Patient Priority and the Cost Effectiveness

Patient Priority and the Cost Effectiveness Introduction Provision of good health services remains a major task for most governments in the world today. As a result, there are strategies, which have been adopted over time to ensure that this task is achieved effectively through improvement of the entire healthcare sector.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Patient Priority and the Cost Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Whilst this is the case, many governments find it difficult to offer quality services to patients especially in cases where the cost exceeds the financial ability of individual patients. As such, health providers find it hard to decide on how to offer quality services at a lower cost, in order to consider the economic status of patients (Plans-Rubià ³, 2012). These cases are common in most parts of the world including but not limited to Saudi Arabia, Africa and Asia. This report will discuss the high cost of medical treatment, in rel ation to giving patients the priority to receive medical services. In order to achieve this task, the report mainly focuses on the situation in Saudi, where a good number of its people experience immense difficulties in sourcing quality medical services. The report is further divided into concise segments, expounding the problem being discussed, causes and possible solutions that have to be adopted to facilitate accessibility to good medical treatment in the region. High cost of medical treatment Due to the high cost of living and the current economic crisis, many countries find it difficult to offer cost-effective and quality medical treatment to most of their citizens. Like other countries in the world, Saudi Arabia has had its share in handling the high cost of medical services to its inhabitants (Almalki, Fitzgerald Clark, 2011). In explaining this trend, it is equally important to underscore how the health sector is financed in the country.Advertising Looking for repor t on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Financing of medical treatment in Saudi Arabia is mainly public, with free services being offered in all public facilities. While the government has continued to support this sector to offer quality services, the truth of the matter is that, the amount allocated per capita has significantly dropped. This is mainly attributed to the fast-growing population coupled with decreasing revenue from the government. Additionally, some analysts believe that duplication of services and unnecessary demand for these services greatly contributes to waste of resources. Due to increasing healthcare cost and compromised quality, the government has adopted measures to tame the situation mainly through privatization of hospitals and introduction of health insurance cover for both citizens and foreigners living in the country (Plans-Rubià ³, 2012). Low income-earners vs. treatments cost As mentioned above, the cost of healthcare has been rising in recent years, a trend that has affected majority of Saudi Arabians. As a result, most people in the country are unable to afford these services, which are considered to be essential to human beings. In addition, service providers find it hard in making the decision between saving the lives of people and compromising the quality of services due to their high cost (Almalki, Fitzgerald Clark, 2011). According to recent survey, the high cost of medical treatment in Saudi Arabia mainly affects low income-earners. This class of people comprises of millions of people, including the country’s citizens and foreigners. Cancer and the costs of chemo therapy Even though all medical procedures and services are costly, it is doubtless that critical cases of illnesses are always demanding. Treatment of cancer therefore falls under this category of health complications that are posing a major challenge to treat due to high cost ass ociated with it.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Patient Priority and the Cost Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In particular, many people are unable to meet the cost for chemotherapy, a procedure that is widely known in cancer treatment (Oxford Business Group, 2008). When applied correctly, the procedure eliminates cancerous cells in a patient’s body. Due to this, cancer treatment is becoming a burden to public hospitals since most patients cannot afford the treatment cost. Cancer drugs cost approximately $100,000 per year in Saudi Arabia and yet not all patients get treated. Since treatment of most illnesses is free in Saudi Arabia, non-Saudis experience a wide range of challenges when looking for treatment. This is because the free medical program in the country excludes treatment of foreigners. Statistics Affordability of healthcare services remains a major challenge to most people in the w orld. This is due to a number of issues including the current economic crisis, poor planning strategies and increasing population against limited resources. Consequently, many countries experience several challenges, including the inability of some people to afford medical treatment (Oxford Business Group, 2008). For instance, the carrying capacity for most hospitals and the low number of doctors, nurses and pharmacists negatively impact the health sector in most countries. Due to low wages and inflation, the number of people who do not have medical insurance cover continues to increase in most parts of the world today. With most governments struggling to subsidize healthcare cost, low salaries and unemployment hamper these efforts since employers are required to pay a section of the total cost.Advertising Looking for report on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, only 84% of Americans have medical insurance, which requires their employers to cater for approximately 60% of the insurance cost. Others are insured by the government, military, Medicare or Medicaid. In Saudi Arabia, the country has over 1.5 million doctors with the almost every citizen being able to access sanitation while more than 95% of the population has access to healthy water. Immunization rate has also gone up in the country, to an approximated value of 94% (Oxford Business Group, 2008). Effects of Healthcare on the Economy Despite the fact that there are significant strides that have been made by the ministry of health in Saudi Arabia, there are several challenges that have emerged. Most of these challenges negatively affect the country’s economy (Almalki, Fitzgerald Clark, 2011). Major obstacles revolve around health workforce, changing patterns of some diseases, accessibility of healthcare services, financing and expenditure and changing technology a mong other factors. Due to the increasing population and the above listed challenges, the government is forced to invest heavily in the sector through hiring of more doctors and other health workers together with the expansion of existing health facilities. Poor medical treatment quality As a result of existing limitations in the ministry of health, the quality of services being offered has largely been compromised. This has led to serious and fatal results, where patients are prone to wrong procedures offered in various medical facilities. Poor systems and deaths It is obvious that accidents require urgent attention from medical experts. This is crucial in saving the life of patients who may be in critical conditions. However, there is divided attention among doctors due to the overwhelming number of patients to be attended to (Mansour, 2008). The end result of this is low quality services, which may result into other complications. This situation is also worsened by poor systems a pplied in treatment of critical medical conditions. Among all the associated effects, careless deaths are common in hospitals, resulting from poor services, poor systems and inadequate health attendants in hospitals. Causes This section of the report explores some of the causal factors associated with the above mentioned problems and challenges facing the ministry of health in Saudi Arabia. Lack of governmental supervision Governmental supervision of medical services in Saudi Arabia has immensely affected the quality of services being offered. It is highly limited by the fact that the ministry of health takes charge of all health services in the country. As a result, some regions and public hospitals end up giving services, which have not been verified by government inspectors (Mansour, 2008). This is likely to result into accidents, errors and careless deaths of patients. This management system of the ministry of health does not meet the needs of the ever-growing population of the nation. Price variation Another cause of the above described problem is variation in prices charged by different public hospitals. While people would expect standard charges for medical services in hospitals, it is amazing that most health centers have different prices. This affects service delivery and planning as the government cannot project its expenditure, stemming from inconsistency. In cases where low prices are charged, such hospitals may end up receiving low funding, thus compromising the quality of services being offered. Low standards of treatment Although Saudi Arabia prides on offering free medical services to its people, research reveals that some of the services given in public hospitals are of low standards. This puts majority of patients at the risk of being poorly served. Poor treatment further emanates from the fact that the population of the country is ever-growing against limited resources (Wynbrandt, 2010). This causes straining of resources including healthcar e workers who have to work extra hours in order to serve all the patients. Moreover, the existence of too many non-value adding costs in the ministry of health contributes to poor service delivery. In other words, the government spends on services that do not generate revenue for the state and does not support patient recovery. Poor technology The last cause of most of the challenges being experienced by Saudis ministry of health is lack of technology to handle many health complications in public hospitals. This results into several issues, which threaten the survival of patients, their ease to recover and the efficiency of doctors and other health workers. For instance, lack of technology undermines diagnosis of diseases, resulting into poor medical procedures and prescription of drugs. Low level of technology further hampers handling of emergency cases especially when patients require intensive or specialized care. Solutions There are several strategies, which can be adopted and i mplemented in order to reverse the current healthcare system in Saudi Arabia. This is quite necessary in controlling unnecessary deaths of patients and in improving the overall delivery of medical treatment services. These remedies are broadly divided into two categories: Minimizing costs As mentioned above, the ministry of health heavily spends on treatment services and expenses that largely contribute to the high cost of healthcare, which becomes unaffordable to most people (Walker, 2009). This unnecessary expenditure further affects the quality of services offered, due to lack of priority within the management. These costs should therefore be eliminated to allow more resource allocation towards the improvement of healthcare services. Of great significance is also the reengineering of the healthcare system to meet current demand in the market. This can be achieved through optimum staffing, acquisition of relevant equipment and medicine and improvement of medical procedures. This e nsures that the needs of hospitals and patients are met based on existing situations (Plans-Rubià ³, 2012). Alternative medication Availability of alternative medication is also essential in meeting the needs of different patients depending on their source of income and the ability to meet related costs. As such, low income-earners are given a chance to go for medical treatment without straining their resources (Walston, Al-Harbi Al-Omar, 2008). Additionally, an appropriate bill is supposed to be enacted and implemented in order to address existing challenges and expected future trends in the healthcare system. Governmental solutions Insurance companies In reforming the healthcare system of Saudi Arabia, the government has a role to play in ensuring that quality services are delivered affordably. Firstly, insurance companies should be encouraged to offer medical cover to citizens through payment of premiums by individuals. This would lessen the burden of national medical coverage. Technology Besides insurance, the government ought to appreciate changing technology through the adoption of emerging trends like the use of nanotechnology in the treatment of cancer and other diseases (Walston, Al-Harbi Al-Omar, 2008). Setting of standards in hospitals is equally important especially in regulation of treatment price and the quality of services being offered. This can be well implemented through hiring of enough government supervisors and quality assurers. Lastly, the adoption of Affordable Care Act (ACA) is important to streamline the sector. Recommendations and Conclusion From the above report, it is obvious that the quality and cost effectiveness remain major factors affecting several healthcare systems in the world. Due to high cost of living and inflation, most people are unable to afford quality medical treatment. Additionally, governments are not capable of providing affordable and good medical services to customers due to limited resources and increased po pulation among other factors. Nevertheless, thorough reforms are necessary in Saudis healthcare system in order to provide quality services to its people. References Almalki, M., Fitzgerald, G., Clark, M. (2011). Health care system in Saudi Arabia: an overview. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 17(10), 784-793. Mansour, A. (2008). Factors affecting locational decisions of Saudi health care professionals. Michigan: ProQuest. Oxford Business Group. (2008). The Report: Saudi Arabia 2008. London: The Report: Saudi Arabia 2008. Plans-Rubià ³, P. (2012). Frameworks to Set Priorities for Treatments Based on Cost-Effectiveness and Equity. The Open Pharmaco-economics Health Economics Journal, 4, 1-7. Walker, L. (2009). The right to health in Saudi Arabia. University of Aberdeen. Retrieved from https://www.abdn.ac.uk/ Walston, S., Al-Harbi, Y., Al-Omar, B. (2008). The changing face of healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med, 28 (4), 243-250. Wynbrandt, J. (2010). A Brief History of Saudi Arabia. New York City: Facts On File.

Gandhis Salt March of 1930

Gandhi's Salt March of 1930 What Was Gandhis Salt March? The much-publicized, 24-day, 240-mile Salt March began on March 12, 1930, when 61-year-old Mohandas Gandhi led an ever-growing group of followers from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to the Arabian Sea at Dandi, India. Upon arriving at the beach in Dandi on the morning of April 6, 1930, loincloth-clad Gandhi reached down and scooped up a lump of salt and held it high. This was the beginning of a country-wide boycott of the salt tax, imposed upon the people of India by the British Empire. The Salt March, also known as the Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha, became a prime example of the power of Gadhis  satyagraha, passive resistance, which ultimately led to India’s independence 17 years later. Why a Salt March? The manufacture of salt in India was a government monopoly established in 1882. Though salt could be obtained from the sea, it was a crime for any Indian to possess salt without having purchased it from the government. This ensured that the government could collect a salt tax. Gandhi proposed that every Indian refuse to pay the tax by making or purchasing illicit salt. Not paying the salt tax would be a form of passive resistance without increasing hardship for the people. Salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), was an important staple in India. Vegetarians, as many Hindus were, needed to add salt to food for their health since they did not get much salt naturally from their food. Salt was often needed for religious ceremonies. Salt also was used for its power to heal, preserve food, disinfect, and embalm. All of this made salt a powerful emblem of resistance. Since everyone needed salt, this would be a cause that Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians could all jointly participate in. Landless peasants as well as merchants and landowners would benefit if the tax were lifted.   The salt tax was something that every Indian could oppose. British Rule For 250 years, the British had dominated the Indian sub-continent. At first it was the British East India Company that forced its will on the native population, but in 1858, the Company turned over its role to the British Crown. Until independence was granted to India in 1947, Great Britain exploited India’s resources and imposed an often brutal rule. The British Raj (rule) improved infrastructure to the land, including the introduction of railroads, roads, canals, and bridges, but these were to aid in the export of Indias raw materials, carrying India’s wealth to the mother country. The influx of British goods into India prevented the establishment of small industries within India. In addition, the British levied heavy taxes on various goods. Overall, England imposed a brutal rule in order to protect its own trade interests. Mohandas Gandhi and the INC wanted to end British rule and bring about India’s independence. Indian National Congress (INC) The Indian National Congress (INC), founded in 1885, was a body made up of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsi, and other minorities. As the largest and most prominent Indian public organization, it was central to the movement for independence. Gandhi served as president in the early 1920s. Under his leadership, the organization expanded, becoming more democratic and eliminating distinctions based on caste, ethnicity, religion, or sex. In December of 1928, the Indian National Congress passed a resolution asking for self-rule within the year. Otherwise, they would demand complete independence and would fight for it with satyagraha, non-violent non-cooperation.   By December 31, 1929, the British government had not responded, so action was needed. Gandhi proposed opposing the salt tax. In a Salt March, he and his followers would walk to the sea and make some illegal salt for themselves. This would begin a country-wide boycott, with hundreds of thousands breaking the salt laws by making, gathering, selling, or buying salt without British permission. The key to the struggle was non-violence. Gandhi declared that his followers must not be violent or he would halt the march. A Warning Letter to the Viceroy On March 2, 1930, Gandhi wrote a letter to Viceroy Lord Irwin. Beginning with â€Å"Dear Friend,† Gandhi went on to explain why he viewed British rule as a â€Å"curse† and outlined some of the more flagrant abuses of the administration. These included obscenely high salaries for British officials, taxes on alcohol and salt, the outlandish land revenue system, and the importation of foreign cloth. Gandhi warned that unless the viceroy was willing to make changes, he was going to begin a massive program of civil disobedience. He added that he wished to convert the British people to nonviolence and thus make them see the wrong they have done to India. The viceroy responded to Gandhi’s letter, but offered no concessions. It was time to prepare for the Salt March. Preparing for the Salt March The first thing needed for the Salt March was a route, so several of Gandhi’s trusted followers planned both their path and their destination. They wanted the Salt March to go through villages where Gandhi could promote sanitation, personal hygiene, abstention from alcohol, as well as the end of child marriages and untouchability. Since hundreds of followers would be marching with Gandhi, he sent an advance team of satyagrahis (followers of satyagraha) to help the villages along the path prepare, making sure that food, sleeping space, and latrines were ready. Reporters from around the world were keeping tabs on the preparations and the walk. When Lord Irwin and his British advisers learned the specifics of the plan, they found the idea ridiculous. They hoped that the movement would die out if it was ignored. They began arresting Gandhis lieutenants, but not Gandhi himself. On the Salt March At 6:30 a.m. on March 12, 1930, Mohandas Gandhi, 61 years old, and 78 dedicated followers began their trek from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. They resolved not to return until India was free of the oppression the British Empire imposed on the people. They wore sandals and clothes made of khadi, cloth woven in India. Each carried a woven bag containing a bedroll, a change of clothes, a journal, a takli for spinning, and a drinking mug. Gandhi had a bamboo staff. Progressing between 10 to 15 miles a day, they walked along dusty roads, through fields and villages, where they were greeted with flowers and cheers. Throngs joined the march until thousands were with him when he reached the Arabian Sea at Dandi. Although Gandhi had prepared for subordinates to continue if he were arrested, his arrest never came.   International press was reporting the progress, and had Gandhi been arrested along the way it would have increased the outcry against the Raj. When Gandhi feared the inaction of the government might dim the impact of the Salt March, he urged students to suspend their study and join him. He urged village headsmen and local officials to resign their posts. Some marchers broke down from fatigue, but, despite his age, Mahatma Gandhi stayed strong. Daily on the trek, Gandhi required each marcher to pray, spin, and keep a diary. He continued to write letters and news articles for his papers. At each village, Gandhi collected information about the population, educational opportunities, and land revenue. This gave him facts to report to his readers and to the British about the conditions he witnessed. Gandhi was determined to include untouchables, even washing and eating in their quarters rather than in the places where the high-caste reception committee expected him to stay. In a few villages this caused upset, but in others it was accepted, if somewhat reluctantly. On April 5, Gandhi reached Dandi. Early the following morning Gandhi marched to the sea in the presence of thousands of admirers. He walked down the beach and picked up a lump of natural salt from the mud. The people cheered and shouted Victory! Gandhi called on his companions to start collecting and making salt in an act of civil disobedience. The boycott of the salt tax had begun. The Boycott The boycott of the salt tax swept across the country. Salt was soon made, bought, and sold in hundreds of places across India. People along the coast gathered salt or evaporated sea water to obtain it. People away from the coast bought salt from illegal vendors. The boycott expanded when women, with Gandhis blessing, began picketing foreign cloth distributors and liquor shops. Violence broke out in a number of places, including Calcutta and Karachi, when police tried to stop the lawbreakers. Thousands of arrests were made but, surprisingly, Gandhi remained free. On May 4, 1930, Gandhi wrote another letter to Viceroy Irwin describing his plan for followers to seize the salt at the Salt Works in Dharasana.   However, before the letter could be posted, Gandhi was arrested early the next morning. Despite Gandhi’s arrest, the action was to continue with an alternate leader. At Dharasana on May 21, 1930, approximately 2,500 satyagrahis peacefully approached the Salt Works, but were brutally attacked by the British. Without even raising a hand in their defense, wave after wave of protesters were clubbed over the head, kicked in the groin, and beaten. Headlines around the world reported the bloodbath. An even larger mass action took place near Bombay on June 1, 1930, at the salt pans in Wadala. An estimated 15,000 people, including women and children, raided the salt pans, collecting handfuls and sackfuls of salt, only to be beaten and arrested.   Ã‚   In all, about 90,000 Indians were arrested between April and December 1930. Thousands more were beaten and killed. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact Gandhi remained in jail until January 26, 1931. Viceroy Irwin wanted to end the salt-tax boycott and thus began talks with Gandhi. Ultimately, the two men agreed to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. In exchange for an end to the boycott, Viceroy Irwin agreed that the Raj would release all the prisoners taken during the salt upheaval, allow residents of coastal areas to make their own salt, and allow non-aggressive picketing of shops selling liquor or foreign cloth. Since the Gandhi-Irwin Pact did not actually end the salt tax, many have questioned the efficacy of the Salt March. Others realize that the Salt March galvanized all Indians into wanting and working for independence and brought worldwide attention to their cause.

Human Resource Management and Business Strategy Case Study

Human Resource Management and Business Strategy - Case Study Example Herb Kelleher and Rollin King, Southwest's founders, wanted to provide frequent, low-cost service in busy markets of less than 500 miles. Instead of considering other airlines such as United and Continental as competition, Southwest considered the automobile and bus service as major competition. Southwest's flights were typically point-to-point - nonstop from originating airport to destination airport, although connections were available for customers who wanted them. By the late 1990s, Southwest was the world's richest and most profitable major airline, while other players like United, Continental suffered heavy losses in an industry that had grown mature and highly saturated. Southwest's growth was driven by growing demand for the product that Southwest delivered so well: reliable low cost travel. Consumer behavior shifted towards greater price sensitivity in the early 1990s, motivated by a downturn in the business cycle and made possible by increasing corporate control over business travel. The shift appeared to affect business travelers as well as leisure travels, partly through corporate directives to cut down travel costs. While other airlines were wondering what to do, Southwest Airlines was well positioned to benefit from the increasingly price-savvy customer that it had helped to create. The purpose of this case study is to study how this competitive advantage was created by Southwest Airlines by leveraging its human resources. The structure that the report will follow will comprise of answers to two questions which deal with identifying how human resources can become a source of sustainable competitive advantage and how to deal with problems as the company becomes bigger and older. Question No. 1 How did Southwest use Human Resource Management practices to ensure the success of their business model Business Model According to Langdon (2003), the "business model," is a comprehensive description of business as an integrated system functioning in an intimate relationship with the broader market. In this concept, the individual components of an organization do not matter as much as the way they work together to enable the organization to create value and deliver it to customers. A business model is therefore a description of a whole system, a combination of products and services delivered to the market in a particular way, or ways, supported by an organization, positioned according to a particular branding that, most importantly, yields a particular set of strong relationships with present and future customers. Further, a business model describes how the experiences of creating and delivering value may evolve along with the changing needs and preferences of customers. The Business model of Southwest is simply: "If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make darn sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline." The main elements of Southwest's business model as stated above are: 1) Customers -who are they a) Short haul business travelers who want to get there when

Relationship Marketing of services-perspectives Essay

Relationship Marketing of services-perspectives - Essay Example As Evert Gummesson (1999) advocates total relationship marketing as " Marketing based on relationships, networks and interaction, recognizing that marketing is embedded in the total management of the networks of the selling organization, the market and society". It is directed to long term, win-win relationships with individual customers, the value is jointly created between the parties involved". In the above context if we look at affinity cards networks of relationship we can easily see three parties which are involved in the relationship network are; affinity credit card issuing bank, charity or political parties or universities or other types of such organizations and the customer who held and actually using the affinity credit cards and also members of above mentioned organizations. Basically affinity cardholders are members of a particular organization or somewhat related to organizations in the form of any relationship. It may be direct or indirect like supporters of any club or political parties. Basic relationship exists between actual affinity card users and the organization to which they belongs or affiliate directly or indirectly. On the basis of such relationships organizations develop or forge a networked relationship with the bank. The second type of relationship exists between organization and the affinity card issuing branch/bank. The relationship between bank and organization depend on mutual benefits. Bank gets the loyal customers from the memberships of the organization who use their affinity credit cards and in exchange, organization gets some monetary benefits as agreed upon by the organization and the bank. This type of business-to-business relationship depends on mutual benefits for both the parties. Bank gets the whole memberships of the organization as their customer without much of investment in customer enhancement activities and the organization benefited by getting some initial signup fee and recurring money for every buying throug h credit cards. Finally the relationship between customer and organization depends on some intangible aspects such as loyalty, pride, brand using status etc. and a distinct identity. 2. As Cardweb.com (www.cardweb.com) estimated that 250 million affinity credit cards were in circulation worldwide and it is almost one-third of all credit cards. So affinity credit cards have larger share in the credit card market. If we see the reason behind the growth of affinity card market up to such level, the main reason behind this type of business is mutual benefits and trust. As we have discussed the three parties or stake holders involved in business get mutually benefited. The banks, which issue credit card, get a larger number of customers at one go. Services involving discrete transactions can be transformed into membership relationships by providing services in bulk. The advantage for the banks to provide services to the organizations of having membership relationships is that it knows who its current customers are and, usually, what use they make of the services offered. This customer information can be valuable for segmentation purposes if good records are kept and t he data are readily accessible for analysis. Banks after knowing the identities and addresses of

Should Defendants with Traumatic Brain Injuries Be Held Accountable for Their Actions Essay Example for Free

Should Defendants with Traumatic Brain Injuries Be Held Accountable for Their Actions Essay â€Å"Six weeks after getting his driver’s license, Christopher Tiegreen was in a car collision near his home in Gainesville, Ga. Tiegreen’s Isuzu Trooper flipped several times, causing severe head injuries. A month later, Tiegreen emerged from a coma a different person. The impact of the crash caused damage to the frontal lobe of his brain and sheared his brain stem. During his recovery and rehabilitation, the usually gentle Tiegreen became violent toward his mother, as well as with other family members and rehab staff. On Sept. 1, 2009, Tiegreen walked out of a duplex apartment where he was supposed to be under 24-hour supervision. In a yard nearby he attacked a young woman holding her 20-month-old son. He was charged with aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit a felony, false imprisonment, battery, sexual battery and cruelty to a child in the third degree. † (Davis, 2012). Is Christopher Tiegreen a different person now, with a severely impaired mental capacity, because of his traumatic brain injury, or is he just an angry, violent person who has simply committed his first crime? More succinctly; do Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) cause violent behavior in previously â€Å"normal† people, or is the TBI personality change simply a smoke screen being used to defend people with dangerous personality traits who happen to have a brain injury? To begin with, a definition of Traumatic Brain Injury, especially as opposed to a head injury, as most people do confuse the two. The Mayo Clinic defines Traumatic Brain Injury as â€Å"Traumatic brain injury occurs when an external mechanical force causes brain dysfunction. The Mayo Clinic, 2012). Traumatic brain injury usually results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body. An object penetrating the skull, such as a bullet or shattered piece of skull, also can cause traumatic brain injury. â€Å"(The Mayo Clinic, 2012). A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is not a â€Å"head injury†, it is not a concussion nor an injury to the skull or spine; it is exclusively an injury the brain (and/or brain stem). With the definition clear, we see that the statistics regarding TBIs are shocking; Dr. William Winslade provides the following information from 2003, â€Å"Traumatic brain injury for decades has been, and continues to be, a major public health problem in the United States. Car crashes, gunshot wounds, falls and sports injuries account for two million brain injuries a year, nearly 400,000 hospital admissions, and at least 60,000 deaths. Approximately 90,000 people suffer a severe brain injury and survive but require extended, expensive rehabilitation. Some 2,000 people a year lapse into permanent unconsciousness lasting for months or years before they die. † (Winslade, 2003). Some survivors of traumatic brain injury fully recover, but many others experience a multitude of cognitive, emotional and behavioral disabilities. † (Winslade, 2003). As a survivor of a traumatic Brain Injury, the patient faces a myriad of recovery issues, not simply medical issues such as headaches, lethargy, pain in the distal limbs, speech issues, attention deficit and memory loss may affect cognitive functioning. Per Dr. William Winslade, an expert on Traumatic Brain Injuries; the changes in an individual with a TBI are profound and noticeable â€Å"Personality changes are common. Those who were calm and controlled may become quick-tempered and impulsive. In some people anger erupts into aggressive attacks on others. Many with severe brain injuries lack the ability to control their thoughts, emotions, impulses and their conduct. They may become uninhibited, promiscuous, anxious, paranoid or violent. † (Winslade, 2003). It is precisely these personality changes that makes Traumatic Brain Injuries so different from â€Å"head injuries† such as concussions, which do not present any marked changes is personality. Courts in the United States have increasingly been faced with the question as to whether or not the profound changes that are associated with TBIs should be considered a mitigating factor in trying defendants with the injury, or in determining what their sentences should be and where they should serve their time, if any; in a prison or in a mental health facility. â€Å"According to Duke University researcher Nita Farahany, the number of cases in which judges have mentioned neuroscience evidence in their opinion increased from 112 in 2007 to more than 1,500 in 2011. † (Koebler, 2012). The use of neuroscience in the courtroom is definitely increasing, Nita Farahany has been tracking criminal cases in which â€Å"lawyers have introduced neuroscientific evidence since 2004. By combing legal opinions, she’s found about 2,000 examples, with 600 of those cases in 2011 alone. † (Davis, 2012). â€Å"While attorneys have tried to win cases based on the lack of control over impulses based on the defendant having a TBI, † The biggest way in which neuroscience is being used in the courtroom is to mitigate punishment in one way or another, Farahany says, adding that its almost exclusively used in death penalty cases. They say they have a history of brain injury and trauma to say I have a different brain than the average person. Because of that difference, I have less control over myself. (Koebler, 2012). While medical scan, such as CAT scans and MRIs can show a difference in the appearance of the brain itself, there is scant evidence that these damaged brains are actually the cause of crimes committed by defendants suffering from a personality change brought on by a Traumatic Brain Injury. The science behind these brain scans is still in its infancy, but neuroscientists point to anecdotal evidence that traumatic brain injury or brain abnormalities can cause criminal behavior. † (Koebler, 2012). There is a case that many legal professionals point to when arguing the point for special consideration when trying or sentencing a defendant with a TBI. â€Å"In 2002, a 40-year-old Virginia teacher was caught viewing child pornography and making advances on his stepdaughter. He was convicted of child molestation, but the night before he went to jail, he went to the doctor with a crippling headache and confessed he might commit rape. Doctors found something they didnt expect: A brain tumor. The cancerous tumor was putting pressure on his orbifrontal cortex, which controls impulse and judgment. The tumor was removed, and the man no longer exhibited pedophilic tendencies. † (Koebler, 2012). The fact that is most persuasive with this case is the fact that once the tumor, and the pressure it was exerting on the orbifrontal cortex, were removed the patient no longer exhibited any pedophilic tendencies. Could this be the answer to whether or not TBIs do so adversely affect individuals that the personality changes they exhibit should not be held against them in the legal forum? Not necessarily. â€Å"Daniel Martell, a forensic neuropsychologist who examined Weinstein and testified for the prosecution, says the brain images were nothing more than fancy pictures meant to stir a jury. â€Å"It was the Christmas tree effect,† Martell says. â€Å"Lots of people ooh and aah at the pictures. It doesn’t tell you anything about a person’s behavior. † (Davis, 2012). Martell makes the point that many attorneys take when faced with opposing counsel who is presenting the TBI defense, stating that the profound changes in persons with TBIs should be a mitigating factor in trials and during sentencing. That hasn’t stopped defense attorneys from trying to introduce evidence of damaged brains into the courtroom, including brain scans. One such case, frequently cited in law and neuroscience journals, is that of New York advertising executive Herbert Weinstein, 65, who was arrested on charges that he strangled his second wife, Barbara, and t hrew her out the window of their 12th-floor Manhattan apartment in 1991 during an argument about their children. Weinstein never denied killing his wife. His lawyer, Diarmuid White, argued that Weinstein was not himself due to an arachnoid cyst on his brain. White contended that the cyst caused pressure on part of Weinstein’s temporal lobe, compromising his self-control and emotional regulation. Zachary Weiss, the New York City district attorney who prosecuted the case, thought it was simply a matter of a man getting angry at his wife and killing her. That was until White sent him the brain scan during discovery. â€Å"I got this picture in the mail and thought you’ve got to be joking,† Weiss recalls. It got complicated. I called this the rich man’s defense. † Whether Weinstein’s brain made him do it or not, Weiss believes the case was important. â€Å"It opened up a debate academically about responsibility and free will, and how we evaluate scientific evidence,† says Weiss, twenty years after the case; Martell still believes brain scans don’t explain specific behaviors. â€Å"The problem is that the science has not come along to support what the scan means,† says Martell, now a Newport Beach, Calif. based consultant for criminal as well as civil cases. â€Å"Since the ’90s, we’ve been much better at generating the cool pictures than we are at explaining what they mean. † (Davis, 2012). The opinion that Martell expresses about TBIs is not rare; many in the legal profession see the whole TBI debate as another â€Å"smoke and mirror† defense on par with the famous â€Å"Twinkie† defense; interesting and impressive in the courtroom, but lacking in any real legal merit. There is a group of individuals whose TBIs are taken into special onsideration; combat veterans. â€Å"Am ong the growing number of cases involving neuroscientific evidence are those that involve combat veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq as defendants. † (Davis, 2012). â€Å"Dr. Chrisanne Gordon, a Columbus, Ohio, rehabilitation medicine specialist who works with brain-injured vets, is one of three authors who wrote a chapter about traumatic brain injury. â€Å"They’re not insane, they’re not retarded, but they frequently have issues with impulse control and fall through the cracks of the legal system,† she says. (Davis, 2012). Combat veterans pose a desperate problem for the court systems judging them as defendants; because their injuries are usually combat related most people view them with a particular amount of sympathy because they received their injury in a â€Å"heroic† manner; serving the country. Agreeing that veteran’s legal situations are difficult to handle, at best, it has been suggested that courts need to view veteran’s with an air of compassion. There are courts who are taking definitive steps when dealing with combat veteran’s with TBIs who have ended up as defendants. â€Å"One of veterans’ biggest allies in Ohio is state Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Stratton, who plans to work full time with veterans’ justice issues after she retires later this year. She supports the development of more veterans’ treatment courts and hopes to change sentencing guidelines to ensure judges in all courts look at a defendant’s military service record. We want them to look at war experience as mitigation,† she says. â€Å"And we want them at least to look at the causes of what happened. † (Davis, 2012). Traumatic Brain Injuries are not simple to define and apply to a law principle; they allow that a defendant can be found not guilty of a crime because of their mental health issues, saying, in essence, that the defendant is not responsible for their crime because they had no real understanding of their actions or the consequences thereof. It will take many more years of research, to produce empirical evidence to supplement the anecdotal evidence that does exist, to determine if the dramatic personality changes that patients with Traumatic Brain Injuries exhibit, has the brain been so physically damaged that the victims of TBIs are no longer able to control themselves, or is the Traumatic Brain Injury defense simply a criminal defense â€Å"flavor of the week. †

The Industrial Revolution Essay -- History, Machinery, Factory Workers

The Industrial Revolution was an important time period in American history. It greatly affected the economy, industry, and standard of living for people in the United States. It still has everlasting effects to this day. Most of the products we use today are made quickly by the process of mass production. Today, people work on assembly lines using power-driven machines. People of ancient and medieval times had no such products. They had to spend many hours of hand labor to create very simple objects. The energy came from their muscles. Eventually some advancement occurred when people began using animals to help with the work they used to do alone. The Industrial Revolution was the movement in which machinery changed the methods of manufacturing goods and ultimately changed everyday life for workers (Remini). There were many things that helped ignite the Industrial Revolution. The most important change was the invention of machinery to do the work of hand tools, and the factory system. Before the creation of machinery children and adults did most of the work in order to have the products needed for civilized life. The Industrial Revolution was a gradual movement but it was still a radical change from the old way of producing goods. The Industrial Revolution became more powerful each year as new inventions were added into factories. The efficiency of production increased as these machines increased the speed of production. The Industrial Revolution started early in the 1800s in Europe but began late in the middle of the 1800s in America (Daniels & Hyslop pg 271). England was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The English merchants were ahead in the development of commerce, which increased the demand for more goods. With... ...p us complete our work started with the Industrial Revolution and shows no signs of slowing down (Remini). The Industrial Revolution led to other revolutions, which further advanced our technology. The Transportation Revolution, Communications Revolution, and the Information Revolution can all be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. These revolutions had added to the prosperity of humankind, and each of them had their effects on society. The Industrial Revolution had far more of an impact on us than any other political revolutions of the era, mainly because the effects of the Industrial Revolution last much longer. For example, today we have automobiles, televisions, and computers, which were all made possible because of the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Without the Industrial Revolution, we probably would not have all the luxuries we have today. The Industrial Revolution Essay -- History, Machinery, Factory Workers The Industrial Revolution was an important time period in American history. It greatly affected the economy, industry, and standard of living for people in the United States. It still has everlasting effects to this day. Most of the products we use today are made quickly by the process of mass production. Today, people work on assembly lines using power-driven machines. People of ancient and medieval times had no such products. They had to spend many hours of hand labor to create very simple objects. The energy came from their muscles. Eventually some advancement occurred when people began using animals to help with the work they used to do alone. The Industrial Revolution was the movement in which machinery changed the methods of manufacturing goods and ultimately changed everyday life for workers (Remini). There were many things that helped ignite the Industrial Revolution. The most important change was the invention of machinery to do the work of hand tools, and the factory system. Before the creation of machinery children and adults did most of the work in order to have the products needed for civilized life. The Industrial Revolution was a gradual movement but it was still a radical change from the old way of producing goods. The Industrial Revolution became more powerful each year as new inventions were added into factories. The efficiency of production increased as these machines increased the speed of production. The Industrial Revolution started early in the 1800s in Europe but began late in the middle of the 1800s in America (Daniels & Hyslop pg 271). England was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The English merchants were ahead in the development of commerce, which increased the demand for more goods. With... ...p us complete our work started with the Industrial Revolution and shows no signs of slowing down (Remini). The Industrial Revolution led to other revolutions, which further advanced our technology. The Transportation Revolution, Communications Revolution, and the Information Revolution can all be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. These revolutions had added to the prosperity of humankind, and each of them had their effects on society. The Industrial Revolution had far more of an impact on us than any other political revolutions of the era, mainly because the effects of the Industrial Revolution last much longer. For example, today we have automobiles, televisions, and computers, which were all made possible because of the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Without the Industrial Revolution, we probably would not have all the luxuries we have today.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line based in the Doral suburb of Miami, Florida (Carnival Cruise Lines, n. d. ). The company offers vacations that appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Carnival was founded in 1972 as an independent company by Ted Arison. The cruise line company became known as the world’s most popular cruise line and in 1987 it made an initial public offering of 20 percent of its common stock. The public offering provided the company with an influx of capital that allowed the company to begin expanding through acquisitions.The company formed Carnival Corporation & plc in 1994 and Carnival Cruise Lines became its flagship brand (Mission & History, 2010). Carnival Corporation has acquired representation in virtually every market segment of the cruise industry. In April 2003, agreements were finalized to combine Carnival Corporation with P&O Princess Cruises plc, creating the world’s first global cruise operator. Carni val Corporation & plc encompass 12 highly recognizable brands and the company became one of the largest and most profitable leisure travel companies in the world.The company is now one of the 11 individual worldwide cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc. The corporation operates 97 ships and Carnival Cruise Lines is its largest and leading brand in North America, based on passengers carried under the Carnival Corporation. Carnival is also the corporation’s most profitable cruise line in the world. The cruise line has 22 ships in operation and two future ships in development. Carnival has 3,800 shore side and 33,500 shipboard employees. *Carnival pioneered the concept of shorter, less expensive cruises.Howard Frank, the chief operating officer of Carnival Cruise Lines, says their ships are called the fun ships because unlike its competitors, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival offers a wide range of activities on boar d instead of just delicious cuisine (Beesley, 2010). Frank said their innovative new ships feature popular amenities that meet the increasingly sophisticated desires of all guests yet provide a fun and exciting environment for all ages. Carnival hit record-breaking business so far this year.The bookings for the company were the highest they have ever been because of its new booking system. The earlier in advance a passenger’s cruise is booked the more economical the price. A cruise can cost as low as $175-$200 per person in advance. The cruise line also offers last minute bookings at discount prices. Carnival can be cheaper than airfare without the fear of terrorist attacks, excessive baggage fees, delays and extreme boarding procedures or hassles. In 2009, the corporation revenued $13. 2 billion with a net income of $1. billion, and are projected to make their highest profit ever this year. The company carries a record of 3. 9 million passengers and the up-to-date record is the most in the cruise industry. *Executive control of Carnival Cruise Lines is provided by the North American division of Carnival Corporation in Doral, Florida. Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc, the cruise line, function as a single economic entity. They also function through contractual agreements between separate legal entities (Investor Relations, 2010). Carnival Corporation common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.Carnival plc is traded on the London Stock Exchange and has an ADS on the New York Stock Exchange. Carnival is the only company in the world to be included in both the STP 500 index in the US and the FTSE 100 index in the UK. Carnival Cruise Lines has a hybrid structure divided under Carnival North America, Carnival Australia and Carnival UK. The hybrid structure is under Carnival Cruise Lines which is only one of the brands under Carnival Corporation & plc. The corporation doesn’t have a long hierarchy of authority instead it has a few layer s of corporate officers and board of directors (Officers, 2010).There are six corporate officers that consist of executive, operating and financial officers, as well as vice presidents of shared services for the multiple brands, general counsel and controller for the corporation. The cruise line only has one executive officer. Gerald R. Cahill is Carnival Cruise Lines’ only president and chief executive officer except for the executives over the Australia and UK divisions. Majority of the company’s employees are shipboard. There is a one-to-three ratio of staff to passenger on every carnival ship, ensuring excellent customer service.Carnival has a horizontal communication amongst the six corporate officers and board of directors. Corporate governance extends from the ship, through the operating lines and senior corporate management to the board of directors. *Carnival is a profitable company and is now the leader in the contemporary cruise sector. The line has launched a $250 million enhancement program on its eight fantasy-class ships. The enhancement will include installation of a water park on board, an adult-only retreat, tropical-themed mid-ship pool area, and other innovative features.Carnival’s former image was a party ship reputation for younger travelers. The cruise line is now known as large, modern and extremely elegant, yet still a profitable and fun line. Historically, Carnival Corporation’s growth has been driven by the expansion of their portfolio of core brands through an aggressive ship building program. Now the brand, Carnival Cruise Lines, competes globally because they invest time, money and effort into product development and wide varieties of amenities on board. The company enhances the excursions offered in port destinations, as well as programs, activities and attractions on the ship.Carnival children programs provide the same level of variety, fun and attraction for their age, as the amenities available to a dults. No matter the age, lifestyle or budget the goal is consistent. The cruise line’s goal is to provide everyone with a safe and healthy place to live, work and have fun. Carnival strives to provide an innovative and exceptional vacation experience on land and or at sea (Phillips, 2009). *Last week I sailed on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship to Nassau, Bahamas for a four days and three nights weekend cruise.The Cruise was inexpensive to book for a typical vacation. We were a party of four people and we each only paid around $200 a person in advance. If we would have booked the vacation at the last minute it could have cost each person $300-$400, which is still inexpensive for an all-inclusive cruise. At first you don’t understand how the cruise line makes a profit because almost everything is free except alcohol, soda and excursions. Unlimited food all day and night, shows, the gym, and activities are free. It didn’t take long to realize the company’s str ategy on making money.Once Carnival booked the customer at a low price, they up sell the customer with backend products and services that passengers feel are definitely worth spending money on during a vacation. There were additional products and services like an onboard casino, excursions, internet services, and photographers everywhere ready to take memorable pictures to sell. As well as, massages facials, hair treatment, wholesale liquor prices and onboard shops and stores. Carnival provided relaxing services and duty or tax free products.The cruise made lots of money and the marketing cost went down because their exceptional services built loyal customers. The company probably spends more money capturing a customer, maybe even lost money initially on the booking transaction because of the specials and low rates but created lifetime customers in the end. The more products and services a company can offer or sell to a customer, the more valuable they become and the more you can sp end on acquiring a customer. Wants you acquire a customer and satisfy their needs, you can gain more from a buying impulse that is pleased and devoted to the company and its brands.

Ethics of Starbucks Corporation Essay

Starbucks Corporation is the international coffee and the largest coffeehouse in the world based in seattle, Washington. The company has expanded rapidly with over 16,858 stores in 50 countries, including 11,000 in the united states, over 1000 in Canada and over 700 in uk. Starbucks don’t sell only coffee but there are variety in the consumer products that they offer such as hot and cold sandwiches and Panini, pastries ,snacks and other hot and cold drinks. The company’s products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks also has an entertainment division and hear music brand, the company also markets books, music and films. Starbucks brand ice-creams and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. The Mission statement of Starbucks is to † inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time†. Starbucks believe that conducting business ethically and striving to do the right thing are vital to the success of the company. However, Starbucks corporation have been a target of protests and vandalism in the previous years on issues related to sustainability. But Starbucks have always been socially responsible and made it a priority to the development of new ways of addressing diverse impacts of business in society. Like every corporation, Starbucks has its own Standard of Business Conduct which facilitates legal compliance and ethics training; investigates sensitive issues such as potential conflicts of interest; and provides additional channels for partners to voice concerns. Partners are encouraged to report all types of issues or concerns to the program through their choice of the offered communication channel. The key goal and the important aspect of Business ethics is Sustainability. Sustainability is emerged from the environmental perspective because of the effective management of physical resources that are conserved for the future. But the concept of sustainability is not only broadened to include environment but also economic and social consideration. Starbucks have made its priorities in addressing ethical issues related to the environment through formal and public relations. Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business. This is done by understanding the environmental issues, developing innovative and flexible solutions to bring about change, attempt to buy, sell and use environmental friendly products, instilling environmental responsibility as a corporate value, measuring and monitoring our progress for each project. However, The Three components of Sustainability actually represent in terms of goals for business ethics. a) the environmental perspectives for Starbucks Corporation In 1999, Starbucks started† grounds for coffee† where they would give away the grounds to anyone for composting. They also reduced the size of their paper napkins and garbage bags to reduce wastage and lightening their solid waste to 816.5 metric tons. In response to the excessive water consumption ,Starbucks have replaced pitcher and dipper wells with push button faucets for rinsing utensils. Starbucks are trying ways to make recycling services available for its plastic cups as the services are very limited. By 2015 it is will make these services available in every store across the country. Previously, there were issues that plastic cups were non-recyclable because of the plastic coating that prevents the cup from leaking also prevents it from being recycled so they changed the material from prolypropylene (PP) to polyethylene teraphthale (PETE) which can be recycled. Starbucks is now considering the use of biodegradable material instead of plastics to line the cups. Starbucks gives 10 cents discounts to its customers for using its own mug and it now uses corrugated cup sleeves made up of 60% post consumer recycled fiber. As a Corporate Citizen, Starbucks have taken the ethical responsibility by conserving energy and increasing efficiency to reduce contribution to climate change. Purchasing of renewable resources to avoid impact on the climate yt and investing in new lighting and improving the efficiency of HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling systems) and other equipments. Starbucks also has build greener stores which include a mix of design elements such as using recycled floor tiles, improve light efficiency, installing low flow valves throughout the stores, using paints with lower amount of volatile organic chemicals. b) the economic perspective for starbucks corporation A broader concept of economic sustainability would include the company’s attitude towards and impacts upon economic framework. Starbucks Corporation responsibly grows coffee and launching its Fair Trade Coffee has undeniably made a significant contribution to their family farmers through rapidly growing FTC coffee volume. Starbucks has established support centers for the farmers in Rwanda and Costa Rica to provide them with necessary resources and expertise to help lower the cost of production, reduce fungus infections, improve coffee quality and increase the production of premium coffee. During the growing and harvest cycles, many farmers find it difficult to cover the expenses prompting them to sell their crops for less to the local buyers. To avoid such situation, starbucks provides funding to the organization that make loans to the coffee growers which will sell their crops at the best time to get the right price. It will also help the farmers to invest in the farms and make capital improvements. Starbucks coffee and cocoa buying is designed to long-term supply of high-quality, ethically sourced cocoa and coffee while contributing positively to the environment and to cocoa-farming communities. Starbucks argues that it pays above market prices for all of its coffee. According to the company, in 2004 it paid on average $1.42 per pound ($2.64 kg) for high-quality coffee beans. This is in comparison to commodity prices which were as low as $0.50–$0.60 in 2003–04. c) the social perspective for Starbucks corporation The key issue in social perspective on sustainability is that of social justice. Starbucks Corporation is involved in communities’ services bringing people together, inspiring change and making a difference in people’s lives. Engaging young people to identify and address the needs of their community. Young people also receive advocacy ,training, financial help and other resources for their efforts. This is done by providing monetary aid and establishing relationship with International Youth foundation and Youth Venture. Starbucks is also involved in combating HIV/Aids to coffee growing community in Africa. Starbucks began selling RED goods in November 2008, enabling the supply of AIDS medicine for 3800 people for a year. The Starbucks Foundation has served the society for many years providing access to clean waters to the developing countries from its brand water bottled ETHOS, fostering education in china, rebuilding the Gulf coast. Although these goals and targets are identified by the UN are essentially the responsibility of the government to achieve, some of them have direct significance for business. Finally we have identified sustainability as a crucial concept that helps to determine the goals and objectives of the business activities from ethical point of view.

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i dont have an essay to submit i dont have an essay to submit Animal "Speech" Project Aims to Decode Critter Communication Maryann Mott for National Geographic News September 26, 2006 The fictional children's book character Dr. Dolittle easily understood animal chatter. But for the rest of us, the meaning behind creatures' clucks, rumbles, and whistles remains a mystery. Now, researchers from several universities and institutions are working on an effort called the Dr. Dolittle Project, which aims to crack the code of animal communication. African elephant photo Enlarge Photo _ Printer Friendly Email to a Friend What's This? SHARE Digg StumbleUpon Reddit RELATED Do Disney's Real Elephants Have Tales to Tell? (February 2003) Photos: Animal Mating Calls Elephants Can Mimic Traffic, Other Noises, Study Says (March 2005) Their work could help people gain a better understanding of animal behavior and hopefully allow researchers to improve care for wild and captive animal populations. "For centuries humans have tried to teach animals to communicate like humans," said Michael Darre, an animal science professor at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs. "And now we're getting to the point where we're saying, Wait a second. Why don't we learn their language instead of making them learn ours?" (Related feature: "Calls in the Wild" in National Geographic magazine.) Elephant Talk In the past three years researchers with the project have captured sounds from a variety of animals, including African

SAT Cost, ACT Cost, and How to Save Money

SAT Cost, ACT Cost, and How to Save Money SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're deciding between taking the SAT and the ACT and you have a tight budget, this guide will help. We'll cover the registration costs, reporting costs, and how you can save money no matter what test you choose. All Registration Costs for the SAT and ACT (Updated for 2019-2020) Let's first look at the cost of registering for the test, and extra fees. Fee Type What is this? SAT Cost ACT Cost Registration Fee The normal fee for each administration of the test you register for $64.50 ($49.50 without essay) $67($50.50 without essay) Late Fee Charged if you register after the regular deadline but before the final late deadline $30 $30 Waitlist Fee Charged if you register after the late registration deadline and are seated on test day. $53 $53 (standby testing) Change Fee Charged if you change the test center, test date, or test type $30 $30 Question and Answers An optional service that sends you the test questions and correct answers (useful for seeing what mistakes you made) $18 $20 International Fees Charged additionally if you're taking the test outside of the United States $43 to $53 $99.50 Sources: College Board and ACT, Inc The costs between the SAT and ACT are similar for registrations for U.S. students. If your schools require the essay section, taking the SAT saves you $1 per test. Clearly both tests charge through the nose for extra fees, punishing lack of planning ahead. As we'll cover below, planning early can represent a huge cost savings to you. All Reporting Costs for the SAT and ACT Once you take the test, you'll have to send your test scores to colleges. Each college you apply to will require its own SAT or ACT score report. If you apply to 12 colleges, you'll need to send 12 score reports. This is where the policies for the SAT and ACT really differ. Fee Type What is this? SAT ACT Free Score Reports The number of free reports you get when registering for the test 4 free reports, within 9 days after test 4 free reports, by the Thursday after the test Cost per School Charged for each report you send to a school outside of your free reports. $12 per school $13.00 per test per school Rush reporting Expedited sending of score reports $31 per school $16.50 per test per school Sources: College Board and ACT, Inc. Here's an elaboration. When you take the SAT or ACT, both tests allow you to send your scores to four schools for free. You will specify these four schools when registering for the test. The SAT gives you nine days after the test to decide those four schools, while the ACT only gives you six days. Outside of the free reports, both tests will charge you for sending score reports. This can happen if you're too late in specifying your free reports, or if you exceed the four free reports per test. The SAT and the ACT differ here in a significant way. The SAT can send all your College Board test scores to a school in a single report. This includes all SAT and SAT Subject Test administrations. The ACT, however, requires $13.00 per test per school. For example, if your school uses 'Superscoring', you might want to send two or three tests to combine the highest score.This can really rack up the cost really quickly.For example, if you're applying to ten colleges and you want to send three test scores, this will mean $13 x 10 x 3 = $390, just to send your scores to schools. All this money starts adding up. It pays to be proactive and to plan ahead. Here are four strategies to save as much money as possible on the SAT and ACT. 5 Tips to Save Money on the SAT and ACT If you're on a budget, you can save a lot of money by planning ahead. Here are important ways to get money back. #1: Apply for a Fee Waiver If You Qualify Both the College Board and the ACT know that low-income families find it difficult to pay for these expensive tests. Applying for a fee waiver can save you hundreds of dollars. With a fee waiver, both tests give you free registration for tests and free score reports. How do you qualify for a fee waiver? You qualify if any of the below is true: You're enrolled in or eligible for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch program You're enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (like Upward Bound) Your family receives public assistance You live in public housing, a foster home, or are homeless. Your household income level falls below USDA levels for Reduced Price lunches To get a fee waiver, you MUST go through your school counselor. You cannot apply directly through the College Board or ACT, Inc. This takes time, so make sure you do this well before you plan to register for the test. Contact your school counselor as soon as possible if you qualify for a fee waiver. #2: Register Early The late fee for registration is around half the test of the cost itself, causing a 50% increase in the test cost if you're late to register. If you have a test date set in mind, register months in advance so you don't forget. Make sure you get a confirmation by e-mail so you have no surprises come test day. Even worse than paying the late fee is missing the test date registration altogether. If you've been prepping for a specific date, this will cause you to lose momentum from your test prep and lower your score. #3: Use the FREEScore Reports Both the SAT and ACT give you free score reports to send to schools of your choosing. Make sure you specify schools before registration so you don't forget. Once the ACT test date passes, you won't be able to specify any more colleges to receive your test scores. The only reason you may want to not specify a college for the free score report is if you're not sure you're going to do better, and you want to make sure the college receives only your top scores. For all other cases, send it to colleges that are on your application list. #4: Self-Report Scores When Possible In an attempt to lower the barrier to applying even further, some of the top schools in the country now allow students to self-report their SAT and ACT scores on their applications; you'll only have to submit official SAT/ACT score reports if you're accepted. Prestigious national universities that allow self-reporting of SAT/ACT scores include Stanford, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Caltech, Rice, WashU in St. Louis, and Emory. Most of the top liberal arts colleges also have adopted this policy, including Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, Swarthmore, Middlebury, and Pomona. For all schools allowing self-reported SAT/ACT scores, make sure to check their policy on superscoring/score choice so that you're maximizing your standardized testing profile. Also, while this should go without saying, don't lie when self-reporting your SAT/ACT scores on your application. Don't write a score you plan to get on the February ACT or March SAT before admissions decisions go out (unless the school you're applying to accepts February ACT scores) and don't lie about doing better than you did. This will most likely result in your admission being rescinded not just because you didn't do as well as you said you did, but because you lied; institutions of higher learning generally aren't super keen to welcome academically dishonest students into their community. #5: Use Your SAT/ACT Score to Qualify for Scholarships Many states and schools have scholarships where the major qualification is your SAT/ACT score. By doing well on the test, you can make back well more than it cost to take the test. Take the time to research these scholarships and apply for them if you qualify. What's Next? Now that you know how much the SAT and ACT cost, let's read more resources to learn more about these tests. Want a super high SAT score or ACT score? I teach you how to get a perfect SAT/ACT score, based on my own experiences. What are good ACT scores or good SAT scoresfor college? Is the SAT or ACT easier? Find out which you should take. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Analyzing Point of View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing Point of View - Essay Example And yet, at times, the narrator uses an omniscient mode to point out certain things to the reader that are unnoticed by the characters themselves. For instance, the narrator tells us in advance about the gift that Jim has brought back for Della before she notices it herself: â€Å"For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. [..] This dark assertion will be illuminated later on† (O Henry, 1906, p. 4). The narrator here pre-empts the next turn in the plot by forewarning the reader about an unexpected event. The narrator also uses the device of prolepsis by mentioning the magi, something that will be explained later in the conclusion. The use of a third-person point of view affects the entire tone of the story. Had the same tale been told through the perspective of Della or Jim or even one of the minor characters like the â€Å"Sofronie†, much of the situational irony would have been lost. Situational irony, like dramatic irony, is based on a shared knowledge between the writer and reader which the characters in the story are unaware of. Their situation therefore is not understood by them as well as the reader who has access to information about their lives directly from the writer.