Performance Management at Vitality Health Enterprises, Inc. Essay

Vitality Health Enterprises is a large beauty products and nutraceuticals company offering a full range of health, wellness, and beauty products around the globe. The company was originally founded in 1987 in Ames, Iowa, by Hikaaru â€Å"Fred† Kikuchi who is an experienced serial entrepreneur. His inspiration for Vitality came when his wife was continually dissatisfied with the quality of beauty products she was finding here in the U.S., since they emigrated from Japan. Kikuchi saw a business opportunity and used his relationships from back home to import beauty products and the rest is history. Vitality has gone through numerations of growth that has included: moving company headquarters to Des Moines – thought to be a better location for growth, establishing its own manufacturing facility with its own chemists – to develop its own unique products specifically targeting the U.S. marketplace, purchasing HerbaPure Nutraceuticals to offer a broader range of products, and establishing an IPO to raise capital for further expansion – which now includes nine global offices representing markets in Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Vitality has grown far beyond selling products out of Kikucki’s garage to a large scale enterprise in the personal care products sector. Beth Williams is the current CEO who was recruited in mid-2008 to replace Kikuchi over concerns for his health, and to infuse Vitality with fresh blood and new ideas in the highly competitive marketplace. The board liked her no-nonsense approach and hoped she could turn Vitality around after a period of stagnation. James Hoffman is the newly appointed vice president of Human Resources at Vitality Health Enterprises and shares concerns with Beth that Vitality is not maintaining its edge on innovation, and has a large employee turnover rate among the highly talented research scientists. His first assignment is to take the lead on the new Performance Management Evaluation Team, constructed to evaluate the success of the system, and present the findings and recommendations to the board. Hoffman’s evaluation can either provide him with a great career opportunity, or be the catalyst for his departure. His concern is they do not have all the data to present and having been with Vitality for two months, he needs to be certain of his analysis – not to mention his boss, Beth, is the one who implemented the program several years earlier. The main problem in this entire case is how Vitality can maintain being the industry leader in innovation. There is a high turnover rate with high performing employees, especially those who are the innovators in product development. The high turnover is attributed to the poor incentive structure. Innovation is vital at maintaining the competitive edge, in any rapidly changing industry. For other employees, the structure encourages complacency and a culture of ineffective performance, not easily identifying poor performers. There is a problem with the evaluation process required of the managers, in the performance evaluations. They are not properly trained on how to evaluate the teams and don’t like the structure because it alienates team members. There might also be legal issues with discrimination and how the evaluation is designed. Company wide motivation has been declining due to the performance management system. Managers don’t feel thorough evaluations are, â€Å"worth their time†, and they are concerned the force- rank system incorrectly ranks individual performance. Employees can be placed in the lower tier, comp structure, if they are part of a high performing team and the opposite can be true for employees ranked in the higher tier, if they are part of a lower performing team. The system’s â€Å"fairness† has been questioned throughout the organization, and no clear standards are understood on what dictates your placement in the tier system. If employees are not clear on the system, it is challenging to make corrections in their performance. In addition, management feels employees are less likely to take additional initiative, outside their roles, to better the team’s performance – since there is no real incentive to do so. These issues negatively affect the culture, and have led to increased turnover in top-tier talent, which has left Vitality struggling to maintain its hold as industry leader. Performance management systems primary goal should be to stimulate behaviors that improve performance within a company. It appears as Hoffman suggested – Vitality has, â€Å"missed the mark† and is not fostering the type of behavior it originally set out to accomplish. The question for Vitality and Hoffman is: does the performance management system need correction, or should they start from scratch? We believe they can modify the current system they have in place and make it successful. They have already taken the appropriate measures to find where the system is lacking, which is in motivating the employees. This demonstrates that Vitality is moving in the right direction by being proactive on improving the working environment and culture of the company. One system will never be a perfect fit for all, but we believe we’ve identified a few key suggestions, based off the organizational feedback, that would enable Vitality to â€Å"hit the mark† with their performance management system. First we would address the time constraints the managers have in preparing the evaluations, by allowing the process to be extended by three months. Teamwork is central to turning out new products, yet the evaluation removes the motivation and encouragement for individual initiative that would benefit team performance. We recommend a piece of the individual performance, perhaps 20-30 % of the evaluation, be based off team accomplishments; similar to a NFL football team winning the Super Bowl and earning bonuses for the team. It’s well known that some players contribute more than others due to ability, yet the entire team contributes and receives additional compensation based off the accomplishment. The force-rank component would be based off the employee achieving key individual milestones, that would be determined by the manager and employee, at the beginning of the year. We would also remove the required number of rankings for top achievers, achievers, low achievers, unacceptable and not rated. We would leave these up to the discretion of the manager. The manager would then have a pool of money to distribute throughout his team contingent on the performance evaluations. In order to entice innovation, within the organization, a specific bonus/kicker structure should be incorporated into the plan that rewards individuals and teams that bring new product development to market. It’s clear that Vitality has made the right moves to maintain its market leader perception. We applaud Beth Williams for identifying a problem within the company, and being proactive to change course in order to maintain continued high performance.

Imagine you are Arthur miller Essay

This may be because they lack the language to express themselves fully or because they do not want to put their ideas into words. Eddie and Beatrice’s relationship is deteriorating because Eddie is jealous of Rodolfo. Beatrice is aware of a deeper, more disturbing reason for Eddie’s protectiveness for Catherine. It soon becomes clear that she is unhappy about Eddie’s attitude to his niece and she is able to persuade him to allow Catherine to start work when she gets offered one. Beatrice repeats the words â€Å"What do you want from me? † over again. â€Å"When am I going to be a wife again, Eddie? † She wants to know if he still loves her because they haven’t talked or had any physical or sexual relationships which means that part of their relationship with each other has broken down, and despite challenging Eddie over this, Beatrice is unable to make him face why this might be, let alone make him admit his weakness to himself, as a result of this she remains powerless to help him. Beatrice realized she had to tell Eddie that he wants â€Å"somethin’ else, Eddie, and you can never have her! † This key dialogue within the play not only causes Catherine and Eddie’s relationship to deteriorate, but because Eddie will not allow her to try to achieve adult hood; he is possessive and controlling. It is this urge to protect Catherine, to keep her from discovering her independence, that makes him particularly sensitive to the presence of Marco and especially Rodolfo, to whom Catherine becomes attracted. Catherine sometimes sits on the edge of the bath, in her underwear, talking to Eddie while he shaves. This shows how close they once were but also hints at the inappropriate crossing of boundaries, that leads to the eventual break up in their relationship. But, Catherine finding work, her growing attraction towards Rodolfo, which leads to their planned marriage, brings out an increasingly aggressive reaction in Eddie that starts to break the family apart. Eddie is suspicious of Rodolfo’s interest in Catherine, believing that he seeks to marry her in order to gain the American Citizenship. It becomes clear to Catherine that Rodolfo’s intentions towards her are motivated by his love for her. Eddie’s dislike not to be Catherine’s affections, as well as his desire for her, which forces him to talk with Alfieri for advice and which, even after Alfieri has told him to let events follow their natural course. This pushes Eddie to betray Eddie and Rodolfo. At the end, Catherine says â€Å"Rat in the sewer† and is always shouting which shows how much their relationship has disappeared. She becomes more rebellious and independent and Beatrice becomes increasingly frustrated as she realizes how the events will go. Eddie’s aggression towards Rodolfo is shown in the boxing scenes. Eddie’s main problems with Rodolfo are that he cooks; he sings; he’s blonde; he sews; he dances and seems to be extremely feminine overall. To Eddie all the talents that Rodolfo is showing, points to only one thing in his eyes: he’s gay. Most of the time Eddie doesn’t know all the facts and jumps to conclusions, he refuses to see sense â€Å"his eyes were like tunnels†. Eddie cannot be persuaded otherwise, he is self centred and doesn’t care whose feelings he hurts as long as he proves his point. Eddie and Rodolfo are completely different. Physically Eddie has brown hair, quite well built, straightforward and simple where as Rodolfo has blonde hair, lighthearted, good looking and light on his feet; their language, even though English is Rodolfo’s second language, he is able to express himself more passionately and imaginatively then Eddie. Rodolfo and Eddie’s attitudes differ because of the generation gap and Eddie has more experience about things, he’s older and ‘wiser’. Rodolfo asks a lot of questions about things and wants to get a job, buy a motorcycle, and have dreams and fantasies of his future life. Marco and his structure, in comparison to Eddie, is similar in the fact that they both show signs of bulk and muscle and both enjoy to work hard for their family. That is why they got along in the beginning. Their interaction with each other clearly shows that Eddie preferred talking to Marco rather than Rodolfo. At the end of act 1, Marco gives Eddie a physical threat with â€Å"the chair raised like a weapon over Eddie’s head†. Marco shows Eddie ‘how to’ lift the chair and Eddie tries but fails again and again. Marco tried to scare Eddie but he has to get the message first. Marco lifts the chair over his head and gives Eddie a glare of warning and triumph. Eddie’s grin disappears as he finally gets the message. At the end of act 5 shows just how far Eddie was determined to go to try and get his name back from Marco. Eddie gets killed by Marco because he turned both Marco and Rodolfo into the Immigration Bureau. This act of betrayal on members of his own extended family allows the tragedy, which Alfieri foresaw at the beginning and he knew he wouldn’t be able to prevent these things happening. Though despite Alfieri’s best efforts, Marco is set upon getting revenge for his betrayal, while Eddie is determined to maintain his reputation and honour. Eddie felt that the only way he could get his respect from the people back was to try and kill Marco. They finally come face to face in view of the neighbourhood and the unpreventable tragedy happens. Marco was stronger and it was Eddie’s own knife and arrogance that killed him. This scene is where Catherine and Beatrice admit that they really do care for Eddie. Thank you for writing to me Albert, I hope my advice aids your performance in the play. Yours sincerely, Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

English - reading the novel life before us and questions Essay

English - reading the novel life before us and questions - Essay Example He then questions whether it is French. He further likens time to the desert with its camels that are not in hurry because they carry eternity on their back. In this instance, Momo relates time to how an aging man can change his appearance day by day until he eventually dies. This is why Momo gives his opinion about time and says that time is just a thief, meaning that time takes away people’s lives as they become older and older. Momo was fascinated by the turn of events because he heard several voices at the same time. Someone was crying and asking the other not to kill him. However, the man kept on crying but the bastard wanted to kill him several times. This instance also fascinated Momo since he had never seen someone die more than once. Momo was fascinated with the idea of reversing time because it reminded him of several issues that happened in the past. Reversing time created the impression that everyone must change his/her way of doing things. This is why when Momo rushed in as one man, he finds everyone walking backwards. Madame Rosa believes that Monsieur Kadir Yousef who is allegedly Momo’s dad suffers from a mental problem. In his condition and because he is too emotional and gets annoyed by simple issues, Madame Rosa believes that Momo is not safe in his hands. Madame Rosa also plays a trick because she loves Momo so much that she could stand to see him suffering in hands of Kadir Yousef. Even though Kadir tries to convince Madame Rosa that he does not have violent fits anymore, Madame Rosa feels that he is not completely cured on that side. Kadir’s story about commitment is not convincing since he did not clearly tell Madame Rosa why he could not stand emotion. Also, according to all he says, it is not possible to understand his intention of insisting to see the kid. Momo remained silent because all along he did not know whether his father was dead or alive. In his silence, he

Pol 211 Mile 2 Realism, idealism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pol 211 Mile 2 Realism, idealism - Essay Example The state is supposed to develop its interests first in terms of security when considering relationships with other states. Idealists view the national interest with reference to the balance of power. Idealist administrators seek to advance their national interests. Diplomacy is the art of combining national power to produce maximum effect to the international situation that will hence affect the national interest directly. The collapse of the Soviet Union is best described using the realism and idealism concept of â€Å"Balance of Power†. This was whereby Bush succeeds in convincing Gorbachev to implementing reform efforts towards shifting the USSR into a democratic system and a market-based economy. Gorbachev allows elections under a multi-party system and the presidency of the Soviet Union. This gradually develops the democracy that goes along with destabilizing communist control and later on the total collapse of the Soviet Union (Strayer, 1998,

The United States vs Sioux Nations of Indians Essay

The United States vs Sioux Nations of Indians - Essay Example The 1877 Act exercised the Congress power over Indian poverty and protected the tribal property which had been set aside by the Fort Laramie Treaty for Sioux. The treaty was concluded after the Powder River war of 1866 to 1867. The decisions undertaken in this case include the following. The government promised to provide the Sioux with the necessary services and materials and subsistence rations for four years in order for them to become civilized farmers. The United States also permitted this tribe to choose for themselves lands within the reservations for them to cultivate. The government through the executive branch decided to do away with the Nations treaty obligation of keeping safe the territory for Sioux. Besides, the court dismissed the earlier 448 U.S. 371 for lack of jurisdiction and without determining the merits of the Black Hills claim. In reference to this situation, I would like to describe a related case. I had a friend whose land was unjustly grabbed by a company. The ideal situation was that this particular company had detected some land which was rich in oil. Following its admiration, the company had decided to negotiate for the same that it would partake the necessary legal procedures. Instead of doing that, the company which was notably found to be corruptive somehow instead paid huge amounts of money to the land authorities in order to gain the consent from both parties (Seelye, # 25). The government through the lands authority on the contrarily did not protect the land and its owner. Instead, it took advantage of the lots of money offered and corruptly gave out a title deed to the company. This situation is unfair because it is classified under the crime of land grabbing. To me, both the company and the land authorities are corrupt. They should have protected the property of this citizen and acquire it in a correct way. If I were the in the position of the lands authorities, I would shun from corruption and sue this particular company for its mistake.     Ã‚  

Individual Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Individual Report - Assignment Example ts that are usually given a high sense of priority, when analyzing the economic status of a country in relation to its fitness for business activity (Mohr, 2011). In this research, the discussion will be based on an analysis of three major economic indicators; the currency value against the US Dollar, inflation and economic growth rate measured in Gross Domestic Product and how they will affect the multinational company that intends to expand the provision of its services and products to other parts of the global business environment. Economists have asserted that a nation’s economic indicators are usually voluminous statistical information that are provided by governments, non-governmental organizations as well as the economic agencies charged with the responsibility of undertaking economic analyses (Mohr, 2011). This information has proved beneficial to not only local companies, but also multinational companies that aspire to expand their services to these countries. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, information regarding the country’s Gross Domestic Product has been crucial for the government owing to the fact that it assists in making adjustments of the existing economic policies (Berlatsky, 2013). In this regard, multinational and SME’s are usually subjected to scenario where they have to keep up to date with the existing economic policies in order to adjust their operations. The Federal Reserve Bank of the United States indicates that Gross Domestic Product of a nation is basically the value of services and products within its markets, generated within a specific period of time (Berlatsky, 2013). This information is usually released to the general public on a quarterly basis together with some revisions that may be provided within a period of ten weeks after the real of GDP information. Information regarding this data is usually accompanied with explanatory data that provides reasons for an increase in GDP or the reasons why

PACKAGING FUNCTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PACKAGING FUNCTIONS - Essay Example Products are at high risk of these damages when they are transported from place to place and are subjected to climate or temperature change. Products such as fruits require a more rigid packaging such as a laminated container so its freshness is preserved. Second, a good packaging puts the product together and avoids it from spilling. This function of packaging is more directed to the protection of the item itself such as in preserving its shape & size. Also, packaging protects a product from being confused with another. This is very important and useful especially because it differentiates one brand from another, carries the description of what a product is and includes the nutritional facts. Though most people would not realize the importance of which, having a packaging with poor labeling can cause major repercussions especially for consumers with health concerns/issues (The Functions of Packaging,

Factors that distinguish your local ecology and environment Essay

Factors that distinguish your local ecology and environment - Essay Example Canada is rich with forests and is blessed with forest ecosystem, mountainous ecosystem, arctic ecosystem and prairie grassland ecosystem. A vast land of the country is covered with boreal and temperate forests (Natural Resources Canada 2009). Three oceans make the border of Canada. Most of the region has lower winter temperatures. Forests help maintain the natural atmosphere in the region and help to maintain air quality in the region. Country’s economy is dependent on its forestry and agriculture, but mining of natural resources contribute much to the economy of the country. Diamond exploration also contributes to the country’s economy. The specific factors that distinguish the Canada’s local ecology and environment are forests. Forests play an important role in purifying the urban air. Forests are also important in best utilization of water. Rivers and lakes in the country are the source of fresh water but the country also started some wastewater treatment pro grams to reduce the utilization of water. Mountains are also important in providing the country fresh water and Canada is blessed with mountainous ecology.Canada’s ecosystem supports heavily human activities like agriculture. However, human activities, which involve the emission of green house gases, are highly dangerous for the ecosystem. Urban localities cover almost 0.2% of the country. In Canada, urban localities consume most of energy. The large amount of energy consumption means large amount of green house gases emissions.

The Future of Criminology Essay Example for Free

The Future of Criminology Essay Over the past several years criminology has made leaps, bounds, and advances to enhance capturing criminals. Due to the increasing technology at the fingertips of criminals and terrorists law enforcement has been forced to step of their resources and intelligence. The government is constantly faced with new methods people have created to commit crime. Technology is infiltrating every aspect of the criminal justice system, from the investigation to the prosecution of crimes and even to attempts to predict them. What steps is law enforcement and the government taking to ensure our safety and to catch the criminals and terrorists? Biometrics After the attacks on 9/11 the government discovered America was not truly prepared for anything. America lacked the technology and resources to stop terrorist’s attacks. Suddenly, the United States government became acutely aware that it didn’t know exactly who was passing in and out of the country. After 9/11, the U.S. Congress decided we must have some way of securing our borders. What did the government do to try to protect the nation? They looked into security measures such as biometrics. â€Å"Biometric is the most secure and convenient authentication tool. It cannot be borrowed, stolen, or forgotten and forging one is practically impossible. Biometrics measure individuals unique physical or behavioral characteristics to recognize or authenticate their identity. Common physical biometrics include fingerprints, hand or palm geometry, retina, iris, and facial characteristics. Behavioral characters characteristics include signature, voice, keystroke pattern, and gait. Of this class of biometrics, technologies for signature and voice are the most developed† (Biometric Security Technology, n.d.). Today, our identities are verified almost exclusively by things that you carry with you and things you remember.  Driver’s licenses social security cards, birth certificates and passports are common documents people carry with them, and passwords and PINs are common security measures people remember. Physical identification is easy to fake, and passwords are easily cracked by hackers, who then have nearly unfettered access to our credit cards, bank accounts, and personal data. People make fake driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates and even death certificates. Hackers only need limited information about a person to steal their identity. It is mind boggling to think what little data criminals need that can turn a person’s life upside down in a matter of seconds. Something needs to change and biometrics could be that change. Biometrics are a fundamental shift in the way people are identified. Unlike traditional identification which individuals must either remember or carry with them, biometrics is the individual, it is a part of who you are so to speak. Fingerprints, voice analysis, iris patterns, vein matching, gait analysis, and so on. Such traits are unique to an individual and often, though not always, incredibly difficult to fake. â€Å"United States government has poured money into research, development, and acquisition of biometric identification systems. The Department of Homeland Security has spent over $133 million on biometrics since 2003, and the Defense Department is predicted to spend $3.5 billion on the technology between 2007–2015. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has rapidly expanded its fingerprint database and is currently developing a more sophisticated system that will add iris scans, palm scans, and facial recognition to the mix† (De Chant, 2013). Just because biometrics cannot be lost or misplaced does not mean they cannot be misused. Privacy concerns loom large with biometrics. A biometric security measure by itself is not threatening, though they are easily linked to other, potentially sensitive information, and that’s when people grow uneasy. Biometrics are a part of person and not something that can easily be discarded like a Facebook page or a password. This causes a lot of anxiety for some people. The government would have part of everyone on file at their disposal and would it always be used correctly or will American’s become violated by this extra power the government would have? There is already a lot of mistrust in the government it would be difficult to get the American nation as a whole on board with the government having access to our fingerprints, retina’s, faces, and palms. There are people  even in our criminal justice system that abuse their power and give out information that should not be given to certain people, who is to say that same would not happen with should vital information as biometrics. Spyware As rates of cybercrime continue to increase exponentially, law enforcement agencies will have to enhance their cyber-defenses to effectively fight online attacks. New technologies promise to play an important role in this battle for cybersecurity. The war on cybercrime and cyberterrorism has given a major boost to the IT and security industries. In the coming years, the fields could experience even greater growth, possibly generating hundreds of billions of dollars in the US alone. Cyber criminals can be computer geeks looking for bragging rights, to businesses trying to gain an upper hand in the marketplace by hacking competitor websites, from rings of criminals wanting to steal your personal information and sell it on black markets and even spies and terrorists looking to rob our nation of vital information. In this day and age of advanced technology, we have become accustomed to all the benefits that computers give us in terms of convenience. While most of us would never want to g o back to doing things the old fashioned way, it is very important to be aware that anyone can become a victim of cybercrime. â€Å"To effectively detect and deter cyber criminals, it is vital for our law enforcement agencies and our legal community to look beyond our nation’s borders and work with their international colleagues in order to have a global framework of cybercrime statutes. One of the new devices to help detect cyber criminals is a Wi-Fi Investigator. The Wi-Fi Investigator is a tool designed to help law enforcement officials specify locations in order to apprehend suspect devices, including laptops and smartphones. Another featured gadget produces powerful magnetic pulses in order to instantly erase sensitive data in the event of a security breach† (Brown, 2010). Another useful tool for law enforcement is the Global Positioning System or GPS. This is used to help track criminals on probation and parole. This can also be useful in court to show a suspects whereabouts during trial or in tracking down a kidnapped victim. The GPS has become a vital part of an investigation and something that some investigators may even rely on. The same can be said for cellphones since most of them now days are equipped to tell your location as well. Tools and devices are not the only thing that is  used to try to deter cybercrimes, there are laws in place as well. Recently, President Obama calls for a new law for cybersecurity. â€Å"The new cybersecurity effort came a day after Mr. Obama called for legislation to force American companies to be more forthcoming when credit card data and other consumer information are lost in an online breach like the kind that hit Sony Pictures, Target and Home Depot last year. Concern about cybersecurity has increased after the hacking of Sony in December, which the United States government says was the work of the North Korean government. The president said that breach and an attack on the United States Central Command’s Twitter account proved the need for an overhaul† (Hirschfeld Davis, 2015). The cybersecurity measure Mr. Obama envisions would encourage companies to share threat information such as Internet Protocol addresses, date and time stamps, and routing information with the Department of Homeland Security, which would swiftly pass it on to other government agencies and industry groups voluntarily formed to share such material. Companies would get â€Å"targeted liability protection† for doing so, as long as they took steps to protect consumers’ personal information (Hirschfeld Davis, 2015). â€Å"President Obama also called for law enforcement tools to combat cybercrime, including to prosecute the sale of botnets, computer networks created to carry out cybercrime, and to give courts power to shut down those involved in denial of service attacks and other fraudulent activities† (Hirschfeld Davis, 2015). Fighting cybercrime is not just the responsibility of the government it is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone at any time can be attacked by a cybercriminal there is no limits when it comes to cybercrime. The government and law enforcement does their best to protect everyone but it is difficult to protect against someone you cannot see. There is still concerns that maybe technology is trying to take over good old fashion police work such as patrolling and even investigating itself. Is the government looking for the quick technological fix rather than to invest in what it takes to get communities to collaborate on their own safety? The problem is an over-reliance on technology with too little recognition that policing is primarily a people business. Law enforcement and local communities often see technology as a panacea to make communities safer without asking the hard questions. While technology is good to have and it does help to solve some cases it will never replace a police officer. People  find safety and security when they actually see someone protecting them. People need that reassurance. DNA Collection â€Å"The Federal Bureau of Investigations maintains a national DNA database known as the Combined DNA Indexing System or CODIS. The pilot program for what became CODIS started with fourteen state and local laboratories. Today, there are over 180 public law enforcement laboratories that use CODIS. The FBI Laboratorys CODIS program allows federal, state, and local crime laboratories to store, search, and share DNA profiles electronically† (The DNA Act, 2015). The practice of taking DNA samples from convicted criminals is now largely uncontroversial. The courts have routinely upheld laws that authorize DNA collection from both current and former convicts, and the resulting databases of DNA have become powerful tools to analyze forensic evidence collected from crime scenes. The databases help to clear innocent suspects and redirect law enforcement officials away from unproductive investigations. They also help to convict guilty criminals and clear the wrongfully convicted. A trend that is causing significant debate is gathering DNA samples from people who are arrested but not convicted (Berson, 2009). â€Å"About 20 states and the federal government have passed legislation that requires DNA collection upon arrest. This legislation has raised concerns that crime laboratories may be unable to manage an influx of samples from a new source and that preconviction DNA collection may violate Fourth Amendment privacy guarantees. Some people worry that collecting DNA creates the potential for abuse of genetic information stored in databases. Others point out that the federal and state privacy laws and penalties that apply to crime labs are stringent far more stringent than the rules governing private entities that collect blood and saliva for medical or insurance purposes† (Berson, 2009). Although some states limit preconviction DNA collection to violent offenses or sex crimes, other states include all felonies, and some extend the requirement to misdemeanors as well. States legislation requiring preconviction DNA collection varies. Variations include the types of crimes for which samples are collected, applicability of the law to juveniles and procedures for deleting profiles. Some state laws have faced Fourth Amendment challenges in court. â€Å"The Fourth Amendment ensures that [t]he right of the people to be secure in their  persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized† (The DNA Act, 2015). This is where the government will continue to have problems, most American’s live by the Amendments that the United States was founded upon. The Amendments were put in place to give the government limits and when it comes to mandating DNA the government appears to have reached its limits. Conclusion In conclusion, the government and law enforcement have many challenges to face and overcome in the new age of technology. Technology also makes it easier for criminals from around the globe to connect and partner with each other to pull off financial frauds, and the anonymity of the web can make it more challenging to locate and stop online perpetrators. There are legal obstacles as well as ethical obstacles that the government and law enforcement must overcome. At every corner there is a potential for a crime to happen whether it is a person’s credit card, a computer, a bank, a smart phone or even a car. Cybercrime is a growing field and one that is hard to combat with all the technology. The problem the government is facing is what is considered too invasive and what is going too far to protect our nation? References Berson, S. (2009). Debating DNA Collection. Retrieved from http://www.nij.gov/journals/264/pages/debating-DNA.aspx Biometric Security Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.peterindia.net/BiometricsView.html Brown, K. (2010). The Future of Cybercrime Detection Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.pctools.com/security-news/future-cybercrime-prevention/ De Chant, T. (2013). The Boring and Exciting World of Biometrics. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/biometrics-and-the-future-of-identification/ Hirschfeld Davis, J. (2015). Obama Calls for New Laws to Bolster Cybersecurity. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/us/obama-to-announce-new-cyberattack-protections.html?_r=0 The DNA Act. (2015). Retrieved from

Jane Eyre Essay Example for Free

Jane Eyre Essay The novel Jane Eyre was originally published in London, England in 1847 by Smith, Elder Co. The early editions of the novel were given the subtitle An Autobiography and named Currer Bell as the editor, not the author. The subtitle was dropped in subsequent editions of the novel. During the days when the novel was published, it was popularly believed that men and women had different duties and responsibilities. Women were encouraged to be devoted and submissive to their husbands. The ideal woman was passive, charming, self-sacrificing and pure. Jane Eyre and other works of the Charlotte and her sisters were centred around the lives of protagonists who did not conform to these societal ideals. Thus, in order to hide their true identities and genders, the three Bronte sisters published their works under pseudonyms. These were Acton Bell (Anne Bronte), Ellis Bell (Emily Bronte) and Currer Bell (Charlotte Bronte). Despite its immediate popularity, Jane Eyre was condemned by its earliest critics as anti-Christian. These negative reviews can be attributed to the generally rebellious tone of the novel. Through the description of the protagonist’s life, including those related to her social status and matters of the heart, the reader is presented with several social and political issues. The novel questions society’s view of women, the importance of the arts and the basis of a solid marriage. Based on the standards of the society in the days when the novel was first published, Jane Eyre as a character lead an immoral life. Jane fell in love and lusted after a married man, was proposed to by her cousin, and describes a clergymen as hypocritical and greedy. The novel is written in such a manner that the reader empathizes with Jane, and in doing so, leads the reader to question his or her beliefs. The novel is also explicitly anti-Christian in that Jane questions the existence and importance of God. During her days at Lowood, Jane’s close friend, Helen Burns contracts tuberculosis. On her deathbed, Helen calmly reassures Jane that by dying young, she is escaping great sufferings, and will go to God. Jane remains sceptical, and asks, â€Å"Where is God? What is God? † In the same conversation, Jane questions the existence of heaven and the ability of people to enter it. Using contemporary standards, these questions might be considered by some to be normal and even healthy. However, in the context of the society during the time when the novel was first published, such comments would have been considered as blasphemous and grossly immoral. Critics who believed that the novel was in fact an autobiography were correct. Although the life of the character Jane Eyre is not identical to that of the author Charlotte Bronte, there are obvious parallels. For example, while attending Lowood School, one of Jane’s closest friends dies of consumption. Similarly, while attending school at Cowan Bridge, Jane’s sisters died of the same illness. This coincidence drew comparisons between the fictional headmaster of Lowood whom Jane denounces as insincere and deceitful, and Charlotte’s own former headmaster who ran Cowan Bridge. Another parallel can be drawn between the character of John Reed and Charlotte’s brother Branwell, because both men suffered from alcoholism. Perhaps the most obvious similarity between the novel and the author’s life is the fact that both Jane and Charlotte were governesses. In accepting Jane Eyre as the true adventures of its heroine and by branding the novel as anti-Christian, early critics were correct. Due to similarities in the personal life of Charlotte Bronte and the experiences of Jane Eyre, it can be inferred that the novel is an autobiography. Based on the standards of society during the time it was first published, the rebellious tone and the manner in which the novel questioned respected social institutions, the novel can be considered as anti-Christian.

Suprascapular Neuropathy in Overhead Athletes

Suprascapular Neuropathy in Overhead Athletes SUPRASCAPULAR NEUROPATHY IN OVERHEAD ATHLETES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON AETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OPTIONS Surya.P, Pankhania. R, Funk.L ABSTRACT Suprascapular neuropathy is often overlooked as a cause for shoulder pain in overhead athletes. However, with recent advancements in the understanding of the condition as well as its treatment methods, suprascapular neuropathy is now diagnosed more frequently. Consistent overhead activities, rotator cuff tear and direct compression of the nerve, by space occupying lesion are important etiologies for suprascapular neuropathy. While MRI is widely used to identify space-occupying lesions and rotator cuff injury; Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) remains gold standards for confirming injury to the nerve. Conservative physical therapy, nerve blocks and arthroscopic and open surgical interventions are the main treatment plans for suprascapular neuropathy. 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The posterosuperior aspect of shoulder receives its sensory innervation from the suprascapular nerve. The suprascapular nerve also provides motor innervation to supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles. Compression or traction of nerve and rotator cuff diseases are found to be associated with suprascapular nerve damage and neuropathy. Clinical symptoms of the condition include pain in the posterior shoulder, feeble forward flexion, and weak external rotation. It is also noteworthy that the multiple presentations for suprascapular nerve neuropathy vary greatly in different patients and thus diagnosis of the condition is often challenging. This kind of nerve damage is a less common reason for shoulder pain and dysfunction in the general population, however is widely observed in athletes who play overhead sports such as volleyball, tennis, badminton, and baseball. Such sports expose the athletes hands to overhead, abducted and externally rotated positions for prolonged periods of time. ( Cummins Schneider, 2008). Observational studies have identified that players involved in overhead sports are at higher risk of injuries related to overuse of the shoulder such as rotator cuff tendinopathy and tearing of glenoid labrum (Pillai et al. 2011). On the other hand, shoulder pain due to suprascapular neuropathy is observed in only 1-2% of cases and therefore, the condition is often overlooked during diagnosis for shoulder pain (Boykin et al. 2010). Among the overhead sports athletes, incidences of suprascapular neuropathy are maximum in volleyball players. Around 33% of volleyball players suffer from this condition at some instance in their career (Boykin et al. 2010). Traditionally, suprascapular neuropathy has always been regarded as a diagnosis of exclusion. However, now with further understanding of the etiology and advanced diagnostic options, the condition is being recognised by physicians from an earlier onset. 2. AETIOLOGY FOR SUPRASCAPULAR NEUROPATHY Rotator cuff tear is considered as a prime cause for suprascapular neuropathy. Studies show that suprascapular neuropathy can also develop secondary to traction and microtrauma, especially in overhead athletes, particularly due to tightening of the spinoglenoid ligament during the overhead throwing position. The risk for the development of suprascapular neuropathy also increases in patients with ossification of the transverse scapular ligament or spinoglenoid ligament. Other causes such as; compression of the nerve at spinoglenoid notch due to the presence of a bone tumor, cyst due to labral, soft tissue or capsular injury tissue can also lead to the condition. Suprascapular neuropathy is also rarely seen following brachial neuritis, glenohumeral dislocation, fracture of the shoulder girdle, and penetrating or iatrogenic injury to the nerve (Lewis et al. 2012). All these etiological factors for suprascapular neuropathy are discussed in detail in the following section. 2.1 Rotator Cuff Injury: Anatomically, the suprascapular nerve branches from the upper trunk of the brachial plexus. From there, it travels posterior to the clavicle, passes below the transverse scapular ligament and then enters the suprascapular notch. The motor branches innervate the supraspinatus, and the nerve continues past the spinoglenoid notch and innervates the infraspinatus. Injury due to traction or compression of the nerve at any point in this path can lead to suprascapular neuropathy. Retracted superior or posterior rotator cuff tear is the most common cause for suprascapular nerve traction injury. Tension on the suprascapular nerve lying at a suprascapular notch or spinoglenoid notch increases with the retraction of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons. Studies on cadavers by Gosk et al (2007) showed that as the retraction of supraspinatus tendon increases, it reduces the angle between the suprascapular nerve and its first motor branch, which leads to an increase in tension and thus causes t raction injury. Gosk et al. (2007) also found that massive rotator cuff tear was the main reason for suprascapular neuropathy in eight different overhead players. On the other hand, studies by Lajtai et al. (2009) found that rotator cuff tear and muscle atrophy were responsible for only 8% of suprascapular neuropathy cases. Expanding the knowledge on the topic, different studies also showed that the tension between rotator cuff, supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons has a profound impact on the condition of the suprascapular nerve. Observations of cadaver showed that the tension on the neurovascular pedicle increases significantly once the lateral advancement of a retracted rotator cuff tear exceeds 3 cm (Greiner et al. 2003). Other studies suggest that if the rotator cuff extension increases by 3 cm, it lay significant tension on the motor branches of the suprascapular nerve. Also, the tension on the medial portion of the suprascapular nerve starts to increase only by 1 cm extension of the rotator cuff. Increased tension is one of the important reasons for traction injury to the nerve (Larissa et al. 2014). It has also been reported that following surgical repair of rotator cuff tear, the tendons can be advanced up to 3.5 cm without any significant risk to the health of suprascapular nerve. Various reports suggest that surgical repair of rotator cuff tear can help in either partially or completely resolving suprascapular neuropathy. Nerve recovery by reinnervation has been found in patients of suprascapular neuropathy following partial or complete arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (Petra et al. 2013). 2.2 Nerve injury: Sports Specific Etiology: Sports physiotherapists have proposed various etiological mechanisms for suprascapular neuropathy which includes repeated traction, microtrauma, ischaemia of the nerve and compression of the nerve by soft tissue, tumor or cyst. However, the majority of the healthcare professionals consider that nerve injury due to repetitive trauma is the main reason for the development of suprascapular neuropathy. Two main sites for suprascapular nerve injury are: the suprascapular notch and the spinoglenoid notch. The symptoms alongside clinical presentation for suprascapular neuropathy thus depend on the location of nerve injury. Injury of suprascapular nerve at the spinoglenoid notch has been found to cause isolated atrophy and weakness of the infraspinatus muscle. This condition is also known as infraspinatus syndrome. A systematic literature review by Lee et al. (2007) found that suprascapular neuropathy due to infraspinatus syndrome is common in overhead game athletes, particularly volleyball players. (https://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article/1250) One important reason for traction injury in volleyball players is the huge amount of motion occurring at the shoulder during throwing action. The role of the scapula in allowing throwing motion as well as other overhead sports activity is now well-researched. It has been observed that the movement of the scapula during the protraction and retraction of hands leads to significant trauma of suprascapular nerve at both the suprascapular and spinoglenoid notches. This phenomenon is known as the sling effect. The sling effect proposes that certain positioning of upper limb during overhead activity exposes the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular notch to a significant amount of sheer stress and thus injury. Sling effect also suggests that the suprascapular nerve is exposed to high risk of traction injury when it bends around the spine of the scapula at the spinoglenoid notch (Arash et al. 2015). Chronic overuse of shoulder, as well as functional instability, may cause the suprascapular nerve to angle sharply at the spinoglenoid notch, as an adaptive response. This condition is known as SICK scapula which is an abbreviation to Scapular protraction, Inferior border prominence, Coracoid tightness, and Kinesis abnormalities of the scapula (Burkhart et al. 2003). While imaging for the shoulder injuries of volleyball players, Crema Murakami (2016) found that SICK scapula significantly contributes to increased tension on the suprascapular nerve and thus causes traumatic injury. https://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article/930 http://www.scielo.br The spinoglenoid ligament lays into the posterior glenohumeral capsule. Observations suggest that the ligament gets stretched and rigid with the abduction and internal rotation of the ipsilateral upper limb across the body. Such action leads to the traction of suprascapular nerve at the spinoglenoid notch (Crema Murakani, 2016). Sandow Ilic (1998) provided another proposal for traumatic injury to the suprascapular nerve. According to them, when the upper limb is abducted and externally rotated, the medial border of the spinatus tendon present at the spinoglenoid notch compresses the suprascapular nerve. Repeated upper limb action thus causes trauma to the nerve and injures it. Plancher Petterson (2016), recently supported this mechanism of nerve injury in their research paper. The injury to the posterior part of the suprascapular nerve is thought to occur due to multiple, abrupt, peculiar stretching of infraspinatus tendon during the deceleration phase of the floater serve (the most common type of overhead volleyball serve). Ferretti observed such injury in volleyball players while Arash et al. (2016) observed this in various overhead sports players as well as labourers. 2.3 Other etiologies: Nerve compression: According to Raddic Wallace (2016) direct compression of suprascapular nerve passing through spinoglenoid notch can occur due to ganglionic cysts arising from the glenohumeral joint. Such cysts are formed by synovial fluid leakage due to injury to the posterior glenoid labrum. Incidences of suprascapular nerve compression due to a bone tumor or the surrounding soft tissues are very rare but not absent. Nerve ischaemia: In very rare conditions, microemboli formed after any trauma gets trapped in the suprascapular artery and then migrate to the vasa nervorum thus hindering the blood and fluid supply to the suprascapular nerve. This leads to nerve ischemia and then neuropathy (Shin et al. 2016). 3. PRESENTATION DIAGNOSIS OF SUPRASCAPULAR NEUROPATHY The peculiar clinical presentations of suprascapular neuropathy are as follows: Shoulder pain which worsens on cross body abduction or internal rotation of ipsilateral muscle. Atrophy of supraspinatus or/and infraspinatus muscle, observable on physical examination. The weakness of ipsilateral shoulder abduction observed during manual muscle testing. The weakness of external rotation of shoulder observed during manual muscle testing. Pain elicited by pressure application over the suprascapular and spinoglenoid notch. The tenderness between the clavicle and the spine of the scapula or deep and posterior to the acromioclavicular joint (Podgorski et al. 2014). Radiological examination using X-rays is the first step for diagnosis if suprascapular neuropathy is suspected. It is important to have a radiological view of a suprascapular notch and spinoglenoid notch along with a standard view of the shoulder area. However, no remarkable changes can be observed in the radiological images unless is a prominent trauma responsible for the condition. MRI of the shoulder helps in identifying muscle oedema, muscle atrophy, and ganglionic cyst, if present. These factors are responsible for suprascapular neuropathy due to direct compression. Three Tesla (3-T) MRI scan is another tool used in the diagnosis of suprascapular neuropathy as it helps to identify any nerve abnormality or any denervation changes in muscles. Ultrasound is also appliable for the diagnosis of cysts and other muscle abnormalities as it is an inexpensive and relatively accurate diagnostic tool (Ahlawat et al. 2015). Electrodiagnostic studies are gaining increasing popularity as an important diagnostic tool for suprascapular neuropathy. Positive sharp waves and fibrillation potentials indicated by electromyography can suggest denervation while polyphasic motor unit action potentials suggest motor innervation abnormalities. Larisa et al (2014) suggest that electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests are the gold standards for the detection of suprascapular nerve injury. EMG and NCV are suggested in the following conditions: Consistent pain on the back upper side of the shoulder and no confirm diagnosis is found. Atrophy as well as the weakness of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons in the absence of rotator cuff injury. MRI observations show muscle edema. Massive rotator cuff tendons with retraction and traction on the nerve. There are published and examined normative values for electrodiagnostic studies. According to which, the normal distal motor latencies to the supraspinatus muscles during stimulation at the Erb point are 2.7 msec  ± 0.5 and to the infraspinatus muscles, 3.3 msec  ± 0.5. Side-to-side differences greater than 0.4 msec suggest focal entrapment of the SSN or another neural injury (Larisa et al. 2014). In some cases, where outcomes of these electrodiagnostic studies are negative or not specific; fluoroscopically guided local anesthetic injection is used. This injection is administered to the region of suprascapular nerve and related pain relief is evaluated. This method is very effective in confirming the involvement of suprascapular nerve injury in shoulder pain (Debbie et al. 2014). 4. TREATMENT MODALITIES FOR SUPRASCAPULAR NEUROPATHY Treatment for suprascapular neuropathy is selected on the basis of different factors like etiology of nerve damage, the severity of nerve damage, duration of pain and weakness in shoulder, degree of functional disability and patients choice. The three main types of treatment options are conservative physical therapy, nerve blocks and surgical repair. 4.1 Physical therapy: If the suprascapular neuropathy is caused due to rotator cuff tear or labral tear with paralabral cyst, the treatment selection is done with regards to the pathology. However, in the case of isolated nerve injury, the conservative treatment plan including activity modification, analgesic drugs, and conservative physical therapy is initiated. The patient is asked to avoid or stop overhead activity as soon as he/she is diagnosed with suprascapular neuropathy. Following which, a physical therapy program is initiated which focuses on the movement of shoulder and muscle strengthening. The therapy also includes scapular stabilisation (Trojian, 2015). Different studies on patients with isolated suprascapular neuropathy suggest that non operative treatment for 6 months to 1 year provides good to excellent outcomes in the majority of the patients while surgical intervention following physical therapy is required by only 20% patients (Lee et al. 2007). Boykin et al (2010) suggest that such non-operative treatments in the case of suprascapular neuropathy due to compression by mass or a cyst do not provide satisfactory results. It has been found that 53% of patients with suprascapular neuropathy due to spinoglenoid cyst get significant pain control and symptomatic relief with non-operative methods while 96% of such patients experienced positive outcomes with surgical treatment. 4.2 Surgical Treatment: In case the conservative physical therapy for isolated suprascapular neuropathy fails, the patient is switched to surgical intervention. Furthermore, surgical intervention is immediately offered if suprascapular neuropathy is concomitant to rotator cuff tear or labrum tears with paralabral cysts. However, literature review suggests that there are debates about the application of surgical intervention for correcting nerve decompression in case of concomitant pathology. Many researchers recommend only for the correction of the isolated rotator cuff or labral repair and avoid surgery for nerve decompression (Boykin et al. 2010). Nerve damage at the suprascapular notch is usually treated with the release of the transverse ligament by an open or arthroscopic technique. Fewer complications have been observed with the open technique. Patients are reported to have adequate pain management as well as improved muscle strength with the open technique. However, muscle atrophy cannot be reversed in all the cases using this technique. Improvement of supraspinatus muscle strength is observed among 90% of patients treated by open technique while no significant improvement of infraspinatus muscle is seen (Kim et al. 2005). While there are no specific indications for arthroscopic suprascapular nerve decompression, it has been found to be similarly effective in resolving pain. However, extensive data is not available to show the effectiveness of the technique in treating muscle atrophy and weakness (Boykin et al. 2010). Nerve damage at spinoglenoid notch is usually secondary to nerve compression by the space-occupying lesion. Surgical management of such lesions often requires open or arthroscopic approach and resection of the lesion. It is noteworthy that patients with suprascapular neuropathy at spinoglenoid notch show poor results with physical therapy alone and thus are suggested to have surgical intervention immediately. Cyst recurrence rates are very low with both the methods (Petra et al. 2013). Literature review suggests that ultrasound-guided paralabral cyst aspiration is a good alternative to surgical intervention for suprascapular neuropathy due to compression at spinoglenoid notch. While the majority of patients reported excellent pain relief with the technique, recurrence rates for cyst are found to be between 75 100% (Moen et al. 2012). 4.3 Nerve Block: Nerve blocks are non-surgical treatment options for suprascapular neuropathy. Nerve blocks are usually administered to manage shoulder pain in preoperative setups as well as in the case of painful shoulder conditions like adhesive capsulitis. Diagnostic usage and specificity of nerve blocks are widely debated, but the blocks are used to achieve rapid symptomatic relief so that the patient can properly participate in the rehabilitation physical therapy. Nerve blocks consist of an injection of an anaesthetic mixed with corticosteroid administered to the suprascapular notch (Blum et al. 2013). Newer techniques like radiofrequency ablation of suprascapular nerve or palliative treatment for pain due to suprascapular neuropathy are still under consistent research phase and are not yet widely applied. 5. CONCLUSION The incidences of suprascapular neuropathy can be more easily recognised now due to increased understanding of the condition and improved diagnostic methods. Overhead athletes presenting with vague posterosuperior shoulder pain, muscle atrophy, weakness of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons must be investigated for suprascapular neuropathy. The condition must also be investigated in all the athletes with rotator cuff tear, due to the high incidence. MRI and EMG are the most reliable diagnostic techniques to identify suprascapular neuropathy and rotator cuff health. Recently, fluoroscopically guided injections to the suprascapular notch are also gaining popularity as a diagnostic method for the condition. While conservative physical methods can be applied to treat the isolated suprascapular neuropathy, open or arthroscopic surgical corrections are compulsory to treat suprascapular neuropathy due to rotator cuff tear and cystic compression. REFERENCES:Ahlawat S, Wadhwa V, Belzberg AJ, Batra K, Chhabra A. (2015) Spectrum of suprascapular nerve lesions: normal and abnormal neuromuscular imaging appearances on 3-T MR neurography. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 204 (3), 589-601. Arash A., Michael J., and Felix H. (2015) Suprascapular Nerve Release: General Principles. In: Elite Techniques in Shoulder Arthroscopy. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 271-281. Blum A, Lecocq S, Louis M, Wassel J, Moisei A, Teixeira P. (2013) The nerves around the shoulder. Eur J Radiol., 82(1),2-16. Boykin RE, Friedman DJ, Higgins LD, Warner JJ. (2010) Suprascapular neuropathy. J Bone Joint Surg Am., 92(13), 2348-64. Burkhart SS, Morgan CD, Kibler WB. (2003) The disabled throwing shoulder: spectrum of pathology Part III: The SICK scapula, scapular dyskinesis, the kinetic chain, and rehabilitation. Arthroscopy, 19(6), 641-61. Crema M., and Murakami A. (2016) Imaging of volleyball injuries. In: Imaging in Sports-Specific Musculoskeletal Injuries. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 663-695. Cummins CA, Schneider DS. (2008) Peripheral nerve injuries in baseball players. Neurol Clin., 26(1), 195-215. Debbie L., Angel M., William E., Susan V., and Ambrose J. (2014) Optimization and Standardization of Technique for Fluoroscopically Guided Suprascapular Nerve Blocks. American Journal of Roentgenology, 202(3), 576-584, 2014. Gosk J, Urban M, Rutowski R. (2007) Entrapment of the suprascapular nerve: anatomy, etiology, diagnosis, treatment. Ortop Traumatol Rehabil, 9(1), 68-74. Greiner K., Golser M, Wambacher F, Kralinger G, and Sperner T. (2003) The course of the suprascapular nerve in the supraspinatus fossa and its vulnerability in muscle advancement. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 12(3), 256-259. Kim D, Murovic JA, Tiel R, and Kline D. (2005) Management and outcomes of 42 surgical suprascapular nerve injuries and entrapments. Neurosurgery, 57(1), 120-127, 2005. Lajtai G, Pfirrmann CW, Aitzetmà ¼ller G, Pirkl C, Gerber C, and Jost B. (2009) The shoulders of professional beach volleyball players: high prevalence of infraspinatus muscle atrophy. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 37(7), 1375-1383. Larisa J., Elena J., Marisa J., and Jeffrey A. (2014) Evaluation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Suprascapular Neuropathy: A 5-Year Review. PM R, 6(9), 774-80. Lee BC, Yegappan M, Thiagarajan P. (2007) Suprascapular nerve neuropathy secondary to spinoglenoid notch ganglion cyst: case reports and review of literature. Ann Acad Med Singapore, 36(12),1032-5. Lewis L., Michael T., Paul Y., and Jon J. (2012) Suprascapular Nerve: Is It Important in Cuff Pathology? Advances in Orthopedics, Article ID 516985. Moen TC, Babatunde OM, Hsu SH, Ahmad CS, Levine WN. (2012) Suprascapular neuropathy: what does the literature show? J Shoulder Elbow Surg., 21(6), 835-46. Petra M, Gaspar S, Sven L, Peter H, and Mathias W. (2013) Results of Arthroscopic Partial Repair of Large Retracted Rotator Cuff Tears. Arthroscopy-The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, 29(8), 1275-1282, 2013. Pillai G, Baynes JR, Gladstone J, Flatow EL. (2011) Greater strength increase with cyst decompression and SLAP repair than SLAP repair alone. Clin Orthop Relat Res., 469(4), 1056-60. Plancher K., and Petterson S. (2016) Distal Suprascapular Nerve Compression: Spinoglenoid Ligament Release. In: Elite Techniques in Shoulder Arthroscopy. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 283-302. Podgorski M, Miroslaw T, Marcin S, Piotr G, Ludomir S, and Michal P. (2014) New parameters describing morphological variations in the suprascapular notch region as potential predictors of suprascapular nerve entrapment. Bmc Musculoskeletal Disorders, 15. Raddic R Wallace A. (2016) Arthroscopic release and labral repair for bifocal compression of the suprascapular nerve. Shoulder Elbow, 8(1), 32-36. Trojian T. (2015, October 13) Suprascapular Neuropathy. Retrieved from: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/92672-overview

Information Systems Essay example -- Business, Technology

Introduction The use of information technology or Information System has defined the way business is conducted globally over the past several decades. The internet has led to high rate of globalization; this is of special significance to the various industries (Reponen 2003). Goods and services can now be offered or sold in a large scale and in various part of the globe. The consequence of this is the growth in customer base for many business entities, especially the supermarkets (Reponen 2003). Due to large markets, various business entities have found it more convenient to adopt the use of information system and Information technology to both manage the large customer data and also reach them in the global market (Burgess, 2002). This report centers on the use of Information Technology/Information System in Tesco Supermarket. It begins by giving a brief overview of the supermarket and examines the benefits and challenges faced by the supermarket as it utilizes Information System (Burgess, 2002) . Description of Tesco Supermarket Tesco Supermarket was founded by Jack Cohen; he started by selling groceries in the market of End of East London from1919. The brand of Tesco first appeared in 1924 after Jack Cohen bought a large volume of tea shipment from T.E Stockwell (Blythe 2008). He came up with the name Tesco by picking the first two letters from T.E Stockwell (TE) S from Stockwell; he then combined these letters with the first two letter of his surname (Co) to form Tesco. The fist Tesco Store was opened 1929. This was followed of opening of the first self-service store in 1948 in St Albans. Subsequently, in 1956, the first Tesco Supermarket was opened. Tesco Supermarket has since established numerous subsidiaries all over ... ...formation technology has helped Tesco Supermarket to link up with its subsidiaries spread over a wide geographical area (Nag & Sengupta 2007). The supermarket has also managed to engage in electronic information interchange with its business partners and clients. The Information System has enabled the supermarket to reduce cost of its operations, increase its efficiency and win the trust and loyalty of its customers. Nonetheless, Tesco Supermarket has experienced some challenges with the use of Information Technology. These challenges have been occasioned by, amongst other factors, system failure, the need to train its workforce every time a new technology is introduced. In some cases, these challenges led to reduced profit margin and increased overhead costs. Moreover, during such challenges, the supermarket experiences slowed rate of work (Singh, et al 2005).

Diversity & Case Studies Essay -- essays research papers fc

Introduction There is no doubt that today ¡Ã‚ ¦s business world is changing rapidly and many factors are also simultaneously interacting. Perhaps these factors are created by diversity. According to the dictionary, diversity is a point or respect in which things differ. In fact, diversity in the population, the work force and the market place give many benefits for organizations. Managers are to gain more knowledge on internal diversity in order to maximize the efficiency of workforce and profit. Therefore, not only are changes inevitable while competition and improvement interacting, but also globalization is a crucial factor affecting all organizations. This essay will focus on and analyze some themes related to the diversity in today ¡Ã‚ ¦s competent business environment and a successful example will be discussed at the end of this paper. Reform of traditional management Bell and Harrison (1995) have an opinion on the  ¡Ã‚ §past leaders ¡Ã‚ ¨. In the past business world, leader were required to show that they have the strongest ability among all other staff. Centralization of power seems to be the characteristics of a leader and certain information control helps to maintain leader control and management. As far as making profit is concerned, centralization coursed a lot of red tape and poor performance. Therefore, it is about time there was a reform. Moreover, advanced technology has urged the reform of workplace nowadays. According to Casey, C. (1999), technological changes change the concept of leadership. The development of advance technology facilitates and speeds up the flow of information. Techniques, information and skills become possible to be enhanced, acquired and discarded in leaning that happens at work. Centralization of information and special skills are no longer regarded as element of leadership. As far as diversity is concerned, setting the same target, sharing the same value and mutual understanding are essential. Therefore managers and employees are encouraged to challenge top managements in terms of various aspects: such as discrimination, norms, biases and inappropriate decisions. This emphasis on employee involvement should be continued shift to have an ultimate management change: shifting the centralizing management to a more personal development and work-together basis to maximize each employee ¡Ã‚ ¦s talent and ability. In general, executin... ...tionally, diversity makes McDonald ¡Ã‚ ¦s fast food kingdom easier to management. Thus, its branches can be seen everywhere. Conclusion In a competent business environment, effective management is the key of success. The larger the organization, the harder the effective management can be achieved. However, it is possible to overcome the difficulties by executing diversity within an organization. Executing proper management control systems can facilitate the implementation of the organizations' strategies; diversity enables managers' to set their personal goals and their subordinates ¡Ã‚ ¦ within the organizations they manage. As employers and employees have to work close with each other to get benefits, appropriate strategies and training can improve the business. BIBLIOGRAPHY (2001), Module 1 Thinking Skills and General Management, University of Leicester Bell, J and Harrison (1995); B.T., Eds., Vision and Values in Managing Education, London, David Fulton. Casey, C. (1999). The changing Contexts of Work in D. Boud & J. Garrick, Understanding learning at at Work, Routledge, London Daft, R.L., (2000), Management, Harcourt Inc., USA.

Keynesian and Classical economics

INTRODUCTION:The general theory by Maynard Keynes states that the level of employment is determined by the marginal efficiency of capital, marginal propensity to consume and the real interest rates, he also the level of output and employment is determined by aggregate demand and that the aggregate demand can be increased through an increase in government expenditure.Keynes therefore advocated for government intervention in steering the economy while the classical economist argued that the government should not interfere with the running of the economy, on unemployment according to Keynes theory this problem could be resolved by the use of government policies, the two theorists differ in the causes and the solutions of unemployment, to the classical economists unemployment is caused by excess supply which is caused by high wage rates, high wage rates means low demand and therefore this causes unemployment, therefore the Classical economist believe that the economy should be left to ad just itself until an equilibrium is reached at full employment.Says law was developed by Jean Say who was a French businessman, according to this theory there cannot be demand without supply, according to this law a recession which is characterized by high unemployment is not caused by low demand or lack of money, however an increase in money supply will result to inflation. The Say’s law therefore clearly identifies the difference between the Keynes theory and classical economists in their explanation of the economy.Classical Economists and Say’s law:Classical economist supports Say’s law that supply causes demand and that there is never over supply, the Law states that people will supply things to the economy so that they can get money to buy other goods in the economy that are of the same value they have supplied. This is in line with the classical economists who argue that money does exist in an economy and that money will flow in the economy and this flow o f money flows from the businesses to the people through paying jobs.The classical economist states that the price level is changed by the level of money supply, also that the amount of supply will always be at full employment such that producers will not change the level of supply but will adjust the price levels to achieve the required demand level, therefore because supply creates its own demand then in the long run the economy will be at equilibrium and this means very low or no unemployment.According to the Says law the classical economist therefore defined the model of the economy as follows P X Q = M X V, where P is the price level, Q is the quantity of goods sold, M is the money supply and V is the velocity of money flow. As the level of money supply increases assuming that the level of money supply is constant then the price or the quantity of goods sold will increase. If on the other hand the money supply increases and assuming that the velocity level remains constant then the price level or the quantity demanded will rise, therefore our outcome for the model means that an increase in money supply is inflationally and that an increase in the velocity of money flow will lead to economic development.Keynes Theory and Say’s law:Keynesians dismisses Says law as a false statement, he argues that supply and demand should be separately analyzed, on supply Keynesians says that supply generates income, people will then consume this income, the largest portion of income goes to consumption while the rest is saved, they analyzed the consumption levels of the income in terms of marginal propensity to consume which will rise as the level of income rises.The Keynesian economist therefore considered the model of the economy as Y = C + I + (X-M) where Y is income, C is consumption, I is the investment X is exports and M is imports. The model is further analyzed as C = (a + b Y) where a is the autonomous income level, b is the marginal propensity to consume and Y is the income level.Conclusion:We can conclude that the Says law is the major difference between the Keynes theory and the classical economists, the classical economist support the Says law and also advocate for a free market economy while Keynes argues that the government can solve the problem of unemployment in an economy through an increase in spending to increase the aggregate demand that results to lower unemployment levels.References:Alan Coddington (2003) Keynesian Economics: The First Principles, Rout ledge publishers, US  Alfred William (1991) The Classical Economists and Economic Policy, University of Michigan press, Michigan  George Douglas (1967) Macro-economic Theory: A Mathematical Treatment, Macmillan publishers, US  Steven Kate’s (2003) Two Hundred Years of Say's Law: Essays on Economic Theory's Most Controversial Principle, Edward Elgar Publishing, US  John Fender (1981) Understanding Keynes: An Analysis of the General Theory, Wiley publishers, US

Pshe and drug education

PSHE and Drug Education – why bother? Does it truly hold impact? Introduction â€Å"The nexus between educational criterions and the wellbeing of kids and immature people is good proven and PSHE Education offers a important path to beef uping this relationship.† DCSF and Ofsted, ( 2008 ) : Indexs of a School ‘s Contributions to Well-Being – audience papers, www.Ofsted.gov.uk/ofsted-home/consultations ( accessed June 28th 2009 ) â€Å"PSHE Education is progressively seen as a cardinal precedence for betterment for any effectual school and underpins effectual learning.† Healthy Schools, ( 2008 ) , PSHE instruction Guidance, pg 51 With quotation marks like these from such influential national organic structures the educationally naive may be excused for presuming that PSHE ( Personal, Social, Health, Education ) enjoys a high profile and influential being throughout the English schools ‘ system, when – in my experience – the fact is that in many schools ; particularly secondary schools, it could non be much further from the truth. These positive and apparently radical sentiments as outlined by Ofsted and Healthy Schools must certainly go forth many of us inquiring why the topic of PSHE is frequently misunderstood and unmarked, as demonstrated in the undermentioned Ofsted determination. â€Å"Too many schools do non establish their PSHE course of study sufficiently on the students ‘ assessed demands. The country recruits few instructors with straight relevant makings to learn PSHE. Many schools focus narrowly on measuring students ‘ cognition instead than finding the impact of their PSHE proviso on bettering students ‘ attitudes and skills.† Ofsted ( 2007 ) Time for Change pg The recent Joint Area Review ( JAR ) study for the local authorization in which I work reflects national Ofsted findngs and provinces that the authorization should â€Å"Ensure that a high precedence is given to personal, societal and wellness instruction ( PSHE ) in schools† . ( **** ) The aforesaid quotation marks clearly illustrate the strife between identified ‘best pattern ‘ and ‘current pattern ‘ re-inforcing my ain professional experiences in the universe of PSHE. These quotes merely nibble into the iceberg of struggle evident throughout the paradox of PSHE. Even the topic ‘s name can do confusion ; Personal, Social, Health Education ( PSHE ) in Primary schools, sometimes with the add-on of Citizenship, and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education ( PSHE Education ) in our secondary schools. For the intent of this reappraisal I refer to the topic as PSHE. PSHE includes an array of subjects runing from healthy eating to the acknowledgment of feelings and emotions. In my function of PSHE Curriculum Consultant with a remit for back uping the National Healthy Schools Programme ( NHSP – a Government funded Education and Health Initiative ) I read many publications and paperss produced by influential national organic structures such as the DCSF ( Department for Children, Schools and Families ) , Ofsted ( Office for Standards in Education ) , Healthy Schools and QCDA ( Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency – officially QCA ) . It is non until I reflect upon the overplus of documents and schemes published by these administrations that the common docket and alliance between them becomes evident. The paperss and publications produced by the aforesaid organic structures form the footing of my professional function. The bulk of what I believe, say, do and advance can be traced back to these seminal publications. However when a senior member of a cardinal drug bureau in the Local Authority informed me that they do non put in Drug Education because although there is grounds to back up development in students ‘ attitudes and cognition, there is no grounds to back up that there is any positive behavioral alteration I was spurred on to look into further. Throughout this piece of work I will be explicitly analyzing the function and topographic point of Drug Education both within and outside of PSHE. I intend to take a expression at some of the history, developments and doctrines which underpin Drug Education in the hope of detecting whether there is grounds to back up the belief that it can so hold a positive impact upon the attitudes and behaviors of immature peoplvitamin E. I will see how best pattern ; as promoted by Government organic structures supports and/or contradicts my findings. I endeavor to critically measure several of the most noteworthy Drug Education Programmes used in schools across the universe, foregrounding their chief characteristics, survey methods and consequences. Background to Drug Education Policies and political orientations environing Drug Education have emerged, declined, altered and developed over a figure of old ages. Some of the major mileposts around drugs and Drug Education have been ; 1988 Introduction of the National Curriculum, 1995 Government scheme Undertaking Drugs Together- with the add-on of Drug Prevention in Schools Drug Education Curriculum Guidance for Schools 4/95, 1998 Undertaking Drugs to Construct a Better Britain and the corresponding papers Dfee: Protecting immature people ; Good Practice in Drug Education in Schools and the Youth Service, 2002 Hidden Harm, 2004 Drugs: Guidance for Schools – which schools should be utilizing as their current mention stuff. 2008 saw the Drugs and Entitlement for all Review ***** The debut of the National Curriculum in 1988 ensured that Drug Education was on the instruction agenda – non prioritized through PSHE as it is today, but as portion of the Core Science Curriculum. Drug Education has a checked history. Its focal point and precedences have been capable to alter depending upon political dockets – it is non difficult to understand that mensurating its impact is a complex undertaking. Through the 1970s until the present twenty-four hours the major attacks taken towards Drug Education in the UK have been:Scare tactics – the ‘just say no attack as made popular by the Grange Hill castInformation based instruction which aims to give indifferent existent information about Drugs and Drug EducationSelf authorization instruction which aims to hike self esteem, assertiveness and determination devising accomplishments, and increased belief in personal involvement and controlSituational instruction which acknowledges the societal context of and influences on personal picks around drug pickingsThe cultural attack which favours a broader context of the life accomplishments learning, acknowledges the influences of the place communities and work and on lifestyle and behaviorO'Connor. L, O'Connor. D, Best. R ( 1998 ) pg 65 Even though many of these attacks are ‘out-dated ‘ and non deemed ‘best-practice ‘ they are frequently apparent in the schools in which I work, either used in isolation, but more frequently used in combination. Back in the early 1990s Swadi had already indicated that at that place needed to be a â€Å"rethink of bar schemes with a move off from the didactic instructional methods presently employed and the acceptance of a holistic attack towards the issue of wellness and behavior in adolescents.† ( Swadi. H, ( 1992 ) Approachs to Drug Education D.A.R.E – America Possibly one of the most well-known and widely used Drug Education programmes is the American DARE ( Drug Abuse Resistance Education ) . Established in 1983 DARE has subdivisions in many states including the UK. They province that the programme is implemented in over 75 % of America ‘s school territories and in 43 states around the universe ( see www.dare.com ) , although I could happen no independent grounds to back up this, my findings being shared with Skager. R Pg 578. Harmonizing to the DARE web-site students taking portion in their programme are 5 times less likely to get down smoke than students who had non taken portion in their programme. They go on to state that â€Å"DARE instructors kids how to defy peer force per unit area and unrecorded drug free productive lives† . Highly successful claims, nevertheless there are several self-contradictory issues which arise from this. Independent ratings of the original DARE programme found no grounds in intoxicant and dr ug usage decrease, with one survey demoing a higher prevalence among suburban young person. Lynman et Al ( 1999 ) have besides drawn similar findings. Skager continued to assume similar findings in a ( pg 578 of R skager ) 10-year followup of DARE students. Interestingly DARE ‘s place of Drug Prevention goes against the UK Government Drugs: Guidance for Schools 2004 papers. DARE ‘s stance on taking ‘Drug free lives ‘ is basically floored in the drug taking society is which we live. Following this statement it could be that the publicity of ill-informed and misconceived Drug Prevention programmes such as DARE undermine other grounds based enterprises and UK Government funded preparation programmes and course of studies. Interestingly DARE receives much of its support through the constabulary governments and from receives funding from â€Å"special mandates attached to measures passed by the congress.† Pg 578 R Shager. It is evaluated outside of any authorities control, which makes it progressively hard for people such as myself to give it a big sum acceptance. Life Skills Training ( LST ) – America Life Skills Training is another popular Drug Education Programme developed in America over the last 20 old ages and delivered through the school system. Although it considers itself to be a bar programme, it acknowledges the fact that its chief intent is to cut down prevalence. It is based on a multi-component design and incorporates information and cognition, normative outlooks, opposition schemes along with determination devising, job resolution and analyzing techniques, societal accomplishments, and schemes to acknowledge and get by with choler and defeat. This is really much in-tune with the UK ‘s current ‘best-practice counsel ‘ . Supporting the multi-component design is besides the belief that bringing should besides take a assortment of signifiers runing from didactic, to group treatments and presentations – all with a strong focal point on accomplishments developing. The programme is intended to be delivered by the category teacher although several su ppliers have altered the programme theoretical account for it to be delivered by external suppliers or equal pedagogues. This draws a analogue to much of the work in which I am involved. Several surveies have shown that the Life Skills Training method demonstrates success, non merely on students ‘ cognition and attitudes, but most significantly upon their drug related behaviors. In 1980 a smoke bar programme taking the LST attack demonstrated that there was a 75 % decrease in the figure of new coffin nail tobacco users ( vol24 pg 253 **** ) compared to the control group. However this was measured on immediate consequence, the programme took topographic point in merely one school together with a comparable control school. Long term surveies have taken topographic point demoing positive long-run effects of LST. A 6 twelvemonth randomized survey took topographic point with pupils from 56 public schools in New York. Schools were indiscriminately assigned to bar and control conditions. The instructors presenting the programme were trained and there was a structured programme which started in the 7th class. Consequences showed that 12th class students that took porti on reported significantly reduced heavy smoke, along with fewer smoke in the last hebdomad, or during the last month. The survey demonstrated no effects upon imbibing frequence, but significantly fewer bar students reported acquiring rummy one or more times a month, compared with the control group. Fidelity to the programme was seen to be an of import factor. Positive findings so, the attack supports much good pattern as stated in the Drugs: Guidance for Schools 2004 and is in-line with Healthy Schools recommendations, unluckily this is another illustration of a deficiency of independent research. Statisticss on findings were gathered and analyzed by a squad of researches that included Botvin – the originator behind the development of the LST attack. So can the findings truly show objectiveness? LST appears on several lists of ‘scientifically proven ‘ programmes which are validated by American Government organic structures. Ganghi et Al ( pg 579 replacing ineffective†¦.. ) concludes that â€Å"few studies showed significant impact, and even fewer surveies showed significant impact at longer follow-ups† . It ‘s My Choice – Norge It ‘s My Choice undertaking is a multi-component school based Drug Prevention programme aimed at students from the ages of 6 – 15. Its primary aim is to act upon pupils at the primary school degree in a positive way in order to detain the age of coffin nail and intoxicant introduction. It takes an attitude-building attack which supports the impression that early influences can forestall kids and immature people from utilizing drugs. The theory underpinning the programme is that interior personal strength better enables immature people to do positive picks for themselves. LST promotes a spiraling course of study where content is tailored to run into the demands of students. The programme considers that the school ‘s attack to instruction influences the students ‘ attitudes and self -esteem and seeks to construct positively on this. This is evocative of the UK Drug: Guidance for Schools 2004 which states that â€Å"Drug bar purposes to: †¦delay the age of oncoming of first use†¦Drug Education should †¦develop students ‘ personal and societal accomplishments to do informed determinations and maintain themselves safe and healthy, including: developing self-awareness and self-esteem†¦.† ( pg 18 ) The UK Guidance for schools besides promotes a coiling attack and promote Drug Education non to been viewed in isolation but as portion of a whole school attack, where accomplishments are movable and inter-related, used – where applicable in a cross-curricular mode. Although merely measured over the short-run consequences show that â€Å"70 % of pupils at the intercession schools say that they have ne'er tried intoxicant without an grownup nowadays, while the figure for the control schools is 40 % . 56 % of pupils at intercession schools say that they have ne'er been bullied, while the corresponding figure for the control schools is 28 % . 20 % of pupils from intercession schools say that they compliment others rather frequently, while the figure for the control schools was 6 % .† Web-site ******* . The consequences point to many positive effects of the programme including increased self-pride, empathy and a better relationship with the other pupils. Whilst this is no incontestable long-run grounds for decreased Drug usage, these accomplishments are clearly related to legion protective factors highlighted in Hidden Harm ( 2003? ) and could ensue in cut downing hazards to many kids and immature people. Blue Print Programme The Blue Print Programme was the largest and most recent multi-component, research-based Drug Education Study in England. Funded by the Home Office, The Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills ( now the Department for Children, Schools and Families ) its purpose was to â€Å"design, present and measure an evidence-based drug bar programme.† ( pg 21 2007 stirling rating ) Prevention in this instance had been defined as â€Å"slowing the normal rate of addition in population-based usage prevalence rates of baccy, intoxicant, dissolvers and hemp during early adolescence, and cut downing the injury to self and others originating from the usage of these substances.† ( Reference a nexus to it for farther info ) Basically the programme aimed to: â€Å"reduce the figure of immature people utilizing drugs ; detain the oncoming of drug usage ; minimise the injury caused by drugs ; and enable those who had concerns about drug usage to seek help.† At first glimpse the survey methods appear robust, with 30 schools ab initio taking portion ( one school subsequently dropped out ) 24 schools presenting the Drug Education programme and 6 comparing schools. Criteria for choice were set out and applied in a systematic manor. Selection besides took history of the Index for Multiple Deprivation. ( A more elaborate history of this can be found at pg 23 stirling study ) . The constituents doing up the programme were: Teacher preparation 15 ten 50 infinitesimal Drug Education Lessons ( 10 in Yr 7 and 5 in year 8 ) , Schools Drug Adviser support Parent accomplishments workshops and stuffs including a parent magazine which was to promote communicating between parents and kids Media coverage and support A Health component which targeted retail merchants of intoxicant, baccy and dissolvers A community constituent – which appears to hold been far less structured and focused than the other elements. There was no lead contractor for this portion of the programme and available information appears rather obscure. A immense array of persons and bureaus were traping much hope upon the Blue Prints Programme. It had been developed utilizing a wealth of anterior information and research, it cost a batch of money ( reportedly around ?6 million ) and took many old ages to plan, implement and evaluate ; but it does look to hold had several floors from the beginning. Many people ( including myself ) were anticipating that this programme would supply a unequivocal manner frontward for Drug Education ; but it appears that from the really get downing it could merely of all time be an geographic expedition of trail conditions ; it could non be unequivocal. ( Raabet Al. 2002 ) concluded that a unequivocal trail should be made up of no fewer than 50 schools. A farther nail in the casket for those of us anticipating a unequivocal test, came from the Medical Research Council ( MRC ) counsel on the development of ratings of complex intercessions. This advises a â€Å"cumulative attack to understanding how res ults are achieved, traveling from theory, to patterning, to an explorative test to a unequivocal trial† ( MRC 2000 ) . This was highlighted by the stirling study in 2007, but was seemingly ‘missed ‘ in the original development of the programme. Has the Blue Prints Programme progressed our apprehension of effectual Drug Education? If we are to portion the sentiments and feelings of several journalists such as Mark Easton ( 17th September 2009 ) we would certainly experience most heartsick confronting the fact that even Home Office scientists could ‘bungle ‘ research. This is an simplistic message to take from the findings, it surely makes for good headlines and keeps the faultfinders of this universe happy ; but it is non helpful in progressing our apprehension of effectual Drug Education. Ben Goldacre in his ‘Bad Science ‘ column in the Guardian 19/09/09 reinforces Easton ‘s stance and makes several converting points about similar issues saying that â€Å"There were besides offers of advice from experts in test design, such as Prof Sheila Bird of Cambridge University, who offered to assist them make a meaningful test on the available budget.† She wrote in an electronic mail to the BBC â €Å" I/we thought the decision-making so obvious = NOT to travel in front that we did non assiduously follow-up to guarantee that the OBVIOUS determination was really made! † Clearly insinuating that the undertaking was known to be floored *** from the start and that it should hold been altered or canned. If these sentiments and statements are right I find it difficult to understand why the Blueprints Programme continued the manner it did. I can merely swear in my ain perchance naif inherent aptitudes and believe that the Blueprints Programme began with the best of purposes. Whatever the facts, the Blueprints Programme has given people in the universe of Drug Education aid with: the structuring of Drug Education Sessionss, issues around working with parents and the importance placed upon fidelity to the programme. The programme has raised the profile of Drug Education foregrounding the importance for more research and it really clearly underscore the errors from which we must larn. I still grapple with the grounds for the evident ‘failure ‘ of the Blueprints Programme to present. To assist me farther understand the possibilities behind this I consideredLawrenceW. Sherman diary on ‘Drug – free schools ‘ . In this he suggests that authorities organic structures and representatives invest money in undertakings which are of concern to the general populace ( the wellness and wellbeing of kids and possible related drug use/misuse issues being a all right illustration of this ) but with no respect for any proved impact of the programme itself. By making this a authorities is able to show its compassion for the public, no-one is able to impeach politicians of being in-different to jobs in society and other political parties besides have their custodies tied to back up the undertaking as if they are seen to differ with the enterprise they are considered detached and un-supportive by the general populace. An interesting place which would explicate the Blueprints failure to present. Sherman besides makes several other interesting observations. He points out that there is really small drug usage in schools, touching to the fact that most drug usage takes topographic point outside school premises and in the local community – which is true – but he fails to do the nexus that if an enterprise is proven to be ‘effective ‘ it is likely to hold positive impact upon the students and their community. This point is illustrated by Bruno V. Manno in his remarks on Sherman ‘s diary. Where he besides supports the position that â€Å"schools can lend to modifying the effects of outside influences and overcome household background factors and community liabilities.† etc pg 162DecisionSo after all this – should we trouble oneself with Drug Education in our schools? And does it hold any impact? I believe that the replies to these inquiries comes in 3 parts. We want to see quantitative, longitudinal informations back uping all of our attempts in the universe of drugs and Drug Education and on this forepart, for me, the grounds is non yet strong plenty. Research workers must larn from the immense sum of universe broad surveies and work that has already taken topographic point. There are many issues which need turn toing ; even after all my research my initial suggestions are rather basic. The first we need to be clear about is ; What constitutes Drug Education? Before any farther research can supply meaningful consequences we must make up one's mind whether Drug Education is a programme incorporating a series of structured lessons which focus upon facts, accomplishments and attitudes around drugs, where fidelity plays an of import function, or whether it is bigger than this? There is grounds to propose that the size of a school, its direction system, behaviour direction processs, teacher pupil relationships, teacher parent relationships, support for the development of pupil self-esteem and general school environment ( as highlighted in the Norse It ‘s My Choice programme ) impacts upon whether or non immature people choose to take drugs. Research and the findings should hold a clear grade of independency as without this any programme is unfastened to doubt. We must be clear about what we mean when we say the word Drugs. Are Drugs the demonic substances which spring to the forepart of many people ‘s heads when the word is expressed, or are they substance which when taken â€Å"changes the manner a individual feels, thinks or behaves.† ******** Do we include tea, java, and paracetamols when looking at Drug Education? Do we see Drugs which people may necessitate to be healthy? Thought needs to be given to whether our personal experiences enable us to be able to present Drug Education in an effectual, value free mode? We besides need to research whether Drug Education with a preventive angle can of all time be value free? In fact, should it be wholly value free if we want future coevalss to do ‘healthy determinations ‘ , as this clearly comes with its ain docket. Many of these realisations have been late highlighted in the 2008 Drug Review: An Entitlement for All where it makes several recommendations to the Government, one being to â€Å"Promote a wider apprehension of the purposes of drug and intoxicant instruction among immature people, parents, carers, the kids ‘s work force and the wider media.† ( ***** ) , another is clarify the purpose of Drug Education. As it stands Drug Education and Drug Prevention are defined individually. If we are to use the current definition of Drug Education as suggested in Government Guidance it would clearly hold no impact upon pupil behavior. It would merely be when we looked into Drug Prevention where any relation to behaviour could be made. The Government have accepted all the recommendations made in the reappraisal and there is to be farther Govermnet Guidance disseminated as a consequence. The UK takes a by and large positive and pro-active attack to Drug Education, this has been re-affirmed by my research and by sing attacks taken by other states. Drugs: Guidance for Schools is a comprehensive papers and is re-inforced by all of our Government, Educationally influential organic structures and the Police – current Government responses indicate that farther counsel will beef up bing certification. Since 1988 Drug Education has by and large developed, it has non radically changed. I think this can be demonstrated in the cosmopolitan diminution in the prevalence informations for kids and immature people ( appendix ** ) High outlooks are placed upon the shoulders of Drug Education, we must oppugn ourselves as to whether we are inquiring excessively much from one topic? ******** ‘Expectations of the impact of effectual drug and intoxicant instruction in our schools are high, far higher than they are for most topics. The outlooks of drug and intoxicant instruction are that it will increase students ‘ cognition, change their attitudes and heighten their accomplishments every bit good as holding an impact on their behavior ‘ . ( Ofsted 2005 )