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Why Many Americans Fail to Vote in Elections

Why Many Americans Fail to Vote in Elections Why dont more peopleâ vote? Lets ask them. The California Voter Foundation (CVF) has discha...

Friday, November 29, 2019

Human Rights And Mental Health Essay Example

Human Rights And Mental Health Essay Ethics are moral values that govern us as individuals and a group on the appropriate conduct in society. Ethics lay down the foundations of how we should live our lives, treat others and ourselves; giving everyone an understanding of what is morally right and wrong in society. Ethics give us a baseline for understanding the concept of right and wrong. Help us to have a ready understanding of how to react to a certain situation before it has happened. As individuals we learn about ethics growing up from our home, school and social interaction. More often than not ethics dont give us a definitive answer to ethical questions, sometimes ethics give multiple choices leaving an individual to choose the correct path to take. In essence they provide us with a system for attempting to come to a morally right decision. Ethics are applied to all aspects of our lives and society, and there are a number of ethical approaches. Medical ethics are ethical models, which are more specific or more applicable to medical situations. Medical ethics have evolved overtime, however the oldest form of medical ethics still in use to day s the Hippocratic Oath, recited still by many graduating Doctors. Hippocrates was a Greek Philosopher and Physician, and the oath has been seen as the basics of medical ethics. (Patient, 2011). Approaches to Medical ethics are many, but commonly include Utilitarianism, Demonology (Kant), (ODL Ethics information pack 2011), and the more modern Four Principles plus scope approach to ethics (BMW, 1994). The Four principles introduces the concepts of Beneficence, Non Maleficent, Autonomy and Justice. BMW, 1994). All medical professions have their own governing bodies, outlining codes of reactive to which they are expected to adhere to. These vary slightly from profession to profession, however the above ethical approaches are over arching guidelines for medical professions in the UK today. For example, Doctors in the UK are governed by the General Medical Council (the GM), who outline the ir codes of practice in the Good Medical Practice (General Medical Council, 2013). Midwives and Nurses are guided by the Nursing and Midwifery Councils (the NC) code of practice, (Nursing midwife Council, 2010). We will write a custom essay sample on Human Rights And Mental Health specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Human Rights And Mental Health specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Human Rights And Mental Health specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Many ethical theories cross over with one another, which is a reflection of how these models have evolved over time. Utilitarianism, aka consequentiality. This ethical theory is based around the principle that the out come Of a decision should have the greatest good for the greatest number (Advanced Nursing Practice Toolkit, 2012). There are two types of Utilitarianism, Rule and Act. Both have their limitations and benefits. Act Utilitarianism has a main goal of desiring the greatest amount of pleasure for the largest majority (ODL Ethics information pack 201 1), however, the consequences of this are not always predictable. This approach does allow for a flexible approach to decision making given the situation. It works on the understanding that consequences are more important than motivation. Rule utilitarianism, does not have the same flexibility. It states that we must abide by the rules of the society / law that we live in. This means that rules / laws take priority and the consequences are governed by this. (ODL Ethics information pack 201 1). To relate Utilitarianism to a general health care context, imagine if the rights of one individual were to be compromised, but the gain were to benefit broader society? This would be an Act Utilitarianism approach. Kant based ethics is also known as Demonology, meaning duty (Seven Pillars institute, n. D). Kant was a Prussian Philosopher, mathematician and scientist in the eighteenth century. He believed we should base our decisions on what is right, using reason and rationality (ODL Ethics information pack 201 1). Demonology is easily compared to Utilitarianism. Demonology respects the rights of individuals and it places values on the desires and wants of individuals (Advance Nursing Practice Toolkit, 2012). It requires a level of reasoning, and an understanding of what and who ones duty is to. With these thoughts in mind, we have the introduction of the concept of Autonomy. Autonomy is the freedom of an individual will (ODL Ethics information pack 2014). Again, to put this into a health care setting, by allowing a patient to act with autonomy allows them to have an opinion about their health care and to be proactively involved in making informed decisions for themselves. This is an interesting point if we are to think about patients in mental health care who may have had, by law some of these rights taken away from them. The Four principles approach is an approach used often in modern healthcare, developed by Beachhead and Childless in 2008 (Advance Nursing Practice Toolkit, 2012). It has four key principles, which are, Beneficence, non maleficent, Autonomy and Justice. Beneficence requires us to do good in our actions. We must seek the best outcome for our patients. This can sometimes however leave us with a conflict between non-maleficent and Autonomy. Non-maleficent means that we must first do no harm. Whether this is to not maim or injure someone, or to not increase the potential harm to someone. If we combined beneficence and non- maleficent, each action must produce more good than harm. Justice, we have an obligation to treat al people equally, fairly and impartially (Theodore Craggy, 2012). It aims to reach a balance of what is deserved to an individual in regards to entitlement and fairness. After looking at Kant approach to ethics, Utilitarianism, and all of the Four Principles, it is easy to see how these have become molded into modern society, but also how they do not give us clear answers as to how to deal with an ethical issue. They do however provide us with guidelines to help one find a balanced, informed decision. Human right first came to recognition internationally by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (Liberty 80, n. D). Becoming legally recognizable n the LIKE by 2000 when the Human Rights Act 1998 became part of domestic law. (Mind, 2013). From the moment you are born you become subject to Human Rights, every human being inherits these rights regardless of SeX, race, nationality ethnic origin or any other status. These rights are regarded internationally as universal and lay down obligations expected of governments to promote groups or individuals freedoms. (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2014). The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the aroma stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community(World Health Organization, 2014). Its all about how we think and feel. A mental disorder is defined as any disorder of disability of the mind. There are many potential ethical issues surrounding people with mental health problems. These range from the use of restraints on patients, which often occurs in psychiatric institutions, the degrading and harmful care and treatment of patients as well as unsanitary living conditions. Under the Mental Health Act people in mental health care do not have their sights restricted unless it is for their own protection. The Mental Health Act was introduced for the protection of patients with mental health issues. Enabling them to be detained and treated involuntarily should there be any concern for the safety of themselves or others. (Mental health care, 2013). Patients in mental health care units are sometimes restrained by health care staff. This is particularly controversial topic, due to the not only the degrading nature of face down restraining, but also due to a number of deaths occurring whilst patients are restrained. According to the Mental Health Act patient that has been detained can be restrained providing the caregivers feel the patient is a threat to themselves or others or is necessary for the purpose of treatment. In a recent article in the Guardian, it was reported that in one year almost 40,000 incidents of mental health patients being physically restrained were recorded; over 3000 of these were in the facedown position which according to the charity MIND is potentially a life-threatening position. (The Guardian, 2013). The Northumberland NASH Tone and Wear Foundations said it only used the safest and most proportionate response when patients posed a risk to themselves or others. BBC, 2013). Its report that in 201 2 almost 1000 injuries and 13 deaths were sustained through the use of the face down restraint. Nursing in practice, 2013). The most well documented case of a death occurring due to being held in this face down prone position is that of David Rocky Bennett. There are a number of documented cases of deaths by restraint of mental health patients whilst in custody, but there is no governing body responsible for the investigation of these types of deaths in physicality units (Inquest, 2013). David Bennett was a patient in a Physicality unit in Norfolk and had been buffering with schizophrenia for a number of years. Details taken from a report in the Guardian (The Guardian, 2004), explain that an argument broke out between Mr. Bennett and another patient, resulting in the other patient being punched by Mr. Bennett. The staff decided to move Mr. Bennett to another ward to calm him. This was perceived by Mr. Bennett as a racist decision, and anger and frustration soon built up in Mr. Bennett. A nurse on this second ward told Mr. Bennett that he would be staying on the ward for the night and he hit this nurse three times on the side of the face. This is when the staff stepped in and restrained him. This restraint was in the form of the prone position, and he was initially held by five nurses. An inquest carried out in conjunction with INQUEST, gave a verdict of being due to prolonged restraint and long-term anti- psychotic drug therapy and returned a verdict of Accidental Death aggravated by Neglect on 17 May 2001 (Inquest, 2004). This report goes on to explain that the bruises on Mr. Bonnets body were the result of excessive force having being used, which would not have happened if an approved restraint method had been used. It is indisputable that the preventable death of any individual is shocking and unacceptable. If we look at how medical ethics should be applied to this case, it is clear to see how Act Utilitarianism could be applied, revealing its weaknesses also. Act would say that the consequences are to be of most benefit for the larger number. So Mr. Bennett, who was acting violently, and the staff restringing him, could be justified as they were trying to make the situation safer for more people (patients and staff) than just one individual, IEEE Mr. Bennett. Clearly, as stated earlier, the results of these consequences are sometimes unpredictable and unknown; in this case they were catastrophic. Consequences are seen to be more important than motivation, so if the intended consequence were to calm and control a violent patient, the motivation for this would not be of importance. Rule would expect the laws / rules be followed were the correct procedures followed in restraining Mr. Bennett? The INQUEST inquiry reported that restraint was not carried out in an approved manner. Kant approach, which encompasses patient Autonomy is a little more complicated in application given the mental health setting. It has to be considered who the duty of the staff involved should have been to. If this is applied to Mr. Bennett and considering the notion of what is right and reasonable, he was frustrated and vulnerable, so more care should have been taken in his handling. However, if it is viewed that in the given situation of Mr. Bennett being violent, perhaps the duty was to protect staff and to calm Mr. Bennett for his own safety. From a strictly deontological view, Mr. Bennett opinions and desires should have been taken into account. However, this is where a solely Kant approach is difficult to apply given Mr. Bennett mental health and the apparent violent Outburst. The four principles approach is perhaps easier to see in it s application. Beneficence, to do good and the best for the care of the patient. If it was that Mr. Bennett needed restraining for his own safety, it should still have been carried out in such a way that he was safe and the justification for this act was to benefit him. Non-maleficent, first, do no harm. To apply this, Mr. Bonnets restraint would have been very different, even before it resulted in his death. This harm could be perceived as the mental and emotional effects of being held face down by five nurses, not least the physical effects. Autonomy we have discussed with Cants approach. Lastly, justice. Was a balanced decision made about what was fair to Mr. Bennett? Was he treated equally and with fairness? Justice would perhaps suggest not. After applying different ethical approaches to the controversial topic of face down restraint in mental health care. It clear to see how no one approach will ever give clear cut guidelines. They do however give us a way to make a balanced and rational decision. The very sad case of Mr. Bennett shows how if staff and institutions dont have thorough training, policies and procedures human rights certainly can be infringed. A strong emphasis on the medical ethics and human rights should e ingrained into standard western medicine, but it would seem that within mental health care settings, these are sometimes lacking.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Why the Illinois v. Wardlow Case Still Matters Today

Why the Illinois v. Wardlow Case Still Matters Today Illinois v. Wardlow is not a Supreme Court case that most Americans know well enough to cite by name, but the ruling has made a serious impact on policing. It gave authorities in high-crime neighborhoods the green light to stop people for behaving suspiciously. The high court’s decision has not only been linked to a rising number of stop-and-frisks but to high-profile police killings as well. It has also been held responsible for creating more inequities in the criminal justice system. Does the 2000 Supreme Court decision deserve the blame? With this review of Illinois v. Wardlow, get the facts about  the case and its consequences today. Fast Facts: Illinois v. Wardlow Case Argued: November 2, 1999Decision Issued:  January 12, 2000Petitioner: State of IllinoisRespondent: Sam WardlowKey Questions: Does a suspect’s sudden and unprovoked flight from identifiable police officers patrolling a known high-crime area justify the officers stopping that person, or does it violate the Fourth Amendment?Majority Decision: Justices Rehnquist, OConnor, Kennedy, Scalia, and ThomasDissenting: Justices Stevens, Souter, Ginsberg, and BreyerRuling: The officer was justified in suspecting that the accused was involved in criminal activity and, therefore, in investigating further. There was no violation of the Fourth Amendment. Should Police Have Stopped Sam Wardlow? On Sept. 9, 1995, two Chicago police officers were driving through a Westside neighborhood known for drug trafficking when they spotted William â€Å"Sam† Wardlow. He stood beside a building with  a bag in hand. But when Wardlow noticed the police driving through, he broke into a sprint. After a brief chase, the officers cornered Wardlow and frisked him. During the search, they found a loaded .38-caliber handgun. They then arrested Wardlow, who argued in court that the gun shouldn’t have been entered into evidence because the police lacked a reason to stop him. An Illinois trial court disagreed, convicting him of â€Å"unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.† The Illinois Appellate Court reversed the lower court’s decision, asserting that the arresting officer didn’t have cause to stop and frisk Wardlow. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled along similar lines, arguing that Wardlow’s stop violated the Fourth Amendment. Unfortunately for Wardlow, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, reached a different conclusion. It found: â€Å"It was not merely respondent’s presence in an area of heavy narcotics trafficking that aroused the officers’ suspicion but his unprovoked flight upon noticing the police. Our cases have also recognized that nervous, evasive behavior is a pertinent factor in determining reasonable suspicion. ...Headlong flight- wherever it occurs- is the consummate act of evasion: it is not necessarily indicative of wrongdoing, but it is certainly suggestive of such.† According to the court, the arresting officer hadn’t misstepped by detaining Wardlow because officers must make commonsense judgments to decide if someone is behaving suspiciously. The court said that its interpretation of the law did not contradict other rulings giving people the right to ignore police  officers and go about their business when approached by them. But Wardlow, the court said, had done the opposite of going about his business by running away. Not everyone in the legal community agrees with this take. Criticism of Wardlow U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, now retired, wrote the dissent in Illinois v. Wardlow. He broke down the possible reasons people might run when encountering police officers. â€Å"Among some citizens, particularly minorities and those residing in high crime areas, there is also the possibility that the fleeing person is entirely innocent, but, with or without justification, believes that contact with the police can itself be dangerous, apart from any criminal activity associated with the officer’s sudden presence.† African Americans, in particular, have discussed their distrust and fear of law enforcement for years. Some would even go so far to say that they have developed PTSD-like symptoms because of their experiences with police. For these individuals, running from the authorities is likely instinct rather than a signal that they’ve committed a crime. Additionally, former police chief and government official Chuck Drago pointed out to Business Insider how Illinois v. Wardlow affects the public differently based on income level. â€Å"If the police are driving down a middle-class neighborhood, and the officer sees someone turn and run into their house, that’s not enough to follow them,† he said. â€Å"If he’s in a high-crime area though, there may be enough for reasonable suspicion. It’s the area he’s in, and those areas tend to be to impoverished and African American and Hispanic.† Poor black and Latino neighborhoods already have a greater police presence than white suburban areas. Authorizing police to detain anyone who runs from them in these areas increases the odds that residents will be racially profiled and arrested. Those familiar with Freddie Gray, the Baltimore man who died in police custody in 2015 after a â€Å"rough ride,† argue that Wardlow played a role in his death. Officers apprehended Gray only after he â€Å"fled unprovoked upon noticing police presence.† They found a switchblade on him and arrested him. However,  if the authorities had been prohibited from pursuing Gray simply because he fled from them in a high-crime neighborhood, he may very well still be alive today, his advocates argue. News of his death sparked protests across the country and unrest in Baltimore. The year after Gray’s death, the Supreme Court decided 5-3 in Utah v. Strieff to let police use the evidence they’ve collected during unlawful stops in some circumstances. Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed her dismay at the decision, arguing that the high court has already given the authorities ample opportunity to stop members of the public for little to no reason. She cited Wardlow and several other cases in her dissent. â€Å"Although many Americans have been stopped for speeding or jaywalking, few may realize how degrading a stop can be when the officer is looking for more. This Court has allowed an officer to stop you for whatever reason he wants- so long as he can point to a pretextual justification after the fact.â€Å"That justification must provide specific reasons why the officer suspected you were breaking the law, but it may factor in your ethnicity, where you live, what you were wearing and how you behaved (Illinois v. Wardlow). The officer does not even need to know which law you might have broken so long as he can later point to any possible infraction- even one that is minor, unrelated, or ambiguous.† Sotomayor went on to argue that these questionable stops by police can easily escalate to officers looking through a person’s belongings, frisking the individual for weapons and performing an intimate bodily search. She argued unlawful police stops make the justice system unfair, endanger lives and corrode civil liberties. While young black men like Freddie Gray have been stopped by police lawfully under Wardlow, their detainment and subsequent arrests cost them their lives. The Effects of Wardlow A 2015 report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that in the city of Chicago, where Wardlow was stopped for fleeing, police disproportionately stop and frisk young men of color. African Americans constituted 72 percent of people stopped. Also, police stops overwhelmingly took place in majority-minority neighborhoods. Even in areas where blacks make up a small percentage of residents, such as Near North, where they make up only 9 percent of the population, African Americans comprised 60 percent of people stopped. These stops don’t make communities safer, the ACLU argued. They deepen the divides between the police and the communities they’re supposed to serve.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Is the Arab world changing for the better) Research Paper

Is the Arab world changing for the better) - Research Paper Example If ever Qatar does not agree, Saudi Arabia may push for economic sanctions and limits in the use of air space as well as borders1. Although this may involve a bitter conflict, the fact that Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East are opposed to terrorism means that terrorism is never viewed in the same way by all Muslim countries, and so it is not related to religion. Inspiration through sports is another proof that some Arab countries are improving. Particularly, in Afghanistan, where the Afghan national football team won their first trophy ever on September 11, 2013, many Afghans especially young ones were inspired to either play football or engage in sports. In fact, an official who works for the HAFO, or the Humanitarian Assistance and Facilitating Organization, based in Kabul, said, â€Å"Afghans are hard-working and their talents make them winners†2. As this can serve to inspire those in the other Arab countries, this event is indeed another proof that the Arab world is getting better. Although the HAFO may have overlooked the influence of culture and religion on the Afghans, certainly it has given them a very good and very healthy alternative in the name of sports. The Arab world is also improving in terms of safety for everyone. The Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia met on August 26, 2013 and agreed on banning all kinds of abuse, whether these are physical, psychological, sexual or even in the form of threat. The sanctions are strict but the law itself needs a few changes in terms of vocabulary, according to Amnesty International3. Safety in Saudi Arabia can possibly inspire other Middle Eastern countries to do the same thing until there comes a time when even domestic workers to these countries are not any more looked upon with contempt or discrimination. A fourth proof of improvement in the Arab world shows in the increasing concern

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

MEMO Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MEMO - Assignment Example FICO scores are reviewed by almost all lender agencies in America, before they arrive at credit decisions to offer their customers credit. For that reason, through the proper usage and incorporation of the scores, as a banker, you will be able to avoid customers with poor credit history, which will improve the financial performance of Fidelity bank. Overview of the main Fico Scores The FICO scores of customers will take into account, five main information categories that relate to the customer’s credit profile. When using FICO scores to determine the customers that can be offered loans, the chart given below displays the comparative weight offered to the different score areas. The 5 main areas featured in FICO scoring and their relative weight The review of the different ingredients of the FICO scores 1. Payment history The payment history of the customer contributes about 35 percent of their FICO score. The information reflects their information on different financial account s and areas. The different accounts reflected through the information include Credit card worth and standing, for cards like MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. The second accounts featured are retail accounts, where the customer’s financial operations reflect the credit collected from outlets where they do business – showing the credit cards used at departmental stores, and the credit history maintained. The third account reflected is installment loans, where regular reimbursements for loans like mortgages or car loans are reflected. The fourth account reflected through the payment history is finance company records. Additionally, collection items and public records are reflected, giving information on events like foreclosures, bankruptcies, wage attachments, lawsuits, judgment and liens. Lastly, this score area gives information on the accounts that don’t show late payments, and whose financial obligations are met as agreed upon. From the informat ion captured about the different accounts and fields named before, you will use your judgment to verify whether the given customer has shown a history of repaying loans and whether their financial standing warrants the loan they are asking for. Therefore; based on the information captured, you will only offer credit to a customer with a favorable credit history and avoid those with poor payment history, because a poor history shows that they are more likely to give problems when repaying the credit. 2. The second area where you need to pay much attention is the field of the amounts owed. This information reflects about 30 percent of a customer’s FICO scores, which indicates their level of indebtedness. The areas reflected by this variable include the amounts owed for the different accounts held by the customer, the amounts apportioned to different account types, the balances from different account types, the proportion of the credit consumed through credit cards among other c redit accounts and how much the customer is yet to pay, on different loan amounts. Through the review of this score area, as bankers you will determine the level of debt that the customer has collected, which can influence their ability and their pattern of loan repayment. For example, from the case of a customer who has used larger proportions of their

Monday, November 18, 2019

Creating the Appearance of Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creating the Appearance of Science - Essay Example Additionally, the allegations made against Hwang as to the non-validity of his findings will be discussed. The work of Hwang Woo Suk was aimed at successful cloning as well as furthering stem cell research. Based on Hwang’s findings however, it was alleged that Hwang was guilty of fraud, embezzlement and of violating multiple bioethical regulations. It was also alleged that Hwang had been dealing with the Russian Mafia in order to obtain samples of mammoth DNA for the purposes of cloning. Hwang was also accused of utilizing money intended for research, toward his own personal financial gain. Pertaining to bioethics, Hwang was also accused of purchasing human eggs in exchange for IVF treatments, thus violating a law which prohibits the buying or selling of human eggs or sperm. Specifically, this law makes it illegal for one to sell one’s eggs or sperm in exchange for any personal gain. Although the currency was in fact a treatment, as opposed to monetary exchange, it is still viewed as a means of personal gain for the individual selling or trading the genetic material. Hwang’s work was relevant to a highly controversial and also growing field of Scientific research. Stem cell research and bioengineering are on the cutting edge of modern Science and the race is on to see who is able to achieve breakthroughs in this area which benefit the human race without violating bioethical laws and regulations. When Hwang released his findings and the findings of his research team, scientists from around the world were eager to learn the details of the research as well as to confirm the viability and authenticity of that research, â€Å" Hwang electrified the scientific Most of the work involved in stem cell research has been motivated by aspirations of improving and lengthening human life spans. One possibility for successful cloning, is the harvesting of human organs for perfect blood and tissue matches with that of the recipient. Additionally, stem

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Ethics As Applied To Pain Management

Ethics As Applied To Pain Management Critically evaluate the available evidence regarding the justice beliefs in context of chronic low pain in terms of Mrs. Alices case study. Introduction The relief of pain is a core ethical duty in medicine(Johnson2007, P.1). There are many ethical issues associates with pain management. So it is important that the health care professionals should understand the ethical principles, which may help to deal with problem effectively, (Please appendix: 3 for principles of ethics related to medical practice). The people in the world have different views related to justice and injustice. They could describe numbers of examples of injustice and justice which might drawn from personnel experience or from the society .It is interesting to know that most people tend to uphold a the view of justice beliefs in the world that isthey live in a world where people generally get what they deserve, Lerner and Millier (1978,p.1030), Haferand Begue(2005). The justice beliefs are individually associated with psychological adjustment and it could be a reflection on objective assessments of the justice received by other human beings, Sutton et al.(2008) The multifaceted nature of chronic pain is influenced by pain beliefs Sloan et al. (2008). McParland and Knussen (2010) reported that a justice belief also has influence in experience of chronic pain and pain behaviors. The people who have justice belief s are motivated to belief that the world operates in a fair and legitimate manner (Sutton et al.2008), and they will be able to pursuits long-term goals and maintain physical and psychological well being,( Kathleen and Claudia 2005;Laurin et al.2011;Dalbert 2002). The human perceive injustice when they expose to a situation primarily characterised by violation from human rights or to challenge the just world beliefs. Fetchenhauer and Huang(2004). 2. Aims of the assignment The assignment aimed to explore the available evidence regarding the impact of justice beliefs in chronic pain sufferers and their reaction to injustice based on Mrs. Alices Case study. The assignment also aimed to evaluate the evidences on ethic principles. Case study Mrs. Alice is a 39-year old nurse, mother of two, who has been suffering from low back pain for last two years. The patient has no specific medical history. She attended the general practice in past in intermittent bouts. She was taking analgesics that did not make any difference for her pain. The x-ray was normal. She has been subjected to persistent suspicions of malingering from doctors and employers, as she has no objective finding. Mrs Alice currently presenting with the statement that everyone misunderstood my pain as moaning but I am in pain, might be they didnt understand me properly 3. Search Strategy A literature search was done using Science direct, pub med, google scholar, Medline, Ovid for relevant studies done in past 5 years. But this assignment only included one quote from 1978, which is relevant for this review. The key words included for the search were justice beliefs, injustice, justice, pain, pain management, chronic pain, unfairness and combination of these words. The search was limited to studies conducted in human beings and published in English. There was lack of literature regarding chronic back pain to assess the influence of injustice and justice beliefs. Hence searches were extended to other chronic pain conditions. Each of the papers were analysed for validity and rigour according to the framework given by (Rees 1997, cited in Taylor 2009). See appendix 2. The strength of evidence was established using the Hierarchies of evidence framework Dawson (2004). See appendix 1. 4. Literature Review McParland and Knussen (2010) conducted a cross sectional questionnaire design to find out the impact of general and personal beliefs to moderate psychological distress in the experience of chronic pain. The study was conducted in support groups, from national chronic pain organisation in Scotland. The recruited participants were from arthritis and fibromyalgia groups and they were asked to complete the questionnaires. The findings from the study suggests that strong general justice belief is beneficial for psychological well being in the context of chronic pain and it helps cope with pain intensity and disability. Table:1 McParland and Knussen (2010,p. 72) The study used reliable self-report questionnaires to collect data from samples. See appendix 5 for questionnaires used in the study. The use of reliable tools for the study could the increase the internal validity of the study and maximizes the value of the results. The conducted study was using the samples from National chronic pain organization in Scotland so the beliefs could be influenced by cultural and educational factors of the area. The beliefs could differ in different ethnic populations Sloan et al. (2008). As the study was conducted in United Kingdom the results would be more applicable for clinical practice for this country. There are some weak points for this study as mentioned the questionnaires wre given to interested patients from the group. This might attract samples that have strong personal and general beliefs into the study. This way of sample recruitment might bias the result and affect the validity. The sample was collected from community support groups of arthritis and fibromyalgia where they receive personal and social support from health professionals. This could be argued that these patients might already affect psychosocial distress because of their condition. Mcparland and Knussen (2010) that people experience less psychosocial distress when they hold strong personal beliefs. So there could be a chance for bias in sample selection that affects the validity of the study results. The accuracy of the completed questionnaires is uncertain as participants might already suffer psychological distress or pain. The self-report questionnaires could naturally bias the persons feeling at the time the y complete the questionnaire as the participants were requested to complete and return the questionnaire by post. It would be better if the researcher asked to complete the questionnaires in a controlled time and site. This method biases the data collection and could affect the validity and reliability of the result. More over the researcher and assistant met the participants to introduce the study and given contact details. So the study was not blinded. According to just world theory the people who has strong belief just world will be motivated to defend their belief when they encounter any evidence of injustice McParland (2011). They might find a positive explanation for injustice that is occurred and blame themselves. The reviewed study also agreed that justice beliefs in the recruited sample helped to cope with pain intensity and disability. Mrs Alice believed that she would receive a fair approach from health professionals but she experienced unfairness and injustice with the treatment. It is interesting to note that the way she tried to defend her feeling they didnt understand me properly. The reaction with injustice might not be the same in chronic pain sufferers. The chronic pain sufferer who perceives injustice or unfairness can influence their physical and mental health. This is also proposed in Perceived Unfairness Model, Jackson et al. (2006). See appendix 4 for perceived unfairness model. The recurrent episodes of perceiving unfairness (ie. Micro Agressions) can be coupled with helplessness, lack of control and compromise to physical health, (Jackson et al. 2006; Zempsky 2009). Sullivan et al. 2008; Sullivan et al.2009 also reported that perceived injustice has an impact on pain severity in samples after muskuloskeletal injury. Based on hierarchy of evidence the strength of evidence achieved for this is level 2b. So there is a need for further stronger studies to elucidate the role of justice beliefs in psychological distress, pain variables and disability. McParland et al. (2010) conducted a study to investigate the impact of justice and injustice in context of everyday life of a chronic pain sufferer. The samples from general practice recognized chronic pain as a major problem in United Kingdom. The participants recruited from different socio-economic areas upper (n=5), middle (=4), lower (n=6) to explore the impact of justice and injustice from different viewpoint. The study examined injustice related concepts like fairness, deservingness and entitlement. The finding from the study is presented in Table 2. Table:2 The main findings from McParland et al. (2010) -The justice related issues in chronic pain sufferer influenced by their social and personnel concerns and needs. -The concepts fairness, deservingness, entitlement of was dominated in participants and reflected in terms of distributive justice prin ­ciples equality and need. -The middle and lower socio economic class samples presented with egotistic construction of justice in terms of equality and need. -The chronic pain appeared as a social problem as much as a medical problem This study was conducted, as a semi-structured interview by the interviewer, which could perceive appropriate feelings of the participants that may not be possible in self-report questionnaire. It is worth mentioning that the study carefully examined the mental status of the participants and ensured the appropriateness of samples for interview. The justice beliefs, psychological distress and pain variables are interrelated McParland and Knussen (2010). Choosing the appropriate study sample is essential to achieve accurate and trusted study results. The sample size of this study was small (n=15) would affect the validity of the study. More over the recruited sample were between ages 18-65. McParland and Knussen (2010) reported that people get strong personal and general beliefs when they get older. So inclusion of these age groups (18-65) could affect the rigor of the study and validity of result. The study was exploring the ideas of injustice in chronic sufferer based on their socio-economic classes. The chronic pain sufferers from different socio-economic classes evaluated injustice based on their on social concerns and needs. The sample response highlighted that chronic pain sufferers are facing social issues which might due to injustice, that could contributing to their chronic nature of pain. So chronic pain should consider as a social problem as much as medical problem. Social issues can cause chronic pain or chronic pain can cause social issues. The heath care professionals can play a role to minimize the injustice from medical filed and they also can play a role to minimize the chronic pain too. McParland et al. (2010) highlighted that chronic pain sample experienced social issues due to injustice. In Mrs. Alice case she has the right to get appropriate treatment but her autonomy has been removed and felt unfairness. The experience of unfairness and unrelieved pain would make an impact of her family finance and employment. These factors also costs disability care and benefit system. So there is a need to uphold ethic principle, which is the duty of care to protect the patient from harm (Non-maleficence). The appropriate pain management respects the ethic principles, which included autonomy, non-maleficence, fairness and duty of care. McParland and Knussen (2009) presented a research report after conducted a second phase for the above study, which aimed to explore the justice related concept in chronic pain using Q methodology. The sample included chronic pain sufferers (n=33), spouses (n=9), health professional lecturers (n=15) and members of public (n=22). The participants are provided a grid with 47 comments ranging from +5 to -5. See appendix 5 for grid. In Q factor analysis eigen values >1 represented participants with similar concepts about injustice related to chronic pain. This study analyse six factors with eigen value >1. See table 3 for analysed factors. Participants expressed concepts of injustice in related to chronic pain in terms of blame, victimisation and perceive neglect of need after Q factor analysis. Table:3 McParland and Knussen (2009,p.1-4) The factors emerged after Q factor analysis 1) Pain is normal. Its not about injustice 2) Pain is awful. Its societys fault 3) Chronic pain is not your fault, but it is your responsibility to address it 4) Its not fair. There should be a cure for pain 5) If you are unlucky enough to suffer chronic pain, you deserve help 6) There is hope that the injustice of chronic pain will be rectified . There are some good points about this study. The statistical analysis was presented in a clear and meaningful way. The study used Q methodology, which assess the subjective viewpoints effectively like life experience, stress, satisfaction etc. , Noori (2008). So the Q methodology was an appropriate method to find the participants view about injustice that increases internal validity and maximise the result strength for the study. One of the weak points in this study was that the chance of selection bias as the study sample was recruited from primary, secondary care, support group and public from United Kingdom. The method of sample selection might extract data based on nations culture and beliefs. The beliefs could be influence by cultural and educational factors, also differ in different ethnic populations Sloan et al. (2008). Thus recruiting sample from specific population could limit extrapolating the results into general population. But will promote applicability of this study to UK population. The chronic pain sufferer from the study sample expressed concepts regarding injustice as blame victimisation and perceived neglect of need. McParland and Knussen (2009) reported that the sufferers perceived injustice when they perceived something wrong, might be about pain or related to pain management or lack of acceptance from society or influence pain in everyday life. Miler (2001) also reported that people perceives injustice when they go through sufferings that would originate from an undeserved manner. The reflection of this statement could find from Mrs. Alices case when she perceived unfairness in her treatment. The life with chronic pain may lead to significant loss to finance, employment and independence (Harris Barton 2003). These losses can be permanent or temporary, Evans et al. (2001). Its a human tendency that putting blame on others when they feel a discrepancy in their life. The chronic pain sufferer who blames others for their situation could experience more depression, stress and weak response to treatment, Sullivan et al. (2008). Sullivan et al. (2008) also reported that when chronic pain patients perceive injustice they may focus on injustice happened rather than their treatment or rehabilitation processes. According to hierarchy of evidence used in this assignment, this research report achieved level 2c. This research is still continuing, awaiting more interpretation and analysis related to concepts of injustice among chronic pain sufferers. In future more evidence-based studies should be considered to revel the complex nature of injustice in chronic pain sufferers. Zempsky (2009) presented an article, which was reinforcing the importance of fostering trust and justice in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. The article discussed a case of a 19-year-old man with sickle cell disease presented with progressive leg and back pain. The patient appeared in emergency department with pan score 9-10 but appeared in a relax manner. He was using headphone and singing songs. The perceived disbelief by clinical staff sent him into waiting room and received requested dose of morphine with doubt and disdain after several hours. In this case the clinical staff stigmatised the patient as a drug seeker or drug abuser and neglected the intensity of pain. The patient who is in pain expects justice and fairness with their treatment, where they could express their problem. They anticipate that the health care staff will listen, understand, treat with empathy and approach them in a non-judgemental way, Serpell(2011). When patients feel injustice, the situation ca n link with psychological and physical abnormalities. In case of chronic pain perceived injustice can leads to stress severe pain and disability, Zempsky (2009). This article emphasized that pain is an individual experience, which a person sometimes not able to express as well as they felt. There are chances for underestimating pain by health professionals even tough patients express the pain as they felt. Patients in chronic pain sometimes dont present with signs autonomic response (changes in blood pressure, pulse, sweating etc.) or behavioural features (moaning, wincing), Serpell (2011). The healthcare professionals should understand that severe pain with absence of physiological and behavioural changes is common in chronic pain conditions, Zempsky (2009). When we consider the case of Mrs Alice the physician might not recognise the pain appropriately. According to Notcutt (2011) there is lack of formal and continuous education regarding the pain and its management among health professionals. The American academy of code of ethics for pain management mentioned that the practitioners are responsible for maintain their professional competence and they are obligated to reveal their education, training, experience and continuous education to public. The pain management field is fast growing and moving towards more effective treatment modalities. So it emphasis the importance of continuous education for all who works in this field. The practitioners who abstain from continuous education may cause harm to the patient ( maleficence), which is against the ethic principles. Mrs Alice might be poorly managed or abandoned due to lack of knowledge of chronic pain management among health professionals. The principles of ethics emphasize that the pat ients in chronic pain are entitled to get fairness in their treatment, which is beneficial for the patient by minimising harm (non-maleficence). The pain management practitioner or all working in for pain management should keep good understanding of ethical framework regarding pain management. Notcutt (2011), presented structured criteria to face with clinical ethics situation. See appendix 7 for criteria. It is not always easy to deal with situation because of many reasons. The proper understanding of basic principles will tackle the situation appropriately. Lauris et al (2005) presented an approach for ethical reasoning and a comparison of clinical and ethical reasoning. See appendix 8 9. According to hierarchy of evidence reviewed in this assignment this article achieved level 5. So there is a need for clinical experimental studies to reinforce these findings. Sullivan et al. (2009) conducted a study to evaluate the role of pain and perceived injustice in posttraumatic stress. The samples were 112 individuals who attended rehabilitation clinics after whiplash injuries. In logistic examination the perceived injustice appeared as a unique predictor for persistence of posttraumatic symptoms. The study emphasise the importance of effective interventions which is intending to manage perception of injustice in case of posttraumatic stress after whiplash injuries. See the results in table 4. Table:4 Sullivan et al. (2009,p.329) There are some weak points for this study. The sample recruited from rehabilitation clinics where they provide multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients after whiplash injuries. It could be argued that these patients might already influence by the rehabilitation programme. So the sample might not represent a generalisation of the study that result into a general population. The sampling also biased the inclusion of more female participants (76 women, 36 men), according to Sullivan et al. (2008) the men perceive more injustice than women. This would affect the internal validity of the result. The participants were asked to complete questionnaires to assess physical, cognitive and affective variables related to their posttraumatic stress. This would have been done better if the data collected based on structured interview as self-report questionnaires could naturally biased by peoples feelings at the time they complete it. Hence the method of data collection might bias th e result and affect the result validity. The identification of problems related to perception of injustice helps to identify the reason for suffering among chronic pain sufferers. Mrs. Alice perceived injustice might be due to poor interaction from practitioners or due to the attitude of negativity from practitioners. The interaction between practitioners and patients is imperative in management of chronic pain. All health care professionals should understand as part of patient treatment we have a duty of care to work towards their beneficence. The other issue might happen because of the attitude of negativity towards the patient from health care professionals. The negativity could develop due to patients appearance (eg. Obesity) or due to behaviour. The health care provider should understand listen and provide them justice in their treatment and uphold the principle of duty of care. Based on hierarchy of evidence used in this assignment, the strength of evidence achieved for this s tudy is level 2b. Further studies should be considered based on weak points of the present study. Conclusion The people who believes in just world uphold the concept that they live in a world where people generally get what they deserve. Lerner and Millier (1978,p1030). The people who have justice beliefs could be able to pursuits long-term goals and maintain physical and psychological well being, (Kathleen and Claudia 2005; Laurin et al. 2011; Dalbert 2002). McParland and Knussen (2010) conducted a cross sectional study and reported that justice beliefs have influence in experience of chronic pain and pain behaviours. The study proved that strong justice beliefs are beneficial for psychological well being and helped to cope with pain intensity and disability. The also reported that older people uphold stronger justice beliefs and experience less pain. Human beings perceive injustice normally when they expose to a situation primarily characterised by violation from human rights or to challenge just world beliefs, Fetchenhauer and Huang (2004). According to just world theory the people who h as strong belief in just world motivated to defend their belief when they encounter any evidence of injustice, McParland (2011). The chronic pain sufferers who perceive injustice or unfairness can influence the physical and mental health (Jackson et al.2006; Sullivan et al.2008; Sullivan et al.2009; zempsky2009). Mc Parland et al. (2010) reported that justice related issues in chronic pain sufferers influenced by their own social and personal concerns and needs. McParland and Knussen (2009) reported that the participants expressed concepts regarding injustice related to chronic pain in terms of blame, victimisation and perceived neglect of need. The case of Mrs. Alice highlighted that she perceived unfairness in her treatment. The reason for perceived unfairness could be the attitude of health professionals. It is essential to analyse the route cause of this attitude in order to implement efficient pain management among chronic pain sufferers. Some of the problems could be poor interaction between practitioners and patients or could be a attitude of negativity towards the patient from health care professionals or lack of individualised care plan for pain management or lack of knowledge to manage the pain, Notcutt (2011). According to Notcutt (2011) there is lack of formal and continuous education regarding pain and its management among health professionals. The appropriate pain management respects the ethic principles which includes autonomy, non-maleficence , fairness and duty of care. The reviewed studies proved that justice beliefs and perceived injustice are relevant among chronic pain sufferers. So it would be necessary to conduct more experimental studies to find more about role of perceived injustice and justice beliefs  among chronic pain sufferers. The proper understanding of these subjects would be more  helpful for efficient management plan for chronic pain sufferers. 6 References Dalbert,C. 2002 Beliefs in a Just World as a Buffer Against Anger. Social Justice Research, 15(2), pp.123-145. Dawson A 2004 Asthma in the Australian indigenous population: a review of the evidence. The international electronic journal of rural and remote health research. [cited 18th November 2009] Available from internet: Evans, T. H., Mayer, T. G. and Gatchel, R. J. 2001 Recurrent disabling work-related spinal disorders after prior injury claims in a chronic low back pain population. Spine, 1(3), pp.183-189. Fetchenhauer, D. and Xu, H. 2004 Justice sensitivity and distributive decisions in experimental games. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(5), pp.1015-1029. Hafer, C. L. and Bà ¨gue, L. 2005 Experimental research on just-world theory: problems, developments, and future challenges. Psychological Bulletin, 131(1), pp.128-167. Harris, S., Morley, S. and Barton, S. B. 2003 Role loss and emotional adjustment in chronic pain. Pain, 105(1), pp.363-370. Jackson, B., Laura, D., Kubzansky. Rosalind, J. and Wright. 2006 Linking Perceived Unfairness to Physical Health: The Perceived Unfairness Model  Ã‚  Review of General Psychology, 10(1), pp.21-40. Johnson, S. H. 2007 Legal and ethical perspectives on pain management. Anesthesia and analgesia, 105(1), pp.5-7. Kathleen, O. and Claudia, D. 2005 Belief in a just world and its functions for young prisoners. Journal of Research in Personality, 39(6), pp.559-573. Laurin, K., Fitzsimons, G. M. and Kay.A.C 2011 Social disadvantage and the self-regulatory function of justice beliefs. Journal of personality and social psychology, 100(1), pp.149-171. Lauris, C. K., Robert, F. W. and Thomas, P. 2005 A Clinicians Approach to Clinical Ethical Reasoning. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 20(3), pp.306-311. Lerner,M.J. and Miller,D.T. 1978 Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead. Psychological Bulletin, 85(5), pp.1030-1051. Mcparland, J. (2011) What is fair about pain? A quantitative and qualitative examination of justice beliefs [ppt] Glasgow Caledonion University Mcparland, J. L. and Eccleston, C. 2009 Exploring justice issues in chronic pain: sufferer and partner perspectives. Glasgow Caledonian University. Mcparland, J. L., Eccleston, C., Osborn, M. and Hezseltine, L. 2010 Its not fair: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of discourses of justice and fairness in chronic pain. Pain, 107(3), pp.220-226. Mcparland, J. L. and Knussen, C. 2010 Just world beliefs moderate the relationship of pain intensity and disability with psychological distress in chronic pain support group members. European Journal of Pain, 14(1), pp.71-76. Miller, D. T. 2001 Disrespect and the experience of injustice. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), pp.527-553. Noori, A. D. 2008 Methodology in Nursing Research-A Promising Method for the Study of Subjectivity. Western Journal of research, 30(6), pp.759-773. Notcutt,W. (2011) Everyday Ethical issues in Pain [ppt], Cardiff University. Serpell, M. (2011) Justice and Chronic Pain [ppt], Cardiff University. Sloan, T. J., Gupta, R., Zhang, W. and Walsh, D. A. 2008 Beliefs about the causes and consequences of pain in patients with chronic inflammatory or noninflammatory low back pain and in pain-free individuals. Spine, 33(9), pp.966-972. Sullivan, H. A., Michael, J. L., Sharon, H., Denise, M., Dan, B. and Richard, G. 2008 The Role of Perceived Injustice in the Experience of Chronic Pain and Disability: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 18(3), pp.249-261. Sullivan, M. J., Thibault, P., Simmonds, M. J., Milioto, M., Cantin, A. P. and Velly, A. M. 2009 Pain, perceived injustice and the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms during the course of rehabilitation for whiplash injuries. Pain, 145(3), pp.325-331. Sutton, R. M., Douglas, K. M., Wilkin, K., Elder, T. J., Cole, J. M. and Stathi, S. 2008 Justice for whom, exactly? Beliefs in justice for the self and various others. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 34(4), pp.528-541. Taylor, A. 2009 Critiquing quantitative research, Cardiff University [cited on 18th November 2009] Available from internet: www.cue.cf.ac.uk Zempsky, W. T. 2009 Treatment of sickle cell pain: fostering trust and justice. The Journal of American Medical Association, 302(22), pp.2479-2480. 7. Appendices Appendix 1:Hierarchy of evidence Hierarchy of evidence Level of Evidence Description 1a Systematic review of randomised, controlled clinical trials (RCT) 1b Individual randomised controlled clinical trial 1c All or none 2a Systematic review of cohort studies 2b Individual cohort study (including low-quality RCT) 2c Outcomes research 3a Systematic review of case-control studies 3b Individual case-control study 4 Case series, poor quality cohort and case-control studies and reviews 5 Expert opinion without explicit critical appraisal Appendix 2: Framework for critiquing quantitative research (after Rees 1997) Focus In broad terms what is the theme of the article? What are the key words you would file this under? Are the key words in the title a clue to the focus? How important is this focus for clinical practice? Background What argument or evidence does the researcher provide that suggests this topic is worth exploring? Is there a critical review of previous research on the subject? Are the gaps in the literature or inadequacies with previous methods highlighted? Are local problems or changes that justify the study presented? Is there a trigger that answers the question why did they do it then? Terms of reference Does the researcher state terms of reference? This will usually start with the word to e.g. the aim of this research was to examine/determine/compare/establish/etc. In the case of clinical research there may only be a statement of the hypothesis or hypotheses that the researcher(s) wished to test. Is it possible to identify dependent and independent variables Remember level 1 questions will not have both, neither will a correlation study. Are there concept and operational definitions? Study design What is the broad research approach? Is it experimental? Descriptive? Action research or audit? Is it quantitative or qualitative? Is the study design appropriate to the terms of reference/hypothesis/research question? Data collection methods What tool of data collection has been used? Has a single method been used, or triangulation? Has the author addressed the issues of reliability and validity? Has a pilot study been conducted? Have strengths and limitations been recognised by the author? Ethical considerations Were the issues of informed consent and confidentiality addressed? Was any harm or discomfort to individuals balanced against benefits? Did a local ethics committee consider the study?

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Introduction to Financial Mathematics :: essays research papers

Introduction to Financial Mathematics Table of Contents 1. Finite Probability Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Elements of Continuous Probability Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3. Differential Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Lecture Notes — MAP 5601 map5601LecNotes.tex i 8/27/2003 1. Finite Probability Spaces The toss of a coin or the roll of a die results in a finite number of possible outcomes. We represent these outcomes by a set of outcomes called a sample space. For a coin we might denote this sample space by {H, T} and for the die {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. More generally any convenient symbols may be used to represent outcomes. Along with the sample space we also specify a probability function, or measure, of the likelihood of each outcome. If the coin is a fair coin, then heads and tails are equally likely. If we denote the probability measure by P, then we write P(H) = P(T) = 1 2 . Similarly, if each face of the die is equally likely we may write P(1) = P(2) = P(3) = P(4) = P(5) = P(6) = 1 6 . Defninition 1.1. A finite probability space is a pair ( , P) where is the sample space set and P is a probability measure: If = {!1, !2, . . . , !n}, then (i) 0 < P(!i)  1 for all i = 1, . . . , n (ii) n Pi=1 P(!i) = 1. In general, given a set of A, we denote the power set of A by P(A). By definition this is the set of all subsets of A. For example, if A = {1, 2}, then P(A) = {;, {1}, {2}, {1, 2}}.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Compare and Contrast Authors

Alan Alexander Milne and Alexander McCall Smith are two of the world’s most beloved authors, and share much more than the name Alexander. These two authors wrote several children stories, and were quite famous. Although, their writing styles may differ, they share the ability for you to unhinge your mind and let it be free. Milne started out as a comedian writer for a magazine in New York, and he eventually evolved into a champion for children’s. Both Smith’s and Milne’s written work is currently viewed on TV around the globe.The portion of Milne’s work that is broadcasted on television is the famous â€Å"Winnie the Pooh† series. â€Å"Winnie the Pooh† was the story that engraved Milne’s name into history books, and was even made into several other products. Now, Smith’s book â€Å"No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency† is one of the world’s most popular series, and a very well known television show. Unlike â€Å"Winnie the Pooh† Smith’s series won several awards including New York Bestseller and Booker Prize for Fiction Judges. Inspiration can come in many forms.It may come as a bird with a tied message, a child, war, or even your own home. As for Milne’s inspiration it came from different sources, such as WWI and his son. One of Milne’s stories, â€Å"Peace with Honor†, was written after his resignation from the army, and is a reflection on war. As for â€Å"Winnie the Pooh†, it was originally written for adults in order to bring out the inner child. The inspiration behind the Pooh books was Milne’s child. Milne’s inspiration is very different from where Smith derived. For Smith, many of his stories are enthused from African folk tales. The â€Å"No. Ladies’ Detective Agency† was inspired from watching a woman chase a chicken in her front yard, and at that moment McCall Smith literally wanted to write about an Afr ican woman, thus the â€Å"No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency† was born. But even now Smith writes a series known as â€Å"44. Scotland Street†, which is inspired from†¦nothing. Smith was merely dreaming up an interesting story at the time, and had no need for some great inspirational event to happen. A writer’s style is always identified by reading a majority of his/her books, and is usually found to have a narrow writing style.Whether it be mystery, comedy, adventurous, or drama, Milne seemed to write whatever he felt like writing, even if the public’s opinion opposed it. Many of Milne’s stories seemed to have a plot of a child’s book, but as we all know many were meant for the child within us. Smith’s style of writing is similar to Milne’s; they’ll both make you form a slight grin on your face because you might find the situation a bit humorous. However, in â€Å"No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency†, Smith wrote about adventurous mystery solvers, who would grab your attention on every page.After a story is read there is always some reflection to what was just read, and even compared to another book that was just read. In this situation A. A. Milne would win. Even though McCall Smith may be more adventurous and silly (much like me) I find having the child brought out within is much more surreal when reading one of A. A. Milne’s book. Neither fame nor an interesting birth place will help Smith, for his stories are too simple and plain much of that of a child’s brain. As for Milne, his wide view of writing style, and interesting characters are key to a reader’s enjoyment.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

010 Saying Why it Matters Professor Ramos Blog

010 Saying Why it Matters Quick Write Quick Write Why does the essay of your topic matter? What are the larger implications or consequences? What should your reader take away from your essay? So What? Saying Why it Matters The â€Å"so what?† helps the reader understand what the larger implications or consequences of the topic are. Midterm Presentations Keep presentations between 3 to 5 minutes. Quick Write Does college still matter? Why or why not. Comment below this post. Group Work We had two readings for this week. We are going to split up the readings and work in groups to figure out the main takeaways, important points, and necessary examples we need to remember. Chapter 13  (â€Å"Don’t Make Them Scroll Up: Entering Online Conversations) (166-175) Liz Addison’s Two Years are Better Than Four (365) You will have ten minutes to figure out the main points. Pick a scribe, and presenter. Write the points up on the board. The presenter will have 3 minutes to explain the main points. What argument is Addison responding to? Addison discusses her own education experience as part of the argument. What role does this use of autobiographical narrative play in her argument? Does college still matter?

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The History of Chinese Chopsticks

The History of Chinese Chopsticks Chopsticks play an important role in Chinese food culture. Chopsticks are called Kuaizi in Chinese and were called Zhu in ancient times (see the characters above). Chinese people have been using kuaizi as one of the main tableware for more than 3,000 years. History of Chopsticks It was recorded in Liji (The Book of Rites) that chopsticks were used in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC - 1100 BC). It was mentioned in Shiji (the Chinese history book) by Sima Qian (about 145 BC) that Zhou, the last king of the Shang Dynasty (around 1100 BC), used ivory chopsticks. Experts believe the history of wood or bamboo chopsticks can be dated to about 1,000 years earlier than ivory chopsticks. Bronze chopsticks were invented in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC - 771 BC). Lacquer chopsticks from the Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) were discovered in Mawangdui, China. Gold and silver chopsticks became popular in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). It was believed that silver chopsticks could detect poisons in food. Materials to Make Them Chopsticks can be classified into five groups based on the materials used to make them, i.e., wood, metal, bone, stone, and compound chopsticks. Bamboo and wood chopsticks are the most popular ones used in Chinese homes. How Not to Use Your Chopsticks There are a few things to avoid when using chopsticks. Chinese people usually dont beat their bowls while eating, since the behavior used to be practiced by beggars. Also dont insert chopsticks in a bowl upright because it is a custom exclusively used in sacrifice. If you are really interested in chopsticks, you may want to visit the Kuaizi Museum in Shanghai. The museum collected over 1,000 pairs of chopsticks. The oldest one was from the Tang Dynasty.

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Values Of Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Values Of Philosophy - Essay Example paper will analyze the value of Philosophy in several areas such as professional setting, educational world as well as in terms of critical thinking. If one takes a look at the way students study Philosophy, one can not help noticing that this discipline is great when it comes to structuring one’s mind and understanding of the world (Kelly). Indeed, while many think that a philosophy major provides a person with nothing, but a set of abstract knowledge about vague concepts, in reality it prepares one to a better understanding of such crucial areas of life as law, medicine, business or computer science. In other words, if one studies Philosophy, one will be able to analyze the above mentioned sciences easier compared to an ordinary person because of the helpful background that this disciple has provided one with. Another point that should be mentioned is that studying Philosophy also teaches a person how to express oneself in writing properly (Kelly). Indeed, nowadays it may be crucial to write a specific document in manner that would convey a particular message in a concise and clear manner making sure that the recipient will understand everything what the sender wanted to express. With the help of various tools, Philosophy helps a person to learn how to structure writing properly, avoiding simple mistakes that distort the meaning. What is why important is that Philosophy become irreplaceable when it comes to the issue of Business ethics. Indeed, if it had not been for this discipline, people could hardly understand what it is and the entire concept would not have emerged (Marcoux). At the present moment, the idea of Business ethic guides every business and it is virtually impossible to imagine a company that would not pay attention to it. Philosophy provides a person with a necessary set of concepts that make the idea in question understandable and applicable to a concrete situation. Moreover, Philosophy is often engaged when it comes to designing Codes of

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Your views stand out among others i have read and here is why Personal Statement

Your views stand out among others i have read and here is why - Personal Statement Example However, it is an undeniable fact that American society observed new horizons of life and learned new lessons. People were afraid of the loss of work and the hardships that would accompany with the economic calamity. Depression was not only an economic devastation, but it changed the social perspective entirely. For instance, women find it easier to get low-wage jobs that opens new opportunities for them although it was a clear deviation from ideal gender roles in a family at that time. Farmers could not bear the heavy burdens of banks loans and saw the commodity prices fall sharply. The event forced mass agricultural based population to move in urban settlements to find a job. By the introduction of CCC, NWA, and WPA, people start thinking that their government is actually working for them. The government had more control and an increased influence on people’s life and that lingers on till today. Just when the American economy was reshaping itself and recuperating from the de pression, United States was forced to enter into the WWII. Ironically, the war helped the economic activity and reduced employment that had surged to more than 11 percent. However, economists believe that the real prosperity started not before the war ended. What bothers me most is the concept that freedom comes through government. Ideally, government should protect its citizens from internal or external violent and destructive elements. Should government be allowed to start a war?