Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Adoption Is Not An Expensive Process - 1702 Words

In the US alone, there are over four hundred thousand children without permanent families and over one hundred thousand waiting to be adopted (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Couples who cannot have children and are looking for ways for to have children can adopt. Children in foster care are alone and in desperate need of someone to love them unconditionally, showing them that no matter what they are wanted. Adoption is one of the ways couples can have children, through the adoption process, couples can rescue a child from a life in the child welfare system, giving them a family and a hope of a better life, even through the contentious issue of interracial adoptions. Adoption Process The first step is figuring†¦show more content†¦faqs) In addition to these rules, the state also has income requirements, but that is not a hard figure, but is based on the results of a home study. Some characteristics that are necessary for adoptive parents to have are, being stable, mature, dependable, and flexible enough to work with the new child and the social worker, along with their family with the new challenges and tasks adoption will bring. After we have figured if we are able to adopt and want to, the next step is to do preservice training. The second step of the adoption process is preservice training. This helps parents understand the struggles and baggage that adopted children may have and how to deal with it. Preservice training involves multiple sessions involving the parties who are adopting. The goals of preservice training are to †¢ Prepare yourself for adopting a child †¢ Create a basis for teamwork between yourself and your agency †¢ Form mutually supportive relationships with other parents and child welfare staff who will be able to help you throughout your adoption journey †¢ Find answers to any lingering questions you might have about if you’re ready to adopt and what type of child you can successfully parent (Applying to Adopt, n.d.) This training is very good for the future parents of adopted children. There is never too much information that a new parent can have, therefore this

Monday, December 23, 2019

Effects Of Substance Use And Abuse - 950 Words

Journals on the Impact of Substance Use and Abuse Even at this age of raised healthcare awareness there are people who still do not understand the real cause of addictions. A review of Lawrence and Melinda Smith’s article, â€Å"Drug Abuse and Addiction,† reveals that by now there is little and scanty information on why and how people get addicted to various types of drugs. There have been several misconceptions and beliefs as to why people actually use or abuse drugs, several explanations have been put forth for this course. A majority of people and writers across the globe simply think that drug abuse and consequent addiction originates from the lack of moral principles or the willpower. They simply think that drug abuse can just be stopped by a choice of behavior change (Saulsbury Blakemore, 2007). As a matter of fact, addiction is a much more complex disease to manage and possibly treat; quitting drug addiction takes the goodwill and intentions and more so a strong will. Lawrence and Melinda Smith’s article, â€Å"Drug Abuse and Addiction,† defines drug addiction as a chronic condition which usually results into relapse of the brain which can eventually lead to both compulsive drug seeking and use. The brain changes lead an addict to a lack of self-control and hamper his ability to resist drug use. This is in line with the consequences of drug use (Barker, 2008). A major consequence of drug use and addiction is that it changes the brain capability to such a way that canShow MoreRelatedSubstance Abuse And Addiction : A Meta Analysis1711 Words   |  7 Pagesprimarily dependent of substance tends to affect an individual both physically and psychologically. When reformed, dependency settles in where abuser may have trouble living everyday life without substance sustaining abuser to tolerate the remainder of the day. In the journal article Deficits in Behavioral Inhibition in Substance Abuse and Addiction: A meta-analysis authors Smith, Mattick, Jamadar, Iredale stated â€Å"The results are generally consistent with the view that substance use disorders and addictionlikeRead MorePersuasive Essay On Drug Abuse1228 Words   |  5 PagesToday, drug abuse has become a controversial subject where various individuals have different views. Substance abuse is a substantial dilemma among people and easily spread in schools, work environments, and even in homes. Drug abuse starts in utterly reasons, but can begin in adolescence with peer pressure or friends using them, family environment that has violent, physical, or emotional abuse, and inherited genetics with mental health conditions as depression, anxiety, or ADHD (National InstituteRead MoreSubstance Abuse. What Is Substance Abuse . Substance Abuse1300 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance abuse What is substance abuse Substance abuse is the use of drugs, alcohol, or chemicals. The substance abuse results in physical, psychological, emotional harm to the user or others. People abuse substances such as drugs and alcohol for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that it comes at a significant cost. 0Substance abuse can be recognized through it s signs and behavior changes, as well as short and long term effects. There are various ways however to treat substanceRead MoreSubstance Use Disorders ( Suds )1720 Words   |  7 Pagesdetermined that children raised by substance using parents are at an increased risk for developing substance use disorders (SUDs) in adulthood as a result of familial dissemination of substance abuse through both the environments in which the children are raised and genetic susceptibility (Merikangas et al., 1998; Merikangas Avenevoli, 2000). Unfortunately, there is an insignificant amount of literature examining the effects that the combined treatment and recovery o f substance abusing parents has on theRead MoreThe Psychological Effects Of Adolescent Substance Abuse1469 Words   |  6 PagesAdolescent substance abuse is one of the largest issues faced by our society today. According to Teenrehab.com, nearly 50% of all high school seniors have abused some form of illicit substance and according to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism nearly 70% of 18 year olds have at the least tried alcohol. Many more adolescents are trying, and getting addicted to, drugs every year. In my opinion this is one of the most critical issues that we have to address as a society. Summary Response:Read MoreMindfulness Based Practices1079 Words   |  5 Pagesalternative treatment program for individuals with a substance abuse dependence. Substance abuse dependence often is correlated with increased stress, impulsivity, negative affect, cravings, and lowered mindfulness traits (Christopher, Ramsey, Antick, 2013; Vinici, Peltier, Shah, Kinsaul, Waldo, McVay, Copeland, 2014; Shorey, Brasfield, Anderson, Stuart, 2014). The development of mindfulness-based interventions for those diagnosed with substance abuse disorders has reported decreases in negative symptomsRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Domestic Violence Essay1670 Words   |  7 PagesIn this paper I will be addressing the correlation that is between substance abuse and domestic violence. There are many factors that play a role in why domestic violence occurs in a home; this paper will be focusing on the factor of drug abuse in particularly. Early on in the course we learned that domestic violence does not only pertain to intimate partner violence but also to child abuse, elder abuse, and any other abuse of a person that occurs with inside the home. I will be providing researchRead MoreAdhd and Substance Abuse1392 Words   |  6 PagesADHD and Substance Abuse                                                                                                           Ã‚                    Ã‚                  The Evidence Of Substance Abuse With ADHD                                       The purpose of this paper is to identify the link between ADHD and substance abuse. Substance abuse is a true threat to people who are diagnosed  with psychological disorders. Among the questions of precursors to substance abuse, lies the hypothesis that individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit HyperactivityRead MoreHow Substance Abuse Negatively Affects The Baby While During1328 Words   |  6 PagesHow substance abuse negatively affects the baby while during a woman’s pregnancy. Many women across the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into whyRead MoreAn Effective Substance Abuse Counselor1268 Words   |  6 PagesTo become an effective substance abuse counselor, there are six key points which include: knowing the principles of MI, being able to help strengthen a client’s coping skills, being able to utilize OARS, understanding Thomas Gordon’s Twelve Roadblocks, being knowledgeable about drugs, and having knowledge of assessing and Individualizing Evidence Based Treatment Plans. An effective substance abuse counselor needs to utilize the OARS. The OARS acronym includes: open-ended questions, affirmations

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections in Developing Free Essays

string(129) " the potential to serve as sources of cross-transmission, nurses are likely to more positive towards infection control policies\." Introduction: Developing countries are normally defined as those lacking the level of nationwide industrialization, infrastructure and technological advances normally found in Western Europe and North America. The vast majority of countries in Africa, Asia, Central South America, Oceania and the Middle East fall in this developing category and often face addition challenges in terms of lower levels of literacy and standards of living. Nevertheless, within this broad group, there are various sub-categories, each having different characteristics as well as economic strengths. We will write a custom essay sample on Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections in Developing or any similar topic only for you Order Now Indeed some are relatively wealthy oil exporting nations or newly industrializing world economies; a considerable number are middle income countries. At the end of the development scale lie around fifty very poor nations with predominantly agricultural economies, which tend to be heavily dependent on external aid. From a medical perspective, many developing countries are often characterised by significant health and hygiene issues. Indeed it has been estimated that more than 1 billion inhabitants in these countries do not have access to safe water and even less to basic sanitation (1). Around 1. 5 million children in the developing world die per year; diarrhoea is responsible for more than 80% of these deaths (2). One of the reasons for this state of affairs is the low expenditure and budgetary allocation within the poorer countries of the world towards health. Indeed the proportion of annual expenditure for health related initiatives in many developing countries is often less than 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), sometimes less than 0. 1% (3). Healthcare associated infections in developing countries Unlike more affluent countries, infectious diseases continue to pose a heavy burden of morbidity as well as mortality in developing nations (4). Amongst the more important disease entities are a wide range of respiratory diseases including tuberculosis, various gastrointestinal infections, AIDS and HIV plus a spate of parasitic infestations of which malaria is the most significant. However this situation is not limited to ambulatory settings and is equally relevant within healthcare institutions. Deficient infrastructures, rudimentary equipment and a poor quality of care contribute towards incidences of nosocomial infections which have been estimated to be between 2-6 times higher than those in developed nations (5). In many instances, such figures are often guesstimates because surveillance systems are often either non existent or else unreliable. However, the limited studies on prevalence of healthcare associated infections in some developing countries in the world suggest that up to 40% of these are probably preventable (5). This situation appears to particularly severe within intensive care settings where up to 60 to 90 infections per 1000 care-days have been reported; excess mortality rates in more severe infections such as blood stream and lower respiratory infections approaches 25% in adults and more than 50% in neonates (6). The challenges of infection in healthcare facilities within developing nations is also of a wider spectrum than that normally found in equivalent hospitals in the western world. Numerous publications have highlighted the frequency by which normally community infections, such as cholera, measles and enteric pathogens, spread nosocomially within such institutions (7, 8). In many instances outbreaks are traceable to an index case who would have been inappropriately managed in a background of overcrowding and limited hospital hygiene. Similar cases of transmission have also been reported in the case of respiratory infections including measles (9). Tuberculosis transmission in healthcare facilities is a major occurrence in many African countries as well as parts of Asia and Latin America (10). In many instances this disease is strongly related to the rise of HIV within these same geographical regions and is not uncommonly complicated by increasing prevalence of multi drug resistant mycobacteria. Blood borne infections are not restricted to HIV alone. Hepatitis B remains a major nosocomial pathogen in many hospitals within the developing world (11). More dramatic and life threatening have been outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers in institutions within several countries in the African continent (12). Hospitals are also liable to healthcare associated infection caused by more conventional pathogens which, just like in their western counterparts, can carry the additional burden of antimicrobial resistance (4). Unfortunately data on the prevalence of resistance in nosocomial pathogens is poorly documented in the developing world. However recent publications suggest that this may be even more common than in developed countries. Recent publications from the Mediterranean region have highlighted proportions of meticillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus to exceed 50% in several countries in the Middle East with resistance to third generation cephalosporins in E. coli exceeding 70% in some participating hospitals (13). There may be diverse and often complex backgrounds to this epidemiological situation. Factors facilitating transmission and management of nosocomial infections The infrastructure of healthcare facilities in some of the poorer nations often lacks basic requirements for the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases. Inadequate or unsafe water supply together with lack of resources or equipment for affective environmental cleaning is often compounded by significant overcrowding due to inadequate beds to cope with demand (14). There is often lack of strategic direction as well as effective planning for healthcare delivery at both national as well as local levels. A functional sterilisation department is by no means a standard occurrence in every hospital, even in the larger urban institutions. Other areas of concern include poor awareness or knowledge about communicable disease transmission amongst healthcare workers and lack of commitment within senior management (15). This is particularly relevant in developing countries where nurses, doctors and patients are often unaware of the importance of infection control and its relevance to safe healthcare (16). Medical practitioners may have a tendency to be heavily committed towards individual patients and disinclined to think of them in groups, a concept which is the antithesis of basic infection prevention and control (17). They are often unaware of risks of nosocomial infections, attributing such possible developments to be natural or inevitable (18). On the other hand, nurses have more intimate contact with patients and are trained to take care of patients in groups. Although this increases the potential to serve as sources of cross-transmission, nurses are likely to more positive towards infection control policies. You read "Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections in Developing" in category "Essay examples" However this is hindered by the comparatively lower status offered to nurses in the developing world and also complicated by a gender bias in environments where emancipation of women has been slow. Attitudes of senior medical staff may further compound the problem through personality clashes, resistance to change or improvement as well as reluctance to work in tandem with other health professionals. Non existent litigation further accentuates lack of accountability at various levels. Furthermore, many patients have limited expectations, already regarding themselves fortunate to have any sort of institutional care and as a result accept a significant degree of morbidity as part of their hospital stay. It must be emphasised that even in the poorer countries, this set of circumstances is by no means universal in all hospitals. It is not uncommon that, even where most of the hospitals in a country lack all these basic requirements, individual institutions (often either private or NGO managed) would be in a position to offer healthcare as well as infection control standards of the highest quality. However it would only be a small minority of patients, often coming from a more affluent background, that would be able to benefit from them. The risks of infection in hospitals within the developing world are not only restricted to the patients who receive care within them. Occupational health is an equally low priority in many of these facilities and, as a result, it is not uncommon for healthcare workers to also be exposed and become infected by pathogens causing healthcare associated infections, including viral hepatitis, HIV and tuberculosis. In such limited resource environments and in situations where medical practice is biased towards intervention rather than prevention, it is not surprising that basic infection control programmes are often lacking, particularly in smaller hospitals in rural areas (18). Even within larger urban facilities, infection control teams, composed of both an infection control nurse as well as doctor, who have been trained and have managerial backup are very much in the minority. They are often restricted to academic institutions, heavily funded government or private tertiary care units. Even where present, these teams tend to encounter numerous logistical obstacles including lack administrative, clerical and IT support. Infection control output therefore tends to be significantly variable; policies and procedures are either absent or lack consultation, evidence base or suitable addressing f local needs. Healthcare professionals also face significant challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease (4). Diagnostic facilities are often lacking. Laboratories may be absent or limited as a result of inadequate resources of both a material as well as human resource nature. Trained laboratory scientists are very much in the minority whereas the impl ementation of quality control programs to ensure validity in the laboratory’s output is not viewed as a crucial. This situation is worsened by possible lack of confidence in the laboratory from clinicians who would prefer to undertake treatment blindly, based only on clinical judgement or recommendations from other countries rather than local epidemiology. One reason for this is the lack of feedback of local resistance data (20). This risks inappropriate treatment which would not properly cover local resistance prevalence patterns. Another major factor hindering the treatment of infectious disease is the presence of poor quality antimicrobials, even counterfeit, with little or no active ingredient within the formulation (21). Addressing the challenge It is therefore clear that in order to improve the effectiveness of infection control in many developing countries, a multifactorial set of initiatives needs to be undertaken that are both feasible as well as achievable in this background of economical and social deficits (15). It is essential that infection control teams increase their presence within hospitals in these regions. These key personnel must be provided with the necessary training as well as administrative support and facilities in order to deliver the required services. Such teams would be able to identify the major challenges and assess relevant risks through tailored surveillance programmes. Surveillance constitutes a challenge in such environments since it is often time consuming and resource dependent (22). In addition it requires a reasonable level of laboratory support. Nevertheless it is possible using simplified definitions of healthcare associated infections, as suggested by the World Health Organisation, to achieve a surveillance programme even with very limited resources (23). Such initiatives need to concentrate on the more serious infections and document their impact in the respective facility. Trained infection control personnel would also be appropriate drivers to eliminate wasteful practices which siphon resources away from truly effective practices. Dogmas include routine use of disinfectants for environmental cleaning, use of unnecessary personal protective equipment such as overshoes, excessive waste management procedures which treat all waste generated in the hospital as infectious. Infection Control teams will be able to spearhead cost-effective interventions based on training of healthcare workers to comply with relevant infection control measures related to standard precautions, isolation together with occupational health and safety. It is possible to achieve significant reduction in the prevalence of healthcare associated infections through low cost measures; interventions aimed at preventing cross transmission of infection are particularly effective. There is no doubt that one of the most cost effective interventions in limited resource environments is improved compliance with hand hygiene. The World Health Organisation has indeed designated improvement of health hygiene within healthcare facilities worldwide as a priority and chose this topic for its first Global Patient Safety Challenge under the banner ‘Clean Care is Safer Care’ (6). A comprehensive set of tools have been tested worldwide in pilot hospitals, the majority of which were in developing countries. The emphasis of this initiative focuses on the availability and utilisation of alcohol hand rub for patient contact situations where hands are physically clean. This is made possible through local manufacture of inexpensive, good quality products according to a validated formula. A multimodal strategy requires these alcohol hand rub containers to be available at point of care and for the staff of the hospital to receive adequate training and education in their use. Hand hygiene practices are monitored and feedback on performance regularly provided to the users. Reminders in the workplace sensitise awareness and belief amongst healthcare workers in general. Infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities within the developing world continues to offer numerous challenges as a result of reduced resources related to socio-economics, infrastructure and human resources. However it is possible to achieve substantial progress even within such challenging circumstances through a programme led by trained and empowered infection control professionals. Such initiatives need to concentrate on low cost, high impact interventions and emphasis on training, backed by interaction and networking with colleagues and societies within the country itself and beyond. References: 1. Moe CL, Rheingans RD. Global challenges in water, sanitation and health. J Water Health. 2006; 4 Suppl 1:41-57. 2. Boschi-Pinto C, Velebit L, Shibuya K. Estimating child mortality due to diarrhoea in developing countries. Bull World Health Organ. 2008;86:710-7. 3. World Health Organization. Implementation of the global strategy for health for all by the year 2000. Eighth report on the world health situation. Volume 6 Eastern Mediterranean Region. Second Evaluation. World Health Organization. Regional Office Eastern Mediterranean Region, Alexandria, Egypt; 1996. 4. Shears P. Poverty and infection in the developing world: healthcare-related infections and infection control in the tropics. J Hosp Infect. 2007; 67:217-24. 5. Wenzel RP. Towards a global perspective of nosocomial infections. Eur J Clin Microbiol. 1987;6:341-3. 6. Pittet D, Allegranzi B, Storr J et al. Infection control as a major World Health Organization priority for developing countries. J Hosp Infect. 2008;68:285-92. 7. Mhalu FS, Mtango FD, Msengi AE. Hospital outbreaks of cholera transmitted through close person to person contact, Lancet 1984; ii: 82–84. 8. Vaagland H, Blomberg B, Kruger C, Naman M, Jureen R, Langeland N. Nosocomial outbreak of neonatal Salmonella enteritidis in a rural hospital in northern Tanzania. BMC Infect Dis 2004; 4: 35. 9. Marshall TM, Hlatswayo D, Schoub B. Nosocomial outbreaks – a potential threat to the elimination of measles? J Infect Dis 2003; 187:S97–S101. 10. Mehtar S. Lowbury Lecture 2007: infection prevention and control strategies for tuberculosis in developing countries – lessons learnt from Africa. J Hosp Infect. 2008; 69:321-7. 11. Lynch P, Pittet D, Borg MA, Mehtar S. Infection control in countries with limited resources. J Hosp Infect. 2007; 65 Suppl 2:148-50 12. Fisher-Hoch SP. Lessons from nosocomial haemhorragic fever outbreaks. Br Med Bull 2005: 73: 123-137 13. Borg MA, Scicluna E, de Kraker M et al. Antibiotic resistance in the southeastern Mediterranean–preliminary results from the ARMed project. Euro Surveill. 2006;11:164-7. 14. Borg MA, Cookson BD, Gur D et al. Infection control and antibiotic stewardship practices reported by south-eastern Mediterranean hospitals collaborating in the ARMed project. J Hosp Infect. 2008 PMID:18783850. 15. Damani N. Simple measures save lives: an approach to infection control in countries with limited resources. J Hosp Infect. 2007;65 Suppl 2:151-4. 16. Sobayo EI. Nursing aspects of infection control in developing countries. J Hosp Inf 1991; 18: 388-391. 17. Meers PD. Infection control in developing countries. J Hosp Inf 1988; 11: 406 – 410. 18. Ponce-de-Leon S. The needs of developing countries and the resources required. J Hosp Inf 1991; 18: 378-381. 19. Raza MW, Kazi BM, Mustafa M, Gould FK. Developing countries have their own characteristic problems with infection control. J Hosp Infect. 2004; 57:294-9. 20. Borg MA, Cookson BD, Scicluna E; ARMed Project Steering Group and Collaborators. Survey of infection control infrastructure in selected southern and eastern Mediterranean hospitals. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2007;13:344-6. 21. Lynch P, Rosenthal VD, Borg MA, Eremin SR. Infection Control: A Global View in Jarvis WR: Bennett Brachman’s Hospital Infections; 2007. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia. 22. Damani N. Surveillance in Countries with Limited Resources. Int. J. Infect Contr 2008; 4:1 23. World Health Organisation. Prevention of hospital acquired infections: A Practical Guide. 2nd ed. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002. WHO/CDR/EPH/2002. 12. How to cite Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections in Developing, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Focusing On Financial Fraud Control

Question: Discuss about the Focusing On Financial Fraud Control. Answer: Introduction to fraud control Modern management team members are faced with numerous global and national issues. Managers are currently crippling with an issue in professional accounting known as financial fraud control. Spicer (2016) states that fraud control is a contextual issue in many organizations which if not addressed it can result to other challenges and problems. Fraud control has become a bigger problematic issue with the growth of financial computerized systems usage, technologies in payments and receipts, and changes in financial legislations have increased more financial risks to organizations. Findings and empirical data have found out that lack of a good fraud control systems can lead to fraudulent financial practices. Financial fraud is an intentional act of manipulation of financial records in order to gain interest from them. Financial fraud can be done by any employee or person regardless of level of management (Ndofor, Wesley Priem, 2015). The financial fraud is well known to be an internal and external problem facing many organizations. Its consequences can vary with severity on organization image and resources. Research shows that organizations lose 5% of its annual revenue through employee financial fraud. In some of the business they have been forced to close due to bad image or loss of resources originating from financial fraud. Other organizations have been crippling badly on IT related financial fraud. It is reported that they lose substantial amount of resources through what is known as cyber-crime (Sthlberg F-Secure Oyj, 2015). Recommendations from company reports show that majority of them they suffer from IT related financial fraud risks because they lack IT systems that can be able to monitor any kind of financial fraud (Cosoi Bitdefender, 2014). The 12th Global survey in 2011 justified that fraud is one of the most contextual issue facing managers in several organizations. Many organizations are posed with questions on how right they need to tackle financial fraud in their systems. The impact originating from fraud related issues is huge making many organizations to employ a substantial number of resources to mitigate or eliminate the risk completely. The dependency syndrome created by several organizations has led many to fail in fraud mitigation and control. A keen observation has shown that organizations depend on the following: third part investigations, use of disciplinary actions, internal investigate mechanisms, and whistleblower hotlines. The dependency syndrome as created a culture of non-ownership of financial fraud control within the organization internal control system (Usman Shah, 2015). Criticisms have been leveled to olden management in matters of financial fraud control. The arguments of such criticisms were that the entire old fraud control was based on dead data (provision of financial control systems after a negative result). Financial records were audited first followed by control formulation from findings and recommendations. Preference of modern financial fraud control management is on the rise in organizations. It involves focusing on using forward looking forensic professional accountants who are supposed to focus on raw financial data and future events to design financial systems for fraud control (Ndofor, Wesley Priem, 2015). Financial forward looking forensic accountants are employed to ensure standards and procedures are in place to prevent frauds before they occur. The focus of this project report is providing knowledge on my course coverage to understand, explain, and recommend solutions on financial fraud control in my work place. Knowledge learnt as the panacea to financial fraud control The need to have an international recognized standard of accounting and reporting as lead to numerous scrutinys from accounting users. This has prompted managers to use accounting science to solve any emerging problem or issue. One of the subjects was on professional accounting learnt in school. It entailed a process of collecting, organizing, presentation and interpretation of business information to end users. Any professional accounting is expected to perform such functions but they need to be guided with certain accounting standards, principles, concepts and assumptions. One section that provides financial checks in accounting is known as financial audit (Verwey Asare, 2016). Fraud detection and prevention are closely related but mean different concepts. Explanation of prevention encompasses training, procedures, and communication of financial fraud from occurring, whereas detection involves techniques and activities which enable organizations to recognize any fraud from occurri ng. It is good to understand the context in which the financial control originates to be able to solve problems related to it (Shao, 2016). Many of the accounting users would accept financial reports if only they have been audited and verified to have met specific criterias. Discussions in class on role of accounting users enabled us to understand the various users of financial reports and criteria they will choose to accept such reports. The negatives of any financial audits usage made it to be discarded and new approach looked upon. Knowledge gained in class discussed a number of fundamental concepts of financial control which included: process, people, and objectives and with reasonable assurance. It means that any financial control should be human oriented involving a well-defined process that focuses on a predetermined outcome (Ramamoorti, Morrison, Koletar, Pope, 2013). All organizations depend entirely on finance, and their performance can be altered badly with a poor financial accounting system. We learnt that the goal of any organization is to have an accounting system that will act as financial check or control system. The goal provides the starting point when formulating a financial control system. There are a number financial frauds learnt in classroom (Marcel Cowen, 2014). There is financial statement fraud which includes a deliberate omission and manipulation of financial statements for own interest. Financial records fraud involves deliberate alterations, falsification and stealing of financial records for certain interests. There are other types of financial frauds that have identified them include: bankruptcy, tax evasion, and violation of legislations governing accounting (Albrecht, Holland, Malagueo, Dolan, Tzafrir, 2015) This represented examples of financial and economic crimes found outside and within the organization. The understa nding and conceptualization of the kind of financial risks is important in identification and management of financial frauds. According to Jain Godha (2014) knowing financial risks is easier way of identifying situations that can lead to financial fraud in workplaces. There certain frauds that have not been highlighted to be major but form part of frauds include; management refusal to apply accounting standards and decisions to manipulate accounting practices. Any financial frauds can lead to wrong disclosures. Knowledge of forensic accounting can form a stronger basis of mitigating and managing financial fraud risks. Jain Godha (2014) stated that the use of forensic accounting techniques is important in work related environment because it fully utilizes knowledge from several disciplines including: accounting, law, auditing and investigative skills that help to identify and solve issues related to financial fraud. The use of forensic accounting will allow a wider dimension of thinking in solving fraud related cases in organizations (Adjaoute Brighterion, 2014). Knowledge learnt opines that financial fraud can vary according to the character, nature and standard of operations. For example financial fraud can be classified based on the person performing the act or by the method employed to carry out the act. On the basis of the persons performing the act it can be an internal fraud if it involves financial fraud committed by employees within the organization or it can be external fraud if it is committed by persons outside the organizations with knowledge regarding organization procedures and systems (Yiu, Xu Wan, 2014). The third class can be mixed fraud that involves employees colluding with persons outside the organization. Classification based on the method employed to carry out the act provides the type of fraud for example stealing, financial manipulation, discrepancies, bankruptcy, and pilferage. Understanding the knowledge on classes of financial fraud is important in mitigation and explaining causes, and consequences of each type of frauds to employees. Popoola, Che-Ahmad Samsudin (2014) opines that through classwork on professional accounting we learnt that all auditors and management should be responsible ensuring financial fraud is managed. The role of a lead person in internal controls is important in providing guidance and direction on ways of managing financial frauds. Any accounting auditor must take the lead to establish an internal fraud control mechanism that will help in guiding financial procedures and activities (Boding, Wood McGirr, 2014). Employees within the organization need to be trained on matters regarding financial frauds this will create a good ethical culture. In project management we were able to learn risk management processes which involved: risk identification, assessments, and mitigations which can be applied in financial fraud management. Earlier signaling and responsive methods be adopted by the management by adopting a risk fraud evaluation and mitigation process. In addition to ensure inclusivity au ditors and management need to create an oversight team, unit or section to address cases of fraud (Campbell, Butler Raiborn, 2014). A good accounting system will prevent fraud and wastage of resources. Understanding the accounting system involves exposure to concepts, standards, procedures and assumptions governing accounting profession. Through knowledge it is necessary for organizations to create whistle blower protection policies that will ensure no victimization and recognition of employees to decisions. Financial audit involves a systematic independent inquiry to ascertain the accuracy of financial reports and processes to provide corrective measures. In organizations financial audits were used as a means of financial fraud control. Internal (within the organization) and external (outside the organization) auditors were employed to provide valuable opinions on accounting records and processes are meeting the expected standards. We were able to learn that during audit a certain process is followed focusing on specific sensitive information and lead areas. The negative findings of an audit were known as queries which were subjected to further justifications and audits (Brazel, Jones, Prawitt, 2013). Every organizations and workplaces are susceptible to financial fraud which means that not all fraud can be prevented or cost effective to try. Knowledge on audit procedures and role is important in formulation of financial fraud policies on how to manage it. It needs organizations to for mulate better cost effective ways to manage financial fraud by coming up with ways of fraud prevention and detection through audit systems (Boding, Wood McGirr, 2014). Financial audits were seen firstly, not to solve emerging problems because of dependency of old financial records. Secondly, not a proper tool in preventing the organization to emerging financial risks. Thirdly, findings of financial audits would be accepted or rejected depending with users approach. Fourthly, negative audit findings have been associated to individuals rather than the process itself. Lastly, financial audits are wastage of time because it takes a substantial time of the audited persons who should be engaging in production. The fear created during financial audits creates a financial check for a short period but is not sustainable. From the knowledge gained of financial audits and negatives of it needs a proposal of a forward looking approach of fraud financial control (Boritz, Kochetova-Kozloski Robinson, 2014). On trying to focus on use of forward looking accounting as a method to solve current issue of systems fraud control managers are faced with other issues which include; relevancy of the process to organization policy, accounting principles and practices, changing organization financial culture, and sourcing the right personnel and resources for the system (Fligstein Roehrkasse, 2016). In additional managers are faced with the changes in technology affecting computerized financial accounting systems usage which makes financial control difficult to implement. One learning outcome in school was to build a professional accountant who would be able to conceptualize financial work problems, and suggest sustainable solutions to problems. Relevancy of strategy to the project The upsurge of financial system fraud in the current global economy as prompted many management in organizations to utilize forensic accounting as become an importance factor to employ. It seen as one of the best method to certain any emerging fraud related cases. The importance of linking legal matters and accounting practices is important in providing users of accounting assurance that issues are safe. Proper strategies done in a different perspective need to be employed to ensure financial fraud is tackled (Li, Yu, Wong, Ngan, 2016). One strategic initiative to be employed in the project is stakeholder participation. There are various stakeholders in organizations who can be users, employees, and management. Stakeholder analysis involved looking each of the parties power, interest and influence then deciding better ways of engaging them in fraud process. Internal control systems in organizations should involve participation by all members. To ensure sustainability and good working culture it is necessary that workers are trained and provided with necessary tools and equipment to tackle matters regarding to fraud. Leading organizations in the world have proper working systems that have embraced better working ethical culture. Participation will involve coming up with an oversight team that will ensure fraud control operations are not personalized but grouped (Kurvinen, Ilkka, Murthy, 2016). Klein (2015) argues that other strategy to be employed in working environment to manage matters of fraud is through capacity building. Dispensing knowledge through trainings is an effective means of tackling financial frauds in working environments. Employees who have been trained and are exposed to types of fraudulent practices can discourage such events. The trainings can take place frequently and not a periodic activity. If training is done continuously it exposes employees to emerging issues to fraudulent practices. It is then becomes an important factor solution to sustainability of fraud practices. Employing the right recruitment procedures is important. Conclusion The use of financial controls becomes a useful purpose in organizations which is designed to detect, prevent and mitigate financial frauds in workplaces. In addition financial controls focus on ensuring financial reporting compliance with required financial standards, laws, regulations and operation efficiency. Financial fraud is a major problem facing many organization this has prompted management of many organizations to look at competitive ways to mitigate and prevent it. It is important for management of organizations to provide other employees with necessary information that enables them to make necessary decisions on financial frauds. The management of organizations is tasked with the responsibilities to set up an internal control system that will provide assurance to financial users that financial fraud can be prevented. In addition the management is task with a responsibility to define each partys roles in mitigating or eliminating financial frauds. Successful working station s are that have proper means of evaluating and identifying risk through risk management techniques. Risk management takes a leading role in ensuring that the business does not suffer from the effects of a financial fraud. Setting priorities, culture, and ethical codes are important channels in ensuring fraud management takes place in a sustainable manner. To ensure that financial control is acceptable to all the relevant stakeholders the course of action need to be justifiable and each party is treated equally in respective of the level of management. Management and employees need to look at management of financial fraud in a wider perspective to ensure a sustainable solution to the problem. Recommendations The project report found the following strategies based on lessons learnt and research findings important in management of financial fraud in work place, and organizations can utilize them. The top management needs to enhance ethical culture of fraud control by ensuring full commitment. The top commitment will become a representation model to other employees to follow. Majority of organizations prefer the use of an enforced corporate code of ethics and use of proactive fraud risk assessments prevention mechanisms becomes useful in identification and fraud control (Rodgers, Sderbom, Guiral, 2015). The management will need to change the attitude of the employees towards auditing process. Internal controls involve likely changing attitudes of the employees towards auditors. In the work place the employees fear the auditors or the auditing process. There have misconceptions that auditing is responsibility of audit team. By ensuring participation through communication that will strengthen employees interest and motivation to work ethically. Any post-investigation research and proper forensic analysis clearly indicate that employees are part of any fraudulent ring. A forensic research policy needs to be implemented in a work place to ensure that a clear financial fraud litigation process is known. It is necessary for organization to employ forensic accounting (auditors) to help in proper forensic research and analysis to facilitate litigation process. It becomes easier taking action before a financial fraud occurs in a workplace (Adjaoute Brighterion, 2014). Observations and listening to employees is helpful in risk identification. It is a clear way to expose things that need to be addressed and to identify financial risks. Management in work place need to take the initiative of spending time observing and listening to their employees in their respective work stations. Risk identification, response and mitigation techniques are important components in ensuring financial fraud risks are well managed. Another best way of managing financial fraud in work places is by segregating duties to various individuals. Segregation of duties involves dividing, allocating work and establishing responsibility to them. The process of segregating duties enhances responsibility and accountability in addition helps in ensuring that a good internal control system is maintained. Another benefit resulting from segregating duties if argued is the spreading of risks to a number of key persons. Better corporate culture is essential in any organization that prevents organizational financial fraud. It creates a good positive working environment that employees are motivated to work on. The corporate culture should ensure that every employee to be responsible to any actions committed. Organizations need have a representative term defining financial fraud among its core values, and outline standards to achieve it. The management within the work place needs to have a regular detection strategy that can be updated and reviewed continuously to adapt to the changing work dynamism. Each of the employees needs to be aware of the existing fraud risk policy that defines category of risks and consequences associated to them. References Adjaoute, A., Brighterion, I., 2014. Artificial intelligence fraud management solution. U.S. Patent Application 14/514,381 Albrecht, C., Holland, D., Malagueo, R., Dolan, S. and Tzafrir, S., 2015. The main role of power in financial statement fraud schemes. Journal of Business Ethics, 131(4), pp.803-813 Boding, B.S., Wood, N. and McGirr, M., 2014. Acquirer facing fraud management system and application methods. U.S. Patent Application 14/292,684 Boritz, J.E., Kochetova-Kozloski, N. and Robinson, L., 2014. Are fraud specialists relatively more effective than auditors at modifying audit programs in the presence of fraud risk?. The Accounting Review, 90(3), pp.881-915 Brazel, J.F., Jones, K.L. and Prawitt, D.F., 2013. Auditors' reactions to inconsistencies between financial and nonfinancial measures: The interactive effects of fraud risk assessment and a decision prompt. Behavioral Research in Accounting, 26(1), pp.131-156 Campbell, L., Butler, J. and Raiborn, C., 2014. Minimizing Fraud during a Boom Business Cycle. Management Accounting Quarterly, 16(1) Cosoi, C.A., Bitdefender IPR Management Ltd., 2014. Systems and methods for electronic fraud prevention. U.S. Patent 8,695,100 Fligstein, N. and Roehrkasse, A.F., 2016. The Causes of Fraud in the Financial Crisis of 2007 to 2009: Evidence from the Mortgage-Backed Securities Industry. American Sociological Review, 81(4), pp.617-643 Jain, P. and Godha, A., 2014. Forensic Accounting: A Burgeoning Tool to Prevent Financial Fraud. SELP Journal of Social Science, pp.97-103 Klein, R., 2015. How to avoid or minimize fraud exposures. The CPA Journal, 85(3), p.6. Kurvinen, M., Ilkka, T. and Murthy, D.P., 2016. Warranty Fraud Management: Reducing Fraud and Other Excess Costs in Warranty and Service Operations. John Wiley Sons

Friday, November 29, 2019

Social Impacts of the Industrial Revolution Essay Example

Social Impacts of the Industrial Revolution Essay The most intriguing to me and the most important to the society, as many historians agree was the social impact of Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. In fact, some historians like Rondo Cameron and R. M. Hartwell have ended up debating whether Industrial Revolution was an appropriate term for this revolution. Harold Perkin is another historian who shares the same viewpoint about Industrial Revolution as Cameron and Hartwell. Perkin says that â€Å"the Industrial Revolution was no mere sequence of changes in industrial techniques and production, but a social revolution with social causes and a social process as well as profound social effects† in the preface of his book, The Origins of Modern English Society. This is one of the two books I’ll be using as reference for the purpose of this essay. The other book is titled, The Industrial Revolution in World History and is written by Peter Stearns. The aspects of social impacts of Industrial Revolution that I will examine in this essay include changes in standards of living and family structure. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Impacts of the Industrial Revolution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social Impacts of the Industrial Revolution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social Impacts of the Industrial Revolution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Both the aforementioned books discuss these topics under a separate chapter. Perkin’s book solely discusses the Britain Industrial Revolution with facts and cited sources in the form of notes at the bottom of almost every page. It discusses a single aspect under a topic and how it progressed over a period of time. On the other hand, Stearns’ book is an account of all the processes that took place during Industrial Revolution internationally. The book is more of a social account of industrialization while Perkin gives us a detailed economic analysis. Stearns cites no sources and doesn’t use any figures to convince the reader but does a very good job in writing an easy to read book. Harold Perkin jumps straight to the issue of the changing living standards and realizes that it is a controversial issue in the sense that the short run changes in living standards might have had a downward trend. However, the long term trend was undoubtedly an upward one. He starts off by considering changes in income levels of the working class as income is a fairly good predictor of living standard. The two types of incomes mentioned are real incomes of the workers and the combined national income of Britain. According to Perkin, real incomes of most of the people including middle class, upper class and some sections of the working class went up â€Å"by a multiple rather than a fraction† (Perkin 2002, 134) which contributed to a huge increase in national income throughout most parts of the nineteenth century. Perkin supports his claim by giving figures on nominal wages (money) and real wages between the period of 1790 and 1850. To further ensure the accuracy of his claim he uses real wage data collected by various economists and statisticians rather than a single source. The data confirms that real wages for workers did decline in several periods but the long term effect stays positive. The likeliest explanation for the decline in real wages is the increase in labor supply due to population growth and urbanization. In the early parts of Industrial Revolution the rich were the biggest beneficiaries. These were the factory owners who had discovered a whole new technology to aid their production or the entrepreneur for these factories. Their real wage increase exceeded the increase in real national product receiving more than their share of the national product. â€Å"Arkwright (leading entrepreneur of Industrial Revolution) made half a million pounds in less than two decades† (Perkin 2002, 140). Adding to this, the new price structure of commodities based on the new patterns of production and demand also favored the rich. Food prices were higher as compared to the new manufactured goods. So, the poor who would spend all their income on food were gaining less than the rich who were the first ones to have the luxuries of industrialization, the new consumer goods. The middle class including skilled factory workers and merchants followed the rich when it comes to enjoying the new consumer goods and the benefits of industrialism. These skilled factory workers are also referred to as the labor aristocracy. They were primarily craftsmen like printers, joiners, cabinet makers, cutlers, blacksmiths, wheelwrights and the building crafts. A number of new occupations were added to the list later such as iron puddlers, fine spinners and the railway engine drivers. Their wages also kept up with the economic growth giving them an opportunity to improve their living standards considerably. They could now afford â€Å"fine Georgian houses and furnishings, pianos and pictures, carriages and liveried servants† (Perkin 2002, 142). The middle class also emulated the rich in elaborating the variety of their food evident from their â€Å"obsession with French chefs, gargantuan feasts, and exotic foods, and from the spate of cookery books† (Perkin 2002, 142). The rich were first to enjoy other benefits of economic growth like improved transport, better houses, cleaner drains, piped water, improved medical treatment and taking holidays in new resorts. The middle class followed immediately afterwards in this trend. Last to enter the circle of increased standard of living were the unskilled workers, farm laborers and the dislocated handicraft workers who were forced to revert to begging or criminal activities. The widening gap in income distribution was evident from the fact that number of servants increased faster than the population, indicating how easy it was for the rich to afford more of the poor labor. These poor people discouraged early marriages because then they would have had to feed more mouths. They lived chiefly on bread, potatoes, very little or no milk, cheese or bacon once in a while; meat was a luxury to them. It wasn’t until after 1870 that they started to benefit from industrialization. Perkins then talks about the effects of industrialization on the structure of family. In the early periods of industrialization when women started working in factories babies were neglected and handed over to baby-minders who would feed them badly and quieten them with opiates leading to a high rate of infant mortality. All members of the family would work, resulting in dissolution of family ties. According to some sources cited by Perkin, there was an increased sexual immorality both before and after marriage. However, factory owners and operatives defend these accusations by saying that they employed no married women and that husbands didn’t want their wives to work. The situation improved when new factory rules were implemented where husbands could hire their own co-workers from among the family. â€Å"Thus transferring the family functions of child-rearing and moral education to the factory† (Perkin 2002, 156). Later, in 1833, children were restricted to eight hours of labor and by 1850 a new role of the family was created with fathers working in factories, and wives were to stay at home with the children. This â€Å"left the family free to concentrate on more fundamental functions of child-bearing and rearing, and the emotional satisfaction of affection and companionship† (Perkin 2002, 157) was seen. However, women felt useless in this family structure and certain women did raise their voices against this. In 1855 Barbara Bodichon, with support of the Law Amendment Society collected 26,000 signatures for a Married Women’s Property Bill. The bill got rejected but it made way for the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857, which set up the Divorce Court. This laid the foundation of modern family laws. According to Perkin, â€Å"it was the Industrial Revolution which, if only indirectly, brought about the emancipation of women† (Perkin 2002, 160). Peter Stearns analyzes the social impact of Industrial Revolution only from the viewpoint of factory workers, unlike Perkin who talks about all classes and sub-classes of the English society. He begins by pointing out the difficulties that factory workers had to face during some periods of low wages and high prices of some goods. At the same time, he agrees with Perkin on the issue of standards of living in the long run. Both reckon standards to have gone up. However, Stearns thinks that the low living standards in the short run was not the biggest difficulty faced by the workers and does not mention income fluctuations for the workers and owners of factories, unlike Perkin. Instead he draws our attention to the job conditions in the new factory setting which Perkin didn’t talk about. New rules, fines and supervisors were introduced to increase the pace of work in factories. Workers had to arrive when the factory whistle blew and those who were late would be locked out and would lose half a day’s pay in addition to the fine. Supervision was decentralized in many factories where a spinner would be allowed to hire his assistants. This decentralization was quickly replaced as it didn’t ensure the pace that owners sought. So, workers now had to work under the supervision of strangers for a life-time. Later, firms constructed worker housing, provided some medical care, and in other ways extended assistance beyond wages to certain workers to give them incentives to cope with the new job rules and more importantly, to attract more skilled labor. This was similar to the treatment that Manorial Lords used to provide to their peasants and was welcomed by the workers. They were still not comfortable with this new schedule at work but were working in the factories in order to return to the countryside with some savings. Employers realized that most workers â€Å"preferred to earn less but have more free time† (Stearns 1998, 59) when they started taking Mondays off to extend their Sunday leisure. With time, workers developed another strategy and the skilled labor also called ‘aristocracy of labor’ demanded higher pays and shorter hours to accept changes in the work situation. This approach was called instrumentalism and â€Å"was one of the novel results of the factory environment† (Stearns 1998, 60). Another serious difficulty for the factory workers was a lack of recreational opportunities. They were used to the traditions of village festivals but could not arrange for anything of that sort because workers lived amongst strangers in the cities. Employers curbed any such effort to replicate a traditional procession with the help of police who thought that it was a threat to city order. This resulted in the increase in popularity of Taverns. Drinks provided workers an escape from their tedious work and the tavern offered them with a chance to socialize with people in the new town. This was a huge transformation from village life to city life that Perkin failed to discuss in his book. Its significance lies in the fact that bars are still a favorite place to socialize for most working men in the modern world. The role of family changed enormously during Industrial Revolution according to Stearns. The removal of work from home made it a â€Å"sanctuary in which innocent children could be taught morality† (Stearns 1998, 61). Women increased time with the family playing the piano and reading stories aloud. Marriage was now a relationship purely based on love with the husband and wife closer than ever before. Duties of the wife now included running the household with the aid of employed servants. Men were supposed to generate financial support for the family. Women would also maintain contact with relatives as the man of the family would have very little time to socialize after the job. Women would only work before marriage to contribute to the family income. And it became a middle class notion for women to take care of domestic duties after marriage. Furthermore, child labor became increasingly nnecessary with improvements in machinery and â€Å"children’s role was redefined by the growing belief that the task of childhood was education† (Stearns 1998, 65). A new concept of adolescence emerged. A new barrier between children and fathers was created. People started thinking when to have kids since they were no longer a source of income. This caused the birth rates to plung e. A whole new family system was developed. Lastly I think Stearns neglects a couple of very important issues like emancipation of women, changes in diets and alterations inside the home with respect to decorations. However, both Perkin and Stearns agree on the larger picture how life for the middle class families changed. But Perkin stressed too much on the short run problems created in the family probably so that the reader is aware of the advantages and disadvantages of industrialization and is in a position to weigh them in order to reach a conclusion. WORKS CITED: Perkin, Harold. The Origins of Modern English Society. New York: Routledge, 2002. Stearns, Peter N. The Industrial Revolution in World History (second edition). Colorado: Westview Press, 1998.

Monday, November 25, 2019

PARCC Practice Tests Where to Find and How to Use Them

PARCC Practice Tests Where to Find and How to Use Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you (or your child) are worried about preparing for an upcoming PARCC exam, official practice tests are the best way to study. Here, we’ll direct you to these PARCC practice materials. We’ll also explain how to use these tests (and other resources at your disposal) if you want to do well on an upcoming PARCC exam. What Is PARCC? PARCC is a of a group of states that administers standardized exams to students in grades 3-11. These exams are designed to assess college and career readiness. PARCC exam results help teachers, schools, and districts track student performance. At an individual level, these results may help teachers customize instruction for students who may need extra help. The program itself is relatively new, so students and parents alike may have questions about what the tests are like. For more info about PARCC, check out ourin-depth post on the test content. Where to Find PARCC Practice Tests Like I mentioned, PARCC is still pretty new, so there aren’t a ton of practice materials available. Because different tests are administered at each grade level (3-11), it’s difficult to put together a wealth of practice tests for each group of students. In addition, PARCC practice tests aren’t meant to act as admissions exams (like the SAT or the ACT) - they’re state exams meant to measure competency and progress, mostly at the aggregate level. This means that test prep companies are less motivated to come up with unofficial practice materials. Followingare links to all available official practice tests and answer keys. The PARCC exams are usually administered on a computer, so for the most realistic testing experience, select the Computer-Based Practice Tests under the tab for each grade (if you choose to download a paper version, that’s fine - just download the corresponding paper test answer key). Make sure you’re selecting practice tests for End-of-Year exams for the appropriate grade level. English practice testsandanswer keys Math practice testsandanswer keys How These Will Help You Prepare for the PARCC Exam A big part of preparing for any standardized test is familiarizing yourself with test format and logistics. Taking a practice test or two should help students get more comfortable with the exam so that on test day they can focus primarily on demonstrating knowledge of content. High school students may benefit from reviewing PARCC exams for another important reason: the question types and formats are pretty similar to those on the ACT and SAT. PARCC practice tests should definitely not replace official ACT and SAT prep material, but they may make for good supplements! Why You Shouldn't Stress About Preparing for PARCC Exams Teachers and other administrators will likely stress the importance of doing well on these exams because they’re definitely an important measure of students’ progress (and they may affect how teachers and schools are evaluated). The bottom line is, however, that no student will suffer negative consequences as a result of a low PARCC score - if anything, they’ll receive extra help. Scores have no effect on GPA or, for older students, on college admissions. If you’re concerned about an upcoming PARCC exam, I encourage you to check out the practice tests listed above. In addition, however, you should speak to your teacher - he or she can speak to how you’ll learn the necessary material together in class and whether you may need extra help to prepare. Unlike for college admissions tests, it’s not just the student’s responsibility to prepare for PARCC exams. There's less to stress about than you might think! Summary Official PARCC practice testsmay be helpful for students and parents who are curious about the exams (or similar tests). Ultimately, though, PARCC exams don’t have an impact on students’ GPAs or college admissions chances - they’re primarily a measure of college and career-readiness for school districts. If you’re worried about performance on a PARCC exam, these practice tests will come in handy - just make sure to check in with your teacher about your concerns! What's Next? PARCC content is based on Common Core standards. If you want to do well on a PARCC exam, you may want to read more about the Common Core and why it matters. Looking at tests similar to the PARCC? Read more about ACT Aspireand check out available practice tests. 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:

Friday, November 22, 2019

PROJECT MANAGEMENT- The Scottish Parliament Building (Edinburgh) Essay

PROJECT MANAGEMENT- The Scottish Parliament Building (Edinburgh) - Essay Example The following paragraphs will explain the project management events from the point of view of managing risks, human resources and costs. Managing Costs After the project handover in 1998, the primary cost escalations came about. In the early 2000, there was a debate on the redesign of the project. This caused the space and budget requirement to go up (Fraser, 2004). Additionally, the cost further went up because Kenney granite was used in the construction and a foyer roof was constructed. It was initially estimated that the cost would be L50 million, however the cost went up by L17 million because of risk allowance provisions. On the 23 March 1999, it was submitted by the officials of the project that the total financial provision would reach L107 million (Bain, 2005) . The cost increases of the Scottish Parliament Building became highly controversial with time. The choices of location, design, architects and the choice of construction companies have been severely criticized by Scott ish people, the politicians as well as the media (Shenhar & Levy, 1997). The Scottish Parliament Building was supposed to open in 2001, but it opened in 2004, and moreover, the cost was initially estimated to be between ?10 million and ? 40 million; however the actual cost of the project was a staggering ?414m (Bain, 2005). The project was criticized by the public enquiry which was headed by Lord Peter Frazer. The enquiry concluded that the project was not successful and the cost management of the project along with the design changes was criticized by the enquiry (Shenhar & Levy, 1997). Managing Human Resources The procurement guidelines by the HM Treasury give an indication that the construction of the building required sound human resource management by the project management team (Fraser, 2004). Some of the important aspects mentioned in the guidelines included having a project team which had sufficient knowledge, resources and skills for matching the demands expected by the pro ject, having a chain of command which was clear and provide better basis for accountability and decision making, having proper arrangements for project monitoring and project appraisal, which includes budgetary control (Bain, 2005). The human resource department managing the construction of the Scottish Parliament Building had a team which had relevant skills as well as experience for the project; specifically the project sponsors and the project management had relevant skills and experience (White & Sidhu, 2005). In fact, the project management had a mixture of relevant experience and skills. What’s more, the advice from the Head of the Building Directorate and the chief architect in the Scottish Office was often taken by the management team (Fraser, 2004). Additionally, the human resource department inducted project sponsors and project owners who were senior and tenured administrative civil servants. The appointment of the project managers for the construction project was also on the basis of their specialist area and experience in the field of project management (Fraser, 2004). It was however questioned by the Auditor General whether it was an optimum mix of skills and experi

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Iliad(the epic written by Homer) comparted to Troy(the movie Research Paper

The Iliad(the epic written by Homer) comparted to Troy(the movie staring Brad Pitt) - Research Paper Example As they set off to Troy, a feud between Agamemnon the King of Greece and Achilles one of the greatest Greek warriors plays out very significantly at the beginning in both the film and the poem and creates the epic hero (Troy). Achilles despised the king and, refuses join the war and fight the Trojans. The raging battle resulted in many deaths and casualties among the Greeks. However, Achilles is forced to change his mind and fight alongside the king of Greece when Patroclus is killed by Hector who is the mightiest among the Trojan warriors. This makes Achilles rage towards Agamemnon shifts towards the Trojans and joins in the war to avenge Patroclus (Homer, 42). However, a significant outstanding difference comes out between the film and the poem. The poem talks of Patroclus as Achilles’ friend whereas the film displays him as Achilles’ cousin. Nevertheless the similarity that comes out in both works is notably the same: strong, close, and loving. Patroclus, seeing that Achilles had refused to join the action could not stand around any longer as his fellowmen get slaughtered by the Trojans. He decides to join the action and begs Achilles to let him fight alongside his fellowmen (Troy). Achilles agrees to let him join in the war and gives him his own armor to use in the battlefield (Homer, 20). The epic and the film display perfectly the changes that occur from shifting one medium to another (in this case text to film) and the effects of these changes. Whereas the movie appears visually appealing to the eye, it fails in creating the depth and originality found in the original piece of work. There are several changes in the dialogue, plot changes, temporal and spatial variations, casting, and inclusion and exclusion of particular themes. Some of these aspects are good in that they help in the presentation of the epic to a modern day viewer. The sense of reality in the time the epic was written differs significantly from that of a

Monday, November 18, 2019

Interpretation of the Enron Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interpretation of the Enron Story - Essay Example Considering the unpredictable circumstances and calculated risks, Enron was successful on paper. This was reflected in the financial reports suggesting the extent of growth in the financial capability of the company. Specifically, the level of stocks reported by the company has skyrocketed. The information provided by the Enron 10-K annual report suggests that it was only in 1997 that the company experience a decline. The growth, however, can overcome such deficit. The best years of the company was observed from 1998 to 2000. Based on the information, the stock performance of Enron illustrated a positive growth of 37%, 56%, and 87% positive growth during the years mentioned in succession. Positive growth was also recorded from 1993-1995 which showed increase in stock ranging from 5%-25% (Healy and Palepu, 2003). The growth in stock is generally perceived as an advantage for the company. Increasing the stocks means that more investors become willing to invest in Enron. This will improve the financial resources of the company because the market capital also expands. Accordingly, this performance was fuelled by the intricate schemes of Enron in managing its operations. By 1995 accountants at Arthur Andersen knew Enron was a high-risk client who pushed them to do things they weren't comfortable doing. James Hecker wrote a parody to that effect in 1995. Discuss and analyze this parody and how it applies to Enron Accounting and Arthur Anderson. James Hecker was a partner of Enron based in Houston. Hecker became known for the parody of the Eagle's song Hotel California. Hecker made an analogy of the song as the likely situation that is observed between Andersen and Enron. Although the parody was written in 1995, it became an immediate source of reasoning for investigating Andersen for the Enron debacle. It has to be noted that Hecker also testified against Andersen further strengthening the evidences against the trouble auditing firm. According to Hecker, Andersen had knowledge on the nature of Enron's operations. The company even branded Enron as a high risked firm that is willing to do all means required to achieve its goals. Moreover, Hecker described the relationship of the Andersen employees to Enron. In the exact words, Hecker said: "Managers in the doorway, thinking out of the box. And I was thinking to myself, I'll bust by butt and then I'll bust my rocks (Schepp, 2002)." This satire showed how generously the employees of Andersen working for Enron were compensated and provided with great incentives. Moreover, Hecker described Enron as a lovely face and a fragile place. Basically, Hecker has knowledge on the true status of the company. Physically, Enron appears to be growing as it's financial reports suggest growth. On the other hand, Hecker had a premonition that the company was troubled inside. Hecker even mentioned in the satire that the managers will soon bring their alibis to court. Precisely, Hecker highlighted the events that will happen years later. Enron's malfeasance led to the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Please briefly describe the law and discuss its implications. Do you think it will eliminate future "Enron Like" scandals As U.S. witnessed the biggest corporate downfall in Enron, several policy makers have exerted efforts to prevent such from happening again. In response to the situation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed to emphasise management accountability. The Act

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Can Facebook Privacy be Trusted?

Can Facebook Privacy be Trusted? DISSERTATION PROPOSAL Dissertation Question: Facebook privacy: IS IT TO BE TRUSTED? View the full dissertation here 1. Introduction The world has changed; it has become more public than private (Kirkpatrick et al., 2010). The likes of Social Media has become an outlet that nobody can ignore, its features, characteristics and convenience encapsulates all that is needed for any walk of life chosen by an individual. Of course with the undying support for social media, especially Facebook, one has to ask his or herself, is it to trusted? Is my information being kept privately like they said it is? Some believe it is however some feel that is far safe. However, this study is going to give a clear-cut decision as to what the majority think and why. Of course, there is no right or wrong answer, and there is the likelihood that this study may not affect the broader picture, but it will give clarity and I think that is necessary.As supposed to concentrating on Social Media as a general platform this study will revolve around Facebook only so as to have a more tailored and focussed reading. I have chosen Facebook, because this is the Social Media outlet that revolutionised all those that were to follow. The physiological as well as sociological impacts will be ostracised, this will look at how Facebook affects the attitudes and body/verbal language of individuals. Last but not leady corporate governance will be looked at; this will test how Facebook is in line it at all with corporate governance codes Both sides of the arguments will be welcomed with reasons for balance and recommendation will be ushered as to how Facebook could become the safe zone that everyone urges for. 2. Brief Literature Review DOES PRIVACY EXIST IN FACEBOOK? Human beings are defined as social beings meaning they thrive through interpersonal interaction. This interaction comes with sharing of information to build relations. However, the information should never come from a third party. In the ancient years, this was something very easy to ensure due to the existent media of communication at the time (Eric, 2007). However, the technological realm has improved immensely by coming up with communication channels that traverse geographical distance and enhance communication convenience. Today, using social media one can easily communicate with any person in any corner of the planet and with this convenience comes the risk of third party infringement in the communication process (Fogel & Nehmad, 2009). Facebook is probably the most used social media platform in the world meaning it is a powerhouse for information and the highest in risk when it comes to privacy hence raising concerns as to whether this online platform is to be trusted. Privacy concerns Facebooks policy       Facebook gives users the chance to make sure that what they share does not end up in the wrong hands. This is made sure using the above meters. Additionally, a users information is made safe from misuse by using the companys data policy as a blue print (Liu, Gummadi, Krishnamurthy, & Mislove, 2011). Although, they collect all information shared on the media such as messages, financial information and images the company maintains that this information all goes towards enhancing the user experience by making the entire communication process more convenient (Boyd & Hargittai, 2010). At the end of the day Facebook is business venture. Although users do not pay anything in order to enjoy the application, the management have to pay the brains behind the creation. This is made possible through advertising which has evolved greatly because of the information collected about users (Raynes-Goldie, 2012). Just like sites like google use cookies to learn your online pattern, Facebook accesses information about the users in order to enhance personalized advertising. Who is at fault However, although they collect information the company does not really infringe on the rights of the individual. It is the users ignorance or lack of knowledge of the privacy feature that induces the privacy concerns (Bedi, 2013). It has been said that there is no secret between two people, so the moment one shares something on Facebook, they should know that the information is visible to all their friends. To protect the privacy of the shared information, Facebook advices one to only accept friend requests of those people they know (Statt, 2013). Additionally, today most employers do not seek out members of staff the traditional way, today they seek them out socially, this includes using their social media sites to look for information about them (Ostrow, 2009). Social media is a platform where people think they can share most of the things they cannot in their day to day conversations. Furthermore, it is an avenue where people can take on any character they want (Liu, Gummadi, Krishnamurthy, & Mislove, 2011). However, what one shares speaks volumes to those people on your friends list or anyone who is interested to see your activities online more so to a prospective employer. An employer may stumble on a post that may not really augur well with him or her and hence cost one a job opportunity. Therefore, for one an individual can control what they share to ensure they do not share anything another person may deem inappropriate (Warren, 2013). On the plus side is that its policy outline that the information they collect does not find its way to a third party, something they have proved time and again by incorporating more and more measures that spearhead their data policy (Zilles, 2017). On the other hand, an individual should quit being oblivious of the privacy policies they can enforce on the contents they share. This way even if an employer was to stumble upon their account, they cannot get to see their posts (Hoffman, 2012). This gives the individual a level ground where they can compete with those eying the same position on several fronts where social media posts is not one of them. On this note, I take a stance that Facebook privacy can be trusted at all costs and that it is the users who need to learn how to use them to their advantage (Warfel, 2008). 3. Methodology My chosen approach will be a combination of primary research and secondary research. These will be a mix of qualitative and quantitative data and also secondary research from journals, books, articles ect. My topic may sound clichà © and too common, but there are many unanswered questions surrounding this topic that still make it an entertaining and intriguing to read about and because of this there are many objectives that need to be requited. These objectives will be direct, and informative but most importantly will leave room scrutiny and constructive criticism, after all there is no right or wrong answer. Research questions are as follows: To what extent has Facebook bewitched individuals to believe that is safe. What evidence is there to show that Facebook is safe What evidence is there to show that Facebook isnt safe How does Facebooks productivity and performance affect the attitude of individuals If Facebook isnt safe how at tall how does that breach the code of corporate governance How can Facebook make it better Primary research aim: To prove if at all Facebook is an outlet to be trusted and why. In order to do justice to the objectives data collection will be done via questionnaire that will be sent out over a specific period of time to a specific target audience of about 50 or more people. This will be the bases of my primary data, but the formation will mostly derive from credible sources of secondary data, namely: the guardian, telegraph and electric forums (Survey Monkey). This all will be emulated to create a constructive argument. The biggest advantage is that I am surrounded by people of the same age group from different cultures, backgrounds, ages, points of views that use outlets such as Facebook, many may not use it at all which again gives room for a smorgasbord of ideas that are at my disposal. This will make my primary data concrete, accurate and give it a sense of validity. Since Facebook is a global company, information will gathered globally and not only from London or the UK, this allows leverage and gives more to talk about. In terms of target audience, since people of all ages use Facebook my data will not only be focussed on the younger generation but older and this is where secondary data comes in use. If done appropriately the objective and overall dissertation should be answered. 4. Time Scale For the dissertation when it comes to time scale it should take me no more than 2 weeks to gather all the data that I will need for my dissertation. One week will be in order to research my topic question and gather all the secondary data that I will need and the other week will be in order to carry out the questionnaires and focus groups or one to one interviews. Overall, I have a time scale which I would like to meet which is as follows: Gather Secondary Data One week Hand out Questionnaires and Data Analysis One Week Have a dissertation draft done 02-Apr Finalise Dissertation 20-Apr Proof Read Dissertation 20-30 April Submit Dissertation Final 30-Apr 5. References Bedi, M. (2013). Facebook and interpersonal privacy: why the third party doctrine should not apply. DePaul University College of Law, 1-73. Boyd, D., & Hargittai, E. (2010). Facebook Privacy Settings: Who Cares? First Monday. Available at: journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3086/2589 (Accessed: 23 February 2017). Eric, B. (2007). Privacy in social networking: A usability study of privacy interfaces for Facebook. Thesis: Harvard College, 1-125. Fogel, J., & Nehmad, E. (2009). Internet social network communities: Risk taking, trust, and privacy concerns. Computers in Human Behavior, 153-160. Hoffman, B. C. (2012). An exploratory study of a users Facebook security and privacy settings. Theses: Minnesota State University, 1-59. Kirkpatrick, marshall, kendall, len, young, mat, macmanus, richard, lardinois, frederic, jeffries, adrianne, Curry, D., Sponsors, R., Wolf, D., Jacobs, C.C. and Power, D. (2010) Why Facebook is wrong: Privacy is still important. Available at: http://readwrite.com/2010/01/11/why_facebook_is_wrong_about_privacy/ (Accessed: 23 February 2017). Liu, Y., Gummadi, K. P., Krishnamurthy, B., & Mislove, A. (2011). Analyzing facebook privacy settings: User expectations vs reality. ACM Digital Library, 61-70. Ostrow, A. (2009, September 16). Privacy: Facebook is one of Americas most trusted companies. Available at:mashable.com/2009/09/16/facebook-privacy-truste/#1l1mcuoc7o (Accessed: 23 February 2017). Raynes-Goldie, K. S. (2012). Privacy in the age of Facebook: Discourse, Architecture, Consequences. Theses: Curtin University , 1-266. Statt, N. (2013, May 3). Facebooks new trusted contacts: can you really trust your friends. Available at: readwrite.com/2013/05/03/facebooks-new-trusted-contacts-can-you-really-trust-your-friends/ (Accessed: 23 February 2017). Warfel, E. A. (2008). Perceptions of privacy on Facebook. Thesis: Rochester Institute of Technology, 1-32. Warren, K. (2013, May 13). Recruiting in todays social media age: How to manage your online presence. Available at: www.devex.com/news/recruiting-in-today-s-social-media-age-how-to-manage-your-online-presence-80932 (Accessed: 23 February 2017). Zilles, C. (2017, January 17). Can Facebook be trusted with all your personal information. Available at: socialmediahq.com/can-facebook-be-trusted-with-all-your-personal-information/ (Accessed: 23 February 2017).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Technology, Population, and the Impact of Ancient Humans on the Environ

Technology, Population, and the Impact of Ancient Humans on the Environment In recent years, humans have become increasingly concerned with their effect on the planet and its ecosystems. In the popular view, these problems are new and unprecedented in human history. While it is probably true that our impact on the environment on a global scale has never been as great, the difference is simply the scale on which our actions are being taken. Situations that previously were local or regional in scope have now become global, owing to the increasingly sophisticated technologies that we have developed and our ever-increasing population. As an examination of the impact of ancient humans on the environment illustrates, however, the current impact fits into the general pattern that the degree to which humans influence their environment is determined by their concentration and the sophistication of their technology. Contrary to the popular view which sees ancient humans as either benignly living with their environments (see Note 1 below) or as leading miserable short lives during which they were at the mercy of those environments, archeology tells us that humans have been interacting with and affecting their environments since the beginning. As Neil Roberts comments, humans' impact on landscapes began "even before†¦landscapes had become recognizably modern." (Note 2). My purpose in this paper is to illustrate some of the ways ancient humans, using a variety of technologies, altered the environments they lived in. Before I begin, however, I would like to emphasize that discussing human "impact" on the environment implies human action was detrimental to the environment. In this paper, I shall define "impact" as any change in the lands... ...ng paragraphs come from the author's lecture notes as described in note 7 above, as well as Ellen, R. "Modes of subsistence: hunting and gathering to agriculture and pastoralism," in The Companion Encyclopedia to Anthropology, ed T. Ingold, New York: Routledge, 1994.; and Price, T.D. and J.A. Brown. "Aspects of Hunter-Gatherer Complexity," in Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers, T. Price and J. Brown, eds. San Diego: Academic Press, 1985. 9. Other populations such as mammoth hunters of the Central European Plain dealt with these pressures by shifting to specialized economies based on the extensive use of a few species. 10. The opposite is k-selected species such as mammoth, who produce fewer offspring, but give these offspring more care in order to give each offspring a higher chance of survival. Earlier subsistence patterns had tended to focus on k-selected species.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Putting the Service †Profit Chain to Work

PUTTING THE SERVICE – PROFIT CHAIN TO WORK Group – 5 Introduction: Factors that drives profitability Investment in people Leadership Vision – Patina of spirituality, importance of mundane Profitability Technology supporting frontline workers Successful service companies: Banc One, Intuit, Southwest Airlines, Service Master, USAA, Taco Bell, and MCI Compensation linked to performance Recruiting and training practices The Service – Profit Chain †¢ Establishes relationships between profitability, customer loyalty, and employee satisfaction, loyalty and productivity †¢ Measure and management techniquesSupport services and policies Employee loyalty, satisfaction, productivity Value and service Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Profit and growth The Links in the Service-Profit Chain †¢The service profit chain is also defined by a special leadership †¢Examples: Herbert Kelleher – Southwest (Patina of spirituality), William Pollard – ServiceMaster (Teacher-learner managers, servant’s heart), John McCoy- Banc One (Uncommon Partnership, system of support) Customer Loyalty that drives Profitability and Growth 5% increase in customer loyalty can produce profit increases from 25% to 85% †¢ Quality of market share in terms of customer loyalty as important as quantity of share in the market †¢ Example: Banc One †¢ Measures of Customer retention †¢ No. of services used by each customer – depth of relationship †¢ Level of customer satisfaction †¢ XEROX Customer satisfaction Drives Customer Loyalty †¢ Polled 480,000 customers per year †¢ Five point scale – satisfaction(product and service) †¢ Relationships between the scores – actual loyalty differed greatly between 5s and 4s apostles †¢ Terrorists – unhappy customersValue drives Customer Satisfaction †¢ Value – related to the total costs (price and other costs incurr ed) †¢ Example: †¢ Progressive – insurance company – Quick processing and payment to claims – Little policy holder effort – CAT (catastrophe) team Employee Productivity Drives Value †¢ Southwest Airlines †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 7th largest US domestic carrier 86% of employees unionized (total 14,000) Employees can perform several jobs Schedules, routes and company practices to enable speedy boarding and deplaning (15 min. 40% more pilot (70hr/month) and aircraft utilization Fare charges 60-70% lower Customer perceptions of value are very high without additional facilities 14,000 employees – marketing research unit Employee loyalty drives productivity †¢ Study of automobile dealer’s sales personnel †¢ More employee turn over more loss Employee Satisfaction drives Loyalty †¢ Propriety study of a property and casualty insurance company †¢ Southwest – highest reten tion (95%) †¢ USAA – Insurance and financial services providerInternal Quality drives Employee Satisfaction †¢ Working environment †¢ USAA – telephone sales and service representatives †¢ Information system †¢ Training †¢ ServiceMaster †¢ Attitudes of people toward one another †¢ Cleaning and maintenance †¢ Importance to mundane Leadership Underlies the Chain’s Success †¢ Corporate culture centered on service †¢ Willingness and ability to listen †¢ Examples Relating Links in the chain for management Action †¢ Few have links in meaningful way †¢ Examples Property and casualty insurance company †¢ MCI †¢ Taco Bell  » Employee participation  » Periodic round table meetings, interviews Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ PROFIT AND GROWTH †¢ How do we define loyal customers? †¢ Do measurements of customer profitability include profits from referrals? †¢ What pr oportion of business development expenditures and incentives directed to the retention of existing customers?†¢ Why do customers defect? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ CUSTOMER SATISFACTION †¢ Are customer satisfaction data gathered in an objective, consistent, and periodic fashion? Where are the listening posts for obtaining customer feedback in your organization? †¢ How is information concerning customer satisfaction used to solve customer problems? Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ EXTERNAL SERVICE VALUE †¢ how do you measure service value? †¢ How is information concerning customers’ perceptions of value shared with those responsible for designing a product or service? †¢ To what extent are measures taken of differences between customers’ perceptions of quality delivered and their expectations before delivery? Do our organization’s efforts to improve external service quality emphasize effective recovery fro m service errors in addition to providing a service right the first time?Service – Profit Chain Audit †¢ Employee productivity †¢ How do you measure employee productivity? to what extent do measures of productivity identify changes in the quality as well as the quantity of service produced per unit of input? †¢ Employee loyalty †¢ How do you create employee loyalty? †¢ Employee Satisfaction Is employee satisfaction measured in ways that can be linked to similar measures of customer satisfaction with sufficient frequency and consistency to establish trends for management use? †¢ Are employee selection criteria and methods geared to what customers as well as managers believe are important? †¢ To what extent measures of customer satisfaction, loyalty or the quality and quantity of service output used in recognizing and rewarding? Service – Profit Chain Audit†¢ INTERNAL SERVICE QUALITY Do employees know who their customers are? †¢ Employee satisfaction with technological and personal support? †¢ LEADERSHIP – To what extent – – – – – Energetic, creative vs stately, conservative? Participatory, caring vs removed, elistist? Listening, coaching and teaching? Motivating by mission vs motivating by fear? Leading by means personal values vs institutionalized policies? Time spent developing and maintaining culture? †¢ RELATING MEASURES †¢ what are the most important relationships in company’s service profit chain? .

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Saphenous Vein In Varicose Veins Health And Social Care Essay

Aim: To find the efficaciousness of complete GSV denudation in footings of morbidity, nerve hurt and return rates. Methods: 42 patients with unsophisticated one-sided and/or bilateral varicosities affecting the great saphenous system were included in this survey. Patients with primary and/or recurrent varicose venas associated with active or cured ulcers, patients with bleeding diathesis and those who failed to subscribe the proforma for regular followups were excluded from this survey. Complete denudation of great saphenous vena up to the mortise joint, together with multiple phlebectomies was performed in all patients. Postoperatively, limbs were examined for complications like bruising, hydrops, wound site infections and centripetal abnormalcies. All the patients were followed up for the period of one twelvemonth for return and betterment in centripetal abnormalcies. Consequences: All the patients belonged to CEAP category 2 or greater. The average age of patients in this series was 33 old ages ( run 20-48 old ages, SD + 8.24 ) . There were 31 ( 74 % ) were males and 11 ( 26 % ) were females. Majority of the patients presented with blunt hurting in legs. 9 ( 21.4 % ) patients presented with bilateral varicosities affecting the GSV, whereas 20 ( 47.6 ) and 13 ( 31 % ) patients presented with right and left sided disease severally. 7 patients presented with some centripetal abnormalcies at foremost follow up. These were impermanent and spontaneously subsided within 4-6 hebdomads. None of the patient came back with return within a average follow-up period of one twelvemonth. Decision: We conclude that since lasting complication rates do non significantly differ from those secondary to knee degree denudation of GSV and with a low return, and reoperation rates, abandoning complete denudation of the saphenous vena to the mortise joint is non the right determination presently. Cardinal Wordss: G S V, entire denudation, saphenous nervus hurt Introduction: Varicose venas are the most common of all the vascular upsets that affect worlds. Visible varicose venas affecting great saphenous system ( GSS ) affect 10-15 % of work forces and 20- 25 % of women1. The purpose of the intervention for this awful disease is to obtain an acceptable consequence in footings of cosmetics and to alleviate patient & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s ailments. Different mode of interventions for varicose venas include compaction stockings, froth sclerotherapy and assorted intravenous extirpation techniques 2-4 ; nevertheless the most acceptable intervention for primary varicose venas remains flush ligation of sephano-femoral junction, partial/complete denudation of Great Saphenous vena ( GSV ) and multiple phlebectomies5. Though serious complications are rather uncommon, the process may do considerable early morbidity, including bruising, cutaneal nervus hurt, hematoma, hurting and uncomfortableness in the inguen and leg, and hazard of lesion infection6,7. Limited articulatio genus degree denudation has been widely accepted as the gilded criterion operation for varicosities affecting the GSS. This attack is associated with important decrease in hurt to saphenous nervus. However, the hazard is non wholly eliminated as reported in different series8, 9. Restricted denudation of GSV to the articulatio genus degree on the other manus is associated with a high return in the residuary segment10. This completely nullifies the advantage of articulatio genus degree denudation of GSV and doing complete denudation of the vena up to ankle degree an attractive option. This prospective survey was designed to find the efficaciousness of complete GSV denudation in footings of morbidity, nerve hurt and return rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From July 2006 to June 2009, this prospective survey was carried out at Liaquat university infirmary and different private medical centres of Hyderabad metropolis. In entire, 30 patients with unsophisticated one-sided and/or bilateral varicosities affecting the great saphenous system were included. Patients with primary and/or recurrent varicose venas associated with active or cured ulcers, patients with bleeding diathesis and those who failed to subscribe the proforma for regular followups were excluded from this survey. The diagnosing and degree of incompetency were confirmed by manus held Doppler ultrasound. Informed consent was taken and patients were given autonomy to go forth the survey at any point without saying any ground.Operative Technique:All patients were operated under spinal block. Injection Cephradine 1gm was given as prophylaxis. The scratch was placed 2cm above the median melleolus. The Great saphenous vena ( GSV ) was identified and separated carefully from the chi ef bole of Saphenous nervus. Once stray, the GSV was ligated, and olive-head stripper was introduced through a rent in the distal portion and negotiated to the proximal portion. The distal leftover was cut and so ligated utilizing vicryl plus 2.0. Another 3-5cm scratch was made at the sapheno-femoral junction, 2 centimeter below and sidelong to the pubic tubercle. Feeders of GSV were identified and ligated. A little scratch was so placed at the tip of the stripper ; the vena was ligated utilizing vicryli? ‘ 1 and was so stripped from below-upwards. Multiple phlebectomies were done for big bunchs of venas as the state of affairs warranted. Wounds were closed utilizing vicryli? ‘ 000 for tegument and chromic 00 for hypodermic tissue. The limb was covered with elastic patch, applied in caudo-cranial way. Patients were encouraged for light walk on the first operative twenty-four hours and were discharged from infirmary on 2nd post-operative twenty-four hours in instance of u neventful recovery. The follow-up agenda was designed at 1st, 4th, 8th and 12th hebdomads of surgery. During each visit, limbs were examined for complications like bruising, hydrops, wound site infections and centripetal abnormalcies within the distribution of saphenous nervus utilizing cotton-stick. The abnormalcies were characterized as paresthesia and dysthaesia. All the patients were followed up for the period of one twelvemonth for return and betterment in centripetal abnormalcies. Consequence: All the patients belonged to CEAP category 2 or greater depending upon the badness of the disease. This is depicted in item in table I. Table I: Clinical Phase of the DiseaseCEAP ClassificationNo of Limbs ( n= 51 )PercentageClass 2 30 58.8 Class 3 14 27.5 Class 4 7 13.7 The average age of patients in this series was 33 old ages ( run 20-48 old ages, SD + 8.24 ) . Amongst 42 patients in entire, 31 ( 74 % ) were males whereas 11 ( 26 % ) were females. Majority of the patients presented with blunt hurting in legs, followed by dark spasms, weightiness on drawn-out standing. With comparative frequences, remainders of the symptoms are elaborated in table II. Table II: Symptom Profile of the PatientsSymptomsNo Of Patients ( n= 42 )PercentagePain 14 33.33 Night Cramps 09 21.4 Heaviness on Prolonged Standing 11 26.2 Rubing 06 14. 3 Skin Changes 01 2.4 Cosmetic Concerns 01 2.4 In this series, 9 ( 21.4 % ) patients presented with bilateral varicosities affecting the GSV, whereas 20 ( 47.6 ) and 13 ( 31 % ) patients presented with right and left sided disease severally. In entire, 19 limbs out of 51, showed bruising in station operative period, whereas 7 and 4 developed lesion infection and hydrops ( fig I ) . In this series, 7 patients presented with some centripetal abnormalcies at foremost follow up. Figure I elaborate these abnormalcies in item. They were impermanent and spontaneously subsided within 4-6 hebdomads. None of the patient came back with return within a average follow-up period of one twelvemonth. Figure I: Post-Operative Complications Discussion: Nerve hurt is a recognized morbidity after varicose vena surgery. The most normally affected nervus is the saphenous nervus, which is at hazard of hurt during denudation of the GSV, peculiarly when the vena is stripped to the ankle11. Complete denudation, nevertheless, is associated with a low return rate compared to knee degree denudation of the vein12, 13. The argument between complete denudation of the great saphenous vena ( GSV ) up to ankle versus partial depriving up to knee degree continues. The reported incidence of nerve hurt following GSV depriving varies between 23-58 % 9, 15, 16. This was a clinical survey with simple methodological analysis and consistent consequences. In this series, the centripetal abnormalcies were noted in 20 % patients. This is comparable with other surveies describing more or less the same incidence8, 10. Lofgren et al14 showed that GSV depriving from the inguen to the ankle brought good-to-excellent consequences in comparing to high ligation of the GSV entirely vis- & A ; Atilde ; -vis centripetal morbidity, with a success rate of 94 % and 40 % , severally. Dwerryhouse et al17 reported duplex-confirmed reflux in one one-fourth of limbs that underwent restricted denudation of the GSV, at the 5-year followup, connoting that this pathology might finally show itself as recurrent varicose venas. These findings besides suggest that Orthodox method of depriving the vena up to the articulatio genus may forestall the harm to sephanous nervus but at the cost of a high return rate. GSV depriving at mortise joint is besides being shown to better quality of life in early post-operative period7. We have observed that depriving in upward way, utilizing little olive can go through towards the inguens easy with less nerve harm. Cosmetic consequences were besides satisfactory. None of our patient came up with return during the mean follow up period of one twelvemonth. The restrictions of survey were comparatively little size and its descriptive methodological analysis. For the reflux in the full GSV ( inadequacy in the whole GSV ) , the intervention of pick is complete denudation of the GSV to the mortise joint with high ligation and phelebectomies because of low complication and return rates. Nerve hurt may happen after both complete and partial denudation and symptoms of nerve hurt are transeunt and mild. We conclude that since lasting complication rates do non significantly differ from those of other intervention methods evaluated along with high success, low return, and low reoperation rates, abandoning complete denudation of the saphenous vena to the mortise joint is non the right determination presently.