Repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell Essay - 1076 Words

The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy is a major policy of the armed forces of the United States, and allows a number of people to serve their country. This policy restricts the United States armed forces from discovering gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has, in a way, limited homosexuals from completely fulfilling their military duties by forcing them to serve in the military silent about their personal lives. The policy is a violation of equal rights, forces homosexuals to violate the military code of honor, and causes disputes among fellow soldiers and should be repealed. The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy should be repealed because it would strengthen the United States military dramatically.†¦show more content†¦If homosexuals are exposed while the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy is still in effect, they could be discharged from the military. The blackmailing of fellow soldier is immoral and unethical and should not be put into practice. Discriminating upon homosexuals is wrong because everyone is equal and should be treated fairly. Soldiers that are discovered doing so should be discharged themselves. Another problem with the â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† policy is that, if discovered, homosexuals will be discharged from the military. The discharge of a homosexual from the military, based on his personal life, is a violation of equal rights. Every human is different, but none should be judged separately based upon who they are. â€Å"We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; that if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else† (Obama 1). This statement shows that the nation does know about equal rights and is pushing for equal rights; therefore, â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† needs to be repealed for the integrity of our nation. The â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† policy is also a violation of the military code. â€Å"The honor code at the U.S. military academies states proudly that cadets â€Å"wont lie, cheat, steal, or tolerateShow MoreRelatedDont Ask, Dont Tell1239 Words   |  5 Pagesban began. Under President Ronald Reagan, the gay ban was more stringently enforced. In the 1990s, amidst vicious opposition to repeal the ban, President Bill Clinton enacted the compromise â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass† policy that provides for Sexual orientation [not to] be a bar to service unless manifested by homosexual conduct (qtd. in Don t Ask†). While it is true that the institution of the military is largely based on fraternal bonding that should not be cleaved byRead MoreResearch Paper on Dont Ask Dont Tell1683 Words   |  7 PagesRepeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell The Don’t Ask Don’t tell act which prevented openly gay and lesbians from serving in the United States Armed forces was placed into law on December 21st, 1993. It states that the military cannot discriminate against any gay, lesbian or bisexual person as long as they are discreet about their sexuality. They believed that any persons showing or acting in homosexual behavior would go against strict military moral codes and policy. However on September 20th, 2011 theRead MoreDont Ask, Dont Tell Essay1130 Words   |  5 PagesDon’t Ask, Don’t Tell The issue of gays in the military has been controversial in the United States for many decades. Over these decades there have been many different proposals as to what approach to take in order to handle the situation of homosexuals in the military. However, in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States, he made a promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military if he was elected (Washington Post). Bill Clinton followed through with his promiseRead MoreThe Process of Adjustment in Communication and the Effect on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Process of Adjustment in Communication and the Effect on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy Communication is regarded as a continuous process of adjustment. This process can be explained by looking at the recent repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. This policy restricts the equal rights of homosexuals which has been a topic in heated debate for many years. Over the course of United States history, there have been numerous attempts at equalizing the rights among homosexualsRead MoreTaking a Look at Prejudice and Ignorance663 Words   |  3 Pagesthe, â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010†. Even though this was signed, it is still a very heated debate within the government and this society. People should not have to worry about being gay when they sign up to protect their country. They also should not be judged on the basis of their sexuality. When Obama signed the, â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010†, it got rid of the original â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act† that was signed by President Clinton in 1993. The â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t TellRead MoreDont Ask Dont Tell Outline Essay842 Words   |  4 PagesDon’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy Rachael Neff General purpose: To inform Specific purpose: To inform my audience of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy and give a brief history of events. Central idea: According to my class survey the majority had little or no knowledge of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, so I am going to explain how it came to be. Introduction I.Fundamental beliefs A.Military Service Workers 1.Honorable 2.Courageous B. Service Members Turned Away 1.Openly gay 2.Ended careersRead MoreThe Battle Of War Of 19161456 Words   |  6 Pagesknown as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell into law. Although often referred to as a compromise, the policy defined homosexuality as an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability. More than 13,000 members of the armed services have been discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. 2007 – Senator Barack Obama, campaigning for the presidency, pledges that if elected he will repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policyRead MoreGays in the Military: An Overview of the Issue746 Words   |  3 Pagessexual orientation. Until the Clinton Administrations Dont Ask, Dont Tell (DADT) policy, evidence of homosexuality could get a soldier discharged. In fact, there were many jokes during the draft era, particularly during the Vietnam War, of unwilling straight recruits pretending to be gay as a way of avoiding the service. DADT remained controversial, however, and recently the law was ended After 18 years on the books, dont ask, dont tell is done. The policy banning gays and lesbians from servingRead MoreEssay on How Barack Obama has Impacted America1090 Words   |  5 PagesLaden in 2011(Obamas Top 50 Accomplishments). The United States image has been improved and favorable opinion of the US rose in 10 of 15 countries with an average increase of 26%(Oba mas Top 50 Accomplishments). Obama also repealed the dont ask, dont tell allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the United States for the first time.Obama has also impacted other areas of the economy financially and academically. Obama has created the Race to the Top to help education reforms and encourageRead More Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy Essay1749 Words   |  7 Pagescountry is a privilege. The Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy is claiming that even though it may be considered an infringement on human rights and freedom of expression, it protects the rights of the rest of the military and opens a loophole for gay men and women to serve in the armed forces. Other countries have successfully integrated gay men and women into their militaries and compared the treatment of other minority groups in the military. Is the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy really effective or

Analysis Of The Movie Brent Staples - 1091 Words

Don’t judge Others It has been said, â€Å"Judging a person does not define who they are†¦but defines who you are.† Being judged is discrimination toward a person’s character. Discrimination is a practice to judge others based on their person beliefs. There are many areas in which people are judge others such as appearance, beliefs, race and religion. People discriminate against others because they base their judgment off appearance. We all are human and we all should be treated equal. In this case, Brent Staples, Susan Boyle, Travon Martin and myself are people who know what it means to be judge base on their appearance. You can’t judge people based on their appearance. First, Brent Staples is a black man who is judged based on physical appearance by the public. Brent Staple address his experiences of being discriminated by the public and mistakenly accused of being a burglar at his job. Brent Staples first victim was a white woman that was in her late twenties (520). As a graduate student, Staples took a late night walk on the avenue. Brent was walking behind a woman, but notice there seem to be a discreet of inflammatory distance between them (520). Suddenly the woman casted back with a fearful glance at Brent. When woman the observe Brent Staples appearance for being a black man-a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billow hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket (520). The woman judged based on his physical features that Brent was harmfulShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Role of Media Bias in American Society2456 Words   |  10 Pagesreporting objectively. The media, which has dominated the American landscape as the number one news source for so long, has become complacent with their place in society. Media has become part of conglomerations consisting or television, newspapers, and movie companies all under on major corporation. Larger corporations which have started to buy out the original companies are more in it for the money leaving the news portion of the company up to the editors. Leaving editing to the editors can possiblyRead MorePurpose of Evaluating Customer Service Policies26269 Words   |  106 Pagesmorning calls and wake-up calls as required by guests ï‚Ÿ Administer the paging system of the hotel, which provides a communication service between certain hotel staff and management staff who are not always in their offices ï‚Ÿ Administer the in-room movie system of the hotel ï‚Ÿ Stay familiar with the names of Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the hotel ï‚Ÿ Protect guest privacy by not disclosing room number, guest information and reporting suspicious person ï‚Ÿ Communicate weather emergency to managementRead MorePurpose of Evaluating Customer Service Policies26276 Words   |  106 Pagesmorning calls and wake-up calls as required by guests ï‚Ÿ Administer the paging system of the hotel, which provides a communication service between certain hotel staff and management staff who are not always in their offices ï‚Ÿ Administer the in-room movie system of the hotel ï‚Ÿ Stay familiar with the names of Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the hotel ï‚Ÿ Protect guest privacy by not disclosing room number, guest information and reporting suspicious person ï‚Ÿ Communicate weather emergency to managementRead MoreMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pages441 441 CASE STUDIES A summary of the case analysis I N T R O D U C T I O N Preparing an effective case analysis: The full story Hearing with the aid of implanted technology: The case of Cochlearâ„ ¢ – an Australian C A S E O N E high-technology leader Delta Faucet: Global entrepreneurship in an emerging market C A S E T W O DaimlerChrysler: Corporate governance dynamics in a global company C A S E T H R E E Gunns and the greens: Governance issues in Tasmania C A S E F O U R Succeeding in theRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pages(instead of workers setting their own pace), workers can be pushed to perform at higher levels—levels that they may have thought were beyond their reach. Charlie Chaplin captured this aspect of mass production in one of the opening scenes of his famous movie Modern Times (1936). In the ï ¬ lm, Chaplin caricatured a new factory employee ï ¬ ghting to work at the machine-imposed pace but losing the battle to t he machine. Henry Ford also used the principles of scientiï ¬ c management to identify the tasks that each

The Great Gatsby Missing Chapter free essay sample

But once I opened the letter she had said, â€Å"Gatsby how I have missed you I had written you a letter but it had gotten ruined in a bathtub so here I go I will try again. Since you’ve been gone I have meet someone else. His name is Tom. We had a baby girl named Pammy. She is the cutest thing. I love you Gatsby I just couldn’t wait knowing that you could die at any moment or think the war would never end. So I had to move on. † As I looked against Gatsby I noticed that there was a shine in his eye and a drop falling down his cheek. At that time I also noticed that Gatsby was reading the actual letter and as I was looking he was folding it so precise and placed it back into his pocket. He wiped his tears and looked at me and said, â€Å"You know old sport I still love this girl, she stole my heart†. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby Missing Chapter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I didn’t want to be rude but I had to use the restroom. Gatsby said we would meet in the library. Once we got to the library Gatsby had shown me an old book. He said it was his favorite book it was called Romeo and Juliet. He said that he was Romeo and Daisy was Juliet and that some day they would be together. After he had looked through the book he placed it back just as he had found it. He asked if I wanted to go on the hydroplane. I couldn’t refuse a good time to go have fun. As we were walking to the docks Gatsby all of a sudden stopped and he had looked as if he had seen a ghost and ran to the house. As I was going to walk back I had heard the sound of a speedboat coming closer and closer. As I turned I saw Daisy coming toward me. I walked to greet her and she parked her boat at Gatsby’s docks and came to me. We walked to Gatsby’s house and started to search for Gatsby. We looked for a good ten minutes. All of a sudden Gatsby appeared and looked like he had taken a shower and got his Sunday best on. They were happy to see each other you could tell by their eyes locked in with one another never leaving each other’s stare. You could tell there was still something between them a fire that couldn’t be blown out. You could tell Daisy longed for his affection and wondered often what her life would be like if she had waited for Gatsby. I left them alone and walked away, as I strolled through the back yard I thought of something, Daisy’s daughter. Come to think of it she looked nothing like Tom. Gatsby had just mentioned Pammy in the letter, was Pammy his? He loved that little girl or so it seemed and Tom had no regard to her, this could be his chance to make Daisy his girl. As the day went to night I returned they had been in the library laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Once I had retuned daisy had realized the time and hurried of to her boat to get home. Gatsby went to return to his bed with a huge smile on his face and felt like the most powerful man in the world.

Managing Information Systems In Organisations Essays -

Managing Information Systems In Organisations INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INTRODUCTION In recent years, there has been an abundance of new technologies in the information systems field. These new technologies have altered the very development process itself. Information systems have gone from being a series of one level databases to three dimensional reality, virtual reality, and multimedia systems. In the early days of information systems, the demands were for data, with no real function of artificial intelligence. However, as the 21st century approaches, business has taken on an entirely different function, and the need for individual information systems has grown immensely. This demand for information technology is in all areas of business: corporations, law, medicine, science and even small business. In addition, the worldwide web and the Internet have added an additional factor of communications. Most information systems in use today require at the very least, a measure of Internet capability. In order to understand the changes in these development processes, the history of databases should be analyzed. BACKGROUND Database Management Systems actually began in the 1950s, with what is known as the first generation, also known as file systems on tape. The major task of any computer in those days was to process data under the control of a program. This primarily meant calculating, counting and simple tasks. Second generation databases, file systems on disk, allowed use of computers in dialogue mode as well as batch mode. The development of magnetic disks allowed for more sophisticated file systems, making multiple access possible. These first two generations of DBMS were characterized by the availability of file systems only; strictly speaking these were the forerunners of database systems, the foundations. An important component of these database systems were the static association of certain data sets (files) with individual programs that would concentrate on these. There were high redundancy problems between files; inconsistencies when one program made changes that are not made in all programs; inflexibility against changes in applications; low productivity by programmers since program maintenance was expensive; and the problem of adopting and maintaining standards for coding and data formats. The third generation, pre-relational databases, started in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s. This generation is characterized by the introduction of a distinction between logical and physical information, along with a parallel need to manage large collections of data. Data models were used for the first time to describe physical structures from a logical point of view. With this distinction between the logical and physical information, value systems were developed which could integrate all the data of a given application into one collection. The fourth generation consisted of relational databases and began in the 1980s, resulting in database systems that could store data redundancy free under a central control and in a clear distinction between physical and a logical data model. Systems based on relationship modeling occurred during this period of time. The systems based on relationship modeling are provided with a high degree of physical data independence and the availability of powerful languages. Less of the system is visible to the user, with changes taking place in the background. A shift from record orientation to set orientation marks this fourth generation. As of 1991, there was a fifth generation predicted, post-relational, which we are currently experiencing, and perhaps surpassing. Other applications can benefit from database technology. The development of extensible systems, logic-oriented systems, and object-oriented systems are part of this generation. R.G. Cattel speaks of the changes seen in the last fifteen years: "The past decade has seen major changes in the computing industry. There has been a widespread move from centralized computing to networked workstations on every desk. We have seen an entirely new generation of software aimed at exploiting workstation technology, particularly in engineering, scientific and office applications. In database systems, there have been major changes in products for business applications, including the widespread acceptance of relational DBMSs. However, existing commercial DBMSs, both small-scale and large-scale, have proven inadequate for applications such as computer-aided design, software engineering, and office automation; new research and development in database systems has been necessary. (Cattell 1991) The very nature of these new object oriented databases has caused changes right down to the programming level. As we near the end of this century, designers are now looking at databases that can predict the side effects of medicines, eliminating the need for human trial subjects. Other programs are being designed to put in data for architecture to check building integrity. Car manufacturers are able to input data and have three-dimensional models to experiment with, regarding stress factors and damage. With so much new technology erupting every day, some needs have developed for a standardization of protocols

Styles and Strategies for Visual Learners

Styles and Strategies for Visual Learners Every classroom contains students with varying styles of learning. While most people can use any of the three primary styles auditory, visual and kinesthetic to learn information, their dominant style reflects their preferred form of instruction and easiest means of assimilating new knowledge. Teachers with a basic understanding of the three main styles can adapt their lessons to give all students the best chance of success. Visual Learners The typical visual learner prefers to read information in a textbook or on a whiteboard rather than listen to a lecture. Visualization techniques help them remember things. They often enjoy doodling and drawing and can use this practice as a study tool. Visual learners tend to use sight words in their everyday terminology. For example, they might say, Lets take a look at this. They easily remember details including colors and spatial arrangements, and they excel at memory games that require visual recall. They often have a good sense of direction because they can visualize maps and directions in their mind. Key Learning Methods for Visual Learners Visual learners learn best when they can see the material being taught. They follow instructions better when they can see a demonstration first, rather than just be told how to do something. Visual learners typically prefer images, maps, graphs and other visual representations to other forms of instruction. They like to read. Ways to Adapt Lessons for Visual Learners Include diagrams, mind maps, word webs, visuals and other forms of graphic organizers to help visual learners get the most from your instruction. Accompany oral instructions with a written recap before requiring students to complete an assignment. Further, avoid lecturing without accompanying notes and/or visuals. Ways for Visual Learners to Adapt Instruction to Their Style Students inevitably encounter teachers whose styles of instruction differ from their own learning preference. Visual learners can take control of their learning experience with techniques that adapt varying teaching methods to their visual strengths. For example, students can use highlighters when they review their notes, organize information into outlines and use flashcards to study for tests. Visual learners may also find that if they include images, mind maps, lists and other visual techniques in their notes, they more easily remember key information.   Other Learning Styles: Auditory Learners Kinesthetic Learners

6 Things Recruiters Wish Job Seekers Knew

6 Things Recruiters Wish Job Seekers Knew Working with recruiters can be an extremely beneficial way to find a new job–they often have connections and access to opportunities not available to the general public. Based on their relationships with hiring managers, recruiters  can also get your foot in the door for positions otherwise  difficult to break into on your own. They’re in the know and have seen it all–consider them job-seeking experts. The team at ResumeSpice, a resume writing and career coaching service developed by recruiters, has put together a list of six things recruiters wish job seekers knew. Save yourself a lot of time and rejection by taking this expert advice to heart.Be specific about what you want.Recruiters are professional matchmakers. They take your criteria for in a position and match you with the position that best fits your needs. For example, while saying you want to find a project management role is a good starting point, saying you want a project management role for an oi l and gas company, that you’re interested in global projects, and that you would consider expatriate work is a better way to go.It may be counterintuitive, but an attempt to appear â€Å"flexible† could be interpreted as unfocused. Recruiters will have a better sense of where to start if they’re not left guessing for details.You don’t have to email them every day.Recruiters love making a matches between employers and candidates. It’s the basis of their entire job, so a good recruiter will keep you in the loop on where you stand and will provide updates as they arise. It’s not necessary for candidates to call or email every day. Most recruiters will recommend a weekly or bi-weekly email for temporary assignments and every 2-3 weeks for direct hire positions.Don’t take rejection personally.You win some, you lose some. Roll with the punches. Tomorrow’s another day. While we’re all familiar with those adages, being rejected is still never easy. A recruiter can do everything they can to try to convince a hiring manager that you’re the perfect for a role–but at the end of the day, the employer makes the decision and sometimes they don’t tell the recruiter why. It’s best to move on and focus your effort on the next role.Have an updated and ready-to-submit resume.The demise of the resume has been severely overstated. Always have one at the ready. Recruiters will typically offer insight on how you can tighten your resume, but actually reformatting and rewriting your resume is up to you. If you need help strengthening your resume, a professional resume writing service may be the best route to take.Be on your best behavior.Companies pay recruiting and staffing agencies to find their most skilled talent, so always treat recruiters as you would any employer. They understand that you may be frustrated as you look for a job and most are happy to lend advice during a difficult job searc h, but it’s never a good idea to vent your frustrations at a recruiter. Treat them poorly and they’re unlikely to present you to their clients.There’s on time and there’s way too early.Because you want to impress a recruiter, it’s natural to want to arrive promptly for your scheduled meeting. However, there’s a fine line between arriving early and arriving on time. A good rule to follow is to not to check in more than 10 minutes before your scheduled time. Sure, arrive early so that you’re not rushed and panicked when you walk in the door, but respect that most recruiters are not going to be able to see you thirty minutes before your scheduled meeting.This is certainly not a comprehensive list of everything recruiters wish you knew, but it should help ensure you’re on the proper path to success when it comes to keeping a great relationship with your recruiter.Savannah Ober is a resume writer and career consultant at ResumeSpice . In addition to being a resume expert, Savannah is also an experienced corporate communications professional, working with one of the world’s largest global companies. Savannah has written recruiting advertisements for trade publications, created marketing collateral, written press releases and blogs, and developed social media content. Savannah holds a BA in English, creative writing.

Are we too dependent on computers Research Paper

Are we too dependent on computers - Research Paper Example Used in controlling and sequencing operations in a computer are the control and sequencing units respectively. Since its invention, the computer has caused hitherto unimagined changes in the nature of man’s life. In fact, computers are today required and used in almost all professions and spheres of life known to man. Among the uses of a computer include internet, desktop publishing, digital video and audio composition, in medication and diagnosis, mathematical calculations, e-learning, ATMs, media, and business (Stokes, 2007). The other fields in which computers are extensively used are the aviation industry, sports, and weather analysis. From these applications of computers, it is apparent that almost all spheres of life are affected by the computer. It may thus be asserted without fear of contradiction that computers have pushed the society into hitherto unfathomed levels of proficiency and efficiency. In fact, computers are currently leading the human mission to eradicate social problems such as illiteracy and poverty, making it rather difficult fro people to envisage what a world bereft of computers would look like (Ifrah, 2001). This paper explores the assertion that people are too dependent on computers. Despite the myriad advantages and benefits of computers, the evident overuse of computers by man in almost all spheres of life has been decried given that this overdependence has caused numerous negative health and social problems that future researches should focus on. Despite the fact that it has made work and life easier and more enjoyable to some extent, opinions differ on the extent to which man depends on the computer and the positive and negative impacts of this overdependence on computer and related technologies. Generally, computers are regarded as rather helpful tools for saving time at workplace and at study. For instance, in a school environment, computers may help a student save on time by cancelling out the need to visit libraries or

Play analy Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Play analy - Movie Review Example During the divorce process she meets more women in the same boat with her. The husband marries the gold digger and Mary decides to move on but she later realizes how unhappy the ex husband is and decides to fight for him. In this paper I will try explain and portray critically the different characteristics and function of each actor. All through the play there is no presence of a male figure although they are talked about often. The main theme is the relationship of the women with men and with themselves as portrayed by one character, Nancy Blake who is single and likely a bi-sexual and she is a feminist who is direct and unemotional. The props showed a lot of attention to detail for example only female figures is embodied and even the pets in the play are all females apart from the bull drawing in the magazine Peggy reads before lunch in Mary’s house. The film color of black and white shows the originality and the time the play was created since it is old. Mary Haines is a contented, faithful and cheerful wife of Stephen and has a daughter little Mary. She is in her middle 30 and has appositive outlook towards marriage. Crystal is in her middle 20s she is single, enticing, deceitful, disrespectful, manipulative and ambitious. She is the gold digger married to Stephen and she is a fragrance salesperson. She is also unfaithful. Mrs. Morehead is 55 the mother of Mary who is a widow, traditional and wise. Mrs. Fowler is a gossiper, selfish, and inconsiderate lady who is married to Howard and have two children. Mrs. Day or Peggy is 25 who is married to John has no kids but she longs for one. She is the type of lady who has cash but she complains. She is sympathetic and awkward. Mrs. Potter is a dull non confrontational house wife who does not like children. She has sexual tendencies. Finally Countess De Lage is an outgoing hopeless romantic who has been divorced four times. There are three themes, the ideal woman who takes care and depend fully on

Step by Wicked Step Essay Example for Free

Step by Wicked Step Essay Based on the novels that you have read, make a comparison between two prominent characters and highlight the differences. Support your answer with evidence from the text. Based on the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine, the two prominent characters that I would like to compare is Colin and Richard Clayton Harwick. The first difference that I would like to highlight is Colin loves his stepfather, Jack whom he calls dad as Colin himself never knew his real father and Jack has been with Colin since he was eight months old. Meanwhile, Richard hates his stepfather, Reverend Coldstone because he had made Richard’s life miserable by sending him to Mordanger School for four long years where he learnt nothing but how to starve, freeze and had been bullied and robbed of all his precious little tokens. Next, Colin is loyal to his mother. Colin knew that his mother thought it was better that they are away from Jack since he does not have a job. Colin had stopped questioning his mother about Jack because he knows that his mother is always busy and does not have time for him. Meanwhile, Richard had broken his promise to his father about taking care of his mother, Lilith and his sister, Charlotte when he ran away. Richard had forgotten that his father had told him that â€Å"he is the man of the house and they will depend on him†. On the other hand, Colin did not give up hope of finding his father, Jack. He wrote a letter and sends it to Jack although he does not know whether Jack would receive it or not. Meanwhile, Richard had given up on his family and did not try to have any contact with them because he thought they were happy without him. Furthermore, Colin is a sentimental person. He thinks about Jack every single day and night. He would take out Jack’s tobacco tin and sniff it. Colin would also hum their favourite song, ‘The Bluebird of Happiness’ every  night. Meanwhile, Richard didn’t think twice before running away because he assumed that his family would be happy when he is gone. On the other hand, Colin knew that he was young and doesn’t have enough money to go and try to find Jack. Therefore, he started to save money by selling newspapers and asking his mother for money instead of presents for his birthday so that he would have enough money to find Jack when he is older. Meanwhile, Richard made the wrong decision by running away. His action had caused his mother, Lilith to spend a fortune to find him. His sister, Charlotte married Charles Devere, a lawyer at the age of sixteen because Charles had promised Charlotte that he would help her find her brother. Eventually, Richard’s mother died of heartbreak, his stepfather, Reverend Coldstone died of fury and his sister died of fever at childbirth. From the differences, we can see that Collin had made the right decision and Richard did not. Colin had a very deep affection for his stepfather, Jack and had decided to save up, and when he had enough money, he will go in search of his stepfather. The cow with its broken leg was left in Colin’s bag with a purpose. It was to remind him of Richard who made a mistake by leaving home. His friends hoped that by their action, Colin would make a wise decision and not repeat the same mistake which Richard made. Meanwhile, Richard was being unwise, irresponsible and unethical when he abandoned his family. By his ruthless and selfish action, he did not realize that he had actually added more problems to his family instead. They were emotionally upset about him leaving the family. It broke their hearts and eventually it led to their deaths. Richard regretted what he did. He was remorseful but it was too late. He became miserable, lonely and a sad man. Though he inherited a fortune, he lost his loved ones because of his impulsive and selfish act. Therefore, when unforeseen things happen and problems need to be dealt with especially in broken relationships or whatever circumstances that affect our families and ourselves, we need to resolve them instead of running away and leaving the problems to others. Life is always a struggle and problems are never ending. We have to learn to share, to be responsible, take up the challenges, be tolerant and learn to face the troubles we meet in today’s society be it about broken  relationship, death and others. From the lessons we learnt, let us not repeat the same mistakes that Richard did and the scars he left behind.

Middle East Crisis Essay -- essays research papers

The Middle East Violence in the Middle East must be stopped for the good of humankind. Fighting in recent days has been hazardous and fatal. There are many things that can be done to prevent this violence. A permanent cease-fire must be in effect, the international community should get involved and land claims must be worked out. These three things are necessary in order to resolve this situation. A permanent cease-fire would be very important. If a permanent cease-fire was in effect, the death tolls will be dramatically lowered. The first step in the cease-fire process would be to unite both the Israelis and the Palestinians in an international peace conference. This conference would make both countries realize that the violence that is occurring is serious and horrible. The Palestinians must cease their protests. These protests in the recent days have been turned into bloody battles because of the â€Å"rock throwers†. The rock throwers cause the Israelis to return fire. In the worst case, this violence could turn into a mass murder. The violence might become so violent, that there would be many unnecessary deaths and a potential genocide, which has happened in other countries such as Yugoslavia with this similar situation. This is not the only thing that has to take place in order for the peace process to proceed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The international community should be involved in the peace process. The United Nations condemns this violence and should ...

Porche Changes Tack

Porsche Changes Tack 1) What has been causing the changes in Porsche’s ROIC? Porsche’s ROIC was quite impressive compared to other competitors of 15. 15% in 2004, while others struggled to reach 6% to 7%. They had great strategic planning to keep ROIC high by outsourcing and using a combination of licensing. For example, for Porsche Cayenne, they co-manufactured with Volkswagen saving a lot on required capital to support its business. In addition, Porsche had licensed with Valmet of Finland to build the Boxter under Valmet’s owned capital, reducing Porsche’s capital needs. However, ROIC was not too good in fiscal 2003/04.What has been hurting Porsche’s ROIC in the recent years was their mistake of holding on to excess cash. If they have funded it invested capital might not have grown. 2) Evaluate the firm’s financial performance and compare to its peers. Porsche saw pleasant operating margins compared to its peers with its 911, Boxter, and Ca yenne models. They saved expenses in technology and capital by outsourcing with other companies for the Boxter and the Cayenne. Another factor that Porsche did well was focusing on rewarding management on financial performance (its long term performance and profitability) rather than on the opinions of the market.One thing that did hurt or complicate Porsche was that it was holding high non-interest bearing liabilities. Another factor that showed Porsche different was their aggressive company culture of providing cars from its origin rather than expanding capital abroad. Its value of sales and production could be better off if it put manufacturing and assembly plants in the U. S. and it could avoid risks of big changes in currency rates. 3) Consider Porsche management’s announcement of its intention to take a 20% equity interest in Volkswagen in September 2005.In your view, is management acting in the best interests of all shareholders? You may work alone or in a study group for this analysis. Like it said in the case, this decision seems to be more personal than one that would be the best interest of all shareholders. The case highly emphasized the valuable relationship between the Porsche and Piech families and that through preservation of stakes by them would be through the expense of nonfamily shareholders. I, too, concur with the analysts and critics who are against this decision because the two companies have two different histories and techniques of creating profit.Also, Volkswagen is a very big manufacturer compared to Porsche and on top of that isn’t doing so well. This may cause conflicts with Porsche as it might begin to prioritize goals for Volkswagen and not pay more attention to issues/threats it may have. Porsche could actually be better off (in future returns) if its 3 billion Euros were returned back to its shareholders. Although this argument may go on and on, ultimately the best decision is to compare in which situation the com pany will deliver profitable growth since to both family owners and shareholders, growth is commonly important. ttp://usc. summon. serialssolutions. com/search? s. cmd=addFacetValueFilters%28IsFullText,true%29&s. fvf=ContentType,Book+%2F+eBook,&s. q=green+business+trends&s. rf=PublicationDate,2010:* http://www. ibisworld. com/industry/green-sustainable-building-construction. html http://go. galegroup. com. libproxy. usc. edu/ps/retrieve. do? sgHitCountType=None&isETOC=true&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=usocal_main&resultListType=RELATED_DOCUMENT&searchType=BasicSearchForm&contentSegment=&docId=GALE|CX1930200055

Gender Sensitivity Essay

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is direct investment into production or business in a country by a company in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country. Foreign direct investment is in contrast to portfolio investment which is a passive investment in the securities of another country such as stocks and bonds. Contents [hide] * 1 Definitions * 2 Types * 3 Methods * 4 Importance and barriers to FDI * 4.1 Foreign direct investment and the developing world * 4.2 Difficulties limiting FDI * 5 Foreign direct investment by country * 5.1 Foreign direct investment in the United States * 5.2 Foreign direct investment in China * 5.3 Foreign direct investment in India * 5.3.1 2012 FDI reforms * 6 See also * 7 References * 8 External links Definitions Foreign direct investment can take on many forms and so sometimes the term is used to refer to different kinds of investment activity. Commonly foreign direct investment includes â€Å"mergers and acquisitions, building new facilities, reinvesting profits earned from overseas operations and intracompany loans.†[1] However, foreign direct investment is often used to refer to just building new facilities or greenfield investment, creating figures that although both labeled FDI, can’t be side by side compared. As a part of the national accounts of a country, and in regard to the national income equation Y=C+I+G+(X-M), I is investment plus foreign investment, FDI refers to the net inflows of investment(inflow minus outflow) to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. [2] It is the sum of equity capital, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown the balance of payments. It usually involves participation in management, joint-venture, transfer of technology and expertise. There are two types of FDI: inward and outward, resulting in a net FDI inflow (positive or negative) and â€Å"stock of foreign direct investment†, which is the cumulative number for a given period. Direct investment excludesinvestment through purchase of shares.[3] FDI is one example of international factor movements. foriegn direct investment is nothing but inrease the country’s economy . Types 1. Horizon FDI arises when a firm duplicates its home country-based activities at the same value chain stage in a host country through FDI.[4] 2. Platform FDI 3. Vertical FDI takes place when a firm through FDI moves upstream or downstream in different value chains i.e., when firms perform value-adding activities stage by stage in a vertical fashion in a host country.[4] Horizontal FDI decreases international trade as the product of them is usually aimed at host country; the two other types generally act as a stimulus for it. Methods The foreign direct investor may acquire voting power of an enterprise in an economy through any of the following methods: * by incorporating a wholly owned subsidiary or company anywhere * by acquiring shares in an associated enterprise * through a merger or an acquisition of an unrelated enterprise * participating in an equity joint venture with another investor or enterprise Foreign direct investment incentives may take the following forms: * low corporate tax and individual income tax rates * tax holidays * other types of tax concessions * preferential tariffs * special economic zones * EPZ – Export Processing Zones * Bonded Warehouses * Maquiladoras * investment financial subsidies * soft loan or loan guarantees * free land or land subsidies * relocation & expatriation * infrastructure subsidies * R&D support * derogation from regulations (usually for very large projects) Importance and barriers to FDI The rapid growth of world population since 1950 has occurred mostly in developing countries. This growth has not been matched by similar increases in per-capita income and access to the basics of modern life, like education, health care, or – for too many – even sanitary water and waste disposal. FDI has proven — when skillfully applied — to be one of the fastest means of, with the highest impact on, development. However, given its many benefits for both investing firms and hosting countries, and the large jumps in development were best practices followed, eking out advances with even moderate long-term impacts often has been a struggle. Recently, research and practice are finding ways to make FDI more assured and beneficial by continually engaging with local realities, adjusting contracts and reconfiguring policies as blockages and openings emerge. Foreign direct investment and the developing world A recent meta-analysis of the effects of foreign direct investment on local firms in developing and transition countries suggests that foreign investment robustly increases local productivity growth. [5] The Commitment to Development Index ranks the â€Å"development-friendliness† of rich country investment policies. Difficulties limiting FDI Foreign direct investment may be politically controversial or difficult because it partly reverses previous policies intended to protect the growth of local investment or of infant industries. When these kinds of barriers against outside investment seem to have not worked sufficiently, it can be politically expedient for a host country to open a small â€Å"tunnel† as a focus for FDI. The nature of the FDI tunnel depends on the country’s or jurisdiction’s needs and policies. FDI is not restricted to developing countries. For example, lagging regions in the France, Germany, Ireland, and USA have for a half century maintained offices to recruit and incentivize  FDI primarily to create jobs. China, starting in 1979, promoted FDI primarily to import modernizing technology, and also to leverage and uplift its huge pool of rural workers. [6] To secure greater benefits for lesser costs, this tunnel need be focused on a particular industry and on closely negotiated, sp ecific terms. These terms define the trade offs of certain levels and types of investment by a firm, and specified concessions by the host jurisdiction. The investing firm needs sufficient cooperation and concessions to justify their business case in terms of lower labor costs, and the opening of the country’s or even regional markets at a distinct advantage over (global) competitors. The hosting country needs sufficient contractual promises to politically sell uncertain benefits—versus the better-known costs of concessions or damage to local interests. The benefits to the host may be: creation of a large number of more stable and higher-paying jobs; establishing in lagging areas centers of new economic development that will support attracting or strengthening of many other firms without so costly concessions; hastening the transfer of premium-paying skills to the host country’s work force; and encouraging technology transfer to local suppliers. Concessions commonly offered include: tax exemptions or reductions; construction or cheap lease-back of site improvements or of new building facilities; and large local infrastructures such as roads or rail lines; More politically difficult (certainly for less-developed regions) are concessions which change policies for: reduced taxes and tariffs; curbing protections for smaller-business from the large or global; and laxer administration of regulations on labor safety and environmental preservation. Often these un-politick â€Å"cooperations† are covert and subject to corruption. The lead-up for a big FDI can be risky, fraught with reverses, and subject to unexplained delays for years. Completion of the first phase remains unpredictable — even after the contract ceremonies are over and construction has started. So, lenders and investors expect high risk premiums similar to those of junk bonds. These costs and frustration have been major barriers for FDI in many countries. The value of FDI with some industries, some companies, and some countries much greater than with others; like most markets, valuations can be mostly perceptual. It is in the interest of both investors and recipients to dissemble the value of deals to their constituents, so the market on  what’s hot and what’s not has frequent bubbles and crashes. Because local circumstances and the global economy vary so rapidly, Because valuations can shift dramatically in short times, negotiating and planning FDI is often quite irrational. Foreign direct investment by country There are multiple factors determining host country attractiveness in the eyes of large foreign direct institutional investors, notablypension funds and sovereign wealth funds. Research conducted by the World Pensions Council (WPC) suggests that perceived legal/political stability over time and medium-term economic growth dynamics constitute the two main determinants[7] Some development economists believe that a sizeable part of Western Europe has now fallen behind the most dynamic amongst Asia’semerging nations, notably because the latter adopted policies more propitious to long-term investments: â€Å"Successful countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea still remember the harsh adjustment mechanisms imposed abruptly upon them by the IMF and World Bank during the 1997-1998 ‘Asian Crisis’ [†¦] What they have achieved in the past 10 years is all the more remarkable: they have quietly abandoned the â€Å"Washington consensus† [the dominant Neoclassical perspective] by investing massively in infrastructure projects [†¦]: this pragmatic approach proved to be very successful.†[8] The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that there was no significant growth of global FDI in 2010. In 2011 was $1,524 billion, in 2010 was $1,309 billion and in 2009 was $1,114 billion. The figure was 25 percent below the pre-crisis average between 2005 and 2007. Foreign direct investment in the United States Broadly speaking, the U.S. has a fundamentally open economy and very small barriers to foreign direct investment.[10] The United States is the world’s largest recipient of FDI. U.S. FDI totaled $194 billion in 2010. 84% of FDI in the U.S. in 2010 came from or through eight countries: Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Canada.[11]Research indicates that foreigners hold greater shares of their investment portfolios in the United States if their own countries have less developed financial markets, an effect whose magnitude decreases with income  per capita. Countries with fewer capital controls and greater trade with the United States also invest more in U.S. equity and bond markets. [12] White House data reported in June 2011 found that a total of 5.7 million workers were employed at facilities highly dependent on foreign direct investors. Thus, about 13% of the American manufacturing workforce depended on such investments. The average pay of said jobs was found as around $70,000 per worker, over 30% higher than the average pay across the entire U.S. workforce.[10] President Barack Obama has said, â€Å"In a global economy, the United States faces increasing competition for the jobs and industries of the future. Taking steps to ensure that we remain the destination of choice for investors around the world will help us win that competition and bring prosperity to our people.†[10] [edit]Foreign direct investment in China FDI in China, also known as RFDI (renminbi foreign direct investment), has increased considerably in the last decade, reaching $59.1 billion in the first six months of 2012, making China the largest recipient of foreign direct investment and topping the United States which had $57.4 billion of FDI.During the global financial crisis FDI fell by over one-third in 2009 but rebounded in 2010.[14] [edit]Foreign direct investment in India Starting from a baseline of less than $1 billion in 1990, a recent UNCTAD survey projected India as the second most important FDI destination (after China) for transnational corporations during 2010–2012. As per the data, the sectors that attracted higher inflows were services, telecommunication, construction activities and computer software and hardware. Mauritius, Singapore, US and UK were among the leading sources of FDI. Based on UNCTAD data FDI flows were $10.4 billion, a drop of 43% from the first half of the last year.[15] India disallowed overseas corporate bodies (OCB) to invest in India.[16] 2012 FDI reforms See also: Retailing in India On 14 September 2012, Government of India allowed FDI in aviation up to 49%, in the broadcast sector up to 74%, in multi-brand retailup to 51% and in single-brand retail up to 100%.[17] The choice of allowing FDI in multi-brand retail up to 51% has been left to eachstate. In its supply chain  sector, the government of India had already approved 100% FDI for developing cold chain. This allows non-Indians to now invest with full ownership in India’s burgeoning demand for efficient food supply systems.[18] The need to reduce waste in fresh food and to feed the aspiring demand of India’s fast developing population has made the cold supply chain a very exciting investment proposition. Foreign investment was introduced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he was finance minister (1991) by the government of India as FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act). This has been one of the top political problems for Singh’s government, even in the current (2012) election. [19] [20] Definition of ‘Foreign Direct Investment – FDI’ An investment made by a company or entity based in one country, into a company or entity based in another country. Foreign direct investments differ substantially from indirect investments such as portfolio flows, wherein overseas institutions invest in equities listed on a nation’s stock exchange. Entities making direct investments typically have a significant degree of influence and control over the company into which the investment is made. Open economies with skilled workforces and good growth prospects tend to attract larger amounts of foreign direct investment than closed, highly regulated economies. Investopedia explains ‘Foreign Direct Investment – FDI’ The investing company may make its overseas investment in a number of ways – either by setting up a subsidiary or associate company in the foreign country, by acquiring shares of an overseas company, or through a merger or joint venture. The accepted threshold for a foreign direct investment relationship, as defined by the OECD, is 10%. That is, the foreign investor must own at least 10% or more of the voting stock or ordinary shares of the investee company. An example of foreign direct investment would be an American company taking a majority stake in a company in China. Another example would be a Canadian company setting up a joint venture to develop a mineral deposit in Chile.

Free Essays on DISPOSITIONAL STRATEGY

The Dispositional Strategy assumes claims that personality is the set of enduring characteristics innate to the person. Each individual differs in the amount of each particular characteristic they possess; some may have no signs of a certain characteristic and meet all the criteria for another. The defining characteristics of our culture influence people greatly whether they are aware of it or not, they influence our sociability with others and the environment we live in. The majority of dispositional psychologists claim that an enduring disposition is a permanent, inherent element of personality; different from a state which is a temporary condition. Dispositions are not just habits, although they define who we are, they are in no way easy to define. A person’s disposition cannot be determined by observing several acts; their behavior must be stable over time. When I was assigned a random roommate, after just two days I thought she was an aggressive, snobby, typical sorority girl. Yet I could not label her correctly with a certain disposition after only 48 hours. I would have to watch her behavior over a course of time, wait for it to be stable, and then classify her. My first impression of her was completely wrong; once I got to know her I can correctly say she has a sweet, motherly, and proud disposition that I love. What she was like the first few days in our apartment was just a state, a temporary condition resulting from the fatigue and stress of moving in. Jackson, 2 Gordon Allport, the founder of the modern Dispositional Strategy, believed that psychological traits were real attributes of people that served to explain behavior and not just describe it. He spent nearly his entire career researching personality and trying to make sense if it. Allport said that the daunting task of â€Å"finding out what the other person is really like† is very difficult yet you should not throw in the towel. Allport made it easi... Free Essays on DISPOSITIONAL STRATEGY Free Essays on DISPOSITIONAL STRATEGY The Dispositional Strategy assumes claims that personality is the set of enduring characteristics innate to the person. Each individual differs in the amount of each particular characteristic they possess; some may have no signs of a certain characteristic and meet all the criteria for another. The defining characteristics of our culture influence people greatly whether they are aware of it or not, they influence our sociability with others and the environment we live in. The majority of dispositional psychologists claim that an enduring disposition is a permanent, inherent element of personality; different from a state which is a temporary condition. Dispositions are not just habits, although they define who we are, they are in no way easy to define. A person’s disposition cannot be determined by observing several acts; their behavior must be stable over time. When I was assigned a random roommate, after just two days I thought she was an aggressive, snobby, typical sorority girl. Yet I could not label her correctly with a certain disposition after only 48 hours. I would have to watch her behavior over a course of time, wait for it to be stable, and then classify her. My first impression of her was completely wrong; once I got to know her I can correctly say she has a sweet, motherly, and proud disposition that I love. What she was like the first few days in our apartment was just a state, a temporary condition resulting from the fatigue and stress of moving in. Jackson, 2 Gordon Allport, the founder of the modern Dispositional Strategy, believed that psychological traits were real attributes of people that served to explain behavior and not just describe it. He spent nearly his entire career researching personality and trying to make sense if it. Allport said that the daunting task of â€Å"finding out what the other person is really like† is very difficult yet you should not throw in the towel. Allport made it easi...

Eritrea Today

Eritrea Today In the 1990s, great things were expected of Eritrea, then a brand new country, but today Eritrea is most often referenced in the news for the flood of refugees fleeing its authoritarian government, and the government has discouraged foreign travelers from visiting. What is the news out of Eritrea and how did it get to this point? Rise of an Authoritarian State: Eritreas recent history After a 30-year war of independence, Eritrea achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1991 and began the difficult process of state building. By 1994, the new country had held its first - and only - national elections, and Isaias Afwerki was chosen as the President of Ethiopia. Hopes for the new nation were high. Foreign governments dubbed it one of the renaissance countries of Africa expected to chart a new path away from the corruption and state failures that seemed endemic in the 1980s and 90s.   This image collapsed though by 2001, when a promised constitution and national elections both failed to materialize and the government, still under the leadership of Afwerki, began to crack down on Eritreans. Development in a Command Economy The shift to authoritarianism came during a border dispute with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 into a two-year war. The government has cited the ongoing stalemate over the border and the need to build the state as justifications for its authoritarian policies, particularly  the much-hated national service requirement. The  border war and droughts reversed many of Eritreas earlier economic gains, and while the economy - under the governments strict controls - has grown since, its growth has been below that of sub-Saharan Africa as a whole (with the notable exceptions of 2011 and 2012, when mining boosted Eritreas growth to higher levels). That growth has not been felt equally either, and the poor economic outlook is another contributing factor to Eritreas high emigration rate. Health Improvements There are positive indicators. Eritrea is one of the few states in Africa to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 4, 5, and 6. According to the UN, they have drastically reduced infant and young child mortality (having cut mortality of children under 5 by 67%) as well as maternal mortality. Exponentially more children are getting important vaccines (a shift from 10 to 98% of children between 1990 and 2013) and more women are receiving medical care during and after delivery. There have also been reductions in HIV and TB. All of this has made Eritrea an important case study in how to implement successful change, though there are continued concerns about neonatal care and the prevalence of TB. National Service: forced labor? Since 1995, all Eritreans (men and women) are forced to enter national service when they turn 16. Initially, they were expected to serve for 18 months, but the government stopped releasing conscripts in 1998 and in 2002, made the term of service indefinite.   New recruits receive military training and education, and afterwards are tested. The select few who score well enter coveted positions, but still have no choice about their occupations or wages. Everyone else is sent into what are described as menial and degrading jobs with extremely low pay, as part of an economic development plan named  Warsai-Yikealo. Punishments for infractions and evasions are also extreme; some say they are torture.   According to Gaim Kibreab the involuntary, indefinite nature of service, coerced through threat of punishment, qualifies as forced labor, and therefore is, according to international conventions, a modern form of slavery, as many in the news have described it. Eritrea in the News: Refugees (and cyclists) Events in Eritrea have gained international attention largely due to the large numbers of Eritrean refugees seeking asylum in neighboring countries and Europe. Eritrean emigrants and youth have also at high risk of human trafficking. Those who manage to escape and establish themselves elsewhere send back much-needed remittances and have sought to raise awareness about and concern for the plight of Eritreans. While refugees by nature represent the disaffected within a country, their claims have been borne out by third party studies. In a very different note, in July 2015, Eritrean cyclists strong performance in the  Tour de France  brought positive media coverage to the country, highlighting its strong cycling culture. The Future While it is believed that opposition to Aswerkis government is high, there is no clear alternative in place and analysts do not see change coming in the near future. Sources: Kibreab, Gaim. Forced Labour in Eritrea.  Journal of Modern African Studies  47.1 (March 2009): 41-72. United Nations Development Project, Eritrea Abridged MDG Report, Abridged Version, September 2014. Woldemikael, Tekle M. Introduction: postliberation Eritrea. Africa Today 60.2 (2013)

Developing nations' (Brazil) specific challenges and triumphs in the Research Paper

Developing nations' (Brazil) specific challenges and triumphs in the face of rapid economic change and growth - Research Paper Example This paper focuses on Brazil, one of the developing countries, that is growing at a rapid speed and is intensely getting affected by globalization (Schirm, n. d.). Globalization and Economic Expansion: After globalization Brazil is undergoing many of the economic changes. Its net amount of business with the rest of the world has increased significantly after globalization. The country is now experiencing large volume of flows of economic resources (form human capital to natural and physical capital). The volume of trade is significantly increasing overtime (Schirm, n.d.). The close association of economic expansion and globalization is also true in case of Brazil. Due to economic expansion (the effect), after globalization (the cause), Brazil’s economy is experiencing much higher level output as well as much higher rate of growth. Since the level of trade is one of the most important measurements of judging whether an economy is expanding, it can easily be said that over the l ast twenty years Brazil is going through the take-stage. These economic factors are affecting the country’s social and cultural aspects also (Tucker, 2008, p. 408). Both these aspects together are creating rapid economic growth throughout the world and these are significantly affecting the world economies. ... After following a method of import substitution and separation or a considerable period of time Brazil entered the global scenario. Fernando Collor was the first voted president of Brazil in 1960 to initiate an impression of stabilizing currency, lower tariffs and destabilize the public administration via budget cuts. This marked the beginning for Brazil of opening up into the world economy (Fishlow, 2000). Globalization and Brazil: Due to the occurrence of globalization the developing nations, such as Brazil, are experiencing rapid changes in their economic, social and general lives. Brazil’s economy has largely been changed after globalization. Its economy is now hugely dependent upon the world economy. Brazil’s overall income level or GDP is much higher now. This economy is much more open. This openness ensures the high income level. Not only that, the rate of growth of Brazil’s economy is much higher now. The economy is experiencing every bit of the progress of the global economy. The level of trading, i.e. the volume of exports and imports are growing in number. The infrastructural improvements are considered as one of the measurements of impact of globalization, then it can easily be said that this impact has been very positive on Brazil’s economic structure. It is quite clear that like all other developing nations Brazil has properly used the benefits of globalization. It is now a globally recognized economy in terms of the ranges of exports and imports and also in terms of the level of income and the rate of growth of income (Globalization and Emerging Economies, 2009). Economic expansion and Brazil: The financial system of Brazil is budding fast. After liberalization of the economy, it is experiencing significant growth path in terms of

Management (how to be an efficient leader) Essay

Management (how to be an efficient leader) - Essay Example For instance, planning needs the conceptual skill of a manager as it involves abstraction such as setting a strategic direction for the company. Leading, controlling, and organizing is made easier by all the skills as employees usually look up to managers who are good geared with the technical skills, concern for people, and ability to analyze and solve problems. Human skill is imperative in staffing as managers will need to communicate and devise motivational techniques in order to become efficient. In addition, the ten managerial roles outlined by Mintzberg can only be accomplished when the manager is equipped with the three management skills. Interpersonal roles such as being a leader, liaison, and figurehead are roles where human skills can are necessary as these include interacting and communicating with the workforce. Informational roles (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson) also require human skills while decisional roles (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator) are attained through the employment of conceptual, human, and technical skills. The major theories of management can be grouped into four major classifications namely classical, human, systems, and collaborative approaches.

Parental Involvement in Childs Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Parental Involvement in Childs Education - Essay Example The key findings on the effects of parental involvement are likewise summarized based on a compilation of recent research findings. The quality of education is one of the major social issues all over the world, from developing countries in Africa to highly developed ones like America and Europe. The reason is rather easy to see in a world where natural resources are dwindling and the competition for economic power and a high quality of life is intensifying. Ultimately, the continued economic progress of nations would be determined by the quality of their human resources, which in turn depends on the quality of a nation's educational system (Glatthorn, 1999). In America, for example, a government-led initiative that came to be known as the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" was meant "to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessment" (NCLB, 2002, Section 1001). As the law's main aim was to improve the quality of education, educators have been asking uncomfortable but important questions as to how such a goal could be attained. Among the many proposed measures that could have a lasting and positive effect on improving education quality is one that is based on the hypothesis that a lack of parental involvement is detrimental to a child's education. This paper aims to prove the above hypothesis by using research findings to show that the following proposition is true: that increased parental involvement provides beneficial effects on the child's education. Also discussed would be several findings on the ways parents get involved in the education of their children; which type of involvement works best; the effects of parental involvement on student attitudes, self-concept, classroom behavior, and attendance; and at what levels of the child's education would parental involvement be useful. These findings are then summarized into seven major insights on the effects of parental involvement on their children's learning process and ways to encourage and sustain these based on experiences in the U.S. Parental involvement can be characterized in many ways, but all the literature on the topic agree that it includes various forms by which parents participate in their children's education and with the way education is carried out in schools. The range of parental involvement activities is wide: active tutoring of children at home, helping them with homework, becoming role models of positive behavior by showing eagerness to learn and study, or encouraging their children to learn, providing an appropriate place and time for serious study, and supporting their children's schooling by attending school functions and participating in school obligations (PTA, student plays, parent-child excursions, etc.). Parents can also extend their involvement outside the home-school environment by political lobbying, volunteering for community-based school projects, or getting public or corporate

An audit looking at how many patients are with thyroid dysfunction

An audit looking at how many patients are with thyroid dysfunction What is the function of thyroid gland and thyroid hormones The thyroid gland is located in the anterior part of the neck, attached to the thyroid cartilage. It consists of two lobes, approximately 5 cm each, that lie either side of the trachea joined in the middle by an isthmus. The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of three thyroid hormones: Calcitonin (involved with calcium homeostasis), Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Everyday, approximately 100  ¿Ã‚ ½g of T3 and T4 are secreted 90% of which are in the form T4. Most of T4 is later converted to T3 in the liver and Kidneys. T3 is 10 times more active than T4. [1] The thyroid hormones are responsible for the control of basal metabolic rate. Expand? How is Thyroid hormone regulated The functional unit of the thyroid is the follicle. A spherical arrangement of secretory epithelial cells around a protein rich colloid. It is at this cell-colloid boundary that thyroid hormones are formed by iodination of thyroglobulin formed from tyrosine.[1] The follicular cells are involved in active absorption of iodine from the plasma which is required for thyroglobulin synthesis. The formed thyroid hormone is stored in the colloid until its secretion is triggered by thyroid stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary which triggers the degradation of thyroglobulin in the follicular cells to release thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone secretion is under the control of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The hypothalamus releases Thyrotrophin Releasing Hormone (TRH) which stimulates the anterior pituitary to secrete Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The TSH reaches the thyroid where it binds to the TSH receptors on the surface of the follicular cell, stimulating it to produce and release thyroid hormones. The homeostasis of thyroid hormone concentration is maintained by a negative feedback loop whereby increased concentration of thyroid hormone inhibits Thyroid Stimulating Hormone release from the anterior pituitary by decreasing the affinity for TRH. This leads to a decrease in TSH causing reduced amount of thyroid hormone to be released by the thyroid gland. This feedback loop enables us to monitor patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy (such as Levothyroxine) by measuring TSH levels. If for instance the prescribed dose is insufficient, it would lead to inadequate inhibition of the pituitar y gland and a raised serum TSH level. The reverse would occur with levothyroxine excess. () This cannot be done in patients with secondary hypothyroidism. So what do we do then? Common pathologies Thyroid disease is the second most common endocrine disorder after diabetes.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is defined as an underactive thyroid gland leading to decreased levels of T3 and T4. The annual incidence of hypothyroidism in the UK is 4 per 1000 in women and 0.6 per 1000 in men.[3] Symptomatic hypothyroidism is known as myxodema. Hypothyroidism is categorised into primary and secondary. Primary hypothyroidism results from disease processes affecting the thyroid gland itself, slowly decreasing thyroid function and thyroid hormone production. Onset of symptoms is therefore gradual, developing over months or even years. Secondary hypothyroidism is relatively uncommon. Secondary hypothyroidism develops when the pituitary is unable to produce enough TSH to induce enough T3 and T4 production from the thyroid gland. The causes of secondary hypothyroidism can include a pituitary tumour. Patients with hypothyroidism could present with a number of signs and symptoms including:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Tiredness  ¿Ã‚ ½ Somnolence  ¿Ã‚ ½ Slow cognition  ¿Ã‚ ½ Cold Intolerance  ¿Ã‚ ½ Depression  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bradycardia  ¿Ã‚ ½ Weight gain  ¿Ã‚ ½ Calf stiffness  ¿Ã‚ ½ Menstrual disturbance  ¿Ã‚ ½ Carpal tunnel syndrome  ¿Ã‚ ½ Hearing impairment  ¿Ã‚ ½ Dry, thin and pale skin  ¿Ã‚ ½ Puffiness below the eyes  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bradycardia The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism in the UK is autoimmune thyroiditis. In Hashimoto ¿Ã‚ ½s thyroiditis autoantibodies are produced against thyroglobulin. This leads to inflammation of the thyroid gland as it is infiltrated by lymphocytes causing goitre formation. Hashimoto ¿Ã‚ ½s thyroiditis is remarkable in this respect that it initially causes hyperthyroidism as inflammation of the thyroid gland releases stored thyroxine. Once this released thyroid hormone is metabolised the patient progresses to normal and then a hypothyroid state. [1] Other notable causes of hypothyroidism include:[4]  ¿Ã‚ ½ Iatrogenic: Radioiodine ablation or thyroidectomy as a treatment for hyperthyroidism  ¿Ã‚ ½ Thyroiditis: Subacute (de Quervain ¿Ã‚ ½s) thyroiditis  ¿Ã‚ ½ Drugs: Lithium, Amiodarone, thalidomide, rifampicin and sutinib as well as drugs used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism  ¿Ã‚ ½ Iodine deficiency: common in some developing countries but very rare in the western world At the opposite end of the spectrum lies Hyperthyroidism where there is increased Free T4 and a reduced level of TSH and has the opposite effect on the body than the one noticed in hypothyroidism e.g. tachycardia, heat intolerance etc. Hyperthyroidism is not covered further as this audit focuses on hypothyroidism. Diagnosis and treatment Symptoms of hypothyroidism are quite non-specific and can commonly occur with other medical conditions not related to the thyroid. Diagnosis of hypothyroidism therefore should not be made on clinical symptoms alone and it is essential to test thyroid function biochemically. This is done by measuring Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Free Thyroxine (T4) in blood. The normal reference range for TSH is 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre.[4] A TSH level within the normal reference range has over a 99% predicted value to rule out primary hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.[5] In hypothyroidism the patient would have a high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level, with or without a low Thyroxine level. Depending on thyroid function tests hypothyroidism is further divided into: a) Overt hypothyroidism: patients with a high Thyroid Stimulating hormone level and a Low serum free Thyroxine (T4) b) Subclinical hypothyroidism: Patients with a high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone but a normal Thyroxine (T4) level Treatment depends on whether the patient has overt or subclinical hypothyroidism. Patients with overt hypothyroidism should be treated with Levothyroxine to render them  ¿Ã‚ ½euthyroid ¿Ã‚ ½.[5] According to NHS statistics 12 million Levothyroxine prescriptions were issued during 2006.[6] The goal of the treatment is to reduce the TSH back to within the reference range. The dose of Levothyroxine is usually titrated up from 25-50  ¿Ã‚ ½g daily however a recent trial has shown that this is unnecessary for most patients.[7] The study recommended that patients with no cardiac symptoms should be started on the full dose of 1.6  ¿Ã‚ ½g/kg. The following figure illustrates the algorithm for treatment of -pregnant adults with primary hypothyroidism:[4] Algorithm for management of non-pregnant adults with primary hypothyroidism [4] It is very important to monitor levothyroxine therapy as over or under prescription can be dangerous. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the key method of monitoring levothyroxine therapy in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Unlike the thyroid function tests used to diagnose thyroid disease, free T3 and T4 levels are not very useful in monitoring treatment as their levels are influenced by the prescribed dosage of thyroid replacement hormone and are not accurate indicators of the individual ¿Ã‚ ½s requirement. TSH without T3 and T4 is also a cheaper test to carry out in General Practice. Current guidelines state that patients should have their Thyroid Stimulating Hormone level tested eight to twelve weeks after starting levothyroxine.[4] The dose can later be fine tuned accordingly to get the TSH level in the lower half of the reference range.[5] Besides monitoring TSH levels, an assessment of the patient ¿Ã‚ ½s symptoms should also be made as some younger patients may need higher doses to relieve their symptoms in which case it is acceptable to have the TSH between 0.1-0.4 mU/Litre. The Quality and Outomes Framework (QOF) guidance suggests that all Patients on long term thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have their TSH levels tested yearly to make sure their replacement dose remains optimal.[8] Audit 1. Reason for audit move it to the top to include the rest of the study Despite the yearly TSH tests, studies have shown that a considerable number of hypothyroid patients managed in primary care have TSH levels outside of the reference range. Okosieme et al reported that in 2009 data collected from 11 GP practices showed that 37.2% of the 1037 patients on the hypothyroidism register were inadequately managed.[9] When we take into account the high prevalence of hypothyroidism (9.3% in women and 1.3% in men)[3] the results of the Okosieme et al study suggests that the total number of patients with suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement is significantly large. Imperfect thyroid hormone replacement could have damaging repercussions for health. It may adversely affect blood pressure, body weight and lipid profile. Since the basal metabolic rate of the body is controlled by thyroid hormones it is perhaps not surprising that a decrease in thyroid hormone levels leads to a decrease in metabolic rate and thus can cause weight gain. Even in euthyroid subjects there is a negative correlation between free T4 and Body Mass Index (BMI).[10] This suggests that even a small under-prescription of thyroid hormones could, over a period of time, lead to obesity. Reduced Thyroxine levels also cause a dyslipidemia characterised by increased Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and a decrease in High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) with normal or slightly raised cholesterol levels.[11] Such a lipid profile is associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis. The thyroid hormones also seem to have a role in blood pressure homeostasis as hypothyroid patients recorded a higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure after stopping thyroid replacement therapy.[12] Thus inadequate replacement may cause hypertension which, together with the dyslipidemia described above adds to the risk of atherosclerosis and its subsequent cardiovascular complications. Conversely, excessive thyroid hormone replacement has its own perils, having enhanced risk of atrial fibrillation, osteoporosis and fractures linked to it. Excessive thyroid hormone increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation especially in older patients. Studies have shown that a low TSH level in patients over 60 years old have a threefold higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation.[13] Patients over treated with levothyroxine also show increased loss of bone mineral putting them at increased risk of osteoporosis.[14] Subsequent studies have shown that patients with a suppressed TSH i.e. = 0.03 mU/Litre also had an increased risk of fractures however this was not observed in patients with low but unsuppressed TSH (0.04  ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.4 mU/Litre).[15] This highlights the need for maintaining optimal thyroid hormone replacement in primary hypothyroid patients in the General Practice setting to reduce the above mentioned risk factors. The 11 GP practices used by Okosieme et al showed that there is significant room for improvement as one third of the patient population on levothyroxine had TSH levels outside the reference range.[0.11] Thus this is a worthwhile area for audit to establish current standards of care in our practice, Dr Dean Partners, Heald Green Health Centre. Since this audit has not been carried out before in the practice it would give an idea of how well the practice manages patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The suggestions for improvement would be beneficial to the patients of the practice and might also help with obtaining QOF points. This audit would also be beneficial to me personally introducing me to the concept of audit cycles and giving me the opportunity to conduct my very first audit. It would also help me get a better understanding of management of hypothyroid patients which is the second most common endocrine disease in the UK after diabetes mellitus. 2. Criteria to be measured Serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone is used as the gold standard for biochemically diagnosing hypothyroidism and monitoring thyroid hormone replacement therapy.[4] The reference range indicating adequate replacement is usually around 0.4  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre.[4, 9] However this figure slightly varies according to local guidelines. For this I have chosen to use TSH between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre as a reference range for adequate thyroid hormone replacement as this is the reference range used by the local Primary Care Trust (Stepping Hill Hospital) and the practice. Patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 3. Setting standards For setting the standard I have found that there are no specific guidelines stating what proportion of patients should be achieving the above mentioned criteria. There are no NICE guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism. The QOF guidance states that patients should have their TSH levels tested yearly but it does not state the standard of care required. Having discussed this with GP at the practice I have decided that a theoretically ideal standard i.e. 100% of patients meeting the above criteria would be very impractical in theory from a resources perspective. Given the fact that suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement could be harmful, it is nonetheless important to achieve a high standard of care. Therefore I have decided on an optimum standard: 90% of patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 4. Preparation planning Before starting the audit I had a discussion with the GP tutor about worthwhile areas for audit. As I had never conducted an audit before he explained the audit cycle. As thyroid dysfunction was an area of interest for me I suggested undertaking this audit. The GP tutor agreed that this would be a useful area for audit and advised to me to review the literature to find out if it would be an appropriate audit from a clinical point of view and was an area where practice could be improved. After preliminary reading clinical reviews I formulated a step by step template of the things I felt should be covered and got the GP tutor ¿Ã‚ ½s approval to go ahead. The data was collected with the help of the GP tutor. As the practice keeps electronic records of all patients, EMIS Population manger search function. Using the search function we identified all patients who had been prescribed thyroid hormone replacement medication for the past 12 months. We then identified patients who in the past 12 months had had their TSH levels tested. We then selected patients who had a TSH =0.1 mU/Litre and TSH =4. Subtracting the number of patients which meet the TSH search parameters from the total number of patients on thyroid hormone replacement would give us the number of patients who were outside the reference range of TSH. 5. Initial data collection Criterion Number of Patients taking thyroid hormone replacement medication (n) Number of Patients with TSH levels within reference range Standard (%) Patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. 206 167/206 (81%) 90% Discussion Results: what they are. How close to the standard. Are they good enough? (no, didn ¿Ã‚ ½t meet the standards). Why didn ¿Ã‚ ½t they meet the standard? Merge results discussion with limitations discussion The data collected shows that the current practice is 9% below the standard set. The standard required i.e. 90% of patients with primary hypothyroidism on thyroid hormone replacement therapy should have a TSH level between 0.1  ¿Ã‚ ½ 4.0 mU/Litre. However this was the case with only 167 patients (81%). This means that 39 patients (19%) did not meet the standard set. There could be several reasons why the results did not meet the standards set. One factor influencing TSH levels is the use of medicines which interact with thyroid function. Due to the limitations of the software used in data collection (as discussed below) we were unable to exclude patients who were on medication known to interact with thyroid function such as Amiodarone, Lithium, etc. Amiodarone, a fairly commonly prescribed drug to prevent arrhythmias, can cause deranged thyroid function as it contains iodine (37mg of iodine in 100mg of Amiodarone). This can cause a severe iodine overload and can lead to hypothyroidism as well as thyrotoxicosis.[0.16] Inclusion of such patients would bring the percentage down unfairly because management of such patients is a lot more complex and the TSH levels are not always a good indication of the adequacy of their thyroid hormone dosage. Patients with hypothyroidism due to Amiodarone are monitored by their Free T4 levels instead of TSH. [0.16] Another factor which could have contributed to the high number of patients with TSH levels outside those defined in the criteria is the possibility that patients with abnormal TSH levels often don ¿Ã‚ ½t get their levothyroxine dose optimised. A study published in 1995 reported that at one GP practice in Suffolk 71% of patients with abnormal TSH levels did not have their medication dosage change as a result.[17] If patients do not have their thyroid hormone replacement optimised as a result of abnormal TSH not only does it defeat the purpose of carrying out yearly TSH tests, it also means that these patients would continue to have an abnormal TSH when tested again. Currently we do not have the data to find out how many of the patients in our practice with abnormal TSH had not had their dose changed after a previous abnormal TSH in an attempt to bring it within the reference range specified in the criteria. Ranging from poor patient compliance to the way the data has been collected Lack of dose adjustment after abnormal TSH The way results were collected. Limitations of software used. Limitations of the results collected ie things missed: how many patients actually had test done in the last 12 months (QOF points). How many were over and how many were under prescribed. This audit has limitations. The data was collected from electronic records using the EMIS Population Manager. The limited search algorithms of the software meant that we couldn ¿Ã‚ ½t distinguish patients with a TSH below the reference range from those above it. All we were able to obtain was a single figure of how many people were within the reference range. Due to the limitations of the EMIS Population Manager software we were also unable to test how many patients with hypothyroidism had actually had their TSH levels tested in the past 12 months as stated in the QOF guidance  ¿Ã‚ ½ 2004.[8] Thyroid Function Tests are done for a large number of patients whose symptoms are actually caused by a non-thyroid illness. Due to this reason we could not search for people who had their thyroid function tested in the past 12 months as that data would have included a lot of non-hypothyroid patients. Instead we had to search for patients who had been prescribed levothyroxine therapy in the past 12 months. And then further narrow the search parameters TSH levels in the past 12 months to obtain the data. This meant that the people who have not had their thyroid functions tested in the past 12 months were excluded from our data. The positive aspect of only testing people within the last 12 months is that the data reflects current level of care. The data collection software shows patients as being within the normal TSH range if they have had at least one TSH test within the normal range during the last 12 months. If the patient has been started on levothyroxine therapy recently their TSH levels wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t have had enough time to return to normal. However this is likely to be statistically insignificant. The way to get round these limitations of the EMIS Population Manager would have been to study the clinical notes of all patients who were prescribed levothyroxine in the past year. By looking at the notes we would be able to exclude patients who are unsuitable for the purpose of this audit i.e. those patients in whom the TSH level is not a valid indicator of thyroid hormone requirement e.g. those on Amiodarone or lithium or patients with secondary hypothyroidism. Looking at the notes would also allow us to check the number of patients who had not had their TSH levels tested in the past year. Reading through the notes would also allow us to obtain more information such as age gender etc which might be helpful in indentifying some of the factors responsible for suboptimal thyroid hormone replacement. However reading the notes of over 206 patients would have taken a considerable amount of time. Since this was my first audit I decided to avoid gathering qualitative data and decided that the using electronic records would be sufficient for the purposes of this audit. Changes to practice to hit the target. Tietable to implement that change and when to re-audit? Practicality, why change? Positives and negatives of changing. There are a few approaches which could potentially be taken to improve the standard of care. In order to improve the standard of care to meet the goal of 90% all patients on the hypothyroidism register should have yearly or six monthly blood tests to measure their TSH levels. all patients with abnormal TSH levels should be invited for an appointment with the GP and should be considered for a change in their current dosage. This would be a good opportunity to assess why their TSH levels are abnormal and check that the patient is adhering to the prescribed treatment regimen. If the dose remains unchanged the reason should be recorded in the notes so that the information is available for the second cycle of the audit. Doing this will allow us to make sure that patients are kept at the optimum dose of levothyroxine to reduce the risks associated with under or over prescription. Seeing patients like this would however increase the workload placed on the surgery and its resources. However by talking the patients as and when they have their TSH levels tested the strain on the resources would be spread out over a year. Since the current audit identified 39 patients with abnormal TSH levels, this would mean an extra 3-4 patient appointments per month over the period of a 12 months. This should be discussed at the doctors ¿Ã‚ ½ meeting. Twelve months after the implementation of the change of practice a second data collection should be done to complete the audit cycle and evaluate the impact, if any, the change in practice has had on the management of hypothyroid patients. Write to the patients to invite them to come in for a dose adjustment? Consider collecting better data by reading the notes. That would take too long. Consider specialist referral if symptoms persist. What have I learned: 1 about the condition, 2 about auditing. Conducting this audit has given me the chance to take an in-depth look at all aspects of hypothyroidism which has been an area of interest for me for some time. In the course of researching for the audit I have been able to review various guidelines, clinical reviews and other journal articles. Not only has that improved my understanding of the management of thyroid disease in primary care immensely. It has given me a sense of how a condition is followed through in general practice from first presentation to treatment to long term management. I have also realised that management of chronic conditions such as hypothyroidism is an ongoing process as the patients ¿Ã‚ ½ condition and requirements change continuously for instance if their body mass index changes significantly their thyroid hormone requirements would also change and the dose would have to be altered. Also if a patient is planning on or has become pregnant they would need to be referred to specialist endocrinologists. I have been able to review the evidence which forms the basis of current practice. Researching this topic by reading clinical reviews has made me realise the advantages of using original literature and how much beneficial it can be in achieving a comprehensive understanding of a topic. Being involved in a general practice standard-based audit has enabled me to learn about the role and significance of audits in healthcare. I have become familiar with the audit cycle and its different steps. Having conducted an audit myself, I can see the important role audits have in measuring and improving practice. It is a systematic way of monitoring standards of care and is very useful in facilitating change of practice through an evidence based approach. It has also allowed me to learn how to quickly and efficiently find relevant papers using such resources as ISI Web of science and medline. Conclusion and summary Timetable change re-audit 6. Description of change 7. Data collection (2) 8. conclusions be almost impossible to achieve due to variables like poor patient compliance or use of interactive medications e.g. Amiodarone and Lithium. It would also be vastly impractical from a reasources point of view to aim for a 100% standard.