English settlement in the Americas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English settlement in the Americas - Essay Example The colonization had made Spain the wealthiest nation, during the later years of the 1500s. The inflow of the English was triggered by the need to colonize and explore the Americas, after they saw that Spain was growing extremely rich during the sixteenth century (Benedict 1996). However, the colonization and the exploration style of England was different from that of Portugal and Spain, as England privatized its exploration, through granting letters of Marquis and charters to the individuals that captured English colonies as economic strongholds. This paper will explore the motives behind the development of English settlements in the Americas, both from the perspective of the settlers and official policy formulations (Starkey 1998). The motives included mercantilism, which is the economic outlook of integrating private and government efforts, towards fostering economic development. The aims of the system included managing all the components of American trade, including transport, pr oduction and retailing – under the control of England. ... There was also the spread of Protestantism, partly due to Henry VIII’s pursuit of getting a male child. After the death of Edward in 1553, Mary I took over, and she started killing Protestants, so that she could restore England to Catholicism. On one occasion, she commanded the execution of 300 Protestants for heresy, and had them burnt. During the time of fleeing England to avoid persecution, and after the reign of Elizabeth, the English settled in the Americas – and in the process realized the goal of expanding their religious coverage (Spielvogel 2000). The English sought to expand the coverage of their religion, as there was the common view that Spanish Catholicism was evil. As a result, the attacks staged on Spanish ships by Sir Francis, while in the American waters were hailed as a heroic act, and not pirate activity. The demolition of the Spanish armada paved way for the English explorers to colonize the Americas, which was also an effort to contain the spread of Catholicism. The development of English settlements in the Americas was also triggered by the population increase of the 1500s. During the time, England passed laws on enclosure, making all land private, which made it very difficult for commoners to feed their animals at public lands. The shift towards privatizing land resulted from the increase in the price of wool. As a result, land owners decided to stop the competition for provision of wool by increasing their farm lands and to increase their wealth through the trade. The shift increased wool production, but also led to an increase in the number of landless people, who has sustained their livelihood by grazing at public lands. Also, between 1530

Cyclermate Report Essay Example for Free

Cyclermate Report Essay I. An executive summary Dai Armstrong and Lewis Llewellyn are the two men who planned to open their own company after being superfluous due to the shutting down of the steel plants in their town of South Wales were Dai Armstrong and Lewis Llewellyn. They became good friends because of taking part in the local club of cycle touring together and decided to start Cyclermate, which was a bicycle manufacturing company that was laid down in the year 1988. In the beginning of time, Cyclermate gained a huge influence over the share of the market. The company appeared well with no problems and difficulties up to 2010, the time when the business is in trouble, it confronted lots of consequences with respect to operation human resource and finance. Therefore, the demand by purchasers fell continue sadly even though the prices were cut down by the company; the distinguishing attributes of the goods were not up to the quality as they were earlier. The rising complaints from the customers regarding degrading quality and faults in the product and the concern by the bank manager regarding the overdraft could cause trouble if the problems are not solved as soon as possible. Because of that, the company requires a right way to deal with this issue and save it from the edge of going bankrupt. II. Introduction Based on case study research in Cyclermate Ltd. and a series of case in community, this report will work out the financial problems and various other problems confronted by Cyclermate. It has been designed to analysis the business environment and management, measured by SWOT and PET models that are required to be looked upon. The report also draws on a brief summary for the financial side of the business. In addition, this report takes into account an examination of difficulties confronted by Cyclermate and possible solution for the problems, included short and long term solutions. Another function of this report is to examine how the company could get out of the crisis and get back to the current market share. Finally, the report brings us some recommendations and conclusion of the whole Cyclermate case study. III. Analysis of Business Environment 1. PEST Analysis PEST analysis is involved in the chief external environmental that effect or control considerably a business strategy. As we can see, PEST is aimed for Political, Economic, Social and Technological matters that can affect the business. PEST is recognized to persuade it in a utile manner of summarizing the external environment. However, it may be adopted the ability of how an establishment should react to these factors. Political Factor A political factor has a powerful impact on income tax, labor law, trade restriction and many more. Company did not recruit enough workers to meet the targets and worker had to work overtime to get the work done and workers are getting paid at normal rate. Using a traditional method may harm workers health and decreased their productivity as well. These mistakes made Cyclermate become a target of health and safety agencies. They have to improve the quality or else they can be stuck in authorized issues. On the  other hand, they also need to achieve higher standard in manufacturing to meet requirements of the market, especially foreign markets. Economic Factor Cyclermate had purchased a larger storehouse for goods, which indeed was essential to them but did not suffice their requirements. Purchasing a warehouse, which fulfilled the needs of the company, could have saved a lot of money and that same money could have used in new or currently in existence projects. Another factor in economics that affects to the development of Cyclermate Ltd is labor. The unemployment rate is increasing, therefore, this is a good chance for this company to choose worker more easily, and employ them easily with affordable price. Social Factor Social factor has a powerful impact on human behavior, Cyclermate had many order but they did not have enough workforce to complete these orders. They have to work long hours in order to achieve their goals. One more important thing is that high-speed innovation as well as the increasing demands of consumers requires Cyclermate to change and improve every day. But there is a truly infact that living standard of clients could effect to their choices. The higher income distribution they get, the higher demands they re Technological Factor Cyclermate Ltd is using the oldest way to advertise their products by posting advertisement in traditional newspapers. It has limited their goods to the customers. Instead, this company can set up its own website. In addition, Cyclermate Ltd is using the oldest way to advertise their products by posting advertisement in traditional newspapers. It has limited their goods to the customers. Instead, this company can set up its own website. 2. SWOT Analysis It is a methodical technique that is utilized to categorize and identify substantial external (Opportunities and Threats) and internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) factors confronted with a specific area. (Johnson, 1993) It  renders data which are useful in corresponding the capabilities and resources to the spiritual atmosphere in which it functions and hence is a significant addition to the planning and marketing procedure. (Pearce, 2005) Let have look at the SWOT of cyclermate to understand more about the current issue that company has to face with. Strengths Direct channels of sale Cyclermate has direct channels of sales with the direct sales and direct shops; hence intermediary’s cost is largely eliminated. Reducing the cost of manufacturing could unquestionably help Cyclermate achieve a huge share of the market. As direct channels are in direct contact with the providers, thus, it could help in increasing in quantity or value of the sales and it provides a good opportunity to the providers to empathize the clients and could make required changes are per the requirement of the customers. Motivated workforce The employees at the Cyclermate are extremely pioneering and are can fully utilize and achieve any given objective or alterations in the company but they are inhibited by the administration as a result they are unable to express their views freely. The employees could have a crucial role in the company for its overall growth and development. Possession of buildings and lands Unlike Cyclermate most of the companies don’t possess either building or land and hence have to pay the heavy rents which adds to the cost but cyclermate can make any changes in the buildings and could capitalize in whichever way they wish to as they own it, which reduces the overall cost. Weaknesses Inexperience and unmotivated staffs of the company The company has made use of untrained workers. These untrained workers are not given the proper training after their employment. It is the fact that the employees and the staff are never allowed to put forward their creative and self-ideas due to the policies of the management, as a result of this  motivation in the staff is lost. Sales are decreasing in amount or degree and there is piling up of stocks in the warehouses which generates a feeling among the staff that they are not under a good management and as this feeling flourishes they lose hopes from the company and it has a very bad impact on their morale. The investors do not truly interested in the business Due to the low returns on the capital invested by the investors, they are unhappy with the performance of the company and are losing faith in it. In addition, the very fact that the shareholders were not paid any interest last year, it may result in the withdrawal of their money from the company. The quality concerns Because lack of the power to be effective of the staffs to keep up the measures of the goods and the quality of raw material utilized is leading to degraded quality of the goods eventually. Old machinery such as traditional spaying technique, painting and low-quality stock control technology needs updating as soon as possible if the business hopes to improve the production and sales in the coming time. Opportunities Take the advantages of social media Cyclermate should launch its website, which provides complete detail and range of the products available with them. Company can employ a new computer system for keeping a good database of the company. They can introduce online selling and modification according to the wish of customers. Introduction of new machines They should introduce some of the modern machinery in order to achieve higher-level productivity. Cyclermate could bring in new robotic machinery in the production process that will lead to speedy output and a superior quality of goods. Employ trained workers They have the opportunity to make use of the trained workforce, which has been recently laid off from the nearby production site. More workforce means opportunity to gain more productivity. Threats Overseas competitors As a result of the growth to a global or worldwide scale, many companies from across the globe have entered the market with products of low price and high quality, which certainly is a threat for Cyclermate as it supplies good with high cost and of lower quality. Due to recession, which is prevailing in Europe the purchasing power of people is going down. Thus, company can have reduced sales or can face financial crises. Reputation Due to poor-quality product for a period of Cyclermate’s reputation is going down and therefore people do not like to go for their products. Huge retail Merchants Retail Merchants like Argos and Halfords are captivating the market eventually and it might happen that Cyclermate may lose the market share completely. Customer threatens them to sue their company after their product was fail in delivering the good performance. IV. Analysis of Business Management 1. Financial Problems Prob. 1.1: Uncontrolled cost The main problem that company is in this situation is because of the uncontrolled cost and mismanaged budget. The costs are increasing yearly with the sales and selling price of the products going down. Let have look at the financial statement that company has  £210,800 worth of non-current assets. Loan request will be refused as company only holds cash fund of  £675 into their bank account. Costs are increasing at a rapid rate year after year. Asset turnover ratio is 2.06:1. This indicates that the profit margins for the company are very low that’s why the ratio is so high. We can also conclude from this that the company’s pricing strategy is not effective leading to lower profits. Prob. 1.2: Dealing with a big loan Creditor days – 24 days leads to the company has to pay back it its debtors in 24 days and it is just left with 675 £ of cash. The Company is liable to pay  £87,500 to the creditors and if they don’t so a legal action may be taken on them, which are not good for company’s reputation. They may talk to the creditors and ask for an extension in time for payments as they are going through financial crisis and don’t have money right now to pay back. Prob. 1.3: Lots of inventories Besides, it shows that the majority of inventories are stored and not effectively managed, that is why current ratio is at such high level, which also means low sales and low revenue gained. Moreover, the company relies on the bank loan as the main monetary support. 2. Operation Problems Prob. 2.1: Stock control system Disturbingly, materials are always in the shortage which results in the disruption of the production process recently. Although the demand is higher and higher, company cannot meet their requirement because of lacking necessary components. Prob. 2.2: Inappropriate division of duties The inappropriate division of duties obviously had made such a burden on many workers. In particular, Dai Armstrong has to deal with many tasks such as making all the frames, factory manager and business director at the same time. He himself also finds it hard to keep up the level of production (approximately 8 frames/day) because it requires the harsh physical demands. Prob. 2.3: Assembly is a complex process Moreover, assembly is a complex process, which takes 2 or 3 hours for one person. Janice Jones and Ffred Gregory often have to work overtime to catch up with the progress. As a result, their health and time issue could be heavily damaged. 3. HR Management problems Prob. 3.1: Improper workforce in manufacturing Unreasonable workforce division is one of the most serious problems of Cyclermate Ltd. Besides, lack of experienced employees and the aging workforce are worrying the production process and raising a big question for a more effective training system. Prob. 3.2: The training system creates The training system creates such obstacles for the assembly process. Typically, Fred, who is 18 years old, is a new and un-experienced person; the training for him is necessary, however, not easy at all. It takes so much time to instruct Fred in traditional way, which is apparently the cause of slow production recently. Prob. 3.3: Corporate culture The staff is highly de-motivated due to decreasing sales and profits and also the behavior of the management as in the sinking company they are not free to put up their ideas even if they do they are rejected because of the superiority of the management. V. Solution A. Short term and immediate planning 1. Financial problems: Solution 1.1: Cost in selling and distribution Cost in selling and distribution could be possible declined to save more money for the company such as cutting cost for postage and courier charges by substituting by cheaper service, as well as the travelling and hospitality. Those indirect costs contribute such high cost to the manufacturing of the cycles, restricting them would help boost the sales with cheaper price. Solution 1.2: Ask for trading debtors to repay The solution to this issue is that they should strictly resolve and for the  trade debtors to repay the loans as soon as possible. The amount of $200,571 would help the financial situation better in the coming time. Once their assets are raised through and their liquidity are proved to be valuable enough to afford the loan, it will be beneficial for them to borrow money from the banks. Solution 1.3: Direct sale prices Cyclermate’s direct sale prices are higher than shop sale price. In order to generate healthy revenue, Cyclermate needs to reduce their direct sale price. By reducing the direct sale prices will increase their sale and it will be easy for them to generate healthy revenue. 2. Operation Problems Solution 2.1: Buy stock when needed Company should only buy stock when they needed. Buying stock earlier will harm company’s financial positions, because raw material does not hold their value and it has got more chances of losing its market value. Solution 2.2: Require clear division A good answer for this problem is that the company should require clear division to who is able to undertake and separate arrangement of duties. Specifically, assigning other qualified person on frame-making position so that Mr. Dai could concentrate and dedicate himself to external relations business only. Solution 2.3: hiring more experienced labors The company should consider hiring more experienced labors for assemble line and frame-making because Mr Dai can no longer put up with the physical requirement of the task. With those simple tasks like packaging, it is acceptable for free hand employees to help out, but only when they finished all their tasks. 3. HR Management problems Solution 3.1: Employ cheaper labors In this case, the company can consider employ cheaper labors that are  suggested by Maldwyn Jones: Chinese or Taiwanese labor to make the machine for them- much better quality but half the price and move Idris Pugh to higher position as a supervisor for the whole wheel-making process. Solution 3.2: Improving the staff’s skills This training program involves directly in the new changes with a purpose of improving the staff’s skills, expertise and methods to complete an error-free task, exposing them to unfamiliar ideas and of course, giving them the chance to practice task under time/speed limit. Solution 3.3: Core business value Trust in others and a firm belief in overcoming difficulties (set up new mission: overcome difficulty, minimize waste and consequence) B. Long term and efficiency improvements Present fiscal condition of Cyclermate (Accounting ratios).The acid / liquid ratio of Cyclermate is 0.76:1, which depicts Cyclermate is incapable to satisfy indebtednesses of shorter term, which mean that it would not be competent to satisfy fiscal difficulty which may happen in the time to come. The Asset turnover ratio for Cyclermate is 2.06:1. As the ratio is excessively high, this means that profit margins are very low. The pricing strategy of Cyclermate is ineffective and because of that low profit. Return on capital employed –Cyclermate has far too less returns on the capital employed, just a mere 0.11 or 11%. Debtor days –It would take Cyclermate 115 days to get back the money from debtors. Creditor days – Cyclermate has to pay back in 24 days to its debtors with a cash balance of 675 £. The financial statement of Cyclermate shows that it has non-current assets which is of worth  £210,800.Any request regarding a loan from the bank will be refused as it has a mere cash balance of  £675. It may get a loan based on the position of its non-current assets. In place of the above-discussed alternative, it can sell its freehold land, which is worth  £160,000, and use the proceeds from the sale in the business. Cyclermate could acquire funds if they pursue its trade debtors to pay off soon. Debtors worth  £200,571 are to be recovered and the funds would be acquired soon if the debtors do not  default and pay in full. Once it has sufficient fund, Cyclermate could apply for the bank loan. VI. Conclusion Overall, Cyclermate will have a better future if they operate their business in slightly different ways. Cyclermate products were famous for its quality and price,if the company still provide what the consumer wants than it would be no harm to the company. But there few changes needs to be changed and once the new rules and regulation apply into the business than it would be a great opportunity for Cyclermate to operate their services. Moreover, With the movement of new threats into the marketplace the present systematic plan of action of Cyclermate is continuously below the acceptable level in its performance due to the fact that the new firms and the existing organizations are coming up with improved quality of products at a cheaper price VII. Recommendations The company must sign up correct individual as per the requirement of the position. Currently the management is interfering in the process of production and is unable to focus of the activities they should be concerned. The financial hardships through which Cyclermate is going through at present could be resolved by selling the unused stock that is piled up in the warehouse. In order to generate revenues and funds to invest in other arena of the company, Cyclermate must sell its freehold land that would certainly generate high revenue. In order to achieve higher output and productivity, modern technology should be applied in the production process. Installing a computer database through which the management could look into all the important and relevant data as and when required. Cyclermate should launch its website, which provides complete detail and range of the products available with them. Reducing both direct sales prices so as to sell the current stock and trade debtors. Employing young and trained workforce that is fit for the position.

Psychosis in Children

Psychosis in Children Psychotic disorders in children are not common, however it is generally agreed that its prevalence increases during adolescence. The prevalence of psychosis in 13 to 19-year-olds was reported to be 0.54%, increasing from 0.9 per 10 000 at age 13 years to 17.6 per 10 000 at 18 years.8 Among adults with schizophrenia, 5% of them report onset of psychosis before the age of 15 years old and 20% of them have their onset before the age of 20 years old.9,10 Nevertheless, psychotic disorders in adolescence often mark the beginning of a lifetime contact with mental health services. Psychotic disorders in adolescence can pose not only diagnostic and treatment challenges, but also difficulties to the adolescent as well as their families. As can be seen in MLS’s case, there were challenges since the initial onset of symptoms including diagnostic uncertainties, difficulties faced by MLS and his parents due to the uncertainty in diagnosis which then led to worsening of symptoms and a rehospitalisation. In addition, the onset of symptoms at the age of 17 would be of significance for MLS as this is the age where several important life events would take place such as the major school examinations Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, which may determine his academic and occupational future, in addition to other important life transitions such as having a relationship with the opposite sex, completing school and making a decision regarding the next step in his life such as whether or not to pursue further education. As such, accurate and early diagnosis, with appropriate tre atment is of utmost importance to ensure achievement of remission and to minimize any disabilities. Though schizophrenia in prepubertal children is rare, the prevalence of schizophrenia in adolescents is approximately 1 to 2 per 1,000, with an estimated ratio of 1.67 boys to 1 girl. The rate of onset is reported to increase during adolescence, and while the onset of illness is usually insidious, it may occur suddenly in a previously well child, such as in MLS’s case. Multiple aetiological factors contribute to the development of schizophrenia, including genetic, neurodevelopmental, as well as environmental risk factors.11 There is a family history of psychiatric illness among 2 of MLS’s paternal relatives and although their diagnoses could not be ascertained, it is likely that his paternal uncle had suffered from a psychotic illness in the past from the description given. This contributes to genetic loading which poses as a risk factor for the development of MLS’s illness. Another significant finding is that child and adolescent-onset schizophrenia is associated with premorbid developmental and social impairments. Some children and adolescents with schizophrenia are premorbidly more likely to have lower intelligence quotient, social withdrawal, isolation, poor peer relationships, excessive anxiety and academic trouble as compared to adult-onset schizophrenia, while some others may have histories of delayed motor or language milestones similar to some symptoms of autistic disorder. 12,13 A study on child and adolescent-onset psychoses found significant difficulties in social development affecting ability to make and keep friends in a third of cases with schizophrenia.14 MLS had poor eye contact as a child and although he did not have any other features of autism, he appears to be more socially reserved, having only few friends. This puts him at risk of developing schizophrenia, however whether premorbid impairments pose as a risk or precursor of psychos is remains a question. These premorbid impairments may be a causative factor for psychosis, or on the other hand, could be markers of an underlying neuropathological process which may be the cause of both the premorbid social impairment and psychosis. In addition, MLS had reported seeing shadows on a few occasions during childhood, at age 10 and 12 years old. An association between self-reported psychotic symptoms during childhood and later schizophrenia has been found.4 A 15-year longitudinal cohort study demonstrated a very high risk of schizophreniform disorder at age 26 among individuals who reported psychotic symptoms at the age of 11 with an odds ratio of 16. 42% of the schizophreniform cases at age 26 reported one or more psychotic symptoms at age 11 years, including hallucinatory experiences and delusional beliefs. The individuals who reported the psychotic symptoms at age 11 did not have mania or depression at age 26, suggesting specificity of prediction to schizophreniform disorder.15 Though this study found an association between psychotic symptoms in childhood and later schizophreniform disorder but not schizophrenia, it appeared that attenuated psychotic symptoms contribute a significant high-risk premorbid phenotype. 4 Growing up, MLS’s parents executed different parenting styles towards him. While his father gave him freedom and did not seem very involved in his daily living, his mother was overinvolved and controlling of his activities. The different types of parenting were described by Diana Baumrind in 1966 who introduced three models of parental control, namely authoritarian, authoritative and permissive. In permissive parenting, the parent is non-punitive and acceptant towards the child’s actions and desires, makes few demands for responsibility, allows the child to regulate his own activities and avoids the exercise of control.16 The parent imposes few maturity demands and either indulges or neglects the child’s needs.17 On the other hand, authoritarian parenting is characterized by high expectations of conformity to parental rules. The parent is obedience-oriented and the child is expected to obey orders without explanation. According to Baumrind, both permissive and au thoritarian type of parenting may prevent the child from being able to engage in interaction with people. Children and adolescents of authoritarian parents are tend to have less self-confidence and become socially withdraw, while permissive parents tend to suffer from problems with emotional regulation and self-control, and thus they were reported to be more likely involved in problematic behaviours and aggression.18 In MLS’s case, as MLS’s mother plays a more dominant role in the family compared to his father, her authoritarian parenting had resulted in MLS becoming more socially withdrawn, mostly staying at home with few friends. More importantly, this had resulted in a lack of bonding between MLS’s mother and himself. MLS had started to develop symptoms of unusual behaviour 3 days after being discharged from Klang Hospital for dengue fever, in addition to being socially withdrawn and deterioration in functioning. Though MLS seemed preoccupied when admitted to University Malaya Medical Centre the first time, he was unable to describe any positive symptoms of psychosis until the second admission when he had developed auditory hallucinations, persecutory delusion and thought echo. It has been reported that children and adolescents with psychosis can typically present with a prodromal period characterized by deterioration in personal functioning and negative symptoms such as concentration and memory problems, unusual behaviour, bizarre perceptual experiences, social withdrawal, apathy and reduced interest in daily activities, some of which are observed in MLS’s case. These symptoms may follow an acute period of stress or a physical illness, which was dengue fever in MLS’s case.19 Frank p sychosis develops within 12 months of symptom onset in 40% of patients20, and this prolonged duration of prodromal period may affect school performance as well as delay the diagnosis of psychosis or schizophrenia, but for MLS the psychotic symptoms developed much earlier. The acute episode which follows the prodromal period is usually characterize by positive symptoms of hallucinations and delusions, which may lead to a sense of fear of puzzlement during the period of delusional mood. As perceptual disturbances may be new experiences for children or adolescent, they may be distressed or confused, as can be observed in MLS who appeared confused and preoccupied, and may subsequently develop secondary delusional belief such as being replaced with doubles when they experience themselves or family members as being unfamiliar. As for MLS, the lumbar puncture performed on him in the neuromedical ward may have strengthened the persecutory delusion where he started to believe that someone intentionally removed a bone from his spine and further persecutory delusion such as the belief that people wanted to poison his food in the ward. A detailed assessment including thorough history and physical examination as well as diagnostic workups need to be performed as psychosis in childhood and adolescence may result from an organic cause such as infection as well as neurological, autoimmune, endocrine or metabolic conditions. Neuropsychiatric conditions such as encephalitis, temporal lobe epilepsy, cerebral lupus, drug intoxication as well as neurodegenerative illnesses such as Wilson’s disease need to be ruled out particularly when there are neurological signs or fluctuating levels of consciousness, in which blood tests, computed tomography (CT) scan, MRI or electroencephalography (EEG) may be helpful.19 As for MLS, organic workup was performed during both the admissions to UMMC due to the acute onset of abnormal behaviour and presentation after dengue fever during the first admission, as well as an episode of recorded fever and confusion during the second admission. MLS was investigated for post-dengue encephalitis during the first admission to UMMC. Dengue viral infection can present with varying clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infection to life threatening haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Apart from the cmp renal and hepatic dysfunction, dengue fever can present with neurological complications including dengue encephalopathy, encephalitis, neuromuscular complications as well as neuro-ophthalmic involvement in 4-5% of confirmed dengue cases.21 While the more common symptoms of encephalitis include headache, disorientation and seizures, neuropsychiatric symptoms such as psychosis, mania and dementia have been reported as post-infectious sequelae.22 A case report in 2013 described a 12-year old boy who presented with behavioural change characterized by emotional lability, dependence, alteration in rhythm of language and tone voice, anxiety and change in tastes in addition to fever, severe headache, seizures and vomi ting. Though magnetic resonance and computed tomography showed no brain changes, serology for dengue was positive for both IgM and IgG and cerebrospinal fluid revealed high protein levels and increased lymphocytes. The boy had improved with risperidone, but behavioural symptoms were still reported to be present 60 days later. 23 Another author reported a 21-year old man who developed an episode of classical manic symptoms including overactivity, excessive talking, argumentativeness, irritability, grandiosity, abusiveness and decreased need for sleep on the 6th day of dengue illness with thrombocytopenia, and was successfully treated with carbamazepine and haloperidol.24 The diagnosis of dengue encephalitis may be made either by detection of virus or antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid, but the absence of antibodies will not rule out encephalitis. MRI, the modality of choice of brain imaging, may show findings consistent with viral encephalitis such as cerebral oedema, white matter changes, brain atrophy and necrosis.25 In MLS’s case, there was no evidence suggestive of infection in his blood or cerebrospinal fluid tests, while blood imaging and electroencephalography did not reveal any significant findings. This points against the diagnosis of post-dengue encephalitis, although the investigations done by the neuromedical team during both admissions were justified and thorough. The management of adolescent psychotic disorder encompasses many aspects and should take into consideration a risk assessment to self and others, mental state, insight into illness, likely adherence to treatment as well as level of support available, in addition to any predisposing, precipitating, maintaining and protective factors. As children and adolescents with psychosis or schizophrenia and their families may experience significant distress, it is important to engage both the young person and their parents or carers in the management of their illness, which is the foundation of subsequent pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. The Early Pyschosis Declaration emphasizes the reduction of long delays that families face by services working better together and earlier to meet needs of young people and their parents. Among the issues that need to be considered in the management of children and adolescents with psychotic disorder include the normal developmental tasks of adole scents, effectiveness and safety of particular treatments as well as offering service and information to parents about costs and benefits of any recommended treatment. Psychoeducation for the young person and their families is important, such as in MLS’s case as his parents have limited awareness of mental illness and had missed MLS’s initial psychiatric appointment as they thought that he was well when he was still preoccupied and had started to develop positive psychotic symptoms. Explanation about the illness, guidance as well as involving family members in treatment decisions are important in ensuring compliance and continuity of care particularly as the young person such as MLS transits from adolescence to early adulthood.19 Though it is recommended that psychosocial and other benign options should be employed before considering medication, pharmacological treatment such as antipsychotics has been more widely used in recent times. Though there are few benefits of second generation antipsychotics over first generation antipsychotics in efficacy in treating early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, the former is less likely to cause side effects of extrapyramidal symptoms but at the same time are associated with weight gain, metabolic problems and risk of diabetes, as part of the findings from the treatment of early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders study (TEOSS).26 As such, it has been recommended that lifestyle and dietary advise should be given in addition to side effect monitoring when initiating an antipsychotic medication.27 Though antipsychotic medication is effective in reducing positive psychotic symptoms, with a modest effect size of 0.2 to 0.3, there is limited evidence for antipsychotic treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia in young people, with only minimal differences in efficacy found among the different antipsychotics but with large differences in side effect profiles.28 A Cochrane review of antipsychotic medication used in children below age 13 years with childhood-onset schizophrenia found inconclusive evidence regarding the effects of antipsychotic medication for early-onset schizophrenia, with clozapine showing benefits over haloperidol in treatment resistant schizophrenia but were offset by risk of serious adverse effects.29 Another meta-analysis on the efficacy, safety and tolerability of antipsychotics in adolescents aged 13 to 17 years with schizophrenia demonstrated that antipsychotic treatment with risperidone, olanzapine or aripiprazole resulted in significant improvement in sympt omatology, and that treatment with 10mg daily dose of aripiprazole was associated with the lowest incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms with no significant weight gain.30 However, most antipsychotic medications have not been approved to treat early-onset schizophrenia as they have not been tested in the younger individuals. In Europe, aripiprazole and more recently paliperidone which was approved the use in adolescent schizophrenia, while aripiprazole, olanzapine, paliperidone, risperidone and quetiapine are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States for the treatment of early-onset schizophrenia in individuals aged 13 to 17 years old.31 Antipsychotic treatment was started for MLS due to the severity of the psychotic symptoms as well as the risk of harm to self and others. As he had developed side effects of sedation with a low dose of risperidone, it was changed to aripiprazole, which was then switched to olanzapine when he did not respond to aripiprazol e at a dose of 10mg daily. His symptoms improved with olanzapine and had maintained well with this medication, but he would need to be regularly monitored for weight gain and metabolic side effects. As he had started to experience weight gain, dietary advice was given and continuation of active lifestyle and exercise which he was beginning to engage in was encouraged. Psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy have been studied and found that cognitive behavioural therapy can be possibly used to reduce the strength of delusional beliefs as well as to reduce the likelihood of relapse among young individuals with first episode of psychosis. In addition cognitive remediation therapy, art therapy as well as structured employment approaches are being developed and evaluated.19 Family intervention adapted for the developmental needs of adolescents aiming to reduce criticism and hostility towards the adolescent may also be helpful.31 In MLS’s case, a lesser overinvolvement by his mother was encouraged as overprotection and emotional overinvolvement are associated with high expressed emotion, which are in turn associated with a high relapse rate among patients with schizophrenia. More importantly for MLS is the return of functioning and continuation of schooling as this is his final year of secondary education and also the year in which he is bound to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations. It may be a stressful situation for MLS going back to school after a duration of 2 months of not attending school, in addition to the stress of catching up with studies, preparing for exams as well as possible stigma from others in school. It is important for school staff to support young individuals with psychosis or schizophrenia in school as they may feel distressed by their psychotic symptoms which may be worsened by responses of those around them, particularly if they get mocked or bullied by others. In addition, exposure to environments or classes with high levels of expressed emotion should be minimised as they are known to increase the risk of relapse but at the same time provide opportunities for social interaction with others.19 As there is a risk of future relapse with ongoing stressors such as sitting for examinations, expanding academic and career capabilities as well as undergoing the transition from adolescence to adulthood, ongoing follow-up is recommended for MLS. Among the factors contributing to a poorer prognosis in child and adolescent-onset psychosis include premorbid social and cognitive impairments, prolonged first psychotic episode, prolonged duration of untreated psychosis and negative symptoms. Schizophrenia in young individuals typically run a chronic course, with only 12% found to be in full remission at discharge and those with full recovery most likely recover within first 3 months of onset of psychosis.19 Nevertheless young individuals who do not undergo complete recovery from the illness may still be able to maintain an acceptable quality of life with adequate support as recovery is a personal process involving finding a sense of self and hope. As for MLS, regular follow-up and assessm ent of treatment needs in addition to return to functioning, prevention of a future relapse as well as continuous support from family members are crucial to ensure a good quality of life as an adolescent and a smooth transition to adulthood.

Voltaire and the Beginning of the Enlightment Essay -- Enlightenment of

Francis Marie Arouet was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris, France. As a child, Arouet grew up in an atmosphere that strictly obeyed the rules of the church. During this time, faith in the church was an obligation for everyone in society and the authority of the church was never questioned, for this would definitely mean instant death. Meanwhile, Arouet enrolled at the Jesuit College of Louis-Le-Grande where he excelled in academics especially his skills in writing. After his schooling, Arouet became noticed by much of the aristocracy for his writing and eventually was imprisoned for supposedly composing two offensive works, the Puerto Regnanto and J’aivu.1 While serving his confinement, he assumed the name de Voltaire. After choosing the new name, Voltaire said, "I was very unlucky under my first name. I want to see if this one will succeed any better."2 Upon his release from the Bastille, Voltaire was exiled to England, a country he grew very fond of. At this time, freedom of speech was continuously exemplified throughout the country of England; Voltaire found this toleration very advantageous to the beginnings of his opinion. While in England, Voltaire decided to redirect his purpose of writing; he now decided to fight for the right of human liberty. From the time Voltaire moved to England through the remainder of his life, he marked the beginning of a new period, the Englightment, a time where he would continuously mock the idea of religion and reinforce the idea of human liberty and opinion fearlessly through his many plays, literature, and essays. Furthermore, Voltaire remained in England for three years while publishing an English version of the La Henriade, an essay concerning the defense of religious toleration.3 Aft... ...zes Voltaire the best when he comments, "Probably no man ever lived who assailed the Church and the State with the same wit and keenness that always at Voltaire’s command; and yet in spite of this he managed to live comfortably, accumulate rich and die in peace."13 Notes 1. "Francis Marie Arouet de Voltaire." http://www.ericjonas.com/ /features/candied/Voltaire/default.asp (20 Feb. 2000). 2. Darrow, Charles. "Voltaire." http://www.aracnet.com/~atheism/hist/ darrow5.htm (20 Feb. 2000). 3. "Francis Marie Arouet de Voltaire," 1. 4. Darrow, 6. 5. Darrow, 9. 6. Darrow, 9. 7. Darrow, 13. 8. Darrow, 17. 9. Darrow, 11. 10. Wendy McElroy, "Voltaire vs. Intolerance," Free Inquiry, Winter 1999, 61. 11. Darrow, 15. 12. Darrow, 16. 13. Darrow, 4.

Junk Food Industry and Obesity

â€Å"In the U. S. obesity rates have risen from 14% in 1978 to 31% in 2000†¦according to WHO/FAO in 2001, chronic diseases resulting largely from poor diet contributed to 60% of the 56 million reported deaths worldwide† (Lang & Heasman 2004:53). Both Canadian and American citizens alike spend vast amounts of their money on food and a significant percentage of that money is spent on low-nutrition foods such as fast foods and processed foods. Being the cash cow that it is, the capitalist food system has provided the opportunity for corporations to profit numerous types of junk foods (fast & processed foods containing high sugar, salt, fat). According to Robert Albritton’s (2009:90) â€Å"Let Them Eat Junk,† he argues that â€Å"the consumption of junk foods is not the only cause of obesity, but it is doubtless a major cause†¦[and] obesity is something that we allow to happen, and while there may be many causes, [he] would argue that the primary cause is a capitalist food system that we have allowed to subject us. † This essay will further extend on that argument and examine that the growing trend of obesity is caused by the fundamental principle of the capitalist food system, which is to profit from selling junk foods without considering the health consequences associated with it. Examining why consumers eat junk food in a sociological perspective, the financial incentives associated with selling junk foods in a capitalist perspective, and the health problems/consequences from the consumption of junk foods will be explored. A solution will be provided in attempts to rectify the growing trend of obesity due to junk foods. It is vital that we also look into the health implications as a result of the consumption of junk foods. Most notably, the greatest risk being obesity. Public health is an important factor in today’s society. Billions of dollars are spent on health care all over the world. At the same time, about the same amount of money is being put into a system that deters the health of millions of citizens every year (Adams 2005). In the present, the junk food industry is becoming a focal point in controversy surrounding its impact on public health. For example, â€Å"many blame fast food businesses for public health concerns, arguing that fast-food choices and large portion sizes contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a variety of other diet-related problems† (Adams 2005). In 2002, director Morgan Spurlock subjected himself to a diet based only in McDonald's fast food three times a day for thirty days and without working out. His objective was to prove why most of the Americans are so fat, with many cases of obesity (IMDB). He gained about 18 pounds over the course of the experiment, experienced mood swings, loss of sex drive, and nearly catastrophic liver damage. Spurlock’s body fat composition increased by 7 percent, his cholesterol went up 60 points, and his blood pressure rose from 120/80 to 150/100. Shortly after Mr. Spurlock’s revelations about his fast-food experiment, the Associated Press reported that McDonald’s was phasing out its super size menu options (Hagloch 2005). â€Å"Super Size Me† (name of the documentary) was a great example of how junk food affects the general public and is also an indication that the junk food industry, motivated by profits and shareholder interests, has ignored its responsibilities to the consuming public. It is clear that there is a huge demand for junk foods and that corporations thrive on this demand by creating more and more junk foods. As a result, there are health consequences such as obesity. Solutions to reduce obesity should be one of the main concerns in today’s society, however, to completely rid junk foods entirely need not be one of the solutions. The junk food industry plays a significant role in stimulating the North American economies. â€Å"Three-quarters of all Americans live within three miles of a McDonald’s, and two-thirds live within three miles of a KFC, Pizza Hut or Taco Bell fast food restaurant. † (Albritton 2009:98). In addition, supermarkets in North America are one of the most popular destinations for consumers to do most of their shopping. Supermarkets play a major role in the American food regime since that is where 40% of all food is purchased. Supermarkets typically sell a high proportion of highly processed, highly packaged and highly transported foods. In other words, supermarkets are largely purveyors of unsustainable petrofoods and unhealthy processed foods† (Albritton 2009:120). Given that junk foods are a signific ant contributor to the North American economies, it would be unwise to completely abolish the production and sales of junk food in order to solve the obesity epidemic. Rather, there should be more of an educational solution to fight against obesity. With the high demand for junk foods due to the fast-paced lifestyle in North America and for the availability of these foods provided by corporations that strive to gain profits, it is no surprise that junk food is one of the leading causes of obesity in North America today. As Robert Albritton (2009:90) pointed out, â€Å"†¦the primary cause is a capitalist food system that we have allowed to subject us. Although the junk food industry is significantly vital towards the stability of the North American economies, it would be unwise to rid the production and sales of junk foods entirely. Instead, the use of subsidy dollars to invest into nutritional awareness programs and the reduction in portion sizes for fast and processed foods are recommended options to prevent obesity. These steps may not on its own prevent obesity, however, these are one of many important steps in fighting against the obesity epidemic today and for future generations.

Case Brief on Arizona versus Hicks

Case Brief: Arizona v. Hicks The bullet was fired through the defendant’s apartment floor and went in to the apartment below and hit an individual who then called the police. Police responded to the incident and went first to the apartment where the bullet entered. The defendant, Hicks, was not in the apartment at the time, but the officers found and seized three guns and a stocking-cap mask, which were both plain sight. One of the officers saw two sets of stereo equipment that looked like they didn‘t belong there.The officer moved two turntables of the top of the equipment; the officer recorded their serial numbers and found them to be property stolen in a recent armed robbery. Mr. Hicks was found and charged with multiple crimes, released, and now the state appeals. The prosecution argued that since there were exigent circumstances to search the defendant’s home, any evidence found in â€Å"â€Å"plain sight†Ã¢â‚¬  was seized legally. The defense contes ted the validity of the search, claiming that the search of the stereo equipment was unwarranted based on its appearance alone and violated the defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights.The defendant is found guilty of the initial charges, but all evidence relating to the robbery charges is ruled fruit of an unlawful search by the state trial court and the Arizona Court of Appeals. When the Arizona Supreme Court denied review, the United States Supreme Court accepted the State’s request for a hearing. The Supreme Court first ruled that the warrantless entry by the officers, under the exigent circumstances exception to the warrant requirement, was valid. The court then ruled that the recording of the equipment’s serial numbers did not constitute a search or seizure.However, when the officer moved the turntable it was held to be a separate search, apart from the search for the defendant and his firearms. It was the court’s ruling that the officer did not have pro bable cause, only reasonable suspicion to search the stereo equipment. The evidence seized after the discovery of the turntables constituted unlawful search. The lower court’s decision was affirmed. Work Cited http://www. casebriefs. com/blog/law/criminal-procedure/criminal-procedure-keyed-to-weinreb/the-fourth-amendment-arrest-and-search-and-seizure/arizona-v-hicks

The Magus Essays - Utilitarianism, Social Philosophy, Free Essays

The Magus Essays - Utilitarianism, Social Philosophy, Free Essays The Magus In this paper I want to show the importance of the distinction between Deontological theories and Teleological theories. First, let me define the basic types of deontological theories: Act-deontology takes the rightness of an act as having to be decided by the individual on the basis of what the particular situation demands of him or her. Rule-deontology takes the rightness of an act as having been already decided by universal rules which are binding on everyone, regardless of the situation. Teleological theories: Act- utilitarianism takes the rightness of an act as having to be decided by the individual on the basis of what will promote the greatest general good in the individual's particular situation and Rule-utilitarianism takes the rightness of an act as being in accord with the general rules, binding on everyone, that have already been decided on as promoting the greatest general good. Second, I will give my opinion on The Magus by John Fowles. In conclusion we will ! see if the consequences are moral or immoral. The first case to analyze will be the one about Conchis-the mayor of a small Greek village. He was ordered by the Nazi Commandant to beat to death three freedom fighters who had shot four German soldiers. If he refused, the Germans would kill not only the freedom fighters, but also the villagers hostages. Let's look at situation through the eyes of a utilitarian, then through the eyes of a deontologist. Conchis was in a very difficult position that he has to decide what he should do with the ordered with in thirty-seconds, which is a very short period of time. He is probably confused and frustrated and not sure of what is right or wrong thing to do. As the Wimmel approached him with a gun. He aimed at the three freedom fighters. He pulled the trigger of the gun, but the gun was not loaded. His determination is not to increases the possibility for the German to harm the villagers. It seems that happiness for the German would mean trouble for the villagers. As he aimed at the! three men, his thought was to save the villager hostages. According to the story, Conchis wants to save as many people as possible. I would describe his deportment as Rule Utilitarianism. People own what they would own under the 'total' set of rules, of which would be the greatest good of each and most efficient. 1 His conscience is do what saves the most people. What if he did not follow the order? Will everyone still live even if he doesn't follow? Maybe by following the order he will be preventing the German use of force, or causes extreme human suffering. I did not choose Act-utilitarianism because Conchis-the mayor did not want to promote the greatest good in the individual as himself in this situation. His knowledge was to bring happiness to people. He follow rules that is all obeyed then should bring about in the long term the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. Suppose that sacrificing life or bodily integrity, where making the sacrifice wo! uld be value, is itself in each interest. Among the things that Act-utilitarianism requires is putting up with, indeed getting oneself to positively welcome, that other is also do what act utilitarianism requires lest anger lead to resentment, and resentment to wrongful, action, and wrongful action to a decrease in value. For the Utilitarian: The results are what matter. I would described Wimmel, the Nazi commandant action is Act-deontology. He is violating his moral convictions against total being. Secondly, his action cannot be justified universally. The Nazi commandant was not foreseeing the idea of human rights is a moral one. Act-deontology was morally wrong, but Wimmel determined that Conchis take the ordered or all of them will die which make it harder for him to choose whether to kill the freedom fighters or the villagers including him self will be killed by the German. However, the Rule-deontology was pointed out that it's wrong to kill. Conchis realized that his previous action was immoral. When he heard the prisoner call for freedom and saw the way these men had been tortured, he couldn't kill