Mans Search for Meaning - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 880 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/09/15 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? August 28, 2010 Week 2 Exam 2 Man’s Search for Meaning I. Key Concepts Obtained from the Assigned Reading Logotherapy is a technique of therapeutic intervention that is meant to help an individual find their particular meaning in life. He discusses how each person’s meaning is going to be different from another’s and stresses that no therapist can dictate to any person what their particular meaning of life is. He also shared that one’s meaning of life could be different depending on the given moment in time. It can change as one grows in life. According to Frankl, when a person is blocked from relating with his will to meaning, it can result in great frustration and, in the long run, a mental collapse. Therefore, the role of logotherapy is absolutely important in helping the individual to uncover the obscure meaning of his or her existence and therefore bring back and sustain mental health. A human being’s will to meaning is defined as his or her basic striving to find and fulfill meaning and purpose in life. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Mans Search for Meaning" essay for you Create order Psychotherapy helps a person to cope and adjust to society and the environment around them and does not typically address the meaning of an individual’s life. The existential vacuum is Frankl’s term for humanity’s loss of natural instinct through evolution. Because of this loss of instinct, people are forced to make choices. Often this leads to conformism or the acceptance of totalitarianism in order to avoid making so many choices. Boredom ensues and, according to Frankl, boredom causes more psychological problems than suffering. When one is in distress, he or she has something to remain focused on. Frankl states that â€Å"logotherapy sees in responsibleness the very essence of human existence†. In logotherapy, a person must be willing to take full responsibility for discovering his or her meaning of life. It goes beyond just oneself but extends to other people or perhaps a cause. II. Merits and Demerits of the Assigned Reading I believe that Frankl’s logotherapy is a common sense approach. I believe there are many ways to assist a person in coping with hardship, but to iscover a benefit from hardship should make coping easier. For example, my husband was in combat in Iraq and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. I believe that part of his struggle could be making sense of the environment he was in at the time. Perhaps obtaining understanding of the history and culture of the area may help him to understand the dynamics of what happened. Finding reasons helps to find meaning. I support Frankl’s belief that boredom is more detrimental to a person’s mental wellbeing than hardship. It is common to complain about hard times and hope for a more peaceful existence. However, beyond just a vacation, this is defeating. My purpose cannot be just lying around watching television. I must contribute something also. Although Frankl talked of the creators of the gas chambers as demonstrating the evil side of human nature, I feel he neglected to acknowledge that there are people who truly do not need a meaning in their lives beyond themselves. They could be considered mentally ill, perhaps sociopathic, but they exist. III. Relevance of the Assigned Reading to My Professional Context As a professional who works with families, I can attest that there is a constant question as to why bad things happen. There are financial hardships, health concerns, as well as the separations that military families endure on a regular basis. Although I certainly cannot practice logotherapy, I could use some of its principals in my work as well as my personal life. I think there should be a focus on learning from hardship rather than self-pity and self-defeating language. I also think that understanding the phrase, â€Å"This too shall pass â€Å"is important to moving on and surviving hard times. Listing some of the various hardships and trials I have had over the years, I can see where I have learned from them. Some hardships, those that didn’t end with a tragedy of some type, have actually turned out to be beneficial in the long run. At the time, I would not have seen it as beneficial in the least. I hope to share this observation with families as well as my own children in order for them to reflect as I have. I think Frankl’s explanation of the existential vacuum assists me. It helps me understand why people often give up when they are expected to make choices. References: Man’s Search for Meaning. Viktor Frankl. Beacon Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0807014264 Mans Search for Ultimate Meaning. Sept 22, 1997 v244 n39 p62(1)Publishers Weekly,  244,  n39. p. 62(1). Retrieved  August 21, 2010,  from  General OneFile  via  Gale: https://find. galegroup. com/gtx/start. do? prodId=ITOF;userGroupName=klnb_southwest Cubbage, B. (March 22, 1985). Frankls 80-year search for meaning. National Catholic Reporter,  21,  p. 18(1). Retrieved  August 21, 2010,  from  General OneFile  via  Gale: https://find. galegroup. com/gtx/start. do? prodId=ITOFuserGroupName=klnb_southwest Josephine Rossi. (2005,  August). Training for a Meaning. T + D,  59(8),  20-23. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  878237051). Mariotti, J. (Oct 19, 1998). Managements search for meaning. Industry Week,  p. 154(1). Retrieved  August 21, 2010,  from  General OneFile  via  Gale: https://find. galegroup. com/gtx/start. do? prodId=ITOF;userGroupName=klnb_southwest

Risk Analysis of Stock Market - 2022 Words

INTRODUCTION Our assignment topic is â€Å"Risk analysis of Stock Market†. To identify the stock market risk we have to do some calculation. In this assignment we choose Coefficient of varience(CV) method We select five banks (Dhaka Bank Ltd., Prime Bank Ltd., Social Islami Bank Ltd., Sahjalal Bank Ltd. and Premium Bank Ltd. ) of financial institution. 1.1 History of the Stock Market of Bangladesh Dhaka Stock Exchange (Generally known as DSE) is the main stock exchange of Bangladesh. It is located in Motijheel at the heart of the Dhaka city. It was incorporated in 1954. Dhaka stock exchange is the first stock exchange of the country. As of 18 August 2010, the Dhaka Stock Exchange had over 750 listed companies with a combined market†¦show more content†¦Step 2: To calculate the average price or mean value of each bank. Step 3: To calculate a value which comes from X-mean. Step 4: To calculate the square value of X-mean. Step 5: To divide the value (X-mean)^2 by (n-1) Step 6: To find out the Root value of [{(X-mean)^2}/(n-1)] This is the value of Standard Deviation (Std.) Step 7:To calculate the ratio between std. and mean. This is the value of CV. Dhaka Bank: Month | Share price(TK) | _X - X | _(X - X)^2 | MAR11 | 41.3 | -1.35 | 1.8225 | APR11 | 39.1 | -3.55 | 12.6025 | MAY11 | 41.4 | -1.25 | 1.5625 | JUNE11 | 44.7 | 2.05 | 4.2025 | JULY11 | 46.9 | 4.25 | 18.0625 | AUG11 | 44.5 | 1.85 | 3.4225 | SEP11 | 41.7 | -0.95 | 0.9025 | OCT11 | 42.3 | -0.35 | 0.1225 | NOV11 | 44.4 | 1.75 | 3.0625 | DEC11 | 44.5 | 1.85 | 3.4225 | JAN12 | 37.1 | -5.55 | 30.8025 | FEB12 | 43.9 | 1.25 | 1.5625 | TotalMean Std.CVShow MoreRelatedRisk Analysis : Financial Analysis Of The Stock Market And Investments3458 Words   |  14 Pages Introduction According to Rosvall Bohlin (2014:1), risk is the price of opportunities provided by the stock market for investors. 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Mark Twain6 Essay Example For Students

Mark Twain6 Essay Pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), American writer and humorist, whose best work is characterized by broad, often irreverent humor or biting social satire. Twains writing is also known for realism of place and language, memorable characters, and hatred of hypocrisy and oppression. Born in Florida, Missouri, Clemens moved with his family to Hannibal, Missouri, a port on the Mississippi River, when he was four years old. In 1851 he began setting type for and contributing sketches to his brother Orions Hannibal Journal. Later, Clemens was a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River until the American Civil War (1861-1865). In 1862 he became a reporter on the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, Nevada, and in 1863 he began signing his articles with the pseudonym Mark Twain, a Mississippi River phrase meaning two fathoms deep. In 1865 Twain published The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and within months the author and the story had become national sensations. Much of Twains best work was written in the 1870s and 1880s. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) celebrates boyhood in a town on the Mississippi River; The Prince and the Pauper (1882), a childrens book, focuses on switched identities in Tudor England; and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court (1889) satirizes oppression in feudal England (see Feudalism). One of Twains most significant works of the 1890s and 1900s is Puddnhead Wilson (1894), a novel set in the South before the Civil War that criticizes racism by focusing on mistaken racial identities. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), the sequel to Tom Sawyer, is considered Twains masterpiece. The book is the story of the title character, known as Huck, a boy who flees his father by rafting down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave, Jim. Huckleberry Finn is especially noted for its authentic language. Twains skill in capturing the rhythms of life along the Mississippi River before the Civil War helps make the book one of the masterpieces of American literature. Twains work was inspired by the unconventional West, and the popularity of his work marked the end of the domination of American literature by New England writers. He portrayed uniquely American subjects in a humorous and colloquial, yet poetic, language. His success in creating this plain but evocative language precipitated the end of American reverence for British and European culture and for the more formal language associated with those traditions. His adherence to American themes, settings, and language set him apart from many other novelists of the day and had a powerful effect on such later American writers as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. Bibliography:

Management and Cost Accounting Assignment Essay Example

Management and Cost Accounting Assignment Essay B313F Management and Cost Accounting Assignment 1 Date due:29 October 2008 Weighting:15% of the total marks of the course Question 1(25 marks) Mini Case – Seto’s Storage Warehouse Paul Seto owns and manages a commercial storage warehouse. He stores a vast variety of perishable goods for his customers. Under the existing pricing policy, he has charged customers using a flat rate of $2. 40 per kilogram per month for goods stored. His storage warehouse has 10,000 cubic metres of storage capacity. In the past two years, Seto has become dissatisfied with the profitability of the warehouse operation. Despite the fact that the warehouse remains relatively full, revenues have not kept pace with operating costs. Recently, Seto approached his accountant, Albert Lo, about using activity-based costing (ABC) to improve his understanding of the causes of costs and revise the pricing formula. Lo has determined that most costs can be associated with one of four activities. Those activities and their related monthly costs, volume measures, and volume levels for 2008 are as follows: Activity |Cost |Monthly Volume Measure | |Send/receive goods | $80,000 |Weight in kilograms – 50,000 | |Store goods | $8,000 |Volume in cubic metres – 800 | |Move goods | $10,000 |Volume in square metres – 500 | |Identify goods | $3,000 |Number of packages – 500 | We will write a custom essay sample on Management and Cost Accounting Assignment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Management and Cost Accounting Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Management and Cost Accounting Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Lo has also collected last month’s information on the following 3 customers whose goods were all received on the first day of last month. |Customers |Weight of Order |Cubic Metres |Square Metres |Number of Packages | | |(Kilograms) | | | | |Sunshine Co. |20,000 |600 |30 |10 | |Best Buy Co. 20,000 |400 |20 |40 | |Chow’s Trading |20,000 |200 | 100 | 160 | Seto would like Lo to perform some analyses based on the above information and data in order to evaluate whether to use ABC. Required: a. Determine the price to be charged to each of the 3 customers under the existing pricing policy. (3 marks) b. Based on the monthly activity cost and volume data provided, determine the amount of cost assigned to each of the 3 customers. 10 marks) c. Determine the price to be charged to each of the 3 customers using activity-based costing (ABC), assuming Seto would base the price on the cost determined in part (b) plus a markup of 40 percent. (3 marks) d. Critically discuss whether Setoà ¢â‚¬â„¢s existing pricing policy captures the costs incurred to provide the warehouse services. (5 marks) e. A cost hierarchy categorizes costs into different cost pools on the basis of the different types of cost drivers or cost-allocation bases. Describe the four levels of a manufacturing cost hierarchy under the ABC system. 4 marks) Question 2(25 marks) Antique Furnishings Ltd. is a Yuen Long based manufacturer making three unique wood products: bed-frames, coffee tables, footstools. These products are completely carved by hand by skilled craftspeople who have been trained in making these products. Since it takes about a year to train each craftsperson, the labour cost is a fixed production constraint over the short term. For the year ended 31 December 2008, the company expects to have 34,000 available labour hours. The average hourly labour rate is $25. Information regarding the current product line is as follows: Bed-framesCoffee tablesFootstools $ $ $ Selling price900 680 240 Variable costs: Direct material220 160 60 Direct manufacturing-labour costs 300 275 75 Indirect manufacturing-labour costs 80 40 21 Other indirect manufacturing costs100 80 20 Variable selling expense 20 15 10 Variable manufacturing costs are variable with respect to units produced. Variable selling expenses are variable with respect to units sold. Fixed costs: Indirect manufacturing-labour costs 80,000 Other indirect manufacturing costs 70,000 Selling administration 75,000 Required: a. Compute the contribution margin per unit for each of the three products above. (6 marks) b. Assuming that the market demand exceeds the company’s production capacity for all products, determine the number of units of each product that the company should make. (Hint: You need to maximize the contribution per unit of the scarce resource. ) Calculate the profit before tax based on your determination of units of each product. (7 marks) c. Assuming that the company has a policy of devoting between 20% to 50% of its available skilled labour capacity to one product, determine the number of units of each product that the company should make and calculate the maximum profit before tax. (7 marks) d. Discuss how managers decide whether a cost is a direct or an indirect cost and describe the factors that will affect the classification of a cost as direct or indirect. (5 marks) Question 3(25 marks) DVD Express is a large manufacturer of affordable DVD players. Management recently became aware of rising costs resulting from returns of malfunctioning products. As a starting point for further analysis, Bonnie Lee, the controller, wants to test different forecasting methods and then use the best one to forecast quarterly expenses for 2009. The relevant data for the previous three years follows: 2006Return 2007Return2008Return QuarterExpensesQuarterExpensesQuarterExpenses 1$15,0001$16,2001$16,600 217,500217,800218,100 318,500318,800319,000 418,600417,700419,200 The result of a simple regression analysis using all 12 data points yielded an intercept of $16,559. 09 and a coefficient for the independent variable of $183. 22 (R-squared = . 27, t = 1. 4, SE = 1128). Required: a. Calculate the quarterly forecast for 2009 using the high-low method and regression analyses. Recommend which method Bonnie should use. (15 marks) b. How does your analysis in requirement #1 change if DVD Express manufactures its products in multiple global production facilities to serve the global market? (5 marks) c. How do we know when high correlation exists? Explain wh ether high correlation is the same as cause and effect? (5 marks) Question 4(25 marks) Quik Printing Inc. , is a rapidly growing company that has not been profitable despite increases in sales. It has hired you as a consultant to find ways to improve the situation. You believe that the problem results from poor cost control and inaccurate cost estimation on jobs. To gather data for your investigation, you turn to the accounting system and find that it is almost nonexistent. However, you piece together the following information for April: †¢ Production 1. Completed job 101. 2. Started and completed job 102. 3. Started job 103. †¢ Inventory values: 1. Work-in-process inventory: |March 31: Job 101 | | | Direct material†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $ 2,000 | | Labor (960 hours ( $10)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | 9,600 | |April 30: Job 103 | | | Direct material†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. |$ 1,600 | | Labor (1,040 hours ( $10)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | 10,400 | 2. Each job in work-in-process inventory was exactly 50 percent completed as to labor hours; however, all direct material necessary to do the entire job was charged to each jo b as soon as it was started. 3. There were no raw-material inventories or finished-goods inventories at either March 31 or April 30. Actual manufacturing overhead was $20,000. †¢ Cost of goods sold (before adjustment for over-or underapplied overhead): |Job 101 | | | Direct material†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | $ 2,000 | | Labor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. | ? | | Overhead†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | ? | |Total†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | $ 30,800 | | | | |Job 102 | | | Direct material†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ? | | Labor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. | ? | | Overhead†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | ? | |Total†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | ? | †¢ Overhead was applied to jobs using a predetermined rate per labor dollar that has been used since the company began operations. †¢ All raw materials were purchased for cash and charged directly to Work-in-Process Inventory when purchased. Raw material purchased in April amounted to $4,600. †¢ Direct-labor costs charged to jobs in April totaled $32,000. All labor costs were the same per hour for April for all laborers. Required Write a report, with supporting calculations, to management to show the following: a. The cost elements (direct material, labor, and overhead) of cost of goods sold before adjustment for over-or underapplied overhead for each job sold. (14 marks) b. The value of each cost element (direct material, labor, and overhead) for each job in work-in-process inventory at April 30. (7 marks) c. Over-or underapplied overhead for April. (4 marks)

Free Essays on Prohibition In The Roaring 20’s

When you think of the roaring 20’s, you think about people having a good time and partying, but most often people don’t think about what was going on behind that. Prohibition was started in 1920’s and was named â€Å"the noble experiment†. Though it was a failure, it was meant for good. They thought the banning of alcohol would reduce crime rates and improve health, among other things. It was such a big failure in fact, it raised the amount of alcohol people drank in the end. It also led many drinkers to start on other drugs such as opium, marijuana, cocaine and other harmful substances. It was not very likely that they would have used these drugs if Prohibition had never occurred. It makes you think how different things would be if Prohibition never became a law. Would the use of drugs be as prevalent as it is today? This was truly an age of downfall for all of America. It is so hard to tell whether prohibition was a good thing or a bad law to pass, but either way people found a way to get around it. It all started because the people who originally started prohibition found the drinking behavior of Americans to be a problem. They didn’t want it to spread all around and grow with the immigration of Europe. With good intentions, they believed banning alcohol would make better workers and in the end, more productivity. They also believed it would decrease violence. So on January 12, 1920 America went dry officially. In the next twelve years, complete corruption, violence, and other scandals occurred. You would think after this alcohol would be very hard to get, but it was just the opposite. It became much easier to get alcohol then ever because so many people made a profit bootlegging. Alcohol was such an easy thing to come by, and believe it or not, during prohibition it was much easier to get. Since this law wasn’t enforced as much as it should have been, crime grew even larger. People were willing to ... Free Essays on Prohibition In The Roaring 20’s Free Essays on Prohibition In The Roaring 20’s When you think of the roaring 20’s, you think about people having a good time and partying, but most often people don’t think about what was going on behind that. Prohibition was started in 1920’s and was named â€Å"the noble experiment†. Though it was a failure, it was meant for good. They thought the banning of alcohol would reduce crime rates and improve health, among other things. It was such a big failure in fact, it raised the amount of alcohol people drank in the end. It also led many drinkers to start on other drugs such as opium, marijuana, cocaine and other harmful substances. It was not very likely that they would have used these drugs if Prohibition had never occurred. It makes you think how different things would be if Prohibition never became a law. Would the use of drugs be as prevalent as it is today? This was truly an age of downfall for all of America. It is so hard to tell whether prohibition was a good thing or a bad law to pass, but either way people found a way to get around it. It all started because the people who originally started prohibition found the drinking behavior of Americans to be a problem. They didn’t want it to spread all around and grow with the immigration of Europe. With good intentions, they believed banning alcohol would make better workers and in the end, more productivity. They also believed it would decrease violence. So on January 12, 1920 America went dry officially. In the next twelve years, complete corruption, violence, and other scandals occurred. You would think after this alcohol would be very hard to get, but it was just the opposite. It became much easier to get alcohol then ever because so many people made a profit bootlegging. Alcohol was such an easy thing to come by, and believe it or not, during prohibition it was much easier to get. Since this law wasn’t enforced as much as it should have been, crime grew even larger. People were willing to ...

How Insects Attract a Mate

How Insects Attract a Mate If youve spent any time watching insects, youve probably stumbled on a pair of lady beetles or flies joined together in the throes of love. When youre a lone bug in a big world, finding a partner of the same species and the opposite sex is not always that simple. So how do insects find a mate? Love at First Sight- Visual Signals Some insects begin their search for a sexual partner by looking for or giving visual cues or signals. Butterflies, flies, odonates, and luminous beetles use visual signals most often. In some butterfly species, males spend much of the afternoon patrolling for receptive females. Anything that looks like a female may be inspected, especially if the object is a desired color and floats like a butterfly, to borrow a phrase from Muhammed Ali. Many species of flies perch in a place that provides a clear view of the area. The fly sits, watching for any flying object that might be a female. If one appears, he quickly takes flight and makes contact. If his quarry is indeed a female of his own species, he escorts her to an appropriate place for mating- perhaps a leaf or a twig nearby. Fireflies may be the most famous insects that flirt using visual signals. Here, the female sends the signal to lure a male. She flashes her light in a specific code that tells passing males her species, her sex, and that she is interested in mating. A male will reply with his own signal. Both male and female continue to flash their lights until they have found each other. Serenades of Love- Auditory Signals If youve heard the chirp of a cricket or the song of a cicada, youve listened to insects calling for a mate. Most insects that make sounds do so for the purpose of mating, and males tend to be the crooners in species that use auditory signals. Insects that sing for a partner include Orthopterans, Hemipterans, and Coleopterans. The best-known singing insects must be the male periodical cicadas. Hundreds or even thousands of male cicadas congregate in an area after emerging and produce an ear-splitting chorus of song. The cicada chorus usually includes three different species, singing together. Remarkably, the females respond to the song and are able to find mates of the same species from within the chaotic choir. Male crickets rub their forewings together to produce a raspy and loud song. Once he lures a female close to him, his song changes to a softer courtship call. Mole crickets, which are ground dwellers, actually construct special entrance tunnels shaped like megaphones, from which they amplify their calls. Some insects simply tap on a hard surface to produce their love calls. The death-watch beetle, for example, bangs his noggin against the roof of his tunnel to attract a mate. These beetles feed on old wood, and the sound of his head tapping resonates through the wood. Love Is in the Air- Chemical Cues French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre discovered the power of the insect sex pheromones quite by accident in the 1870s. Male peacock moths came flitting in the open windows of his laboratory, landing on the mesh cage of a female. He tried to fool the males by moving her cage to different locations, but the males always found their way back to her. As you might suspect from their plumose antennae, male moths search for suitable female mates by sensing sex pheromones in the air. The female cecropia moth emits a scent so powerful it attracts males from miles around. A male bumble bee uses pheromones to lure a female to a perch, where he can mate with her. The male flies along, marking plants with his perfume. Once he sets his traps, he patrols his territory waiting for a female to land on one of his perches. Unmated Japanese beetle females release a strong sex attractant, which quickly draws the attention of many males. Sometimes, so many male suitors appear at one time that they form a crowded cluster referred to as a beetle ball.

Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC-256 BC) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC-256 BC) - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the Zhou were the first of a series of ruling dynasties of nomadic origins that came from China’s borderlands† to the west of the country. The Zhou kings established their rule after conquering the Shang. The great victory took place in 1122 B.C., with only 50,000 Zhou troops defeating an army of Shang troops over ten times that size, because the Shang ruler was corrupt and depraved. The Zhou Dynasty ruled for around eight hundred years and extended China’s borders significantly. The Zhou worshipped sun gods, especially Tian. The first Zhou kings were powerful monarchs who relied on their swords. However, with the passage of centuries, power slipped from the ruler’s hands and increasing military and administrative duties were delegated to local aristocrats who acquired new territory. Consequently, China expanded, but at the same time, the control of the government weakened. The long period of the Zhou Dynasty in Chinese history is usually divided into the Western Zhou 1045-771 B.C., with its capital in the Wei River Valley, and the Eastern Zhou 771-256 B.C. which shifted eastwards, after defeating in battle.The idea of the Mandate of Heaven and moral accountability that rulers are sanctioned by Heaven as long as they rule virtuously for the benefit of the people was used originally to justify Zhou conquest of the Shang. However, it increased in strength as a potent idea of moral thought and continues to be used in the present time.  

Publicly-listed companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Publicly-listed companies - Essay Example Business organizations are formed and nurtured by individuals; therefore, the norms are a reflection of the character patterns of the proprietors. The acts of a defiant worker will result, depending on his/her target, lead to either productivity loss, sabotage property, show no respect for others or anti-social to colleagues. Out of the society’s desire to have and regulate ethical behaviors, jurisdictions have developed and enacted into law ethical guidelines that inform decisions. Unethical behaviors have been defined in federal law to include invasion of privacy, theft, embezzlement, fraud, price fixing and incomplete disclosures. All organizations are bound by the rules intended not only to punish, but to encourage companies to prevent violations (Zschietzschmann 25). There are three influences in ethical decision-making; intensity, moral development and ethical principles. Ethical intensity is the degree of concern people hold about ethical issues encompassing magnitude of consequences, social consensus, probability of effect, temporal immediacy, proximity of effect and concentration of effect. Ethical principles are a sum-total of long-term interests, personal virtue, religious injunctions, government regulations, utilitarian benefits, individual rights and distributive justice in guiding the process of decision-making. In enforcing and preserving ethical behavior, a company must have code of ethics that all employees must abide by whether inside or outside the workplace. The code of ethics informs, from the onset, how employees are hired to ensure that the employee personal interest conforms to that of the organization. Ethics are further transmitted through continuous training as the law is not static. When faced with an ethical issue to deci de, individual needs to identify the problem as a first step. The next step is to identify the extent of the effect it causes followed by why it came to happen. One has to explore the

Popular Culture Essay Essay Example for Free

Popular Culture Essay Essay Although there are some parts of popular culture that make it into high culture, popular culture is transient; it describes the way of life, attitudes, and passions of mostly younger people. These views usually change as they age and gain real life experience. This essay will cover culture, popular culture, three major trends in popular American culture and how popular American culture affects personal decision making. Culture is the united design of social understanding, faith, and conduct that hinges on the ability to search for knowledge and spread it to future generations. It is also the ordinary principles, collective customs, and measurable qualities of ethnic, religious, or a community. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2012) â€Å"The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture.† (Plato, 2012) Popular cultural is the understanding and actions of a particular set of people in a particular era. It is also television shows (like Reality TV) or marketable goods (like sagging pants, oversized shirts, hats designed to be worn backward, etc.) made for, or targeted at particular set of people. (Oxford English Dictionary, 2012) In this student’s opinion popular culture comes and goes and only defines an era not its people. Three major trends in today’s society are a digital society, sexual explicitness, and a general lack of personal responsibility. Americans live in a digital society that relies on technology more than personal relationships. We do a great deal of shopping and purchasing online and have become a society where the sexier it is the better. Almost everything on television, in magazines, and even our music have become permeated with sexual overtones and innuendos. Finally, we have a dilemma with the lack of personal responsibility in our country; recently there have been several lawsuits against fast food restaurants for making people fat. Americans need to accept responsibility for our own actions; it was not the fast food restaurants that made us fat, rather it was our decision to eat there that did. Popular American culture affects personal decision making various ways, whether it is the type of food we buy, the music we listen to, electronics we purchase, and even the people we date. In this student’s opinion the Internet is the single most influential popular culture influencer of our time. We use it for everything from dating, shopping, exploring, studying, traveling, relaxing, and so much more. Popular culture  affects us in almost every decision we make. Although there are some parts of popular culture that makes it into high culture, popular culture is transient. This essay covered culture, popular culture, three major trends in popular American culture and how popular American culture affects personal decision making. â€Å"Culture is made of everything that enables man to maintain, enhance or transform without weakening it, the ideal image of himself that it has inherited.† (Malraux, 2001) References Malraux, A. (2001, May 2). UCL Discours recteur Marcel Crochet. Retrieved from http://sites.uclouvain.be/actualites/dhc2001/drecteur.html Oxford English Dictionary. (2012, June). Retrieved from http://www.oed.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/view/Entry/45746?rskey=BftxmAresult=1isAdvanced=false#eid Plato. (2012, June 4). Here, There, and Everywhere. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201206/whats-after-30-quotes-the-afterlife

Scout’s Maturity Essay -- English Literature

Scout’s Maturity Maturation is a stage of growth that we as human beings begin at birth. â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† in Harper Lee shows Scouts growth as she experiences and understands the prejudice of Maycomb. In the beginning Scout is a naive little girl but as the story commences she begins to understand what goes on in Maycomb and by the end she may still be young but she has matured. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† author suggests the actions we take lead us to become human beings and what we have done and learned from it leads to mature beings. In the beginning, Scout is an outsider, a tomboy who is not accepted by her brother or his friend. She is known as â€Å"the girl† also she announces that she is five years old but she tries her best to fit in and play with he brother and Dill. Scout thinks of herself as an adult in the beginning, like at when at school she thinks of herself and her school mates as little adults, who must take care of the first year teachers, this shows she is still small but is working her way to adulthood. As the first part of the story progresses we learn another quality which makes Scout immature; the fact that she can’t control her anger. For example when Scout beat up her cousin, this shows she needs to accept something’s and let them go because if she keeps getting angry she is going to go on a rampage because in those days bigotry existed and she has to get use to it.. Scout makes very little progress in the first part of â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† but that doesn’t mean she isn’t determined. To fit in and feel as old as achievable is one of her true goals so she does as much as she can do to fit in and act as old as possible. One thing she does that is mature is she tries her b... ...but in the beginning she made childish accusations. As the story progressed she was shown the true colors of people and understands how life is in Maycomb County, Alabama. Near the end she makes better decisions and the ideas that come to her mind make her seem more mature. After Tom Robinson gets shot Scout matures into a woman mentally and the court trial was the route that showed her the people and there prejudice decisions from a girl to a man. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† Harper Lee says that in life we encounter many situations that affect us deeply but from the mistakes of others we learn valuable lessons. Scouts maturation from a young girl to a young woman is a slow alternation she made as she went through the tunnel and showed how she matured. People far prefer belonging than wisdom, but that is like wanting to be immortal without getting older.

Forecasting the Adoption of E-Books Essay

Question 1 The size of the market for e-books in the long-run: 293. 7 million x 46. 7% x 8% = 10. 973 million (Total US population x percentage of US population reading literature x Percentage of traditional paper books purchased online in 2003) It will take 10 years to reach 95% penetration of the potential market. Question 2 I predict that the sale of the e-book when it first became available is 0. 751milion (pm) (Assumption: each innovator buy one book. ) Question 3 The long-run total adoption of e-books would be 10. 973 million. (Total US population x percentage of US population reading literature x Percentage of traditional paper books purchased online in 2003) Question 4 I do expect the market for e-books tend to be guided by imitators rather than innovators. According to the table above, I found that the weighted average for e-book of q (0. 0684) is larger than p (0. 2990). In addition, the word of mouth takes an important role in the adoption of e-books. The information about the e-book from the innovators contribute much to the adoption of e-books since people tend to hesitate to change their old reading habit. Question 5 S(t)=[p+(q/m)N(t-1)][m-N(t-1)] Year 1: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (0)][10. 973-0] = 0. 751 million Year 2: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (0. 751)][10. 973-0. 751] = 0. 908 million Year 3: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (1. 659)][10. 973-1. 659] = 1. 059 million Year 4: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (2. 717)][10. 973-2. 717] = 1. 176 million Year 5: [0. 0684+(0. 2990/10. 973) X (3. 893)][10. 973-3. 893] = 1. 235 million Question 6 The adoption of e-book will be very different from digital music obtained online. The adoption of e-books face more challenges when comparing to the adoption of digital music. To most of the listeners, there is not much difference in experience between listening to a song from an iPod and a CD player. Therefore, they have a relatively low switching cost and more willing to change their habits. On the contrary, to most of the readers, it is definitely very different from reading an e-book to reading a printed book. The feelings of holding a printed book and flipping over a physical book are irreplaceable. So readers are loyal to printed book and hesitate to switch from traditional books to e-books. Hence, it is reasonable to predict that the pace of adopting digital music is faster than the pace of adopting e-books. Question 7 I think both of the attitudes about reading and purchasing e-content have changed a lot in recent years. In the old time, people could read e-content via PC only. Nowadays, people are able to read e-content through various mobile devices. Therefore, they spend more time on reading e-content especially during leisure time and even commuting time. However, the quality of the reading effort is diminishing as the overload of e-content available on Internet. In addition, people tend to rely more on the e-content since it is very convenient, environmentally friendly, high mobility and high accessibility. For the attitude about purchasing e-content, more people are willing to pay for the e-content in recent years. The advanced online payment system plays an important role. People feel more secure and also convenient when dealing online ever than before. Moreover, more well-known and large-scale publishers offer more choices of e-content for readers. Besides, in the light of the prevalent of mobile device, people have more time and chances to read the e-content regardless of the time and places. Thus, people are more willing to spend on e-content than before. Question 8 The hardware plays a paramount important role in the adoption of e-books. No matter how amazing the e-content is, the e-books would not be popularized if the hardware were not user-friendly. However, a good hardware is very likely to boost sales of the e-books. It is because the hardware is a fixed cost while the e-books are the variable cost to the readers. A portable hardware with proper size of monitor and high capacity is very attractive to the readers. They no longer need to neither carry the bulky printed books nor spare some places for storage. Moreover, the hardware enables readers to read comfortably when comparing to read via PC or smart phone. It is good for the readers’ eyes. Last but not least, the hardware contributed to protecting the environment as it saves much paper. Only when the hardware preforms better than the tradition printed books, the adoption of e-books will be success. Question 9 I do expect the size and also the pattern of diffusion are quite different globally as compared to the United States. The size and the pattern of diffusion depend on many factors. Population, culture, attitude to new products, technology and even literacy could be one of the variables of the size and pattern of diffusion. Take Africa as an example; though the population size of Africa is much larger than The United States, the potential size of the market for e-books must be obviously different from the United States. So it is not difficult to understand that the size and pattern of diffusion of various places will not be similar to the United States.

Jack London Questions and Essay on “To Build a Fire” Essay

1. What does â€Å"survival of the fittest† mean, and where does the phrase come from? â€Å"Survival of the fittest† means that species or race with the best acquired characteristics would survive. And the phrase comes from one of the authors that most influenced London, Herbert Spencer. 2. What is socialism? Why was London attracted to it? Socialism is an economic system in which the means of prediction are owned and controlled by the working class. And London was attracted to it because of his experience in life gave him an insight into the terrible effects of poverty on people who had no political power. 3. What is social Darwinism? What were its origins and how did London interpret this philosophy? Social Darwinism was a late 19th century sociological theory which was primarily based on the writings of Herbert Spencer, which they originated from his writings as well. And London interpret this philosophy, London interpreted his philosophy as thinking that the Anglo-axon where superior to everyone. PART 2 1. What is the setting of the story? The story â€Å"to build a fire† takes place in Yukon in Northwestern Canada, in the winter when the man starts out to make his way to a mining camp at like around 9 AM in the morning and whatnot. 2. What is the central conflict of the story? What is the source of the struggle? The central conflict of the story is that the man is stuck and lost out in the wild, and he is rapidly catching frost bite on his body(fingers and hands) and he is trying to survive without a companion out in the wild, and I think the source of the struggle is that he didn’t have a companion that could have helped him throughout the story because he felt like he didn’t need one, even though he was told that it is unsafe to go out in those lands without a companion. 3. What happens to Tom Vincent at the end of the story? What does he learn? At the end of the story Tom Vincent finally gets a fire started and makes a sacrifice of burning his hands because of the frost bite condition, so he goes through the pain to save his life, because he thinks that no hands is better than no life, and the he keeps on rubbing his feet and warming his hands for I believe three hours, and the very next day he pitifully lips to the cherry creek camp and learns that you shouldn’t travel alone. PART 3 1. What happens to the central character at the end of the second version? At the end of the second version the central character which I believe is the man, dies because of him freezing to death beside his dog, but the dog fortunately does not die. 2. Which one of these endings do you think more clearly meets the conventions of naturalism? Be sure to consider the concept of determinism as you list your reasons. I think that out of both the endings, that ending two clearly meets the conventions of naturalism more because natural laws overcomes the man, by killing him which in a way shows that very little importance the man can overcome his death. And also in the second version the man does not have a name which shows how little importance the man is to jack London as a unique person and whatnot. I think that the second ending has an aspect of determinism in fate, which plays an unpleasant part in the man’s death. Focus Question: How does â€Å"To Build a Fire† illustrate the elements of naturalistic literature? â€Å"To build a fire† By Jack London illustrates the elements of naturalistic literature in many ways throughout the second version of the story which was written in 1908, because of Jack London trying to portray across the ideas of naturalistic literature and whatnot. Naturalistic literature was a literary movement during the 1880’s and 1940’s that used realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment has inescapable force in shaping a human character. It wanted to represent a picture of literary movement that replicated a believable everyday reality unlike romanticism and surrealism which portrayed idealistic and of the supernatural. Naturalism is usually defined as the philosophical conclusion that the only reality is nature. There are also many varieties of naturalism. And in the story â€Å"To build a fire† the man views death as a part of nature that cannot be stopped at all, which is one of the reasons why â€Å"To build a fire† is a great example of naturalistic literature, determinism, and social Darwinism as well. Jack London was an author who grew up in poverty because of his father’s absence in his life and of his mother’s as well. He was born on January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, rise by his mother and step father, John London. He left school at the age of 14 then later adopted the socialistic views as a member of protest armies of the unemployed. He was even arrested in 1894 in Niagara Falls and jailed for vagrancy. He educated himself in public libraries and at 19 he gained admittance to the University of California at Berkeley. His life was much laid out with obstacles and depression of some sort, but all this influenced his socialism and naturalistic literature which later helped him become one of the most important authors. Characteristics of naturalistic fiction, which in â€Å"to build a fire† was the man, attempt to control their own lives, but are usually threated by outside forces, which was the environment in the story. They also have settings that tend to be dark, harsh, and are sometimes urban. In the story it would be Yukon which is showed as a hard, cold, dark place. They also often deal with brutality as well as struggle for survival, like how the man tried to survive by trying to build a fire and even trying to eat his dog. They also generally build their work around the concept of determinism. Determinism means that people are at mercy of the forces beyond their control, like nature in the story. That’s why â€Å"to build a fire† has so many characteristics of naturalism literature. But in the story naturalism literature is most shown in how the man doesn’t overcome the environment because it’s already written by the circumstances of the environment that he will die because of such harsh cold temperature. And determinism is expressed through the man’s desire to the fire even though he is faced with horrible odds. â€Å"Day has broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey†, shows how cold the day was which is an example of nature against both the man and the dog is. Another good example of how the story gives out a naturalist basis is when the mad describes â€Å"powder frost† and â€Å"crystalized breath† which is an element showing that you can use to picture the realness of the story, because you can imagine what it would be like to see your breath freeze before your spit freezes before actually hitting the ground. I also found that â€Å"To build a fire† also illustrates social Darwinism because of how both the man and the dog end up at the end of the story. At the end of the story the man dies because his biology and naturalistic environment don’t allow him to survive. Herbert spencer first coined the phrase â€Å"survival of the fittest† which jack London in my opinion illustrates in the story. An example of it would be how the dog survives instead of the man; I think it would survive because of its fur coat, and its ability to survive better in such environment. The dog acquired the best characteristics that helped him survive unlike the man who dies freezing. All in all I think that â€Å"to build a fire† by Jack London does illustrate determinism, social Darwinism and naturalism literature, from him trying to survive by building a fire to how the dog survived instead of the man because of his biology.

artificial creation essays

artificial creation essays The word Artificial, derived from the Latin word artificialis is defined as Made by humans; produced rather than natural. Since the beginning of time man has always been enthralled by a magnificent sight; however what is beautiful to one person may be uncanny to another. This thought can be summed up in one sentence: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This saying was formulated many years ago, and it still holds true today. Throughout time, man has striven to find and become beautiful. In the stories of Ovid, Pynchon, Kleist, and Blade Runner, this is the case. In these stories, however, the same concept is presented in the form of a question: Is it acceptable to become beautiful through artificial means? In each of the four stories, the same idea is presented in different contexts. Ovid, Kleist and Blade Runner build figures from the ground up to create what they think to be perfect creatures. Pynchon, however, while still using a form of creation merely re-creates shape s on the face of a young girl to obtain what she thinks is a better suited nose. The only natural creation is Gods. Throughout time, man has striven for perfection. With more and more technological advances, it has become possible to create the person that everyone idolizes. In the case of Pynchon, for instance, a nose job to achieve what Esther believes will make her truly beautiful is the topic. Doctor Shoenmaker, who is performing the surgery, is more than a doctor. The doctor turns a rather normal surgery into some kind of sexual fiesta with perverted antidotes. After achieving what Esther thinks is personal beauty, she willingly gives herself to her creator, Doctor Shoenmaker, in full confidence. Doctor Shoenmaker on the other hand, believes that in turning Esther into what she wants to become, he has now somehow transformed this hideous beast into some kind of beautiful temptress and the she should...

Torvald Helmers Monologue From A Dolls House

Torvald Helmer's Monologue From 'A Doll's House' Torvald Helmer, the male lead in A Doll’s House, can be interpreted in several ways. Many readers view him as a domineering, self-righteous control freak. Yet, Torvald can also be seen as a cowardly, misguided but sympathetic husband who fails to live up to his own ideal. In either case, one thing is for certain: He does not understand his wife. In this scene, Torvald reveals his ignorance. Moments before this monolog he declared he no longer loved his wife because she had brought shame and legal calamity to his good name. When that conflict suddenly evaporates, Torvald recants all of his hurtful words and expects the marriage to go back to â€Å"normal.† Unbeknownst to Torvald, his wife Nora is packing up her things during his speech. As he speaks these lines, he believes he is repairing her wounded feelings. In truth, she has outgrown him and plans to leave their home forever. The Monologue Torvald:(Standing at Nora’s doorway.) Try and calm yourself, and make your mind easy again, my frightened little singing-bird. Be at rest, and feel secure; I have broad wings to shelter you under. (Walks up and down by the door.) How warm and cozy our home is, Nora. Here is a shelter for you; here I will protect you like a hunted dove that I have saved from a hawks claws; I will bring peace to your poor beating heart. It will come, little by little, Nora, believe me. Tomorrow morning you will look upon it all quite differently; soon everything will be just as it was before. Very soon you wont need me to assure you that I have forgiven you; you will yourself feel the certainty that I have done so. Can you suppose I should ever think of such a thing as repudiating you or even reproaching you? You have no idea what a true mans heart is like, Nora. There is something so indescribably sweet and satisfying, to a man, in the knowledge that he has forgiven his wife- forgiven her freely, and with all his heart. It seems as if that had made her, as it were, doubly his own; he has given her a new life, so to speak, and she is in a way become both wife and child to him. So you shall be for me after this, my little scared, helpless darling. Have no anxiety about anything, Nora; only be frank and open with me, and I will serve as will and conscience both to you- . What is this? Not gone to bed? Have you changed your things?

Leadership Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Theories - Essay Example The intention of this study is a leadership as an effective tool for any person to establish the idea of an individual and apply the concept to a group of people. For the implementation process an individual needs to possess certain characteristics and qualities to motivate the others and change the behavior of the other person to accomplish the goal. Some of the greatest successes of individuals in the industry have been because of the leadership attributes they possessed and the way they used them to influence others. Thus leadership has been described as the process of social influence in which an individual uses the support and of others for the purpose of accomplishment of tasks. Apart from influencing the behavior of others, leadership plays the crucial role of integrating and utilizing available resources in the external and internal environment for the purpose of attainment of societal and organizational goals. The aim of making a behavioral analysis is to provide individuals with the awareness of his behavioral traits and styles. The awareness helps people understand why he reacts in a certain way in a particular situation and why others react in the way they do. Analysis of the various behavioral leadership styles through proposed by researchers and practitioners would help me understand my leadership traits better and the reasons how they have been accrued. The origin of the behavioral theories was primarily out of the shortcomings of trait theories which were criticized of being inconclusive and incomplete. Some of the attributes like integrity, honesty, diligence and loyalty were not measurable using trait theories and this has triggered the creation of the behavioral school of thought initiated by Douglas McGregor. The emphasis of the theories was primarily on human relationships along with performance and output (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003, p.7). McGregor’s Theory X & Theory Y Managers McGregor’s X and Y theory is a simple and salutary reminder of the rules for managing people which are easily forgotten under the pressure of regular businesses. His theory provides some of the basic principles on which the management techniques and styles can be applied. According to his ideas, managers following the theory X generally end in poor results while the enlightened managers following theory Y end up getting better performance and results. Moreover, the enhanced performance also allows for the growth and development of individuals in the organizations (Schermerhorn, 2010, p.38). As per his views managers holding the assumptions of theory X generally believe that people working for them dislike work, lack ambitions, are resistant to change and generally prefer to be guided completely rather than to lead. His other argument is that managers following assumption Y are of the opinion that people are hard working, full of self control, accepts responsibilities, creative, imaginative and are capable to lea d themselves properly (Schermerhorn, 2010, p.38). Resulting from his experience, McGregor presented a summary of the assumptions followed by managers in

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat - Essay Example Other than the health perspective of eating vegetables, a close look at the chicken production in factory farms gives us another reason not to eat meat. According to Scott Bronstein(1991) article on poultry inspection of the nations poultry plants, every week, millions of chicken leaking yellow puss, stained feces, contaminated by diseases causing bacteria, with lung, heart, and skin infections are shipped for sale to consumers. Scott continues that, the birds are beheaded and gutted by powerful machines. Contaminations often occur at this point as the high-speed machines rip open the intestines commonly spilling the feces on the meat and body cavities. Such contamination is what we eat the chicken we often purchase. It is high time individuals decide whether it is cheap chicken or their health. I am supporting my opinion on a vegetarian diet. It a non-complicated position or decision. My opinion regarding vegetarianism is that I support for vegetarianism, but also a position on wise r animal agriculture. It is also a stance for the acceptance of a more omnivore diet. The safety of our animals products especially factory meat is questionable. The contamination and inconsistencies in following health protocols and ensuring the food products are of safe is a concern. On the contrary, it is clear that a vegetarian diet may pose less threat to our health compared to factory animal products.Despite the fact that eating vegetable requires no consumption of dairy products, fish, seafood, meat.

Industrial Placement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Industrial Placement - Case Study Example This clearly implies that poor performance of the human resource is hazardous to the organisation. One of the major human resource issues faced by most organisations is the high rate of employee turnover. Problems arise in many organisations as a result of unethical practices of the management towards the employees. This leads to more employee grievances and, in turn, affects the smooth functioning of the organisation. Increased rate of employee grievance is also a cause for high employee turnover. A good human resource management can help to solve the human resource issues of an organisation. Initially it was the personnel department who dealt with the employees in the organisation. But the personnel department only dealt with the technical aspects of the employees such as staffing, remunerating etc. Later on, human resource management became a separate department to look after the welfare of the employees at the work place. "Personnel management is more administrative in nature, dealing with payroll, complying with employment law, and handling related tasks. Human resources, on the other hand, are responsible for managing a workforce as one of the primary resources that contributes to the success of an organisation." (N. Madison. 2007). The terminology changed from personnel management to human resource management when the significance of the human resources in an organisation's success was identified properly. The fact that human consideration has to be given to the employees paved way to the formation of human resource departments in the organisation. The main functio ns of the human resource management include recruiting, selecting, placing, controlling, remunerating and motivating the employees of the organisation. Though human resource management's function includes all the activities beginning from recruiting the staff the main objective of human resource management is to provide a good working environment for the employees so that the employees feel good at work. The employees should be provided with sufficient benefits and allowances apart from salary, on the basis of their performance and as per the statute governing the employees' welfare. Human resource management in an organisation is mainly based on the concept that the employees in an organisation are human beings and they are unlike other resources. Employees will have their own problems and difficulties at their workplace arising as a result of the problems in their personal life. And also human resource is a factor whose behaviour cannot be predicted by any means. This study is aimed at identifying the human resource issues existing in the hotel giant Sheraton Hotels and Resorts. The study is conducted in Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers located in New York City. Sheraton is one of the oldest and the best hotels in the world. Currently it has very good market share in the hospitality industry. The final report is addressed to the top level human resource executives of the company for helping them to resolve the problem. Objectives of the report The main objective of preparing this report is to study and analyze the major human resource issues existing in the organisation. The study is routed to some of the areas which were found to be unsatisfactory

Quality Life For Older People: Dementia

Quality Life For Older People: Dementia There is no mental disorder that is inevitable in old age. Older people describe their overall well-being as good. Hence there is such a thing as normal ageing in terms of mental (as well as physical) health. Nevertheless, as in all age groups, mental disorder is not uncommon in older people and there are some disorders that become more prevalent as age increases. Mental disorder in old age can be divided into two broad categories: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organic disorders These are characterized by confusion, which may be acute (i.e. delirium) or chronic (i.e. dementia); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Functional disorders Such as depression, anxiety and panic; but also psychotic disorders, such as late-onset schizophrenia (formerly known as late paraphrenia) In addition, drug and alcohol misuse and dependence can (like many disorders) continue into old age, or emerge for the first time when the person is older. Similarly, it should not be forgotten that personality difficulties do not necessarily disappear with ageing. (Wolstenholme et al, 2002) Epidemiology The prevalence of mental disorder in elderly people depends on exactly which age group is examined and where they are living. In community surveys of all people aged over 65 years, approximately 5% are found to have severe organic brain disorders (mainly dementia) and a further 5% to have mild symptoms of forgetfulness. 2.5-5% will have depression severe enough to warrant treatment with a further 10% complaining of minor depressive/anxiety symptoms. Late onset schizophrenic illnesses are much less common, perhaps 0.5-1.0%. (Landau et al, 2008) If one looks at the very elderly (greater than 80 years) the rates of organic disorders, mainly dementia, are much increased, (e.g. 20%) whereas other diagnoses may occur less frequently in other words organic disorder is (as one might expect) a disorder associated with increasing age. In residents in local authority homes, hospitals or other institutional care, the rates for both organic and functional disorder (particularly depression) are much increased about 30% for each type. It is probable that mental disorder will have contributed to the person entering the institution, e.g. dementia making them unable to survive safely in their own home but the combination of losing ones home and familiar surroundings can also aggravate existing confusion and/or depression. (Landau et al, 2008) Ethics and Law The main ethical concern in older people relates to the issue of capacity. In some jurisdictions (e.g. Scotland) there are now laws around incapacity. Capacity legislation will appear shortly in England and Wales. Irrespective of the legislation, however, the need to maintain the older persons ability to make autonomous decisions is clearly of ethical importance. Autonomy can be undermined by both professionals and families for both benign and malignant reasons (Colin, 2008). The presumption should always be that the person has the capacity to make a particular decision. Judgements about capacity should always be made with respect to a specific ability: a person may not be able to drive, but may still be able to run his or her own finances. Having a particular capacity (or competence) means that the person can recall and understand the relevant information and that the person shows evidence of weighing up the information as he or she makes a decision (which need not be the decision t hat the person assessing capacity would have reached). (Colin, 2008) If the person lacks capacity, those involved must act in the persons best interests. These have to be understood broadly. The criteria for assessing a persons best interests should include: taking account of what the person has said or stipulated (e.g. on an advance directive or living will) in the past; taking account of what the person now says when enabled to participate in the decision; taking account of the views of all those other people involved in the persons welfare, insofar as this is practicable, especially as regards what they think the persons wishes would have been under the present circumstances if the person had been able to express his or her wishes; making sure that the least restrictive course of action is taken. There are particular procedures to be followed if the person lacks certain capacities. For instance, there is a variety of steps to be taken (involving the Court of Protection) when the person cannot manage his or her finances; and if the person lacks the capacity to drive, the requirements of confidentiality may be put aside in the interests of public safety. Having said this, however, the doctors duty is to be on the side of the patient and it is an affront to the persons standing as an autonomous individual if his or her abilities are undermined without due cause. The General Medical Council offers advice on such issues. (Van, 1996) The Aging Population The table (based on 1991 projections) shows the age structure of the UK population for the years 2001 to 2041. The increase in the proportion of elderly people is in the 75-84 year group (+39%) and more particularly in those 85+ years (+55%). Meanwhile, the numbers of younger people changing little. The vast majority of these older people live at the present time in their own homes, only 6% being in institutional care (residential homes or hospital). The over-85 group are predominantly women, the majority widowed and living alone. The very elderly group have high consultation rates with general practitioners, with many more home visits and occupy up to 50% of all NHS beds (medical, surgical and psychiatric). They are more likely to have complex combinations of physical, psychological and social difficulties, which require multidisciplinary assessment and treatment. (Birk and Harvey, 2006) Dementia About 5% of the general population over 65 years suffer from severe cognitive impairment with further 5% showing mild changes, which may progress with time. Dementia refers to a global impairment of mental function which follows a chronic and progressive course. The symptoms and signs have usually been present for at least 6 months (Birk and Harvey, 2006). The impairment of mental function is commonly associated with deterioration in emotional control, social behaviour, motivation and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). These non-cognitive features of dementia, which are often the most upsetting aspects for family carers and friends, tend now to be referred to as Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia (BPSD). Dementia is related to progressive cerebral degeneration, which may be caused by a variety of pathological processes, such as Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Post mortem changes found in the brains of people with dementia suggest the following diagnoses (approximate figures): Alzheimers disease 50% Vascular dementia 15% Dementia with Lewy bodies 15% Mixed vascular/Alzheimers disease 15% Other causes 5% Alzheimers disease Alzheimers disease is characterised by a gradual insidious onset and progressive course, often beginning with memory failure before other cognitive functions (e.g. language, praxis) become affected. Non-cognitive features (depression, psychosis, wandering, aggression, incontinence) are common. Physical examination is often normal, as are routine blood investigations. (Farrer, 2001) Computerized tomography (CT) scans may be normal or show generalised atrophy and dilatation of ventricles. CT scans also play a role in excluding other possible causes of confusion (e.g. space-occupying lesions, haemorrhages). Angled CT scans afford better views of the medial temporal lobes, which can show marked atrophy. However, this is not specific for Alzheimers disease. Hippo-campal atrophy is also seen with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. Single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) provides information on how the brain is functioning, usually by tracing blood flow using radio-labelled technetium. In Alzheimers disease SPECT scanning can show a generalized decrease in blood flow, or biparietal and bitemporal hypo-perfusion. However, the diagnosis must always be made on the basis of the overall clinical presentation rather than solely on the appearance of scans. (Farrer, 2001) Dementia with Lewy bodies Dementia with Lewy bodies is characterised by the triad of fluctuating cognitive impairment, recurrent visual hallucinations and spontaneous Parkinsonism, though not all occur in every patient. As with Alzheimers disease, onset is insidious and may begin with cognitive problems, Parkinsonism, or both. Cognitive impairment initially affects attentional and visuo-spatial function, with memory initially relatively spared. As with Alzheimers disease, non-cognitive features are common. Parkinsonism consists mainly of bradykinesia rather than tremor and, once again, routine blood investigations are normal. CT scan may be normal or show generalised atrophy and dilatation of ventricles, with less temporal lobe atrophy than in AD. Blood flow SPECT can show similar changes to those seen in Alzheimers disease, though DLB is more likely to be associated with occipital hypoperfusion than Alzheimers disease, a finding which may relate to the hallucinations and visuospatial disturbance. Parkinsonis m in DLB is associated with nigrostriatal degeneration, similar to that seen in Parkinsons disease. It is possible to image nigrostriatal degeneration using SPECT scanning with a ligand for the dopamine transporter (FP-CIT or DaTSCAN imaging) which can be helpful in assisting with the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease. In the future it is hoped such imaging methods may be helpful in diagnosing DLB as well. (Mo Ray, 2009) Vascular dementia In contrast, vascular dementia usually has an abrupt onset, often in association with a recognised stroke, and is associated with a fluctuating course, a stepwise decline and often reasonable insight at least in the early stages of illness. An exception to this course is subcortical vascular dementia, which may cause some 20% of all vascular dementia, when sudden onset and a stepwise course may not be seen. Patients will often have risk factors for vascular disease, for example high or low blood pressure, ischaemic heart disease or peripheral vascular disease, but also diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolaemia. Physical examination is likely to reveal focal neurology and a CT scan would be expected to show evidence of cerebrovascular disease. (Mo Ray, 2009) Other dementias Other causes include rarer degenerative processes, e.g. Fronto-temporal dementia, Huntingtons disease, in addition to alcoholic dementia, tumours, haematoma, etc. In some cases no discernible pathology is found. (Mo Ray, 2009) Clinical assessment and management By careful history taking (usually from patient and informant) and examination of both physical (particularly neurological) and mental state, it is possible to predict the likely underlying pathology in most patients with dementia. No specific diagnostic tests are yet available, but clinical diagnosis may be usefully supported by structural brain imaging methods such as CT or MRI scanning and functional imaging techniques such as SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography) scanning. It is important to develop methods of establishing the aetiology of dementia during lifetime (Eastwood and Reisberh, 1996): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To assist in predicting course of illness and determining prognosis. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To inform management decisions; for example specific treatments are becoming available for Alzheimers disease (cholinesterase inhibitors) and vascular dementia and it is necessary to know which patients should receive which treatment. Patients with dementia usually present either because of failure to cope or with disturbed behaviour occasionally with both. They often lack insight into their illness or, in the early stages, deny it. People with dementia require: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An assessment of the cause and severity of the dementia (cognitive impairment and behavioural abnormalities); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An assessment of deficits in function and the need for care (dependency); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ An assessment of the persons social situation; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provision of treatment and care appropriate to the identified needs; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Support for carers both practical and emotional; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Review of the above points is the treatment and care appropriate and beneficial? About 50% of cases of dementia have concurrent physical health problems. The burden of care produced by a physically sick patient with dementia is greater than that of a fit one; therefore, diseases should be sought and treated where appropriate. Dementia may also be complicated by: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emotional liability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Depression à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Psychotic features (i.e. delusions and hallucinations) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Behavioural disturbances (i.e., wandering, aggression, incontinence) These may be helped by pharmacotherapy, counselling and explanation and support to relatives. Such patients may respond either to antidepressants for liability and depression, or antipsychotic agents for psychotic features and some behavioural disturbances. Patients with dementia are often sensitive to side effects of psychotropic drugs and so it is important to begin therapy with very low doses of medication and monitor carefully for side-effects, particularly extra-pyramidal problems. In 2004, the two drugs Risperidone and Olanzapine were recommended not to be used for the control of agitation and disturbed behaviour in dementia because of the risk of stroke. The use of antipsychotic medication to control agitation and other difficult behaviours in moderate to severe dementia remains common but controversial. (Birk and Grimley, 2005) Memory Clinics The assessment of forgetfulness is often undertaken by memory clinics. These exist in a variety of forms (some being very clinically focused and others having a research basis). The aim is to provide thorough assessment (clinical history, with mental state, neuropsychological and physical examinations and appropriate investigations e.g. blood tests and neuro-imaging) in order to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Some clinics then initiate and monitor the use of medication (e.g. the cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimers disease). Increasingly, memory clinics are seeing people with milder symptoms, many of whom will be anxious about the possibility of dementia. Some such patients will have other conditions, such as depression (i.e. pseudo-dementia) or other physical illnesses. (Seltzer et al, 2004) The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is now sometimes made in people who present with forgetfulness but who do not satisfy the criteria for even a mild dementia (because, for instance, their everyday activities are not impaired). A proportion of people given the diagnosis of MCI will progress to develop dementia on followed-up. Identifying MCI may, therefore, open up the possibility of early treatment. But MCI is not uncontroversial, because some people given this label will show no such progression of symptoms and might be more properly regarded as normal. (Seltzer et al, 2004) Acute Confusion (Delirium) Elderly people seem particularly likely to develop confusion in response to a wide range of stimuli either physical insults or sudden social change. This presumably reflects the reduced ability of the aged brain to cope with such events, particularly if it is additionally damaged by a dementing process. An acute confusional episode may sometimes be the first evidence of an underlying dementia. Elderly patients with acute confusion are seen throughout medical practice, e.g. 20% of all acute medical ward admissions are found to be acutely confused. In elderly people apathy, under-activity and clouding of consciousness are more common presentations of delirium than the florid, overactive restless, hallucinating states usually described in relation to younger patients. Causes include (Birk et al, 2006): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intercurrent physical ill-health à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Adverse reaction to a prescribed drug or drugs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Catastrophic social situations, e.g. a move into residential care Acute confusion should be regarded as indicative of underlying disease and investigated medically. Untreated it has a 40% mortality rate. The clinical approach is to complete a full physical examination looking for evidence of infection, stoke, MI or other illness. A review of medication should focus on drugs started or stopped recently. Until the underlying cause is determined and treated, a small dose of an antipsychotic agent may reduce the severity of delirious episodes. (Birk et al, 2006) Functional Disorders Depression This is the most common psychiatric disorder found in old people (if milder cases are counted) and the second commonest single underlying cause for all GP consultations for people over 70. The majority of depressive syndromes are of mild to moderate severity. About one fifth of cases are severe and carry the risk of suicide especially in men, in those which fail to remit within 6 months of onset and in those who feel physically ill (hypochondriacal) especially if they have the delusional belief that they suffer from cancer. Depression in old age may be precipitated by adverse life circumstances: bereavement; loss of health; threat of bereavement or loss of health in a key figure. As with younger patients, those who suffer from depression may have vulnerable personalities (i.e. they may be anxious and obsessional by nature) or they may have no close confidantes (i.e. they may be socially isolated). More recently evidence has emerged suggesting that depression occurring for the first time in later life may be associated with subtle brain abnormalities, such as an increase in white matter lesions (detected on neuroimaging), which may reflect hidden or undetected cerebrovascular disease. (Rands et al, 2006) Depressive illness in old people shows a wide range of clinical presentations. The typical picture of low mood, anhedonia and vegetative disturbance of sleep and appetite seen in younger people may predominate. Some patients become apathetic, withdrawn and appear to lose their cognitive abilities (this is called depressive pseudo-dementia as cognitive impairment may be so marked as to mimic organic dementia). Others may present with a picture of severe agitation and restlessness, accompanied by delusions of ill health or poverty, e.g. that they are dying of a brain tumour, that their bowels have stopped working and are rotting inside them, or that they are unable to pay for their hospital treatments. The clinical approach with mild cases of depression is unlikely to involve the Old Age Psychiatry Service, since they will be treated by the Primary Health Care Team. Support and counselling may be supplemented by the use of antidepressants. More severe or persistent cases are likely to be referred for specialist assessment and treatment. The majority of cases respond as well to treatment as younger patients perhaps even better! Poor outcome is often the consequence of inadequate treatment. The older tricyclic antidepressants are often not well tolerated, postural hypotension, urinary and gastrointestinal side effects being prominent. (Rands et al, 2006) Dosage should be titrated to the maximum tolerated, starting doses generally being 1/3 1/2 of those for younger patients. Newer antidepressants such as SSRIs have a particular place in the treatment of the elderly. Delusional depressions require the addition of neuroleptics for unresponsive or severe depressions ECT is a safe and effective treatment. Lithium carbonate has a valuable place in prophylaxis of recurrent episodes and is also effective in potentiating or augmenting the antidepressant actions of tricyclics. Many elderly depressed patients have previous or current physical illness. Not only must this be taken into account during treatment (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants are usually avoided in a patient with ischaemic heart disease and, in patients with a high risk of bleeding, SSRIs should be used with caution), but also physical illness must be treated in its own right to maximise the patients chances of recovering from the depression. (Rands et al, 2006) Anxiety Disorders Anxiety disorders do occur in old people, about half of it persisting from early life and half coming on for the first time in response to the stresses of ageing. A common precipitant stress is that of failing physical health, e.g. developing an acute phobic state after a fall from a bus, leading to a fracture and a period of reduced mobility. Behavioural methods of treatment may be effective. Diffuse anxiety and loss of confidence, even if precipitated by an adverse event, may indicate an atypical form of depression. Such patients respond better to antidepressant, rather than anxiolytic, drugs. (Rands et al, 2006) Paranoid States It appears to be a normal feature of ageing that individuals become rather more inflexible in their attitudes and fearful of adverse influence by the outside world. Elderly people are often not only physically and financially disadvantaged, but they enjoy relatively low social status and are often the victims of attack or deception. It is, therefore, perhaps not surprising that persecutory ideas (which we tend to lump together as paranoid symptoms) often emerge. The main conditions in which paranoid persecutory symptoms occur are as follows (Corey-Bloom, 2000): Late onset schizophrenia/delusional disorder This was formerly known as paraphrenia. The typical subject is an elderly spinster, with sensory impairments (deafness or visual impairment), living alone and isolated. Her self-care skills are good and she is apparently normal apart from the possession of a complex delusional system in which she believes she is the victim of a conspiracy (usually to defraud her). She hears third person auditory hallucinations, may smell odours, which she interprets as poison gas pumped into her room and misinterprets chance occurrences as having special significance. This psychotic illness, similar to schizophrenia in younger life, responds to antipsychotic drugs if the patient can be persuaded to take them. The delusions, however, seldom completely disappear but instead become encapsulated: the patient is no longer bothered by them although he or she never gains full insight into their delusional nature. A depot injection given by a Community Psychiatric Nurse is often a useful vehicle which improv es compliance with medication and provides regular contact with the patient. (Corey-Bloom, 2000) Acute confusional state/delirium Paranoid symptoms are common during delirium, the patient misinterpreting events because of his/her altered level of consciousness. The management of these symptoms has already been described neuroleptic medication may help to reduce agitation and behavioural disturbances. Paranoid Reactions to Forgetfulness These usually occur in independent old people who explain their experience of forgetting where things have been placed by accusing others of stealing them. Objects stolen are usually everyday ones, e.g. cups, teapots, pension book, money or glasses. Stolen objects often are returned or reappear in the usual place. The most likely cause of forgetfulness and paranoid misinterpretation is, of course, a dementing process. Neuroleptic medication is seldom of benefit in these circumstances. (Corey-Bloom, 2000) Assessment Procedures Clinical diagnosis of dementia includes identifying the cause of the cognitive impairment, which may be a treatable non-dementing process, delirium, or depression (Rockwood et al., 2007). When an illness that is associated with dementia is identified, the severity and character of cognitive impairment is commonly assessed in conjunction with the degree of illness and the potential for other psychiatric disorders such as depression (APA, 2000). Diagnostic assessments include a review of the patients medical history, a physical exam, and evaluation of depression, delirium, and cognitive status (Beck, Cody, Souder, Zhang, Small, 2000). Physical assessment results may identify treatable physiological imbalances that affect cognition (Freter, Bergman, Gold, Chertkow, Clarfield, 1998). Referral to neurology, neuropsychiatry, or a geriatric specialist in dementia has been stated as an important element in diagnostic assessment (Beck et al., 2000). Other elements in the assessment process commonly include neuro-imaging that can support the findings of assessments, and over time, the progression of the disease (Van Der Flier et al., 2005). Studies have also indicated that research using electroencephalography (EEG) might be an inexpensive tool that could contribute to the differentiation of dementias. Another important set of tools for assessment of cognitive deficits is neuropsychological testing (Sano, 2007). Neuropsychological assessments include testing for deficits in cognitive abilities such as current intellectual functioning, orientation, attention, verbal and non-verbal memory, verbal fluency, naming of items, and executive functioning (Petersen Lantz, 2002). Neuropsychological testing has been suggested as providing a contribution to clinical data in diagnostic assessment for dementia, differentiating between different types of dementias, early detection of cognitive loss, and identifying potential interventions (Sano, 2007; Savla Palmer, 2005). The diagnosis of dementia, even with the use of diagnostic tools, remains primarily based on observational data and judgment of the combined clinical data. The process involved in dementia assessment and diagnosis can be overwhelming and has been reported as one reason for delaying diagnosis (Sternberg, Wolfson, Baumgarten, 2000). There is also evidence that suggests that differentiating between MCI that can precede AD, and memory loss that does not have emerging pathology, poses difficulty and hesitation in requests for formal assessment (Shah, Tangalos, Petersen, 2000). The literature also suggests that there is a strong need for individuals and families to bring their concerns forward to a physician for assessment as often the first indication that an older adult is experiencing cognitive problems occurs during a crisis situation (Boise, Neal, Kaye, 2004; Borson, Scanlan, Watanabe, Tu, Lessig, 2006). In AD, memory loss has been described as insidious and can include a period of concealment preceding diagnostic investigation related to a need to preserve feelings of self-worth, identity and control (Keady Gilliard, 1997, p. 245). A diagnosis of dementia coinciding with a health crisis (e.g., stroke leading to vascular dementia) or with a progressive neurological disease (e.g., Parkinsons disease) are reported more frequently because of a higher associated incidence and known relationship with these disorders (Lindsay, Hebert, Rockwood, 1997; Wientraub, Moberg, Duda, Katz, Stern, 2004). The most common impetus for diagnostic evaluation is a realization of memory problems by the individual, or their family and social contacts, or associated with upsetting behaviour in social situations. Thomas and OBrien (2002) described behavioural changes that have been reported in dementia categorized as psychotic symptoms or possible alterations in mood or motivation. Psychotic symptoms include delusional ideas and beliefs (e.g., believing that misplaced articles have been stolen), hallucinations (e.g., seeing and speaking to people who are not physically present in a room), and misidentification of individuals (e.g., mistaking a son for a husband). Subtle changes in mood or motivation that may initially go unaddressed but increase in level of concern include apathy (e.g., lethargy), agitation (e.g., wandering, repeated dressing and undressing), aggression (e.g., verbal and/or physical, or increasing frustration with common tasks), sleep disturbances (e.g., up during the night related to distortions in sleep cycles), changes in eating habits (e.g., progressing to dependency for awareness of meal times) and personality changes (e.g., depression or unsubstantiated suspiciousness of motives of family members). Dementia and depression have been reported as the two most common medical problems in older adults (Leplaire Buntinx, 1999). However, the ass ociation between depression and dementia severity has not been confirmed, and in some instances depression has been misdiagnosed as signalling cognitive impairment (Maynard, 2003). Diagnostic Procedures These are of primary importance and include both psychiatric and medical history-taking together with physical examination and mental state assessment (including cognitive examination). Investigative procedures, e.g. EEG, blood tests, CT, MRI or SPECT scans are used as necessary. There are now operational criteria or consensus statements for the diagnosis of the main types of dementia (e.g. Alzheimers, Lewy body, vascular and fronto-temporal dementias), as well as for functional disorders. Many of the investigative procedures used in old age psychiatry are aimed at excluding other conditions in order to satisfy accepted international diagnostic criteria (e.g. the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition, and ICD-10). Thus, the diagnosis of Alzheimers disease requires that other systemic or brain disease[s] should be absent. This suggests the importance of blood tests (e.g. to exclude amongst other things vitamin B12 or folate deficiency) and brain scans (e.g. to rule out the possibility of tumours or haematomas). On the other hand, some diagnoses can be clinched by a particular finding on investigation (e.g. the finding on CT of multiple cerebral infarcts in a person whose history is in keeping with a diagnosis of vascular dementia). A functional scan, e.g. SPECT, might be a useful means to confirm a diagnosis of fronto-temporal dementia in someone where the anatomical scan (e.g. CT) only shows very mild frontal lobe atrophy. Such a scan might then be used to explain this bewildering and distressing condition to the family. Illnesses in old age are commonly multiple, so that patients often suffer from several disorders simultaneously. Investigations become important, therefore, in functional illnesses too, not only because certain conditions need to be excluded (e.g. hypothyroidism in depression), but also because other physical conditions might make some psychiatric symptoms worse, or might preclude the use of certain medications. For example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, if not optimally treated, might exacerbate anxiety and panic; or a bleeding disorder or ulcer might limit the use of SSRIs. Disorder of Function Diagnosis alone does not tell you how severely disabled someone is. Two people with the same condition may behave very differently, e.g. dementia due to Alzheimers disease may render one person unsafe for independent living, but simply slow the other one down in the time taken to complete the daily crossword. It is important therefore to assess the functional disability that an old person suffers from and decide whether it can be relieved. Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists play an important part here, but the doctor needs to be aware of this aspect of illness when he/she is taking a history. No