Marketing Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Strategy - Research Paper Example   There are numerous companies providing logistical services within the region providing intense competition. Within the African region, many logistics companies are local and have limited exposure to international logistics business. The company intends to utilize the business experience gained in offering logistical services within different states. This will become essential in ensuring the quality of services offered, displayed through the quick and timely delivery of services. Many of the companies operating within the industry offer logistical services in the transportation of manufactured goods. As a company operating a farm, the company will offer logistical services for agricultural products. This will become a relatively new aspect which could be essential in achieving sustainable competitive advantage   (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2003). The company will maximise on the weaknesses of existing competitors in gaining a competitive advantage, ultimately achieving sustainabili ty in the business.   The company will effectively utilize this weakness to ensure the provision of cross-border logistics and increase its market share. The international experience and presence will enable the company to offer logistics services to increased numbers of clients. Differentiation remains an essential business strategy utilized in gaining a competitive advantage within a highly competitive business environment. Differentiation includes making a company services unique and creating an identity within a crowded business environment. The company intends to begin offering trucking services for agricultural non-perishable products within the African market. With numerous African regions facing the continuous shortage of food, offering transportation services for agricultural products will attract surmountable customers within the organizations providing relief food. With many organizations covering several countries, the global aspect of the company will become a fundamental element in undertak ing these business ventures. Having been involved in growing of barley, the company already has the capacity to transport similar agricultural products like dry maize and beans. Market leadership The company will undertake a market leadership approach in performing the various business operations within the regions covered. The company will focus on offering services across the borders as many of the competitor companies have continued to offer services with limited coverage. The increased coverage of the services will ensure the company becomes a market leader in a wide region.

Nursing Leadership Paper Essay Example for Free

Nursing Leadership Paper Essay They have an open concept design, select menus, and our outside landscaping that allows their residents to enjoy a comfortable setting during either their short or long term stay. Their care is directed by an interdisciplinary team of professionals that includes a Medical Director, attending physicians, 24 hour licensed nurses, a dietary manager, activity director, social worker, and therapist for physical, occupational and speech rehabilitation. At Park Manor, the goal is to provide the care and services to meet the physical, emotional and social needs of each of our residents. I got to work with the MDS nurse, an MDS nurse is the nurse in the long term care facility who schedules and completes the RAI-Resident Assessment Instrument, a detailed assessment done at least quarterly on every nursing home resident. The MDS nurse is also usually responsible to coordinate the completion of the care plans for the resident based on the results of the assessment. We were collecting data from a whole bunch of sources; from the nurses, aides, resident, families, doctors, progress notes, therapy notes, etc. Then we completed the paper/computer MDS form based on our complete assessment (using the data collected). A RUG score (or resource utilization grouper) score is generated based upon our answers which is used to determine medicare/medicaide reimbursement rates for the facility. The MDS is used to create the care plan, determines reimbursement rates and determines quality measures/indicators per federal standards. State Surveyors pull these reports prior to inspection visits and to know who is losing weight and who may have pressure ulcers, etc.

The Review of Strategy as Revolution

The Review of Strategy as Revolution Entrepreneurs and managers require a strategic plan in the running of the business organizations so that they may not lose sight of their business objectives. Entrepreneurs are the innovators in the business. They are the ones who identify a business opportunity, they co ordinate the use of resources in the implementation of the business opportunity and eventually they come up with the best mechanism to implement the business idea. A strategy simply means a plan to do something. It refers to a course of action designed to achieve certain set objectives. A good strategy should stimulate change and should serve as a framework in decision making body of the business. Revolution on the other hand refers to the development and adoption of better and more advanced methods of running a business organization (McDonald, 2007, pp. 98). In the article Strategy and Revolution, Gary Hamel classifies companies into three categories in the business world. These include; the rule makers, the rule takers and the rule breakers also known as industry revolutionaries. According to him, the rule makers are the ones who pioneer the building of the industry at all times. They are the creators of industries and they protect the identity of the business (Yodfat Ohanah, 2001, pp. 51). The rule takers on the other hand reflect the goals and objectives of the rule makers. They also try and implement the objectives put across. Eventually there are the rule breakers who revolutionize the entire industry or a section in it. They overturn the industrial order and they are the radical thinkers who revolutionize the industry. Hamels argument is that industries need to act fast and work harder to improve the industry .He believes that this can only be achieved by managers incorporating more innovative ideas and learning to think outside the box. This will safeguard the companys position in the industry ecosystem and safeguard it from losing its market shares to its competitors. According to the article, there are ten key principles that companies in any given industry should follow in order to become revolutionized. In Garys opinion, strategy development is a revolutionary action in an organization. According to him, it is a result of radical thinking and some risk taking on the part of the company. He further argues that radical thinking is mandatory in finding and establishing new market places to trade in .He goes on to say that revolution is important in securing a place in the market place in this era of globalization and digitalization. Hamel believes that for one to be strategic, they must have a gr eat imagination that they are willing to exercise as well as a creative mind. He further stipulates that strategic thinkers are risk takers who are not afraid to take chances and are also not afraid to be wrong (Barney, 2001, pp. 64). Gary does not refute the fact that traditional business aspects that have been used over the years are inefficient. But, it is his opinion that those old management models are no longer equipped to solve the current problems that are arising with the new century. He further says that speed and creativity are mandatory for survival in this era where global competition is prevalent. Gary implies that in the days to come, talent will be more valuable than any title and that the emergence of the internet will act as a catalyst for the 21st century management. He emphasizes on the importance of the internet to organizations stating that it will not only help the managers in managing, but also it will assist in the organization of work and records. Hamel in his article points out that the world is changing at a very fast rate and we have to move at the same pace in order to be able to reinvent ourselves and our businesses. He emphasizes on the need of people becoming flexible in order to a ccommodate the fast adaptation and change. With each day that comes, companies are made to face new sets of challenges in every sector. Therefore companies must be equipped to handle them in the best way to avoid future failure in the business. Gary states that some of the changes affecting the industry are; technological upheaval where the technology in the world is growing at an alarming rate. Therefore, managers have to try and keep up with the emerging trends in order to maintain their standards in the market, globalization, deregulation and society change (Keller, 2003, pp. 85). Despite this, he lays the blame on the companies as in his opinion they are responsible for harnessing the changes that are causes revolution through their actions (Hamel ONeal, 1998, pp. 91). Gary gives principles which he believes will enable a company to revolutionize. He also believes that these principles will assist managers to discover revolutionary strategies. However, its up to the company to read, analyze and interpret them so that they can be able to apply them with respect to their own individual understanding. Companies must rethink their strategies and create room for diversification. Companies must look for ways and means of adding value to the company by using the creativity and inspiration of its employees. This is to enable the company to add value per capita as compared to its competitors in the industry ecosystem (Koontz, 2000, pp. 69). 2. The theoretical underpinnings of the article This refers to the set of ideas that form the basis of something. The article was inspired by the fast changing environment necessitating the author to write it. It aims at psychologically preparing managers and company owners for the chances that are to take place and their effects. Gary Hamel illustrates how the industrial revolution is creeping in the society. He also shows the impact this revolution is expected to have on business organizations and the society at large (Ambachtsheer, 2007, pp. 45). Gary, in his article tries to give companies what he believes is sound advice on how to revolutionize and avoid losing their market share to the competitors. He argues that if companies are reluctant to implement revolutionary ideas in their strategy making, then other more willing companies will do it leaving them stuck on the old management strategies .In his article, Gary uses illustrations that aim at proving to companies that if they do not revert to more innovative management str ategies, they will be overtaken by their competitors (Brown, 1997, pp. 68). Gary further stipulates the importance of teamwork in an organization. He emphasizes the importance of employees and stakeholders being united. He urges managers to be responsive to their employees and take their input in the company seriously. He also urges manager to stop making the assumption that the employees will resist change and implement them. He reminds the managers that they are responsible for the outcome of the company and they must therefore do what they know is right and will benefit the business (Dochartaigh, 2007, pp. 73). Gary discourages the management from avoiding interacting with their juniors since this is the only way they will know for sure which changes are worth implementing and to which areas. In his opinion, he thinks that the executives need to include the three constituencies in the company when making strategies for the company. These three constituencies include; the young people, stake holders and new comers. This he believes will lead to revolutiona ry companies as these new inclusions to the strategy table will offer fresh perspective to the company (Henderson, 2008, pp. 68). Gary talks of the unpredictable nature of the world. He cautions companies from being inflexible as they will have to change with the changing world to keep up with the rest of the world. He further urges businesses to thoroughly challenge and revise their business models to test their relevance to them. He believes that progress is not only possible rather it is inevitable. With the new revolution, Gary Hamel believes and hopes that soon the companies will be more transparent and open and that democracy will prevail eventually. He looks forward to the time when decisions regarding project and investments will be made collectively by employees in a company contrary to the usual handful of executives who make vital decisions pertaining to the business. Hamel argues the importance of looking to the future in order to avoid being pulled down by the methodologies of the past. He urges managers to aim at creating an organization that can thrive and make decisions in the future. He acknowl edges the fact that coming up with new untested strategies is taking a risk but once it is successful, it will boost the company to higher levels in the industry ecosystem (Schmetterer, 2003, pp. 74). Hamel hopes to help companies to learn to use their imagination first rather than rushing to create new rules, businesses and industries. This, he believes, will help the companies understand the industrial landscape. Hamel believes that the article will motivate innovation at each sector of the industry and it will give insight to companies on the rewards that come with revolutionary thinking (Hamel, 2002, pp. 67). 3. What are the strengths and weaknesses in the article? The article basically argues that within each organization there exists a strategy revolutionary. He emphasizes that every business director needs to try and identify who they are so that they can be able to nurture them into becoming integral parts of the organizations strategic docket. However, the article fails to explain the importance of identifying the skills and also the main identifiers to be used (Hamel Breen, 2007, pp. 87). Gary encourages companies to be risk takers since he believes for one to revolutionize, they must be willing to think radically and imaginatively. This is a weakness in the article because if the extent of radical thinking is not carefully controlled, it can cost the company a lot sometimes leading to instances of bankruptcy and closure of the company (Hamel, 1996, pp. 54). However, on the other hand, by encouraging people within a company to think outside the box, they could end up unveiling great discoveries that could change the face of the industry forever. This is a major strength in the article and should not be taken lightly. Strength of Gary Hamels article is that he emphasizes on teamwork. His principles try to encourage teamwork amongst employees at all levels of the company. He believes by interacting, those in the lower levels in the organization will be able to share ideas with their superiors more easily. This will eventually lead to revolution in the company (Piana, 2008, pp. 71). Although Gary in his article lays a lot of emphasize on radical thinking and the need to be imaginative and creative, he does not put across measures to ensure that the extent of imagination and creativity is checked. This is because different people operate at different levels of creativity and may vary in their understanding of radical thinking. This could be very dangerous for companies to indulge in and therefore he ought to have suggested ways of putting some control on this and a way to regulate it. Therefore, as much as revolution is important and mandatory for the survival of a company, it must be put in check and controlled as too much of anything is poisonous.

Requiring School Uniform :: miscellaneous

Requiring School Uniform If the school considering requiring all students to wear uniform during school, this is not a good idea that all students think. It is because nowadays, teenager want to have their own style and wear whatever they want. They don't want anyone to force them wear the uniform. And they want to give any others students or friends saw their best look, best look can take give other students or friends' attention, they can attract other students by the look or style they wear. So most students will think wear their clothes are better than the school uniform. First, some of the students think wear their clothes are the habit they they do that everyday. So they won't like to wear the uniform. And most the girls like to wear some clothes that can attract other boys to look at them and their friends will said they are so cool. Then the boys will date them and the girls will feel so happy and have another boyfriend. And in the other way, some of the boys always want to wear their clothes and look so cool to attract other girls, so they can have the other girlfriends. That is one reason they students like to wear their clothes and not uniform. Second, some of the uniform in other school was so ugly or outdate. It is because the school teacher or principal don't know what the students like or what style do the students want to wear. Every students have their own style and their won't have the same idea as the other students. So the school cannot make a uniform to content all the students. And the other things is the students will think wear the school uniform was so dumb and stupid, and they think that the people in outside will laugh at them or make fun on them. Third, the students want to be free, they want to have all the freedom. United state is a freedom country, they think they can wear the clothes in their way. It is because uniform maybe is some pressure for the students, they don't want school to force them to wear it. Uniform give the students a uncomfortable feeling, they will feel not comfortable to wear it, and now all teenager like to buy many clothes and wear different everyday. Maybe some students don't want people to know what school they are and if they wear uniform, the other people will know what school they are.

English Essay

People who ultimate while doing their homework are restricting their critical thinking cap abilities. Students who multicast while doing homework are more likely to see grade drops, and they tend to participate less in class discussions. Because multitasking is inefficient, student TTS should separate homework with other activities unrelated to their assignments. Multitasking d isn't work and when you're done with homework then it may be time for other activities you want to concur. Multitasking affects learning as performance degrades and time is lost with eve ere task that is multitasking.All activities performances' are affected if multitasking. Multitasking and driving is very popular amongst adults and teens. Drivers SE me pretty comfortable chatting on their cell phones while navigating the streets. But bra in researchers say it's a terrible idea, even with a handshake device. When using a handshake dive CE, scientists have found that talking on the phone distracts us to the po int where we devote less s brain power to focusing on the road. If you're driving while challenging, then your performance CE is going to be as poor as if you were legally drunk. Driving requires a surprising amount of b rain power.Out on the road, we have to process huge amounts of visual information, predict the actions of other drivers and coordinate precise movements Of our hands and feet. It can be do en, but proceed at your own risk. Multitasking and homework may seem like a bad combination, but it helps you u out in ways. Multitasking while doing your homework gives you something to do who en you get stuck, then you may come back to your problem with a fresh perspective. Multitasking Eng also can help you find help, if you're stuck on something you can surf the web and find a so race that may get you to your answer. English Essay They faced extreme weather conditions and pirates attack on the sea, when they arrived in Australia they get paid poorly and work long hours. The poem â€Å"Crossing the red sea† by Peter Crooknecks talked about polish migrants had to leave their home and their past experiences of war and destruction after World War II. They are forced on a journey to Australia by boat. They have to sail through the Red Sea and cross the Equator. It is very difficult for them to speak about their experiences and memories and to hare their sadness and stories.An example that supports the idea is â€Å"Peaks of mountains and green rivers that shared their secrets with storms and exiles†. This example showed that during their journey, mountains and rivers are the only things who would share their secrets. This example also showed journeys are challenging by using personification, it described mountains and rivers as human being who would share secrets with people. Every text has its own wa y of communicating its ideas to readers. The â€Å"Crossing the red sea† used a poem format to communicating its ideas while ‘The happiest refugee† sing a novel to express its ideas.The memoir â€Å"The happiest refugee† by Ann. do encountered by Vietnamese refugees and their journey to Australia. The Vietnamese refugees traveled on a crowded fishing boat with mostly children and women. Their boat got attacked by pirates twice and left them with nothing but trapped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a boat of Vietnamese refugees. When they finally made it to Australia, Ann.'s parents worked so hard to feed the family. Because Ann. couldn't speak much English he's often been teased at school. â€Å"As if they'd choose someone to be school obtain who has nits† is an example of people teasing Ann. at school.Because he's from a poor Vietnamese family, people make fun of him at school. This is the difficulty Ann. has to face in his life even though h e made it to Australia. Just like Ann.'s family many people in the world are facing different challenges every day and some of them are life threatening challenges. The features article â€Å"I've lost all hope that I can have a life here† highlights the challenges faced by Sir Lankan family after the civil war ended. In Sir Lankan thousands of families had been destroyed in the civil war.Women are being harassed and abused and men are facing finical problems. The biggest challenge for them is to cope with every days life and the quote â€Å"My dream is to give my children a good environment and education† emphasis the difficulties they're having in Sir Lankan. These texts have communicated journeys are challenging and difficult. The best text that demonstrates journeys are challenging is â€Å"The happiest refugee†. In this text composer used different types of examples to demonstrate their difficulties which successfully communicate the ideas to readers. English Essay ‘Birdsong with the themes of dreams and reality. Keats' however expresses his poems in the idea Of reaching the perfect moment and making it last forever. Skate's follows the idea of being transient through his poems and living forever, the theme of reality comes in to show you that there are the real things of life which need to be faced to take part in following your dreams.The novel ‘Atonement', written by Ian Mclean in 2001, emphasis on the young adolescent women, Bryony and the present self who bases herself as the a narrator of the book. She dreams of seeking â€Å"atonement† for the pain and suffering she has produced between Robbie and Cecilia. But through her efforts of achieving this reparation, reality comes in and crushes her chances of obtaining this dream of seeking forgiveness. Dreams and Reality possess a strong force in the three texts, often showing the reality in the harshness of the world we live in. English essay Students cannot get enough, it is like they would take a bullet for it. Smartest ones are crucial for everyday use & benefits students in a variety of different ways. It is useful for classroom learning because it is portable. Portability allows the device to fit al most every†here due to the size of the smartened. Also, using a smartened can save a massive amount of money in numerous ways. Lastly, it supports what a student does n school throughout their day. To tie it all together, smartness are going to benefit c assessor learning because it is portable, saves money, and supports students.Firstly, smartness benefit classroom learning because it is portable. Smarts hones require less energy to carry around because it is extremely lightweight. For in stance, portability enables students not to carry calculators, laptops, and textbooks AR mound since many of the essential necessities are already on a students smartened. For instance: a smartened provides most of the info on a l aptop. Carrying all the Laptops, tee taboo, & calculators wastes substantial amounts of money and space in your backpack .This generates into back injuries that could result In serious and/ or permanent damages. â€Å"Probabilities allows small devices to fit in a students hand, pocket, or purse† Elliot Swallows (1). Turf inning on with a press of a button; snapping a picture in less then a second; are many of the fee w phenomenal features of a smartened that relates to portability. Secondly, smartness benefit classroom education because it saves money. Students do not have to purchase the material that is already on the phone, s such as: cameras, books, calculators, & clocks.The necessities are already on a smarts hone. Phones also last a very extended time if taken care of properly. Textbooks tend to rip up because it is immensely old and usually the pages are missing caused by students reusing I t multiple times. Instead of buying textbooks, students can just use online te xtbooks who ICC is more convenient and saves an abundance amount of the school's money. Addition Ill, there are inline interactive educational APS that make learning enjoyable and free for students.As Elliot Swallows states, â€Å"Smart phones make possible everywhere learning, allot time learning† (1). On the whole, using a smartened can have a dominant impact on saving money for bounteous reasons. Although, smartness benefit students in a variety of different ways, on the other hand of course, it can also be an insufficient component in the classroom. The ma]or reason why many students oppose that smartness benefit learning in the classroom m is because it s terribly distracting.Many students are testing instead of paying attention to the teacher; using social media involving inappropriate websites; and especially superbly inning their fellow mates. Cheating is also a major issue also that needs to be addressed. When s dents are taking tests, there will always be a student on a smartened looking up the an sewers instead of trying. As a result, if students continue to care only about their social self & chi eat they may lack reading skills, manners, and many more negative attitudes/ habits.Elliot Swallows states You can not teach 21 SST century skills and content with 1 8th century paper an d pencil tools† (2). Back in the day students actually took the effort writing down stuff with a paper and pencil but in 2014 society, students are getting lazy due to smartness. To summary r;zee, smartness can be an inadequate factor in school by causing distractions, c heaters, and bad habits. Lastly, smartness furthermore benefit classroom education because it sup ports students. English Essay People who ultimate while doing their homework are restricting their critical thinking cap abilities. Students who multicast while doing homework are more likely to see grade drops, and they tend to participate less in class discussions. Because multitasking is inefficient, student TTS should separate homework with other activities unrelated to their assignments. Multitasking d isn't work and when you're done with homework then it may be time for other activities you want to concur. Multitasking affects learning as performance degrades and time is lost with eve ere task that is multitasking.All activities performances' are affected if multitasking. Multitasking and driving is very popular amongst adults and teens. Drivers SE me pretty comfortable chatting on their cell phones while navigating the streets. But bra in researchers say it's a terrible idea, even with a handshake device. When using a handshake dive CE, scientists have found that talking on the phone distracts us to the po int where we devote less s brain power to focusing on the road. If you're driving while challenging, then your performance CE is going to be as poor as if you were legally drunk. Driving requires a surprising amount of b rain power.Out on the road, we have to process huge amounts of visual information, predict the actions of other drivers and coordinate precise movements Of our hands and feet. It can be do en, but proceed at your own risk. Multitasking and homework may seem like a bad combination, but it helps you u out in ways. Multitasking while doing your homework gives you something to do who en you get stuck, then you may come back to your problem with a fresh perspective. Multitasking Eng also can help you find help, if you're stuck on something you can surf the web and find a so race that may get you to your answer.

PSY 330 Week 2 DQ1 Essay

PSY 330 Week 2 DQ1 Essay PSY 330 Week 2 DQ1 Essay This pack of PSY 330 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 Neurobiology shows the solutions to the following problems: Select one of the following options for this discussion. Indicate in your post which option you are responding to. Option A: Review this week Psychology - General Psychology Neurobiology Select one of the following options for this discussion. Indicate in your post which option you are responding to. Option A: Review this week’s reading, which introduced the role of neurotransmitters in human behavior and personality. Use the Ashford University Online Library to locate one peer-reviewed research study which was published in the last five years and that implicates a neurotransmitter as the cause of an abnormal behavior (psychological disorder). Clearly indicate in your discussion: a. The abnormal behavior being studied. b. The neurotransmitter that is implicated. c. The role of the neurotransmitter in the expression of the abnormal behavior. Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words and utilize at least one peer-reviewed source that was published within the last five years, cited according to APA guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Respond substantively to two peers who chose a different neurotransmitter or abnormal behavior than you did. Address the role of the neurotransmitter in the expression of the abnormal behavior that they each selected. Are there other possible explanations for the cause of this abnormal behavior? Which explanation do you think makes the most sense? Why? Option B: Review this week’s reading, which introduced the impact of early trauma on function and personality development. Use the Ashford University Online Library to locate a peer-reviewed research study which was published within... Click this link Now for Complete Course - https://bitly.com/1ruc8U7 Develop good, long lasting relationships with professors. Your number one resource in college is your professor, and they are able to provide you with a lot of assistance. Lend a hand if appropriate and don't hesitate to ask questions or request assistance. When you have a positive relationship with professors, you will have endless opportunities. Psychology - General Psychology Neurobiology Select one of the following options for this discussion. Indicate in your post which option you are responding to. Option A: Review this week’s reading, which introduced the role of neurotransmitters in human behavior and personality. Use the Ashford University Online Library to locate one peer-reviewed research study which was published in the last five years and that implicates a neurotransmitter as the cause of an

Hamlet Thesis

Hamlet Thesis Hamlet Thesis Hamlet ThesisHamlet is one of the most well-know tragedies written by Shakespeare. Even if you have never this play, you are undoubtedly aware of the key characters, the plot, as well as the theme. This article is written with the hope to assist you in the process of Hamlet thesis writing from scratch. Hamlet Thesis Writing While writing a hamlet thesis, you should decide on the specific elements you want to cover. For example, you may write a Hamlet thesis about symbols, try to understand the actions and words of the main characters, to explore the relationships between the main characters, to trace the complexity of images, dissect conversations among the characters, to analyze the themes, the plot, or literary devices.As you can see, the choice of the Hamlet thesis writing direction is rather wide and you can definitely decide on the specific issue. If you need professional advice on Hamlet thesis writing, if you are looking for expert assistance with Hamlet thesis, do not hesitat e to order professional Hamlet thesis writing service at our site. We are ready to help you 24/7 and you will be pleasantly surprised with our custom thesis prices!Hamlet Thesis Topic IdeasInward and onward conflict in drama. Which type of conflict is more apparent?Character of Hamlet. Is he insane or pretend to be the one in order to carry out his plan?Is revenge the main topic in drama? What are the additional themes in the play?What is not normal in the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude? Is the setting of the play important for the topic development? How?Is Hamlet in love with Ophelia? Is she in love with Hamlet? Is love a topic in Hamlet? Compare the characters of Claudius and Macbeth. Are they similar or different?What is the role of the ghost in the play? Was it the first sign of Hamlets insanity?Hamlet Thesis Writing HelpIf you have no time to devote to Hamlet thesis writing, you may rely on our professional writing services and get your Hamlet thesis written from scratch by professional thesis writers. We can impress you with the quality of our professional thesis writing service!

Origins of Yoga History Essay Example

Origins of Yoga History Essay Example Origins of Yoga History Essay Example Origins of Yoga History Essay Example The film presented for discussion in this paper is Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual. This is the movie made up by Paula Force in 2005 in the U.S. This 50 minute documentary researches the way of life and main habits of Indian yogis. However, the main idea of this documentary is the statement that hatha yoga, which is practiced by most of the Western population, is just a small element of the life of an average yogi. Moreover, the main aim of yogi lies not just in finding peace and harmony with the surrounding environment but in the lifelong search for connection with the Divine, as well. Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual The documentary begins with showing Swami Vidyanand Swaroop Brachmachari, who has experienced the life of yogi for 35 years. He speaks about the sense of being a yogi that lies in the search for connection with God. Yoga could not be considered just the branch of study or science; it is a certain way of life. Yogis travel during all their life, and that is how they live. While watching the movie, the viewers could see different yogis. It is important to underline that most of them do not wear ordinary clothes; they rub ashes onto their skin to cover body with color. Most of them spend their life traveling to northern India and Nepal. The way of life presented in documentary shows that yogis spend most of their time praying, meditating, seeking the inner harmony with God, and performing different yoga postures. Commentaries to the film are given by yogis themselves and by Dr. Georg Feuerstein, a professional Western writer about traditions and origins of yoga. The presentation of the plot of the film is rather simply organized for the better understanding. Moreover, it is presented in the way of interviews and analysis that were held at the moment. It brings the feeling of real picture of the traditions and way of life observed by yogis. In the film, one could notice that Dr. Georg Feuerstein asked people strict and simple questions that came to his head in the process of this filmmaking. There were several questions about the nature of their beliefs, the reason of women absence among yogis, positions of their families regarding their decisions to devote their lives to yoga. One would discuss the answers to these questions in the review. This documentary is easy to understand; thus, it does not look as a serious scientific research. However, it gives the viewers an opportunity to understand the origins and spiritual bases of yoga. However, most part of this film is devoted to ordinary life of yogis. Modern Western society realizes the essential value of yoga, its main ideas, and key principles. However, the origins of yoga are not widely presented and researched. People are used to the thought that yoga is a certain amount of exercise that one may perform from time to time. However, it has been already mentioned that it is the specific path to the harmonization of the inner world. It is connection with Devine that gives the understanding of real life values (Origins of yoga, 2005) It is necessary to underline that physical benefits that could be achieved with yoga are just a small part of positive results that one could gen practicing yoga. In the film, it is said that there are about 15 million yogis around the world. A real yogi is devoted to this idea of connection to the God and serving higher goal for all his life. It is something like a secret science that could open the doors to a new life. It is said that the story of formation of yoga could be said to start almost five thousand years ago. The first place that is connected with the development of yoga is the Indus Valley. The Himalayan caves are considered as the place where ancient people decided to stop their ordinary way of life and to devote their life to the Divine. That was the reason they left society and became yogis. However, the Himalayas are said to be the place fool of mystery. People there always differ from others. That is some kind of connection with nature and inner world. Origins of Yoga: Quest for the Spiritual is a feature film that presents the interviews with yogis in the places of their ordinary location. It is done to show the real picture of their life and everyday habits. That is why the viewers could see their real lifestyle, activity, habits. It is the opportunity to see yoga from the side, which shows that it not just as a number of exercises. Yoga should be considered as a lifestyle. Modern Western society possesses yoga as the mainstream as fitness, feng shui. It became popular, but people do not actually realize the real meaning of yoga. This film shows the connection of modern people to the ancient ones who began practicing yoga more than five thousand years ago. This film could be very useful for those who practice yoga or just want to start doing so. The only thing one needs to do to realize the essence of yoga is just follow this man through the streets and mountains of India. However, one needs to know this documentary is created by the fellow traveler from Los Angeles. This fellow traveler is Paula Fouce, a filmmaker, whose aim is to bring light into the story concerning the real live and habits of yogis. This film determines the main treasure of Indian yogis. They share their wisdom and their vision of the values of life. This documentary could be considered as a good material for yoga education. This movie describes and researches the science of yoga. It is even possible to speak about the interesting travelling to India without living home. There is an objective view on the origin of yoga and real habits of people who choose yoga as the lifestyle. After watching this movie, one could understand that it really differs from other films on the same topic. Others concentrate mostly on the exercises and specific techniques of yoga. This video presented the viewers with the ancient practice and its story that shows the main aim of yoga. One of the most essential benefits of this documentary is that facts are shared by yogis themselves. Paula Fouce spent a lot of years traveling and researching South Asia. She became an expert in Asian culture and traditions. It is necessary to stress that she has even co-authored Shiva (specific photographic book). Origins of Yoga is not the only film directed by Paula. She directed and produced such films as Naked in Ashes and By Many Names. Moreover, she worked on the new film Vanising nation: Tibet (Lama, 1998) This documentary gives the understanding that yoga is something more than a number of specific postures and exercises that serve to increase ones flexibility and strength. The real aim of yoga always has a deeper value that lies in the lightening the life through the inner harmony and through the transformation of the personality and his or her ego. It should be stressed that in Hinduism, Buddism the term â€Å"yoga† means â€Å"spiritual discipline†. Physical activity is just the element of yoga. To find inner harmony one needs to bring harmony to both: one’s body and one’s soul. The way one understands the world would be the result of the world`s attitude to an individual. One needs to realize that attachment brings bad habits. There exists no exact tendency as to how to present the history of yoga. One fact that is clear about the history of yoga is that it took its roots from the East. It is possible to find first sighs of yoga in ancient Shamanism. The research shows that the yoga postures were found on the artifacts that date back to 3000 B.C. Moreover, some more evidence of yoga could be found in the oldest text Rig Veda. This text is considered as the composition of hymns. The topics of these texts include ancient prayers, divine power and energy, and life of the highest value. Firstly, yoga was created and developed in order to be the science of understanding the world and search for the inner peace and harmony. However, one needs to realize that self-enlightenment become the secondary goal of yoga. Yoga actually has faced a lot of criticism during it existence. People who do not understand its purposes find it not useful for the development and enlightenment. Modern yoga differs from what has been shown in the documentary. Today, it is based on five main principles that were mentioned by Swami Sivananda: Right relaxation; Physical exercises; Proper breathing; Meditation and positive attitude to the surrounding environment (White, 2003) Even in present time, the origins of yoga are still the matter of debates in scientific society and among ordinary people. There are a lot of essential benefits of practicing yoga in one’s life. It helps one find spiritual connection with the inner world and search for the Divine power that is beyond human ordinary existence. This practice needs to be used every day in case if one is interested in getting positive results. One cannot achieve inner harmony practicing yoga twice a week in some fitness center. As it is underlined in the documentary, yoga needs to become a lifestyle. The viewers have learned from the Origins of Yoga that in order to find harmony and peace, yogis have at least two meditations a day. It is necessary to remember about balance and spiritual food. These meditations could be considered as one’s spiritual food. There are different meditations that need to be used for certain purposes. Each of them gives a different feeling. One needs to realize what emotion one is going to experience. During the meditation, one can clear one’s mind from any thoughts and relax. That is how the body and soul become free of everyday thoughts and actions. Only in such a situation, one becomes able to fee extra energy that gives the connection with the inner world and feeling of the presence of Divine. Proper breathing while meditation helps one feel relaxed and concentrate on a certain issue from one’s soul. However, one needs to remember that food that one eats influences one’s life a lot. Yogis always control their food. Certain products could help one relax (green herbal tea) and some would make one’s brain follow the inner aggression (meat). Moreover, it is necessary to remember that one should not be food oriented. Moreover, everybody should know that that one eats to live, but not lives to eat. The main food yogi concentrate their attention is spiritual food. Thus, it plays more important role in their life. People do not have not so much time to keep their mind full of different useless thoughts. Yogis understand that their main role is to be the way of connection between ordinary people and Divine powers. That is why they travel a lot. It is connected with two main reasons: Exploring new places that may bring proper energy; Sharing their knowledge and experience with others. It is important to mention that it is quite unlikely to see a woman yogi. There are several explanations given in the documentary. Women are not able to become the way of connection with the Divine, and they do not have enough skills to live the life of yogi. History shows men practicing yoga. Modern yoga concerns not only men, but women, as well. Thus, today woman practicing yoga could be seen rather often. Time changes and views regarding most ancient traditions could be changed. In the conclusion, it should be said that this documentary has high value for both: practicing yogis and ordinary people. However, film demonstrates the real life and habits of yogis in their native location. Moreover, the main aim of yogi lies not just in finding peace and harmony with the surrounding environment, but the lifelong seeking the connection with the Divine. While watching the movie it is possible to see different yogis and hear to their opinion about the aim and value of yoga. Most of them spend their life traveling to northern India and Nepal. We need to underline that yogis have life that differs from the life of ordinary people. Thus, most of them spend their time praying, meditating, seeking the inner harmony with God, and performing different yoga postures. The plot of the film is rather simple to understand. Thus, it is presented in the way of interviews and analysis that were held at the moment. It brings the feeling of real picture of the traditions and way of life observed by yogis. Modern Western society realizes the essential value of yoga and its main ideas and key principles. Nevertheless, the origins of yoga are not widely presented and researched to have the real picture of its origins. Most of people are mistaken when thinking that yoga is a certain amount of exercise that one may perform from time to time. Modern Western society possesses yoga as the mainstream as fitness, feng shui. The real spence of yoga lies in the strong connection of the inner world of person with Devine. There are a lot of essential benefits of practicing yoga, as it helps to find spiritual connection with the inner world and seek for the Divine power that is beyond our ordinary existence. This practice needs to be used every day in case if one is interested in getting positive results. This film broadens the mind of ordinary people and shows the real essence and origins of yoga. There is no need to research yoga before watching it. Thus, the language and presentation of this documentary are easy to understand and realize. Origins of Yoga could be considered the guide to the real world of yogis, their habits, and the history of yoga.

Analysis Movie Amadeus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis Movie Amadeus - Essay Example Amadeus tells the story of the great musician, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It is narrated by his rival, Antonio Salieri. His story is a flashback to the events of his acquaintance with the young prodigy who was well-spoken of in the field of music. Mozart was considered a genius, performing in the presence of kings, emperors and the pope while Salieri was still playing common games with his equally pauper friends. As Salieri grew, he became more and more passionate with music but his father did not share the same dreams that he had. Fortunately, at least for the young Salieri, his father died and as fate would have it, the orphan was adopted and educated in Vienna, rising to the position of court composer. Salieri first encounters his mischievous contender at a performance for the prince archbishop of Salzburg where Salieri finds out that his rival is actually an immature and reckless person. His contention towards the young musician grew stronger as the two are finally formally introduced in the emperor’s palace. Salieri, the court composer produced a marching piece for Mozart’s entrance as he was invited to the palace. Later, Mozart plays it without a copy and even suggests some revisions for the music in front of the emperor and his guests. This starts Salieri’s jealousy toward Mozart and his enmity with God. He then uses his position to influence the emperor and other officials of the court in order to stagnate Mozart’s career. Consequently, Mozart and his family suffered financially and the musician slowly became a drunkard. Mozart’s depression further worsened when his father died and his health deteriorated. With his vice and financial troubles, Mozart’s wife, Constance, finally leaves with their son. The genius still continued with his works but his health progressively worsened until he finally collapsed during his last opera. Salieri was there to

ADULT DEV CASE3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ADULT DEV CASE3 - Research Paper Example Shreeve (2008) presented literature on educational models that are designed to solicit active participation from learners. The lecture-based learning (LBL) is the conventional method wherein information are conveyed through lecture and objective examinations (Shreeve, 2008). Critics of LBL presented that most students does not exhibit true learning, instead, they are more concerned on passing the objective examinations (Shreeve, 2008). On the other hand, adult-based learning (ABL) serves the purpose of imparting knowledge based on the adult’s need (Shreeve, 2008). Through recognition of the relevance of the topic to their lives, the adult learner can be more diligent in studying (â€Å"Adult Learning†). Another model cited by Shreeve (2008) is the problem-based learning (PBL), wherein the emphasis is on the adults as participants. In this model, the teacher acts as a simple coordinator, while the students are the ones responsible for initiating, diagnosing and concludin g the discussions (Shreeve, 2008). While the three models mentioned mostly dealt with people discussions and lectures, another model has its foundation based on experience. A Professor of Organizational Behavior, David Kolb formed experiential learning theory (ELT) in consideration to the works of renowned theorists Piaget, Dewey, and Lewin (Smith, 2001). ELT highlights the learner’s experience instead of focusing on the instructor (Shreeve, 2008). Another educational model which is relatively new, as described by Shreeve (2008) is Appreciative Inquiry (AI). In this method, a cycle is implemented wherein the learners are entitled to participate in a discussion. This method closely resembles PBL and ELT, the difference is that AI is leaned more on the positive side of every discussion (Shreeve, 2008). It also identifies the past and is more focused on developing potentials. Through examination of all educational models,

Antibiotic Streptomycin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Antibiotic Streptomycin - Essay Example Streptomycin is classified chemically as an aminoglycosidic antibiotic and some of the other aminoglycosides include kanamycin, neomycin, tobramycin and amikain. In general all aminoglycoside make use of their inhibitory action by blocking protein synthesis in bacteria. Streptomycin kills bacteria by inhibiting protein synthesis by combining irreversibly with the 30S subunit of the70S ribosomes, found typically in prokaryotes. To be more specific, it binds with the S12 protein which is involved in the initiation of protein synthesis. Researchers have found through experiments that streptomycin stops the initiation of protein synthesis by blocking the binding of initiator N-formylmethionine tRNA to the ribosome. Besides, Streptyomycin is also known to stop the normal dissociation of 70S ribosomes into their 50S and 30S subunits. Therefore formation of polysomes is inhibited. Streptomycin action involves distorting the ribosome so that transition from initiation complex (30S-mRNA-tRNA) to chain elongating ribosome is blocked. As a result of this the normal sequence of translation is disrupted and the bacteria is unable to synthesize proteins which is vital for its cell growth and thereby fails to survive. Studies also have shown that the drug also disrupts the cell membrane of susceptible bacteria. Over the years many bacterial species, such as Bacillus subtilis Strain S

Online Retailing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Online Retailing - Case Study Example The online marketing is inspired by the development and the increased of technology. Brick and mortar business is a description of the business that is entirely based on the internet differentiating from that which operates in the practical environment. Of all the methods and strategies of marketing, there are advantages of each of the models (Anderson 1996). Dell Inc has adopted the online marketing and it is also working on mass customization where there is mass production of individually modified products and services to meet the diverse customer needs. This is a more refined means of customer satisfaction where the prices are also comparable to those of standard products. Online retailing is generally adopted by traditional retailers who have widespread logistical and supply stores (Brown 2001). The most important aspect that enables success in online marketing is the fact that, traditional companies are better placed to establish an online presence than starting up a new marketing strategy from scratch. Online marketing is advantageous in existing companies which are already established and have good reputation hence customer confidence (Anderson1996). In such cases, the company retains contact with the physical enterprise and work out to leverage other tasks. Dell has core competencies against other companies that provide computer products and accessories. By the use of online marketing the company is able to explore these competencies more expansively and intensively (Tampa et al 2000). Since Dell is already an established company, it's able to use the trust it has established with its suppliers and hence leverage the supplier networks already in place. For these reason, there will be easy delivery of products to the clients and assured supply (Brown 2001). All these smooth operations come with advantages; discounts and other favoured handling. Existing distribution channels allows for trouble free delivery of services and products, price discounts to the company. These will have an advantage of cutting down the cost of distribution and therefore these benefits will trickle down to the customers in terms of reduced costs. Dell Inc has a well recognized brand name in the computer industry. For this reason, leveraging the brand equity is of great advantage over other companies that use the dot com marketing strategies, Anderson (1996). Having been in operation for quite sometime, Dell Inc is stable company that can operate online especially for financial services as many people already trusts them. This also implies the company has an already established customer foundation and sales and this brings in the benefits of economies of scale in marketing, making purchases, production (Fingar et al 2000). Established companies operating online will get a chance to leverage a lower cost of capital, as bond issues will be availed to established companies (Tampa et al 2000). The underwriting cost creating a new cop-any from the beginning as in initial public offer is very costly than the online equity offering in marketing. Every company has a set of advantages over others (competitors) and good operation practices (Fingar et al 2000). This gives established firm an advantage in online operations (online

WESTERN CIVILIZATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WESTERN CIVILIZATION - Essay Example The peasants were made to pay land tax, war tax, and an extraordinary number of dues were imposed on them such as, cloth dues, salt dues, bread dues, while the clergy and the nobility were exempt from paying taxes. Resentment and anger were fuming among the exploited poor peasants. These form the long time social background, which caused French Revolution. The administrative failure in France and her bankruptcy in the later part of the 18th century forced Louis XVI to call a general meeting of the Estates General. But differences ensued among the representatives regarding voting rights. On June 10, 1789 the Third Estate, consisting of the bourgeoisie, the peasants, and the liberal minded representatives from the members of the nobility declared itself the National Assembly. Louis XVI failed to disband the group. On July 14th commoners in Paris stormed the Bastille. French Revolution brought new hope and light to all other European states. As the age-old feudal system was demolished the new age upheld the high ideals of Enlightenment. New institutions came up which were based on reason and justice. Man broke the shackles of superstition, prejudice, oppression and cruelty of a fellow human being. New terms such as freedom, liberty, equality and brotherhood filled the hearts of men. For that generation, human rights came within sight; forces of oppression, tyranny and misery were identified. â€Å"So 1789 stands as the pivotal year- a watershed- in which these forces came to their abrupt and necessary

MKT5A5 Application coursework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MKT5A5 Application coursework - Assignment Example The ‘open skies’ agreement with the US in 2007 and government deregulation in the 90s has seen the two major airline sections alter their strategies to stay in line with these changes (Data Monitor, 2014). There two major sections, one is the major global carriers for instance, British Airways and low budget carriers such as Ryanair. In addition to the 9/11 attack, the volatile economic effects and the rise in oil prices has seen a number of airlines go into liquidation. This essay analyses British Airway’s adverting strategy. British Airlines is the leading airline in the UK and its history can be dated back to 1919, however, the British Airways Group began its operations in 1974 (Data Monitor, 2014). During its years in operation the entity has moved from a government-owned entity to a private firm and has undergone a series of reorganisations making it the second largest airline in Europe and third globally. Currently, the airline has flights in over 300 destinations across the world and has over 33 million passengers (Data Monitor, 2014). It is clear that the airline has been adversely affected by the global economic crisis calling for the need to review their advertising strategy to reach a high number of consumers and manage its brand more effectively. British Airways launched a major campaign in eleven years with a  £20m funding by using its employees to promote the desirable qualities of the airline a few months after solving the controversial cabin crew dispute (Sweeney, 2011). The TV advertisement was displayed on British Airways Facebook page and was first aired in the UK and US markets before it was aired to other global markets. The outdoor campaign and supporting press was included in seven advertisements stressing on the skill and experience of the British Airways staff. One print advertisement was done on a baby jacket to draw attention to the fact that the staff members were trained to deliver babies if need be the

Online Retailing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Online Retailing - Case Study Example The online marketing is inspired by the development and the increased of technology. Brick and mortar business is a description of the business that is entirely based on the internet differentiating from that which operates in the practical environment. Of all the methods and strategies of marketing, there are advantages of each of the models (Anderson 1996). Dell Inc has adopted the online marketing and it is also working on mass customization where there is mass production of individually modified products and services to meet the diverse customer needs. This is a more refined means of customer satisfaction where the prices are also comparable to those of standard products. Online retailing is generally adopted by traditional retailers who have widespread logistical and supply stores (Brown 2001). The most important aspect that enables success in online marketing is the fact that, traditional companies are better placed to establish an online presence than starting up a new marketing strategy from scratch. Online marketing is advantageous in existing companies which are already established and have good reputation hence customer confidence (Anderson1996). In such cases, the company retains contact with the physical enterprise and work out to leverage other tasks. Dell has core competencies against other companies that provide computer products and accessories. By the use of online marketing the company is able to explore these competencies more expansively and intensively (Tampa et al 2000). Since Dell is already an established company, it's able to use the trust it has established with its suppliers and hence leverage the supplier networks already in place. For these reason, there will be easy delivery of products to the clients and assured supply (Brown 2001). All these smooth operations come with advantages; discounts and other favoured handling. Existing distribution channels allows for trouble free delivery of services and products, price discounts to the company. These will have an advantage of cutting down the cost of distribution and therefore these benefits will trickle down to the customers in terms of reduced costs. Dell Inc has a well recognized brand name in the computer industry. For this reason, leveraging the brand equity is of great advantage over other companies that use the dot com marketing strategies, Anderson (1996). Having been in operation for quite sometime, Dell Inc is stable company that can operate online especially for financial services as many people already trusts them. This also implies the company has an already established customer foundation and sales and this brings in the benefits of economies of scale in marketing, making purchases, production (Fingar et al 2000). Established companies operating online will get a chance to leverage a lower cost of capital, as bond issues will be availed to established companies (Tampa et al 2000). The underwriting cost creating a new cop-any from the beginning as in initial public offer is very costly than the online equity offering in marketing. Every company has a set of advantages over others (competitors) and good operation practices (Fingar et al 2000). This gives established firm an advantage in online operations (online

MKT5A5 Application coursework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MKT5A5 Application coursework - Assignment Example The ‘open skies’ agreement with the US in 2007 and government deregulation in the 90s has seen the two major airline sections alter their strategies to stay in line with these changes (Data Monitor, 2014). There two major sections, one is the major global carriers for instance, British Airways and low budget carriers such as Ryanair. In addition to the 9/11 attack, the volatile economic effects and the rise in oil prices has seen a number of airlines go into liquidation. This essay analyses British Airway’s adverting strategy. British Airlines is the leading airline in the UK and its history can be dated back to 1919, however, the British Airways Group began its operations in 1974 (Data Monitor, 2014). During its years in operation the entity has moved from a government-owned entity to a private firm and has undergone a series of reorganisations making it the second largest airline in Europe and third globally. Currently, the airline has flights in over 300 destinations across the world and has over 33 million passengers (Data Monitor, 2014). It is clear that the airline has been adversely affected by the global economic crisis calling for the need to review their advertising strategy to reach a high number of consumers and manage its brand more effectively. British Airways launched a major campaign in eleven years with a  £20m funding by using its employees to promote the desirable qualities of the airline a few months after solving the controversial cabin crew dispute (Sweeney, 2011). The TV advertisement was displayed on British Airways Facebook page and was first aired in the UK and US markets before it was aired to other global markets. The outdoor campaign and supporting press was included in seven advertisements stressing on the skill and experience of the British Airways staff. One print advertisement was done on a baby jacket to draw attention to the fact that the staff members were trained to deliver babies if need be the

Mediterranean Woodlands Ecosystem Essay Example for Free

Mediterranean Woodlands Ecosystem Essay An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, they can come in any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces. Climate: The Mediterranean experiences hot, dry summers, with temperatures usually between 20 and 25Â °C, but they can reach well in excess of 30Â °C. Winters are mild, with temperatures falling to around 10Â °C. There is moderate rainfall, of around 800mm, which falls mainly in the winter Vegetation: The Mediterranean hillsides were once covered in dense deciduous and coniferous forests. In Europe this meant that trees such as the oak flourished, whilst in California giant redwood trees grew up. Most of these have been cleared, especially in Europe, however some Where the forests have been removed a dense scrubland has replaced them. The shrub vegetation has adapted to cope with the dry, hot summers by having waxy leaves that prevent water loss through transpiration. They also have long roots to reach water deep below the surface. Many of the trees are resistant to fire, as these are a common feature of the Mediterranean area. Clearance: Humans have ahd a huge impact on Mediterranean woodland throughout the world, but particularly in Europe. The Romans and Greeks cleared much of it for fuel wood and building materials, as well as clearing areas for farming. Agriculture: the massive clearance of the Mediterranean woodlands exposed huge areas for farming, as they presumed the ground would be fertile. Unfortunately in many cases the dry summers and winter rains proceeded to wash away the nutritious topsoil fairly quickly. This leaves relatively infertile land on which to farm. A very good example where this occurred was in Southern Italy. Grazing animals also caused great damage to the woodlands, and continue to also affect the newer scrubland that has developed. Fires: Forest fires are very common in the Mediterranean area, and this has helped to destroy much of the original woodland. The shrubs and small trees that have replaced them often are resistant to fire. Reference Chapin et al. (2002), p. 380; Schulze et al. (2005); p. 400 Hatcher, Bruce Gordon (1990). Coral reef primary productivity. A hierarchy of pattern and process. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 5 (5): 149–155. doi:10.1016/0169-5347(90)90221-X. Odum, EP (1971) Fundamentals of ecology, third edition, Saunders New York Schulze et al. (2005), p.400 Tansley (1934); Molles (1999), p. 482; Chapin et al. (2002), p. 380; Schulze et al. (2005); p. 400; Gurevitch et al. (2006), p. 522; Smith Smith 2012, p. G-5 Willis (1997), p.269; Chapin et al. (2002), p. 5; Krebs (2009). p. 572

Impact of Cushioned and Ball Chair on Classroom Behaviour

Impact of Cushioned and Ball Chair on Classroom Behaviour The Impact of Air Sit Cushioned and Ball Chair on Classroom Behavior of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Nader Matin Sadr1, Hojjat Allah Haghgoo2, Sayyed Ali Samadi3, Mehdi Rassafiani2, Enayat Allah Bakhshi 2 1. Ph.D Candidate of Occupational therapy 2. PhD 3. Ph.D University of Ulster Introduction: Increasing number of children with autism spectrum disorder is 1 case per 110 Students is a great challenge for education system (1). Difficulty in engagement in class tasks, low attention span, and inappropriate behaviors are common in these students, which interfere with student’s ability to participate in the educational mainstream (2). One reason that children with ASD have limited success in educational improvement with some intervention strategies is that these strategies do not address the sensory issues that may underlie the disruptive behavior (Ayres, 1972; Dunn, 2000). In an extensive research on 200 children with autism, %95 had difficulties in sensory modulation. Physiological need for proper sensory stimulation leads to spending most of student time on stereotype and repetitive movements to adjust their sensory system. Therefore, their attention would not be concentrated on learning and assignments in class. Greenspan and Wieder argued that the decrease in sensory processing may resulted in social isolation and inattention to class tasks (2).Viola and Noddings stated that children with low sensory sensibility require additional sensory stimulation to accomplish the tasks which require attention and concentration (3). Therefore, one of the prominent approaches to address the behavioral problems in these chi ldren is sensory integration approach. Sensory integration approach includes integration of three essential sensory systems: the proprioceptive, the vestibular, and the tactile systems. These systems, regulate the awareness of the body in space, joint and limbs positions, control sensations of gravity and movement, and perceives the sense of touch (4). Sensory Integration theory is focused on these special key sensory systems which are useful in person’s interpretation and application of sensory information. Proper sensory integration is a gate to successful educational learning through successful application of sensory and perceptual systems which would lead to forming vital skills for doing on task behaviors (4). Occupational therapists who work in school often use sensory techniques to increase students’ levels of attending, on-task behavior, and performance in the classroom. Many clinicians perceive these approaches to be successful in promoting functional classroom behavior. According to previous findin gs, 99% of occupational therapists use sensory integration techniques (5). Smith and Miller had been in contact with 292 occupational therapists in 1992 and found that Sensory Integration based-therapy was the most common applied technique among all of them (6). The effects of proper sensory integration, improve students ability to educational achievements and success by goal directed use of sensory and perceptual systems. This method can lead to success in learning (Gilman). Furthermore, formal research conducted on sensory-based interventions has supported this belief (Schilling, 2004; Schilling Schwartz, 2004; Schilling, Washington, Billingsley, Deitz, 2003). Hemmingsson and Borel in their investigations emphasized on lack of environmental modification in the classroom that directly refers to the limitation of student’s engagement. So, lack of proper changes in environment can lead to restriction in learning. Furthermore, previous emphasis in pediatric occupational therapy has been on modifying the individual’s behavior with less emphasis placed on changing the environment, but focus is now shifting to ergonomic and sensory modifications to promote academic success (Asher, 2010). Various sensory-based strategies, including the use of alternative seating devices, have been examined by researchers and in many cases have been found to promote functional classroom behavior (Fertel-Daly, Bedell, Hinojosa, 2001; Schilling et al., 2003; Schilling Schwartz, 2004; Zissermann, 1992). Two of these functional methods are the using of balls and air cushions rather than common chairs. The use of therapeutic balls have been lead to marke d improvements in the in-seat behavior and legible word production, in school age children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Schilling, 2004; Schilling et al., 2003) and to increase in engagement and in-seat behavior of preschoolers with ASD (Schilling Schwartz, 2004) (7). Clinicians have been using dynamic seating systems such as the Disc ‘O’ Sit cushion for many years to assist students to increase their attention span. While clinical evidence that these systems can lead to desired results, but very little research has been completed and published to support their use. Sitting on a ball allows the child to pay more attention to activities while receiving stimulation in a passive form, rather than seeking stimulation from disruptive activities. Gamache-Hulsmans (2007) stated that students said they feel better when sitting on ball chairs. Students also felt more comfortable and said their backs did not hurt when sitting. The ball chairs are soft compared to regular classroom seats and are more fun to sit on (3). To what extent, dynamic seating chairs will effect on attention to on task behaviors and in-seat behavior? Therefore, in this research, the effects of sitting on ball and air cushion were investigated. With regards to thousands of special students with difficulty in sitting and classroom performance, these devices may be optional selection for solving the mentioned class behavior problems. Materials and Method Research Design: A single subject multiple treatments withdrawal design A-B-A-C was used to investigate the effects of 3 seating options including common chairs, therapy balls, air cushions on the in-seat, on class task behavior, communication and social behavior of four students with ASD. During the 2 A phases students were sitting on common chairs, in B phase on air cushions, and during C phase they were sitting on therapeutic balls. Participants: This investigation performed in an especial school for ASD students. A convenience sample including four participants was recruited from the Preschool students in autism elementary school in Mashhad, Iran. Participants were diagnosed as ASD by specialists and taking their own medications regularly throughout the study. According to teachers’ report, all children were identified as having difficulty with in-seat behavior and on task behavior. Procedures: Informed consents were obtained prior to experiment and contents were comprehended and signed by students’ legal representative. Data collection: Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS II) and Vineland testes were given and were used to examine social and communication skills of students in the first and final of research for all students of class. To assess the students’ class behavior, staff was instructed to give no additional feedback on students sitting behavior either positive or negative throughout the duration of the study. But, if a student exhibited behavior that could be potentially harmful to him, peers, or the staff must have been prevented by staff. To remove any novelty effects, students were introduced with stability balls and air cushion instead of their chairs for 2 full days, before baseline data collection. Video recording: Setting camera recorders in class, Students’ behaviors during class task (sitting period and attention performance related to class tasks) were recorded all the day-time. Students’ behaviors were quantified three times per week, one day after another, with an overall of 12 sessions. Two occupational therapists were trained as observer of videos. In-seat data were collected via momentary real time sampling (MTS); the observers coded the student’s behavior on the basis of several behavioral classifications. The mean score across raters was used to calculate weekly on-task and in seat behavior. Videos were regularly checked throughout the study to determine inter and intra rater reliability agreement. Observers individually, watched videos every 10-s intervals, stopped it and marked the observation on each child’s designated worksheet, thus resulting in 60 observations per session per participant. This MTS interval would serve to make the obs ervations more valid and representative of the child’s behavior throughout the baseline and interventions periods. Additionally, GARS II and Vineland testes were given and were used to examine social and communication skills of students in the first and final phases of research for all students of class. Students’ class behaviors during two intervention phases (each 1 week) were compared with class behavior during baseline and withdrawal phases (each one week). Teacher Social Validity Scale: Social validity questionnaire was used at the end of the study to evaluate teacher opinion regarding the intervention. The questionnaire consisted of 8 questions and assessed effects of intervention on sitting and activity participation as well as the extent of preference of stability balls or air cushion instead of chairs. Questions were answered on a 5-point Likert scale that ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). On-Task Behavior:† Engagement was defined as â€Å"oriented towards appropriate classroom activity or teacher and either interacting with materials, responding to the speaker or looking at the speaker† (Schilling Schwartz, 2004, p. 427). This definition included reading, and writing as well. In-Seat Behavior: Data on in-seat behavior was defined according to Schilling and Schwartz (2004) and quantified during video review. â€Å"Any portion of the child’s buttocks in contact with the seat portion of the chair† (Schillling Schwartz, 2004, p. 427) and â€Å"the four legs of the chair in contact with the floor† (p. 427). For the intervention phase (B), any portion of the participant’s buttocks in contact with the air cushion, air cushion in contact with the chair and the four legs of the chair in contact with the floor. For the intervention phase (C), in-seat behavior was defined as â€Å"any portion of the participant’s buttocks in contact with the ball, the ball in contact with the floor, and at least one foot in contact with the floor† (Schilling Schwartz, 2004, p. 427). GARS-2: The GARS is a screening instrument used for the assessment of individuals’ ages 3–22 years old who exhibit behavioral characteristics that may be indicative of autism. This is a standardized instrument, which consists of 42 items divided into three subscales that describe specific, observable and measurable behaviors. The items included in this instrument are based on the definition of autism adopted by the Autism Society of America (2003) and on the diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder published in DSM-IV-TR. Vineland Materials: Therapy balls: The selected therapy balls to be used in classroom use, had 55-cm-diameter (n Sit ball by †¦) with five little feet to prevent it from moving or rolling when used as a sitting ball. Therapy balls were individually fitted with air pressure into the ball (at different degrees of inflation) that confirm the student could sit comfortably with his feet flat on the floor with knees and hips flexed at 90 degrees. Air cushion: The Disc ‘O’ Sit cushion is a round and widely available. The Disc ‘O’ Sit, are instability cushions, strong enough to sit. It is designed to fit on a classroom chair and provide movement while seated (7). Chair: A general wooden with iron frame classroom chair without armrests (height, 72 cm; depth, 34 cm; width, 39 cm; seat height, 36 cm). 1. Participant 1, speak with himself slowly and repeatedly with low attention and cannot tolerate sitting on chair. Participant 2 an 8-yr-old boy, he has low level endurance for performing occupation and sitting. He was hyperactive. Participant 3 an 8-yr-old boy, he has visual perceptual problem with low attention and endurance. Participant 4 a 11-yr-old boy, auditory problem, he likes, Results: During Phase A1 the number of times Hossin was on seat ranged from 11 to 18 (mean [M] = 14). During Phase B, the range was 30–36 (M = 34). During Phase A2, (chair) 15-38 (M = 23). During Phase C, (ball) the range was 2-10 (M = 6). The number of on seat for Hossin shows increase on air cushion and decrease in sitting on ball. During Phase A1 the number of times Hossin was on task ranged from 23 to 32 (mean [M] = 27.5). During Phase B, the range was 42-56 (M = 50). During Phase A2, (chair) 33-44 (M = 39). During Phase C, (ball) the range was 47-51 (M = 48). The number of on seat for Hossin shows increase on air cushion and decrease in sitting on ball. Each child’s data are presented in separate graphs in Figure (A) Total number of times that Hossin was on seat each phases. (B) Total number of times that Hassan was on seat and engaged each session. (C) Total number of times that Parsa was on seat and engaged each session. (D) Total number of times that Amir was on seat and engaged each session. Films was regularly checked throughout the study for determining inter and intra rater reliability agreement. Final inter rater agreement percentages ranged from 93% to 100% for in-seat behavior and from 80% to 90% for on-task behavior. They had a mean age of 8.75  ± 1.9 years, mean height 132.5  ± 9 cm, and mean weight 29.25  ± 8.5 kg. Each child demonstrated a unique response to the use of the therapy ball chair and air cushion. Discussion: Conclusions: This investigation suggests that dynamic seating in the classroom, increases in-seat behavior on task behavior for children with ASD. However no one type of seating was found appropriate for all children with ASD. For some forms of classroom behavior, the use of dynamic seating appears proactive, serving  as a positive behavior support strategy to assist in creating an opportunity for learning. References 1.Koegel L, Matos-Fredeen R, Lang R, Koegel R. Interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders in inclusive school settings. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2011. 2.Schilling DL, Schwartz IS. Alternative seating for young children with autism spectrum disorder: Effects on classroom behavior. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2004;34(4):423-32. 3.Horgen KM, Kathryn M. Utilization of an Exercise Ball in the Classroom: Its Effect on Off-task Behavior of a Student with ADHD [thesis]: University of Wisconsin; 2009. 4.Wu W-L, Wang C-C, Chen C-h, Lai C-L. Influence of Therapy Ball Seats on Attentional Ability in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. 2011. 5.Tunstall H.R. Effects of Alternative Seating on the Academic Engagement of Children With Autism 2010. 6.Lang R, O’Reilly M, Healy O, Rispoli M, Lydon H, Streusand W, et al. Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012;6(3):1004-18. 7.Schilling DL. Alternative seating devices for children with ADHD: Effects on classroom behavior. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2006;18(1):81.

Coal Fires :: Fire Coal Mining Essays

Coal Fires I’ve long been familiar with the concept of coal mines, but a common occurrence I was unfamiliar with previous to this class was the concept of coal mine fires, but it is a huge problem, both economically and environmentally. Perhaps the most infamous American example of a coal mine fire is Centralia, a town in the anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania. Centralia was like any other coal town until one fateful day in 1962, when a heap of burning trash in a dump that doubled as a mine stripping pit quickly spread to other parts of the mine. After a few months of bureaucratic haggling, the local government finally agreed to drill to suffocate the fire, but it had spread faster than had been anticipated and could not easily be contained. In the next few years, subsequent efforts to quell the fire proved futile while it expanded beyond the confines of the coal mine to other areas underneath people’s residences in the town of Centralia. Because the ground, at places, was literally breathing carbon monoxide into people’s homes, within a few years Centralia became a place unliveable for its residents and, in 1981, the government bought the town out, paying to ship Centralia’s population elsewhere, away from the barren, sinking land and its still-raging fires that had been incited almost 20 years previous. A few remained behind despite the government-paid relocation and they still remain today, but the fire below them still remains also, raging unabated beneath what was once a booming town. (Tietz) The problem of Coal fires is not limited to Centralia, Pennsylvania, however. It is a problem that has caused major difficulties both in other areas of the United States (like Colorado) and also other parts of the world. In Indonesia, for instance, a series of forest fires in 1982 ignited a series of coal fires, 106 of which the government was able to extinguish, leaving 159 that are still raging to this very day. (Amos) A coal fire in Jharia, India, that had already caused the government to relocate the town’s population, destroyed a riverbank, unleashing a rush of water in the underground mines that drowned 78 coal workers. By some estimates, fires that rage in the northern coal belt of China burn something like 200 million tons of coal each year. (Krajick) While the economic cost of this is considerable — over $1 billion spent in the United States alone, despite the fact that the relatively few coal fires it plays host to are still extant — the environmental cost is perhaps even more alarming.

The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet Essay -- Health Nutrition Diet Exerc

The Advantages of a Vegetarian Diet Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish). The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits have been associated with the vegetarian diet. This dietary method has been linked to reducing the causes of obesity, heart disease, and cancer. With the vegetarian diet the chances of becoming obese are lowered. Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases. According to the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention every one in three Americans are considered to be obese. An individual is considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) level of thirty or greater. The BMI level measures one’s body weight while taking into consideration height. Obesity is a condition of having excess body fat. Due to vegetarians consuming less fat in their diet, body fat, and BMI levels, is generally lower. This implies that the chances for becoming obese will be decreased. Consuming the foods in the vegetarian diet is what leads an individual to have a lower BMI level. This is because less fat and fatty acids are being consumed. There is also a high amount of fiber in the vegetarian diet. Fiber is an essential nutrient and can cause... ...sterol and fats and high levels of phytochemicals. The vegetarian diet is one that provides the body with many essential nutrients. These nutrients include fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. All of these nutrients aid in providing the body with the minerals that can help to prevent health diseases. As can be seen with the vegetarian diet there are many health benefits that can prevent, or be treatment for, health diseases. According to the American Dietetic Association the vegetarian diet is healthy and recommended for obtaining the nutrients needed for better health. A vegetarian diet is low in cholesterol and fatty acids and these are the factors that contribute to many health diseases. The nutrients that the vegetarian diet contains are beneficial and reduce the chances of becoming obese, getting heart disease, and being diagnosed with cancer.

An Essay on Clinical Negligence

An Essay on Clinical Negligence â€Å"We have always thought of causation as a logical, almost mathematical business. To intrude policy into causation is like saying that two plus two does not equal to four because, for policy reasons, it should not. † (Charles Foster NLJ 5/11/2004 page 1644). To what extent do you consider that Charles Foster is correct in that causation and clinical negligence should be a â€Å"mathematical business† and the courts have, by introducing matters of policy, confused what should be a logical approach? Introduction: In the article of â€Å"It should be, therefore it is†1, its author, Charles Foster examined the surprise House of Lords judgment in Chester v Afshar2, what he described as â€Å"an exercise in legal creativity that abolishes the requirement for causation in any meaningful sense. † To discuss the above issue, one must consider the legal requirements of clinical negligence. In order for a patient to succeed in a claim for clinical negligence against his doctor, he must be able to satisfy three requirements: first, he must establish that a duty of care was owed by the doctor or hospital to himself; second, he must prove that the doctor has breached that duty of care by failing to reach the standard of care required by the law; lastly, the patient must prove that his injury was caused by the doctor’s negligent act. Each of these requirements for negligence will be considered as the strict requirements for a successful claim of the patient suffering from an adverse event in a medical context. These steps were referred by Charles Foster as the logical â€Å"mathematical business† 3towards establishing the causation in a clinical negligence case. Is Chester’s case a relaxation of the causation requirements? To discuss this statement, one must consider whether the breach of duty causes the harm to the patient. Even if a doctor breaches his duty of care by falling below the standard of care, a patient can only recover his damages if he can prove that breach has caused some harm to him. 1. â€Å"It Should Be, Therefore It is† (2004) 154 New Law Journal 7151. 2. [2004] UKHL 41. 3. Charles Foster New Law Journal 5/11/2004, p. 644. If the doctor breaches his duty of care, but the patient suffered no injury, or would have suffered an identical harm regardless of the doctor’s failing, then the doctor is not proven negligent. This can be illustrated by the case of Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington Hospital Management Committee4. In this case, the doctor ha s breached his duty of care to the deceased man by not examining him personally, but the action for clinical negligence failed, because even if the patient had been seen by the doctor, the arsenic poisoning was regarded as too far advanced for an antidote to be life-saving. In other words, by the time the patient arrived at the hospital, he was destined to die irrespective of the actions or negligent omissions of the doctors. Although his doctor failed to meet the requisite standard pf care in treating him, this did not in itself cause any harm to the patient. 4. There are two ways of interpreting this causation requirement. On the one hand, there exists a reasonable principle that a person should not be held liable for damage which he did not cause. On the other hand, there is no legal evidence for incompetent medical care unless the patient can prove that the doctor’s action indeed caused some identifiable harm. The particular patient is Barnett should have been attended by a doctor, but the fact that he was not subject to compensation. In recent years, the English legal system has recognized that a very strict application of the causation requirement can result in injustice for the patient and therefore there have been gradual moves towards a relaxation of this requirement. In Bolitho v City & Hackney Health Authority5, for instance, a strict application of the traditional causation test of â€Å"but for† – that is the harm would not have been caused but for the doctor’s clinical negligence- was self-evidently not satisfied. It could be recalled in this case the doctor failed to attend the patient but argued that, if she had indeed attended, she would not have provided the treatment (intubation) which could have save the child. Therefore, it is crystal clear that the harm of the child’s death would have occurred even if the doctor had met her duty of care by attending the patient. Despite the court was not willing to settle for this conclusion and instead enquired into whether the doctor’s intended failure to intubate if she had attended would have been clinically negligent in itself. This implies that it was considered by the court at all is an indication that, if some serious harm has occurred, the courts will take into considerations the entire circumstances of the case before coming to the conclusion as to whether the causation requirement has been satisfied. 4. [1968] 1 A11 ER 1068. 5. [1997] UKHL 46, HL. The approach can be seen even more controversially in the 2004 case of Chester v Afshar6, which Charles Foster has made his comment on as mentioned. This case involved a doctor’s clinical negligent failure to warn a patient about the risk inherent in a medical procedure. There exists a need for the patient’s consent to medical treatment to be fully informed. The complication with respect to causation arose because the patient admitted that she would have still undergone the surgery even if she had been warned about the risks of paralysis which unfortunately materialized during the medical procedure. Therefore, the doctor’s failure to disclose this risk, although a breach of his duty of care, did not on the strict application of the causation requirement, cause the harm suffered by the patient. When Chester reached the House of Lords, the House was divided on the issue of causation. The Court of Appeal, taking a strong and pragmatic approach, held that the claimant could succeed by applying conventional causation principle. Therefore it could be said that the claimant’s injury had resulted from receiving a particular operation at a particular time. If the defendant had warned her about the risks, she would not have that particular operation- she would have had an operation (with the same risks) at a later date. If she had had this later operation, in all probability, the very small risk of disability would not have happened. On this basis, it could be said that the defendant’s failure to warn had led to the claimant’s disability. However, the House of Lords did not find this kind of approach attractive. As Lord Hoffman put it, the approach of the Court of Appeal was: †¦about as logical as saying that if one had been told, on entering a casino, the odds on the number 7 coming up were only 1 in 37, one would have gone away and come back next week or gone to a different casino. The question is whether one would have taken the opportunity to avoid or reduce the risk, not whether one would have changed the scenario in some irrelevant detail. †7 In the House of Lords, both the majority and minority rejected r easoning of the Court of Appeal and held that the claimant could not succeed in proving causation on conventional principles. For the minority (Lord Hoffman and Bingham), this was sufficient to dispose the case. However, the majority went on to state that, for policy reasons, the traditional rules of causation ought to be relaxed to allow the claimant to 6. [2004] UKHL 41 7. [2005] 1 AC 134, per Lord Hoffman, at paragraph 31. succeed. Central to their Lordship’s reasoning was the need to give effect to the right of a patient to make an informed choice about whether and when to undergo medical treatment. In law, this right was made possible by a doctor’s duty to warn the patient about any significant risks involved in the medical treatment. There would therefore be injustice if breach of this duty did not lead to a remedy. If the doctor were not made liable for such a breach, the duty to inform the patient about significant risks would, as Lord Hope put it, be a â€Å"hollow one†. His Lordship said: â€Å"The function of the law is to enable rights to be vindicated and to provide remedies when duties have been breached. Unless this is done the duty is a hollow one, stripped of all practical force and devoid of all content. It will have lost its ability to protect the patient and thus to fulfill the only purpose which brought it into existence. On policy grounds therefore I would hold that the test of causation is satisfied in this case. †8 Lord Steyn shared this view that the vindication of the patient’s rights was the overriding considerations: â€Å"Her right of autonomy and dignity can and ought to be vindicated by a narrow and modest departure from traditional causation principles†¦This result is in accord with one of the most basic aspirations of the law, namely to right wrongs. †9 On policy grounds, therefore, Lord Hope, Steyn and Walker held that the test of even though they agreed with Lord Bingham and Hoffman that this required a departure from the traditional principles. The simple fact that the patient’s injury was â€Å"intimately involved with the duty to warn†10 was sufficient for Lord Hope, while Lord Walker emphasized that the doctor had failed in his professional duty and the patient â€Å"has suffered injury directly within the scope and focus of that duty†. 11 In summary, the two dissenting Lords emphasized that Miss Chester had failed to prove that the doctor caused her injury. Lord Bingham said that â€Å"she cannot show that the clinical negligence proved against Mr. Afshar was, in any ordinary sense, a cause of her loss†12 and Lord Hoffman noted that â€Å"on ordinary principles of tort law the 8. 2005] 1 AC 134, per Lord Hope, at paragraph 87. 9. [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, per Lord Steyn, paragraph 24-25. 10. [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, per Lord Hope, paragraph 87. 11. [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, per Lord Walker, paragraph 101. 12. [2004] UKHL 41, per Lord Bingham, paragraph 9. defendant is not liable†. 13 Both of these j udges therefore held that Miss Chester could not recover damages with respect to Mr. Afshar’s negligent disclosure. Even the judges in the majority acknowledged that the traditional causation requirement had not been satisfied in this case. Lord Hope, for instance, who gave the leading judgment, accepted that â€Å"a solution to this problem which is in Miss Chester’s favour cannot be based on conventional causation principles†. 14 The majority allowed Miss Chester to recover damage based on some vague policy reasons. Lord Hope elaborated that the key question for the House of Lords was â€Å"whether in the unusual circumstances of this case, justice requires the normal approach to causation to be modified†. 15 Lord Hope further explained that â€Å"the function of the law is to enable rights to be vindicated and to provide remedies when duties have been breached. Unless this is done, the duty is a hollow one, stripped of all practical force and devoid of all content†. 16 Lord Steyn shared this view that the vindication of the patient’s rights was the overriding consideration: â€Å"Her right of autonomy and dignity can and ought to be vindicated by a narrow and modest departure from traditional causation principles†¦This result is in accord with one of the most basic aspirations of the law, namely to right wrongs. †17 As a result, the consequence is that where there is a breach of duty to disclose and the plaintiff suffers from . he actual harm he or she should have been warned about, then a claim for damages is more likely to succeed. The patient would recover if they would have deferred the procedure. The plaintiff no longer have to demonstrate that he or she would have refused the procedure completely if he or she had been told about the undisclosed risk. The adaptation of the causation requirement in Chester v Afs har has been the subject of considerable debate and criticism. Green18, for example, argues that the law of torts â€Å"is concerned not with compensating those who have suffered loss as a result of the defendant’s breach of duty†. This very point is emphasized by Lord Bingham in his dissent when he argues that â€Å"a claimant is not entitled to be compensated, and a defendant is not bound to compensate the claimant, for damage not caused by the negligence complained of†. 19 To some extent this is a convincing argument. 13. [2004] UKHL 41, per Lord Hoffman, paragraph 32. 14. [2004] UKHL 41, per Lord Hope, paragraph 81. 15. [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, per Lord Hope, paragraph 85. 16. [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, per Lord Hope, paragraph 87. 17. [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, per Lord Steyn, paragraph 75. 18. Sarah Green, â€Å"Coherence of Medical Negligence Cases: A Game of Doctors and Purses†. (2006) 14 Med Law Rev. 1, p. 4. 19. Chester v Afshar [2004] 4 A11 ER 587, paragraph 9. Miss Chester was awarded full damages for the injury she suffered even though this injury was not really caused by the doctor’s actions, which seems unjust. However, the point which is missed here is that the doctor’s negligent non-disclosure did cause a different loss to Miss Chester. Green20 argues that Miss Chester â€Å"lost nothing of value†, but I believe this is not true: she lost her right to make an autonomous choice about her medical treatment. In daily clinical practice, autonomy with respect to healthcare requires that a patient is fully informed about the medical treatment before he or she can consent to it. On the other hand, the right to refuse consent to medical treatment, which is protected in both English common law and international human right law, requires that an informed choice be made by the patient. In Miss Chester’s case, she was denied of this particular right. She agreed to undergo the surgery in ignorance of its risks and true nature. Her right to autonomy was therefore denied. Green’s opposing view can be explained as follows: â€Å"A patient’s dignity and right to decide is protected by the law of tort’s recognition that a doctor has a duty to warn, not by the readiness to override causal considerations in the claimant’s favour. If a breach of that duty to warn causes the patient no loss, then a finding of no liability does not violate that right. It merely serves as an acknowledgment that the patient’s inability to exercise that right did not, on this occasion, causes any harm†. 21 A fundamentally different viewpoint of this situation is taken here. The inability to exercise a right to autonomy is regarded as a harm in itself, regardless of the actual physical injury resulted. This rights-based approach means that Mason and Brodie22 are correct to regard the award of full damages to Miss Chester as inconsistent with the House of Lords’ modified approach to causation as follows: â€Å"One can understand the concern to allow the plaintiff to vindicate her rights. However, the measure of damages allowed does not, in truth, reflect the loss suffered because, at the end of the day, the loss lay in an invasion of autonomy per se, and an award of full damages can be said to over-compensate. 23 20. Sarah Green, â€Å"Coherence of Medical Negligence Cases: A Game of Doctors and Purses†. (2006) 14 Med Law Rev. 1, p. 14. 21. Sarah Green, â€Å"Coherence of Medical Negligence Cases: A Game of Doctors and Purses†. (2006) 14 Med Law Rev. 1, p. 9-10. 22. K Mason and D Brodie, â€Å"Bolam, Bolam- Wherefore Are Thou Bolam? † (2005) 9 Edin LR298, p. 305. 23. K Mason and D Brodie, â€Å"Bolam, Bolam- Wherefore Are Thou Bolam? † (2005) 9 Edin LR298, p. 305. The House of Lords judgment in Chester v Afshar represents a significant departure from the traditional requirements of a negligence action. It is an imperfect the emphasis upon vindication of the patient’s rights is insufficiently explained and justified. But it is also encouraging from a human rights perspective to see this judicial recognition at the highest level that causation requirements should not act as a barrier to recovery where a patient’s rights have been infringed during the provision of medical care. Manson and Laurie24 refer to a trend to â€Å"assist the plaintiff over the causation hurdle in medico-legal cases†25 and, given the great hurdle still in place with respect to proving a breach of the duty of care, this should in general be welcome. Andrew Grubb26 argues that the majority in Chester made the right decision: â€Å"It is difficult to argue with [the majority’s] reasoning. It would undermine the rule and be unjust for a doctor to require a patient to show that she would never have a particular procedure in the future. It is also counterintuitive to think that because the patient may run the risk in the future- by agreeing to and having the procedure- the negligence is not connected to her injury. At worst, she will be exposed to a small risk of injury which is unlikely then to eventuate. She had in a real and immediate sense suffered injury that she would not otherwise have suffered. That should be sufficient to establish a causal link†. 27 If Miss Chester‘s loss is better described as the loss of the right to make an informed consent, rather than exposure to a risk which she would have avoided if given proper information, it could be argued that damages should be directed towards compensating her for this deprivation of autonomy, rather than for the physical injury she suffered. It is interesting that the majority in Chester did not consider the possibility of making a â€Å"conventional award† as they had done in Rees v Darlington memorial NHS Trust28, for the patient’s loss of autonomy. The majority awarded Miss Chester full damages for physical injury, despite the fact that their judgments describe the real loss in this case as the deprivation of the right to make an informed choice. As 24. JK Mason, A McCall Smith & G Laurie, Law and Medical Ethics, 7th edit, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006), p. 39. 25. JK Mason, A McCall Smith & G Laurie, Law and Medical Ethics, 7th edit, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006), p. 339. 26. â€Å"Consent to Treatment: The Competent Patient†, 31-203 in A Grubb with J Laing(eds), Principles of Medical Law, 2nd edition, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 200. 27. â€Å"Consent to Treatment: The Competent Patient†, 31-203 in A Grubb with J Laing(eds), Principles of Medical Law, 2n d edition, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 200. 28. [2003] UKHL 52. J Kenyon Mason and Douglas Brodie29 point out, this may mean that Miss Chester was over-compensated: â€Å"However, the measure of damages allowed does not, in truth, reflect the loss suffered because, at the end of the day, the loss lay in an invasion of autonomy per se, and an award of full damages can be said to over-compensate. What is, in some ways, surprising is that, the solution adopted in Rees v Darlington Memorial NHS Trust was not applied here. There, the requirements of distributive justice meant that damages should not be awarded to compensate the plaintiff for the loss that ad arisen as the result of a failed sterilization operation†¦The solution adopted was to award a â€Å"modest† conventional sum by way of general damages to acknowledge the infringement of the plaintiff’s autonomy by the fault of the defendant†. 30 The possibility of a conventional award was mentioned by Lord Hoffman, in his dissenting judgment: †I can see that there m ight be a case for a modest solatium. †31 In the end, he rejects this solution for two reasons: it would be difficult to settle on an appropriate amount, and on the grounds of costs, the courts would be an unsuitable place to pursue what would always be a modest award. Effectively, then, the consequence of Chester’s case is that autonomy-based right to make an informed consent is so important that doctors who fail to warn patients about material risks associated with treatment may have to indemnify patients should those risks materialize, despite the exercise of all proper skill and care in carrying out the operation, and critically, despite the fact that the patient admits that they would have been prepared, in fact, to knowingly run this risk on another occasion. Difficulty in proving causation: The full impact of the House of Lords’ relaxation of causation principles in Chester v Afshar remains to be seen. There are a number of reasons why the causation requirement raises particular difficulties in actions for negligence non-disclosure of relevant information. 29. â€Å"Bolam, Bolam- Wherefore Are Thou Bolam? † (2005) 9 Edin Law Rev. p. 298-305. 30. â€Å"Bolam, Bolam- Wherefore Are Thou Bolam? † (2005) 9 Edin Law Rev. p. 298-305. 31. [2004] UKHL 4, per Lord Hoffman, paragraph 34. 32. â€Å"A warning about causation† (1999) 115 Law Quarterly Rev. 1-27, p. 23. 33. â€Å"From Informed Consent to Patient Choice: A New Protected Interest† (1985) 95 Yale Law Journal 219. 34. â€Å"From Informed Consent to Patient Choice: A New Protected Interest† (1985) 95 Yale Law Journal 219. First, a successful claim in negligence for failure to disclose a material risk is in practice synonymous with strict liability for medical mishaps. Informed cons ent therefore becomes a route for patients to seek financial compensation for unfortunate but blameless medical outcomes. Doctors who exercised all reasonable care and skill in performance of an operation will be found liable for the consequences of an accident which they could have done nothing to prevent just because their pre-operation disclosures were inadequate. As Peter Cane32 explains, â€Å" whatever the ideological basis of the duty to warn (or, in other words, the interest which it protects), its importance in practice lies in providing a basis for imposing liability for physical injury not caused by clinical negligence†. Secondly, because the claimant must prove that the inadequate disclosure caused her injury, cases only come before the courts where the patient has not been informed about the risk of an adverse outcome which has then materialized. Adequate information is not, however, confined to disclosure of risks. In order to exercise meaningful choice, it is important that the patients are told about alternatives to the proposed treatment. As Marjorie Maguire Shultz33 explains, negligently depriving the patient of choices will rarely result in the sort of damage or injury which is recognized in tort law: [P]reemption of patients’ authority by doctors may also give rise to injuries that are real but intangible, or to physical outcomes that are arguably not â€Å"injurious† except from the individual’s vantage point. These outcomes may be excluded from negligence doctrine’s definitions of harm. Thus, a patient not told about a method of sterilization that is more revers ible than the one performed may have difficulty convincing the court that non-reversibility is a cognizable physical injury. A patient who alleges that, properly informed, she would have chosen a lumpectomy rather than a radical mastectomy might find it hard, under existing negligence rules, to characterize the successful operation that removed her breast and eradicated her cancer as having â€Å"injured† her. Similarly, the patient with a desire to go home or to a hospice to die, who is instead maintained alive by hospital machinery, might have difficulty establishing â€Å"injury† under definitions of an interest in physical well-being rather than choice†. 34 Thirdly, â€Å" cause† appears to have acquired a rather special meaning in failure to warn cases, Peter Cane has explained, the doctors in these cases rarely â€Å"caused† the injury in question â€Å"in the central sense of the word â€Å"cause† as it is used outside the law†, because â€Å"failure to warn of a risk does not â€Å"cause â€Å" the materialization of the risk†. Rather the injury has usually been caused by an unfortunate and inherently unlikely combination of circumstances, and the doctor simply created the situation in which this extraordinary sequence of events could occur. The question of whether a doctor should be liable for a failure to disclose a risk is more accurately stated as whether she should be liable for creating the situation in which an accidental injury might or might not occur. Conclusion: There is an elegance to a legal structure that requires doctors to owe a â€Å"single comprehensive duty† in negligence covering diagnosis and treatment, and the associated obligations to inform. Diagnosis and treatment are essentially the exercise of the medical professional skills and therefore fall fairly into the arms of negligence. The duty to inform, however, seeks to protect the patient interest in self-determination. This seems more fairly addressed by an action that is complete with the injury to the interest protected. Such an action would be more akin to an action in battery. The fact that legal action for inadvertent misinformation in relation to the inherent risks/benefits of treatment lies in negligence rather than in battery leaves a legal structure that has some tension within in it. Where battery, constrained as it is by touching, is an ill-fitting robe negligence barely covers the mischief. In English law, negligence actions for negligent misinformation have seen this tension expressed as a strong dissent by Lord Scarmen in the case of Sidaway v Bethlem Royal Hospital Governors35, and then as a weakening of the causation rule in Chester v Afshar. Notice how weakening the causation rule in Chester v Afshar. Notice how weakening the causation requirement makes the action of clinical negligence more akin to a battery action- the very action precluded by the rule in Reibl v Hughes in such cases. In Chester v Afshar, the plaintiff would have had the operation at a different time and so something would have changed had the information about risk been given. The core of the principle in this case comes when the plaintiff does not change anything as a result of the misinformation. Can they still succeed where they suffer the very harm they should have been worried about? If so, we have a clinical negligence action that looks suspiciously like a battery action but protects the interest of self-determination. The use of clinical negligence in this context has arisen by default. The structure of a claim in clinical negligence is simply the wrong one to protect a fundamental interest like self-determination and the strain is telling.