Jackson Jarrell Essays - Guggenheim Fellows,

Jackson Jarrell Washed Out Randall Jackson Jarrell was born on May 6, 1914 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the first child to Campbell and Owen Jarrell. He attended Hume-Fogg High School in Nashville and later graduated. He then attended Vanderbilt University through the generosity of his uncle Howell Campbell. His teacher, John Crowe Ransom, considered him the best by far of the young writers in his workshop. Jarrell later went on to teach at some well know colleges and universities. He also went into the army and wanted to be a gunner but he failed. Jarrell had a mental break down, and was hospitalized for a while. He was released from the medical center. He was on a trip back to the doctor and he was fatally hit by a car on October 14, 1965 The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner really has no verse nor does it have a rhyme scheme, so it would be classified as a regular meter. It has five lines, and is a good poem. It could really have many different meanings, depending on who the reader is. The main meaning that people often hear about, would be, that this guy is a ball turret gunner and has been chosen to go up in battle. When the wind hits his jacket it then freezes and then with no warning the enemy destroys his body. The only thing that the guys on the ground could do to get his mutilated body out is to wash the turret out. Many people believe that this poem was influenced by his experience in the Air Force. Jarrell wanted to be a gunner. When his chance came up, he was not chosen to be the gunner. He was then transferred to Tucson to serve as an B-29 crewman. On the other hand there are some people that have criticized the poem. They say that Jarrell should not tell the horrors of war and let the people find it out when the have to go to war. These people take the poem apart and twist the meaning to make it mean what the want it to. Over all this is a great poem. It has many different meanings and most of America can somewhat be like the gunner. They try and try to get what they want and they fail, and not even close to what they wanted. English Essays

Economies and Diseconomies of Scale Essay Example

Economies and Diseconomies of Scale Essay Example Economies and Diseconomies of Scale Paper Economies and Diseconomies of Scale Paper Case Study 3: Economies and Diseconomies of Scale Name: Course: Date: Case Study 3: Economies and Diseconomies of Scale Question 1 Considering McDonalds size, economies of scale can come from discounts as well as its ability to produce more at a reduced price out of its equipments. Therefore, with a uniform menu, it means that McDonald will be buying the ingredients in large amounts, hence at a cheaper price. Additionally, a uniform menu means that McDonalds will be focusing on the size of output for few products, making production cheaper. Their big kitchens allow for larger equipments and specialized labor, which at higher output would produce at a lower cost per unit than a smaller kitchen without many specialized equipments would (McEachern 2011). Expanding into other countries makes menu planning due to different laws and cultures (McEachern 2011). For instance, it becomes difficult to plan for a menu in India where beef is illegal because cows are worshiped. Thus, the company would have to look for an alternative to beef burgers. In this case, planning the menu is made harder by the cultural beliefs. This makes economies of scale harder to achieve. Question 2 Movie theaters not only show movies, they also sell movies at the concession stand. Therefore, the theater has to have three people, one selling the movies at the concession, another one selling tickets at the entrance while the other one operates the projector. However, if another screen is added to the theater, the same employee can operate without needing an additional workforce (McEachern 2011). Therefore, it allows economies of scale to have multiple screens in a theater, which makes the workers more productive. Additionally, having multi screens will allow two movies to be viewed at the same time, ensuring to sell the greatest number of tickets within a short span of time, as opposed to showing each at one time. On the other hand, the benefits of locating multiscreen theaters at shopping malls it the reduced cost that comes with customers using the same rest rooms, while the construction of another screen may be noticeable. At a shopping mall, the theater can have advertisements that are more noticeable while its costs can be spread over several films, as opposed to one film. This creates economies of scale due to locating several screens in one location (McEachern 2011). References McEachern, W.A. (2011). Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. New York, N.Y: Cengage Learning.

American foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

American foreign policy - Essay Example heir own spheres of influence, thus playing a role in shaping the final outcome within the policy making process. Keeping in line with what Robert Divine had once remarked, â€Å"From the Revolution to the Cold War, Americans have been willing to fight for their interests, their beliefs, and their ambitions† (Divine, 1965, 172), there are clear evidences which suggest that the American foreign policies after the WWII, have roots in its domestic issues, concerns, and interests. Various researches on the subject of US international relations have distinguished 3 specific factors that appear to exert their influences on the foreign policies of the country, especially after the end of the WWII. ... Discussion The official goals of US foreign policies as stated by the government, are "to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community" (US department of state and U.S. Agency for International Development, 2007). While examining the factors that work towards achieving these goals, the first potent question that arises in one’s mind is the fundamental query as to â€Å"who governs?†(Dahl, 1961) This question has been the subject of many studies, related to American politics, and has given rise to many debates within the realms of international relations. The question in the arena of international relations relates to the general attributes of the so called ‘domestic roots’ that help to shape US foreign policies; the democratic aspects in the behaviour of US towards other countries, globally; and whether its national concerns and interests aid in shaping its foreign policies. By seeking an answer to the basic question as to which of these factors actually influence the US government officials the most, would help the reader to understand the determinants of the country’s foreign policies. In this context, we will first examine the 3 main factors considered to have a strong influence in the shaping of US foreign policies. Theories on the nature of the influence of public opinion: Median voter theory contends that the voter preferences for any government policy have a strong influence on the state officials, as these preferences often turn out to be the deciding factor during the electoral results. Various researches and the subsequent

An Overview of the USA Patriot Act, its impact on local law Research Paper

An Overview of the USA Patriot Act, its impact on local law enforcement, and the potential for net widening - Research Paper Example The patriot act aimed to address this by effecting drastic changes in its intelligence agencies. This enables them to work more efficiently by removing the barrier that impeded their work. The act also aimed to seal the loopholes that terrorist were using to their advantage making Americans vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The act reduced the restrictions that the agencies enforcing the law were facing during their endeavor of intelligence gathering in the country. The act also went further and increased the mandate of the treasury by giving the secretary in the department authority to control financial exchanges, and transactions in order to choke out the supply of funding for terrorist activities in the country (Scheppler, 2006). They especially emphasized on the transactions that foreigners made that were suspicious or had terrorist links. In addition, the immigration department was given the go ahead to deport or detain individuals who are suspected of being terrorist or are aidi ng terrorist acts through their actions. The act also delved into domestic terrorism by expanding the definition of the act in order to seal the loopholes that terrorist might exploit. Through this act, the intelligence agencies and law enforcers were unshackled from restrictions that would have impeded their fight against terrorism. The current administration has extended the mandate of the act in order to guarantee that the security of the US is safeguarded. The act has had a significant impact on law enforcement in that the agencies have been empowered to be able to carry out their duties efficiently, without coming into conflict with the law, or encroaching into the rights of individuals. The act has also widened the net of the intelligence communities to be able to thwart acts of terror on the US population. The act came about when the American government was pushed to act after a devastating terrorist attack

Total reward Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Total reward - Coursework Example Total rewards include all the things which employees perceive as valuable for building strong relationship with the company. With the change of business environment the concept of total rewards is continuously changing and becoming more advanced. TR is composed of five elements. They are benefits, compensation, performance and recognition, work-life, development, career opportunities etc. With the help of all of these elements an organization satisfies its employees. This report deals with Mitchell Bank. Various issues of the bank are discussed in this report. For motivating and retaining the employees, the bank can use Armstrong and Brown model of total rewards. This model will help the bank to improve its business condition and increase its profitability. Mitchell Bank was established in 1895 in UK. The bank operates its business functions with the help of different divisions. The organization has large number of employees. Presently with the increase of competition in banking sect or, Mitchell Bank is facing some serious problems which are discussed in this report. Therefore for making Mitchell Bank’s business activities effective and to hold its position in competitive market the company needs to improve many things. The similar organizations of Mitchell Bank are Royal bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ernst and Young (E&Y). Both of these companies are involved in performing almost same types of business activities. These companies are very much concerned about their employees. They try to satisfy their employees by various ways. Total rewards of RBS and E&Y are slightly different from each other. The elements of their total rewards in these companies are very strong and effective which help them in motivating, retaining and attracting employees (Kaplan, 2007). As a result these companies are able to delivery good performance with its satisfied workers. This is one of the important factors which help these companies to increase

The Importance of Credit Risk Management in Banking

The Importance of Credit Risk Management in Banking Credit risk implies a potential risk that the counterparty of a loan agreement is likely to fail to meet its obligations as per the original loan agreement, and may eventually default on the obligation. Credit risks can be classified into many forms such as options , equities , mutual funds , bonds , loans and other financial issues as well , which in extensions of guarantees and the settlement of these transactions. (International Auditing Practice Statement 1006 Audits of the Financial Statements of Banks) IS IT Important For the Banks To manage Their Credit Risks ? Risk is always associated with the banking activities, and taking risk is the important part of any banking operation, there is hardly any banking operation without the risk. Most of the bankers are said to be sound when they have a clear overview of what is the amount of risk involved in the current transaction and they make sure that some of the partly earnings are therefore kept for these risks. The granting of any form of credit is the common form for any bank and this risk is very common and this is the source of risks the banks are always exposed to. (Anderson et al, 2001). By being exposed to credit risk banks have been faced with a lot of problems. The banks couple of years ago realised that credit risk is important and the banks need to monitor, identify, control and measure it is very significant. Due to this the effective management of credit risk has become a critical component of approaching risk management. This approach will be especially important in terms of the long term success of any bank. Banks now ensure that they have large amount of capital against any form of credit risks so that they can be in a position to adequately tackle any risks which will be incurred. (Bank for International Settlement, 1999) The credit risk is in the entire portfolio of any bank and also the risk which is associated in individual credits or any other transactions have to be managed adequately. It is always a ascertained that the relationship between the credit risk and other forms of risks need be to considered very seriously in to account, in order to Increase shareholder value through value creation, value preservation and value optimization Increase confidence in the market place Alleviate regulatory constraints and distortions (Amitabh Bhargava ICICI, 2000) The Basel II Accord specifies that banks must have new procedures for measuring against credit risks. Advantages and Disadvantages of Credit Risk Management The advantages of Credit risk management include: Credit risk management allows predicting and forecasting and also measuring the potential risk factor in any transaction. The banks management can also make use of certain credit models which can act as a valuable tool which can be used to determine the level of lending measuring the risk. It is always better to have some alternative techniques and strategies for transferring credit, pricing and hedging options. The disadvantages of Credit risk management include: Deciding on how good a risk you are cannot be entirely scientific, so the bank must also use judgments. Cost and Control associated with operating a credit scoring system. With the existence of different models, it?s hard to decide which to use, more often than not, companies will take a one model fits all approach to credit risk, which can result in wrong decisions. How Banks Measure Credit Risk The level of credit risk faced by a bank is provided by the structure of a bank?s credit portfolio. If the portfolio consists of large amount of loans in a certain asset class then this might be an indication of an increased risk. Similarly the presence of complex financial transactions such as lending may also indicate a larger risk. In general a risk always comprises of two kinds: One is risk exposure and the other one is the uncertainty element, and for the credit risk and the credit quality represents the uncertainty element and credit exposure represents risk exposure. Therefore a bank can assess its credit risk by analysing the credit quality of an obligation and its credit exposure. While assessing credit quality and exposure a bank must consider three issues: Probability of default or any sort of possibility whether the other party which is the counter party will default on the obligation either over the life of the obligation over a specific period of time. The exposure of credit or the amount of the outstanding obligation which again depends on the size if there is any case of default. Rate of recovery this is the extent towards which the credit can be recovered through some banking processes like bankruptcy and other proceedings of settlements. In the last decade or so many banks have started to make use of models in order to assess the risks for their credit which they lend. The credit risk models are very complex and include algorithm based methods of assessing credit risk. The aim of such model is to help banks in quantifying, aggregating and managing credit risk. Despite the method the focus of credit risk assessment stays credit quality and risk exposure. Analysis of the Quality of Credit (Credit Quality) Credit quality is a measure of the that counterparties?s ability to perform on that obligation?. (Contingency Analysis, 2003) A bank adopts different approaches for assessing credit quality of considering loans to individuals or businesses. If it is for small businesses then the credit quality will be assessed through a process of credit scoring. This is based on information obtained by the bank about the party who want the loan. The information which is gathered tends to be about annual income, existing debts etc. Credit score is generally calculated by a formula which is applied to the information which is obtained which gives a number based on it the score is generated. The credit score is a highly accurate prediction of how likely the party is to pay bills, the higher the score the better it looks to the bank. (Curry, 2007) However, assessing a large party is based on credit analysis of the loan done by specially designated credit analysts. This just like mention above is base on credit scoring but it involves human judgement. It involves an in depth analysis of various aspect of the party in question including balance sheet, income statement etc. Also assessing the nature of the obligation is taken into account as well. On basis of credit analysis the analyst assigns that party a credit rating. This allows the bank to make decisions regarding credit. A bank can also use credit ratings to measure the share of the borrowers with creditworthiness in its portfolio and get a clear indication of default risk. Measuring Credit Exposure Credit exposure also needs to be taken into account when assessing credit risk or risk exposure. If for example a bank has loaned money to a business, the bank may calculate the credit exposure rate as the outstanding balance on the loan amount. However, in case if the bank by any chance has increased or extended the line of credit but none of the line have been drawn down then the approach will be different. In this case the risk exposure may seem to be nil, but it does not reflect any sort of right by itself to draw down the line of credit. If the firm gets into any financial difficulty it can be expected to draw on the credit line before any bankruptcy. Therefore in this case the bank may consider its credit exposure to be equal to the line of the credit. Credit exposure as a fraction can also be used sometimes to calculate the credit exposure for the total line of credit. (Duffie Singleton, 2003) How Banks Mange Their Credit Risk Credit risk management practices differ from bank to bank. Generally these type of practices are dependent on the type and complexity of the credit activities which are taken by the banks. In recent years banks have been using models for credit risk management. Bank Credit Risk Management Practices: Yesterday and Today The traditional approach to managing credit risk has been based on establishing a limit of credit at various levels for the individual borrowers an sometimes also based on geographical are and industry type. Also collateral and relationship exiting hardly seem adequate to cope with the declining economics of loan markets. (Gontarek, 1999) These limits specify the maximum exposures a bank is willing to take. Until the early 1990?s , credit risk analysis was limited only based on the reviews of the loans of individuals and most of the banks kept the loans on their books for maturity. (Bernanke, 2006) In recent years banking industry has made strides in managing credit risk. Managing the credit risks is the main focus of any banking operation these days and many banking?s are looking now from transaction management to portfolio management. And have slowly changed from monitoring to practising and also predicting their performance. Banks are still holding onto traditional credit risk management tools but these are becoming more and more sophisticated. Various forms of tools and models have been generated to measure and predict the performance and management of portfolio risks which in turn build competitive advantage. Despite the differences in the credit risk management practices the credit risk management in any bank rest on four pillar of: appropriate credit risk environment Sound credit-granting process or criteria that includes a clear indication of the bank?s target market Appropriate credit administration, measurement and monitoring process Adequate controls over credit risk. (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2000) Therefore whether traditional or modern, credit risk management in banks involves reviewing creditworthiness of counterparties, setting credit limits for counterparties, evaluation of credit risk and reporting credit limits and exposures to management. (Caouette et al, 1998) Recent Trends in Credit Risk Management by Banks The credit risk management is undergoing an important change in the banking industry. Banks have clearly indicated that centralization, standardization, consolidation, timeliness, active portfolio management and efficient tools for exposures are the key best practice in credit risk management. (SAS, 2004) A bank in America is considering having efficient tools for ?what if? analysis and tools. Also another bank is focusing on stress testing, concentration risk, macro-hedges and capital market risk management. (SAS, 2004) The majority of the world?s large banks agree that integrating environmental and broader social issues into their core credit risk management process is essential to managing credit risk in the 21stcentury. (Huppman, 2005) Leading banks including Barclays now view that these non traditional issues as real credit risk variables that potentially affect their client?s bottom lines as well as their own. Quantitative models are being used by banks to measure and manage credit risk. Most of the Commercial bankers have started to opt for making use of the credit risk models for their credit options especially with relation to consumer lending and mortgage. These models are known as credit scoring models and were developed for consumer lending. On the other hand it has been a few years ago where the use of these credit risks models have been implemented successfully and are integrated these days with almost every bank to manage their risk. (Bluhm et al , 2003) In 2001, the UK?s biggest mortgage bank, Halifax, developed a forward looking credit risk management strategy which made use of quantitative models for risk management. (Algorithmics Incoporate, 2001) Similarly HSBC serves over 125 million customers worldwide and is the one of the world?s largest banking and financial services organizations. The world largest provider of quantitative credit risk solutions to lenders (Moody?s KMV) have decide to provide HSBC with this, which will provides HSBC a methodology for rapid, accurate measurement and benchmarking of credit risk portfolio. (Vyse, 2006) Role Of Management in Managing Credit Risk The board of directors of a bank approve and review the credit risk strategy and significant credit risk policies of the bank. The bank?s strategy reflects the bank?s tolerance for risk and the level of profitability the bank expects to achieve for incurring credit risks. These days banks establish and enforce internal controls and other practices to ensure that exceptions to policies, procedures and limits are reported in a timely manner to the management. Due to this credit risk is constantly monitored by the management. Innovations in Technology and Credit Risk Management Credit risk management in banks is also getting affected by innovations in technology. Innovations in technology have made significant improvements in bank information systems. This has also been encouraged by Basel II. The improvements in bank information systems has certainly increased the abilities of many banks and their management process to measure and identify and also control the characteristics of any kind of risk. For example ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) the credit management computer system was further perfected with risk alert and conversion functions and it performed effective real-time monitoring on the quality and operations of the credit assets. (ICBC, 2001)

J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace: Post-Apartheid South Africa Essay -- South Afr

Through the perspective of an unconventional college professor, J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace addresses the transition into post-apartheid South Africa, societal acceptance and rape through David Lurie and Lucy Lurie’s complex father-daughter relationship. While living in his daughter’s countryside home, David Lurie’s experiences reveal that despite the powerful political reform, crime continues to dominate the African people. Aspects of South African history are used to emphasize racial tension and the shift from a white to a black dominated South Africa. Coetzee also suggests the instability of the African society through constantly depicting his characters as emotionally unable to adapt to adverse situations. Although David and Lucy were initially introduced as polar opposites, their value of privacy and refusal to endure public humiliation and shame draw a parallel between the predator and prey of the novel. David Lurie ultimately evolves from his sexual en counters with Soraya, Melanie and Bev Shaw by realizing the traumatizing implications of his actions after the Lucy’s rape. J.M. Coetzee, a white South African writer, was strongly influenced by his personal experiences while he witnessed the social barriers during the apartheid. As the novel begins, Coetzee describes the sexual relationship between the protagonist David Lurie and Soraya, a prostitute that David routinely indulged in every Thursday. â€Å"For a man of his age, fifty- two, divorced, he has, to his mind, solved the problem of sex rather well† (Coetzee 1). In his mind, however, he did not put into perspective the thoughts of Soraya. He satisfied his desires at the expense of another’s emotional wellbeing. Despite Soraya’s acceptance of prostitution, her reaction towar... ...Originally, David uses his status as a white male in South Africa as his leverage and source of power, however, this tactic quickly fails and causes him to seek a new lifestyle. Lucy’s farm life introduces David not only to natural beauties but the strength people have to provide the services that they do such as managing a last resort animal aid center. By the end of his experiences, he learns that he does not belong in the environment that he used to surround himself with in the city, but that he enjoys himself when he has the company of animals and his daughter. His shift in standards of living and customs demonstrates the racial impacts of the apartheid. The connection between Lucy’s disgrace as the victim and David’s shame as the rapist demonstrates hardships both flaws. Each aspect of these flaws represents the difficulties of the apartheid in South Africa.

Perinatal Mental Health Midwife

Application for Temporary perinatal health midwife There is increasing awareness of perinatal mental health as a public health issue. The Government is keen for midwives to further develop their role in public health. Midwives need to be adequately prepared to take on a more developed role in perinatal mental health if practice improvements are to be made. I am aware that death from psychiatric causes has been the leading cause of maternal death for the last few years. Although the most recent Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health indicated that this is no longer a leading cause, mental health problems before and after childbirth have a significant impact on the health of women, family relationships and children’s subsequent development. I believe that midwives need to be able to detect women with current mental health problems and those at high risk of a serious mental illness following delivery, in order to improve the care and support offered to them throughout their contact with maternity services. One of the most serious areas where we see ongoing harm is in adult mental health. Recent research shows that a large proportion of adult mental health problems can be laid at the door of early childhood. We need to consider the likely future effects of not breaking the cycle while these people are young. The ACE Study estimates that 54 per cent of current depression and 58 percent of suicide attempts in women can be attributed to adverse childhood experiences, which also correlate with later high levels of alcohol and drug consumption. In order to screen systematically and sensitively, and to enable them to refer on appropriately, I feel that midwives need to understand why they are asking questions about mental health; how to encourage women to disclose past and current problems; what the risks of recurrence and relapse are; and what services are available in their area of practice. 1|Page I feel very strongly that having post graduate qualifications and experience like my own in counselling and different approaches to psychotherapy are essential attributes for this post. The facts about childbirth and mental illness are startling (reference, Oates M 2001): About one in ten women will develop postnatal depression after delivery. < After psychosis (puerperal) postnatal develop will women 500 in one> Suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal death in the UK. A woman is 20 times more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the two weeks after delivery than at any time in the two years before or after. Despite this, talking about and confronting the issue of mental illness during pregnancy or the postnatal period still poses challenges for healthcare professionals. Motherhood is loaded with emotive expectation. This contributes to a large number of cases of perinatal mental illness going undiagnosed. This can have serious consequences including poor bonding between mother and baby; reduced quality of life for the mother, baby and father; prolonged disability caused by living with an untreated serious mental illness; and potential risk to the health and safety of the mother, baby or other family member, either through neglect or harm due to illness. As a midwife with 20 yrs of clinical practice and with some experience as a service user, I was pivotal in setting up the current bereavement service and have been Counselling women and their families at West Middlesex Hospital since June 2009. I also have experience of providing supportive psychotherapy to a diverse range of clients with differing pathologies in a primary care and private setting since 1999. In my Role as Midwifery Matters facilitator (2007-2009) South East Strategic Health Authority, I regularly travelled across the patch, giving presentations to multi professional audiences. I am confident in designing, producing and presenting a 2|Page range of presentations, including role play, power point, interpersonal workshops and formal lecture format. I have experience in writing academic papers (published) and information leaflets, guidelines and information posters. I am a naturally creative person who enjoys implementing evidence based practice change at a strategic and operational level. I am very excited about the opportunity to be potentially involved with designing an E-learning package. Whilst working with other experts in this industry I have gained some knowledge in the process of elearning development. I think that routine antenatal and postnatal care present an excellent opportunity to screen the mental health of pregnant women and women with a new baby. To do this effectively however, requires working more collaboratively across different professions to meet the needs of our patients. Having the post of a specialist midwife in mental health could allow me to provide focused care to pregnant women with mental illness. This could include co-morbid substance & alcohol misuse problems. I envisage the role as working closely with a perinatal psychiatry team at W. M. U. H and as an important point of liaison between the other midwives, especially safeguarding and case loading midwives, obstetricians, health visitors, child and family social services, obstetricians in the hospital, and mental health services. A useful means to achieve partnership working would be for the S. M. M. H to attend the weekly midwifery team meeting. Here, all midwifery community and labour ward teams meet to discuss the caseload and update the antenatal progress notes. This provides a valuable opportunity for potential referrals to be discussed, both with the specialist mental health midwife and the perinatal lead psychiatrist/obstetrician. Many women will prefer and only require additional support and advice from a midwife with specialist expertise, rather than see a psychiatrist. However, some pregnant women will need to see a perinatal psychiatrist for expert advice, for example, if having severe mental illness, or to discuss medications in pregnancy or breastfeeding. 3|Page The referrals could be women with a history of mental illness during childbirth or preexisting mental illness who are now pregnant. However, quite often at booking or routine antenatal checks, midwives may pick up new onset psychological distress in pregnant women who have no history of mental illness. Women may at first feel more inclined to disclose things to a midwife rather than a psychiatrist or doctor. This may include apprehension or fear centred on the impending delivery itself, increased general anxieties about coping, depression or other psychological symptoms. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines (2007) on antenatal and postnatal mental health have sought to address this, suggesting that at a woman’s first contact with primary care, at her booking visit and postnatally (usually at four to six weeks and three to four months), healthcare professionals (including midwives, obstetricians, health visitors and general practitioners) should routinely ask the following two screening questions to identify possible depression: During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless? During the past month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things? A third question should be considered if the woman answers â€Å"yes’ to either of the initial questions: Is this something you feel you need or want help with? As a specialist mental health midwife, I would want to scope the current service and rapidly undertake a gap analysis to work towards providing equal access to perinatal mental health services. I could provide consultation and advice with the knowledge and skills that I already have and from which I accrue whilst undertaking my MSc in Psychodynamic approaches to Mental Health. I could perhaps investigate the possibility of providing a link to the local mother and baby unit. 4|Page In This role I could also act as a useful resource for other staff and support other midwives with their clients. They can be involved at an early stage in antenatal care and assist with monitoring women who may be developing or at risk of mental illness in childbirth. They can link up between physical and mental healthcare and can work in partnership with pregnant women to develop care plans for their individual needs. Having this post would give me the opportunity to hopefully address the stigma around mental illness and childbirth and improve screening and detection of women who need further specialist help — ultimately improving clinical outcomes and quality of life for new mothers and their families and long term financial benefits to the Trust and the N. H. S. A study of provision of perinatal mental health services has already been undertaken in two English strategic health authorities: views and perspectives of the multiprofessional team. Reports and policy recommendations have highlighted the need for early detection, appropriate referral and management. (Rowan1, McCourt 2 & Bick 3 (2010) This study has reported the in-depth views of relevant healthcare professionals on the extent to which perinatal mental health services are meeting policy and practice guidance. Their views highlight that although there have been developments in service provision, gaps persist particularly with respect to appropriate ongoing identification of needs and appropriate follow-up of women. Real challenges for the maternity ervices persist in relation to complex boundary issues that impacts on opportunities to support effective continuity of care and funding issues. Additionally, examples of good practice may still depend on the initiative and commitment of individual professionals, rather than the support of the organisation, including dedicated resources. Further research is required to ascertain the extent to which resource issues and t he drive to cut NHS healthcare budgets are limiting appropriate service provision for women with perinatal mental health needs. 5|Page There is always a need to elicit the views of the women who use the service. I would approach this by Iinking with our existing Maternity Service Liason comittee and carrying out appropriate patient satisfaction surveys and audit. References Felitti V & Anda RF (2008) ‘The relationship of adverse childhood experiences to adult health, wellbeing, social function and healthcare’ in R Lanius & E Vermetten (Eds) The Hidden effects of unresolved trauma. 134Epidemic: The Impact of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease, Cambridge University Press, Mary Ross-Davie, Sandra Elliott, Anindita Sarkar, Lucinda Green British Journal of Midwifery 14(6): 330 – 334 (Jun 2006) National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. 007. Antenatal and postnatal mental health: clinical management and service guidance. NICE clinical guideline 45. London: NICE. Oates M. 2001. Perinatal maternal mental health services. Recommendations for provision of services for childbearing women. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists Cathy Rowan1 RM, PGCEA, MA. Christine M cCourt2 BA, PhD. Debra Bick3 RM, BA, MedSc, PhD. (2010) Evidence based Midwifery:Volume 8 (2010)  » issue 3  » Provision of perinatal mental health services in two English strategic health authorities: views and perspectives of the multi-professional team.. 6|Page

Computer Risks and Exposures Essay Example

Computer Risks and Exposures Essay Example Computer Risks and Exposures Paper Computer Risks and Exposures Paper Computer Risks and Exposures Computers of all kinds within an organisation are constantly faced with a variety of risks and exposures. It is helpful if we first define these terms: Computer risk Probability that an undesirable event could turn into a loss Computer exposure Results from a threat from an undesirable event that has the potential to become a risk Vulnerability A flaw or weakness in the system that can turn into a threat or a risk The total impact of computer risks range from minor to devastating and could include any or all of: Loss of sales or revenues Loss of profits Loss of personnel Failure to meet government requirements or laws Inability to serve customers Inability to sustain growth Inability to operate effectively and efficiently Inability to compete successfully for new customers Inability to stay ahead of the competition Inability to stay independent without being acquired or merged Inability to maintain present customer/client base Inability to control costs I nability to cope with advancements in technology Inability to control employees involved in illegal activities Damage to business reputation Complete business failure Computer risks. exposures and losses may be characterised as intentional or unintentional and may involve actual damage, alteration of data or programs as well as unauthorised dissemination of information. Objects which can be affected include physical items such as the hardware or hard-copy outputs which are both vulnerable to risks such as theft or loss; the tele-communications system which can cause major corporate grief if unavailable for any reason as well as being vulnerable to internal or external penetration; the applications software which, being a major control lement, is vulnerable to change, bypassing or direct sabotage; systems software such as the operating system itself which can also be amended or circumvented; computer operations where control procedures may be amended or bypassed and the data itself where virtually anything could happen. The risks in I. S. are the reverse of the control objectives and must be treated as business risks. As such they are the responsib ility of executive management with enforcement at a technical level. Obviously, the relative importance of risks will vary and the control techniques will vary from industry to industry and from company to company. The risks may be minimised but they can never be totally eliminated. Computer System Threats Threats may come from either external or internal sources and may be intentional or unintentional as well as malicious or non-malicious. Internal threats may come from: Users Management IS Auditors IS Staff Others Acting alone or in collusion. Users Threats from this source are the most commonly occurring and include errors, fraud, breach of confidentiality (commonly accidentally) or malicious damage. The most common causes of these threats are poor supervisory control combined with poor personnel procedures. In many cases far too much power has been granted to users who already have access to the assets. In many cases the users have an in-depth knowledge of the system’s control weaknesses and are in a position to exploit them. Management Threats here again include error and fraud but may also include systems manipulation for Corporate reasons such as profit smoothing or advance booking of sales or delayed recording of costs. Again breach of confidentiality is a hazard together with malicious damage. Common causes here are likely to involve inadequate segregation of duties with management, in many cases, unquestioned regarding decisions they make and transactions they authorise. This, combined with poor personnel procedures and too much power granted, can lead to major problems, particularly when combined with management’s access to assets and their authority to override conventional control levels. IS Auditors A commonly ignored threat, IS auditors again are in a position to commit errors or fraud, to breach confidentiality or cause malicious damage. In many cases there is little or no supervisory control exercised and far too much power granted. The auditors have access to the assets and a detailed knowledge of system weaknesses. In addition they have the right to attempt to break the system, although it is not supposed to be for their gain. IS Staff Threats here include the normal problems of error, fraud and breach of confidentiality as well as malicious damage. In this case, however, the impact of errors etc. tend to be further reaching since they may affect, not single transactions, but every transaction passing through a system. Once again the most common problem is accidental destruction rather than deliberate sabotage. Common causes are typically too much power granted, for example granting of access to live data; poor change control and ineffective division of duties. In many cases computer staff hold the keys to the kingdom and again they have the power associated with knowledge of the system. Others Other people also have access to computer systems, including engineers, salespersons etc. Threats here include again errors, fraud, loss of confidentiality as well as malicious damage and accidental destruction. Common causes in these cases include poor disposal of outputs, careless talk, inadequate access control both physical and logical, publicity and the advent and promotion of open systems. External Threats Threats may come from legitimate external users as well as inter-computer links such as the Internet, Electronic Data Interchange systems, system hackers and viral attacks as well as from natural causes. Such threats are commonly caused by inadequate logical access control resulting in high value systems being unguarded. A poor security attitude within staff coupled with an incorrect concept of Computer Security and an incorrect risk evaluation can also open up such exposures. Risk Management With such a plethora of risk exposures, management must adopt a position on risk. It may involve any or all of accepting the risk, reducing the risk (normally by increased internal control) or transferring the risk. The option which is NOT acceptable is simply ignoring the risk. In order to adopt an appropriate position, management must know and understand the risk. The Risk-based Audit Approach In order to achieve an audit which is both efficient and effective, the risk-based approach allows the auditor to focusing in areas of highest impact. The initial audit activity is therefore to gather or update information about the organisation in order to determine the audit strategy. This determination includes forming audit judgments regarding the organisation and assessing the inherent and control risks in order to determine the appropriate audit testing plan. Inherent risk may be seen as the risks the organisation faces without the mitigating impact of internal controls. Control risks involved those elements of inherent risk not successfully mitigated by the internal control structures. The initial information required would include knowledge of the organisations business and place within its industry, as well as a knowledge of the applicable accounting, auditing and regulatory standards within the industry. These allow the determination of the overall business objectives of the organisation or departmental function. Once the business objectives have been determined the auditor may proceed to identify and isolate the individual details control objectives. For example, the overall objective of the purchasing function is to buy items for the organisation. The control objectives for this function would include ensuring that only the right items are purchased, at the right price, in the right quantity, of the right quality, in an authorised manner, for delivery to the right place at the right time. The risks then become those factors which can prevent fully or partially the achievement of the control objectives. The auditor must then determine which controls will mitigate those risks and what source of evidence exists as to the adequacy and effectiveness of that mitigation. Even prior to testing, the auditor can determine the adequacy of the control structures designed to mitigate the risk on the assumption that the controls function as intended. In other words, if all controls function as intended, would the risks be controlled to management’s predetermined acceptable level. Once the source of evidence has been identified, the auditor can select the appropriate audit technique to determine whether the control objective has been achieved. These techniques could include interviews, reviews of documentation, reviews of systems or the use of computer-assisted audit techniques. After the auditor has decided upon the appropriate audit technique, the appropriate audit tool may be selected. For example if the technique is to interview, the auditor must decide whether the interview will be face-to-face, by telephone, or by videoconferencing. If the technique is to review data on files within the computer, the tool could be generalised audit software, general-purpose software or a specific audit software.

All About Like

All About Like All About Like All About Like By Mark Nichol Like is one of the most versatile of words, with senses encompassing multiple parts of speech. Here’s a review of its various meanings and uses. As a verb, like means â€Å"enjoy,† â€Å"feel affection for,† â€Å"regard favorably,† â€Å"thrive in,† or â€Å"wish to have.† It can also mean â€Å"approve† or â€Å"prefer.† The noun like refers to preference or something that one likes. In recent years, it has acquired the sense of â€Å"an acknowledgment given online in approval of content another person has posted.† The word appears as a noun in idiomatic phrases such as those in â€Å"We haven’t seen the likes of him for a long time† (meaning â€Å"Someone resembling him hasn’t been seen for a long time†) and â€Å"She’s partial to lavender and the like† (meaning â€Å"She’s partial to lavender and things that are similar to it†). As an adjective, like means â€Å"possessing the same or similar characteristics or qualities,† as in â€Å"They finally admitted that they did not have enough like interests to sustain a relationship.† As a suffix, it has an adjectival function. Treatment depends on what precedes it. Most words with the suffix are closed, with no hyphenation, as in â€Å"birdlike movements.† However, if the base word ends with l (â€Å"the cell-like room†) or is a proper noun (â€Å"a Christ-like bearing†), employ a hyphen. The adverb like, stands in for approximately or nearly, as in â€Å"It was more like a dark orange than a pale red.† When informally referring to measurements, the adverb is sometimes used interjectionally: â€Å"It was, like, as long as my arm† or â€Å"He seems to come around every few years, like.† Similarly, it is parenthetically employed in conversational English for emphasis (â€Å"I was, like, astonished†) or, paradoxically, to suggest an offhandedness (â€Å"They were, like, hoping somebody would offer them a ride†). Casually, it can also mean probably, as in â€Å"I’ll be there in time, like enough.† The preposition like means â€Å"comparable,† â€Å"similar,† or â€Å"typical†; that’s the part of speech that is essential in a simile such as â€Å"The grass, ruffled by the wind, looked like a rolling wave.† As a conjunction, like means â€Å"the same as† or appears in place of â€Å"as if† (â€Å"She looked like she was about to cry†). Informally, it is employed similarly to the casual adverb to introduce a quotation, paraphrase, or thought (â€Å"He’s like ‘Don’t even think about leaving now’†) or, following it’s, to express a widely held opinion (â€Å"It’s like, it’s not going to make any difference.†) As a preposition, like is often considered inferior to or even improper as a substitute for â€Å"such as,† but as with some other supposedly undesirable usages, this is acceptable in even formal prose. The adjective like derives from the Old English term gelic, meaning â€Å"similar.† Most of the other parts of speech derived from this usage, but the verb stems from lician, which means â€Å"please† or â€Å"be pleasing or sufficient†; the connection is perhaps that to be sufficient is to be suitable, which is to be similar. Words based on the root like include the following: alike: similar likeable: agreeable likelihood: probability likely: seeming to be right, suitable, or true, or very probable; also, promising or attractive liken: compare likeness: similarity likes: preferences likewise: in the same manner liking: the action or feeling of enjoying a person, place, or thing Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating ConjunctionsDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Punctuation Is Powerful

Describe the Assessment Form Dr Agile Webside Essay

Describe the Assessment Form Dr Agile Webside - Essay Example Agile assessment. This is an interpretation of the Dr. Agile test results and questionnaire, which explain the relevance of the results in context According to the results of the Dr. Agile analysis, in the practice of ‘Managing Requirements Using a Backlog’, the team was rated â€Å"Not Suitable† by 28% in the field of ‘Welcoming constant change’ and â€Å"Partially Suitable† by 60% in the areas of ‘Importance of Prioritizing’ and ‘Realizing the Evolutionary Nature of Software Development’ (Dr. Agile, 2010). These results indicate that the team needs additional work in adjusting to changing circumstances and acclimating themselves to the field of software development and technology. The rapidly expanding technological market brings constant changes to the work environment and employees within this field must be able to adjust to the daily changes that may occur so they will be better able to service their customers. In the remaining field of ‘Management Buy-in’, the team was rated as â€Å"Largely Suitable† by 73% (Dr. Agile, 2010). ... Agile, 2010). These indications mean that the team requires work in these areas before they can successfully adopt these practices into their work scheme. The characteristic of ‘Handling Stress’ was rated as â€Å"Largely Suitable† by a margin of 61% and ‘Buy-in of the Development Team’ was rated â€Å"Largely Suitable† by 83% (Dr. Agile, 2010). The â€Å"Group Estimation† practice achieved a 28%rating of â€Å"Not Suitable† in the characteristic of ‘Multi-Disciplined Team Members’ and the practice of â€Å"Self-Organized Teams† received the same rating for the same characteristic (Dr. Agile, 2010). This reveals the necessity for strong supportive training in the area of working collectively to achieve a goal and independent decision-making. In the practice of â€Å"Group Estimations†, the team was rated â€Å"Largely Suitable† by 73% in the characteristic of ‘Management Buy-in’ and à ¢â‚¬Å"Fully Suitable† by 93% in the characteristics of ‘Trust between Management and Team Members’ and ‘Developer’s Buy-in’ (Dr. Agile, 2010). They also earned the â€Å"Fully Suitable† by 93% rating in the characteristic of ‘Developer’s Buy-in’ within the practice of â€Å"Daily Standup Meeting† and ‘Management Buy-in’ and ‘Trust between Management and Team Members’ within the practice of â€Å"Self-Organized Teams† (Dr. Agile, 2010). The characteristics of ‘Management Buy-in’ in the practice of â€Å"Daily Standup Meeting† and ‘Developer’s Buy-in’ in the practice of â€Å"Self-Organized Teams† both received the rating of â€Å"Largely Suitable† by 83% (Dr. Agile, 2010). Overall, the ratings demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the team as a whole and demonstrate which areas need

Alcohol Abuse in Men and Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alcohol Abuse in Men and Women - Essay Example Epidemiologic evidence suggests that the problem with alcoholism lack the stereotypical features of other substance abuse disorders mainly due to the fact that alcohol drink is considered a socially acceptable beverage, although society does not accept the excess and abuse. That which starts as a social norm may eventually turn out to be an addictive behaviour. Psychiatric manifestations apart, a history of alcoholism provides the explanation of many other health conditions that a nurse may come across, and from that point of view, awareness that many other organ system disorders are secondary to alcohol abuse is an absolute necessity for the nurse who cares for the patient (WHO, 2002). The effect size and effect count of alcohol abuse on other health conditions appear enormous and numerous, and these patients would require care for these other health issues eventually, and the impact on the nursing management and management plan consequently become numerous (Goldacre et al., 2004). In this literature review, current evidence would be sought as to how alcohol abuse in both the sexes affect the baseline health status of the individual, setting aside the problem of alcoholism per se. The literatures that would be reviewed would deal with all the parameters of health, such as, pathologic processes involving other organ systems, morbidity, mortality, and quality of life issues for adult men and women. In the short span of this review, it should be admitted that, it is not possible to discuss in detail all the studies to extract the specific health implications (Rehm et al., 2003b); however, it is presumed that it would serve the purpose of an overview so it can generate awareness about alcohol abuse health effects in both the sexes from the angles of impact on care, so the reader can ultimately make an informed decision about the management of such cases from the available evidence from literature. The common causes of death among persons with the alcohol-related disorders are suicide, cancer, heart disease, and hepatic disease. Apart from these, alcohol abuse has been implicated in many other pathologic processes in the body to contribute to mortality and morbidity of the individuals who misuse alcohol. Current research indicates that drinking level rather than drinking pattern bears the strongest relationships to alcohol-associated problems. At low drinking levels, frequent drinkers would be expected to have highest levels of problems. There are certain gender differences in relation to health issues between adult men and women. At lower levels of drinking women have a slightly lower drinking frequency and fewer problems than men. Research has shown that the Whites have the highest rate of alcohol use, and men are much more likely than women to be binge drinkers and heavy drinkers. Although alcohol misuse appears to be prevalent in higher socioeconomic classes, alcohol-relate d disorders appear among persons of all socioeconomic classes. In the past few decades, alcohol consumption has increased substantially in the population. Expressed as liters of pure alcohol per year per capita, the current