Monday, September 30, 2019

French needs to be translated from English to French ASAP

Indochine is the name of the film. The film takes place in the 1930s. (when Vietnam was owned by France) The film is historical, and very dramatic. There are three maln people. There is a woman named Eliane Devries. There is a vietnamese girl named Camille. There Is a young man named Jean-Baptise. Ellane adopted Camille when Camille was very young. The film has a lot of themes. In my opinion the relationship with Elaine and Camille Is supposed to be symbolic of the relatlonshlp between France and French Indo-China.Also, at the core of this story is the theme of unity and oing things for the greater good. People who watch the film can see how individuals working as a unit can alter the course of history. Not only Is there an overall theme In the movie, but there are themes for each individual character. Madame Devries owns and operates a large rubber plantation In Indochina that employs many indentured laborers. Eliane is not married. Eliane raises Camille as her own daughter.She adop ted Camille as a young child, after her parents were killed in a car crash. Eliane lives with her father. She sees herself as an Asian, born n her father's estates, never having been to France, but the Vietnamese see her somewhat differently. Ellane considers Indo-chlna as much her home as It Is for the anonymous laborers who work on her plantation. She Is not cruel, but she is tough and treats the local workers like second class citizens. In my opnion the character of Madame Ellane Devries has three main themes.First, I feel like her character symbolizes the French colonialists through out the film. she a powerful woman. she also has power over tons of Vietnamese people. Her character is the most powerful one in the film. Second, I think that Eliane has a lot of weaknesses. She falls in love with the wrong man, Jean-Baptiste. He left the relationship because he was In love with her daughter. She also has an addiction to opium. Often seeking solace in somking a pipe. After doing res earch I learned the story behind her demeanure. he Is forsty and beautiful Ilke the statue of Marianne, the official symbol of the French Republic. This is also more proof in my theory of her representing

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Benjamin Franklin’s Declaration of Independence

The phrase â€Å"true American† does not have a definition, although the word â€Å"American† does. The definition of American is â€Å"belonging to or characteristic of America.† It is hard to relate Benjamin Franklin to this definition of an American, but it does apply to many of his characteristics. Franklin†s loyalty to America shows greatly throughout his life in his writings and jobs. Franklin†s many jobs included being an inventor, politician, author, statesman, philosopher, soldier, scientist, citizen, and a printer. Franklin helped stabilize America by helping to write the countries declaration of independence, which is only one of his many works. Benjamin Franklin†s leadership did not only influence the people of his time, but this great quality still influences the people of today. Many people today think of Franklin as a proud pillar of our national heritage. Most of Franklin†s education was self-taught through his hard work and dedication to learning. This education helped Franklin in many ways to write many books, outsmart other politicians, and create new inventions. Franklin knows he can not relive his life so decides that writing a book would be the next best thing. In Franklin†s autobiography, which he writes to his son, he tries to retell his mistakes so others will not do the same. One of Franklin†s strongest beliefs includes his religion. Franklin did not believe in organized religion and believed strongly in Deism. This shows his concern for other Americans. One of Franklin†s most contributive works to America besides his diplomacy was the Declaration of Independence. Not only did Franklin help write this document, but he was also the oldest person to sign it. Franklin published an annual book called Poor Richard†s Almanac. In this book Franklin included both important and useless information. Franklin predicted temperatures, told tales, included some of his favorite quotes, and had many fun facts published in this book. This is one of Franklin†s most famous quotes â€Å"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.† (Perkins) This saying shows Franklin†s intelligence on time management. Here Franklin claims to be a precise, healthy, and wise person. Franklin†s inventions contributed greatly to both the world then, and the modern world. Franklin invented bifocals, the dumb waiter, the Franklin stove, and completed many experiments on electricity. Another of Franklin†s great contributions to America was establishing the first lending library, hospital, and fire station. Franklin worked on ideas such as better-paved and lighted streets. Benjamin Franklin was a â€Å"true American† because of his dedication to starting, sustaining, and stabilizing America as a country.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Research proposal - Essay Example Additionally, the use of blogs permit people to run dedicated news websites through which they communicate relevant news items to their target audience. In this research, I will investigate the differences between the blogging culture and the traditional news media with the view of determining the differences and similarities in their reporting of news to their diverse audiences. By doing this, my research will help all stakeholders including traditional media companies, bloggers and the consumers of news items to employ caution when using the facilities their roles present. Responsiveness is a journalistic value that news disseminators must maintain. The research investigates the prevalence of objectiveness and responsiveness in news dissemination and access and therefore advise accordingly. Research Background Blogging is a personal form of communication in which users maintain and market pages on the internet to their target audience. Traditional media on the other hand refers to the radio, television and newspaper some of the oldest modes of news dissemination. Most of the traditional media companies currently run dedicated news websites owing to the technological developments and the conveniences of the internet. In their websites, such companies maintain the reporting standards used in their traditional media and therefore employ several gatekeepers and custodians of their information. Their use of the internet through dedicated websites puts them among the same companies and bloggers. Just any other social media, blogs permit anyone with the access to the internet to become a mass communicator. This implies that both the traditional media and the bloggers compete for the same market even though the bloggers may not expect as much benefit as the traditional media. Since they serve the same purpose in the society, the application of journalistic ethics and discipline must be equal. However, this is never the case especially with bloggers most of who lack j ournalistic training and the financial ability to afford gatekeepers as is the case with the traditional news media. As a user of the different social media and a student of journalism, I foresee that the research will establish major discrepancies and conflict of interests in the manner in which the two news sources disseminate their news to their audiences. Bloggers enjoy an anonymity and rarely face any legal tussle in relation to their news coverage. Traditional news media on the other hand have physical addresses, organizational structure with clearly labelled flow of information. It is therefore predictable that the news coverage by the two differs and has varied effects in the society. Scope In conducting the research, I will analyse how the media have covered the Australian forest fire, a major international disaster and a great human-interest story to the global audience. I will observe the coverage of the tragedy by the CNN and the BBC two leading global traditional new me dia and compare the two with the numerous blogs that reported the tragedy. Both the CNN and the BBC have dedicated websites, which cover their stories a feature that makes the comparison and contrast an easy observation assignment. Theoretical framework The research requires adequate information on the journalistic principles and ethics in order to note the professional flaws and the difference in the two news sources. To do this effectively, I will use three sources that address the issues therein, the

Friday, September 27, 2019

Staffing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Staffing - Essay Example The criteria of selecting and recruiting personnel have changed over time for several reasons. In the context of this work, entertainment industry and its characteristic social dynamism is to be taken into consideration. The consumer community in the industry and the business environment in general demand more that the services. Efficiency, reliability and ethics are closely observed by the consumers. In that respect, the firm under question needs to reconsider its staffing policies and human resource practices. Key plans are important to achieve desired goals in the organization. The observed industry trends requires strategic plan towards staffing to meet the multivariate societal needs. Movie theater/entertainment industry is extensively associated with the emerging information and communication technology. In that respect, an informed internet based recruitment process would serve multiple roles in getting the best staff (Sears, 2003). In this plan, the following steps are key. This staffing plan constitutes a less costly and accurate online screening technique. It ensures that individuals who fail to meet the preliminary minimum qualification requirements are bundled out. This will help the firm to remain with the cream of the potential recruits. Such a plan would offer highly qualified potential organization staff besides incorporating the concept of interne knowledge and application among the staff. The competency level of an individual may not accurately be developed through mere presentation of credentials. Entertainment industry requires staff with ability to express themselves and make clear communication to fellow staff and customers (Bechet, 2008). In that regard, the actual potential of a recruit relies on ability to communicate effectively through written and spoken language of choice. In this regard, the following plan is appropriate. The combined outcome of such oral and written interview

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Design Consulting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design Consulting - Research Paper Example The objectives and goals have to be analyzed so as to be able to develop the training program. The factor that is addressed in this phase is the method that will be used and be convenient in the training. The training methods may be used include training via the internet or training that takes place in classrooms (Bari, 2000). The designer of the training session then puts up a layout that is useful in developing a document for design. The design document usually contains the content that is actual for design and an outline of the content. In this phase, storyboards that are useful in development and training are then created. The storyboards usually make use of graphics. The graphics available are useful in creating visuals that are used in complementing the content of training. After finalization and approval by business owners, the training is then launched. The curriculum that is used for training must be understood by the facilitators. The training process must also be understood properly. The training tools that are useful include software’s, manuals and books. The evaluation phase allows employees been trained to give feedbacks on the training session. Evaluation may be conducted by surveys. The surveys can be done by the use of paper media or

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Xala by Sembene Ousmane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Xala by Sembene Ousmane - Essay Example â€Å"Xala† articulates the emerging African world, freed from the rule by France. Once the colonial powers exploited the African people; now it is the turn of the rich and the influential to continue with that legacy. The protagonist in the novel El Hadji Abdou Kader Beye is an associate of the forum of businessmen of the country who have joined together to take charge of the country’s economy and apparently to check the inflow of foreign capital. That was just a superficial act. Such businessmen were hand in glove with the foreign businessmen even after the country attained independence. Their disposition was only for public consumption and to mislead the gullible people of the country. The newly formed coterie, of which El Hadji was involved, used approaches and principles identical to that of the colonial businessmen whose place they had occupied. For aggrandizement of power and wealth, they employed corrupt and dubious methods. The colonial powers had left behind t hem a poor Senegalese economy with weak infrastructure. The societal norms were still guided on non-traditional lines with unequal relationships between the two genders. El Hadji intelligently clubs the tenets of Islam to his business goals. Means are of no consequence to him for profiteering and being a Muslim, his status symbol is the number of wives he owns and their palatial houses. His manipulation of the tenets of Islam does not yield good results in the long run and the law of divine retribution works to undo his ill-gotten wealth. The author has something stunning to reveal about the male/female relationships in the country where majority of the people practice Islam. Muslim women are not powerless, as articulated by the Western scholars and sociologists, but while remaining within the four walls of the house, they exercise power in their unique style and dominate men. The gender relations El Hadji’s wives are not quiet and submissive women. The author also introduces another strong woman, Yay Bineta. El Hadji’s third marriage transpires not because he wants it, but on account of the guile of Yay Bineta. El Hadji submits to her manipulations and is compelled to accept her judgment into marrying. The author writes, she "did battle with [El Hadji] in the ancient, allegorical language preserved by custom."(7) During the arguments and counterarguments her feminine viciousness and biting language is liberally employed and she chides him that he is scared of women. His bravado is just an exhibition for showing to the outside world and she castigates him that his wives wear trousers within the house. Such observations must have hurt the ego of El Hadji. Thus the author succinctly argues that the Muslim men in Senegal are the tools in the hands of their wives and they dance to their tunes. Women in Muslim families are generally figured out as humble servants confined to the four walls of the house and they have no freedom whatsoever. They may be restricted when they go out of house on special occasions accompanied by husband or any other male member, but inside the house their rule prevails. The depiction by the western historians is faulty and women are not meek and obedient. El Haldji commands his wives, but their reactions cannot be taken for granted. His wife number two, Oumi N†Doye is a skillful manipulator and she has perfected the art of torturing him mentally and gets her demands fulfilled from him. El Haldji is just the supporter of the three families and he does not enjoy their genuine affection and his bunch of children invariably greets him to demand money. His energies are spent in managing his business and more so his families. When in the end he suffers losses in business his wives desert him. His wife number one stays with him till the end. By depicting the life of El Haldji, the author depicts the societal conditions

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Influence of Health Policies and the Future of Health Care in the Essay

The Influence of Health Policies and the Future of Health Care in the U.S - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that disparities among the American community continue to reflect within the healthcare system despite establishment and engagement of various care systems to foster the improvement of the health systems. Consequently, the population continues to suffer the inherent problems as they arise within the structural organization of the state healthcare systems. Notably, several inherent issues reflect the procedures of administering and acquiring successful and effective care process to the citizens. Firstly, there arises the issue of poverty and income versus the cost of the health systems. Most of the American population consists of citizens whose income levels cannot sustain their health needs. Thus, even as they seek the coverage of the various health policies as initiated by the government to facilitate affordable care to all people, they fail to achieve the required care. Thus, the continually increasing costs of the health care system are a leading factor in contention with respect to the healthcare systems of the USA. Secondly, there is the issue of the insurance cover. The insurance systems in the country continue to charge the citizens accordingly for their health coverage. However, the insurance companies do a disservice to the citizens despite their commitment to the insurance contribution. Most of the insurance provides coverage to limited levels, meaning that certain conditions such as asthma or cancer, which require high costs for treatment, may not receive adequate financial support from the insurance companies. Thus, the health insurance policies need to reflect accordingly to support the citizens of the USA in guarding their rights within these insurance coverage systems. Further, there is a disparity in acquiring healthcare due to the establishment of factors relating to the blacks versus the whites. These aspects of discrimination within the care system result from the multi-ethnic differences and perspe ctives, leading to insufficient and unhealthy care system procedures. Thus, as an issue of concern, the health care system needs to address this section f the arising matters. Lastly, professional perspective is also an inherent issue within the provision of health care in the USA.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution Essay

Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example Checking all the angles and dimensions of a revolution is the name of the game, but Industrial Revolution analysts forgot to examine the most important of all dimensions – environment. Various sorts of pollutions such as contamination of water, ozone layer destruction, etc. are making headlines everyday, which is an alarming situation (Hobsbawm, 1999). Following are the three most environmentally negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution. Forests and Trees Demolition Due to the Industrial Revolution, deforestation is taking place, which has led to a very disastrous scenario. Forest trees and natural resources are consumed in the industries for production, thus demolishment of trees is taking place massively. Forests and trees are responsible for consuming the carbon dioxide gas and produce oxygen which is necessary and essential for human beings’ survival. Now because of deforestation, cutting of trees is making a colossal negative impact on the environment. Wildlif e is also immensely affected through it, which can lead to finish wildlife too (Mayumi, 1991). Contaminated Crops Lal (2004) illustrated that impure water waste which comes out from the industry either goes into the sea or in the fields, hence making crops and food items polluted and contaminated. Food items radically are not healthy enough, and it also spreads various diseases in humans. Most of the factories were established in the countryside with an idea not to pollute cities, but instead, it started polluting crops. Impure water wastage is the core reason of unhealthy fruits and vegetables availability in the consumer market and this situation prevails due to the unplanned Industrial Revolution. Air Pollution Industrialization gave humans beneficiary cars and motorbikes so that they could travel distances in minutes, but everything comes with a price; air pollution is the biggest price which humans are paying for this technological advancement. Air pollution has disturbed human beings in several ways and it is the major reason of the damage in the ozone layer. Due to impure gas exhaustion from the vehicles, air becomes polluted, causing diseases such as lungs cancer, asthma etc. Pressure horns of the vehicles mentally affect humans, which causes tumor and various mental diseases. Cities are affected the most due to air pollution (Seinfeld, 1986). Environmental Actions in U.S The Industrial Revolution effects were later discussed among individuals, environmentalists and analysts, who were quite distressed after watching tremendous destruction of the environment in the world due to this revolution. NGOs have taken this issue very seriously and demanded governments to set rules and regulations for environment protection. Consequently, various actions started in order to save the environment through 1880s, but in 1950s and later, these actions reached their peak due to the occurrence of various environmental issues. Therefore in 1970, Government of U.S had to come up with a refined environmental action legislation which intended to protect the environment of the country. This was a big move indeed, but its practical implementation throughout the country was the main issue. Industrialists were not pleased from the verdict as it brought several limitations on them (Dunlap & Mertig, 1991). Establishment of Laws Arbuckle and Miller (1976) demonstrated that the outrageous appeals from environmental act

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Urban Areas Modify Climates Essay Example for Free

Urban Areas Modify Climates Essay Urban areas climate is often significantly different to the surrounding rural areas, this is why urban areas are often described as having their own â€Å"micro climate† the differences in urban climates are due to number of different factors. Urban areas often experience a phenomenon known as a heat island, this is a zone of hot air around and above an urban area which has higher temperatures than the surrounding rural areas consequently cities tend to be warmer than rural areas and the temperature becomes lower progressively as you move towards the rural area with the highest temperatures being in the city centre. Heat islands form due to a variety of factors which are present within cities and not commonly found in rural areas, firstly building material such as concrete and tarmac absorb large quantities of heat during the day (due to their black colour) and when temperatures are cooler (nigh time) the heat is released gradually warming up the surrounding area, this is why the effects of the heat island are more visible at night time because the city remains warm whilst the rural areas are much cooler. There are a large amount of buildings with glass windows within the urban areas, these have a high reflective capacity and reflect heat towards the streets were it is absorbed. Another factor influencing towards to the heat island formation is the heat energy being emitted from industry due to the combustion of fossil fuel which releases heat, domestic heating also contributes towards this, this heat energy warms up the air within the urban area contributing to the dome of warm air which is the heat island. The emission of hygroscopic pollutants from cars also acts as a condensation nuclei leading to the formation of cloud and smog which traps radiation within the area. Precipitation rates are also significantly different within rural areas, research shows that rainfall is generally higher within the city than surrounding rural areas, a reason for this could is due to the fact the heat island ultimately means temperatures are higher therefore lower pressures will be encouraged to dev elop above the city, also it means Evapotranspiration rates will be higher within the city causing more cloud formation. Convection rainfall is much higher within the city and this is because the heat island enhances convectional uplift, the city also produces large amounts of water vapour from industrial sources this also means that humidity levels within cities are usually higher The occurrence of Fog is dramatically higher within urban areas, the great increase in the amount of fog within cities is in accordance with the industrialisation of the city, e.g. In London 1700 there was 29 days of fog but by the 1800 (industrial revolution had occurred) there was over 50 days of fog, this statistic shows that the amount of fog is influenced by the amount of industrial activity within a city. The reason behind this is the fact that cities have a higher average number of particles within the air (due to industrial activity releasing pollution) these particles act as a condensation nuclei and encourage fog formation (usually under high pressure conditions) when pollutants become trapped within the lower atmo sphere water vapour can condense around these particles and cause smog to form. These were common in 20th century London. Smog can have devastating effects and can cause serious respiration problems for people and trigger diseases such as emphysema, more recently photochemical smog has been developing this is due to polluting gases such as nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide react with sunlight to produce a cocktail of harmful gases which can cause devastating health effects. Air quality within urban areas is also dramatically different than surrounding areas. Within cities there is a significant amount of pollution, there are different types of pollution and they have different effects. Suspended particulate matter is solid matter within the urban atmosphere such particles are usually less than 25micrometers in size and cause problems such as fog/smog, respiratory diseases, soiling of buildings. Sulphur dioxide is usually released from combustion of fossil fuels causes a hazard known as acid rain (due to its acidic nature) and this can corrode away at buildings it also contributes to respiratory disease s Carbon monoxide is also released from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and is a poisonous gas that prohibits haemoglobin within the blood to uptake oxygen, therefore it is potentially life threatening. Consequently due to all the pollutants the number of â€Å"blue sky days† were the sky is visibly blue can be significantly reduced consequently reducing the amount of sunlight upon the city, there have been policies introduced in cities worldwide to reduce pollution levels and increase the number of blue sky days. The serious effects of poor air quality can be perfectly illustrated with Beijing were the public wear masks to protect themselves from the poor air and serious efforts have been made to cut down on polluting sources. The urban layout of buildings of various different sizes vastly affects the wind pattern in the upper atmosphere; there are effects on wind speed, direction and frequency. The surface area of cities which is very uneven exerts a powerful frictional drag on the air moving over and around this creates strong turbulence giving rapid and abrupt changes in both wind direction and speed, consequently average wind speeds are lower within the city. High rise building significantly disturb airflows over urban areas, they deflect and slow down the upper atmosphere winds, and this can creature strong vortices and eddies. These fast turbulent winds can become funnelled in-between buildings producing a venturi effect this can swirl up litter and make walking down pavements difficult In conclusion urban areas can significantly influence their climate and cause it to be very different compared to surrounding rural areas, urban areas cause numerous amounts of changes in the climate surrounding them and cause higher temperatures, higher precipitation rates, effect the air quality and completely disturb the upper atmosphere wind pattern.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Safeguarding and Protection in Health Essay Example for Free

Safeguarding and Protection in Health Essay 1.1- Diversity means the difference between people and the values and beliefs that they have, there is lots of ways in which people differ, for example, ability, beliefs, race, religion, gender, culture, the differences in people are what makes an individual and as a care worker it is important to recognise these and respect their individuality to ensure that they feel valued and included, if I treated everyone the same or made assumptions or decisions for my service user’s or stereotyped people this would cause them to feel unvalued which would dent their self-esteem and more seriously would mean I was working in a discriminatory way and the service user would not have their needs met. It is very important to value diversity in individuals and work in ways that ensure that their needs, wishes and preferences are taken into account all of us as individuals have this right. By stereotyping individuals, this is the main cause of discrimination in which we, at times have a lack of understanding of differing cultures, beliefs, for example ‘all black people are drug dealers,’ ‘Jewish people are mean with money,’ ‘the Irish are thick,’ labelling and stereotyping is a form of being prejudice and media and television programmes can have a big influence on us all and the way we look at people and instantly make judgements, we are if completely honest guilty of doing this, but as a professional care-worker it is very important to challenge this behaviour and to value everyone’s choice, beliefs, cultures, not make assumptions because of the way they look, dress or their personal beliefs and cultures, it is important to respect their diversity and work in ways that respect their decisions and meet their needs even if they differ entirely from my own, spending time with individuals finding out how and where and when the y want my support, how they would like the support given, documenting their wishes is very important as this will ensure the individual feels valued, included, a care plan which is person-centred will give the best support to the individual and outcomes will be met. Read more: Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social care  essay Equality is about everyone being equal and ensuring that their diversity is valued and individuals are given the same services and support wherever they are from, to promote equality it is important to find the correct level of care to ensure the individual can reach his/her goals in life and encourage them to reach them even if there is perceived disadvantages for them, individuals deserve the correct level of support to maintain and achieve their goals and can participate the same as someone who needs none or less support, by lifting the barriers this will enable the individual to feel valued and build self esteem and independence. Governments definition of social class allows them to determine what planning services are needed around the country, but there are many ways that social class is perceived, this could be lower class, middle class and upper class, how we determine this is by example: I would say individuals who have very well paid professional careers and live in affluen t area’s of the country with top of the range cars, who send their children to private schools are the upper class of our society, but individuals from lower class through education can move around the class system. These systems of social classes can cause at times inequality, individuals from the lower class can suffer from ill health and poverty which create many more social and economical factors for example: poor nutrition, mental health problems, infant and childhood deaths, heart disease, diabetes. Gender, disability and age can also be causes of inequality, this can be made worse if poverty is a factor particularly in the elderly who live on low income, over 30% of the elderly who are entitled to pension credits do not claim it and this in turn means that they live in severe deprivation, poverty and socio-economic deprivation are the leading causes of inequality in the united kingdom and is made worse by attitudes for example, racism, sexism and discrimination against people with disabilities. inclusion is about equal opportunities for individuals, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, attainment and background, feeling respected, feeling a sense of belonging, being valued for who you a re. 1.2 The possible effects of discrimination can be very serious and can affect an individuals self-esteem and can reduce their ability to maintain their self belief and identity, being discriminatory because of their, for example sex, age, disability, colour of their skin, religion, can and will have a detrimental affect on a persons well-being and causing the individual to feel, angry, humiliated, depressed, low self esteem, worthless and unvalued. To eliminate the above as a care worker I should always strive to work in a anti-discriminatory way and respect a person and their choices whatever they are, respect their diversity as an individual, some examples of this would be to work to a person centred approach to ensure that the individuals needs, wishes and preferences are met, this could be cultural meal choices, ensuring language barriers are supported, not ignoring a person because of their differences, treating everyone equally, challenge discriminatory behaviour in my workplace, respect diversity of individuals and not push my own views on them. 1.3 Inclusive practice promotes equality and supports diversity of the individual, if we as care workers ensure that the individuals needs are met and ensuring that no barriers are there that would mean that they could not feel included and made to feel worthless. By understanding the individuals needs and what needs to be implemented for them to fully participate is important, this could be ‘a fully working hearing aid, good lighting, wheelchair, flash cards. Also being aware of any changes in the individuals overall health and recognising that at times extra support may be needed so they can still be included and fulfil an active life, mentally, physically and emotionally and ensure these are implemented. Question 2 2.1 2.2 2.1There are many legislations and codes of practice relating to equality, diversity and discrimination in my work role. It is my responsibility to adhere to these legislations and follow also my organisational policies and procedures relating to the above, my responsibility is about protecting and improving and not infringing rights of others, by dis-regarding a persons choice, entitlement is an infringement of their rights, so it is vitally important as a care worker to have the correct balance of rights and responsibilities. There are rights that do not have the force of law, these are rights under national standards, codes of practice, guidelines and policies, they are enforceable within social care and will help to improve the quality of services that individuals receive. National Minimum Standards England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, have their own individual body and they are responsible for inspecting social care facilities to ensure that they are complying with the National Minimum Standards, they are: The Quality Care Commission in England, Care Commission in Scotland, The Care and Social Service Inspectorate in Wales and The Regulations Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland, all these bodies will have there minimum standards to inspect the quality of care, there will be different standards for different types of services for example, one set of standards would be for a care home for the older adult and different set for young people or a children’s home, also these organisations would have policies in place to outline what services and support that the individuals using these can expect to receive. All these regulatory bodies in the UK have codes of practice for both employers in social care and also their employees, it is my responsibility to promote and protect the individuals rights and their interests and maintain them so they feel valued, respected, included, they will feel have control over their own lives, respect for equal opportunities, diversity and always maintain dignity and privacy. It is also my responsibility to promote their independence and also to protect them from danger or harm, also recognise that at times they have a right to take risks, so ensure risk assessments are in place to try minimise this and all the people involved in the care of the individual that need to know are aware. Maintain trust and confidence of the individual and others, building trust and never exploiting an individual, showing any discrimination towards them, keep a professional relationship at all times, not take any unnecessary risks, keeping confidentiality, not accepting gifts, effective communication skills, declaring conflicts of interests, challenge discriminatory behaviours, being accountable for my own development, attending training courses, pin pointing where additional training will be needed, report any unsafe practice, follow regulations. Maintain rights of individuals and empower them to use them. There are also responsibilities of the employer to adhere to which are employers must ensure that individuals who are in their social care setting know their roles and responsibilities, employers must have written policies and procedures so that employees reach and meet the codes of practice for social care workers this will include area’s on risk assessment, confidentiality, keep records, equal opportunities, acceptance of gifts and substance abuse, also the employer will and should provide supervision, effective management systems, systems to report inadequate resources, training and support to enable the employees to meet the standards of the code of practice criteria’s. Employers must provide training for employees, ongoing supervision and development meetings, respond to employees who are finding any difficulties and provide support, support employees to acetane eligibility criteria’s. Employers also have a responsibility to ensure that they put in place written policies and procedures to deal with discriminatory, dangerous or exploitive behaviours and practice, policies and procedures also must be written for the following equal opportunities, minimising risks of violent and managing violent incidents, bullying, harassment and discrimination, support networks for employees who experience any violence, trauma, bullying and harassment, and also support in connection with health needs. 2.1 Employers have a responsibility to promote the codes of practice for social care workers, service user’s and primary carers and co-operate with the councils proceedings for example, informing workers of the code, co-operate with any investigations, use the code to assist in any decisions that need to be made, inform social care user’s and also to report any misconduct to the council. By adhering as an employee to the codes of practice this will ensure that care will be delivered in the highest possible quality and will ensure the service user is valued, their rights have not be infringed in any way, it will promote their independence, the care they are given is person-centred, dignity and respect is promoted, the care they are given is confidential, diversity is promoted and they have the correct level of support that will maintain that they have control over their own lives. It is also important to understand the balance between rights and responsibilities as one service user who is exercising their rights may on some occasions restrict the rights of others, for example, a care home who does not take into account cultural diets or free speech of one individual who is communicating discriminatory behaviours which will infringe on another individuals rights to be respected and valued it is racist and discriminatory and un-acceptable and is not justified on any level, individuals have the right to be different and it is my responsibility to respect their diversity, individuals have a right to choice over how they live their life, diet and routines, dignity and respect should always be maintained, people have a right to feel safe and secure and not feel threatened in any way, individuals have a right to take risks, choice in order to maintain the individuals identity and its my responsibility not to impose unnecessary risk or put the individual at any risk d anger or harm. Human Rights Act came into force on 2/10/2000, this act applies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, individuals are entitled to seek help from the courts if they believe that their human rights have been infringed, it is my responsibility to work within the provisions of the Human Rights Act which for example guarantee the rights to: life, freedom from slavery, liberty and security of the individual, freedom from torture, a fair and public trial, respect for private and family life, home and correspondence, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, marry and found a family, access to education, free elections, not to be subjected to the death penalty. Legislation about equality and rights are: All these Acts and Regulations have been superseded by a single Equality Act 2010 and covers all the previous legislations and gives individuals more protection and includes all older people and also protection for individuals not to be discriminated against on the grounds of sexual orientation, a few of the points of the act are as follows:- Protection against direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation in services and public functions, premises, work, education, associations and transport. Applying the detriment model to victimisation protection(aligning with the approach in employment law) Introducing a new concept of discrimination arising from disability. This act will give protection to individuals on rights, equality and diversity and maintain that individuals are respected and given choice 2.2 As a care worker it is vitally important to respect the beliefs, culture, values and preferences of all the individuals I support, the ways that I can do this is to set myself a high standard of working which takes all individuals choices into account and respect these and impose my own preferences on the individual, recognising my own prejudices however hard this may seem is important as these are a result of my own values and beliefs and can create conflicts in the working environment, it is important to seek advice and speak with my supervisor if I feel I will struggle with any issues in the work setting, being professional and understanding that we are all different and we have a right to be cared for which respects diversity will ensure individuals feel valued even if this care is not what I think is best for them because of my own beliefs and what I think is better for the person, I must ensure that the individuals I support feel valued and respected and not discriminated a gainst in any way, individuals need to make choices about how they wish to live their lives, having the correct balance is vitally important it will give the individual empowerment to make these choices which exercise their rights, feel valued and build self-esteem. What also is very important is to never tolerate any discriminatory behaviours in the workplace and I should always challenge these behaviours at every level and report these concerns to my manager immediately, my workplace policies and procedures need to be adhered too which will have procedures in place that respect diversity are acknowledged and respected and these must be followed, the types of behaviours that are unacceptable for example: meal choices that does not cater for cultural preferences, not respecting individuality, removing individuals choice to make their own informed decisions, not maintaining independence for the service user, not showing empathy and giving dignity and respect. Question 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1 As a care worker it is important to recognise that individuals have a right to be supported in ways that will ensure that they are valued, respected and are included and also that their diversity is valued and are treated equally, individuals have a right to participate in everyday life and activities as independently as possible, the support they receive should be person-centred which will maintain they have the correct level of support and promotes choice of the individual and access to other services that may be needed so the individual can achieve their best potential and will build self-esteem, I must be as a care worker flexible in the support that I give as support can change, so it is my responsibility to be aware of changes so correct levels of support is still to be given that maintains the individual is at the centre of any changes and decisions to be made and their choice, wishes and preferences are maintained. Care and support should be given to the individuals in the ways that they require and not to suit the establishment that I work in, social support services have changed dramatically over recent years as personalisation agenda’s is ensuring choice and control are firmly in the hands of the service user’s using care support services, direct payments and individual budgets are widely used today which will give service user’s control over, how, when and who gives them support. The impact of powerlessness is detrimental to service user’s as this will contribute to their self-esteem and how valued that they will feel, as human beings we all like to feel valued and for others to understand and respect who we are, also to respect the choices and the way we live, if this was taken away from us or service user’s they would feel un-valued and would have negative effects on their well being behaviours and confidences, also would have impact on their independence and control over their own life which in turn would make the individual more dependent , they also could then in turn have low self-esteem and feel useless and depressed. Individuals who feel confident and happy, valued and loved will be far more enthusiastic to participate and try to do as much for themselves as possible. 3.2 At one time individuals were told the level of care they can receive, how it would be given and the times they would receive it, in 2005 the White Paper Our Health, our care and a further policy Putting people first in 2007 changed the way care was given and is still to date developing, it is essential that control is given to the individuals, once assessments have been made and a budget given to the individual they can decide the amount and type of care they wish for and also they can choose to have the carer they want. 3.3Thier could be times when supporting an individual, that I identify a persons rights but they are unable to exercise their right through either physical or mental barriers, it is my responsibility as a care worker to recognise this and access further assistance or information, this could be for example: involve an advocate who will argue a case for another person, they will try to understand the individuals perspective and argues their case, my own organisation will have procedures in place that will assist me in gaining the services of people who will act as advocates for them. It may also arise that I will need to support an individual in a more informal way this could be for example ‘A day centre that is not fulfilling a cultural need of an individual’ it is my responsibility to challenge this with the manager and ensure that this will be corrected immediately and the individuals cultural needs are being met. It is important to ensure that I provide support that will encourage the individual to take control and make their own choices and decisions that will enable them maximum participation in every aspect of their lives and if possible make their own decisions and only put the support in on the gaps that the cannot possibly do for themselves. if I witnessed a discriminatory incident I would address the situation by reporting it to my manager and recording it immediately. By doing this it is more likely to be dealt with in the appropriate manner If I overheard someone making a discriminatory remark or not promoting equality or valuing diversity I would challenge them in a calm and professional way and tell them that what they were saying or doing, is unacceptable and explain why. I could also add that I am upset and offended by their discriminatory words and actions and that it is unlawful. In a work setting, discrimination can be a disciplinary matter and policies and procedures are in place to deal with this. I could actively challenge discrimination by acting as a role model for positive behaviour and by empowering people to challenge discrimination themselves. Discrimination usually occurs through ignorance. By making a person aware of the facts it will educate them and hopefully change their opinions and actions in the future.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Construction Procurement In Sweden Construction Essay

Construction Procurement In Sweden Construction Essay Sweden is one of Scandinavian countries located between Norway and Finland in North part of Europe. It has a population of 9.2 million people. Swedish climate in summer but winters bring some heavy snow and low temperatures especially in north regions. It is known as one of the best democratic government examples but even more as a successful and modern economic benchmark. Construction sector plays a very important role in Swedens domestic economy. It is described as a major market or even backbone in terms of importance. According to the Swedish Construction Institute report (1997) and the Swedish Construction Federation data (2008) the construction sector is one of Swedens largest industries and contributes significantly to national prosperity. Being a member of EU, Swedens construction legal framework and procurement legislations (Swedish Public Procurement Act, 2008) tend to concentrate on: non discrimination, equal opportunities, transparency, cost efficiency and value for money etc. Due to conservative cultural approach, Sweden has established a distinctive procurement model based on mutual strategic consideration and trust among construction actors. Nevertheless, OECD (Organisation for Economic Co Operation and Development) in annual reports about Swedish construction industry (2007) and (2009) found that cartels and lack of competition are the main negative features affecting procurement efficiency in Sweden. In 1990 Swedish construction industry was at its peak followed by government funds mainly for roads, bridges etc. Renovation, repairs and maintenance account for 50% of the total construction output (The Swedish Construction Institute, 1997). In 1991 there was a downturn in the industry and total construction volume fell by nearly 25% until 1994. In 1995 together with membership in EU Sweden construction sector has joined ISO 9001 quality and responsibility standards, which led industry to much bigger output. As a member of EFTA (European Free Trading Association), Sweden has been participating actively in European standards making in CEN (European Committee for Standardization) (Atkinson, 1995). Building regulations and control was the main government contribution to growing construction sector. It produced a quality standard high enough to absorb internal market request. The most noticeable Swedish achievements regarding construction quality by Atkinson (1995, p. 149) are: the de legation of ministerial policies on social and technical matters to professionally staffed executive agencies which carry out tasks assigned under legislations within a financial programme, the delegation of central responsibilities for building regulation and associated arrangements for certification and quality assurance to Boverket (The National Board of Housing, Building and Physical Planning), administration of building regulations by local district authorities, helped by a well presented system of approved documentation, regulations the Swedish Building Code in which requirements, expressed in functional or performance terms, are supported by examples of solutions, recommendations and advisory information. Unlike many other countries Sweden has no particular legislation concerning contract relationships for building projects by private clients. Even though private procurement can be performed with less complicated regulations, this must be done not offending public principles for contracts, purchase laws and laws regarding competition. Public procurement regulations are governed by Public Procurement Act directives followed by EU procurement legislation. The Swedish Competition Authority is responsible for supervision of Public Procurement Acts from 2008 (Swedish Competition Authority, Public procurement, 2008). Procurement types available in Sweden are: open, restricted and negotiated (Swedish Competition Authority, Swedish Public Procurement Act, 2007). PPP/PFI has been recently applied in Sweden and this kind of procurement options should gain more attention from private investors. However, according to Osipova (2008) Swedish construction industry has been criticized for high costs which led to lack of competition between contractors as well as low productivity and project delays. The UK has a benefit of wide range of institutional forms of construction contracts. However, a number of government sponsored reports have also highlighted that this has major disadvantages, indentifying duplication of effort and a wasteful use of resources at almost every level of activity (Ashworth, 2006). In the nineteenth century a first standard form of construction contract was introduced in the UK. The form was described as the RIBA until 1977, when the term JCT (The Joint Contracts Tribunal) contract was adopted. The present body responsible for drafting the current form includes public and private sector employers, architects, quantity surveyors, contractors and subcontractors. With different contract forms appearing in the U.K. after 1964, JCT forms reflected different interests of construction parties involved into construction business. The selection of particular form of contract depends on various considerations such as: type of work to be conducted, size of the project, public or private sector, status of designer and procurement types. According to Contracts in use surveys, JCT 98 is the most popular form of contract for building contracts in the UK. It is the Standard Form of Building Contract (SFBC). Table 1 shows all JCT contract forms available in the UK. The Institut ion of Civil Engineers (ICE) form remains the most popular among civil engineer contracts. The UK construction industry has attracted a great deal of criticism in recent years for its inability to meet the needs of its clients (Wood et al., 2005). There was a great need of collaborative procurement type such as partnering. Radically different approach to the procurement offered specific objectives through supply chain maximizing the effectiveness and performance of construction activities. Positive partnering approach in the UK has led Sweden to adopt partnering concept. Hence, partnering procurement type does not have contractual form status. In Sweden, the majority of contracts are based on the general conditions of contracts. New forms of contracting occurring are the performance based contract and partnering. Performance based contracts are improved forms of the design and build contracts. Such contracts tend to provide stimulus for the contractor for development of higher level products. Partnering contracts proved to be successful in the UK are getting more popular in Sweden. Cost reduction and better performance are the main benefits of such contracts. As in Sweden the UK construction industry is strongly fragmented. To improve this many of the best clients use partnering or similar agreements to keep project team together (Sterner, 2002). Lack of competition in Swedish construction sector has been pointed out by OECD (2007) in 1999 and 2004. Survey held by OECD find out that cartels are common within Swedish construction industry. Also barriers are quite high for new construction companies which cannot compete on the bigger projects. The four largest developers, which account for a large share of the market, do not normally purchase construction services in the market as 75% of apartments are built in house (OECD, 2007). This results in higher building costs than for smaller developers, who procure projects to a much higher extent. Swedish construction sector is not competitive in terms of supply chain as large companies are dominating this segment. Sweden has one of the highest levels of construction costs among EU. Swedish construction regulations regarding input materials as well as a lack of EU certified construction codes are preventing new entries into the industry. Some procurement contracts (source does not indicate which) have requirements that disadvantage foreign companies from investment and acts just like protectionism. Other specific indicators creating high costs in constructions are: high construction service prices (over 8% higher, excluding VAT, than the EU average in 2004), labour costs (matter of high taxes), powerful and very influential construction workers union Byggnads activity in collecting extra charges for non member companies. The civil engineering industry is in hands of big societies which also manufacture key materials such as asphalt and ballast. As the import is limited, other companies have to purchase from the market leaders, and the price of building materials is high compared to many other EU countries (OECD, Sweden: achieving results for sustained growth, 2007) Possible solutions From the data provided by OECD, we can state that Sweden should stress construction sector against culture of cartels. By reducing number of cartels the industry will gain more actors involved into construction procurement procedures and cost efficiency should increase accordingly. Stronger competition within sector could be achieved if smaller companies would act together in order to compete against big firms, but government should encourage such competition through procurement acts. It is obvious that high tax policy has made construction costs far too expensive in Sweden. It might be the barrier which naturally protects industry from foreign investment and keeps Swedish companies busy, but also acts against fair competition. On the 7th of October 2009, Swedish Competition Authoritys (Konkurrensverket) official report stated the construction sector is one example where we observe limited foreign presence in this country (Konkurrensverket, 2009, p. 1). In order to satisfy the demands placed on the construction sector in the future, a number of changes must be made to procurement procedures, all of which point to the need of new forms of co-operation among all the actors. The empirical data shows that the currently used procurement procedures involve: specification by the client, open bid invitations, bid evaluations based on lowest tender price, high contract formalisation through standard contracts, fixed price compensation, low usage of collaborative tools and performance evaluation by the client (Eriksson, 2007). Swedish procurement types are focused on price and authority due to lack of social control. According to conceptual model, trust between construction actors should receive bigger attention. Such procedures as: incentive based compensation, limited bid invitation, bid evaluation based on soft parameters, joint selection of sub contractors and contractor self control have reduced the traditional focus on price and autho rity. Therefore, trust and cooperation appeared to play a key role between partners. The benefit of early subcontractor involvement into procurement procedures proved to be important way of partnering concept.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Cinema and Religion Essay -- Religious Religion Culture Essays

Cinema and Religion Entertainment media are contributing to the emergence of new and novel forms of spiritual and religious phenomena in our contemporary (and past) culture. The essays in this issue explore diverse facets of the morphing relationship between entertainment, spirituality and culture. Over the last century, the cinema has played a vital role in the expression and representation of Judeo-Christian religious practices and beliefs. Early cinema told the life of Christ in the Passion Play and Cecil B DeMille produced two spectacular versions of The Ten Commandments in 1923 and 1956. While cinema represented religious themes and figures, religious institutions also shaped the emergence of this moving image technology and its role within Western society; the wondrous moving image provided by the cinematrographe could open the viewer’s eyes to the work of God or, somewhat paradoxically, do the Devil's work by deceiving them with its illusionary spectacles. Two significant changes in this relationship between cinema and religion are occurring in our Post-millennial era. Firstly, the cinema is now participant in a complex audio-visual and textual culture that includes both established and emerging media – a Multiverse created from computer games, comic books, television programs, theme parks, virtual reality technologies and other new media. Secondly, traditional forms of religious practices and spiritual beliefs are shifting from their familiar locations in the church and community. Once, the cinema was seen as analogous to the Church because it provided a sacred space of worship. Now, however, the theme park, the computer game and cyberspace are the realms for an emerging Post-Millennial spirituality. We need to... ...rent media that shape and inform the fantastic and the spiritual in Western culture: from Francis I, C16th King of France who, reflecting a nascent version of the media star, constructed himself as a figure of worship; to the landscapes of Stephen King story worlds that present the reader with uncanny, Gothic spaces and narrative scenarios that question the ‘normality’ of everyday reality; to the transcendental pursuits of the magician and magic lantern technology; or the worship-like experiences inherent to fan cultures. We are living in an era where cultural identities, beliefs, forms of religious community, models of consciousness and what it means to be human are being transfigured. In the light of this transfiguration this issue of Refractory considers the relationship between media, religion, and the fantastic; and the every day and the sacred and the uncanny.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Nolan Ryan Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mid-Term   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my Mid-Term, I have decided to write about one of the greatest pitchers of all times. His name is Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. most people know him as Nolan Ryan. He pitched in the Major League from 1967- 1993. He was born on January 31, 1947 in Refugio, Texas. He was the final child of six. He grew up on a street called Dezso Drive in Alvin, Texas. He delivered a paper called the â€Å"The Houston Post.† This route was 55 miles long, and so that he could finish, he had to wake up at one and start delivering these papers because his father wanted him to have some responsibility. This would take him four hours to complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When he went to High School, he played baseball and basketball. He attended Alvin High School. When he was a Sophomore, he pitched in front of Mets Scout Red Murff. Red said that Nolan had the best arm he had seen in his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1965, when Nolan was a Senor, he was voted â€Å"Most Handsome.† That same year he was drafted by the Mets in the eighth round. Can you believe that 294 people were taken over him. He started pitching in Marion, Virginia, which was the Appalachian Rookie League. The next year he played in Greenville, South Carolina. This league was the Single A Western Carolinas League. He then was promoted to William...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Essay

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs has become common place in today’s society. Every household with a television is aware of DTC advertising as they interrupt their nightly programs. Every national magazine or local newspaper offers advertising on the latest drug remedy for what ails us. This multi-media approach is relatively new for pharmaceutical companies as previously such efforts were directed only at physicians who were the sole decision makers when choosing medications. With the 1997 change in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guidelines along with patients desires to be more involved in their own care and treatment, drug companies have expanded their promotional efforts to include the consumer. This essay will look at some of the current regulations concerning DTC advertising, pros and cons of these ads, and the ethical issues that arise from DTC advertising. Regulations Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is the â€Å"promotion of prescription drugs through newspaper, magazine, television and internet marketing.† (Direct-to-consumer advertising, 2010) These ads are directed towards the end user, the consumer, and not the prescriber/physician. Prescription drug advertising has been regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1962. Their Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) is responsible for ensuring that companies that directly advertise to the public are providing â€Å"information that is truthful, balanced, and accurately described.† (FDA, 2010) Even though the FDA has oversight on DTC advertising, it should not impose unnecessary restrictions on them as they fall under the category of commercial speech protected by the first amendment (Evans & Friede, 2003, p. 387). The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires that anyone who makes, packages, or sells prescription drugs for hum ans must disclose information in their advertisements about the products uses and risks (U.S. Department of HHS, 1999, p. 3). This information disclosure is called the brief summary. Contrary to its name, the brief summary is rather lengthy as it must contain every risk associated with the drug’s approved use. Prior to regulatory changes made in 1997, these disclosures had to be included in every advertisement making television commercials impractical due to the restricted amount of time available. Now there is a distinction between print and broadcast advertising so that only print ads must contain this brief summary. The DDMAC’s 1997 revisions now only require audio and/or visual ads to disclose two things. The drugs major risks in consumer-friendly language, the major statement, and give adequate provision for the consumer to access the full product labeling (U.S. Department of HHS, 1999, p. 5). This can be achieved by providing a toll free number to call, referencing the full advertisement in a print ad, or making sure brochures are easily accessible outside of a physician’s office, like a pharmacy or grocery store. By decreasing the amount of information required in these ads, commercials suddenly became a viable form of marketing. Advertisements seen on television or in magazines are not required to be submitted to the FDA for approval prior to their release; however, companies must submit their ads to the FDA when they first appear in public. The FDA is available to offer their advice to pharmaceutical companies when asked for help (FDA, 2010). Once they see the ad and if they feel that it violates the law, they will send a warning letter requesting that the company stop the ad immediately. These letters are posted on their web site for public inspection. The drawback to this process is that an ad that violates the law may be aired without oversight. If the warning letters do not rectify the situation, â€Å"the FDA can work with the Department of Justice to seek injunctions against companies, or criminally prosecute firms.† (Vogt, 2005, p. 26) The FDA also has the authority to seize drugs that it deems as misbranded and can even reverse approval for the drug. Pros There are numerous arguments on the benefits of direct-to-consumer advertising. Supporters of DTC advertising contend that ads can be educational, provide important health information, and generate sales to further necessary research and development (R&D). One of the most commonly heard reasons is that DTC advertising has assisted consumers in â€Å"identify(ing) disease conditions and engage(ing) in more informed conversations with their health care providers.† (Pfizer, 2011) Supporters uphold that this advertising helps the doctor/patient relationship by being a conversation starter allowing discussions on disorders and options that a patient may not have known how to talk about earlier. Most patients today are educated and desire a greater level of involvement in their healthcare choices. DTC advertising gives the consumer power through knowledge. Important health information can be delivered in DTC advertising. These ads have the ability to reach millions of consumers rela tively easily. Through print and media advertising, pharmaceutical companies can play a useful role in raising awareness of certain conditions and disorders. Raising the public’s awareness can promote consumers to seek medical attention when they otherwise may not have. Seeing these conditions on television or in a magazine can lessen the stigma associated with them. Large pharmaceutical companies use the money made from DTC advertising to fund their R&D. This research and development plays an integral part in ensuring a drugs safety which in turn saves generic companies from needing to repeat R&D on the same drug. This makes generic manufacturers another supporter of DTC ads. By advertising new, name brand drugs, companies are causing a demand for the medication. Once the drug has lost its patent, physicians can begin prescribing the less expensive generic alternative. The generic manufacturer has benefited by default on the large pharma’s campaign. Cons There are an equal number of allegations on the negative effect of direct-to-consumer advertising. Opponents of DTC ads argue that ads can be detrimental to the physician/patient relationship, increase medication costs, and harm public health. Those against DTC ads feel that they have the potential to change the way doctors and patients interact with each other. A patient may see a particular advertisement and be convinced that they have a certain condition or that they need a specific drug. The patient may then present to their doctor feeling that they have diagnosed themselves and request prescriptions even if not needed. The physician may then feel pressured to oblige the patient rather than discussing other, possibly cheaper or drug free, treatment options. This scenario can lead to over-prescribing and over-use of a particular drug based on the effectiveness of the advertisement. Others have argued that advertising is expensive and the pharmaceutical companies have to recoup the ir cost somewhere. This leads to the cost being passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prescription costs. The amount of money spent on DTC ads has increase dramatically from 1997 to 2005 from $1.1 billion to $4.2 billion (GAO, 2006, p. 12). This increase expenditure could create higher healthcare costs across the board. Another cost of DTC advertising could be at the expense of public health. Most consumers lack the specialized knowledge required to evaluate the content of these ads and therefore take them at face value. They may not be fully aware of the harmful side effects or interactions of the drug. DTC ads can be seen as misleading since they are not required to mention other alternatives like diet, exercise or other preventative measures. These alternatives could treat the advertised condition without medication. By not including the alternatives, companies are advocating drug use as a primary response to medical conditions. Ethical Issues Pharmaceutical companies have a substantial obligation to ensure that their direct-to-consumer advertising is ethical. Their products not only have the ability to help consumers but they may also cause potential harm. Advertising of a drug is not like advertising of any other product where you are trying to convince the consumer to buy something they don’t need. Drug advertising needs to educate the consumer while still promoting their product. Persuasion tactics therefore should be ethical. How does one go about knowing if DTC advertising methods are ethical? In the book Persuasion: Theory and Practice, ethical persuasion is defined as â€Å"a communication activity that †¦ permits maximum individual choice† (Anderson, 1978, p. 3). The key is that the consumer must be able to make a voluntary choice without feeling coerced. DTC ads should not rely on deceptive or manipulative tactics. As previously stated, the consumer can be viewed as a vulnerable audience if the y are being spoken to at a level that is beyond their ability to understand (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 166). Ethical marketing requires that these audiences not be unfairly targeted because of this vulnerability. DTC advertising ethics is concerned with what drug companies ought or ought not to do. Lying is morally wrong and therefore considered unethical. Using lies or false impressions in a DTC ad distorts the information a consumer receives and can alter the choices they may make (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 160). Therefore DTC ads should not create false impressions or omit pertinent information just for the sake of the ad. The point of DTC advertising should not be increased sales but be more of a means to an important social end which should be consumer education. An example of an ethical advertisement would be one that utilizes those messages that demonstrate respect for the consumer to whom they are directed. Respecting the consumer means that their needs are placed before the needs of the advertiser. Currently, the DDMAC does not regulate the ethicalness of pharmaceutical advertising. Their mission statement is, â€Å"To protect the public health by assuring prescription drug information is truthful, balanced and accurately communicated.† (FDA, 2010) â€Å"Ethical ads tell the truth about their product and do not try to distort its capabilities or hide its defects.† (Vaux) Unfortunately an ad can be truthful and still be considered unethical. Ads that play to â€Å"base† human emotions such as fear can be considered unethical as they are just trying to promote emotions that would cause the consumer to seek relief through the advertiser’s product. Conclusion Direct-to-consumer advertising has been integrated into our culture and is likely not going to go away. Just as there are those who lobby against these ads, there are an equal number of proponents who support them. Regulations have been changed to allow the advancement of these ads to their current place in our society. As such, the DDMAC is constantly monitoring DTC ads and will need to be the ones to set ethical boundaries and ensure they’re being adhered to. Consumers must evaluate pharmaceutical ads critically so as not to be persuaded as much as they are educated. Although proponents of DTC advertising argue they provide important consumer information, too frequently the ads can operate dysfunctionally by â€Å"providing misinformation and inducing the consumer to make purchases that are not in either their short or long term interest.† (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 151) Ethical DTC ads should serve an educational purpose first and a promotional purpose second. They should offer consumers information on alternatives along with true representations of the risks their medications may have. Unethical ads are those that may try to point out your flaws, i.e. depression, and then tell you they have the answer, i.e. Prozac. These unethical ads will use your emotions to cause you to believe you are in need of a fix when in reality you may not be. I believe there is a place for direct-to-consumer advertising. Consumers are constantly looking for more and more information to help them make better informed decisions. DTC ads, when done appropriately, can be used to provide this information not only about medications but health conditions as well. Decreasing public stigma around certain health issues is another advantage advertising can bring; especially if it opens doors for patients to have difficult discussions with their doctors. That being said, I believe that a balance lies with the FDA needing to take a more proactive role in how they manage DTC ads. I think that all ads should be required to go through a pre-approval process rather than the current release and retract method. It is hard to take back something that has already been seen and that may cause damage to the consumer. References Direct-to-consumer advertising. (2010, June 11). Retrieved March 4, 2012, from Sourcewatch: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Direct-to-consumer_advertising Anderson, K. E. (1978). Persuasion: Theory and practice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Baker, S., & Martinson, D. L. (2001). The TARES test: Five principles of ethical persuasion. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 16(2), 148-175. Evans, G. W., & Friede, A. I. (2003). The Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of prescription drug manufacturer speech: A first admendment analysis. Food and Drug Law Journal, 58(3), 365-437. FDA. (2010, April 4). Drugs. Retrieved March 4, 2012, from FDA: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/PrescriptionDrugAdvertising/ucm071964.htm GAO. (2006). Prescription drugs: Improvements needed in FDA’s oversight of direct-to-consumer advertising. Pfizer. (2011). Ethical Sales and Marketing. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from Pfizer: http://www.pfizer.com/investors/financial_reports/annu al_reports/2010/ethics-sales.jsp U.S. Department of HHS. (1999). Guidance for Industry Consumer-Directed Broadcast Advertisements. Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vaux, R. (n.d.). What is the

Monday, September 16, 2019

Philippine School vs. American School Essay

Being able to go to school is a privilege. Here in the United States, they offer public schools to everyone without a fee but in other countries like the Philippines, they don’t. The Philippines is one of the third-world countries which means that there’s more poor people than rich and not everyone can afford to get an education. From where I used to live when I was still there, I always see children in the streets selling flowers or rags and most of them are just below the age of 16. They have no other choice but to do this because their parents lack money and no company would hire them because they have never even learned how to read. As I have experienced going to school in the Philippines and the United States, I am able to recognize the great differences between both countries’ ways of education. I was shocked when my mom told me over the phone that I can go to a public school in the U. S. for free. I was expecting that public schools won’t be as good as going to a private school because I used to go to a private school in the Philippines. When I started going to Patrick Henry Middle School in Granada Hills, I realized that I was wrong. The teachers are great and I was able to focus on my studies more because there were only 6 periods each semester. In the Philippines, there are 8 periods. They even have a subject for religion, mainly for Catholics. I’m not a Catholic so the subject was a waste for me. I personally think it is the last thing I should learn about. Another surprise for me is that here, the school lends books to the students. In the Philippines, we have to buy them, one for each subject! They don’t even give out lockers for free, we also have to rent them. I chose to rent one of course, I did not want to look like a turtle by carrying a backpack full of books, notebooks, and other school things. The others used rolling bags in order for them not to hurt their backs. In some public schools, students have to share books because the school cannot get as many books as much as there are students in it but here, almost every one of the books lent to us are in good condition. Although going to school was painful in the Philippines, they make it a challenge for us. There are no shortened days and no minimum days. Everyday was a day full of lectures, tests, and homework except for that one day when everyone goes to a field trip. The teachers are also considered as second parents because they get to have the students with them from Monday through Friday. Their ways of discipline are harsh, they make you squat with books on your arms, and sometimes, they can even hit you with a ruler, or pinch you. Teachers here don’t do that, they warn you or send you to B-1. It is definitely one thing I think we should be thankful for. Whether or not going to school is a good experience, it is a lot better than not being able to. I wish they could offer a free education in my country so everyone there would get a chance to learn something even though they haven’t any money to give. The way of school life in the Philippines may not be the best experience for me but it has helped me to go this far. Students should not just look at school as a meeting place to find friends but also as something very beneficial to them.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Community Teaching Experience Paper Essay

It was merely a decade ago that the obesity epidemic was thought to only be a minor problem and had only alarmed a small number of endocrinologists interested by the size of the situation (James, 2008). However today, the problem of obesity is vast with more awareness of its presence by doctors and individuals alike. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, â€Å"More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese (CDC, 2014)†. These numbers are outrageous and eye opening, leaving millions looking for a solution to this troubling epidemic. Obesity is not simply a cosmetic flaw as some might think, but is actually a very dangerous state of being for any individual to sustain long-term. Mentioned further in this paper, obesity leads to several debilitating diseases and disorders such as, type 2 diabetes. The teaching summary provided offers an understanding into the relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as information given to assist those who currently struggle with obesity. Obesity is not simply an inconvenience or a cosmetic issue but a very dangerous and potentially deadly circumstance. In fact, one source explains, â€Å"Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death (CDC, 2014)†. Although obesity is preventable and reversible, it is not easy for most to do. The task of sheading unwanted pounds is not entirely determined by will power alone, defeating cravings and the decrease in the metabolic rate that complements weight loss are also factors (Skolnik & Ryan, 2014). The fact that will power is not the single factor in weight loss, this task is very difficult to achieve, especially with life stressors involved. The teaching summary includes diet and e xercise recommendations as well as information on weight loss surgery. The relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes’ existence has been scientifically proven and continues to remains a real threat for millions. The recognized meaning of obesity, globally, is centered on body mass index (BMI), and is a superior connection of total body fat than body weight alone, particularly on a populace basis (Skolnik & Ryan, 2014). According to one source, â€Å"†Over ­ weight† is defined as having a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2 and â€Å"obesity† applies to patients with a BMI >30.0 kg/m2 (Skolnik & Ryan, 2014)†. As previously stated, obesity has a high likelihood of leading to  co-morbidities such as type two diabetes; but what you may not know is how. Having excess weight, especially belly fat, makes the insulin our bodies produce resistant to fat cells. Therefore, our bodies are making the insulin and because of the adipose (fat) cells, the insulin cannot find the receptors. Furthermore, insulin resistance is due to hered itary, environmental influences and saturated and trans-fat high intake, obesity and an inactive routine (Servan, 2013). Once the insulin is unable to find the receptors, our bodies are no longer able to regulate glucose (sugar) consequently, our blood sugars rise causing havoc in the body over time. Individuals may ask the question, â€Å"Why not just lose the weight?† Unfortunately, for many, simply losing the weight is not a hop, skip, and a jump away! However, weight loss can be achieved through, diet modifications, exercise, or possibly weight loss surgery as a last resort. Quantifiable studies have credibly presented that lifestyle change is the greatest approach in the deterrence or suspension of type 2 diabetes. For overweight and obese individuals, a slight weight-loss goal of 5-10% can considerably decrease the diabetes threat (Servan, 2013). Weight loss surgery is also an option for those who feel they have tried everything and still yet struggle. Weight loss surgery is not a â€Å"quick fix†; its recipients must also change their diets forever. The teaching power point was pre sented in a group setting with other nurses as well as bariatric patients. I felt that it was important to teach the information to other nurses so that they could go and teach others afterwards. During the presentation I was very nervous and dislike speaking in front of crowds; I feel I did well simply because I am passionate about the topic. My own evaluation of the experience was overall a positive one. The information presented to the audience was over thirty-minutes, several individuals had questions, primarily regarding the weight loss surgery. However, the next time a teaching experience such as this one is conducted, I feel that a measure to test the audience would be beneficial. I feel like a fun group quiz or a trivia game would have been valuable in testing the audience’s knowledge. The only complaint I have is the time restriction. I had thirty minutes to present an introduction and the power point and feel I could have went more in depth if given more time. Overall, I feel this teaching experience was a success. The community response was a mixed one. I delivered the power point as planned and about  half of my audience turned out to be really focused on obtaining more information regarding weight loos surgery. Although I provided information in the power point about weight loss surgery, it was not my focus. Answering questions, to the best of my knowledge, about weight loss surgery took up a lot of my time. I did not have the â€Å"know how† to get the presentation back on track after the weight loss surgery slide. However, I did have a lot questions from the audience regarding the relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes that I felt very comfortable answering. Although I did not have a means of measuring the audiences’ knowledge pre and post presentation, I feel the presentation was effective in teaching about the relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and how to prevent such co-morbidities with obesity. As for my thoughts on improvement, the provider, as well as myself feel I could have used more eye contact while presenting. The daunting task of speaking in a group setting is nothing less than terrifying. However, I feel like I could have made more of an effort to make eye contact and be more engaging. As previously stated, a pre and post quiz would have been helpful in determining the effectiveness of the teaching. Although the crowd appeared appreciative of the knowledge, I have no way of knowing wheatear or not the audience actually learned the information. The provider complemented my on the variety of information I provided, as well as my confidence in my knowledge. I do agree that I feel adequately knowledgeable on the topic of the relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes however; I feel that if I would have shown more eye contact towards the audience I could have displayed further confidence. The provider also mentioned that I had a keen attention towards the sensitivity of obesity. I personally do not feel inclined to dislike or disrespect any population for any reason whether they be a different race other than my own, extremely short or tall, or obese. The provider also complimented my thorough explanation of disease process in easy to understand way of explaining. Explaining medications and disease processes in non-technical language, or easy to understand ways of explanation is important to ensure the patients understanding. As a nurse, it is sometimes easy to forget that we know medical terminology only because we have taken courses to teach us this as well as working in the medical field. The patient may often times feel inferior to the medically educated professional, leaving the patient to  agree to understanding information when in reality they have no idea what you are saying. My goal as a nurse is to help anyone and everyone I can, through education and encouragement. I realize that change, whether it be smoking cessation, losing weight, or increasing activity; changing our routine that we are comfortable with is not easy. However, if it is harming our health, change is necessary. Health care providers cannot make anyone change but what we can do is educate on the harmful effects of what the patient is doing and provide encouragement. More importantly is to provide a non-judgmental atmosphere. The patient will be more willing to listen to the nurse’s education as well as have trust in that nurse when they feel like an equal and are not being judged. References Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2014, September 9). Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics: Adult Obesity – DNPAO – CDC. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html James, W. P. (2008). The epidemiology of obesity: the size of the problem. Journal of Internal Medicine, 336-352. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9ede2d6d-4d02-42e9-aff7-dd9b2486a3c3%40sessionmgr4004&vid=8&hid=4203 Servan, P. R. (2013). Obesity and Diabetes. Nutricion Hospitalaria, 28(5), 138-143. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=11&sid=57543655-ca3d-4380-8d2c-28a71d3ce225%40sessionmgr110&hid=120 Skolnik, N. S., & Ryan, D. H. (2014). Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, and Assessment of Obesity in Adults. Journal of Family Practice, 63(7), 3. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=57543655-ca3d-4380-8d2c-28a71d3ce225%40sessionmgr110&vid=8&hid=119

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Materials engineering

Mercury is a common element that is found naturally in a free state or mixed in ores. Because mercury is very dense, expands and contracts evenly with temperature changes, and has high electrical conductivity, it has been used in thousands of industrial, agricultural, medical, and household applications. Major uses of mercury include dental amalgams, tilt switches, thermometers, lamps, pigments, batteries, reagents, barometers, manometers, and hydrometers. It also may be present in rocks or released during volcanic activity. (Ross & Associates, 1994) Mercury can enter the environment from a number of paths. For example, if a mercury-containing item is thrown into the garbage, the mercury may be released into the atmosphere from landfill vapors or, or the mercury may vaporize if the trash is incinerated. If mercury is flushed through a wastewater system, the mercury will likely adhere to the wastewater sludge, where it has the potential to volatilize and be deposited elsewhere. Mercury can enter the atmosphere through these various means because it evaporates easily. It can travel through the atmosphere in a vaporized state. (Ross & Associates, 1994) Once mercury is deposited into lakes and streams, bacteria convert some of the mercury into an organic form called methylmercury. This is the form of mercury that humans and other animals ingest when they eat some types fish. Methylmercury is particularly dangerous because it bioaccumulates in the environment. Bioaccumulation occurs when the methylmercury in fish tissue concentrates as larger fish eat smaller fish. (U.S. EPA, 1994) Methylmercury interferes with the nervous system of human body and can result in a decreased ability to walk, talk, see, and hear. In extreme examples, high levels of methylmercury consumption have resulted in coma or death. Many animals that eat fish also accumulate methylmercury. Mercury can interfere with an animal's ability to reproduce, and lead to weight loss, or early death. (Ross & Associates, 1994) Instruments containing mercury on campus Thermometers Description: Thermometers include fever thermometers for home and medical use, laboratory thermometers, and industrial thermometers. How to Identify: The bulbs of thermometers containing mercury are usually silver in color. Types of mercury thermometers on campus include: Laboratory and weather thermometers. Amount of Mercury: typical fever thermometers contain about 0.5 grams of mercury each, while laboratory thermometers contain up to 3 grams of mercury. Pollution Prevention Options: Mercury-free alternatives are digital, aneroid, and alcohol thermometers, and for most applications they are as accurate as mercury thermometers. Digital thermometers tend to last longer, however, because they are less likely to break. Safe Handling: Mercury thermometers are easily broken when not handled carefully. If the break occurs, use two pieces of paper or two razor blades to scoop it up from a smooth surface. An eyedropper or a mercury vacuum can also be used. Mercury spill kits are available from safety equipment supply companies for large mercury spills. (U.S. EPA, 1994) Safe Disposal: Save old or broken thermometers in an air-tight container. Homeowners can use local household hazardous waste collection programs for disposal. Businesses should deliver their thermometers to a consolidation site or arrange for a transporter to take them. Contact your county or state environmental office or solid waste office for services available in your area. Also, save the invoices that track your waste that include the following information: date of shipment, amount of waste, location from where waste is shipped, and destination of shipment. Thermostats Description: Mercury-containing thermostats use mercury tilt switches. How to Identify: Most thermostats, other than electric thermostats, contain mercury. To determine if a thermostat contains mercury, remove the front plate. Mercury-containing thermostats contain one or more small mercury switches. Thermostats are generally mounted on walls and easily found. (U.S. EPA, 1994) Amount of Mercury: About 3 grams of mercury are in each mercury tilt switch. Most thermostats have one switch; some have two, and up to six switches are possible. Pollution Prevention Options: Programmable electronic thermostats are mercury free, and they are more energy-efficient than the mercury model. Look for programmable electronic thermostats that have the Energy Star label. Safe Removal: Remove the entire thermostat using a screwdriver and a pair of wire-cutters and store safely. Don't remove the switches from the thermostat, or dismantle the thermostat. Safe Disposal: Store the entire thermostat in a marked container until it can be sent for proper disposal. In many states, the Thermostat Recycling Corporation operates a recycling program utilizing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) wholesalers; eventually this program will be in operation nation-wide. The wholesalers consolidate thermostats from contractors and send them to recyclers; only whole thermostats are accepted. (U.S. EPA, 1995) Switches Description: Mercury is contained in temperature-sensitive switches and mechanical tilt switches. Mercury tilt switches are small tubes with electrical contacts at one end of the tube. As the tube tilts, the mercury collects at the lower end, providing a conductive path to compete the circuit. When the switch is tilted back, the circuit is broken. How to Identify: A mercury tilt switch is usually present when no switch is visible. They are used in thermostats, silent light switches, and clothes washer lids. Amount of Mercury: About 3.5 grams of mercury are contained in a small electrical switch. Industrial switches may contain up to 8 pounds of mercury. Pollution Prevention Option: Alternatives to mercury switches include hard-contact switches and solid-state switches. Safe Removal: Remove switches from appliances very carefully so as not to release any mercury into the environment. Safe Disposal: Store mercury switches in a suitable leak proof, closeable containers. A five gallon plastic bucket with a lid may work. Each container must be labeled â€Å"Mercury Switches for Recycling.† Be careful to keep the switches from breaking and releasing mercury into the environment. If breakage occurs, you must immediately take steps to contain and clean up the spill. Take switches to a consolidation site or arrange with a transporter to take them. Contact your county or state environmental office/ solid waste office for services in your area. Keep records of the mercury switches you have recycled, including copies of invoices containing information on the date of shipment, number of switches, and location.   (U.S. EPA, 1994) Manometers, Barometers, and Hydrometers Description: Manometers and barometers are used for measuring air pressure. Hydrometers are used to measure density of liquid. How to Identify: All these devices will have a gauge for reading air pressure. Pollution Prevention Options: The Replacements of mercury containing Manometers     are battery operated digital units and vacuum gauges. Battery operated digital units are extremely sensitive. Safe Removal: To safely remove the manometer or barometer, remove the entire device from the machine it is attached to. Safe Disposal: Put the entire unit into an airtight, labeled container and ship it to a mercury recycling plant. Sphygmomanometers Description: Sphygmomanometers are used to measure blood pressure. How to Identify: Usually, they are installed on walls and placed on tables in hospitals. Pollution Prevention Options:   The replacement for mercury sphygmomanometers includes electric vacuum gauges, aneroid monitors, and automated devices. Recycling/Disposal: Develop a protocol for the preparation of mercury sphygmomanometers for recycling or disposal that that is consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local regulations, and pertinent standards. Contact your hazardous waste management coordinator for details about packaging, labeling and transporting that are specific to your facility. A suggested protocol might include the following instructions: Place the sphygmomanometer in a clear plastic bag and seal the bag. Do not use a red bag biohazard bag. Mark the bag: â€Å"Contains Mercury.† Place the bag in a plastic basin to contain any spills during transport to the designated hazardous waste collection point. Batteries Description: Mercury zinc, carbon zinc, silver oxide, and zinc air contain mercury. Mercury is used to protect cathode from oxidation. Pollution Prevention Options: Most consumers dry-cell batteries contain no added mercury. The best way to reduce mercury is recycling. (U.S. EPA, 1994) References Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd. (1994), Mercury Sources and Regulations: Background Information for the Virtual Elimination Pilot Project. Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd. (1994), Polychlorinated Biphenyls Sources and Regulations: Background Information for the Virtual Elimination Pilot Project. U.S. EPA. (1994), Virtual Elimination Pilot Project: Briefing Packet for Meeting Participants, U.S. EPA. (1995), Mercury Study Report to Congress (External Review Draft) (External Review Draft) U.S. EPA. (1995), Mercury Study Report to Congress    Â