MGT3301 Service Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MGT3301 Service Operations Management - Essay Example The library provision of standard material regarding the health services education and practise has always been severely needed the NHS took steps in order to fulfil this need by providing an online database and made the clinician’s enable to make the most of it. In a study conducted by (Taylor, Ellis, & Gallagho 2002) the scope of telephonic advice to patients was examined. It was found that the patients were very much satisfied with the advice given to them, this not only helped the patients but also helped the management in managing the primary care workload. In the same way the internet presence of NHS in shape of NHS Direct also enabled the physicians to educate their patients about their treatment, do’s and don’ts and their diet schedule in a more effective, consistent and timely manner. NHS Direct also helped the physicians to consolidate their relationships with other institutions in order to share their ideas about different discoveries and enhancements in their related field. This process is under way in some parts of the world. Williams & Ropert, (2004) under taken a project in the Universities of Australia and Philadelphia in which eighty-four students were brought together, The main purpose of the project was to determine whether Internet is an effective tool in exchanging ideas and discoveries in a useful manner. The result determined that the use of Internet was useful in exchanging the ideas about a topic, it not only enhanced the knowledge but also opened new dimensions for inquiry and research. The self-service technology or also termed as SST, has so much to do with the efficiency and the effectiveness of the NHS Direct. What really is SST and how does it work as an element of e-business? Cheryl Nakata’s book entitled â€Å"Self-Service Technology failure: Understanding the Customer Perspective† talks about the necessary factors regarding self-0service technology that could contribute to

Differences and Similarities between Respiration and Photosynthesis Essay Example for Free

Differences and Similarities between Respiration and Photosynthesis Essay Cellular RespirationPhotosynthesis OrganellesMitochondriaChloroplast Organelle StructuresThe double-membraned mitochondrion can be loosely described as a large wrinkled bag packed inside of a smaller, unwrinkled bag. The two membranes create distinct compartments within the organelle, and are themselves very different in structure and in function.Two membranes contain and protect the inner parts of the chloroplast. The stroma is an area inside of the chloroplast where reactions occur and starches (sugars) are created. One thylakoid stack is called a granum. The thylakoids have chlorophyll molecules on their surface. That chlorophyll uses sunlight to create sugars. The stacks of sacs are connected by stromal lamellae. The lamellae act like the skeleton of the chloroplast, keeping all of the sacs a safe distance from each other and maximizing the efficiency of the organelle. Stages InvolvedGlycolysis, the Krebs Cycle, Electron Transport ChainPhotoexcitation, photolysis, photophosphorylation ReactantsOxygen and GlucoseCarbon Dioxide and Water

literary essay joy luck club :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Joy Luck Club   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Amy Tan’s novel â€Å"The Joy Luck Club† there are many themes and imagery throughout the book, but one theme that is relevant and stands out is the issue, â€Å"Cruel men? Weak men? Fair portrayal of men?† The novel is based on women in the Chinese traditional families, but does not discuss the men. What role do they play in their lives? Were they the people that made there lives unbearable? The men that will be looked upon are associated to the Jong, The Hsu, and the St. Clair family. Although many people would believe that the men in â€Å"The Joy Luck Club† were vindictive, they have shown that they not only are they feeble but that the weak men over power the cruel, and through their actions this statement will be apparent to all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Jong Family have two key males that fit the description of cruel and or weak men. The first was Tyan-Yu, Linda Jong’s first husband. Lindo and Tyan-Yu’s wedding was arranged marriage. Lindo’s parents were forced to depart their home leaving Lindo behind. Even though she was only twelve years old, Lindo belonged to the family of her betrothed. The Huangs, the family of Tyan-yu, were very wealthy and took little interest in Lindo which lead to the first impression that Tyan-yu was a cruel man by the way he acted. He and his family made her stay in their servants’ quarters and made her perform physical tasks, such as cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, and embroidering clothes. Tyan-yu would make her sleep on the couch lying to his mother so that he would not get himself into trouble which was a sign of weakness on Tyan-yu’s part. Lindo proves this by saying â€Å"That’s when I could see what was underneath Tyan-yu. He was scared.†. (58) Lindo’s marriage was miserable, for there was no love in it. Tyan-yu, feeling no emotion for his wife, would not touch her. Matters were made worse when everyone wondered why Lindo did not become pregnant and for this came trouble. Tyan-yu was to much of a coward to make any moves and left it all for Lindo to do herself. Lindo found out that â€Å"it was his fear that made Lindo think he had no desire for any woman. He was like a little boy that had never grown up†. (58) Lindo totally changed her view of Tyan-yu from once being terrified of him, to feeling as if she was playing the role of an older sibling.

The Importance of Safety in Maintaining Good Health Essay -- utilizing

Utilizing safety precautions is among the factors of obtaining a high degree of physical wellbeing. Facebook posts, blogs, personal experience, and the news are just some of the sources where you hear stories about children, young adults, and grown adults who end up physically hurt, hospitalized and sometimes even dead due to the fact that they were not utilizing safety precautions. Utilizing safety precautions is something everyone is capable of. Those who ignore or choose not to utilize safety precautions are often categorized as adolescents. â€Å"Teen alcohol use kills about 4,700 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined† (CDC). The Century Council says about 43% of teens that drinks do so at a party that is supervised by parents. Often time’s people develop religious belief through their parent or guardian, it was the way their parents were raised, the way the child was raised and the chain usually continues. Parents or guardians with religious faith often refrain from the use of alcohol because their religion or church is not in favor of it, or of their own personal conviction. Parents who refrain form alcohol because of their religion would expect the same of their children. Because of the religion they possess, no party with alcohol would be in the house of those parents, resulting in their child refraining from alcohol use, and thus being able to think while sober and utilize safety precautions. As well as having a sober mindset and implementing safety precautions the adolescents personal religious beliefs, and convictions would refrain them from making choices that would put them in a situation where their safety is at risk. Those with religious beliefs appear to be making choices consistently and rationally thu... ...n[uk]. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. . "Washington State University." Wellbeing. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. "What We Believe." The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. . White, Martha C. "5 Reasons Your Job Is Making You Miserable." Business Money 5 Reasons Your Job Is Making You Miserable Comments. Time Magazine, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. . "Why Tim Keller Wants You to Stay in That Job You Hate." Interview by Andy Crouch. Christianity Today. Christianity Today, 22 Apr. 2013. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. .

Electrophoresis Machine Essay

Gel electrophoresis is a laboratory procedure used to separate biological molecules with an electrical current. In this lesson, we’ll review how agarose gel electrophoresis works and introduce the equipment necessary to perform an electrophoresis experiment. Separation of DNA molecules of different sizes can be achieved by using an agarose gel. Recall that agarose is a polysaccharide that can be used to form a gel to separate molecules based on size. Because of the gelatin-like nature of agarose, a solution of agarose can be heated and cooled to form a gel in a casting tray. Think of casting the agarose gel like pouring hot gelatin into a mold. The hot agarose liquid is poured into a casting tray. Once the mixture cools, a thin agarose brick will form. To ensure there’s a place to put the DNA in the gel, a comb is placed in the agarose liquid before it cools. Each tooth in the comb will become a hole, or ‘well,’ in the solidified agarose gel. Once cast, this gel is placed inside a piece of equipment called a gel box. An electrode – one positive and one negative – resides at each end of the gel box. The wells are always oriented, so they’re farther from the positive electrode. This ensures that the DNA molecules in the well must travel through the majority of the agarose gel, thus providing sufficient time for separation. Air isn’t a great conductor of electricity, so we cover the gel with electrophoresis buffer. Electrophoresis buffer is a salt solution. It isn’t table salt, but the salt ions can carry an electrical charge just like salt water can. The salt in the electrophoresis buffer completes the circuit between the positive and negative electrodes. When the electrodes of the gel box are connected to a power supply, electricity flows through the electrical circuit, causing the negatively charged DNA molecules to move into the agarose gel. The DNA molecules continue to travel through the agarose toward the positive electrode as long as an electrical current is present. Recall that shorter DNA molecules travel through agarose faster than longer DNA molecules. In this way, agarose gel electrophoresis separates different DNA fragments based on size. Once the samples are loaded, the electrical current supplied by the power supply not only moves the DNA samples through the gel but the dye molecules as well. Note the colored lines that appear. These lines do not represent the DNA fragments. These lines represent the dye in the loading buffer that was used to visualize the samples during the loading step. Once the gel run is complete, the agarose gel can be removed from the gel box and soaked in an ethidium bromide solution. Recall that ethidium bromide is used to visualize DNA. Ethidium bromide molecules intercalate, or insert, between the nitrogenous bases in a DNA molecule. In summary, gel electrophoresis is a laboratory procedure used to separate biological molecules with an electrical current. Together with a gel box and a power supply, an agarose gel can be used to separate DNA molecules based on size. Loading buffer enables scientists to insert DNA samples into the wells of the agarose gel. Once the electrophoresis procedure is initiated, the dye in the loading buffer forms a dye front that is used to determine when the procedure is complete. When the electrophoresis procedure is complete, the agarose gel can be soaked in an ethidium bromide solution to visualize the DNA bands on a UV box.

How Scientists Determine Climates of the Past

How Scientists Determine Climates of the Past Paleoenvironmental reconstruction (also known as paleoclimate reconstruction) refers to the results and the investigations undertaken to determine what the climate and vegetation were like at a particular time and place in the past. Climate, including vegetation, temperature, and relative humidity, has varied considerably during the time since the earliest human habitation of planet earth, from both natural and cultural (human-made) causes. Climatologists primarily use paleoenvironmental data to understand how the environment of our world has changed and how modern societies need to prepare for the changes to come. Archaeologists use paleoenvironmental data to help understand the living conditions for the people who lived at an archaeological site. Climatologists benefit from the archaeological studies because they show how humans in the past learned how to adapt or failed to adapt to environmental change, and how they caused environmental changes or made them worse or better by their actions. Using Proxies The data that are collected and interpreted by paleoclimatologists are known as proxies, stand-ins for what cant be directly measured. We cant travel back in time to measure the temperature or humidity of a given day or year or century, and there are no written records of climatic changes that would give us those details older than a couple of hundred years. Instead, paleoclimate researchers rely on biological, chemical, and geological traces of past events that were influenced by the climate. The primary proxies used by climate researchers are plant and animal remains because the type of flora and fauna in a region indicates the climate: think of polar bears and palm trees as indicators of local climates. Identifiable traces of plants and animals range in size from whole trees to microscopic diatoms and chemical signatures. The most useful remains are those that are large enough to be identifiable to species; modern science has been able to identify objects as tiny as pollen grains and spores to plant species. Keys to Past Climates Proxy evidence can be biotic, geomorphic, geochemical, or geophysical; they can record environmental data that range in time from yearly, every ten years, every century, every millennium or even multi-millennia. Events such as tree growth and regional vegetation changes leave traces in soils and peat deposits, glacial ice and moraines, cave formations, and in the bottoms of lakes and oceans. Researchers rely on modern analogs; that is to say, they compare the findings from the past to those found in current climates around the world. However, there are periods in the very ancient past when the climate was completely different from what is currently being experienced on our planet. In general, those situations appear to be the result of climate conditions that had more extreme seasonal differences than any weve experienced today. It is particularly important to recognize that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were lower in the past than those present today, so ecosystems with less  greenhouse gas  in the atmosphere likely behaved differently than they do today. Paleoenvironmental Data Sources There are several types of sources where paleoclimate researchers can find preserved records of past climates. Glaciers and Ice Sheets: Long-term bodies of ice, such as the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, have annual cycles which build new layers of ice each year like tree rings. Layers in the ice vary in texture and color during warmer and cooler parts of the year. Also, glaciers expand with increased precipitation and cooler weather and retract when warmer conditions prevail. Trapped in those layers laid down over thousands of years are dust particles and gases which were created by climatic disturbances such as volcanic eruptions, data which can be retrieved using ice cores.Ocean Bottoms: Sediments are deposited in the bottom of the oceans each year, and lifeforms such as foraminifera, ostracods, and diatoms die and are deposited with them. Those forms respond to ocean temperatures: for example, some are more prevalent during warmer periods.Estuaries and Coastlines: Estuaries preserve information about the height of former sea levels in long sequences of alternating layers of organic p eat when the sea level was low, and inorganic silts when the sea level rose. Lakes: Like oceans and estuaries, lakes also have annual basal deposits called varves. Varves hold a wide variety of organic remains, from entire archaeological sites to pollen grains and insects. They can hold information about environmental pollution such as acid rain, local iron mongering, or run-offs from eroded hills nearby.Caves: Caves are closed systems, where average annual temperatures are maintained year-round and with a high relative humidity. Mineral deposits within caves such as stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones gradually form in thin layers of calcite, which trap chemical compositions from outside the cave. Caves can thus contain continuous, high-resolution records which can be dated using uranium-series dating.Terrestrial Soils: Soil deposits on land can also be a source of information, trapping animal and plant remains in colluvial deposits at the base of hills or alluvial deposits in valley terraces. Archaeological Studies of Climate Change Archaeologists have been interested in climate research since at least Grahame Clarks 1954 work at Star Carr. Many have worked with climate scientists to figure out the local conditions at the time of occupation. A trend identified by Sandweiss and Kelley (2012) suggests that climate researchers are beginning to turn to the archaeological record to assist with the reconstruction of paleoenvironments. Recent studies described in detail in Sandweiss and Kelley include: The interaction between humans and climatic data to determine the rate and extent of El Nià ±o and the human reaction to it over the last 12,000 years of people living in coastal Peru.Tell Leilan in northern Mesopotamia (Syria) deposits matched to ocean drilling cores in the Arabian Sea identified a previously-unknown volcanic eruption that took place between 2075-1675 BC, which in turn may have led to an abrupt aridification with the abandonment of the tell and may have led to the disintegration of the Akkadian empire.In the Penobscot valley of Maine in the northeastern United States, studies on sites dated to the early-middle Archaic (~9000-5000 years ago), helped establish a chronology of flood events in the region associated with falling or low lake levels.Shetland Island, Scotland, where Neolithic-aged sites are sand-inundated, a situation believed to be an indication of a period of storminess in the North Atlantic. Sources Allison AJ, and Niemi TM. 2010. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Holocene coastal sediments adjacent to archaeological ruins in Aqaba, Jordan. Geoarchaeology 25(5):602-625.Dark P. 2008. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction, methods. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 1787-1790.Edwards KJ, Schofield JE, and Mauquoy D. 2008. High resolution paleoenvironmental and chronological investigations of Norse landnm at Tasiusaq, Eastern Settlement, Greenland. Quaternary Research 69:1–15.Gocke M, Hambach U, Eckmeier E, Schwark L, Zà ¶ller L, Fuchs M, Là ¶scher M, and Wiesenberg GLB. 2014. Introducing an improved multi-proxy approach for paleoenvironmental reconstruction of loess–paleosol archives applied on the Late Pleistocene Nussloch sequence (SW Germany). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 410:300-315.Lee-Thorp J, and Sponheimer M. 2015. Contribution of Stable Light Isotopes to Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction. I n: Henke W, and Tattersall I, editors. Handbook of Paleoanthropology. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p 441-464. Lyman RL. 2016. The mutual climatic range technique is (usually) not the area of sympatry technique when reconstructing paleoenvironments based on faunal remains. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 454:75-81.Rhode D, Haizhou M, Madsen DB, Brantingham PJ, Forman SL, and Olsen JW. 2010. Paleoenvironmental and archaeological investigations at Qinghai Lake, western China: Geomorphic and chronometric evidence of lake level history. Quaternary International 218(1–2):29-44.Sandweiss DH, and Kelley AR. 2012. Archaeological Contributions to Climate Change Research: The Archaeological Record as a Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Archive*. Annual Review of Anthropology 41(1):371-391.Shuman BN. 2013. Paleoclimate reconstruction - Approaches In: Elias SA, and Mock CJ, editors. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science (Second Edition). Amsterdam: Elsevier. p 179-184.

Should I Take the PSAT as a Sophomore

Should I Take the PSAT as a Sophomore SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Is it a good idea to take the PSAT as a sophomore?Here's a spoiler: Absolutely. Affirmative. A resounding yes. When you take the PSAT as an 11th grader, there are some pretty high stakes attached in the form of National Merit distinctions and scholarships. Therefore, it's definitely a good idea to do a trial run before you sit for the one thatcounts for so much. Let's talk about all the reasons it's a smart and strategic idea to sit for the PSAT as a sophomore. Reason 1: It's GoodPractice for the Junior-Year PSAT Once again, your junior-year PSAT scores might make you eligible for National Merit distinctions- such as Commended Scholar, Semifinalist, and Finalist- and even scholarshipsif you score in the top 1%. The types of questions and skills tested on the PSAT don't change too much from year to year, so taking it as a sophomore is a great way to familiarize yourself with the test. With this valuable, realistic testing experience and your own self-studying and prep, you'll be a pro by the time you sit for the PSAT again your junior year. If you're prepping throughout your freshman year and the summer after it, taking the PSAT during your sophomore year can be a good check-in and way to gauge your progress.If you're already scoring in the 95th percentile or above, you're in a good place to bring your scores up into the top 1% the following year. Your sophomore score report will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and show you what to focus on so you can bring your scores up over the top. It's especially smart to practice taking the PSAT as a sophomore if you are aiming for a qualifying National Merit score. The PSAT is also helpful to prepare you for the other hugely important test for college: the SAT. Reason 2: It's GoodPractice for the SAT The PSAT isa lot like the SAT. Your PSAT scores are meant to predict your SAT scores; as a result, the two tests are scored on a similar scale. While the PSAT is scored between 320 and 1520,with a range of 160-760 for both Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), the SAT is scored between400 and 1600,with a range of 200-800 for both Math and EBRW. The range for PSAT scores is slightly lower to account for the fact that it's a somewhat easier test than the SAT.Though a perfect PSAT score predicts a strong SAT score, it's not necessarily directly comparable to a full 1600 on the SAT. Apart from a similar scoring system and no point deductions for wrong answers, the PSAT and SAT are similar in the skills they highlight.Both exams focus on understanding meaning in context, commanding evidence, and interpreting and applying data from graphs and charts. Instead of asking you to answer questions about stand-alone sentences, for example, the tests will ask you about longer passages and the relationships among sentences. Because of this, prepping for and taking the PSAT will directly help you do well on the SAT. You can even use your PSAT scores to predict your SAT scoresand set goals from there. If you're doing well already on the PSAT, you might want to try prepping for and even taking the SAT as a sophomoreas well. If you do well, you could get it out of the way altogether. If not, you could just retake ityour junior and senior year to try to continue improving your scores. It is possible to do very well on the SAT as a sophomore, and by preparing earlyyou'll be ahead of the curve and can ease your workload for junior year. Want to get a head start on the PSAT NMQST? We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: Reason 3: It's Useful for AP Class Placement and Test Success In addition to predicting SAT scores, PSAT scores have some predictive correlation with your future AP test scores. As a result, some high schools use sophomore-year PSAT scores to determine students' readiness for AP classes and to approve AP course placement. It's a good idea to speak with your school counselor to see whether PSAT scores are a consideration in planning the following year's course schedule. Regardless of your school's requirements, your PSAT performance can personally reveal whether you're ready to take on AP; they can also help you determine where you need to do some more studying and prep to strengthen your skills for the following year. Show colleges you're on the right track. Reason 4: It Shows Colleges You're on the Right Track The last reason to take the PSAT as a sophomore isthe message it sends to colleges. Putting in the effort to take the PSAT as a sophomore signals to colleges that you're doing all you can to prepare for college throughout your high school career. You can even be directly added to contact lists if you so choose, based on the personal information and interests you indicated at the beginning of the test. Therefore, taking the PSAT in 10th grade is not just helpful to you in thepresent for improving your scores and for understanding your academic strengths and weaknesses- it also has long-reaching benefits in your future by demonstrating your overall readiness for college. Summary: Taking the PSAT as a Sophomore In sum, taking the PSAT in 10th grade can be avaluable testing experience and tell you where you need to improve for junior year,especially if you're aiming for National Merit. Just like the SAT, the PSAT is all about preparation. You can absolutely do well and improve your scores through practice, but this practice needs to be specific to your needs and concentrated on the areas you struggle with the most. Your 10th grade score report can help predict your future PSAT and SAT scores. In addition, it can be a helpful measure of how effective your studying has been so far. Basically, taking the PSAT in 10th grade is both predictiveand diagnostic: it tells you where you're headedandwhat weaknesses you canturn into strengths to achieve your junior-year goals. What's Next? Want to learn more about the PSAT?Check out ourexpert guides tolearn everything you need to know about the PSAT formatand how it's scored. Hundreds of students have downloadedthese free PSAT practice tests to boost their PSAT scores. This article hastwo official PSATpractice tests for you to download and the tips you need to know to use them effectively in your prep! Are you planning to take the SAT? This article explainswhy it's so important to start studying early and how to go about doing so. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature thousands of practice questions, 10 official SAT practice tests, and personal feedback on your essays from an expert instructor. Check out our 5-day free trial:

The importance of pharmacovigilance in risk management The WritePass Journal

The importance of pharmacovigilance in risk management Introduction The importance of pharmacovigilance in risk management IntroductionOBJECTIVEBACKGROUNDCONCEPT OF PHARMACOVIGILANCEPHARMACOVIGILANCE RESPONSIBILITYMarketing Authorisation Holder (MAH):Competent Authorities (CA)KEY STEPS IN PHARMACOVIGILANCESignal detectionBenefit-risk AssessmentPharmacovigilance during pre-authorisationPharmacovigilance during post-authorisationPHARMACOVIGILANCE REPORTINGPeriodic Safety Update Reports (PSUR)RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (RMP)EU Risk Management PlanPHARMACOVIGILANCE PENALTIESEUDRAVIGILANCEPRACTICAL APPROACH TO PHARMACOVIGILANCENEW 2010 PHARMACOVIGILANCE LEGISLATIONSUCCESS EXAMPLES OF PHARMACOVIGILANCECONCLUSIONLIST OF REFERENCESRelated Introduction OBJECTIVE Every medicinal product has its own risk-benefit ratio. The products, whose benefits to the patients overweigh its risk, are approved by the Competent Authorities (CA). The approved products do not mean that they have no side effects. Actually every medicinal product has some side-effects and it’s very important to identify the side-effects throughout its lifecycle. The process of constant monitoring of the medicinal product throughout the product lifecycle is called Pharmacovigilance. The aim of pharmacovigilance is to protect people by identifying, detecting, characterising, monitoring and communicating risk for rational and safe use of medicines.1 These benefit-risk findings helps to take decision regarding safety of the medicinal product by regulators, company, physicians and patients.2 BACKGROUND In 1961, after disaster of thalidomide, it has been brought forward that post-authorisation data was not sufficient to detect early warning signs of the drug safety.3 If Pharmacovigilance system were in place during that time; such a disaster would be minimised. To avoid any such disaster in future Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) Competent Authority (CA) work together to ensure that pharmacovigilance system is maintained and patient’s safety is not compromised. CONCEPT OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE In general, pharmacovigilance have no boundaries and it should be performed to all medicinal products throughout its lifecycle. Rapid and effective assessment of drug safety is achieved by early information of any unintended effect. Innovative and generic companies have to follow the same requirements with regards to updating the safety specification.4 Currently, the pharmacovigilance system is set as per guidance, Regulation EC/726/2004 Directive 2004/27/EC. Volume 9A and ICH guidelines PHARMACOVIGILANCE RESPONSIBILITY Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH): In current situation, it’s very difficult to identify a new product and new product application is expensive and time-consuming process. To make a blockbuster product; MAH focus thoroughly on Pharmacovigilance system to avoid any disappointment at the later stage of the product lifecycle as it’s very essential for survival of the company. The importance of Pharmacovigilance is that if successful product fails to detect early signals, company also fails to protect its brand identity. The first step initiated by MAH is to ensure that proper pharmacovigilance system is set up to detect signal of any adverse effect and risk management plans should be in place to minimise its impact.3 To perform above activities, MAH appoints a QPPV who is responsible for,5 Collecting and collating all suspected adverse effects globally and establish benefit-risk balance to submit to CA. Preparing and submitting Periodic Safety Update Review (PSUR), Individual Case Safety Review (ICSR), pre post-authorisation studies to the CA through electronic reporting. Reviewing safety issues and product defects. Conducting internal audit of pharmacovigilance system and ensure management of database. Along with Pharmacovigilance team, company also build Risk Management Team or Crisis Management Team who plays a vital role in minimising the impact of any adverse reactions on the product and the company. Competent Authorities (CA) Along with MAH, CA also develop their Pharmacovigilance team who performs studies like MAH to evaluate the safety performance of the medicinal product. It is also the responsibility of MAH to provide timely and correct information of any signal detected to the CA. CA also evaluate Pharmacovigilance system of the MAH by routine inspections conducted by national authorities to check the system and facilities are in accordance as mentioned in Detailed Description of Pharmacovigilance System (DDPS)6. Apart from routine inspections, certain factors that triggers the inspections are,5 Delays in carry out safety reporting Incomplete or poor quality reporting Inconsistency between reports Changes in benefit-risk balance and failure to communicate to CA. Hence considering the importance of Pharmacovigilance, both MAH and CA take joint responsibility to safeguard public health. KEY STEPS IN PHARMACOVIGILANCE Once the MAH Pharmacovigilance system is set, the key factors are, Signal detection Signal detection is initiated by MAH as well as CA. At any stage during the product lifecycle, if unintended effect is detected, it prompts to evaluate the reason for its happening. Generally MAH should be first to detect any signal, but if is detected by CA, it means that MAH pharmacovigilance system is not efficient and inspections are required to verify the pharmacovigilance set up. The adverse effect signal can be detected by: Constant monitoring in-house studies conducted by MAH. Spontaneous ADR reporting: where a healthcare professional reports any adverse effect to the MAH or CA from patients experiences as well as from his own studies.5  Ã‚   MAH evaluates if a casual or suspected relationship is determined between adverse reaction and medicinal product. Once it is confirmed that relationship exists, MAH should inform CA within 15 days of the occurring of the adverse reaction.5 For cases where patient contacts the MAH directly regarding any adverse reaction, MAH should advice the patient to contact the healthcare professional. Once the adverse reactions are confirmed by healthcare professional, it should be documented by MAH as spontaneous adverse reactions. Prescription Event Monitoring (PEM): It is a hybrid method of data collection from surveillance as well as spontaneous adverse effects. Here all the prescriptions when dispensed are collected and analysed to give an idea of which patients are exposed to which medicines, time of exposure and any signal detected during their therapy.3 Worldwide reports published for ICSR published on Medline or Embase etc helps MAH to be aware of the incidents and can get prepared for such adverse reaction incidents.5 Such literature or internet references should be reviewed atleast once or twice fortnight. If the product is authorised by CP, it should be reported to Eudravigilance, but if the product is authorised through MRP or DCP, CA of the RMS should be reported. Here RMS takes the leading role and contacts respective CMS regarding of reporting any such adverse reaction.25 All the regional wise signals detected are collected by local affiliates and then they are reported to the main office The MAH collects this information globally through local affiliates and reporting to the central office as well as collecting information through websites. Benefit-risk Assessment Once the signal is detected, benefits of medicinal product are assessed on the information of cure or improve rate of the symptoms, the response rate and quality of life. The risk involved is assessed as spontaneous adverse reactions, frequency and presence of risk factors, epidemiological data as well as overdose, misuse or medication errors.5 MAH should try to improve the benefit-risk balance to optimise safe use of the medicines. To effectively monitor the safety performance of the medicine by the CA, it is decided to report periodically which is known as Periodic Safety Update Review (PSUR). Pharmacovigilance during pre-authorisation From drug discovery till the application is submitted, MAH performs several non-clinical and clinical studies to establish benefit-risk balance. Once the product is in application but not granted, if any unintended effect is seen, MAH evaluate the impact of unintended effect and inform to the CA. But there are several limitations to pre-authorisation stages like, 5 limited people population, limited time of exposure of medicine, limited age sex, geographical, ethnicity people limited scope of interactions with other medicines. Pharmacovigilance during post-authorisation But when the product is authorised, it is widely prescribed in different class of patients. This gives more opportunity to identify any unintended risk or potential risk which was not identified during pre-authorisation studies. Hence post-authorisation studies are very essential to detect any such changes in benefit-risk balance and its reporting is through PSUR. To make the post-authorisation robust, MAH maintains the list of information regarding safety, indications, dosing and pharmacology which is called Company Core Data Sheet (CCDS). CCDS proves as a reference to evaluate the change in benefit-risk balance. If any new adverse reaction is reported, CCDS data is updated to reflect changes.27 PHARMACOVIGILANCE REPORTING Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSUR) PSUR is intended to review worldwide safety profile of the product and ensure that SmPC, labelling and leaflet are up-to-date. It is performed to evaluate the data of latest safety reports and to conclude that safety benefit-risk balance is not changed. If there is any change in safety data, appropriate actions should be taken for amendments of current information through increased market surveillance.7   Single PSUR is required to be submitted per MA which include all indications, dosage forms and route of administration. The main contents of PSUR are,5 Executive summary Introduction Worldwide market authorisation status Update to regulatory authority Changes to reference safety information Patient exposure Individual case histories Overall safety evaluation Conclusion Appendix: company core data PSUR reporting to CA is derived from the date of birth of the medicinal product. The date when the medicinal product was approved is call International Birth Date (IBD).5 Considering IBD, PSUR is submitted, Every six months from authorisation until it is placed in the market Every six months for first two years Annually for next two years and thereafter every 3 years Product submitted for renewal In certain cases, where PSUR is not submitted on time, additional 30 days are allowed to submit PSUR. For generic and well established product, PSUR submission dates can be amended depending on the benefit-risk profile of the product. But in all cases, prior permission should be taken from CA.5 During renewal submission, the PSUR report should cover 4 years and 4 months. Renewal can be submitted before 6 months.5   As PSUR submission is calculated as per IBD, renewal should not be affect by PSUR reporting and similar reporting cycle should be followed. RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (RMP) As all actual or potential side-effects are not identified during studies, so along with pharmacovigilance activities which detect any unintended effects, there should also be Risk Management Plan (RMP) to minimise the impact of any such unintended effects. RMP identifies the risk, clarifies the safety profile and decide alternative ways to minimise risk to the patients.15 As every product has different pharmacological actions and differ in safety profiles, separate RMP should be designed for each product. RMP should also identify multiple risks. RMP comprised of 4 steps:5 Risk detection Risk assessment Risk minimisation Risk communication EU Risk Management Plan All products authorised within the EU should have approved EU-RMP maintained throughout the product lifecycle. EU RMP contains, Safety Specification   These are certain data which are not clearly addressed during non-clinical and clinical trials like toxicity, drug interactions, pharmacology pharmacological class, population not studied, epidemiology and adverse events. Hence it is the summary of important identified risks, potential risk and some missing information.13 It should also highlight the population at risk and highlights the requirement for further study. The safety specification is itself a stand-along document along with pharmacovigilance plan and the specific elements are incorporated in CTD.5 A Pharmacovigilance Plan – It is based as per safety specifications. For certain products where less risk is expected, routine Pharmacovigilance plan is designed. For certain product which involves more complexity and were less safety specifications are available, additional steps are taken to ensure that any signal detected is evaluated in early stages. Action plans are prepared depending on the safety issue. The main points for action plan are safety issue, objective of proposed action, action proposed, rational for proposed action, monitoring and finally evaluating reporting.5 Risk minimisation activities – It can be achieved through knowledge of Safety Specifications by restricting adding suitable warning on the labelling and package leaflet. Medication errors should also be considered with respect to brand names, presentations instructions for use.5 Appropriate warning should also be mentioned if it can be life-threatening due to improper use of route of administration or due to mixing of different strength. Risk can be minimised through additional studies, legal status of medicines, control at pharmacy level and prescription size and validity. Risk communication Risk communication is a much appreciated step for risk minimisation. Risk should be communicated to healthcare professionals through literatures, educational trainings and informative internet sources so that they can take corrective steps while prescribing to the patient and can minimise the risk.5 EU-RMP is required to be submitted for,5 Application for new active substance, paediatric product, biological product or generic product where more information is required for reference medicinal product. Application for significant change in MA like new dosage forms, route of administration or change in manufacturing process On request of CA or if any safety issue arises of the product. EU-RMP plan is submitted in Module 1.8.2 for evaluation by pharmacovigilance and risk management experts.5 PHARMACOVIGILANCE PENALTIES Every MAH has to adhere to pharmacovigilance system. Non-compliance in the UK will have fine upto  £5000 or if it is conviction it is unlimited fine and imprisonment for upto 2 years to QPPV or company management. As per EU laws, if non-compliance is intentional or negligent, the fine is upto 5% of the annual sales or 2.5% per day average or if it is failure to co-operate or providing misleading information, the fine is upto 0.5% of total annual or per day average sales. Apart from fine, it gives a signal that company is not looking about patient’s safety, putting their profits first and an embarrassment in the industry. EUDRAVIGILANCE From November 2005, electronic reporting became mandatory. The reporting of European pharmacovigilance activities is supported by software called Eudravigilance. Eudravigilance maintains the database of adverse reactions reported for any medicinal product which are subject to clinical trials.8 Eudravigilance provides access of adverse reactions to CA, healthcare professionals, patients as well as pharmaceutical industry. It also maintains the data of ICSR and other suspected adverse reactions. While reviewing the pharmacovigilance system, it helps to identify adverse events to the rapporteur by creating regular overview of adverse events throughout the lifecycle of medicinal product. Also Eudravigilance interfaces with EU-RMP in providing systemic description of risk in terms as defined by MEDdra.8 It is found that 40% of safety issues can be detected earlier if Eudravigilance is used in addition to other PV sources.9 The typical flow of information from   PV and EU risk management strategy implication are, PRACTICAL APPROACH TO PHARMACOVIGILANCE Pharmacovigilance system is dependent on reporting and analysis of unintended effects. But all the side effects cannot be classified as unintended effects. Hence its MAH decision to classify which they consider as serious unintended effects. As physician did not get any feedback of their reporting of unintended effect which ends up in reluctance to report to the MAH.10 In the EU as the products are granted through different procedures, the requirements for labelling are different which makes it difficult to understand benefit-risk balance which pose a risk to public health.10 MAH along with manufacturers should responsible for overall detecting and evaluating the adverse effects of the medicinal product. Duplication of work is involved for reporting by both generic and innovator companies for same medicinal product and lack of communication between them.10 Important safety information should be treated as priority instead of documenting, validating, evaluating and reporting all experiences with the same degree of urgency. PSUR reporting is complex as it involves different presentations, different approval times and country specific labelling.10 As per innovation in healthcare technology, Pharmacovigilance system should be developed to identify the potential association of side effect with a comparison of patient who was given medicine v/s patient who has not taken the medicine.10 NEW 2010 PHARMACOVIGILANCE LEGISLATION The current legislation will amended by Regulation EU/1235/2010 and Directive 2010/84/EC from July 2012.39 The new legislation aims to minimise duplication of reporting system simplifies reporting of adverse drug reactions and PSUR. It also aims to inform patients about benefit-risk aspects and encourage patient to report any effects through online forms, have explanatory wordings on patient leaflet and SmPC for special safety monitoring medicines. The main implications are,40 MAH have to submit ADR reports only to Eudravigilance and not required to submit to individual national CAs. PSUR will have single assessment for same active substance hence all variations; maintenance should be done through union procedure to maintain harmonisation. PSUR reporting is not required for low risk or established molecules unless there is some safety concern. So generic companies will be benefitted by not submitting PSUR unless requested. Currently DDPS will be replaced by Pharmacovigilance System Master File (PSMF) which should be permanently available for submission or inspection on request of national CA. All pharmacovigilance referrals will be discussed by Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) and to avoid duplication CMDh should agree on the single opinions for all member states. Environmental risk factors should be considered as safety of the people in the particular area of the EU. SUCCESS EXAMPLES OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE In last few years, there were certain medicinal products which were showing positive benefit-risk balance during approval, but on constant monitoring for 5 to 10 years, their safety profile has changed and they started to show negative benefit-risk balance. The few products are, Avandia Avandamet Acomplia   Vioxx etc. Avandia and Avandamet have shown good management of diabetes, but along with that they also pose a risk of cardiovascular events which were unintended adverse effects. MAH have provided extensive research documents to support their product, but finally it was found that benefits were less compared to risks imposed. Hence considering the public safety, these products are withdrawn at their maturity stages. As a part of pharmacovigilance studies, it was found that due to long exposure time of the medicine, it has shown adverse effects which were not possible during pre-authorisation studies. Also it proved the strength of pharmacovigilance studies, which has avoided any such disaster among the patients. CONCLUSION Pharmacovigilance plays very important part in healthcare system. As the new molecules are complex with limited reports, pharmacovigilance is the tool to monitor the safety benefits. Though it creates more and more hurdles to the MAH with respect to provide more data and justification, it actually provides more safety towards the public health. Without accurate pharmacovigilance system, it may end up with lot of life-threatening incidence globally. New legislation from July 2012 will bring a major change in current pharmacovigilance system, but it is more acceptable in terms of avoiding duplication of work, systematic reporting and monitoring and harmonised approach. LIST OF REFERENCES Primary reference: World Health Organisation. The importance of Pharmacovigilance. Safety monitoring of medicinal products. 2002. Secondary reference: Carol Tsang, Pharmacovigilance: Is there a difference between innovative and generic industries? Part I: Analysis of spontaneous reporting practice in innovative and generic companies, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur, Issue January 2007:p2 Primary reference: Meyboom RH, Egberts AC, Gribnau FW, Hekster YA. Pharmacovigilance in perspective. Drug Saf. 1999 Dec;21(6): 429-47. Secondary reference: Carol Tsang, Pharmacovigilance: Is there a difference between innovative and generic industries? Part I: Analysis of spontaneous reporting practice in innovative and generic companies, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur, Issue January 2007:p2 Pharmacovigilance, 2nd Edition by Ronald D. Mann Elizabeth B. Andrews, John Wiley Sons Ltd., p.3 Available from URL: compsci.googlecode.com/files/Pharmacovigilance,%202nd%20edition.pdf (accessed on 9th May 2011) Carol Tsang, Pharmacovigilance: Is there a difference in perceived practices between innovative and generic industries? Part 2: Seriousness criteria for ADR reporting by innovative and generic companies, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur, Issue March 2007:p8-11 Volume 9A of the Rules governing medicinal products in the European Union: Guidelines on Pharmacovigilance for medicinal products for human use; September 2008. Available from URL: http://ec.europa.eu/health/files/eudralex/vol-9/pdf/vol9a_09-2008_en.pdf (assessed on 9th May 2011) Jackie Roberts, Chief Regulatory Officer and QPPV, Jenson Pharmaceuticals Services Ltd, Devon, UK, Detailed Description of the Pharmacovigilance System (DDPS), MHRA Conference, London, 22 April 2010, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur, Vol 7, No 6, June 2010:p25 Carol Tsang, ApoPharma Inc, Toronto, Canada ([emailprotected]), Pharmacovigilance – PSUR preparation and submission by innovative and generic companies, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur September 2007,p. 10-19 Thomas Goedecke, Sabine Brosch, Peter Arlett, EMEA: EudraVigilance – the common EU database to support pharmacovigilance activities, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur, Vol 6, No 2, February 2009: p6-11. Carol Hynes, Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, Strategic policy and support, Johnson Johnson Pharmaceuticals Group, The 4th EMEA/TOPRA meeting on medicines legislation 2009: Evaluation to the next step – the needs of the future, Session 2 – Pharmacovigilance and risk management, TOPRA   regulatory rapporteur, Vol 7, No 3, March 2010: p 22. Paolo Biffignandi, EU Vigilance, UK, Germany and Italy, The complexity of Pharmacovigilance, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur – Vol 6, No. 2, February 2009, p.4-5 New 2010 Pharmacovigilance legislation. Available from URL: ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/regulation/general/general_content_000492.jspmurl=menus/regulations/regulations.jspmid=WC0b01ac058033e8ad (assessed on 9th May 2011) 2010 Pharmacovigilance legislation: strengthening the monitoring of medicines. Available from URL; ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/special_topics/general/general_content_000491.jspmurl=menus/special_topics/special_topics.jspmid=WC0b01ac058033e8ac (accessed on 9th May 2011) Hoss A Dowlat, Principle Consultant, Regulatory Affairs (Biologics), Freiburg, Germany ([emailprotected]), The Importance and Impact of the EU-RMP and US-REMS to risk-benefit assessments, TOPRA Regulatory Rapporteur – Vol 8, No. 2, February 2011,p.20-23 Directives: Directive 2010/84/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2010. Available from URL: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:348:0074:0099:EN:PDF (assessed on 9th May 2011) Regulations: Regulation (EU) No 1235/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2010. Available from URL: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:348:0001:0016:EN:PDF (assessed on 9th May 2011) ICH Harmonised Tripartite Guideline, Pharmacovigilance Planning E2E, Current Step 4 version dated 18 November 2004. Available UTL from: ich.org/fileadmin/Public_Web_Site/ICH_Products/Guidelines/Efficacy/E2E/Step4/E2E_Guideline.pdf (assessed on 9th May 2011) EMA Document Ref EMEA/CHMP/96268/2005, Guideline of Risk Management for Medicinal Products for Human Use, Date coming into effect 20 November 2005. Available from URL: ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Regulatory_and_procedural_guideline/2009/10/WC500004888.pdf (assessed on 9th May 2011) EMA Document Ref EMEA/187439/2006/Final, Draft Eudravigilance Access Policy for Medicines for Human Use, Date 19 December 2008. Available from URL: ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Regulatory_and_procedural_guideline/2009/10/WC500006344.pdf (assessed on 9th May 2011) MHRA Frequently asked questions for Good Pharmacovigilance Practice. Available from URL: mhra.gov.uk/Howweregulate/Medicines/Inspectionandstandards/GoodPharmacovigilancePractice/Frequentlyaskedquestions/index.htm (assessed on 9th May 2011)

Testing Usaability of Web Page Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Testing Usaability of Web Page - Essay Example There is interaction between the user of a computer and computer as a machine that transmits information across when it is used by the user. It's a kind of communion that takes place between the user and the computer with varying results. For instance the user uses the input devices to get message through in the form of what he has typed -email, chat or other stratagems at his disposal. Machine works to get the message across through variety of forms chosen by the user. Usability then refers to a system of teeming reality in which human and machine inter connect and communicate through in put and out put devices of the system which has been used . User interface is a way through which machine and human communicate a system. The appropriate criterion of assessing usability is in the significance of the system that is used by all. For users usability is meaning full because it enables them to find out about how they performed tasks fruitfully or had problems in completing them. For a developer usability is the success or failure of the system... For management productivity of work force holds eminence because failure of a system means no profit. Interface Designers learn designer guidelines and designer principles to get feedback about the system they have constructed from the people who use it. Users Designers, developers and management have standards by which usability can be assessed, and they have the right to pass verdict about what is proper and usable for them. . They have to make sure what are the standards by which a design has to satisfy public appeal and familiarity... For constructing a web page goals have to be set that will determine specific strategies to assess usability in terms of success of a web page by its users. Length of site's design construction, evaluation periods Specific quantitative and qualitative measures of success are the foundations on which usability can germinate public appeal. Another way to assess it is to know what the audience wants to read on the site that will be successful by giving them the information they want. A well defined system can be constructed keeping in view needs and ideas of the users. Data base of existing, needed content will take into consideration content resources for making an out line for one's needs for a web page design. Information can be organized for assessment. Horton, Lynch (2002) (Web style guide 2nd edition) The content of the web page should meet the needs of the users to be assessed. Communication with the users of the webpage will be useful for fulfilling their demands of giving them proper service and things they want. Effective web page design contains both graphic images and text which makes the site enjoyable for the users. Web site organization, graphic design, and typography are useful for the users because they feel they are getting accurate information from the site. Logs for the web site can be analyzed for development of quantitative data for the site's

Situations Where Investors Do Not Diversify Assignment

Situations Where Investors Do Not Diversify - Assignment Example A diversified portfolio of investments, however, facilitates, distributing the risk factors across a number of securities issued by different firms. Therefore, if there are losses earned on a particular stock, it can be easily compensated by the profits earned on other stocks (Medo, Yeung & Zhang 2009). Investors are seen to diversify their portfolio by including not only common stock but also bonds and cash. Investing in stock is considered to be less risk induced than investing in debt securities. However, investments in stock do not yield fixed rates of return. The returns obtained from stock or the dividend earned depends upon the residual earnings of the firm. If a firm’s profits are high, it is likely that the returns are high. Since organizations operate in a complex business environment, it is difficult to predict the profits earned by a firm accurately. Considering such factors, investors find it risky to invest in common stock only (Loutskina & Strahan, 2011). Most i nvestors prefer including debt and other forms of borrowings in their portfolio. The advantage of including debt securities is that it facilitates fixed rates of returns. Investments made in cash are usually considered as a short-term reserve. Such investments can be liquidated easily. Usually, investors are seen to invest in money market securities so that they can be used in the state of emergencies. It is also important to understand that asset allocation and portfolio diversification are closely related. A diversified portfolio gets created through the allocation of assets (Goldstein & Pauzner, 2004). Diversification is required to be planned and approached with caution. Investors are normally seen to refrain from having a diversified portfolio during times when the market is highly volatile and there are risks associated with liquidity. Under such circumstances, investors avoid investing in debt and prefer common stock only. Hence, there is no limited diversification.  

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Abortion - Essay Example According to Rank’s Persuasion Mode, the persuaders on the two position take the schemas of intensify and downplay. (Hitchcock, David, and Bart, 15) In the January, 20, 2014 article written by Jeremy W. Peters, though the headline of the paper suggests that â€Å"Both sides of the abortion issue expressed their views at the last year’s March for Life in Washington†, the emphasis has been laid on Pro Life. The expression presented is that â€Å"there will be a demonstration of the annual anti-abortion, and should the demonstrators need a lift after the demonstration, then they may hope on the free shuttle that would be provided by the republican. From these preceding connotation my The New York Time columnist, clearly, it would be said that the writer is using intensify. Emphasis is created in how supporters of the abortion are not just getting support from significant party like Republican, but also with the benefits presented. In the subsequent paragraph, the writer makes statements that create intensity in the weaknesses of the position presented by Jill Cowan of Los Angeles Times. According to the commentary by Jill Cowan, the column is presented with the Headline: â€Å"State allows Hoag Hospital to refuse elective abortion†. Jill notes that Hoag Hospital had successfully managed to impose the ban on abortion considering that they had made a partnership with the Catholic healthcare providers, and considering that they must also appreciate the demands of the State, they will have no option but to refer their clients to other places where they can get abortion services. In relation to what was presented by The New York Times, it sounds clear that the Los Angeles Times is presenting some issue which evidently does not appreciate the health of the mother. New York Time has tried to intensify the weakness of the position taken by Los Angeles Times in this case. According to the theory of Rank’ s Model, the

Consequences of a Fall in the Global Price of Oil Coursework

Consequences of a Fall in the Global Price of Oil - Coursework Example Most economists believe that since oil is associated with so many products any change in its price have a trickle-down effect or a chain reaction affecting the prices of many commodities and/or affecting the rate of inflation in the economy or the general price level. If we suppose that there has been a fall in the global price of oil there will be a fall in the quantity supplied of oil because the producers will now be left with a lower profit margin and some of them may also go out of business if they would find it difficult to cover their average variable costs. There will be an increase in the quantity demanded of oil and buyers who were not able to afford oil at previous prices and opted for substitutes may now turn towards oil, current buyers may also buy more. If we take the example of British Petroleum, BP will reduce its quantity of oil supplied to the market because they will now experience a lower return on oil, its current customers may want to buy more since the product is now available at lower prices and some customers may now be interested in purchasing oil rather than purchasing its substitutes such as coal, gas etc. The fall in oil prices may cause some producers who were already finding it difficult to cover their costs to go out of business or shift to the production of other commodities, this means that BP will now have a lower number of competitors in the market and will face a lower competition than in the past. Si nce the affect on the quantity supplied is due to price there will not be a shift in the supply curve of BP, it will operate on its previous supply curve but at a lower point because of the contraction in supply. Similar is the case for quantity demanded, BP will not experience a change in its demand curve because of a change in price, it will operate on the same demand curve but at a higher point due to the extension in demand.

Elgin's Marbles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elgin's Marbles - Essay Example Lord Elgin had risen through the ranks and asked for the post as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople. He met and married a Scottish heiress, Mary Nisbet of Earlton. Lord Elgin felt that he knew the best place to achieve architectural significance and wanted to bring some of the passion and style back to the British artists and architects, in order to uplift and inspire them. Lady Elgin and her wealth allowed him to achieve his desire. Greek architecture at that time was considered the ultimate experience and being of great significance and Lord Elgin ensured he was part of the society. He employed artists and architects to paint, sketch and make molds of what he considered to be the best artwork in Athens, Greece. He believed that the artistic work held the highest significance and expression of civilization and that this cultural experience would encourage the British artists of the day. Lord Elgin purchased sections of the marble frieze from the Ottoman Empire for a price of  £75,000. He then had the difficult task of getting a ship to transport them to England. This was during the Napoleonic wars and their friend Nelson was reluctant to provide a vessel for the shipment. Mary used her guile and persuasion to eventually gain a passage for the artifacts (Nagel, from front matter). Lord Elgin considered his purchases to be a great achievement for the British Empire. A Government Select Committee agreed to purchase the marbles from Lord Elgin for  £36,000 in 1816, a massive financial loss for Lord Elgin.... He then had the difficult task of getting a ship to transport them to England. This was during the Napoleonic wars and their friend Nelson was reluctant to provide a vessel for the shipment. Mary used her guile and persuasion to eventually gain a passage for the artefacts (Nagel, from front matter). Lord Elgin considered his purchases to be a great achievement for the British Empire. A Government Select Committee agreed to purchase the marbles from Lord Elgin for 36,000 in 1816, a massive financial loss for Lord Elgin (British Museum, newsroom, 1). They were then placed and still remain in the British Museum and given the collectors name of Elgin's Marbles (British Museum, Collection 2). Picture 4.0 A Section of the Elgin Marbles The British Museum initially placed the artefacts in a prefabricated gallery which had been designed by Robert Smirke (British Museum, Collection 2). Then they were transferred to another section aptly named the 'Elgin Room' in 1832 (British Museum, Collection 2) until Lord Duveen donated money to the museum to construct a purpose built gallery for the marbles. (British Museum, Collection 2). Picture 5.0 A Section of the Elgin Marbles Preparations were carried out to clean the sculptures ready for display in their new Duveen rooms. Wire wool was used to clean off the surfaces of all of the marbles in 1939. This cleaning method also included the use of copper chisels and carborundum (British museum collection, 3). It was believed that the original color of the marble was pure white and the intensions were genuinely administered in order to return the pieces back to their original state. This cleaning method removed the entire

Consequences of a Fall in the Global Price of Oil Coursework

Consequences of a Fall in the Global Price of Oil - Coursework Example Most economists believe that since oil is associated with so many products any change in its price have a trickle-down effect or a chain reaction affecting the prices of many commodities and/or affecting the rate of inflation in the economy or the general price level. If we suppose that there has been a fall in the global price of oil there will be a fall in the quantity supplied of oil because the producers will now be left with a lower profit margin and some of them may also go out of business if they would find it difficult to cover their average variable costs. There will be an increase in the quantity demanded of oil and buyers who were not able to afford oil at previous prices and opted for substitutes may now turn towards oil, current buyers may also buy more. If we take the example of British Petroleum, BP will reduce its quantity of oil supplied to the market because they will now experience a lower return on oil, its current customers may want to buy more since the product is now available at lower prices and some customers may now be interested in purchasing oil rather than purchasing its substitutes such as coal, gas etc. The fall in oil prices may cause some producers who were already finding it difficult to cover their costs to go out of business or shift to the production of other commodities, this means that BP will now have a lower number of competitors in the market and will face a lower competition than in the past. Si nce the affect on the quantity supplied is due to price there will not be a shift in the supply curve of BP, it will operate on its previous supply curve but at a lower point because of the contraction in supply. Similar is the case for quantity demanded, BP will not experience a change in its demand curve because of a change in price, it will operate on the same demand curve but at a higher point due to the extension in demand.

A College Football Playoff System Research Paper

A College Football Playoff System - Research Paper Example There are a number of criticisms to be leveled at the Bowl Championship Series. Although the system’s original intent was to provide an objective, logical, mathematical solution for deciding a team’s rankings, it often makes counterintuitive and downright wrong selections. In December 2010, for instance, the president of Boise State University criticized the BCS system for a computer error that likely dropped the team to number 10 in the national rankings. Frequently, these wrong rankings reflect the BCS’s attitude toward smaller schools from less well-respected conferences on the basis that those teams will not produce the same level of revenue as a larger school with more supporters. In December 2010, for instance, the president of Boise State University criticized the BCS system for a computer error that likely dropped the team to number 10 in the national rankings. Although the incident did not deprive Boise State of a bowl berth, under different circumstance s (given Boise State’s place in the WAC, a less respected conference) it very likely could have left the college without a bowl. Another criticism deals with the four major Bowl games played at the end of the college football season, into which only eight teams are admitted. Because some conferences have automatic bids to one of these games, these eight teams may not be the best (or even close to the best) teams in the nation. Some schools that are unfavorably regarded in the BCS system may be relegated to a less prestigious bowl simply on the basis of the BCS’s opinion of them. Lastly, since the BCS is largely comprised of computer algorithms to decide rankings of college teams for the bowl games, it is criticized for being easily manipulated by those who control the methods of determining bowl berths. Because the BCS system leads to tremendous cash payoffs to larger schools, there is a lack of momentum in changing it, which makes a financial argument for introducing a playoff system necessary. Financially, a playoff system could benefit boosters, schools, and advertisers by removing any element of the BCS.

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Even though Pip has become snobbish by the end of Book One, Dickens still manages to make the reader like him. Show how and why Pip has become something of a snob and what makes us retain our sympathy for him Tom Beach In Great Expectations Dickens depicts Pip as having an increasingly snobbish character throughout Book One. He shows Pip to have an exaggerated respect for his social position and his growing hatred for the common life that he lives. The reader sees that Pips snobbishness is due to his desire to become a gentleman and his aspiration to be liked by Estella, from whom he adopts some of his snobbish attitudes. Even though it is clear to the reader that Pip has become somewhat of a snob, Dickens encourages the reader to still like Pip. He puts across that Pip is an orphan and that these snobbish feelings we see are just outward feelings. We learn that he was not proud of the snobbish character that he had become from the way he looks back on his life as an adult. These events make the reader feel sympathy for Pip, leading the reader to retain their criticism of him. In Book One of Great Expectations we see Dickens show Pips progressively snobbish character in many ways. After Pips first visit to Satis house and after falling for Estella we see Pips ambition to become a gentleman. We see that Pip blames Joe for being common, and for Joe not bringing him up as Pip thinks he should: I wish Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and then I should have been so too. We see Pips snobbish character developing as he blames Joe for being common; he is ashamed of the dear good fellow and disappointed in him for being so ignorant and common. Pip is patronising towards Joe for something Joe has no control over. Pip feels he is able to comment on Joes social status because he does not belong to [his] higher society and would be an embarrassment in front of Estella. This sudden change of attitude in Pip that wants to dismiss his family comes as a great shock to the reader. We see this to be a case of him being a snob. In Book One, one of the main points of Pips character that shows Pip to be something of a snob is his patronising attitude towards Mrs Joe. When Pip is going to see Miss Havisham with Joe and accompanied with Mrs Joe Pip feels embarrassed because they are trying to dress up to much: I am not quite clear whether these articles were carried penitentially or ostentatiously. Pip feels that his sister, Mrs Joe is very much overdressed, trying to look more ladylike that she really is. He is very patronising to her, as seen in the above quotation for simply being overdressed. Pip feels he is above her. Pip shows his growing snobbishness due to the fact that he is so willingly able to dismiss who he is and what he should become: I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence. Within a single year, all this was changed. Now, it was all coarse and common. We see Pip has lost faith in his normal life in the forge, dismissing the fact that that a life in the forge is what he is meant for. Pip will never like Joes trade and is sad when he is made apprentice to him: And what could I possibly do then, but say I was enjoying myself when I wasnt. Pip feels that the apprenticeship will tie him away from his ambition. He feels the forge is so coarse and common that it will prevent him from becoming a gentleman. Pip feels that he is too good for the community that he lives in; he wants to get away from it: It would be very disagreeable to be stared at by all the people here. We see Pip deciding not to go into town in his new suit. He again feels that he is above all the people in the village, that they would make such a business of it such a coarse and common business that [he] couldnt bear [himself]. This fact that he looks down on everybody in the village depicts him as a vain snob; he is not going to be a rustic man anymore. In the closing stages of Book One we see Pip being very snobbish and capricious towards Biddy, a girl who looks after the house and has fallen in love with Pip: Biddy I returned with some resentment, you are so exceedingly quick that its difficult to keep up with you.

Nature Nurture And Crime Psychology Essay

Nature Nurture And Crime Psychology Essay Questions about crime have been around ever since man first committed it. One of the most questions today is whether criminal behavior is the result of nature or nurture. As the debate continues today, research has shown evidence for both sides. Reports would claim the used of nature vs nurture as a topic that would tell about the significant roles of environment and heredity in human development. Some argue that genetic influences might actually increase the likelihood that an individual will experience certain life events (Rende Plomin, 1992). Thus, certain individuals may have the genetic tendency to experience or seek out certain stressful situations. For example, someone with a genetic tendency toward aggression may develop into a full blown criminal if it is triggered. The reciprocal-gene-environment perspective suggests that there is a close relationship between biological or genetic vulnerability and life events such that each continuously influences the other. Albert Bandura has contended that aggressive behaviors are acquired through the following: bizarre beliefs, observation of others, direct experiences that have either positive or negative reinforcements, instructions or trainings (1986). Once the aggressive behavior has been established due to these different cited causal factors, the behavior has been done or executed due to the following reasons: they experience pleasure or enjoyment upon inflicting pain to other people (positive reinforcement that strengthens and increases the probability of repeating the behavior), they try to avoid the consequences of aggression done by other people (negative reinforcement), they experience punishment or injury or harm when the aggressive behavior has not been performed, they have live up or inculcated their aggressive behavior in their way of living, they have observe others who receive rewards or reinforcement in doing aggressive behaviors (Feist, J and Feist G., 2002). This implies that aggre ssion is learned. Thus, children can learn aggressive behaviors through their interaction and observation from the environment. The argument above that states the genetic factor in developing aggressive behaviors by which can be developed into criminal behaviors have been supported by Plomin which states that: suggests that behavioral genetics must become a prime component within the study of psychology in the future, not in the traditional and much criticized sense of genetic determinism but because behavioral genetic research provides the strongest available evidence for the importance of environmental factors. Furthermore, he added that most behavioral disorders reveal some genetic influence, in fact rather more so than common medical disorders, but that the exact nature of the genotype-environment correlations will require sensitive and sophisticated analysis. Intervention is then more likely to involve changes to the environment rather than genetic engineering (2001). It has been proven through scientific test that the color of the eye and hair, and other traits were product of a genes embedded in human cell. Nature Theory states that even abstract traits such as intelligence, aggression, personality, temperament and more, are traits that could be inherited due to individuals DNA. On the other hand, the nurture theory states that the behavioral aspects of person are products of individuals interaction with the environment. Although neither behavior nor mental disorders are determined exclusively by the genes, there is substantial evidence that many mental disorders show some genetic influence. Thus the many recent studies suggesting that heredity is an important predisposing causal factor for a number of different disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and alcoholism are consistent to biological viewpoint. (e.g., Plomin, De Fries, et. al., 1997, 2001). The evidence from twin studies indicate that genetic influences accounts an approximate 40% personality traits and 60% environment interaction (Bouchard, 1999; Loehlin Nicholls, 1976; Plomin, Chipeur, Loehlin, 1990). Previous researches and studies have identified that brain abnormalities is a great contributing factor of aggressive behavior and other psychopathology (Raine, 1993). While other studies have tried to established correlation between serotonin levels and aggression. Findings of this study could not prove that the levels of serotonin and aggression werent enough stimuli that could lead a person to commit crime or violence (Meloy, 1988; Raine, 1993). On the other side, in the study conducted by Lykken have demonstrated that there were several factors or stimuli from the environment that could lead to violence. And these factors includes the following: sexual harassments or exposure to x- rated movies, peers, family discord, neglect, abuse and more. These factors were all stimulus that could condition a person to respond violently to his behavior (1995). Genetic influences rarely express themselves in a simple and straightforward manner. This is because behavior, unlike some physical characteristics such as eye color, is not determined exclusively by genetic endowment. In other words, genes can only affect behavior indirectly. Though the evidence is quite considerable, the result is not conclusive, for the environment takes its role as well. Given that all personality traits have a substantial heritable component, evidence that a given trait is heritable provides relatively little information (Turkheimer, 1998). The value of evidence of heritability in clarifying personality structure is also limited by the fact that heritability explains only the variation in a single trait. Information on heritability does, however, provide the foundation for understanding the etiology of personality. The persons total genetic endowment is referred to as his or her genotype. The observed structural and functional characteristics that result from an interaction of genotype and the environment are referred to as phenotype. In many other cases, genotype may shape the environment experiences a child has, thus affecting the phenotype in yet another very important way. For example, a child who is genetically predisposed to aggressive behavior may be rejected by his or her peers in early grades because of his or her aggressive behavior. Such rejection may lead the child to go to an associate with similarly aggressive and delinquent peers in later grades, leading to an increased of likelihood of developing a full-blown pattern of delinquency in adolescence and eventually may lead to criminal behavior. This only shows the interaction between the heredity and environment, that these two theories do determine the development of criminality among humans. We cannot discount the importance of the other. The effects of heredity and environment are difficult to untangle. For one thing, human beings continue developing throughout life and the development generally reflects a combination of the two forces. Also, the mechanisms by which environment operates cannot be described as precisely heredity. Nor can controlled comparisons be made, since no two children not even twins growing up in the same household have exactly the same environment (Papalia, 2001). This also shows that the association between genetic or nature and environmental or nurture factors is fundamentally intertwined. Certain behaviors even personality disorders and criminal behaviors illustrate the interrelationship of heredity and environment. There is evidence for a strong hereditary influence on alcoholism, aggression and depression. They all tend run in the families and to show greater concordance between monozygotic twins and dizygotic twins. However, heredity alone does not produce such behaviors; an inherited tendency can be triggered by environmental factors. People who usually commit crimes have a history of law-breaking activities during their childhood, they were exposed and genetically predisposed to it. Parents of aggressive individuals tended to be hostile. Thus, since a tendency toward aggression maybe inherited, the environment can accentuate or modify the tendency. Some aggressive individual, especially those who are not extremely aggressive, may become more considerate and less violent in response to parents efforts to help them to become more understanding and less destructive. We cannot conclusively state that criminality is solely inherited. No new evidence has substantiated that. Similarly, we cannot also conclude that this is due to environmental influences. Some behaviors are inherited however the expression of such depends upon the environment. The expression of a particular behavior such as criminal behavior might be genetic in nature however, it depends on the environment the expression of which. If the individual is predisposed in this kind of conducts he is most likely to elicit the same behavior from which he is exposed. For instance, people may become criminals if they are genetically predisposed into it and was exposed in an environment which exhibits that kind of behavior. Moreover, genes do not typically operate without influence from the environment. Research has emphasized the importance of gene-environment interactions. Genes do their work via the environment. They cannot be separated from one another. All theories of criminal behavior try to address the question of why people commit crime on the assumption that such a course of action merits explanation of the inexplicable, that criminals are somehow different from the rest of us, and that there might be a single cause of criminal behavior. Thus a child born with some potential to offend may, depending upon their family environment, come to realize that potential or not. The discovery that our genetic make-up may not be as complex as was once believed suggests that the interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental protection has become even more worthy of investigation. People are not born criminals, but they may build up into ones if they are raised in an environment that encourages them to do criminal acts. If someone has parents who are criminals and he/she looks up to them, then there is a great possibility that he/she will be a criminal also. However, one of the major reasons offenders commit crime is simply because they enjoy it. (Katz, 1988) has spoken of the seductions of crime, while another study (Hodge, McMurran and Hollin 1997) refers to criminal behavior as an addiction. Some psychologists do believe that criminal behaviors are just a mere result of some psychological disorders, such as anti-social personality disorder and obsessive compulsive personality disorder. People who are serial killers or just plain criminals may have a psychological disorder that causes them to act in the way that they do, but there are plenty criminals and killers out there that do not have any sort of psychological disorder to explain why they do what they do. Criminals may start a psychological addiction to unlawful activities at their young age. But their criminal behaviors could still be corrected or improved through proper care. This proper care should be given be the persons support group (including the family and friends and other concerned agencies) so that adequate care will be provided. Conclusion Question on criminals behavior has become a long topic of debate among psychologist particularly on the issue of criminal behavior as a nature or nurture. The relationship between the two is direct. This states that their functions or effects are intertwined. One can affect the other, which means the presence of environmental factors could stimulate the genetic traits of a person.

drugs in sports :: essays research papers fc

From the beginning of time sports have been around. It is the competition that everyone loves. The feeling of winning makes many people do anything to achieve it. Even if this means one must cheat to win. Cheating is monitored in professional sports by the use of referees or umpires. With the discovery of many â€Å"nutritional† supplements, many new forms of cheating have arisen that cannot be monitored on the field. Many players used and still use steroids to enhance their muscles so they are stronger during game play. Many random drug tests have been instituted to cut the number of people using steroids down. There are many other supplements that basically do the same thing as steroids that these players use. More and more are becoming illegal in professional sports. And people still use them. Illegal drugs to enhance one’s performance are illegal, therefore when people use them they are cheating. They have created an unfair advantage for themselves illegally. These people using these drugs should be banned from their sport. Professional sports players get paid to play a sport. What more could they want? It is every kids dream. It they cannot play with out cheating they should not have the privilidge of playing at all. There have been many cases in professional sports where athletes have been caught for using illegal drugs that enhance their performance. Often players even use illegal drugs that have no benefit on their performance. These drugs are illegal to everyone, but it seems that when professional athletes get caught using them they don’t get as harsh of a punishment as an average person because of their fame. Steve Howe received seven lifetime suspensions from Major League Baseball. For some reason that does not appear to be possible. If an average person was caught doing so they would be in jail. It is disappointing to see professional athletes receive special treatment because of their fame. They have a good profession; why would they risk it by using drugs?

Myths In Human Civilization :: essays research papers

Myths In Human Civilization Throughout the history of human civilization, myths have been an integral part of human society. Myths have no cultural boundaries as they can be found in all cultural societies. The word myth can be referred to the classical Greek and Roman mythology or a contemporary myth. Regardless of the type of myth, they are stories used to give meaning to a phenomenon or symbolic manner to the natural cycles that surround humankind. Myths are used to explain and understand our existence in our world whether it is something that we can tangibly see or not. The saga of a myth is past down from one generation to the next. For the purpose of this assignment, I will be analyzing three articles that deal with a myth. With each of these articles, I will attempt to explain how the author uses the term within the context of the article. Finally, I will be concluding the analysis of the articles with reference to class notes on what we have learned to date. The first article is "Phyllis Burke: Exploding Myths of Male and Female." which is a book review. The author of the book, Phyllis Burke, writes of Gender Identity Disorder or GIS that effects both male and female children. A child labeled with GIS occurs when the child is not confirming to appropriate gender behaviour. For example, if a boy wants to play with dolls and dress up as the opposite sex. Burke reveals that at a young age all children in the gender socialization process are encouraged to play with gender appropriate toys and roles. If the child does not conform to these roles laid out by our gender conscious society, they are forbidden and discouraged to continue with their behaviour. Burke continues to write that GIS children may find themselves in play therapy or even in psychiatric hospitals. In analyzing the way in which myth is used in this article, it is found in the way our society has created gender roles for children, teenagers and even adults. There is no biological evidence that girls can not play rough with other girls and boys. It is the gender appropriate behaviour that has stereotyped our thinking that this activity is not appropriate. Most would rather see girls playing with dolls and boys being the ones who play rough. Burke analyzed GIS cases from the 1930s through to the early 1990s and found no biological evidence to support GIS. The behaviour that is deemed inappropriate is suppressed not by the child themselves but by others around them.

Repton School Essay

Amit Ruparel, 15, is a boarder at Repton School, doing his GCSEs. He lives in Derby with his parents, brother and sister. I wake up at around half-past seven with a big yawn. I then get up, grab my towel and shower gel, go downstairs and have a shower. Every time I wake up at this time of the morning I think if I were at home I would be still asleep. As soon as I have had my shower I go back upstairs and get changed. I then go downstairs for breakfast, which is compulsory. For breakfast I have a bowl of cereal and a glass of fresh orange juice. I like eating cereal at any time of the day. I think that it is nice at any point of the day. I also believe that fresh orange juice is really good for you. Recently I have been trying to be careful with my diet due to my weight, I am trying to eat as healthier as possible. When I have had my breakfast I go upstairs and check if I have any unfinished prep to do and if I do then I get on with it. If I have not got any unfinished prep or any other work to be getting on with I turn on my computer and play some games. My computer is a very important part of my life; I could not do much with out it. I have always used the computer wherever I can; I use it for my work as well as playing on it when I am bored. I get my books ready a few minutes later so I leave the house five minutes before the lessons start or even earlier, so that I do not get punished for being late to a lesson. My school is like a mini village in where by you do not have to walk so far, therefore I do not have to leave to go to school so early. The first lesson starts at ten to nine and ends at half past nine. I then have a five-minute break, which I get between every lesson. After the third lesson I have a break for half an hour. During the break I usually get myself a drink and a snack to eat. At one o’clock, after the fifth lesson, I have lunch, which lasts around forty minutes. I then go to my room and listen to music on my computer for ten to fifteen minutes, then get my books and go to the last three lessons, which finish at four o’clock, unless I have a half day. If so I will carry on playing on my computer or get changed and go to computer programming. I do computer programming because I enjoy playing around with software and also I have had past experience on it because I always watch my brother on the computer whilst he is making new programmes as project and so I would know quite a bit about making them. I like computers so much that I am thinking about taking a career towards those lines. On a Tuesday (half – day) once I have finished computer programming I will go to badminton for an hour, but if it is a Thursday I will go and hang around with my friends. After badminton I come back to the house, have a shower and then go and ‘hang out’ with my friends. I come back to the house after five always finding someone in the house yard to play a game of football with. I go to tea at six o’clock. I think that in our house tea is the nicest meal. As soon as I have finished I run outside and play football in the yard again but I would prefer being on holiday, as I would be out playing cricket or at home playing on the Playstation 2. I have always loved holidays and going home for them. When I am at home it is so relaxing and there is not much work to be don’t and if there is then it can be done when I am bored. I go upstairs at seven o’clock get my books for the subjects that I have prep to do for and then go downstairs to ‘the worker’ and do my prep there. This is the part of the day, which I find most boring and when I wish that I was at home. I go downstairs and watch TV for a while after prep, but if nothing interesting is on I go and play on my computer. At this point if I was at home I would be going out with my friends. I go upstairs from the TV room to my room at half ten if I was downstairs to get ready for bed. At quarter to eleven it is lights out. I hate going to bed so early if I was home I’d still be out with my friends. I like going out at night. I find the vibe that is around you at night is amazing. When I go out at night it would probably be going to the cinema, playing pool at a club called Rileys or to the pub.

Gambling in College Football Essay

Today’s new generation has accepted gambling more than any previous generation. People are playing poker and betting on games one the internet and even on college campus. According to them it is a social activity and there is nothing wrong in gambling. This negative attitude has made this problem seep down to the highest level of human population, its intellect (Oregon Department of Human Services, 2005). Gambling is a social problem which not only threatens the academic success of a student but also depletes the financial resources. Risking money in the hope of winning is called gambling. Gambling includes lottery tickets, online betting games, cards, dice, dominoes etc (University of Texas, 2004). In past few months various football gambling stories have created a chaos among the coaches and administration of various colleges. Colleges are constantly trying to find new ways of finding and punishing the culprits. The main concern however, is to create such rules which can prevent students from placing a bet and hence getting involved in this organized crime. In past few years gambling incidents have been recorded from quite known and influential colleges. These include Arizona State University, Boston College, University of Colorado, Columbia University, Fresno State University, and Northwestern University etc. According to a research done by a student from the University of Michigan, almost 72% of the students had gambled in one way or the other. Almost 80% of these were male students (Cross & Vollano, n. d). In order to understand the issue of student athlete gambling in more than an anecdotal way, this study was developed to learn the extent and nature of student athlete gambling. According to The National Association of Student Personnel Administration (NAPSA), gambling is a problem not just in athlete students but in all students. They constantly urge college management to develop programs which aware students about the potential hazards of gambling (The National Association of Student Personnel Administration, 2007). In 1874, college professional sports had its first scandal. Louisville college football players were accused of gambling against their own team. According to Arnie Wexler, who was a former College football gambler, and is now a recognized expert on compulsive gambling; â€Å"It’s easier to place a bet on a college campus than it is to buy a can of beer or a package of cigarettes, you just pick up a telephone and call a bookie on campus. You don’t even have to leave your room† (Kindred, 1996). This is absolutely true. The college administration usually does not care about such things. They burry their heads in the sand and if asked pretend as if nothing is wrong is happening. For past half century the college football and basketball has been full of wagering incidents. The National Collegiate athletic Association (NCAA) did a survey in 2003. According to that survey almost one percent of the total college football players accepted money for poor performance. Moreover, half the time they played, they were able to change the outcome of the game by their performance. It was also found that almost 15% of the non athlete students also gambled. It is not just the gambling part, but the players usually provide inside information to the gamblers and help them win (National Collegiate athletic Association, 2003). Students who gamble risk their careers to fulfill their need and obsession to gamble. Such activities do not necessarily occur in the isolation of college but the culprits might get together in a friends place in order to place the bet. Bets can be placed in the internet and in some cases via phone also. In 2004, two student bookies were caught. They were convicted of sports bribery. Stevin Hedake Smith owed almost $10,000 to a student bookie. In order to pay him back he agreed with the bookie to play poorly at the game. The FBI became suspicious and later caught him and his friends. After this incident the NCAA changed quite a few rules of the game. Though before gambling was always condemned, but it was never a definite rule. However, after this event, the NCAA has anti gambling rules in black and white (Gabriel, 2004). Sometimes even a simple thing as accepting gift certificate can be termed as gambling too. In a simple event, few women participated in a simple ‘pick a winner’ game and earned gift certificates of $50. When the college administration found out about this they banned those students from playing in the football team. Due to this event, accepting gift certificates was against the rules (National Endowment for financial education, 2004). According to the NCAA; â€Å"You may not place any bet of any sort on any college or professional sports event. You may not give information to anyone who does place bets on college or professional sports† (National Endowment for financial education, 2004). Moreover, the NCAA further explains these rules as: – There can be no betting on any sport, whether it involves your college or not. There can be no wager for any item i. e. cash, shirt, dinner etc. – No sports pools – No internet gambling – No fantasy leagues (this means no fee for participation and no prize for winning) – No information exchange about your or any other team (including injury, or anyother problems) (NCAA, 2005; NCAA, 2003). Looking at the table below it can be determined how many students playing college football engage them selves in wagering activities and how many think that the rules above have really made a difference. Figure: Comparison of proportion of S_As who gamble on college sports versus proportion who says that NCAA Rules discourage sports wagering Source: NCAA, 2004 The change in the rules of college football has certainly reduces the amount of bets placed. Though at some level students are still gambling, but if caught they know that their careers will come to an end. The amount of shame and humiliation caused by the media coverage also has an impact on the number of bets placed every year. According to the new rules by NCAA, any student who is caught violating the game rules will not be allowed to play in any of the plays he has formerly registered too. This means his entire career comes to a halt. Such strict rules have helped in the reduction of wagering issues (NCAA news release, 1999). In August 2007, several students complained that the coaches were using text messages to gamble or place bets. Almost 75% of the people voted in favor of banning text messaging. Due to the gambling problem, yet another rule had to be placed. According to the New York Times, the NCAA has now placed a ban on text messaging. The president of NCAA was disappointed so much that he called this â€Å"an embarrassment to all of intercollegiate athletics† (Thomas, 2008). The coaches have tried to work around this rule too. According to many coaches as there is no ban for e-mailing they can place bets on the e-mails. Many cell phone companies allow e-mailing also, so coaches are now trying new ways without breaking any rules (Miller, 2008). The administration should always clearly state the rules, as not doing so means leaving a loop hole, with the help of which the students can gamble. Sometimes, the committee can accuse somebody of gambling, but such a person might not have understood the rules properly. In 2004 a former football coach was accused of gambling. He later sued NCAA for accusing him and later firing him. According to him he did not understand the way NCAA operates. Hence it is not just about defining rules, but explaining them in such a way that everybody understands them (Yaeger et al, 2004). Gambling in college football has very grave consequences. A student can get expelled from college, get humiliated in news stories, can become an embarrassment for himself and his family, get banned from all professional sports, become a victim of organized crime, ruin his financial resources and sometimes even end up in jail. To summarize, wagering can destroy a person’s life. It is not only the responsibility of the students themselves, but the responsibility of the college administration to help create awareness among students so that no student get involved in these matters and does not become a victim of bookies. Even though the generation today has certainly got more involved in gambling, poker, wagering etc, but measures can be taken in order to help these students. Many organizations are working and are constantly trying to help these students break their habits. It might be difficult but not impossible. The management and the administration of the colleges should also instead of ignoring these things, in order to help prevent scandals and create a bad name of their schools, should help students get over this habit. Rules should be devised which are clear and strict. College students are the most important part of any population, and if they get involved in these things, this means that the human intellect has been affected. References Cross, Michael E. & Vollano, Ann G. (n. d). Gambling Education. University of Michigan. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. umich. edu/~mgoblue/compliance/gambling/summary. html Gabriel, Walter (2004). Gambling common at colleges during March Madness: Office pool cost coach his job. Louisiana State University. The Daily Reveille. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://media. www. lsureveille. com/media/storage/paper868/news/2004/03/11/Sports/Gambling. Common. At. Colleges. During. March. Madness-2048935. shtml Kindred, David. (1996). Ignoring gambling won’t make it go away – gambling at college campuses – Column. The Sporting News. November 18. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n47_v220/ai_18869994 Miller, Phil (2008). Like Water Around A dam. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from: http://marketpower. typepad. com/market_power/college_football/index. html National Collegiate athletic Association (2003). Sports wagering; study on collegiate sports wagering and associated behaviors. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. ncaa. org/library/research/sports_wagering/2003/2003_sports_wagering_study. pdf National Endowment for financial education (2004). Don’t bet on it: put your money on a real winner, yourself. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. ncaa. org/gambling/dontbetonit/2004. pdf NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). (2005). NCAA rules and regulations. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. iupui. edu/~athlete/handbook/rules. html NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). (2003). Protect: Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. ncaa. org/library/general/general_brochure/2003/2003_gen_info. pdf NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). (2004). Comparison of proportion of S_As who gamble on college sports versus proportion who say that NCAA Rules discourage sports wagering. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. ncaa. org/gambling/2003NationalStudy/slideShow/sld028. htm NCAA News release (1999). Report Of the NCAA Division I Working Group to Study Basketball Issues. Retrieved January 3, 2008 from: http://www. ncaa. org/releases/basketballissues/1999082001bi. htm Oregon Department of Human Services (2005). 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