Edward Scissorhands gives the idea

People always set a so called standard. We might not notice it but we lived with it. We can not deny the reality that we distinguished or categories everything; right music, beautiful, normal, etc. We set it as a standard or right thing because it is the common thing that we see and everything that does not belong to it said to be abnormal, ugly and the like.Did we ever ask what others say about these standards? Especially those that we think do not belong to us. If it is not the beautiful that we see today is set as â€Å"beautiful† then it will be the other one that we will be referring as beautiful. Well, it is planted already in our hearts. No mater what we do there our heart will still say and stick to what we usually see.Most often when we see people who do not belong to that standard we give them uncommon treatment. Why? It is because we think they are incapable of doing what we commonly did. Well, good for those treated with good but for others they were even denied wi th their rights as a person.Edward Scissorhands gives the idea or states what is happening to our society. When somebody saw him he was brought home but treated as a specials person. Well, he is incapable of doing some things that a what they called â€Å"normal people† do (just like what happened to the waterbed).People treat him with uncommon treatment because of his weaknesses. One example scene that gives an idea of the common reactions of people is that when Edward, even incapable of doing some things, had a hidden strength of ability.If they were not preoccupied with the thing that Edward is incapable they will never be amazed when they knew that Edward has a hidden artistry. They loved him since then. Well, we can not deny that fact that is a nature of man to show kindness to those who show him kindness.One man got envious with Edward. He blackmailed him and charged him with robbery. That plot starts to cause hi to be driven away. Although it was not at that moment but it was the start that some people think him negatively. The people did not examine every detail of the events and concluded directly.When they saw Edward with a blood on his scissorhands they postulated he was attempting to kill. They were preoccupied that because Edward is different from them he will commit a crime or he will do bad thing to them at anytime and by that they did not investigate. They drove away Edward.Edward’s social aspect did not develop fully because unexposed to other people. He grew in an isolated place. He wasn’t exposed because of the fear that the community might not like him and will not accept him. As we can see social integration is needed for human beings to be developed as a person. It’s not only because of that factor but it is because of the fact that every person is unique.No person is the same as the other. Because not all of us have the same weaknesses and strength e need to interact to fill up the voids of some aspects. If Ed ward grew up with the community, he will not be treated as such he will be common to their sight. Every person need also to know what is happening to his society for him to adjust with the community trend.One common reaction for a man who is not oriented with the community is watching himself not to be seen and notice by others as different. In other words he will try to be one of them. This rapid change of environment causes Edward to act abnormally; meaning he act not the same with the community.Even though the film did not verbally mentioned the thoughts of Edward I still see his inner feelings of being not oriented. He is like a sheep being put together with the pigs where he tried to be like pigs. He tried to do what the community is doing.This is unhealthy for human beings; a sudden change of environment. This often caused the person’s being to be crushed. For worse, it will lead only to the destruction of his personality. Because human beings can not adopt easily, ever ything need to be a gradual process. Everybody should help with one another to bridge the gap between them.

Tourist destinations – Drayton Manor and Salisbury Cathedral

Drayton manor is a park visited mostly by * Adults * Children * Families * Mother and toddlers * Education groups from schools, colleges and universities * Organised groups and outings * Grandees (60 plus) * Disabled group Accessibility: Location Drayton manor is located near the M42 Not very far from Birmingham southwest and cities like Nottingham and Derby. Opening times Drayton manors currently closed and Thomas land opened on the 12th February 2011- 27th February 2011 half term The park will fully open on the 19th march – the 30th October 2011. The staff will start putting in work rides at 9:30 and the rides will be ready for customers to come on them at 10:30, and will close at 5pm. Transport links You can get to Drayton Manor Park by * your own car You can insert their code (B78 3SA) on your navigation satellite and it will bring you straight to the park, you also get free car parking when you bring your own car so you won't need to pay for car parking. * Train service You can take bus from where ever you are located and go to trains station when you reach your train station you take the train with the London midland- towards Crewe and then you get down at the 1st stop which is Tamworth. Range products The have places for children's like Thomas land and at Thomas land there are varieties of things to do like: 1. Thomas land parties: the birthday child goes in the park for free, commemorative photo for the birthday child with their party in Thomas land and also with friends. They also have play areas for children's to spend the time and play any type of game they want. 2. 100 rides and attractions Such as: * The bounty * Maelstrom * G-force * Pandemonium * Shockwave * Storm force 10 * apocalypse 3. 15 acre zoo and zoo farm 4. Garden centre 5. Camping and caravan ground 6. Games/stalls 7. Arcade Services provided: * The park has to offer the following facilities to disabled people: 1. They assistants who will help you walk around with the disabled groups and help you if you need anything. 2. They have fast passes for all disabled people 3. They make sure all disabled toilets are available 4. They have extra wheelchairs for hire that cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 and electronic ones will cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10. 5. They have fist aids and medical centers incase any of them feels sick all of a sudden. * The park also has facilities fir mother and their babies such as: 1. Comfortable and private sites where they can nurse their babies. 2. Baby changing facilities 3. They have shops where they can buy food for their babies incase they don't want to bring a lot of things with them or they need extra. 4. Have shops where they can buy baby nappies and also hire baby buggies for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5. 5. They also have people who are experience with babies that can take care of your babies for you incase you want to do something. Cost of living Age groups Price Online price 12-64 years à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½32.00 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½21.95 4 – 11 years à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½19.95 2 – 3 years à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.50 Under 2 years FREE à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Grandee (aged 65+) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½19.00 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½19.00 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Disabled / Helper (each) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½22.00 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 3 Family Members à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½73.50 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 4 Family Members à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½98.00 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5 Family Members à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½122.50 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Annual Pass they have an annual pass that allows to get in to the park, so baisially you will not have to pay at the entrance, you will just have to show them your pass and you can go in and a a wonderful day at the park. There is a different price for each age group * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90 for aged 12 to 64 * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½70 for aged 4 to 11 * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½55 for aged 65 plus * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65 for a registered disabled visitor * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35 for aged 2 to 3. Salisbury Cathedral Accessibility: Location Salisbury, Wiltshire, England Opening times: The Cathedral is open from 7:15am to 6:15pm The Chapter house, restaurant and shops are open at 9:30am-5:30p You can tour around the towers during the summer at 11:15am, 2:15pm, and 3:15pm to 5pm and in winter 2:15pm only. Transport links: BEEHIVE (501) WILTON (502) BRITFORD (503) LONDON ROAD (504) Range of products: * The cathedral * Shop where people can find souvenir * Special events like: 1. Art for adult courses 2. The history of Christianity in 27 objects 3. Organ recitals 4. Concerts†¦ * Salisbury Cathedral * Oldest Clock in the World * The Spire of Salisbury Cathedral * the original Magna Carta in the chapter House Services provided: The cathedral provide a number of people who speak different type of languages that can walk you around the cathedral, show you different places and also tell you about them. There is different type of languages such as: English Dutch Hungarian Chinese Latvian French Italian Czech Japanese Portuguese German Spanish Polish Russian Danish They also have facilities for disabled people such as: Easy access to every attraction and everything in the cathedral and outside it. Toilets are available at all time. You can also hire wheelchair. They have a dog assistant to walk you around. They have Braille leaflets and books for people who can't hear and talk. There are shops and a restaurant inn the cathedral incase you want to have a little rest and eat something. Cost living: Tower tour: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8 adults, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6 children/seniors Cathedral: its allows you to make a donation of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 for adults, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.25 elder and students and children 5-17 only if you want to. Image: People like families and schoolchildren, would rather go and spend time at Drayton Manor than Salisbury Park because Salisbury is a religious place and it attracts cultural people who like history. Drayton Manor Park is surrounded by hotels, restaurants shops which is good incase for families as they will have a place to stay, where to shop and where to eat.

A Summary Of Utilitarianism Philosophy Essay

A Summary Of Utilitarianism Philosophy Essay Utilitarianism, also known as the â€Å"English common sense philosophy† dominated the Western world during most of the nineteenth century. Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that places the seed of right and wrong solely on the outcomes (consequences) of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies, hence also sometimes referred to as â€Å"the Consequentialism†. The history of this theory dates back to its true pioneer Jeremy Bentham ( 1748-1832) who gave rise to a new concept in hedonism: The Social Hedonism which was quite different from the Hedonistic doctrines of Aristipppus and Epicurus who are considered to be the fathers of Hedonistic school of thought. Bentham ; the common-sense British thinker is largely held responsible for the shift from † egoistic (individualistic) hedonism to the Universalistic( social ) hedonism. He declared in his book † Introduction to the Principles and morals and Legislation† that all mankind is ruled by two basic masters; namely PAIN and PLEASURE and that all human race is busy in the so-called rat-race of the pursuit of pleasure and the disapproval of pain.He also asserts that good can be equated with pleasure and evil with pain. Here comes in the big question that† How should pleasures be graded as far as preference is concerned?† Whether one should go for ‘short-term and intense’ pleasures or ‘ long-term and mild pleasure’ take precedence over the former. He therefore came up with a detailed outline of principles regarding the preferences of pleasures in his â€Å"Hedonic Calculus†. According to Bentham’s calculus, he emphasized the significance of seven â€Å"circumstances† in order to determine the value of any action, hence presented a criteria for the preference of pleasures influenced by following major factors: Intensity: of the pleasure or pain that results Duration: of either of the two Certainity: The confirmation that pleasant event will be occurring. Promptness : The nearness of the pleasant event. Fecundity: Its ability to reproduce( lead to) more pleasure. Purity: freedom from either present or future. Extent: characterized by the number of people affected by the action John Stuart Mill(1806-1873) adjusted the more hedonistic tendencies in Bentham’s philosophy by emphasizing that it is not infact the quantity of pleasure, but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism. He further argued that pleasure couldn’t be quantified as stated by Bentham and can only be measured in terms of quality only. Mill advocates his rationality of ideas in the following famous words: â€Å"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better Socrates disstatisfied than a fool satisfied† The implification of this advancement by Mill lead to a belief that the calculus is unreasonable — (there is a distinction between ‘higherâ⠂¬â„¢ and ‘lower’ pleasures). According to Mill, utilitarianism now refers to â€Å"the Greatest Happiness Principle† – GHP. it seeks to promote the capability of achieving happiness (higher pleasures) for the maximum number of people. The Maxim holds as such: † Greatest happiness for the greater number† Act and Rule Utilitarianism The principle of utility can either either be applied to PARTICULAR ACTIONS or GENERAL RULES. The former is called â€Å"act-utilitarianism† and the latter is called â€Å"rule-utilitarianism.†

Healthcare Qui Tam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthcare Qui Tam - Term Paper Example Healthcare Qui Tam In Virginia, many hospitals were billing for outpatient procedures with codes kept for physician’s office visits rather than an outpatient procedure performed at the health center. Medicare pays a high rate for physician’s office appointments to mirror the cost of their operating cost (Warren & Benson Group, 2009). Hospitals obtain a separate facilities fee to settle the overhead cost. Therefore, the correct repayment rates for hospital outpatient services are lesser. The hospitals agreed to a payment of $3 million. A Pennsylvania hospital settled on paying a $2.7 million defrayal due to its upcoding fraud. The center was submitting claims for a multifaceted form of pneumonia when the accurate diagnosis showed a simpler form, which is compensated at a lower rate. The hospital decided to pay $500,000 for other upcodings with counterfeit claims for septicemia (Warren & Benson Group, 2009). A Florida hospital decided to pay $2,531,000 for issuing false claims for laser procedures executed as part of post cataract elimination surgery by demonstrating that the procedures were executed after the 39-day post-operative phase. It is also issued claims for actions, which were either never upcoded or rendered. Finally, they issued claims for two management services and evaluations per patient visit. Finally, a Hawaii doctor agreed to recompense a $2.1 million settlement for issuing false claims to Medicaid. The doctor operated a pharmacy in his hospital. The doctor billed Medicaid for providing expensive drugs when the clinic issued cheaper generic substitutes (Warren & Benson Group, 2009). ... A Florida hospital decided to pay $2,531,000 for issuing false claims for laser procedures executed as part of post cataract elimination surgery by demonstrating that the procedures were executed after the 39-day post-operative phase. It is also issued claims for actions, which were either never upcoded or rendered. Finally, they issued claims for two management services and evaluations per patient visit. Finally, a Hawaii doctor agreed to recompense a $2.1 million settlement for issuing false claims to Medicaid. The doctor operated a pharmacy in his hospital. The doctor billed Medicaid for providing expensive drugs when the clinic issued cheaper generic substitutes (Warren & Benson Group, 2009). Question 3 The following procedure could be used to admit a patient to a hospital, which upholds the law about the required number of Medicare and Medicaid referrals. Permission letter always should be issued before the admission of the person in the hospital (McCarty, 2008). The patient sho uld be given Pre-requisite permission for a medical procedure and not for general consultations. The beneficiary will be urged to furnish a photocopy of a valid CGHS card, a request letter from CGHS, or a photocopy of the specialist’s professional advice. After that, then the patient will be offered an admission memo. In case of a therapeutic emergency, the hospital accepted under CGHS, shall not refuse or deny admission or demand early deposit from the concerned patient. Nevertheless, the hospital accepted under CGHS, shall offer credit facilities to the respective patient on issuing of a valid CGHS card (McCarty, 2008). Rooted in the virtues of the case study on an

Intrapreneurship Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Intrapreneurship - Coursework Example By doing this, there would be the ability to provide help with those in need of assistance with the illnesses. To completely allow this project to move into completion, there was a focus on strategy, motivation and management that was based on meeting end results and assisting with those in need. By focusing on this, there was the ability to work effectively with those in the community. Profile of the Community The Willows Foundation is one which is focused on assisting those that are ill and between the ages of 16-40. The objective of the organization is to ensure that basic care as well as health care is provided to those in need while assuring that there is less stress among those that are moving through the difficulties with health. The objective is not only based on providing basic assistance but also moves into offering Special Days, which allows those who are facing chronic illness to have times to get out of the condition and away from the continuous pressures and mental dist ress which comes from having a life threatening disease. By organizing specific activities, there is the ability for the Willows Foundation to bring peace of mind to those who are facing a life – threatening disease, while assisting with types of recovery for those who are in need (Willow Foundation, 2011). The concept of raising funds for the Willow Foundation was followed by the location which was associated with the project. The group which was focused on this comes from various regions of the world, including India, Pakistan and Nigeria. This provides a different outlook and sets of diversity on the main organization. With this approach in mind, was also the component of finding a way to raise the most funds for the project. This was done by creating a target market with a focus on a smaller market segment. The segment was based in Triton Square and had only the competition of Starbucks and Costa. The community is one which knew of the objectives of our organization and t he Willow Foundation and it was believed that the promotion would be easily supported with the needs of the organization. How the Activity Evolved The beginning of the planning process was associated with finding an aim and objective as well as an end goal of what we could do with the managerial process. Throughout the project the aim and objectives remained the same and allowed the group to remain unified with what was occurring. After we had decided that the planning needed to incorporate the focus on a humanitarian project with a fundraiser, then there was the ability to move forward in defining the specific goals and working toward achieving the end results with each individual taking the necessary steps. The decision to work with the Willow Foundation was based on research which was conducted as a group. The main ideal was to fulfill the aim of giving back to the community and to work toward highlighting an organization which was interested in assisting others. With the researc h conducted by the group, it was found that the Willow Foundation was one of the only foundations which offered the Special Days and opportunities for those with life – threatening illnesses, all which provided and implemented a different approach to disease and the components which were a part of this. As a group, it was determined that this would work effectively with reaching the main objective of

Case of Fred Smitch and His Family Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Case of Fred Smitch and His Family - Assignment Example There is a clear evidentiary path between your father’s diagnosis, the effects of his medicine and your own claim that he was not in his sound mind at the time of the signing (World Trade Organization 1996, 1811). Let me outline the reasons that lead me to believe that your claim is unlikely to see a positive verdict. The first test that must be passed for this to be considered a contract is whether or not it is legally enforceable. There must be an offer and an acceptance. The offer must be something that is communicated by one party to another in relationship to what is intended or promised by the contract (Bhana, Bonthuys and Nortje 2009, 31). In this document, your father promises to provide money under specific conditions and this is the offer that he makes. In this document both you and your father make specific offers and both of you signed in agreement. By signing the document, James, you accepted the offer that was being made by your father as well as undertook to fac ilitate those terms that your father laid out for you in fulfilling this agreement. The agreement that Fred Smith wrote with his family and friends can be viewed as a ‘comfort letter’. ... Under the terms of the legality of the ‘comfort letter’, your father would be obligated to fulfill those promises. Also, it appears he fulfilled that promise in 2010 and through that action it might appear that you have a good claim, however, there are other circumstances that would influence the court’s view. The context of the pre-negotiations to this agreement, however, makes enforcing it problematic. The will of your father can easily be proven to have been subverted by a number of factors. One of those factors is the state of his health. His attorney could cite CVA v Amadio in which it was made clear that taking advantage of someone whose will is weaker negates the agreement that was made. The unconscionable act is defined as one where â€Å"the will of the innocent party, even if independent and voluntary, is the result of the disadvantageous position in which he is placed and of the other party unconscientiously taking advantage of that position† (Go ldring 1998, 34). You have told me that your father had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was taking medication that made him more emotional than usual, correct? This would likely be interpreted as making him weaker than those around him, with you and your family being accused of taking advantage of his condition in pressing him on those statements towards making written promises. It is likely that just as in Blomley v Ryan, the pressure of the occasion and the weaker will of your father will render a verdict that sets aside the contractual nature of the paper that you had your father write and sign (Chen-Wishart 2007, 374). The strongest evidence that this will be a problem is that you yourself made the claim to Matt that

Energy Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Energy Issues - Essay Example It exists in many forms, such as, light, heat, electrical, kinetic, sound, thermal energy, elastic, gravitational, potential energy, mechanical energy, and many others. The fact with the energy is that it remains constant; even while transforming it into other forms. This principal is known as conservation of energy. Over time, energy is transformed and used for several purposes. For example, use of energy as fuel for transportation, use of electricity for domestic and commercial use, use of power in the industrial sector, use of nuclear power, and so many others. However, massive use of energy has created many energy issues which are affecting the environmental conditions of the globe and also affecting the human health. Some of the major energy issues would be highlighted in this reflective paper along with their affect on the environment by using daily life examples for the convenience of the readers. (Gallup, Frank Newport; 2006, p104) The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is situated in the north Alaskan coast (United States) with 80,000 kilometers of area, and has been an ongoing political controversial platform between the Democrats and Republicans since the year 1977. The question lies here is to decide whether to start drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or not According to the researchers, this area comprises of massive oil reforms, whereas the opposing group is against this decision since it could affect the wildlife breed in this area if oil drilling is allowed by the government. According to the estimate by the USGS, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is capable enough to produce 5.7 billion to 16 billion barrels of crude oil and natural gas which could be very beneficial for the economy of the United States. But on the other hand, the security wildlife present in this area cannot be guaranteed due to the constructive drilling work for the oil reforms. This has c reated a debate between the groups and controversy for the government since the government is unable to decide whether to go in favor f the drilling or to go against it. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil drilling would bring many monetary benefits to the people and the economic state of the country. It would increase job opportunities, working and business opportunities for individuals and companies. It would also attract the attention of foreign investment in the region, while giving a competitive edge to the economy of the country. Nonetheless, the oil drilling would help in lowering the high oil and fuel prices for the public. Not only this, but it would also reduce the cumulative net expenditures on the

Domestic Transportation Infrastructure Research Paper

Domestic Transportation Infrastructure - Research Paper Example From the research it can be comprehended that transport is a means through which people shift from one place to another. There are many reasons for people to move from a place to another which may include studies, job or any other purpose. Whatever the reason for travelling from one place to the other place would be, means of transportation serve important purpose in making people fulfill their various needs. The modes of transport include: †¢ Cars †¢ Bus †¢ Trains and Trams †¢ Airplane †¢ Ferries and ships etc. The modes of transport used in urban areas are slightly different from the ones used in rural areas. In the areas known as metropolitans that are actually the heavily populated areas, the need of public transport rises. In these regions, people have to adopt various means to go for work or for children to go to school. The most common type of transportation is provided by transit systems in most regions. Transit systems are basically bus services which run around the city to provide transportation facilities to students, workers and all kinds of people. These buses provide their services to city dwellers at low fares which increase their usability in urban areas. Usually, bus service appears to be the preferred means of transportation by a majority of people because of inexpensive rates and convenience. There are different types of transit systems that are run in various countries. In New York, for instance, subway system is among the transportation system which is probably the biggest one in the world. People living in urban areas in New York prefer travelling by bus to car. It is one of the cities in which the use of public transport is frequent and constant. The reason for this frequent use of bus as a mode of transport might be because of the less amount of cars people own in New York. Similarly, London has a large network of trams, both underground and over ground rails, subway and buses which help people in shifting from a region to another. Usually, people have travel cards for travelling in buses and people are not allowed to drink alcohol in public transport in London. However, in some countries the use of cycle is preferable as a means of transportation in urban areas (Krizek, 2003). There are many factors that determine the use of a specific means of transportation by people. However, the main reasons of choosing bus services are the cheap costs and affordability; need to have more spacious roads that cannot be possible if everyone moves on his own car and social responsibility that everyone gets a chance to travel regardless of whether he owns a car or not (Naess, 2005). Some modes of transport are used in specific regions depending on the people’s needs. For instance, in such a place where people collect the products from various factories and intend to export them, they need some means through which they can transport the materials to different places. Usually this is done by means of ship if there is an ocean nearby or by bus, train or airplane. Change of Trend:

Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Research Paper Essay Sibley’s English 1302 Research Paper Submission Guidelines RESEARCH PAPER: * The research paper must be 1500-2000 words in length (excluding the Works Cited page), and must be typed according to MLA format guidelines for style and documentation. Type Word Count on last page of paper (before the Works Cited page). * A minimum of 1 primary (literary) source and 3 secondary sources must be used in the actual writing of the paper. * The paper must conform to one of the three options provided by the prompt, and be written about approved literary works. The paper must be organized in alternating pattern (by criteria and not by literary work). * Have a descriptive title WHAT TO SUBMIT: Submit the following documents in a folder with your name and section# legibly printed on it. 1. A clean copy of final paper and works cited page. 2. Complete photocopies of any short stories not in the anthology OR a page with links to electronic copies. PLEASE NOTE: Research Projects are due at the beginning of class on the date found in your revised tentative course calendar. Your paper must be attached to an email sent to me by 11:59pm the evening of day the hard copy of the paper is due. Remember that if you do not do this—I cannot assign any credit to your paper, even if you turned in the hard copy. LATE PENALTIES: 5% Hard copy turned in on due date, but later than 5 minutes after the beginning of class. 10% per calendar day, up until 3 days after the due date, after which I will no longer accept papers, and no credit will be assigned. Dr. Sibley’s English 1302 Research Paper Evaluation Rubric Student Name amp; Section # _________________________________________________ Paper Grade (20% of Course Grade): ________ NOTE WELL: To receive a minimum grade of â€Å"C,† the responses to all of the following criteria must be â€Å"Yes. † ____________________________________________________________________________ FORMAT * MLA Format (double-spaced, 1† margins, etc. ) Yes / No * Works Cited Page provided Yes / No * Works Cited Page conforms to MLA guidelines Yes / No * Internal Citations in correct form Yes / No Sources properly introduced before initial use of them Yes / No * Direct quotations integrated properly into paper Yes / No * 1500 word minimum Yes / No STYLE * Paper is written from a 3rd person, objective point of view. Yes / No * Paper is written in literary present tense. Yes / No * Paper is free from numerous, distracting small errors. Yes / No * Diction and tone are appropriate for an academic paper. Yes / No * The reader is not hampered by confusi ng or awkwardly constructed sentences. Yes / No * There are no serious grammatical errors. Yes / No CONTENT * Paper has an arguable thesis related to literary elements of short stories, and develops an argument which adequately supports it. Yes / No * Paper exhibits competent knowledge of its primary sources. Yes / No * Paper exhibits correct use of literary vocabulary and conventions. Yes / No * Paper makes use of at least 3 secondary sources. Yes / No * Paper is well organized in alternating pattern. Yes / No * Paper comes to a logical conclusion which is clearly related to the thesis. Yes/ No

Effects of Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Interventions

Effects of Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Interventions The Effects of Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Interventions on 10-Year Mortality  Among Adult Smokers 18-64 Eline van den Broek 1 Setting up the Research Designs Background Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States [CDC, 1]. It is estimated that cigarette smoking results in more than 480,000 premature deaths and approximately 8.6 million Americans live with a serious illness caused by smoking [2]. Research has established smoking causes various serious diseases such as cancers, lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and increases in the risk of heart disease, including stroke, heart attack, vascular disease, and aneurysm [3-37]. Various studies, including RCT’s, cohort and case-control studies, concluded that adults who smoke die earlier than nonsmokers [3-37]. Reversely, researchers have also found that preventing deaths caused by smoking would lead to substantial gains in life expectancy [38-41]. While we have gathered extensive information about tobacco use as a major cause of many of the world’s top killer diseases, responsible for the death of about 1 in 10 adults worldwide [42], less is known about the effects of different smoking intervention programs on mortality and life expectancy. Successful smoking cessation interventions almost certainly result in major gains, both in reducing smoking-related illnesses and potentially in preventing premature deaths [43]. The more evidence we have on what type of programs are most effective in smoking cessation, the easier it would be to address the crucial public health and policy question whether these programs are desirable in the context of avoidable mortality. Also, since most studies have focused on comparing smokers to non-smokers, we need more evidence about the effect of different interventions among smokers only. In Colorado, over 900,000 residents currently smoke, with the highest rates among young adults aged 18 to 24 years (28.2%). In 2000, 52.8 percent of adult smokers in Colorado made quit attempts of at least one day. [44] Researchers in the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) have decided to implement a smoking cessation intervention, including bedside consultation with follow-up therapy and free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). [45] The objective of this study is to determine the effect of this UCH-initiated intervention on 10-year mortality. The aim is to implement hospital systems change to improve inpatient tobacco dependence treatment. [45] Most of the literature involving smoking cessation interventions is related to outpatient interventions. Some studies have focused on the effect of inpatient smoking cessation interventions and rehospitalization. [46] Our study will contribute to that body of literature, focusing rather on an inpatient smoking cessation intervention and it s effect on 10-year mortality. Research Questions and Hypotheses Research Question: Does a hospital-initiated smoking cessation intervention predict lower 10-year mortality rate? Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the hospital-based intervention to encourage tobacco using inpatients to quit smoking has a significant lowering effect on 10-year mortality rate. H0: There is no significant effect of the UCH inpatient smoking cessation intervention and 10-year mortality Ha: There is a significant effect of the UCH inpatient smoking cessation intervention and 10-year mortality Recall bias is a classic form of information bias: we will not collect the correct information, because the subjects in the study report past events in a manner that is different between the two study groups case-control. Since our study will be backwards in directionality, it would in general be more prone to information and recall bias. This happens, for instance, if our cases and controls will differentially recall intervention, related smoking behavior, or any other variables that we include in the model that are based on self-reported data, so that inaccurate recall is related to characteristics of the exposure of interest and of the respondents. Yet in our case, the most important information is collected using information recorded in the electronic medical record, so we will are less worried about this type of bias in our design. Interviewing technique and the study protocol, including the design of questionnaires and the motivation of respondents, play a central role and are under the control of the investigator. [130] Even though we think that our matching process will limit confounding bias, we still may deal with the issue that the influence of one intervention is mixed with the effect the other. For example, the intervention may have led to other healthy lifestyles, such as less alcohol use or more exercise. This would be less relevant in our case, however, because we are really interested in the effect of the intervention on mortality. If the intervention has positive effects on other healthy behaviors, that will not bias our conclusions. In case-control studies, selection bias can occur in the selection of cases if they are not representative of all cases within the population, or in the selection of controls if they are not representative of the population that produced the cases. [131] It could be that cases and/or controls are selected on criteria related to the intervention, for example they are selected differentially on the basis of their intervention or there may be differences in reporting of which intervention they received between cases and controls. We may have a concern with selection bias in our study design, because both the intervention and the outcome have occurred by the time the patient is recruited into the study. The (internal and external) validity of a case-control study depends on the representativeness of controls. [132,133] The controls need to be a representative sample of the study population from which the cases are drawn during the study period. Since we will use a computer generated pool of controls, they will be randomly selected to minimize bias. We do expect some issues with consenting the controls and expect that we will have to use second or third drawn controls to match with some of the cases. Generally, â€Å"hospital controls† are often more easily accessible and tend to be more cooperative than â€Å"population based† controls. [50] A disadvantage of drawing from a hospital population is that we will have an issue with the external validity of the study. The question remains whether we will be able to generalize the results from the UCH-based population to other inpatient interventions or even more broadly: a population based intervention. 4.8 Study Strengths Among the strengths of a case-control study are the fact that they are generally relatively inexpensive, they are short-term studies to conduct (so cheaper and quicker); they are efficient designs for rare diseases or for studies with a lagged outcome like mortality in 10 years; and they can be powerful with small samples of cases. While the 1:2 matching design is intended to eliminate confounding, the main potential benefit of matching in case-control studies is a gain in efficiency. We do need to note that since we currently design the study and the intervention(s) still need to take place, we will have to wait for 10 years to measure the effect on mortality. But as mentioned, another advantage of a case-control study is that they are typically feasible to obtain sufficient numbers of cases when studying rare diseases or diseases with a long latency period, like in our case: mortality in 10 years. We will thus require a smaller sample size than with other designs and we can still evaluate the effect of the different types of interventions. The fact that we have the ability to use multiple controls of the same type has the advantage of increasing the study’s power.

Slavery position with writers :: essays research papers

The issue of slavery in the nineteenth century produced an overwhelming issue in society. There were some writers that favored slavery and then there were some that did not favor slavery. In favor of slavery were William Gillmore Simms, and Caroline Hentz. Those opposed to slavery were Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry David Thoreau, and Herman Melville. All of these writers presented their views of slavery in the their literary works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Simms was a supporter of slavery and this evident in his novel, â€Å"Woodcraft.† This novel takes place in the south during the closing of the Revolutionary War. Simms was born in Charleston, South Carolina, so he was raised on the souths’ position of pro-slavery. In Simms novel Woodcraft, he states, â€Å" Exhaustion not wisdom, or a better state of feeling, was the secret of the peace which was finally concluded between the two nations (America and Great Britain), and of which, South Carolina, and Charleston in particular, was eagerly expecting the benefits. (Simms 35) Great Britain had spent most of the Revolutionary War occupying Charleston and the soldiers would stay at the peoples’ home with out the homeowners consent. This angered many townspeople in Charleston and many other townspeople throughout the south. Since the war was coming to an end the people of Charleston could have their city and homes again. Also meaning plantat ion owners and slaver owners could resume back to their work of the land, which was the major source of economy in the south. During the Revolutionary War, Great Britain was re-stealing the slaves of slave owners in the south. In â€Å"Woodcraft,† it is stated, â€Å" South Carolina had already lost twenty-five thousand slaves, which British philanthropy had transferred from the rice-fields of Carolina to the sugar estates of the West India Islands; and there were yet other thousands waiting to be similarly transported.† (Simms 35,36) Great Britain was taking slaves from America to use for their sugar estates. Many slave owners were very angry with the British for this, but in hindsight the slave owners had done the same thing when they would take slaves from their families or would split slaves families up. Carolina Hentz was also a supporter of slavery. She believed that the slaves were treated well and that they were best suited as slaves. Hentz uses examples in her novel, â€Å"The Planter’s Northern Bride,† as to how well treated slaves were.

Psychological Properties Of Ya Essay -- essays research papers

Beyond Boredom: Studies on the physical and psychological properties of yawning The act of yawning has been observed in all vertebrates, and occurs in humans as early as minutes after birth, so it must have some definitive physiological purpose. Until recently, most scientists believed yawning was a respiratory function, triggered by a surplus of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. In the past decade, however, studies have suggested that yawning acts as a mediator of activity and arousal levels. The evaluation that follows will examine three such studies and the evidence they contribute to this hypothesis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first study (1) examined the connection between yawning and activity on a physical level. Previous research had drawn loose ties between arousal and yawning; for example, one study showed that yawning in rats increased with the presence of a penile erection. To show that arousal increases with the onset of a yawn, the authors of this study designed a correlational experiment to measure changes in physical indicators of arousal before, during, and after yawning. They predicted that signs of arousal would increase when the yawn started. A mixed-gender group of 30 college students participated in three 15-minute laboratory trials which measured skin conductance and heart rate, two physical correlates of arousal. In each trial, subjects pressed a button when they felt a yawn coming on, and equipment in a nearby room took readings from sensors attached to their fingertips. The first trial measured skin conductance, the second trial measured heart rate, and the third trial used an electromyogram with electrodes attached to the subjects’ masseter muscles to verify that they were yawning when they said they were. Each subject was alone in a room for the course of all three trials. In addition, a control group of 20 students were tested for skin conductance and heart rate while intentionally performing different physical aspects of yawning, such as opening the mouth wide and taking deep breaths. All results were analyzed using a Friedman ANOVA test. The results of the experiment partailly concur with the authors’ prediction. In the experimental group, it was found that skin conductance values during and after the first yawn were significantly higher than before the yawn. For each subsequent yawn, the differen... ...n of yawning serves the extremely important purpose of helping the most sensitive region of the body maintain proper blood pressure. In addition, evolutionary biologists have proposed that yawning has become such a frequent and important part of animal physiology because it serves a protective purpose. In some situations that lack the necessary external stimulation, low arousal could threaten an animal’s life. According to this theory, yawning has evolved as a guard against inattentiveness by inducing arousal in certain situations. A modern example of this is driving; stimulation is low, yet failure to pay attention is extremely dangerous. Based on the evidence presented by the three studies evaluated, some general conclusions about the nature of yawning can be drawn. Apparently yawning serves as both a mechanism to induce arousal and an indicator of an increase in activity levels. In addition, the common notion that yawning is associated with sleep depravation has been debunked. However, the study of yawns is a relatively new field of research for the psychological and scientific community, and more research is necessary to determine the exact purpose of its existence.

Drugs :: essays research papers

The first time I did acid isn't the most interesting time I've done it, nor the most scary, but I guess it would still be a good read. I was going down to a friend's house on a Friday night. Everyone was planning to get majorly fucked up. A lot of people were going to do Dramamine. I read an FAQ on it, and it said if you have Asthma you shouldn't do Dramamine...and to be honest, Dramamine seemed pretty nightmarish after reading a few trip reports. So I decided to stick with something I knew: ROBO! I picked up this girl I promised to give a ride to my friend's house, and we stopped at the drug store, where I shopped for a nice bottle of Robotussin. I finally settled on generic CVS brand Robo. We hopped in the car, picked up an acquaintance of mine, Zack, and headed down to my friend's apartment. It was about an hour drive. We were all psyched because we knew we were going to be getting all fucked up that night. We listened to this local ska/punk band, Heft, and even though I felt like a dork, some Blink-182. I used to like them a lot, then they became famous, and I started feeling like a dork listening to them...I told myself that it's stupid to just not listen to things because of what other people would think though, and let myself enjoy the music. Besides, it was my tape. :) We saw this weird green lightning bolt while we were driving down. We started thinking maybe they're be a thunderstorm that night while we were all fucked up, and it would be awesome. After a little while, and a wrong turn or two, we ended up at my friend's (we'll call him Jo) apartment. Some of my friends were there already. There was P, who never does any sort of drugs...W, who always tried to get me to take acid, but i was too chicken...Jo, who owned the apartment...two girls who we'll call M and Fatty. Z was my acquaintance from the car, and H is the girl who I gave a ride down to the apartment. W told me that P was going to do Dramamine that night. That sort of worried me. P never did drugs, and I wondered if he would be ok, since the Dramamine trip reports I read seemed very disturbing.

Letter to a Friend of Different Racial Group

Letter to a Friend of Different Racial Group Ethics/125 June 25, 2012 University of Phoenix My Friend, African Americans have long showed perseverance, persistence, and productivity in many aspects of United States History. When discussing African Americans the association is usually the civil rights movements of the 1960s and slavery before the Civil War, but African American History as an ethnic group and a society is much more than the atrocities that the group faced throughout U. S. History and of today.Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have experience adversities, overcome great odds, and have made a noticeable impact on U. S. culture, politics, and social understandings. The African American culture can trace much of their roots back to the slave trades of the 16th century. Historians agree that the first African Americans were brought to America by San Miguel de Guadalupe to be used as slave work force, and settled in what is now known as South Car olina.Shortly after, disputes over leadership of the colony lead to fighting, which the African slaves took advantage of by revolting, escaping, and sought refuge with local Native American tribes. The first Africans brought to English occupied America were brought to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, due to many English settlers dying from the harsh conditions, to work as laborers. Many historians believe that the first African Americans who were brought to early English America were not brought as slaves, rather indentured servants.In fact, the Africans who occupied early English America could legally raise crops and cattle to purchase their freedom, and by the 1640s and 1650s, several African families came to own farms near Jamestown and actually became wealthy in colonial standards. What is now related to the African American slave era technically started in the early 1600s when the Dutch West India Company introduced the first 11 slaves in present day New York in 1625, but the conce pt of a race-based slave system did not come about until the 18th century.The colonial 1700s in America gave rise to the modern concept of slavery for the sear fact of a need of a workforce. The colonies fertile lands and abundant resources lead to commodities that Europe needed and wanted, thus African American slavery began to fill the need of a workforce and gave rise to the race-based slave system in Colonial America. This race-based slave system continued through the American Revolution and into the Civil War. When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation the reign of slavery in the United States was made illegal, freeing the roughly 3. million slaves (in legal terms only. ) Many states that supported slavery continued to support slavery until Union troops were sent to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, of these states, Texas was the last to be emancipated in 1865. Along with the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln, during this time in U. S. history Congress ratified the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the United States Constitutions. These amendments became known as â€Å"the Civil War amendments. The Civil War Amendments made slavery illegal, entitled African Americans to the title of natural born citizen and helped protect the rights of freed slaves, and entitled African American’s (males) the right to vote respectively. African Americans although freed by legal standards, faced a long road of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. The African American community rose against the oppression they faced during the times of the civil rights movement. This period of U. S. history would not only shape African American futures, but the countries future as a whole and lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, and is a crucial legal reference for acts of discrimination. Although African Americans faced and stil l face discrimination, the perseverance and determination of those past and present have lead to a more unified United States and a less discriminative population as a whole. Although much of African American history has been that of negative aspects, African Americans play and have played a prime role in the shaping of culture, the arts, music, other forms of culture, and social elements of the American way of life.Roots of African Americans influence on music such as Jazz and Blues can be traced to the songs of inspiration sang by slaves on plantations. African American influence can be seen in dance in such Swing forms the Lindy Hop, which originated in Harlem around 1927. The impact of African culture on the mainstream culture of America can be seen in many forms, of which are numerous. The African American impact on culture is apparent in the south, as much of the interaction between the population and African Americans was experienced in the southern states.When discussing Afr ican Americans the association is usually the civil rights movements of the 1960s and slavery before the Civil War, but African American History as an ethnic group and a society is much more than the atrocities that the group faced throughout U. S. History and of today. Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have experience adversities, overcome great odds, and have made a noticeable impact on U. S. culture, politics, and social understandings.African Americans as an ethnic group and as people have faced discrimination and rose above to become the largest minority group in the United States. The following quote â€Å"have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies – or else? The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation† (Martin Luther King, Jr. ) embodies the new American ideal shaped by the African American perseverance and ability to overcome. Works Cited â€Å"African American.   Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"African-American Culture. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Civil War Amendments. †Ã‚  ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965: Introduction. †Ã‚  Www. watson. org. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. . Related essay: â€Å"Co Curricular Activities Letter†

Analysis of the Credit Card Industry in Turkey Essay

The current Turkish government is very pro western and secular, however its divided religious loyalties, issues surrounding Greek sovereignty rights and fundamentalist groups threaten the expected 5 year stability of this administration. Government involvement in banking The Turkish Government has a history of involvement in banking affairs which is of concern to international investors. The Turkish state owns and finances a number of its banks and provides artificial stability to the banking system through state funded initiatives. The Government has also tailored wages in line with inflation rates e. g. minimum wages rates. With recent IMF intervention the long term plan for Turkey is still not absolutely clear. EU Membership The Turkish Government is pro EU membership and this is potentially the biggest paradigm shift on the horizon for Turkey’s financial system, this factor is further dealt with as a key driver. Economic †¢ Interest Rates Low interest rates in Turkey fuel loan take-up and have caused increase in credit card issue. Historically higher interest rates led to more widespread loan default and meant that less switching occurred as consumers were â€Å"tied† to provider. Economic growth in Turkey, with higher levels of middle and upper income, urban dwelling professionals and better access to continuing education has undoubtedly increased credit card take-up. (This could also be construed as a social factor). †¢ Global financial crisis The effects of the global financial crisis will have a major effect on banking restrictions to lending and credit availability in Turkey. Turkey’s export markets will be likely affected by the ongoing crisis which has a major effect on GDP which in turn affects spending power. Social †¢ Higher standard of living Higher standards of living among consumers have a beneficial knock on effect for credit cards issuers. In Turkey 7. 5% of GDP is invested back into education thus consumers are more financial savvy. †¢ Urban/Rural Divide Urban dwellers have a much higher likelihood of credit card use given their potential for access of issue and probability of a regular wage earning role. As the economy develops Turks are increasingly moving off the land from poorly paying seasonal work to the cities that offer a better chance of regular income and personal development. Technology †¢ E –Commerce Worth in excess of 2 billion euro to the economy and with 16 million people accessing the internet E-Commerce is a huge growth area and potential distribution channel for the credit card industry. It is also a medium for information driven purchasing through advertising potential and its access is furthered through telephone technology integration. †¢ SMART Cards The security afforded to the credit card industry through use of SMART cards has a beneficial affect on usage through; 1. Increased level of merchants accepting the facility 2. Security for use in Internet Cafes (here large numbers access the internet) 3. Security of service has become a battleground for competition among issuers Coupled with the above technologies, the explosion in EPOS facilities mean more access to products and services through credit card use, homogenising the myriad of potential transactions and benefiting both consumer and merchant. ATM’s also have further facilities to enhance the benefits of using plastic such as bill pay, mobile kiosks etc. Legal †¢ Intervention of Government/Key official Institutions There have been widespread changes in the law in Turkey affecting the credit card industry such as; 1. Restriction on credit card limits . Illegality of altering terms without informing consumer 3. Increases in minimum payment required 4. The Central Bank’s lowering of the interest rate cap 5. Loosening of the frameworks around mergers and acquisitions All of these interventions alter the attractiveness of the market for the credit card industry, which was historically fraught with lack of reg ulation and anti-consumer practises. Identify the 4 KEY DRIVERS FACING THE CREDIT CARD SECTOR 1. Technological Advances 2. State Intervention in Financial Affairs 3. EU membership 4. Rural-Urban Migration Technological Advances The rapidly advancing technology in the field of mobile payment will have a lasting effect on the credit card industry. Companies that can stay ahead of the game with new technologies in security, risk management and will be best placed to benefit from increased A physical â€Å"credit card† is really only a vehicle to hold a magnetic strip containing coded information. In terms of technology this is already quite dated; †¢ Already systems are designed to â€Å"swipe† a card on a merchant’s mobile phone, this will allow for a myriad of services which will no longer require cash transaction e. g. street traders. Advances in retina scanning technology are also at an advanced level and it is envisaged that the future of mobile payments may be through facial recognition or retina scanning. †¢ Other technology such as what is used in â€Å"The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona† where they inject a rice-size â€Å"VeriChip† RFID device into the wrist or upper arm of its patrons whom pay by swiping their arm – adapted from http://www. creditcards. com/credit-card-news/credit-cards-of-the-distant-future State Intervention The level of further state intervention in Turkey’s financial affairs will be a key driver in Turkey’s future credit card success or decline. As we have seen, moves by the government to regulate the industry have impacted on the potential earnings of the banks through lowering interest rates. In turn this type of regulation has stabilised the markets and led to economic growth which impacts positively on numbers of consumers available to the sector. Whether the current â€Å"Republican Democracy† in Turkey will be in power going forward is obviously of importance to this argument. With elections due in 2011 the future of state intervention in banking affairs is unclear. EU Membership Turkey becoming a full member of the EU will be another key driver in the credit card industry. EU entry will mean the freeing of trade and access to a further 500 million consumers. It is most likely that Turkey would be a more attractive market for global companies, of interest here, financial organisations who would be attracted by the large numbers of â€Å"unbanked† consumers and those who see Turkey strategically as the gateway to Eastern markets. The credit card market would likely become much more competitive with new entrants who would most likely look to merge with/acquire existing indigenous banks. Rural-Urban Migration According to the case study the majority of people in the rural areas of Turkey tend not to be credit card users. As the economy improves larger numbers of rural people (especially male) will likely move towards the larger urban centres to participate in the industrial or service sectors. This in turn leads to greater numbers with the potential to use credit cards, in turn offering greater numbers of potential consumers to the sector. SECTION 2 – Porters 5 Forces 2. Use the five forces framework to identify the forces affecting the Turkish credit card sector a. Graphically illustrate the five forces (see overleaf) b. Draw conclusions from the 5 forces analysis to explain; 1. How attractive the sector is I consider the Turkish credit card sector to be an attractive market for a large multinational e. g. BNP or Barclays to enter. From my analysis I have concluded that consumers are fragmented and suppliers are concentrated. Rivalry is high, yet only among 4 suppliers, considering rivalry in an industry such as haulage this must be considered attractive. Capital requirements of entry are high, but not on the scale of industries such as mining might be. Economies of scale and experience exist, however for companies already in credit card markets in other countries by no means insurmountable. The threat of substitutes is relatively low as the credit card holds a relatively niche position. Product differentiation/loyalty is low among existing consumers; good offers would attract new business, as would strong internet presence. Turkey has; â€Å"40 percent of people who are bankable based on their socio-economic status and age in Turkey are still â€Å"unbanked,† having no accounts with any banks in Turkey â€Å" (www. mckinsey. om/clientservice/†¦ /Credit_Cards_in_Turkey. ashx) This data identifies a large section of the Turkish population who are potential consumers for a new entrant; therefore the market could potentially grow significantly for all players involved. 2. How the competitive forces are changing/may change The competitive forces are currently changing most notably in areas such as consumer access to inform ation. More widespread access and use of the internet will drive further competition in the market through portals such as comparison websites, industry reviews etc. This will ultimately increase bargaining power of consumers, leading to decreased profits for suppliers. EU accession would alter the competitive forces among the major players currently in the sector. Interest rates set by the ECB, participation in the single currency etc. would have a significant impact on the state financed banking institutions and would alter their relevance. One would suspect that in a free market system the Turkish government would relish the opportunity of divesting the burden to international organisations to increase competition. With increased market stability and better financial education, consumer’s use of substitutes may extend to less expensive forms of credit such as personal loans. Coupled with better economic conditions consumer’s use of debit cards may also increase; given that currently lower income workers struggle to maintain a balance sufficient to cover their living costs. 3. How the sector may change to reflect changing forces The credit card sector can move more of its marketing budget toward E-Marketing and target new and younger consumers through this medium. MBNA have used this marketing channel very successfully in the past. In order to combat increased uptake of personal loans and increased use of debit cards the credit card sector may look at collective lower interest rates, better offers through loyalty bonuses and customer kickbacks and better education of its customers as to how to better use their credit cards. In order for the credit card sector to prepare for increased competition post EU accession it may look to further differentiate its offerings to appeal to the Turkish people e. g. align the credit offering with cultural values or emotions. It might be necessary to offer further services aligned to credit cards such as life insurance to augment and differentiate the offering. 3. Scenario Planning Scenario 1 â€Å"Renewed Political/Terrorist Violence in Turkey† In recent years, terrorist bombings – some with significant numbers of casualties -have struck religious, political, and business targets in a variety of locations in Turkey. The potential remains throughout Turkey for violence and terrorist actions both by transnational and indigenous terrorist organizations such as PKK, . Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and AlQa’ida. Adapted from http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/invest) Given Turkey’s increasing dependence on foreign direct investment a return to more concerted campaign of political violence would spell disaster for the credit card industry. Large financial corporations, especially US owned would be deterred from entering the market, or potential ly pull out of the market thus decimating competition. Access to sources of international credit and lending would dry up therefore affecting consumer’s ability to purchase products and services on credit. Turkey’s export market would potentially be destroyed as Western nations would deter from transacting in case monies were being skimmed to fund further terrorist activity. This would further lower the GDP of the country affecting the spending power of consumers in turn negating the need for credit cards. Further knock on effects of violence include the loss of capital Governments have available to invest in its economy, on education and infrastructure. Government capital would have to be spent on further military and security projects. The tourism industry, a huge earner for Turkey would be decimated as travelers would fear the threat of violence. The black market economy would thrive under such conditions and regular banking functions would significantly cease with many consumers using cash/barter systems of attaining needs. With respect to the Credit card sector, this scenario would be highly detrimental to its future, as consumer confidence in the financial service sector would be decimated. The sector would have to pour vast resources into transaction security and marketing the brand safety and correct usage policies to consumers. Default numbers would likely increase due to instability and escalating interest rates. Scenario 2 â€Å"Turkey Gains Full EU Membership† â€Å"The EU is committed to supporting Turkey in its path for membership. The initial objective of EU financial support towards Turkey was the extension of an area of peace, stability and prosperity within and beyond Europe. Once the Union accepted Turkey as a candidate, financial assistance began to focus on supporting Turkey in its preparation for EU membership† http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/funding A study on the EU (http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. o) reported the following economic benefits of a country joining the EU; 1. An average of 2. 15% increase in GDP 2. Exchange rates for Turks travelling through Europe would be eliminated, as would the potential damaging effects exchange rate swings have on Turkish exports. I would assume that the credit card sector would become significantly more competitive in the light of EU membership therefore the sector would have to increase its marketing and branding spend, but would have a larger pool of consumers to choose from.

A Newborn Is Thrown in the Trash and Dies

A Newborn Thrown in the Trash and Dies is a thought provoking, gut wrenching tale about an infant who is born to a teenage mother that lives in a housing project in New York and is thrown down the trash, down ten floors to thecompactor chute to its death. The story is narrated by the unnamed infant who is the subject of the story. She is the sympathetic character as she describes her projected lifehas horrible as her certain death. She doesn’t seem bitter about dying, she feels sympathy for the mother who put her in the trash and accepts her life as being â€Å"how it is,† as she doesn’t know any better. As she passes each floor she shares the peek that she is given, from learning that people talk out of both sides of their mouths, political power, her molestation, and even the death of her brother. The infant almost gives the reader the idea that her life will be just as tragic as her death and wouldn’t change anything. She would just be one of many stories published in the paper. She believes that a Russian on the other side of the world is going through the same thing, that even though they are from different countries they have poverty in common. This is true today, we hear horrible stories about things that happen to children and the people of the city have become numb to its affects. For example, children are abducted from the city all of the time and it is reported, right after the story the news anchors switches gears and gives the weather as if they were not affected by what they have just reported. It seems that it is as easy to them as reporting rain or a traffic jam, they seem unaffected which is conveys to the listening audience. Those of us who are affected will be for a short time, but not enough to where we will feel that we need to do something about it. Life will continue to go on as it always has and stories like these will continue to occur. The story makes me question what I have become numb to and what do I consider normal. When I watch the news I almost expect to see where someone is murdered in the city. What is wrong with me, us, society? The story describes that there have been nine babies discarded in 1990 and as of August of the following year seven discarded babies were discovered. How ironic is it that the name of her housing project where she is born and dies is called the Gerald J. Carey Gardens. A garden is a place where seeds are planted, nurtured and tended, the total opposite of what was happening to her.

A notation should be directed to a large extent towards the people who read it, rather than towards the sounds they will make

The endeavours of some Experimentalist composers in the 1950s and 1960s, including Cornelius Cardew and John Cage (parenthetically, Cage's own quote, ‘Let the notations refer to what is to be done, not what is to be heard'1 , has resonances with the title quote) were a purposeful reaction to the determinacy of the Serialists. However, the notions of integral serialism and indeterminacy shared common elements in some eyes: There is really no basic difference between the results of automatism and the products of chance; total determinacy comes to be identical with total indeterminacy†¦. 2 The way a piece is notated allows us to come closer to understanding ‘the musical culture within which [notations] operate, and of the ways in which our modes of thought are influenced by the nature of the systems we use'3. This relates to the societal view that the composer is the one who has something to say, reducing the status of the performer to that of interpreter. However, this is not a view that has always existed; composers such as Mozart and Beethoven often expected performers of their works (including themselves, to which I shall return) to create improvised cadenzas for their concerti, while, additionally, the accompaniments were improvised to an extent. Reducing this to a basic level, is it simply the case that, harmonically and stylistically, it was not as difficult to do this in Mozart's time? We no longer have a tradition, or such a tonal system embodying a guiding code, to respect in this way, which has contributed to the prioritising of the composer, and the score. Through our traditional respect for the written word, one expects to perform music as it is written, which itself has consequences: ‘†¦ it is our veneration for the urtext that leads us to the attitude that ‘whatever is not in the score must be wrong'. â€Å"4 The movement towards greater notational detail in the score in the 1950s and 1960s, along with the aforementioned elevated view of composer as ‘master' brought performers to a situation where â€Å"interpretation† became subjugated by â€Å"execution†. Attempts to exert compositional control over every element of a work -that is not only time-space relationships but forms of attack, articulation, dynamic shading i. e. those elements traditionally left to the musical intelligence of the player – do posses a certain futility. In every case which involves human input, something is left to the performer. They do not have to be aware of the extent that their unconscious ‘decisions' influence a piece, which include the elements of performance out of the possible control of the composer, for example a player's personal style, method of playing their instrument, conception of dynamic level. Players still take latitude, however determinate the notation. Their personal mannerisms and inflections will inevitably influence the end result. When viewed in this way, such precision on the part of the composer becomes almost meaningless, except in cases where the end result being an approximation is intentionally part of the composer's aesthetic. It arises that performers must be cautious of the primacy of the score, handling it (and the composer) with ‘kid gloves'. It leads to narrow scope for, and range of, interpretation â€Å"†¦ a state in which the interaction of compulsive exactitude and permissive freedom could result in simultaneous attitudes of carelessness towards the controlled elements and a confined and repetitious response to spontaneity in playing†5. Freeing oneself from the page became an important part of the experimental aesthetic. Conscientious performers feel a responsibility to the composer, and to their own integrity. Over-complexity in notation leads to problems with the realisation of the composer's intentions when directives are inevitably contravened through necessity. However, a performer would really have to be familiar with a composer's aesthetic to know that this otherwise unacceptable act is part of the piece's implicit significance. So, in a piece of huge complexity, notated or otherwise, a player who makes the ‘act of commitment'6 to study and attempt to decipher it, is likely to have a legitimate interest in actually performing the piece. One element which appears to permeate much of Cardew's output is a re-evaluation of the role between composer and performer. Cardew attached as much importance to the workings within the implementation of performance as the end-result in sound. His wish was to challenge accepted ways of thinking about, and making, music, which led to a notation which was action-oriented, inclusive and descriptive, not prescriptive. As suggested by the above quote, ‘†¦ he sound [becomes] a by-product of the activity, which is therefore specified exactly, while the sound may be left to look after itself. ‘ 7 Cardew writes of ‘a notation', as in ‘there are many notational possibilities'. How, though, can a notation really capture every conceivable piece of information about a piece? Obviously, ‘conventional' notation, that is notation which covers time-pitch relationships, is not flexible enough to relate extended compositional requirements. â€Å"†¦ The whole process depends on the choice of a suitable notation to serve as a link between A [composer] and B [performer]; one which will both express what needs to be expressed and allow information to flow smoothly between the two. â€Å"8 Even so, composers are less concerned with the relationship of the score to the performer, and consequently the sounds (A to C via B), than to their own concerns with sounds, without due consideration for the act of performing these sounds (A to C). Cardew suggests that a composer could work on their notation with the way a performer will interpret the signs in mind, thus ‘making the sounds' you wanted as a composer. Transcribing one's ideas in such a manner as to enable the performer to comprehend your directives, and even involve the player in decision-making, is a performance-perspective oriented view, having the added benefit of lending greater objectivity to the compositional task. ‘†¦ A paradigm that grew up in the early twentieth century†¦ aw the composer as some kind of absolute genius capable of imagining a perfect performance of a piece'9 The ‘tendency towards greater explicitness'10, which this comment infers, is part of a paradigm of composition far removed from the way composition was historically defined. Yet, the morphology of every new notation, and the consequential absence of a ‘norm of common notational practice', meant that immediate recognition of a composer's intentions became impracticable. 11 One underlying issue to be addressed in greater depth is that of the relationship between composer and performer. Hugo Cole states that ‘notation evolved to meet felt but inarticulate needs'12 When new methods of notation are devised in response to the need to articulate a newly developed style of composition, composers move the hypothetical goalposts further away again from the performer, as they have to once again learn the new language, interpret again the new signs and work out what the piece (or the composer) is trying to ‘say'. This applies in equal measure to determinate music and experimental, though the degree of freedom lent to the performer in the latter case deems it in many ways a more satisfying task. It somehow restores the performer's role as musically intelligent interpreter, relied upon to add the nuances and subtleties that (traditional) notation cannot accommodate. The rigidity of a notation must have relevance to the playing situation. To provide contrasting examples; the notations in many works by Brian Ferneyhough are complex attempts to notate those aspects of music which would otherwise be added -unconsciously or consciously-by the performer. This style of notation does not have the effect of reducing the burden on the performer, but adds to the already substantial amount of information the performer has to transmute into sound. In music of the New Complexity: performer is subjugated and manipulated, concluding that his efforts are of secondary importance. The act of writing, the systems and the notation take on more importance than the music it is there to serve†¦ '13Yet, Ferneyhough's scores are more than mere receptacles for ‘performance directions', they are inextricably linked to the composer's ideology. Their complexity is wildly challenging, but, paradoxically, the goal is not to fit in every event on every note; rather, the essence of his works lies in what is omitted in performance. This has a potent psychological effect on the classically-trained performer, accustomed to polished performances true to the composers wishes. With Ferneyhough, what he wishes is effectively equivocal, due in part to his documented changing views of his own output. Frederic Rzewski concludes that ‘†¦ it is not the notation but the compositional position that presents the performance problem. '14 We must additionally consider the example of those composers of equally complex, some may say impractical, music, who are also renowned performing exponents of their own scores; for example Michael Finnissy. By the nature of their enterprise, they are forced to consider the performer and, in Finnissy's case, continue to write music of such paradoxical complexity that, if one was to follow the score, is full of â€Å"errors† in performance, but still faithful to its essence. ‘The composer-performer [reacts] to their own notational problems, they know what idiomatic writing is being performers themselves and still choose to write music in a particular style'15 To contrast, take composer Glenn Branca's Symphony no. 6 ‘Devil Choirs at the Gates of Heaven', written in the main for electric guitars. He employs ‘staff notation', and no dynamic markings are evident as, naturally, the resultant dynamic of a piece of this nature will be at least fortissimo. Ironically, Branca's use of conventional notation links to his perception of it as being ‘exact': I had never written the pieces in staff notation until I wrote for the orchestra. Then I fell in love with the idea of having things so exact, with this notation, that I called up all my musicians [guitarists] and asked †can you guys read music? † It turned out that everybody could†¦ so we just started doing everything in staff notation. Not only did it make things clearer for me and the musicians, but it did change the music. 16 Branca's closing comment that ‘it did change the music' makes for interesting side-thought. For him, there were no subtleties or nuances that could not be recorded using this type of notation; in fact, it helped him to clarify and articulate his thoughts, correlating with the idea that notation must reflect the playing situation. The music of Christian Wolff embodies a similar aim to Cardew's, encouraging performer participation in the creation of a work and devising notations which allow such interaction. Theirs is an ‘aesthetic of non-intention', away from the conventional burdens of music: [music] must make possible the freedom and dignity of the performers. It should have in it a persistent capacity to surprise (even the performers themselves and the composer)'17 He creates deliberate paradoxical situations where what is written cannot be executed, for example in 6 Players where he asks one of the solo violas to ‘play eight notes in a quarter of a second, including three harmonics and one pizzicato'18. His use of indeterminacy in performance opens the work to external influences genuinely beyond the composer's intentions, and the barrier between performer and composer is reduced. 19 This use of indeterminate operations necessarily led to new attitudes towards performance. A working example of experimental notation is Cardew's Octet '61 [Example 1, below], which employs ‘an ambiguous ciphered notation, the working out of which by each performer leads to unforeseeable combinations of events that could be produced neither by strict composition nor by free improvisation. 20 As we have seen, ‘simple' notation does not necessarily equal many possible interpretations, and on the same line, an elaborate notation such as Cardew's can permit varied interpretation. The psychological impact of how the music looks on the page invites varied readings; the printed page is a storage medium where an inevitably incomplete representation of ‘notateable' ideas can be retained for the future. The fact that this aspect of the work does not change over time, like a painting or a book, does not mean that the piece will not change and evolve. Art's ability to carry societal properties, to evolve and reflect changing times is surely part of its value. The search for greater notational control led to greater complexity, yet the early influence of the possibilities of electronic music must have contributed to this pursuit. Peter Zinofieff spoke of an early ideal, satisfied by electronic composition, where ‘we can each have our own private language specially tailored for our own machines and individual needs or frustrations' 21 Ultimately, though, the performer's job is ‘to make the relationships and patterns in the music clear to the listener's mind and ear'22. This hope, though, displaces the enduring problems which lie between composers and those who are employed to realise the work, be they human or otherwise.

Developments in technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developments in technology - Essay Example Due to this, people all over the earth’s surface irrespective of where they are located can communicate with each other just as if they are actually exchanging experiences in a close platform. A person located several kilometers away from the other can just reach another very far away from him or her by simply pressing a single button on a communication garget. This has been enabled by the recent developments in wireless communications enabling people can connect to each other through a wireless medium. The wireless communication system has come a long way and has still a long way to go given the numerous discoveries made every day in the communication and information sector. Arguably this system has come a long way from the period of the wired communication channels where the wired telephone systems were used to the recent developments in mobile communication systems. This paper will look at the recent developments in communication systems and its applicability in the passing of information and communication systems between people in separate locations across the globe. Turkle raises a quite a number of ways in which technology has been helpful to people in the present times. A wide range of benefits are discussed in her research which are of course the actual happenings in the world of wireless communication and information. . However a number of openings in areas where we have applied technology in carrying out various things in our daily lives as we go about doing our duties and which needs to be addressed. Among of these areas include the education field where technological use has had a profound positive impact in shaping the way people acquire education and knowledge. As we speak, there are a number of students around the world who are doing their studies online. The advent of distance learning has come into the setting as a result of the developments in technology and to facilitate the ease in exchanging information on the internet further expand ing the information and communication sector (Clemons and Weber). One can listen to a lecture while doing some other things or carrying out his or her office mandates without any interruption. Besides, just by a single stroke of the keys on the computer keyboards or a single click on any icons on the computer, one is able to attend a lecture taking place several kilometers away from his or her location. Consequently, a lecturer needs not to actually be present in class every day to teach his or her students as this can be done online by connecting the class to an online location where the lecturer in actually located. From this remote location, the lecturer can teach and the students listen, see whatever is being taught as well as take notes and ask questions where necessary ad later on do the exams and submit their papers online. Besides, if you want to consult a source locate I a remote location on some assignments given in class, you don’t necessarily need to go to the lib rary or go shopping for the book in a far off book shop. All that you need is to have an online access to the library and access the book from the library shelves, read it and extract the information required just from your desk hence bringing learning closer to where we are at any moment. To this extent therefore technological developments have greatly made it easier for people all over the world to gain knowledge. Besides all these, technology has also

Marketing - Safety Provision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Safety Provision - Essay Example In an argument by Tuck (2005) safety business environments contain the best business ventures and successful businesses. With a safe operational environment, entrepreneurs have the confidence to venture in businesses and investors have the courage since they are assured of safety. Safety in the neighborhood or a business environment falls under the category of quasi-public goods. Safety is a natural occurring good which are essential in the environment. It has unlimited demand since it is intangible and the supply depends on a body and can be influenced. However, its demand rate can rise if the neighborhood is a constant den of any form of safety breaching factor. With increasing demand, it can be easily raised to suit all consumers. Apart from government action, market provisions also promote safety measures. However, neighborhoods with safety promotion tools from market provision are usually exposed to any form of loss (Besley, 2006). This paper will look at safety as both a collec tive good and also a quasi-public good. Additionally, it will differentiate safety from governments and safety from market provision. ... Population as a factor affects the supply of demand in terms of productivity and size. A high productivity population usually demands high safety initiatives and vice versa. A large population also needs more safety attention than a population with a small size of occupants. In the demand of safety there is non-rivalry till to a point of the above situations (Tuck, 2008). It is usually important for any person to investigate safety provision bodies. The two major stakeholders in the provision of safety are the government and the market itself. However, the government’s participation is the most significant. With all its arms in legality and operation levies, the government significance is easily to detect in a business environment (Argyle, 2001). To determine if the government is providing safety business operations, one has to look on taxes rates and legal requirements for operating a business. In a safe business environment controlled by the environment, the body should regu late taxation depending on the size of the business. If this is detected in a market, it is proof that the government is involved in the provision of safety. Another government initiative for provision of safety is the fact that everyone should be given the needed emergency attention regardless their position and financial stability (Mueller, 2003). Safety emergency services for every individual can only be provided by the government. This characterizes an environment with safety provision by the government. From the above scenarios the scope of the government’s involvement in provision of safety is confirmed. The above scenarios also help people to determine the body responsible for provision of safety in their neighborhood. With the government

The role of insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The role of insurance - Essay Example Broadly defining the term, it is the transfer of risk from one owner to another. This exchange from one entity to another is done by paying a premium to one party who is undertaking the contingent risk. In return, the person who is giving up on the loss and paying the premium gets the benefit of knowing either the extent of risk that is present and or preventing the loss at all.Insurance is one of the basic forms of risk management. In terms of position, an insurer is the person who undertakes the risk of loss; the policy holder is the person who buys the insurance and let's go of the risk that is associated. There is another term that is present, called the insurance rate; this factor is used to determine the charge that is charged for a certain kind of insurance. This extra charge is called the premium that the policy holder has to pay to let go of the risk that is present. All in all, the field of insurance and related risk management has evolved as a science. Insurance, along wit h risk management goes hand in hand. In other words, insurance is a product that is used to manage the risk that is associated with an expected event such a death, or an accident in which the prospective risks associated with the death and the accident would be the risk of the family losing a family member and the income that he or she brings. Also, the damage of the car in the accident will have to be paid. In such a case, where one knows the prospective hazards of something, it is better to insure the event so that the weight of paying for that risk at a later stage decreases. The risk premium that the policy holder has to pay depends upon the kinds of risk that the insurance company is covering. In short, the higher the risk, the higher the premium is to be paid to the insurance company and the events with a lower risk have to be adjusted with a lower premium. In evaluating the risk of an event, the insurance company makes sure that they take into account every quantifiable and qualitative factor that is present in the environment to come at a compensation that can be good enough today in order to cover the expenses in the future, if the event happens. Therefore, they insurance company greatly increases its value when the event that is being insured doesn't happen at all. For all this to take effect, the insurance providers undertake massive research regarding the insurance holder and the event that might take place. They insurance company also makes sure that they use statistical tools to evaluate the occurring of the events that may be insured, for exam ple the loss of an earning family member or an illness. Risk profiling is another major aspect of insurance. Companies who provide insurance makes sure that they do adequate risk profiling and consider it an important part. According to research and the Pareto principle, more than 80% of insurance claims arise from less than 20% of the profiles that are present. Thereofre, risk profiling helps the insurance companies understand which areas provide them greater risks of claims and which don't. Insurance providers' major aim is to develop an understanding regarding the subject that is being insured and gathering maximium possible and relevant knowledge so that they are able to better evaluate the potential risks that are present and also the likelihood of the occurrence of such events. Co-relations between different events, different factors, and summaries are presented to help the insurance providers with sound conclusions. Today, even artificial intelligence is being used in order to understand the correlation that is present between even ts that would help the insurance providers gauge the risk of an event happening. For example, the correlation between people having high amounts of alcohol everyday and

The use of flexible and distributed learning in higher education Literature review

The use of flexible and distributed learning in higher education (particularly post qualifying nurse education) - Literature review Example Data Sources 20 3.3. Search Terms 22 3.4. Supplementary Literature 22 3.6. Data Synthesis 24 Chapter 4 – Findings 25 4.1. Extent by which flexible and distributed learning is applied for continuing professional development (CPD) in nursing 26 4.2. How flexible and distributed learning is accepted among nurse practitioners as an effective form of learning activity. 30 4.3. Strengths and weaknesses of the new paradigm for the continuing professional development of nurses 34 Chapter 5 – Discussion 41 Chapter 6 – Implications and Recommendations 46 Conclusions 49 References 51 Appendices 60 Abstract Background. Hickie (2004) described the beginnings of the post-registration and education framework (PREP) which was instituted in 1994 to help address the changing needs in health care and protect public interest by regulate post-qualification practice. PREP was implemented by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC), which is now known as the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Under the framework, nursing practitioners are required to embark on at least five days or 35 hours of learning activity relevant to current nursing practice during the three-year period preceding the renewal of their registration. Since 2000, renewal of nursing registration certificates for nurses who have not practiced their professions in any capacity for at least 750 hours during the last five years prior to application of renewal specify compulsory return to practice programmes. Additionally, the PREP continuing professional education (CPD) standard also requires nursing practitioners to maintain a personal professional profile (PPP) where all learning activity will be recorded, and compliance with audit requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Introduction of the portfolio compilation requirement during pre-registration prepares registered nurses for the current nursing practice of keeping a PPP (Hickie, 2004). Flexible and distributed learning offers promising opportunities for continuing professional development of nursing practitioners outside of the rigid context of traditional formats. Aim. The aim of this literature review is to evaluate the efficacy of flexible and distributed learning as an effective new paradigm in the delivery of continuing professional development in nurse education. Methodology. Descriptive analysis in the form of a literature review was adopted as the primary methodology. The review of literature proceeded similar to content analysis of unstructured data which results in summarisation of relevant findings as discussed in Wood and Ross-Kerr (2011). In this paper, findings were analysed and compiled under three main categories: (1) extent by which flexible and distributed learning is applied for continuing professional development in nursing; (2) how flexible and distributed learning is accepted nurse practitioners and the academe as an effective form of learning activi ty; and (3) strengths and weaknesses of the new paradigm for continuing professional development of nurses. Pertinent conclusions were drawn grounded on the findings from the literature review. Method. A search for pertinent resources was undertaken using the following databases (arranged in the order of the initial number of articles retrieved) : CogNet Library, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Google Scholar, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL, Cochrane Collaboration, General Science Abstracts, Education Resource Information Centre (ERIC), PubMed, Health