, and today Herman Hollerith has been credited with the fabrication of the punch card tabulating machine.

Reforming, Transforming and Conforming Essay

In this essay I will discuss the comparisons and differences of the three models of theory and learning as identified by MacNaughton, Conforming, Reforming and Transforming (MacNaughton, 2003). This essay will look at how these theories are explained and can be applied individually or together within the learning pedagogy. My discussion will be of a reflective nature and include how I have understood these three models in relation to the early childhood learning environment and how I may relate them to my own developing education philosophy. Each theory will be discussed with a focus on one or two particular theorist. For Conforming I will look at theorists from both the nature and nurture perspective, Gesell and Skinner. The Reforming component of the paper will reflect on constructivist theorist Vygotsky and Psychodynamic theorist Erikson. Conforming I have defined the conforming model of learning as children learning in a traditionally accepted way where they will progress through stages of development according to either their biology or their environment. The methods of the educator are not questioned by the children who are being instructed as passive learners on their journey through childhood to become adults who fit in comfortable to the mould that society expect. Another definition is â€Å"complying with the existing practices, rules, traditions and understandings† (MacNaughton, 2003, p. 121) There are two main developmental theories associated with the conforming model, they are Maturationism (Nature) and Behaviourism (Environment). Conforming theorists have investigated the concept of children learning due to their genetic makeup or their environment. A theorist who conferred with the nature debate was Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) who viewed the child’s development from a biological perspective as pre-programmed according to how Mother Nature has determined after many years of evolution. Development will unfold in line with the child’s maturation and learning will be best achieved with little interference from adults. I like what Thelen, Adolph and Karen had to say regarding Gesell’s theory in relation to learning, â€Å"Society and the family must provide children with an environment that allows the inherent growth potential of each child to be fully and optimally realized. The whole purpose of developmental norms was to identify the individual status of each child so as to guide children more suitably to optimal growth. The environment must be precisely tailored to fit the child’s capabilities† (Thelen & Adolph, 1992, p. 368). What I have taken from the nature debate is that it is a theory that still cares very much for how children are educated. It is motivated by giving children enough support within their environment that is appropriate for the child’s current capabilities. They see a child will develop in a sequence of stages that will not be impacted by their environment. I see this approach becoming a stronger focus in education today through Naplan testing and the movement in Australia towards a National curriculum. What scope does this give a teacher to educate children outside this conformist approach? My daughters teacher made a comment to me recently about what a busy term they have had and said they really need to get down to business so they have done something concrete as it’s nearly report writing time. Upon reflection I was very happy with what my child had done this term, with excursions to meet other students at bigger schools to experience and participate in dramatic play, a wonderful opportunity to visit a shelter for abused animals, speak with one of the traditional land owners where her school was built, participate in a cross country running event with another smaller school providing further social experiences with new people. Yet all these wonderful experiences do not allow her teacher to tick all the boxes of required learning as it seems she is required to do. I wonder what Gesell would think of where education has come today. I find a discrepancy in what Gesell suggested that all children will develop differently depending on their maturation which will in turn impact our culture in different ways, and that culture will need to adapt to these variants in children’s development (MacNaughton, 2003). Yet so many years latter it doesn’t seem like that has happened at all. It seems to me that our culture (predominantly politically as far as I’m concerned) is demanding through Naplan testing that all students should be measurable at the same age according to their academic performance. In contrast to Maturation theory, a Behaviourists’ approach views the child’s environment as imperative and directly related to their development – which also occurs in stages. Behaviourists believe that children are born as a blank slate, meaning their mind has no inherent structure and can be filled by their society (or environment). Learning commences from birth onwards, for example from your parents, television, friends and many other direct environmental influences. All behaviour is observable and measurable and is universal. In stark contrast to a Psychodynamic view, Behaviourist believes the mind is not the key to acquiring knowledge; their external environment in which they live is (Faryadi, 2007). With this understanding it becomes clear why curriculum goal setting under a Behaviourist conforming profile is recommended to occur at the commencement of planning, prior to the educator even meeting the children (MacNaughton, 2003). There is no need for individualised programming based on what knowledge the children may be bringing along with them. They will learn according to what is provided under the direction of the teacher. There have been a number of theorists that have had an influence on this approach, some that have created a learning environment for animals in their study such as Pavlov (1849 – 1936) and Skinner (1904 – 1990). Pavlov contributes to the behaviourist approach with his theory on classical conditioning and BF Skinner with operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is when people learn by association, and operant conditioning is when we learn to behave in a certain way because of either positive or negative reinforcement (McDevitt, 2002). Again the psychodynamic approach would disagree with the behaviourists approach as it does not take into account the unconscious mind and just focuses on external observable behaviour. Now that I have a firmer understanding of both Maturationism and Behaviourism I can imagine these philosophies used in an early childhood environment. In fact I feel quite sure the conforming profile was very dominant in my own Pre-school and Primary school years. I remember being taught by rote and the feelings of inadequacies? pressure and assault on my self esteem. These feelings were all generated when it was time for tables and I thought, what if I get it wrong, please let it be a sum I know. It took all my efforts to stop myself from crying just because I had to stand up in front of the class, I had no energy left to remember my tables. Is there an easier way to for children to learn their tables? I believe there is a place for rote learning and tables is one of them. However, the culture of the setting could adopt pedagogies that are going to reform the learning from a teacher directed one way dialogue to two way with interaction on a more personal level with the learner. My experience of rote learning was always indoors with tables and chairs set up in pairs. The pairs were the same for the term (of course unless you were a ‘naughty’ child and would then be moved to the front row directly in front of the teachers desk). I wonder would my rote learning have been enhanced if I had more mental and physical control of my situation. I believe the answer is yes. Some temperaments may flourish in that environment, but as a child, I was not one of them. However, put me in a small group and enable peer support I truly think my learning experience would have been different. As cited by MacNaughton Australia is one of many ‘multicultural, multiethnic and multifaith societies’ (MacNaughton, 2003, p. 145) It is concerning to me that a Eurocentric approach to learning could still be used in some schools, thereby supporting the majority at the expense of marginalising the minority. As my own teaching philosophy is emerging I think there are parts of the conforming model that I would implement. I have an interest in Skinners operant conditioning but haven’t quite thought out how I could apply it. I do have some issues with this on what is equitable for all children. An example of this would be using rewards such as extra computer time for an anxious child who had difficulty sitting through a literacy block. If the child is able to do this he / she will be rewarded. What will the children who continuously try very hard to sit through every learning block be rewarded with? What is equitable for these children? That is my main dilemma, yet I will continue to ponder point as I sense it is something I could learn more about. I am hoping I will see some good example of this theory in use at my upcoming professional experience. Reforming A reforming model of learning includes theories such as Constructivism, Psychodynamic and Neuroscience. For the purpose of this reflective paper I will concentrate on Constructivism and Psychodynamics using theorists Vygotsky and Erikson. The initial differences I see with this model of learning from a Conforming model are how they view the learner as an active participant as opposed to a passive one. To understand it in my own mind I define a reforming learner as someone who will put what they are learning with previous information to form their own meaning. MacNaughton defines Reforming as â€Å"improving something through changing it† (MacNaughton, 2003, p. 40) Vygotsky was a Constructionist who saw the learning environment as essential to learning as did the Behaviourist, however Vygotsky saw the environment as the tool for learning through sociocultural experiences. Interpersonal communication experienced through social interaction necessitated the child’s thinking and behaving (Berk, 2006). Vygotsky like Gesell saw development as stage based, yet the stages may vary depending on the social environment the child is exposed to. A child’s social interactions provide them with the learning needed to further develop language and stimulate their transition through stages of cognitive development for thought and behaviour. What appeals to me about Vygotsys theory is that it depends on children learning from more experienced members of their community (such as teachers or other students) through scaffolding (Berk, 2006). What does it imply for those children who are not given access to a high degree of social experiences and interactions? Are the destined for a future with poor language / communication skills? If Vygotsky viewed language development as the foundation for cognitive development does this make them less intelligent or give the appearance of low intelligence? Again I must raise my earlier point about my childhood fear of standing in front of the class during rote learning. If the principles of reforming and conforming learning profiles had been amalgamated I think a more positive outcome would have resulted for me. It comes quiet naturally for me to adopt a Vygotsky approach when working with young children so will certainly be incorporating it into my philosophy. I like that children can help children learn and that it has a strong focus on the interactions of play. Again we see a stage based theory this time from Erikson. Erikson formulated eight stages that span from birth to late adulthood. In each stage, Erikson described what made the specified ages so important, for example: the first stage is called Trust vs. Mistrust (from birth – 1 year) Second stage is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (1-3 years) Stage three is Initiative vs. Guilt (from 3-6 years old) (McDevitt, 2002). I feel quite comfortable with Erikson (yet not so with his earlier counterpart Freud) and Skinner. Unlike Freud, Erikson placed some emphasise on societies role in the development of an individual’s personality (MacNaughton, 2003). Erikson also acknowledges the individuals cultural influence will directly impact development. For example what occurs in northwest American Indian tribes will affect the development of their children differently to other cultures (Berk L. 2008) I can relate this theory to my own personal beliefs regarding my own childhood and upbringing and that which I am trying to foster for my children. As an individual and mother I have strong opinions regarding the value and importance of my family, community and environment and how they directly impact each other and my children’s developing personalities and how they feel about themselves. A critical reflection of myself upon the completion of this subject sees me sitting within a reforming model of learning. My personal values as mentioned above influence how I relate to Eriksons psychodynamic view as I think he is a theorist who really fosters questions like, who am I, and what is my place in society? Vygotsky supports my feelings of how I can support cognitive development through children’s environment and social world. Yet, I still don’t think these theories complete my philosophy. My life is lived through a complex network of structures so therefore I see development from an ecological systems perspective (Bronfenbrenner 1917 – 2005) as well, so will affiliate it to my philosophy too. Another theorist that I think fits under the reforming model is Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development and Education. I know as an educator I will be concerned with the issue of moral development and will pursue further knowledge to assist my understanding. What I have initially taken from Kohlberg is that â€Å"This teaching practice is based on the assumption that there are no single, correct answers to ethical dilemmas, but that there is value in holding clear views and acting accordingly. In addition, there is a value of toleration of divergent views. It follows, then, that the teacher’s role is one of discussion moderator, with the goal of teaching merely that people hold different values; the teacher does attempt to present her views as the â€Å"right† views† ( (Nucci, 2008, p. http://tigger. uic. edu/~lnucci/MoralEd/overview. html) Transforming My understanding of the Transforming model of learning would be defined as a theory that advocates for children’s rights for the future through challenging traditional practice. As a transforming educator you would be prepared to take risks and endeavour to shatter opposing thoughts that are not equitable to their cause. I imagine being a transforming educator would require a tremendous amount of physical and emotional energy, and resilience. A more analytical definition might refer to the model as interested in looking at the knowledge we have to ascertain if it is biased and critically questioning and assessing whose interest are being served. This may lead to changes in the fundamental delivery of education which results in better social justice for a specified society (MacNaughton, 2003). The Transforming model is an umbrella term that incorporates three different theories, they are; Social Constructionists and Postmodernists, Feminism (including Feminists Poststructuralists), Critical race theorists and Postcolonialists (MacNaughton, 2003). For this essay I will focus on Social Construcitionists who are concerned with how behaviourist or structuralits theorist conduct their research and how it directly impacts educators. They find criticism in the fact that these theories are dominated by male middle class men, due to the implications for marginalisation of certain aspects of society, for example women, cultural perspectives such as eastern philosophies or indigenous stories (Fenton, 2011). Of all the models looked at during my research and study in this subject I felt most confronted by Transforming. I think that’s largely because I am not very good at thinking outside the square, yet when I try to get my head around this model I am forced to look beyond my own conservative and safe nature. As a student and a future educator I see myself as a person of compassion who doesn’t like to see social injustice or a children being marginalised, so feel like I should have been able to connect more with this model. However, with this in mind I did feel like I could relate more to Social Construcitionists theory due to their philosophy of power with not power over, which is unique to the other theories I have discussed so far. The implications of this for me as a future teacher are that I must be prepared to view myself, and show by example that I am still a learner and prepared to change as I acquire new knowledge. As a mother there have been times when I have seen children treated unfairly by an adult (and some teachers) who holds the balance of power (and I’m sure have done so myself with my own children). I have questioned why the adult feels they don’t have to apologise to the child for this action and conclude that it would be seen as disempowering themselves. This attitude could be explained as one where the child is viewed as â€Å"becoming adult† (MacNaughton, 2003, p. 5) and therefore the adults role is one of privilege and the child’s is oppressed. Next time I experience this I wonder will I be courageous enough to rock the boat? As a learner teacher who is still trying to establish what my philosophy will be I feel drawn to the Social Construcitionists theory as it is the first theory that I feel has really addressed the issue of children’s development having a direct correlation to and is in fact all bound together with culture and actual present time, and is therefore never static, or all learnt. A quote from Burman explains this as â€Å"how children develop differs in different places and in different historical times because how we see development is bound by where we are (our culture) and by our time† (MacNaughton, 2003, p. 71). As I have already stated this was a very difficult theory for me to absorb. After spending some time researching and questioning my own beliefs and values I feel confident I have the ability to integrate some of what I have learnt into practice as a teacher (yet I don’t see myself as a Social Construcitionists trail blaser). Whilst I have discussed what I like about this theory I also concur with MacNaughton (2008) when she raises equity regarding the children who are not able to function in a Social Construcitionists. Is the shy reserved child, whose parents traditional principles are being indoctrinated at home and within their ecological systems (Bronfenbrenner 1917 – 2005) going to have a voice. Previous study has taught me about the various aspect of children’s natural temperament which leads me to wonder about the â€Å"slow to warm up child† (Berk L. , 2008, p. 260) will manage this classroom. In effect there would be equity issues for these children who are not able to function when put in a situation of co-learner with their teacher and peers. I think throughout my discussion I have expressed what has challenged me in gaining an understanding of this subject and the 3 models we have covered. To conclude I think I would simply add that I have expanded my original knowledge on the theorist discussed through the process of looking at them more critically and reflect on how I may apply them as a teacher. I have identified my personal growth in understanding ethical issues of theory. This was something I had not done previously, most likely due to the conforming method of learning I have experienced. I am a product of being taught the teacher is always right and it is not my role to question. That was then this is now.

Recommendation Report Example Essay

Summary: Smash Design decide to purchase new chairs and some ergonomic items to solve the problem of employees feel uncomfortable and get sick in their work environment. This report evaluate the Herman Miller Chairs and Steel Case Leap Chairs, Simple Package and Deluxe Package offer by Staple supplies, and Rocco and Rita’s Gym membership. Aeron Chairs with higher price than Leap Chair, but have more functions to comfort a human body than Leap Chair also with a longer warranty. Deluxe Package offer by Staples covers more ergonomic items than Simple package, the price is higher. Rocco and Rita’s Gym offer the deal of annual fee $50 per employee if we sign up more than 50 people. Final recommendations come up with purchase Aeron Chairs, Simple Package offer by Staples, and sign up Rocco and Rita’s Gym membership. Introduction: Smash Design recently received a lot of complaints about sore backs from our employees. After I did some research, I found out absenteeism is up by 10% this year. This problem is caused to chairs are getting old, also were not good designed that use body science to decrease the pressure and prevent backaches. After the discussion with Ellen page, we decided to buy some new chairs, ergonomic keyboards and mouse pad to solve the problem of employees feel uncomfortable and get sick in their working environment. We also decided to sign up gym memberships located at next building for our employees. Exercises will help employee to develop fitness. Ellen Page has asked me to evaluate the better chair Herman Miller and Steel Case chairs. Compare the simple packages and deluxe package small ergonomic items. This report is not including absenteeism report, and also not includes yoga option. Criteria: For the main purpose of improve the working environment for the employees, and make them feel more comfortable, we applied the following criteria: 1. Comfort: For solving the problem of employee feel uncomfortable and get sick in their working environment. Products must be well design with special attention to ergonomics, reducing the pressure and preventing injuries. 2. Warranty: Smash Design invests on some expensive chairs, for the purpose of return, products must can last at least 5 years, and also with 5-year or more warranty. 3. Price: Maximum $1000 per employee includes office chairs, ergonomic office supplies, and gym membership. Analysis: Chairs Herman Miller Aeron Chairs: Aeron Chair is created by Herman Miller with special attention to ergonomics it can fit all the human body and provide them comfort support, and adjustment is easy to use. Aeron Chair’s PostureFit function can support pelvis lean forward naturally then the spine can be align, and prevent backache. Kinemat tilt technology can let human body’s joints pivot naturally. Breathable fabric material can keep body pressure even and decrease the body pressure. Aeron chairs provide lifetime warranty to the customers. It sells at $900 per chair. Staff will help set up chairs and arrange workstations to reduce injuries, if purchase more than 5 chairs. Steal Case Leap Chairs: Leap Chair is created by Steel Case with features of changeable back shape can support entire spine when the user change his posture, and also can decrease the spine stress and spinal ligaments. The back control system can let the user adjust the back angels until it match user’s comfort. Leap Chairs provide three-year warranty to the customer. It sells at $700 per chair. Herman Miller Aeron Chair Steal Case Leap Chairs Comfort Very Comfort Comfort Warranty Lifetime Three years Price $900 $700 Staples Ergonomic Office Supplies Simple Package: Simple package provides ergonomic items such as gel pad for mice and keyboards, stress balls, massage devices, at the come up with the price of $100 per person. Deluxe Package: Deluxe package provides same items as simple package also with additional items such as footrest, neck supports, monitor support and specially design electronic devices. Rocco and Rita’s Gym Memberships If more than 50 people sign up, we can get the deal of annual fee $50 per employee. Conclusion: Aeron Chairs were designed use ergonomics to decrease pressure. The back support technology can prevent backaches. Adjustable sacral support can fit different people. Aeron Chairs are lifetime warranty. If purchase more than 5 chairs, staff will help to set up the chair to make it fit for different employees. The price is $900. Leap Chairs are designed for human comfort, with adjustable back shape and arm, but has not much function as Aeron Chairs, only 3 years warranty. The price is $700, lower than Aeron Chairs. Staple Ergonomic Supplies offer Deluxe Package and Simple Package. Simple Package offers Gel pads for mice and keyboards, Stress balls, Massage devices, and the price is $100 per person. Deluxe Package also include other  ergonomic supplies and electronic devices, but the price $250 per person. Rocco and Rita’s Gym offer the deal of annual fee $50 per employee if we sign up more than 50 people. Recommendation: I recommend we purchase Aeron Chairs for our employee, Aeron chair meet the most criteria, and have addition offers. Staple Deluxe package covers more ergonomic items than Simple package, but it’s over pricing. And Aeron Chairs’ functions already cover some usability of ergonomic items. So I recommend we buy the Simple Package from Staples supplies. Sign up the gym membership will exceed $50 of the budget per employee, but I still strongly recommend we sign up the gym membership to improve employees’ fitness.

Fluorescent Light Science Experiment

Fluorescent Light Science Experiment Learn how to make a fluorescent light glow without plugging it in! These science experiments show how to generate static electricity, which illuminates the phosphor coating, making the bulb light up. Fluorescent Light Experiment Materials fluorescent bulb (tubes work best. Its okay if the light is burnt out.)Any of the following:Saran wrap (plastic wrap)plastic report folderpiece of woolinflated balloondry newspaperanimal fur or fake fur Procedure The fluorescent light needs to be perfectly dry, so you may wish to clean the bulb with a dry paper towel before starting. You will get brighter light in dry weather than in high humidity.All you need to do is rub the fluorescent bulb with the plastic, fabric, fur, or balloon. Do not apply pressure. You need friction to make the project work; you dont need to press the material into the bulb. Dont expect the light to be as bright as it would be plugged into an outlet. It helps to turn off the lights to see the effect.Repeat the experiment with other items on the list. Try other materials found around the home, classroom, or lab. Which works the best? Which materials dont work? How It Works Rubbing the glass tube generates static electricity. Although there is less static electricity than the amount of electricity supplied by wall current, it is enough to energize the atoms inside the tube, changing them from a ground state to an excited state. The excited atoms release photons when they return to the ground state. This is fluorescence. Usually, these photons are in the ultraviolet range, so fluorescent bulbs have an interior coating that absorbs the UV light and releases energy in the visible light spectrum. Safety Fluorescent bulbs are easily broken, producing sharp shards of glass and releasing toxic mercury vapor into the air. Avoid applying a lot of pressure to the bulb. Accidents happen, so if you snap a bulb or drop one, put on a pair of disposable plastic gloves, carefully use damp paper towels to collect all the pieces and dust, and place the gloves and broken glass in a sealable plastic bag. Some places have special collection sites for broken fluorescent tubes, so see if one is available/required before putting the bulb in the trash. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling a broken fluorescent tube.

Animal Testing Research Paper

Abstract With animal testing, the killing and harming innocent animals, being around for centuries with little change, will exploiting the facts that the public does not know about, help put an end to all the product and medication testing on animals? Introduction Animal testing has been around for centuries, when it really should be one of those â€Å"cruel memories† of things we have done in the past, but will not let in happen again in the future. Rats, Mice, Rabbits, and a whole slew of other animals are forced to endure massive quantities of testing substances or endure pain by having harmful chemicals applied to their bodies, even though the testing may have nothing to do with anything relatable for human use. My purpose for this subject is to let people think twice about buying a product, or hopefully helping put this inhuman testing to an end. When did animal testing originate? The history of animal testing goes back to the writings of the Greeks in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Aristotle (384-322 BC) and Erasistratus (304-250 BC) were among the first group of people to perform experiments on living animals. A physician in 2nd-century Rome, dissected pigs and goats and is known as the â€Å"father of vivisection†, when his real name is Galen. Avenzoar, whom is also a physician but of Arabic, also practiced dissection in 12th-century Moorish Spain, and introduced animal testing as an acceptable experimental method of testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients. (Cohen Loew, 2013) What is animal testing? Animal testing, a phrase that most people unsure of exactly what is involved but have heard it before. There are many names, animal testing, animal experimentation or animal research, it all refers to the experimentation carried out on animals. Its main purpose in why it is used, is to assess the safety and effectiveness of everything from medication to cosmetics. We also use it to help find a better understanding of how the human body works. Supporters believe it is a necessary practice and obliteration to animals for our bettering and the deaths of the animals are well worth the cause. Then there are those opposed to animal testing because they believe it involves the torture and suffering of innocent animals (Ian Murnaghan BSc (hons), 2011) Who does animal testing affect? Animal testing affects everyone in the modern world today. It is primarily used to help save lives. The testing is performed so that there is a better understanding of what reactions drugs may have, so that we can figure out which drugs help which diseases, as well as observe how certain drugs affect conditions such as pregnancy and other side effects they may cause like cancer. Another part of animal testing is to help promote a product or to understand the effects of those products and the percentile of which those effects may cause. This might include testing makeup, lotions, or food products. Animal testing main support is from those people that believe the animals in our world today, are a close link to humans, and therefore allow them to be tested to see what effects drugs, products, or foods have on our society. A second opinion humans have, is that animal testing is a cruel and inhumane, torturous act, and should not be done to anyone or anything, no matter what the benefit might be to the human species (Contributor, 2012). Animal Testing Funds The United States government spends up to the sum of $14. 5 billion in a year in any research involving experimentation on animals. These experiments will often lead to death or unwarranted consequences for the animals involved. Some projects are funded for decades by the siphoning of the US taxpayers dollars and resulting in cruel treatment and deaths of an unfathomable number of animals. About 47% of research grants have an animal research-based component according to NIH, National Institutes of Health, and documents. The number has been very consistent over the last decade (Newcomer, 2013). Where do companies get money for testing? Many companies today get their funding for research from the NIH. Other companies also receiving money from the NIH are numerous colleges around the U. S. A. whom are primarily receiving grants to experiment on animals. The NIH is a biomedical research facility located in Bethesda, Maryland. They are part of the United States department of Health and Human Services. These agencies are primarily used to do biomedical and health-related research. NIH uses the Intramural Research Program to conducts scientific research through. 80% of the NIH funding, is used as research grants to outside researchers. They give approximately 500,000 grants to an approximate 325,000 researchers that consists of more than 3000 institutions. In 2010 alone, NIH spent around $10. 7 billion on just clinical research. On top of that, they also spent $7. 4 billion on genetics-related research, $6. 0 billion on prevention research, $5. 8 billion on cancer research, and $5. 7 billion on biotechnology research which almost all include the torture of other species on Earth (Health, 2013). How much does it cost? Each year in the United States, there are approximately 100 million animals that are tormented and killed in experiments conducted to better humans. Much of this cruelty is highly supported by the National Institutes of Health, and the United State government, since the NIH is a department of the government. The NIH allocates a minimum of 40% of its annual research budget just towards animal experimentation. Based on the NIH’s 2010 budget, this accounts for more the $16 billion in US taxpayer money alone (PETA, 2013). Substitutes for Animal Testing There are nearly 50 different alternative methods and testing strategies that have been developed, validated and/or accepted by international regulatory authorities. These non-animal methods usually take less time to complete then using the crude, archaic methods animal testing that they meant to replace. In addition, these methods cost only a fraction of what animal experiments burn through, cash wise, and are not affected by a species differences from humans that make applying test results to humans difficult or impossible (PETA, Alternatives to Animal Testin, 2013). Corrositex Testing Corrositex is a non-animal alternative toxicology test. Although this is not a classical â€Å"in vitro† style test, Corrositex uses a synthetic membrane-based detection system to determine the UN packing group classification of chemicals, consumer products, or other hazardous materials. The results, expressed as a break-through time, correlate well with rabbit dermal corrosively tests. In the Corrositex testing system, a glass vial filled with a chemical detection fluid and is capped by a proprietary bio-barrier membrane. This membrane is designed to mimic the effect of corrosives on living skin. Corrositex measures the time required for a test article to pass through a hydrated collagen matrix and supporting filter membrane (Corrositex, 2010). Technological Advancements The NIH has recognized that animal models do not always accurately predict a drug efficacy in people, and they are starting to support the generation of more reliable and predictive models. The use of different human cell types, in series of combinations, will help generate micro-sized physiological systems which can â€Å"talk to each other† and better address the biological complexities of whole living organisms. This â€Å"human body chip† technology would start to allow scientists to look for specific profiles in cells and would help identify human safe compounds to allow testing on people. This technology represents significant advantages over animal models because it relies on human cells which is more like what they are going to be applied to then the use of a completely different species, and is more likely to be predictive of what happens in people in the product or drugs current form (Society, n. d. ). What happens during testing? The government describes an animal experiment as a â€Å"procedure† that is ‘likely to cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. ’ Many experiments cause extreme suffering, often to the point of the animal’s death. Even when they are not being experimented on, animals suffer stress in laboratories where they are typically kept in barren containers or kennels, often in solitary confinement. After the animals have been used in experiments, they are usually killed to prevent being released and causing an evolutionary process in the wild that was created in the lab (Aid, 2013). Killings Injuries According the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in 2006 there were about 670,000 animals that were used in procedures which did not include more than a momentary pain or distress. About 420,000 were used in procedures in which pain or distress was relieved by anesthesia, while there were 84,000 which were used in studies that would cause pain or distress that would not be relieved. In the UK, research projects are classified as mild, moderate, and substantial which is measured in terms of the suffering that they, the researchers conducting the study, say they may cause. There is also a fourth category of â€Å"unclassified†, which means the animal was anesthetized and killed without recovering consciousness, according to researchers (Ryder, 2013). Subjected to horrible unsafe procedures Research reveals that only 5% to 25% of the animal tests and human results are agreeable! Most of the drugs passed by animal tests are discarded due to the fact that they are useless to humans. The conditions under which the animals are subjected to these human experimentations, have caused tumors in rodents, while the animal test results were declared to be of little relevance for humans! The only explanation being offered for this declaration, is the mere fact that there are anatomical and physiological differences between animals and humans. It is important to note that even though animals are almost always used in cancer research, they never get the human form of cancer which also affects membranes like the lungs. With all that research being done that only yield maybe 5% success, almost 9% of the anesthetized animals in the laboratory die. These animals have a better chance of dying then actually helping us develop something successful. Most medical experts agree that data from animal test cannot be extrapolated safely to human patients without any altercations to the drugs (Buzzle, 2013). Companies using and not using animal testing There are a lot of companies that test on animals that we buy from every day. Some of these companies are 3M, Air Wick, Almay, Band-Aid, Blue Buffalo, Febreze, and the list goes on. There are some companies though that do not test on animals such as Abercrombie Fitch, Absolute Green, Aloe Vera of America, and more. It seems like all the companies we know and buy from use some form of animal testing for their product, and yet there are others companies that we have not have hardly heard of, don’t test on animals. Companies use the warning labels saying â€Å"animal tested† Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products may be used to establish product safety. In some cases, after considering available alternatives, companies determine that animal testing is necessary to assure the safety of their product or ingredient. FDA supports and adheres the provisions of applicable laws regulations, and policies the governing animal testing. FDA supports the developments and uses of alternatives to whole-animal testing, as well as adherence to the most humane methods available with the limits of scientific capabilities when animals are used for testing the safety of cosmetic products (FDA, 2006). Types of animals being tested on, and what is tested on them Researchers use many different types of animals, mice, rabbits, dogs, ferrets, and fish to name a few. The type of animal selected for study often depends solely depends on a combination of factors; previous research involving that animal type, scientific relevance, accessibility, and practical aspects of implementation of the product or item being tested. Government agencies also require that any drugs used in humans needs to be tested in at least two different types of animals, one of which is not able to be a rodent. The reason is that a drug can have very different effects on different species of animals (Nordin, 2009). All the animals used in testing/studies Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in an unfathomable number of laboratories across the country and even the world. Exact numbers are not available because mice, rats, birds, and cold-blooded animals- who make up over 95% of creatures used in experiments, are not covered by even the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act and therefore go uncounted (PETA, Animal Testing 101, 2013). Types of products used on animals during testing Mice and rats are forced to inhale toxic fumes, dogs are force-fed pesticides, and rabbits have corrosive chemicals rubbed onto their skin and eyes. Many of these tests are not even required by law, and have often produced inaccurate or misleading results that were pointless towards the end affect when the results had to be tossed and started over for being inaccurate towards the desired end result. Even if a product harms animals, it can still be marketed to consumers. Cruel and deadly toxicity tests are also conducted as a part of the massive regulatory testing programs that often funded by USA taxpayers’ money without them even knowing (PETA, Animal Testing 101, 2013). Conclusion Animal testing should not be something that is taken lightly, where as innocent animals are being tested with harmful products, and it is not fair to them. With our advancements in technologies every day, why are we still using innocent animals to test our products on which in turn may not even give us the results needed or give us false results which makes the tests of those animals useless and obsolete? With people knowing what many of these animals go through, would they sign their own pets up to go through that? Having a heart on this issue is what will end it, animals have lives, should be able to live it in their nature desired ways that is unaffected by humans.

Biomedical Informatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biomedical Informatics - Essay Example The Six Sigma refers to a quality level that is prone to minimal operational or experimental errors. In statistical analysis, Six Sigma represents standard deviation that indicates the level of variation in an experiment or operation (Pokharkar et al. 1160). The highly disciplined strategy entails three elements that include process improvement, re-design, and process management (Pokharkar et al. 1161). The Six Sigma strategy was initially dominant in the manufacturing industry where it played a noble role in meeting the client’s needs based on the DMAIC method (Snee 4). However, other industries including the health care industry have since adopted the six-sigma strategy to address the heightened competitive market pressures (Pokharkar et al. 1160-1163). Indeed, Lean and Six Sigma strategies have been fundamental in clinical and translational research where they enhance various processes. The strategy can achieve this by eliminating delays and errors, enhancing quality, and facilitating the timely adoption of biomedical discoveries. The NIH Roadmap for Biomedical Research and the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award program recognize the potential of the six-sigma quality improvements in clinical trials (Schweikhart and Dembe 748). Various scholars establish that Lean and Six Sigma relate and try to improve total quality management by deriving a more discrete and me asurable operation. The strategy also quantifies results and aims at delivering certain quality improvements within a given period. Clinical trials rely on six-sigma quality improvements to concentrate on process management, adopt standardized method for monitoring process improvement, and making sure that the trials address the clients’ needs. In most cases, the six sigma strategy works together with the lean strategy, which aims at improving delivery time, reducing operation costs, minimizing cycle times, and

The benefits of Using the Smart Phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The benefits of Using the Smart Phones - Essay Example According to Polichar et al. et al. individuals use Smartphones to fulfill their individual needs regardless of the functions and the interface of the phone, they customize their phones according to their own needs to benefit from the phones (Polichar et al. et al. 629). Clough et al. et al. argues that Smartphones are utilized by both adult and youth population to attain education that is informal in nature. In this report I am going to argue that Smartphones are benefiting adults and teenagers in various aspects of life (Clough et al. et al. 359). In order to find studies that have already focused on my report’s topic, I went through various libraries such as the ProQuest database. Secondly, I even conducted a search through the Google’s search engine under the option of Google Scholar and found various articles from various journals to assist me in my assignment. The journals from which I obtained the journal articles includes: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning as well as Personal and Ubiquitous Computing and others. Following the sources along with their annotations that I am going to utilize to complete my report and defend my stance: Polichar et al. et al. conducted a study named (Empowerment through Seamfulness: Smart Phones in Everyday Life) in order to figure out how adults use mobile phones such as Smartphones to satisfy their needs (Polichar et al. 629). To conduct this study they conducted interviews from 21 participants and these participants were using Smartphones such as BlackBerry and iPhone. Clough et al. conducted a study to figure out the link between Smartphone use and informal learning and figured out that individuals use Smartphones for the purpose of conducting informal education that is intentional in nature (Clough et al. 369). He and fellow researchers even identified that owning a Smartphone influenced users

The Myths of Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Myths of Marijuana - Essay Example The purpose of the essay is to shed light on the mystified shell of Marijuana and reinvents its real essence which is absolutely harmful. Moreover, the essay would examine the conditions in which such mystification of Marijuana and its use takes place and reveal the channels and agencies through which the myths of Marijuana are propagated. It is an irony that both the proponents and opponents of marijuana are part of the great debate on the myths of marijuana. Curiously, each side accuses the other of creating myths about marijuana. However, the present essay does not attempt balance between the contesting perspectives on the myths of marijuana, rather, challenges the myths which are favoring marijuana and exposes not only the myths but also the way such myths came to existence. Office of National Drug Control Policy, in the document- 'Marijuana Myths and Facts: The Truth Behind 10 popular misconceptions', points out that 'Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States' (2005, p.4). The crumbling fact is that Marijuana is the most popular narcotic drug among the majority of illicit drug users. There is a growing number of people in the United States who have at least once used Marijuana. ... Historically speaking, it is important to note that the youth started to become attracted into marijuana by the tumultuous 60s and 70s. The insecurities of modern life in general and the anti-establishment feelings in particular created a kind of social vacuum or a moral anomaly which tempted the people to cut their roots from traditional forms grievance addressable channels such as religious authorities, community organizations and family. On the other hand, the empty promises of a brave new world were thick in the air. The youth who were looking forward to get out of the rotten system found their easy solace in Marijuana along with Beatles and rock music. It all indicates that socio economic conditions play a vital role in the production, distributions and consumption of narcotic drugs in general and marijuana in particular as it has a carefully crafted cultural aura around it. However, the youth of 60s and 70s did not live much with their illusions. The reality was striking and naturally they came out of the grip of marijuana to perceive the reality as reality. In addition, the first time users were mostly above 19 and the potency of the available variety of marijuana was considerably less in 60s and 70s. And, the use of Marijuana was a time bound fashion than a concrete lifestyle. On the contrary, the globalized world in twenty first century is strikingly different in regards to marijuana and its marketing, propaganda, trade routes and use. The "weed" of the so called Woodstock era has paved way for new generation marijuana which is greatly stronger than the old ones. Most strikingly, the first use age is dramatically dropped into 17. In other

Personality Disorder Carer and Family Support Impact

Personality Disorder Carer and Family Support Impact ARE PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES FOR FAMILY AND CARERS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING RELAPSES AND FACILITATING RECOVERY OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM PERSONALITY DISORDERS? ABSTRACT Background Carers and families of people suffering from personality disorder are in desperate need of support and services. Providing these services can reduce relapses and facilitate recovery in sufferers of personality disorder. The Research Question How can psycho-educational and support programmes for carers and families of those with personality disorder improve their recovery? Methodology The results of this study were obtained through a systematic literature review. Results Diagnosis and treatment of personality disorder are still complex and often confusing issues, even for professionals. Still, treatment can produce recovery and this recovery can be expedited if carers and families are provided with programmes to equip them to effectively face the challenges that personality disorder presents. Conclusions Providing psycho-educational and support programmes makes carers more effective and can help treat personality disorder. Social Workers can help to bridge a gap in the services that is adversely affecting the treatment outcomes of sufferers and hence placing greater strain on the Health System than is necessary. Contextualisation The carers and families of individuals suffering from personality disorders are an underserved population. Considerable strain is placed upon them and their loved ones and they are often at a loss as to how to effectively perform their duties and assist the recovery of those they care for. If more psycho-educational and support programmes for carers and families were provided, it is possible that treatment for personality disorder could be improved. Personality disorders can be defined as: â€Å". . . psychiatric conditions relating to functional impairment, or psychological distress resulting from inflexible and maladaptive personality traits.†1 Personality disorders are explained in the two most prominent classification schemes, the DSM-IV, where personality disorders can be found in Axis II, and the ICD-10. The definitions in these diagnostic classification systems are much the same. Defining ‘severe personality disorder has proved problematic for experts, who have yet to establish a generally accepted definition. The suggestion of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (1999) that severe personality disorder is marked by extreme societal disturbance and at least one extreme personality disorder has provided some guidance.2 Alternatively, having two severe disorders could mean that the sufferer has one disorder that expresses itself in more than one extreme way, or could simply indicate one deeply disturbing disorder. One study graded the severity of personality disorder on 163 subjects and found that the patients whose personality disorder was described as ‘complex demonstrated the greatest number of symptoms and recovered the least. Personality disorder carers are people who support a person who suffers from any form of personality disorder, whether they are relatives, friends or partners. Often, carers give sufferers emotional and financial support and may even act as informal social workers. Previous studies have shown that carers of people with personality disorder benefit from psycho-educational and support programmes. Psycho-educational programmes are educational programmes that contain an element of counselling or therapeutic activity for the family. The main aim of these programmes is to minimise the strain experienced by families and carers of people with mental illnesses, here personality disorder. Psycho-educational and counselling programmes exist ultimately to facilitate recovery and reduce relapses; indeed, the success of programmes is usually measured by examining relapse rates. Programmes attempt to provide adequate support, information, signposting to appropriate resources, advocacy and respite for carers. They also coach carers to increase their problem solving abilities, improve their communication and help them construct their own support networks. Support programmes for carers of people with a mental illness attempt to support the contribution that carers make to the lives of those they care for. They work toward advances in policy that will augment the services that satisfy carer requirements. Support programmes prompt dialogue between members of the government and carers, as well as encouraging carer involvement in the creation and delivery of carer and patient services. Further, support services connect carers with agencies to assist them in their role and facilitate modes of best practice in aiding carers. The Research Question This literature review examines a number of studies on personality disorder, its effect on carers and issues connected with diagnosis and treatment in an attempt to determine whether psycho-educational and support programmes for family and carers are effective in reducing relapses and facilitating recovery of people suffering from personality disorders. If social workers are to work effectively with this client base, they must put aside antiquated beliefs that personality disorder cases are hopeless and that those who suffer from personality disorder never get better. This study reveals that one of the greatest challenges to carers and families is obtaining the support they need and the services they are entitled to, and Social Workers can be instrumental in bridging gaps in the Mental Health system. Methodology This dissertation undertakes a systematic literature review of health care and psychological literature to address key issues in the support of carers of people suffering from personality disorders. Several different studies and a range of approaches were examined. Although the number and breadth of studies was a strength of the review, the variety of approaches made it challenging to compare the overall merits of one study against another. The literature was obtained through a variety of means. Google searches, journal articles, working group reports, service provider reports and academic papers were used. The research methods that appear in the utilised material included telephone interviews, questionnaires and surveys, face-to-face interviews and meta-analysis. Some were literature reviews themselves and some simply reported on the outcomes when a group of treated individuals was observed. Of the studies that involved observation of a group, very few included a control group in the study so methodological rigour was not as great as it could have been. Neither is it certain that studies where self-reporting was used are as empirically reliable as one would like, as sufferers of personality disorder tend to over- or under-report their symptoms . Some of the studies that were conducted recently showed positive outcomes, but the long-term follow-up for the same groups may make the figures less significant. Even where there has been longterm follow-up, some of those who took part in the initial study may not be included because of death, inability or unwillingness to participate, or inability to be located. The methodological rigour of the studies is further complicated by the fact that the process of diagnosis and treatment of personality disorder is fraught with complexities. The categories for personality disorder are somewhat defined by behaviours and are not theoretically based or grounded in common mechanisms of the disorder. The actions and symptoms of patients are so extremely varied that both diagnosis and treatment are difficult to present, much less to assess. Yet just because a comprehensive catalogue of truths about personality disorder cannot be presented does not mean that no reliable statements can be made. The evidence that is presented here is solid enough to make general assertions regarding the affects of carer support on patients based upon the evidence, and that is what it intends to do. Assessing the impact of support and education for carers upon the sufferers of personality disorder themselves proved more challenging than, for example, assessing the impact of treatment on sufferers, for which there is abundant literature. Still, the impact of psycho-educational and support programmes on consumers has been assessed and outcomes observed. Additionally, the evidence for the improvement of the lives of carers and the quality of care they give their charges is strong, and this fact bolsters the hypothesis that improved care for carers improves the mental health of those for whom they care. These conclusions are definitely linked, especially given the statistics that show that improvement for personality disorder takes place over a long period of time and is facilitated by positive interpersonal relationships with people who are equipped to deal with the symptoms that people with personality disorder exhibit. The presence of positive relationships with carers who are tr ained, educated and supported will assuredly improve the ‘treatment conditions for those with personality disorder. In narrowing the scope of the literature to be included in the study, several factors had to be noted. Some of the literature was so grounded in certain programmes for certain countries that many sections were not transferable to this review. For example, the results of the Network for Carers (2004) report were based upon specific programmes offered in Australia, so some information had to be excluded. However, this document was very helpful in establishing general facts about the needs of carers and the impact of programmes upon their ability to care for sufferers. It was also a thorough exposition of the opinions of carers,through which their voice was clearly heard. There were also other limitations regarding the particular demographic studied. The NHS National Programme on Forensic Mental Health Research and Development Expert Paper on Personality Disorders primarily assessed offenders with personality disorder and not merely members of the wider public suffering from the disorde r. Because of this, significant sections of the material had to be ignored. Still, this paper was useful in understanding the complexities of treatment and diagnosis of personality disorder, and provided definitions for contextualisation. In evaluating the quality of the data, the analytical tool Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used to assist in making sense of the evidence. This tool is advantageous to those who are strangers to qualitative research, assessing the merits of a source with regard to rigour, credibility and relevance.CASP initially asks two screening questions, the first addressing research aims and significance. The second screening question considers whether the research interprets subjective experiences of participants.Answering these two questions with a ‘yes then leads to eight more questions covering issues such as recruitment strategies, collection of data and ethical issues. In a literature review there are several ethical issues that must be considered, especially when dealing with a vulnerable population such as sufferers of mental illness. For each study used in the review it was necessary to consider whether ethical standards were maintained throughout the study, includi ng the manner in which consent was obtained and the way that confidentiality was upheld. Another ethical consideration is the handling of the outcomes of the study with the participants after the study.9 In the data observed here, it is not always explicit that consent was obtained but is often implied. Eliciting feedback from carers carries implied consent even if consent was not explicit, for obviously no individual would be forced to comment against his or her will. Confidentiality is maintained through omitting names and keeping the results impersonal. Yet the information given for studies is in its final and often abbreviated form, and the background work is not always documented comprehensively enough to ascertain whether all ethical considerations have been taken into account. One ethical consideration that is not always considered is the treatment of ethnic minorities in research projects, especially those for whom English is not their first language. The wording of questions and the criteria by which outcomes are judged is often tainted by cultural bias for those being assessed outside their native surroundings. It is practically impossible to remedy this, because part of the methodological rigour of the study depends upon all participants being treated and assessed in the same way. Differentiation on the basis of cultural differences would compromise the consistency of the study, but the impact of cultural factors is most certainly felt by those of foreign origin. Discussion of Findings Traits The traits exhibited by sufferers of personality disorder differ immensely because of the wide scope of the disorder. Examples of traits range from anxiety, narcissism and compulsivity to defiance, abnormal attachments and avoidance of social situations. Sufferers may demonstrate an arrogant interpersonal style, or may show extreme submissiveness. Personality disorders are linked with negative results in the wider population such as marital breakdown, criminal actions and professional difficulties.The anomalies of personality disorder are apparent in the thought patters, expressions and levels of self-control of sufferers. The patient will display abnormalities in the way that he or she interacts with others which will appear in a range of circumstances. There are various types of personality disorders, and each has its own banners of dysfunction. It has been recognised that the kinds of personality disorders covered in DSM and ICD are a small cluster when contrasted with the array o f personality impairments that can be identified in large configurations of people.11 Personality disorders can be divided into three clusters, A-C. In the first cluster disorders relating to paranoia and schizophrenia are found. Cluster B includes antisocial and narcissistic disorders, and Cluster C focuses on avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Prevalence It is estimated that between 6% and 15% of the population have one or more personality disorders of some kind—different studies produce different results.13 The goal of one study was to estimate the prevalence of personality disorders in a local sample and discern the most common demographic groups therein. The frequency of the DSM and ICD personality disorders and the interactions between disorder clusters and demographic qualities was assessed in a local sample of 742 participants between the ages of 34 and 94 over two years.14 The results showed that the overall prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders was approximately 9%. Among the disorders, antisocial personality disorder was the most common and appeared in almost 5% of those assessed. Dependent personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorders were rare. The prevalence of many of the individual disorders was only 1% to 2%. For ICD-10 disorders, the overall presence in the surveyed group was 7%. Again, the prevalence for individual disorders was 1% to 2%. The most common disorder in for the ICD disorders was dissocial personality disorder at 3%. Dependent personality disorder was, again, very rare. Who is affected? Studies dedicated to uncovering the risk factors for personality disorder produced a variety of results. Prominent factors that may lead to a personality disorder include having a parent who is involved in or has been convicted of a crime, having a parent with deficient parenting abilities and being part of a large family. Factors such as low intelligence also feature in the list of risk factors. However, this study and studies that are similar raise certain issues about the nature of judging which factors should be included as risk factors for personality disorder. These sorts of factors could be criticised for having prejudicial antecedent assumptions regarding what it means to be a functioning human being. It is likely that people from lower socio-economic classes will have a tendency to fit these categories more than their middle- or upper class counterparts.Care should be taken in describing risk factors to ensure the language used is not biased by class. In the study mentioned above, several demographic characteristics were assessed with regard to prevalence of personality disorder. The outcomes demonstrated that Cluster A disorders were more common in males than in females. Cluster A disorders were also more prevalent in participants who were divorced or separated than those who were married or widowed. Subjects who had never been married were the most susceptible sub-group of all. In the Cluster B category, men were again more prone to having a personality disorder than women. Cluster B disorders were most common in the youngest age range surveyed and least common in the oldest range. Further, this cluster was most prevalent in participants who lacked a high school diploma and was least prevalent in participants who graduated from high school and continued their education afterwards. The odds of having one of these disorders decreased approximately 6% for each year an individual aged. One possible explanation for the increase of prevalence of disorder with age could be that people of more mature generations are less likely to have, know about or report symptoms of personality disorder. The prevalence of Cluster C disorders was most closely related to marital status, again showing that participants who had never been married were most likely to have one of these disorders. The likelihood of having a Cluster C disorder was almost 7 times greater in those never married when contrasted with those who were married or widowed. The results of this study broadly match a number of previous studies whose results showed the prevalence of personality disorders in the general population to be 9-13%. However, there were some differences between previous studies on prevalence and this study. The present study found a notably higher prevalence of antisocial personality disorder and a much lower prevalence of histrionic and dependent personality disorders than previous studies. These differences could have been caused by methodological variants and the diagnostic criteria used such as which version of the DSM was utilised. The differences could also be a result of participant source, form of assessment, assessors experience and data collection methods. Notable strengths of the study were that the participants were obtained through a community sample and personally interviewed by psychologists who have a significant amount of experience in cross-examination. The limitations included the fact that not all subjects coul d be interviewed and that the sample size was not really large enough to pick up on very rare disorders. The results of other studies have been less conclusive. An American study examined the theory that personality traits stop transforming by the time an individual reaches the age of 30. One of the major strengths of this study was the sample size of 132,515. The subjects, aged 21-60, participated in a web-based Big Five personality measurement. The results of this study showed that qualities such as being agreeable and conscientious increased during adulthood up through middle age. The quality of being neurotic diminished for women but remained static for men.20 Both men and women decreased in openness after the age of 30, and while men increased in extraversion from 31 to 60, the same quality diminished in women in the same age range.21 While the sample size of this study was certainly impressive, one concern was that conducting the study over the internet might bias it toward younger subjects. Another concern was the cohort effect, since people of earlier generations might not engag e with psychological instruments with the same ease as those who are younger. Overall, the multiplicity in paradigms of change did not affirm either that personality does not change after 30 or that it does. The study concludes that the traits examined are complex in nature and subject to an array of developmental influences. Historical View The onset of the de-institutionalisation of mental health establishments has produced a number of benefits. There is now less public stigma placed upon sufferers of mental illness and their traits and presence in wider society has come a long way toward normalisation. Suffers of mental illness have become less isolated and enjoy greater freedoms, including the freedom to choose from a selection of services. From a governmental point of view, deinstitutionalisation has saved them an enormous amount of money. However, the responsibility for managing and caring for mental illness sufferers has been transferred from the institution to the local community, and specifically to carers. Carers are involved in every possible aspect of the lives of their charges, even to the extent that their role could be characterised as an informal social worker. But the burden of the role combined with the lack of training, education and support often results in the damage of the psychological health of th e carer, as well as strict limitations on their life outside the caring role. The striking impact of caring on the lives of carers and other factors led to the undertaking of research on the involvement of families in managing and treating mental illness. From this came solid evidence of the benefits of such involvement, and the needs of carers began to be recognised. In recent years services have been put in place to assure that the needs of carers are met, and education for carers has been pinpointed as the most beneficial service for carers and consumers. Carers need to be educated in order to feel equipped to perform their tasks effectively. Specifically, carers named a need for â€Å"education about mental disorders† and information about treatment options† as their most salient needs. These statements are reinforced by studies from various countries where carers named the same things as most important for their success. Historically, studies examining the impact of educational programmes for carers have come from two different hypotheses. The first is that the chances of a consumer recovering from a mental illness are augmented if an educated and informed family surrounds him or her. Such a family will have deeper knowledge and sympathy for the condition of the sufferer and will be equipped to manage challenging behaviours. The second hypothesis is that because of the implications of their role, carers have an inherent right to access to adequate services. They have a right to services that will enhance their individual welfare and their effectiveness as carers. Assigning a course of treatment to personality disorder has always been an inexact science. Personality disorder is particularly complex to treat because the prime method of treatment is not always apparent after a diagnosis has been arrived at. The type of treatment which will prove most effective for the patient differs from individual to individual. Case conceptualisations can be helpful in assessing the individuals issues, identifying areas of risk and determining proper treatment goals.24 There is an abundance of research about treating personality disorder, but the studies cannot always be relied upon due to their lack of sound methodology. While some forms of treatment for personality disorder can reduce relapses and facilitate recovery, there is no simple panacea for this ailment. Cognitive treatments including cognitive-behavioural approaches have produced some pleasing results with personality disorder patients, as have psychodynamic treatments. Diagnosis Individuals who suffer from personality disorder encounter several issues with their diagnoses. They may be diagnosed through the means of an interview, a self assessment questionnaire or other means. Clinical psychiatrists often diagnose patients through interviewing them with regard to the DSM or ICD categories. This method is slightly better for detecting the existence or not of a personality disorder, but shows low accuracy for particular types of disorder. Self-report questionnaires like the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-IV) and the Millon Clinical Multi-axial Inventory (MCMI) are also used to diagnose personality disorder. These questionnaires are considered imprecise because individuals tend to over-emphasise or under-emphasise the issues they are having. In addition to these methods of diagnosis, there are several semi-structured interview schedules to assist professionals. These schedules feature lists of questions that correlate to the DSM or ICD and the clinici an may then mark the patient and determine whether he or she has a disorder according to the criteria. Interview schedules have shown that they are slightly more reliable than other forms of diagnosis, but this success is only relative and the results are still much less valid than is needed. Really none of the diagnostic tools should be considered better than any of the others, for they are all faulty to the extent that they cannot be relied upon. There is a problematic absence of consensus regarding the reliability of diagnosing in general and the consistency of different diagnostic schemes. Part of the problem is that the explanations of personality disorders in the DSM and ICD feature a concoction of psychological traits and displayed behaviours, so that it becomes uncertain whether the diagnoses are attempting merely to pinpoint deviant actions or to identify traits whose presence is significant for determining personality disorder. The solidity of diagnoses for personality disorder is frequently questioned, and there are only a few disorders whose diagnoses are considered reliable. The diagnosis that can be made with the most certainty is antisocial personality disorder, because this problem can be identified by external actions that can be easily observed. Those who diagnose individuals with personality disorder are not always able to be precise in identifying which personality disorder they are dealing with, therefore m ultiple personality disorder diagnoses are common. Clinicians often find themselves confronting comorbidity, and prudent professionals test for the full scope of disorders. Comorbidity is quite common, with male legal psychopaths having an average of three disorders each. Women may have four.28 There is a great amount of interaction between the descriptors of the various types of personality disorder and so it is difficult to tell them apart. When dealing with multiple diagnoses, it is advisable to keep all disorders in mind when constructing a treatment regime, even if many of the features of the respective disorders overlap. The classification of disorders is also problematic, because the categories lack the quality of homogeneity present in reliable psychological categories of other types. Categories of psychological dysfunction work best when each class is different from others and common elements are contained within one class. This is not the case with personality disorders. For example, there are literally hundreds of ways to satisfy the criteria for borderline personality disorder, and so individuals with the same diagnosis may have utterly distinct behaviours, symptoms and needs. Axis I disorders feature frequently in those who suffer from personality disorder, particularly where there is substance abuse or depression. The classifications for personality disorder tend neither to be theoretically based, nor to stem from statistical research, which is presumably part of the reason that precise diagnoses are so elusive. The categories are so unreliable that abandoning the categories altogether and composing a new classification system is often proposed. While this may be the ideal way to correct the flaws, the time and effort already invested in the use of the present system is likely to ensure its continued existence. One approach to dealing with personality disorder is the trait approach. This approach states that a minimal amount of theories can illumine the majority of human behaviour. Observing the personality traits exhibited by an individual and placing them on a continuum from truly normal to extremely dysfunctional is more faithful to the structure of t he human psyche and tells clinicians more about the true nature of the dysfunction suffered by the patient. Currently, the most extensively developed trait theory relating to personality disorder is the theory of psychopathology. Treatment Cognitive-behavioural treatments (CBT) aimed at treating personality disorders have a tendency to take a broad approach. CBTs engage an array of behaviours, thoughts, preconceptions and internal emotional mechanisms. Many treatments are residential and are conducted with a group. They frequently include tenets of other methods such as psychodynamic therapy. Therefore it is an arduous task to pick out what, if any, elements are effective in a multi-dimensional approach so that they can be improved and repeated. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a method of CBT focusing on female patients with borderline personality disorder. The goal of the therapy is to reduce or eliminate incidents of self-harm through group skills training. Group sessions address destructive thought patterns and social skills. Individual therapy can also be used. The outcomes for one study showed that women who were treated experienced reduced anger and self-destructive or suicidal thoughts. Their social skills improved and they required less psychiatric treatment. Arnold Lodge Regional Secure Unit has produced a treatment method aimed specifically at offenders with a personality disorder. The treatment programme centres on teaching patients socially acceptable mechanisms for problem solving. The patients work individually and with others and receive regular counselling. This regime is supplemented with services that are individually tailored to the needs of the individual, such as anger management sessions or substance abuse education. This form of treatment has been shown to reduce deficiencies in social functioning and self-control.32 While the initial studies are promising, long-term analysis will confirm or refute the true effectiveness of this type of treatment. Therapeutic communities, cognitive therapies and dynamic therapies may also be used to treat personality disorder. Therapeutic communities are tailored primarily for offenders and have produced promising results in terms of reduced recidivism and improved social integration. A study into the effectiveness of therapeutic community treatment of personality disorder explored whether this type of treatment improved the health of patients to the extent that the burden on Health Services eased. Several previous studies reported reductions in the use of psychiatric services after therapeutic community treatment. The previous studies were limited by the fact that they observed participants for one year only and lacked thorough follow-up. This study sought to fill the methodological gaps of the previous studies by tracking patients for years after treatment. They assessed the impact of treatment on Health Services by counting the number of admissions to hospital before and after treatment. Th e study found that therapeutic community treatment resulted in a statistically significant drop in in-patient admissions over the 3-year period. Those who were admitted to hospital tended to be the subjects who had the briefest experience of therapeutic community treatment. Another study involving therapeutic community treatment focused on individuals with severe personality disorder. The effect of p Personality Disorder Carer and Family Support Impact Personality Disorder Carer and Family Support Impact ARE PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES FOR FAMILY AND CARERS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING RELAPSES AND FACILITATING RECOVERY OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM PERSONALITY DISORDERS? ABSTRACT Background Carers and families of people suffering from personality disorder are in desperate need of support and services. Providing these services can reduce relapses and facilitate recovery in sufferers of personality disorder. The Research Question How can psycho-educational and support programmes for carers and families of those with personality disorder improve their recovery? Methodology The results of this study were obtained through a systematic literature review. Results Diagnosis and treatment of personality disorder are still complex and often confusing issues, even for professionals. Still, treatment can produce recovery and this recovery can be expedited if carers and families are provided with programmes to equip them to effectively face the challenges that personality disorder presents. Conclusions Providing psycho-educational and support programmes makes carers more effective and can help treat personality disorder. Social Workers can help to bridge a gap in the services that is adversely affecting the treatment outcomes of sufferers and hence placing greater strain on the Health System than is necessary. Contextualisation The carers and families of individuals suffering from personality disorders are an underserved population. Considerable strain is placed upon them and their loved ones and they are often at a loss as to how to effectively perform their duties and assist the recovery of those they care for. If more psycho-educational and support programmes for carers and families were provided, it is possible that treatment for personality disorder could be improved. Personality disorders can be defined as: â€Å". . . psychiatric conditions relating to functional impairment, or psychological distress resulting from inflexible and maladaptive personality traits.†1 Personality disorders are explained in the two most prominent classification schemes, the DSM-IV, where personality disorders can be found in Axis II, and the ICD-10. The definitions in these diagnostic classification systems are much the same. Defining ‘severe personality disorder has proved problematic for experts, who have yet to establish a generally accepted definition. The suggestion of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (1999) that severe personality disorder is marked by extreme societal disturbance and at least one extreme personality disorder has provided some guidance.2 Alternatively, having two severe disorders could mean that the sufferer has one disorder that expresses itself in more than one extreme way, or could simply indicate one deeply disturbing disorder. One study graded the severity of personality disorder on 163 subjects and found that the patients whose personality disorder was described as ‘complex demonstrated the greatest number of symptoms and recovered the least. Personality disorder carers are people who support a person who suffers from any form of personality disorder, whether they are relatives, friends or partners. Often, carers give sufferers emotional and financial support and may even act as informal social workers. Previous studies have shown that carers of people with personality disorder benefit from psycho-educational and support programmes. Psycho-educational programmes are educational programmes that contain an element of counselling or therapeutic activity for the family. The main aim of these programmes is to minimise the strain experienced by families and carers of people with mental illnesses, here personality disorder. Psycho-educational and counselling programmes exist ultimately to facilitate recovery and reduce relapses; indeed, the success of programmes is usually measured by examining relapse rates. Programmes attempt to provide adequate support, information, signposting to appropriate resources, advocacy and respite for carers. They also coach carers to increase their problem solving abilities, improve their communication and help them construct their own support networks. Support programmes for carers of people with a mental illness attempt to support the contribution that carers make to the lives of those they care for. They work toward advances in policy that will augment the services that satisfy carer requirements. Support programmes prompt dialogue between members of the government and carers, as well as encouraging carer involvement in the creation and delivery of carer and patient services. Further, support services connect carers with agencies to assist them in their role and facilitate modes of best practice in aiding carers. The Research Question This literature review examines a number of studies on personality disorder, its effect on carers and issues connected with diagnosis and treatment in an attempt to determine whether psycho-educational and support programmes for family and carers are effective in reducing relapses and facilitating recovery of people suffering from personality disorders. If social workers are to work effectively with this client base, they must put aside antiquated beliefs that personality disorder cases are hopeless and that those who suffer from personality disorder never get better. This study reveals that one of the greatest challenges to carers and families is obtaining the support they need and the services they are entitled to, and Social Workers can be instrumental in bridging gaps in the Mental Health system. Methodology This dissertation undertakes a systematic literature review of health care and psychological literature to address key issues in the support of carers of people suffering from personality disorders. Several different studies and a range of approaches were examined. Although the number and breadth of studies was a strength of the review, the variety of approaches made it challenging to compare the overall merits of one study against another. The literature was obtained through a variety of means. Google searches, journal articles, working group reports, service provider reports and academic papers were used. The research methods that appear in the utilised material included telephone interviews, questionnaires and surveys, face-to-face interviews and meta-analysis. Some were literature reviews themselves and some simply reported on the outcomes when a group of treated individuals was observed. Of the studies that involved observation of a group, very few included a control group in the study so methodological rigour was not as great as it could have been. Neither is it certain that studies where self-reporting was used are as empirically reliable as one would like, as sufferers of personality disorder tend to over- or under-report their symptoms . Some of the studies that were conducted recently showed positive outcomes, but the long-term follow-up for the same groups may make the figures less significant. Even where there has been longterm follow-up, some of those who took part in the initial study may not be included because of death, inability or unwillingness to participate, or inability to be located. The methodological rigour of the studies is further complicated by the fact that the process of diagnosis and treatment of personality disorder is fraught with complexities. The categories for personality disorder are somewhat defined by behaviours and are not theoretically based or grounded in common mechanisms of the disorder. The actions and symptoms of patients are so extremely varied that both diagnosis and treatment are difficult to present, much less to assess. Yet just because a comprehensive catalogue of truths about personality disorder cannot be presented does not mean that no reliable statements can be made. The evidence that is presented here is solid enough to make general assertions regarding the affects of carer support on patients based upon the evidence, and that is what it intends to do. Assessing the impact of support and education for carers upon the sufferers of personality disorder themselves proved more challenging than, for example, assessing the impact of treatment on sufferers, for which there is abundant literature. Still, the impact of psycho-educational and support programmes on consumers has been assessed and outcomes observed. Additionally, the evidence for the improvement of the lives of carers and the quality of care they give their charges is strong, and this fact bolsters the hypothesis that improved care for carers improves the mental health of those for whom they care. These conclusions are definitely linked, especially given the statistics that show that improvement for personality disorder takes place over a long period of time and is facilitated by positive interpersonal relationships with people who are equipped to deal with the symptoms that people with personality disorder exhibit. The presence of positive relationships with carers who are tr ained, educated and supported will assuredly improve the ‘treatment conditions for those with personality disorder. In narrowing the scope of the literature to be included in the study, several factors had to be noted. Some of the literature was so grounded in certain programmes for certain countries that many sections were not transferable to this review. For example, the results of the Network for Carers (2004) report were based upon specific programmes offered in Australia, so some information had to be excluded. However, this document was very helpful in establishing general facts about the needs of carers and the impact of programmes upon their ability to care for sufferers. It was also a thorough exposition of the opinions of carers,through which their voice was clearly heard. There were also other limitations regarding the particular demographic studied. The NHS National Programme on Forensic Mental Health Research and Development Expert Paper on Personality Disorders primarily assessed offenders with personality disorder and not merely members of the wider public suffering from the disorde r. Because of this, significant sections of the material had to be ignored. Still, this paper was useful in understanding the complexities of treatment and diagnosis of personality disorder, and provided definitions for contextualisation. In evaluating the quality of the data, the analytical tool Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used to assist in making sense of the evidence. This tool is advantageous to those who are strangers to qualitative research, assessing the merits of a source with regard to rigour, credibility and relevance.CASP initially asks two screening questions, the first addressing research aims and significance. The second screening question considers whether the research interprets subjective experiences of participants.Answering these two questions with a ‘yes then leads to eight more questions covering issues such as recruitment strategies, collection of data and ethical issues. In a literature review there are several ethical issues that must be considered, especially when dealing with a vulnerable population such as sufferers of mental illness. For each study used in the review it was necessary to consider whether ethical standards were maintained throughout the study, includi ng the manner in which consent was obtained and the way that confidentiality was upheld. Another ethical consideration is the handling of the outcomes of the study with the participants after the study.9 In the data observed here, it is not always explicit that consent was obtained but is often implied. Eliciting feedback from carers carries implied consent even if consent was not explicit, for obviously no individual would be forced to comment against his or her will. Confidentiality is maintained through omitting names and keeping the results impersonal. Yet the information given for studies is in its final and often abbreviated form, and the background work is not always documented comprehensively enough to ascertain whether all ethical considerations have been taken into account. One ethical consideration that is not always considered is the treatment of ethnic minorities in research projects, especially those for whom English is not their first language. The wording of questions and the criteria by which outcomes are judged is often tainted by cultural bias for those being assessed outside their native surroundings. It is practically impossible to remedy this, because part of the methodological rigour of the study depends upon all participants being treated and assessed in the same way. Differentiation on the basis of cultural differences would compromise the consistency of the study, but the impact of cultural factors is most certainly felt by those of foreign origin. Discussion of Findings Traits The traits exhibited by sufferers of personality disorder differ immensely because of the wide scope of the disorder. Examples of traits range from anxiety, narcissism and compulsivity to defiance, abnormal attachments and avoidance of social situations. Sufferers may demonstrate an arrogant interpersonal style, or may show extreme submissiveness. Personality disorders are linked with negative results in the wider population such as marital breakdown, criminal actions and professional difficulties.The anomalies of personality disorder are apparent in the thought patters, expressions and levels of self-control of sufferers. The patient will display abnormalities in the way that he or she interacts with others which will appear in a range of circumstances. There are various types of personality disorders, and each has its own banners of dysfunction. It has been recognised that the kinds of personality disorders covered in DSM and ICD are a small cluster when contrasted with the array o f personality impairments that can be identified in large configurations of people.11 Personality disorders can be divided into three clusters, A-C. In the first cluster disorders relating to paranoia and schizophrenia are found. Cluster B includes antisocial and narcissistic disorders, and Cluster C focuses on avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Prevalence It is estimated that between 6% and 15% of the population have one or more personality disorders of some kind—different studies produce different results.13 The goal of one study was to estimate the prevalence of personality disorders in a local sample and discern the most common demographic groups therein. The frequency of the DSM and ICD personality disorders and the interactions between disorder clusters and demographic qualities was assessed in a local sample of 742 participants between the ages of 34 and 94 over two years.14 The results showed that the overall prevalence of DSM-IV personality disorders was approximately 9%. Among the disorders, antisocial personality disorder was the most common and appeared in almost 5% of those assessed. Dependent personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorders were rare. The prevalence of many of the individual disorders was only 1% to 2%. For ICD-10 disorders, the overall presence in the surveyed group was 7%. Again, the prevalence for individual disorders was 1% to 2%. The most common disorder in for the ICD disorders was dissocial personality disorder at 3%. Dependent personality disorder was, again, very rare. Who is affected? Studies dedicated to uncovering the risk factors for personality disorder produced a variety of results. Prominent factors that may lead to a personality disorder include having a parent who is involved in or has been convicted of a crime, having a parent with deficient parenting abilities and being part of a large family. Factors such as low intelligence also feature in the list of risk factors. However, this study and studies that are similar raise certain issues about the nature of judging which factors should be included as risk factors for personality disorder. These sorts of factors could be criticised for having prejudicial antecedent assumptions regarding what it means to be a functioning human being. It is likely that people from lower socio-economic classes will have a tendency to fit these categories more than their middle- or upper class counterparts.Care should be taken in describing risk factors to ensure the language used is not biased by class. In the study mentioned above, several demographic characteristics were assessed with regard to prevalence of personality disorder. The outcomes demonstrated that Cluster A disorders were more common in males than in females. Cluster A disorders were also more prevalent in participants who were divorced or separated than those who were married or widowed. Subjects who had never been married were the most susceptible sub-group of all. In the Cluster B category, men were again more prone to having a personality disorder than women. Cluster B disorders were most common in the youngest age range surveyed and least common in the oldest range. Further, this cluster was most prevalent in participants who lacked a high school diploma and was least prevalent in participants who graduated from high school and continued their education afterwards. The odds of having one of these disorders decreased approximately 6% for each year an individual aged. One possible explanation for the increase of prevalence of disorder with age could be that people of more mature generations are less likely to have, know about or report symptoms of personality disorder. The prevalence of Cluster C disorders was most closely related to marital status, again showing that participants who had never been married were most likely to have one of these disorders. The likelihood of having a Cluster C disorder was almost 7 times greater in those never married when contrasted with those who were married or widowed. The results of this study broadly match a number of previous studies whose results showed the prevalence of personality disorders in the general population to be 9-13%. However, there were some differences between previous studies on prevalence and this study. The present study found a notably higher prevalence of antisocial personality disorder and a much lower prevalence of histrionic and dependent personality disorders than previous studies. These differences could have been caused by methodological variants and the diagnostic criteria used such as which version of the DSM was utilised. The differences could also be a result of participant source, form of assessment, assessors experience and data collection methods. Notable strengths of the study were that the participants were obtained through a community sample and personally interviewed by psychologists who have a significant amount of experience in cross-examination. The limitations included the fact that not all subjects coul d be interviewed and that the sample size was not really large enough to pick up on very rare disorders. The results of other studies have been less conclusive. An American study examined the theory that personality traits stop transforming by the time an individual reaches the age of 30. One of the major strengths of this study was the sample size of 132,515. The subjects, aged 21-60, participated in a web-based Big Five personality measurement. The results of this study showed that qualities such as being agreeable and conscientious increased during adulthood up through middle age. The quality of being neurotic diminished for women but remained static for men.20 Both men and women decreased in openness after the age of 30, and while men increased in extraversion from 31 to 60, the same quality diminished in women in the same age range.21 While the sample size of this study was certainly impressive, one concern was that conducting the study over the internet might bias it toward younger subjects. Another concern was the cohort effect, since people of earlier generations might not engag e with psychological instruments with the same ease as those who are younger. Overall, the multiplicity in paradigms of change did not affirm either that personality does not change after 30 or that it does. The study concludes that the traits examined are complex in nature and subject to an array of developmental influences. Historical View The onset of the de-institutionalisation of mental health establishments has produced a number of benefits. There is now less public stigma placed upon sufferers of mental illness and their traits and presence in wider society has come a long way toward normalisation. Suffers of mental illness have become less isolated and enjoy greater freedoms, including the freedom to choose from a selection of services. From a governmental point of view, deinstitutionalisation has saved them an enormous amount of money. However, the responsibility for managing and caring for mental illness sufferers has been transferred from the institution to the local community, and specifically to carers. Carers are involved in every possible aspect of the lives of their charges, even to the extent that their role could be characterised as an informal social worker. But the burden of the role combined with the lack of training, education and support often results in the damage of the psychological health of th e carer, as well as strict limitations on their life outside the caring role. The striking impact of caring on the lives of carers and other factors led to the undertaking of research on the involvement of families in managing and treating mental illness. From this came solid evidence of the benefits of such involvement, and the needs of carers began to be recognised. In recent years services have been put in place to assure that the needs of carers are met, and education for carers has been pinpointed as the most beneficial service for carers and consumers. Carers need to be educated in order to feel equipped to perform their tasks effectively. Specifically, carers named a need for â€Å"education about mental disorders† and information about treatment options† as their most salient needs. These statements are reinforced by studies from various countries where carers named the same things as most important for their success. Historically, studies examining the impact of educational programmes for carers have come from two different hypotheses. The first is that the chances of a consumer recovering from a mental illness are augmented if an educated and informed family surrounds him or her. Such a family will have deeper knowledge and sympathy for the condition of the sufferer and will be equipped to manage challenging behaviours. The second hypothesis is that because of the implications of their role, carers have an inherent right to access to adequate services. They have a right to services that will enhance their individual welfare and their effectiveness as carers. Assigning a course of treatment to personality disorder has always been an inexact science. Personality disorder is particularly complex to treat because the prime method of treatment is not always apparent after a diagnosis has been arrived at. The type of treatment which will prove most effective for the patient differs from individual to individual. Case conceptualisations can be helpful in assessing the individuals issues, identifying areas of risk and determining proper treatment goals.24 There is an abundance of research about treating personality disorder, but the studies cannot always be relied upon due to their lack of sound methodology. While some forms of treatment for personality disorder can reduce relapses and facilitate recovery, there is no simple panacea for this ailment. Cognitive treatments including cognitive-behavioural approaches have produced some pleasing results with personality disorder patients, as have psychodynamic treatments. Diagnosis Individuals who suffer from personality disorder encounter several issues with their diagnoses. They may be diagnosed through the means of an interview, a self assessment questionnaire or other means. Clinical psychiatrists often diagnose patients through interviewing them with regard to the DSM or ICD categories. This method is slightly better for detecting the existence or not of a personality disorder, but shows low accuracy for particular types of disorder. Self-report questionnaires like the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-IV) and the Millon Clinical Multi-axial Inventory (MCMI) are also used to diagnose personality disorder. These questionnaires are considered imprecise because individuals tend to over-emphasise or under-emphasise the issues they are having. In addition to these methods of diagnosis, there are several semi-structured interview schedules to assist professionals. These schedules feature lists of questions that correlate to the DSM or ICD and the clinici an may then mark the patient and determine whether he or she has a disorder according to the criteria. Interview schedules have shown that they are slightly more reliable than other forms of diagnosis, but this success is only relative and the results are still much less valid than is needed. Really none of the diagnostic tools should be considered better than any of the others, for they are all faulty to the extent that they cannot be relied upon. There is a problematic absence of consensus regarding the reliability of diagnosing in general and the consistency of different diagnostic schemes. Part of the problem is that the explanations of personality disorders in the DSM and ICD feature a concoction of psychological traits and displayed behaviours, so that it becomes uncertain whether the diagnoses are attempting merely to pinpoint deviant actions or to identify traits whose presence is significant for determining personality disorder. The solidity of diagnoses for personality disorder is frequently questioned, and there are only a few disorders whose diagnoses are considered reliable. The diagnosis that can be made with the most certainty is antisocial personality disorder, because this problem can be identified by external actions that can be easily observed. Those who diagnose individuals with personality disorder are not always able to be precise in identifying which personality disorder they are dealing with, therefore m ultiple personality disorder diagnoses are common. Clinicians often find themselves confronting comorbidity, and prudent professionals test for the full scope of disorders. Comorbidity is quite common, with male legal psychopaths having an average of three disorders each. Women may have four.28 There is a great amount of interaction between the descriptors of the various types of personality disorder and so it is difficult to tell them apart. When dealing with multiple diagnoses, it is advisable to keep all disorders in mind when constructing a treatment regime, even if many of the features of the respective disorders overlap. The classification of disorders is also problematic, because the categories lack the quality of homogeneity present in reliable psychological categories of other types. Categories of psychological dysfunction work best when each class is different from others and common elements are contained within one class. This is not the case with personality disorders. For example, there are literally hundreds of ways to satisfy the criteria for borderline personality disorder, and so individuals with the same diagnosis may have utterly distinct behaviours, symptoms and needs. Axis I disorders feature frequently in those who suffer from personality disorder, particularly where there is substance abuse or depression. The classifications for personality disorder tend neither to be theoretically based, nor to stem from statistical research, which is presumably part of the reason that precise diagnoses are so elusive. The categories are so unreliable that abandoning the categories altogether and composing a new classification system is often proposed. While this may be the ideal way to correct the flaws, the time and effort already invested in the use of the present system is likely to ensure its continued existence. One approach to dealing with personality disorder is the trait approach. This approach states that a minimal amount of theories can illumine the majority of human behaviour. Observing the personality traits exhibited by an individual and placing them on a continuum from truly normal to extremely dysfunctional is more faithful to the structure of t he human psyche and tells clinicians more about the true nature of the dysfunction suffered by the patient. Currently, the most extensively developed trait theory relating to personality disorder is the theory of psychopathology. Treatment Cognitive-behavioural treatments (CBT) aimed at treating personality disorders have a tendency to take a broad approach. CBTs engage an array of behaviours, thoughts, preconceptions and internal emotional mechanisms. Many treatments are residential and are conducted with a group. They frequently include tenets of other methods such as psychodynamic therapy. Therefore it is an arduous task to pick out what, if any, elements are effective in a multi-dimensional approach so that they can be improved and repeated. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a method of CBT focusing on female patients with borderline personality disorder. The goal of the therapy is to reduce or eliminate incidents of self-harm through group skills training. Group sessions address destructive thought patterns and social skills. Individual therapy can also be used. The outcomes for one study showed that women who were treated experienced reduced anger and self-destructive or suicidal thoughts. Their social skills improved and they required less psychiatric treatment. Arnold Lodge Regional Secure Unit has produced a treatment method aimed specifically at offenders with a personality disorder. The treatment programme centres on teaching patients socially acceptable mechanisms for problem solving. The patients work individually and with others and receive regular counselling. This regime is supplemented with services that are individually tailored to the needs of the individual, such as anger management sessions or substance abuse education. This form of treatment has been shown to reduce deficiencies in social functioning and self-control.32 While the initial studies are promising, long-term analysis will confirm or refute the true effectiveness of this type of treatment. Therapeutic communities, cognitive therapies and dynamic therapies may also be used to treat personality disorder. Therapeutic communities are tailored primarily for offenders and have produced promising results in terms of reduced recidivism and improved social integration. A study into the effectiveness of therapeutic community treatment of personality disorder explored whether this type of treatment improved the health of patients to the extent that the burden on Health Services eased. Several previous studies reported reductions in the use of psychiatric services after therapeutic community treatment. The previous studies were limited by the fact that they observed participants for one year only and lacked thorough follow-up. This study sought to fill the methodological gaps of the previous studies by tracking patients for years after treatment. They assessed the impact of treatment on Health Services by counting the number of admissions to hospital before and after treatment. Th e study found that therapeutic community treatment resulted in a statistically significant drop in in-patient admissions over the 3-year period. Those who were admitted to hospital tended to be the subjects who had the briefest experience of therapeutic community treatment. Another study involving therapeutic community treatment focused on individuals with severe personality disorder. The effect of p