Monday, December 30, 2019

Psychoactive Drugs - 1914 Words

Psychoactive Drugs are chemical substances that alter behavior, mood, perception, or mental functioning. Through the consumption of substances many cultures have found ways to alter consciousness. Psychoactive substances apply their effects by transforming biochemical or physiological processes in the brain. The message system of nerve cells, or neurons, relies on both electrical and chemical transmission. Neurons rarely touch each other; there is a microscopic gap between one neuron and the next, called the synapse. When a neuron fires, it releases chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synapse. Psychoactive drugs act by altering neurotransmitter function, they bind to the site of the firing neuron and inhibit this process so the†¦show more content†¦People who take these drugs are also faced who psychological effects such as a sense of distance and estrangement, depression, anxiety, and paranoia, violent behavior, confusion, suspicion, and loss of control, plus flashbacks, and behavior similar to schizophrenic psychosis, in addition to catatonic syndrome which is when a user becomes mute, lethargic, disoriented or makes meaningless repetitive movements. When ta ken in low quantities, marijuana, which is scientifically known as cannabis, becomes a depressant drug, which slows down the body’s systems. In the early 19th century the use of ‘dope’ spread to Europe from the Middle East and China, and by the middle of the century onto America. In 1937, cannabis was made illegal to possess and sell in the U.S. it has still being used as a popular recreational substance by some people. However, in some places it is still legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes, because it suppresses nausea caused by chemotherapy, and possibly reduces eye pressure in severe cases of glaucoma. Pupils may become dilated, heart rate and blood pressure may increase, or a sense of well-being and relaxation all can occur, there are many more side effects that may transpire if LSD is taken. Morphine is the most effective painkiller. Morphine is what is left in the unripe seedpods of the opium poppy after the milky juice has been extracted. Morphine doesn’t diminish pain but changes the way aShow MoreRelatedPsychoactive Drug Addiction2235 Words   |  9 Pagesbut the biology of a person s body is a major factor. These substances, which are called psychoactive drugs, are what people become addicted to and are described as chemicals that affect mental processes and behavior by temporarily changing perception and awareness. There are many different theories about what addiction is and why it happens but none have been proven. When a person uses psychoactive drugs they are releasing chemicals into their brain which causes a disturbance in the way the brainRead MorePsychoactive Drugs And Its Effects On Human Consciousness1284 Words   |  6 PagesA psychoactive drug is any substance that can be used to change brain function. This resulting change is responsible for alterations in perception, mood, and consciousness. As long as man has had a basic grasp on understanding consciousness they have tried delving deeper and deeper into their own consciousness and not only grown a larger respect for just how deep they can go but have had experiences that have encouraged them to go deeper. Rock paintings and fossil finds from as far back as 10,000Read MorePsychoactive Drugs And Its Effects On The Uk3996 Words   |  16 PagesBackground Psychoactive drugs can be defined as any chemical substance, whether it be of a synthetic or of an organic nature, used with the purpose of altering an individual’s psychological state of mind, mood or perception (Gossop, 1993, cited in Saggers Gray, 1998). According to Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli (2014), drugs are allocated into two categories consisting of illegal and legal. Illegal drugs usually consist of hallucinogenic substances such as marijuana (however, can be used forRead MorePsychoactive Drugs : The Single Convention On Narcotic Drugs1587 Words   |  7 PagesSingle Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was noted that the problem requires urgent and priority, and in 1984 in the Declaration on the fight against drug trafficking and drug abuse the entire conglomerate of problems, ranging from illicit manufacturing and trafficking to abuse, called shameful and disgusting crime. And it can be called a kind of ostrich policy† (The Single Convention on Narc otic Drugs of 1961). There are four key groups of psychoactive drugs: stimulants, depressants, opioidsRead MorePsychoactive Drugs Can Have On An Individual s Brain1612 Words   |  7 PagesTo fully understand the affects that psychoactive drugs can have on an individual’s brain, one has to first define the term, dissect the history and use, know what factors cause addiction, and what leads to drug dependency. What is a psychoactive drug? A psychoactive drug, psycho-pharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness (drug, n.d). Typically the term drug alone can be seen or associated withRead MoreDrugs And Psychoactive Drugs925 Words   |  4 PagesPsychoactive drugs are chemicals that affect the nervous system. When a psychoactive drug is taken it can cause changes in mood, emotions, feelings and thoughts. These drugs can also change how a person perceives things and can alter the consciousness of t hat person (Plotnik Kouyoumdijian, 2014). Psychoactive drugs can be illicit or licit, illegal or legal. Both licit and illicit psychoactive drugs can cause affect a person. Some examples of licit psychoactive drugs are coffee, alcohol, and tobaccoRead MoreEssay about Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effect on Consciousness989 Words   |  4 Pagesconsciousness. Along with these age old questions, also came the use of psychoactive drugs and other mind altering substances. In order to try to understand these questions, humans have experimented with drugs that alter their state of consciousness. Psychoactive drugs are defined as chemical substances that affect the brain’s functioning, causing changes in behavior, mood and consciousness. There are several different types of psychoactive drugs;, some of these include: stimulants, depressants, and most importantlyRead MorePsychoactive Drugs Can Be Defined As Any Chemical Substance3595 Words   |  15 PagesPsychoactive drugs can be defined as any chemical substance, whether it be of a synthetic or of an organic nature, used with the purpose of altering an individual’s psychological state of mind, mood or perception (Gossop, 1993, cited in Saggers Gray, 1998). According to Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli (2014), drugs are allocated into two categories consisting of illegal and legal. Illegal drugs usually consist of hallucinogenic substances such as marijuana (however, can be used for medical reasons)Read MoreInformative Speech : Psychoactive Drugs Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe second article that I felt needed revision to solidify the success of the piece was the brochure that discusses my topic of psychoactive drugs. While creating this topic in brochure form, I enjoyed the task at hand, felt at ease when creating it, so revising it would not necessarily be a burden on my part. The first major revision worth noting is the coherency. Throughout there were some word phrases that either did not flow well, were out of place, or felt too extra to the discussion at handRead MoreSynthetic Psychoactive Drugs Commonly Called Psychostimulants Or Central Nervous System Stimulants1373 Words   |  6 PagesAmphetamines, a group of synthetic psychoactive drugs commonly called psychostimulants or central nervous system stimulants, were first synthesized by L. Edeleano, a German chemist in 1887 (Amphetamine). This group of drugs includes amphetamine, dextroamphetamine and methamphetamine. The racemic ÃŽ ±-methylphenethylamine, a version of amphetamine, was later discovered in 1910 by Dale and Ba rger (Heal). This version was synthesized in 1927 by G. A. Alles while trying to find an alternative for ephedrine

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Computer Aided Instruction - 987 Words

COMPUTER-AIDED INSTRUCTION Douglas N. Arnold I. Introduction Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI), diverse and rapidly expanding spectrum of computer technologies that assist the teaching and learning process. CAI is also known as computer-assisted instruction. Examples of CAI applications include guided drill and practice exercises, computer visualization of complex objects, and computer-facilitated communication between students and teachers. The number of computers in American schools has risen from one for every 125 students in 1981 to one for every nine students in 1996. While the United States leads the world in the number of computers per school student, Western European and Japanese schools are also highly computerized.†¦show more content†¦Student training in the computer technology may be required as well, and this process can distract from the core educational process. Although much effort has been directed at developing CAI systems that are easy to use and incorporate expert knowledge of teaching and learning, such systems are still far from achieving their full potential. IV. History In the mid-1950s and early 1960s a collaboration between educators at Stanford University in California and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) introduced CAI into select elementary schools. Initially, CAI programs were a linear presentation of information with drill and practice sessions. These early CAI systems were limited by the expense and the difficulty of obtaining, maintaining, and using the computers that were available at that time. Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO) system, another early CAI system initiated at the University of Illinois in the early 1960s and developed by Control Data Corporation, was used for higher learning. It consisted of a mainframe computer that supported up to 1000 terminals for use by individual students. By 1985 over 100 PLATO systems were operating in the United States. From 1978 to 1985 users logged 40 million hours on PLATO systems. PLATO also introduced a communication system between students that was a forerunner of modern electronic mail (messages electronically passed from computer to computer). TheShow MoreRelatedComputer Aided Instruction1490 Words   |  6 Pagesthe old learning styles and replacing it with new and more fun techniques like the Computer Aided Instruction (CAI). Despite the revolutionary advances in the field of computer-based education, technology remains simply a tool. Potentially powerful and stimulating, the computer is only an inert object that can never be a substitute for the personal touch of the classroom teacher. Without proper integration of computers into the curriculum, the benefits of technology to foster children’s learning cannotRead MoreAction Research in Science Grade 63684 Words   |  15 PagesCALAPAN CITY Teresa C. Montellano Memorial School Balite, Calapan City COMPUTER AIDED INSTRUCTION: COMBINING SCIENCE EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR ULTIMATE E-LEARNING EXPERIENCE An Action Reserach Presented to Division Science Quest Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro by JONNEDEL A. BAQUIRAN Teresa C. Montellano Memorial School July 23, 2013 ABSTRACT This Action Research titled Computer Aided Instruction: Combining Science Education And Entertainment For Ultimate E-Learning ExperienceRead MoreThe Difference Between A Supercomputer And A Personal Computer1197 Words   |  5 Pagesis the difference between a supercomputer and a personal computer? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? A supercomputer is not just a quick or expansive huge devices, it lives up to expectations in an altogether diverse way, regularly utilizing parallel processing rather than the serial processing that a customary computer uses. Rather than doing one thing at once, it does numerous things on the same time. A personal computer is a general-purpose programmable machine, which carriesRead MoreWeek 3 Individual Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent experience for her. 41. Management _______________(inaugurated) the recycling policy six months ago. Management started the recycling policy six months ago. 48. I have completed the form and returned it to my insurance company, as per your instructions. I have completed the form and returned it to my insurance company, just as you said to. 53. The raw data are submitted to the data processing division by the sales representative each Friday. The raw data will be submitted to the data processingRead MoreComputer Skilled Design Case Study957 Words   |  4 PagesFor this paper i am going to look at and discuss CAD (Computer aided design) skill levels of students in time for FMP (Final Major Project). In terms of up-skilling students, we are looking at guiding the student through the door of deeper knowledge into software use and the understanding of it. To help this work we all need to be fully aware and in the know of what we are trying to achieve. In this instance we are looking at design specific software and learning it in a more advanced manner. AsRead MoreComputer Assisted Instruction ( Cai )1295 Words   |  6 PagesComputer Assisted Instruction (CAI): A New Approach In The Field Of Education Asst.Prof. Ambily Merlin Kuruvilla Assistant Professor Head of the Department –B.C.A. Saintgits College of Applied Sciences. Abstract The growth in information technology (IT) rapidly changed the world. The growth of e-Learning technologies implies the fact that the future education system will largely depend upon the electronic devices and computer aided technologies. Computer aided teaching techniques are much moreRead MoreProgramming for a Better Future647 Words   |  3 Pagesthe hard work that has been put into creating the technology and programs. Computer programing is a vast field with many different categories. The different subcategories are desktop application programming, core programming, system programming, and programming science. Within the different categories there are subcategories. The different subcategories contain various job descriptions ranging from constructing new computer language to creating a new application such as Java. One of the main and mostRead MoreComputer Aided Learning And Ict Tools Essay1593 Words   |  7 Pagesinvestigation on the ways in which computer aided learning and ICT tools can effectively be implemented in the classroom. 1.0 INTRODUCTION In this chapter the researcher focused on the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study as well as the researchquestions. The significance and limitations of the study were also highlighted in this chapter. Key terms were also defined in this chapter. The study seeks to find ways in which computer aided learning and ICT tools can effectivelyRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Using Computers. Summary1083 Words   |  5 PagesSummary introduction to computer Chapter 1 A meaning of computer A Computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory There are three process of computer 1. Collects data (input) 2. Processing 3. Produces information (output) The Components of a Computer A computer contains many electric, electronic, and mechanical components known as hardware. There are five type of the components of computer. 1.Input Devices isRead MoreQuality Management Curriculums906 Words   |  4 PagesErgonomics, Operation Research, Industrial Simulation, Production and planning inventory control, Manufacturing Information systems, Manufacturing processes Laboratory, Industrial Facilities Layout and Design, Manufacturing Systems Design and Analysis, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Engineering Economic Analysis, Industrial Project Evaluation, Industrial Plant Studies, Introduction to Manufacturing Processes and Systems also, there are some subjects provide in the Fall and anothers during the Spring time. In

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Mississippi Burning Could the FBI have done more Free Essays

Depicted in a 1988 movie and subject of many journals, references, and publications, the Mississippi Burning, otherwise known as the United States vs. Cecil price et. al. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mississippi Burning: Could the FBI have done more? or any similar topic only for you Order Now case, has been one of the most famous trials in the country. Mississippi Burning revolves around the murder of three civil rights activists in Mississippi, 1964. The victims were Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andy Goodman. The three were in Mississippi to visit the bombed Mt. Zion church, one among the series of twenty black churches bombed on Summer, 1964. In this visit, June 21 of that year, the three were arrested and illegally detained by Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price. It was also Price who turned the three over to the Ku Klux Klan, in a scripted â€Å"release† for the three with the KKK. The bodies of the three, beaten and shot, were found in a dam almost two months after on August 4. (Mississippi Burning Trial: A Chronology, n.d.) The Ku Klux Klan Racists, terrorists, anti-Semitists—the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) have been called many names from their conception in the 1800s. The Klan started out as a group promoting white supremacy. From their beginnings, they have used terrorism, intimidation, and cross burning against African Americans. While they were successfully suppressed, the KKK has found itself reincarnated by modern followers in the 1920s. This second KKK was also suppressed, but was revived when the Civil Rights Movement was activated in the 1960s. The 60s found the Ku Klux Klan of Mississippi associated with crimes against the civil rights activists, most especially in favor of the Black people. The Ku Klux Klan were found guilty, in federal records, for the assassination of Medgar Evers in 1963, as well as in the well-known trial against Cecil Price for the KKK murder of Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman. The series of bombings of black churches were also accounted to the members of the KKK. Cross burnings throughout this period was also rampant. (Mississippi Burning Trial: A Chronology, n.d.) According to The Ku Klux Klan (n.d.), the most prominent KKK movement in the 60s was the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, founded by Robert Shelton, who was reported to have heavily employed lynching (mob killing) to discourage black people from voting, in contrary to the Mississippi Summer Project encouraging blacks to vote. Schools, homes and white people supporting the movement have also been victimized by the KKK’s lynching and other forms of intimidation. This acts of intimidation, murder, assassination, manslaughter, and were not â€Å"invented† by the 1960’s KKK of Mississippi. Rather, they are renditions of the original KKK’s acts in the 1800s. The FBI and the 1960’s Racist Violence Behind the successes and failures of the racial discrimination cases in the 1960s, most especially in the South, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plays a big role. The same case goes in a much publicized case as that of the Mississippi Burning, which interrelates several different racism cases of burning, murder, and civil rights infringements in Mississippi into one highly sensationalized court proceeding. The FBI, though, uses no special means in investigating racist violence at the time. In fact, FBI has had secrets of its own. Glick (n.d.) asserts that the FBI has its way of infiltrating movements in the 1960s, including black movements. In his text, Glick suggests that the FBI has COINTELPRO or counter intelligence program which uses otherwise illegal means of investigation such as infiltration, deception, and harassment to dissolve movements. The main targets were said to be Black movements. Thus, police racism has been existent. There is no known concrete relation between the COINTELPRO and the Mississippi Burning case, however. Could the FBI have done more? 1960s was a period without the present technology that FBI enjoys. FBI investigators had standard procedures to follow, and there is no concrete evidence that they infringed any of these procedures. The Mississippi Burning case was one that has been trialed by the public before the court. Everybody knew who were guilty. Everybody believed Cecil Price and the KKK were to be convicted. That, then the evidences and witnesses affirmed. Thus, the FBI was sufficient and efficient in this respect. However, there are many other cases racism violence and civil rights violation, most of which were not publicized. The FBI has been passive in dealing with these cases. Police racism existed, and if it were true the COINTELPRO worsened the events. The FBI could have devised a special plan to implement anti-racism violence statutes to support the Civil Rights Movement that was active at that time, as it was no ordinary time. Then, it will be known that the FBI has done enough. References Glick, B. (n.d.) COINTELPRO revisited: spying and disruption. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/cointelpro-methods.html Ku Klux Klan, The. (n.d.) Ku Klux Klan. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAkkk.htm Mississippi Burning Trial. (n.d.) Mississippi Burning Trial: A Chronology. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/pricebowers/miss_chrono.html    How to cite The Mississippi Burning: Could the FBI have done more?, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Opera Love Through The Ages With Maria Fortuna And Nancy Townsend Essay Example For Students

Opera: Love Through The Ages With Maria Fortuna And Nancy Townsend Essay On Friday November 3rd I had the pleasure of attending an evening of Opera titled Love Through the Ages with Maria Fortuna and Nancy Townsend at the Sean OSullivan Theatre. Having never been to an Opera performance I had no idea of what to expect and was looking forward to this new experience. Fortuna was accompanied by multi-faceted pianist Nancy Townsend. These two musicians showed tremendous expertise and were able to keep my attention through the extent of the program. Maria Fortuna is a soprano and she has enjoyed international success with her stunning vocal talent. Fortunas repertoire ranges from the lyric soprano to the dramatic coloratura roles, being performed in front of many large audiences and critics. Fortuna was born in Niagara Falls N.Y and more recently received her Masters of Music which led her to her teaching position at SUNY Fredonia. Nancy Townsend is a pianist, vocal coach, conductor and stage director. She has recently performed in recitals throughout the United States, primarily in the west. As I had no idea of what to expect when entering this concert I went in with an extremely open mind. Even leading up to the intermission I wasnt convinced that I was understanding the structure of opera. However, even with my very limited knowledge of opera I could come to a few conclusions. Fortuna and Townsend evidently worked well together, they were always in sync and fed off of each others talent. As well it seemed as if Fortuna was using an aspect of call and response to enhance her production. Her call would be in the form of a story and she would then answer her call with her singing. The show was slightly disrupted in the first half with a large group of people that had been late for the performance, I couldnt visually see any signs of fault on Fortunas behalf when this occurred. An interesting aspect of Fortunas style was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Fortuna would make stable eye contact with specific sections in the audience, this portrayed the feeling that she was singing for the crowd and not herself. The piece within Fortunas selection in which I enjoyed the most was a classical Spanish song titled La mi sola, Laureola. Within all of the classical Spanish songs love was the overwhelming theme. Within this selection Fortuna used a softer pitch and proceeded all of the way through the scale. Fortuna was able to adapt her voice to fit the style of each song, her narration within the songs taken from Shakespeare sounded as if it were Shakespeare reading to himself. Based on this being my first opera experience I was pleasantly surprised. Fortuna and Townsend entertained us for the extent of the program and proved to this small St. Catherines audience that they were accomplished musicians. Music Essays

Friday, November 29, 2019

Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation

Introduction Nike Incorporation has been successful in designing, developing and marketing diverse products such as apparels, footwear and other accessories. In its operation, the firm contracts manufacturing of most of its products to firms which are located overseas. This has enabled the firm to attain a high bargaining power over its suppliers (Lussier Kimball, 2009, p. 90).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management: An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The firm has effectively positioned itself in marketing its products on a global scale. In the United States, the firm has established a strong distribution network through a number of retail outlets. For example, the firm runs approximately 20,000 retail accounts around the 110 countries in which it operates. Most of the firm’s products such as bags, bats, glov es, sports wear and other sports equipment are marketed under the Nike brand name. Nikes success can be attributed to its efficiency in implementing its internationalization strategy. Findings of a study of 132 organizations conducted by Veronica Wong and Professor Peter Doyle in 1998 revealed that marketing is one of the core drivers in the performance of business entities (Blythe, Coxhead, Lashwood, Partridge, Reed Simms, n.d, p.23). The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines marketing as the process which involves a number of elements such as planning, execution, promotion, pricing and distribution of the ideas conceived. Marketing is made up of a number of components such as product development. In addition, marketing must ensure that the businesses’ and customers’ needs are met. Finally, marketing must result into creation of value between the two parties (the business and the customer). Marketing is therefore considered to be a highly invaluable business a ctivity (Kaser Oelkers, 2007, p.4).This paper is aimed at illustrating the various marketing strategies adopted by Nike Incorporation. Industry analysis The United States apparels industry is relatively large. In addition, the industry is in its maturity stage which is evident by the slow growth rate and a high level of fragmentation. Demand for apparels in the US is satisfied by both domestic and international markets. Similarly, the US footwear industry has experienced a significant growth over the past few years as a result of growth in demand.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has led into the industry reaching its maturity stage. In addition, the market has become very saturated. One of the reasons to explain this is the rise in intensity of competition. Some of the firm’s core competitors include the recently formed Addidas-Reebok merger, PUMA, Under Armour , Fila and New Balance Athletic. All these firms specialize in the production of sportswear. The global apparel and footwear market has become flooded with various sportswear brands. This has culminated into an increment in the consumer bargaining power. Consumers can easily switch from one product to another (Lussier Kimball, 2009, p. 90). However, the firm’s current strategy has enabled it to attain an effective market position. The firm has been able to create a relatively high level of customer loyalty. As a result, Nike Incorporation continues to lead in the footwear and apparel industry. In an effort to enhance its competitiveness, Nike Incorporation management team diversified its operations into the golf industry. This was achieved through the signing Tiger Woods who is a renowned golf personality as its spokesperson (Lussier Kimball, 2009, p.92). Competitive advantage Attaining competitive advantage is one of the ways through which a firm can be able to succeed in the long term as a going concern entity. According to Lussier and Kimball (2009, p.93), competitive advantage entails how a firm delivers unique value to its customers. In addition, competitive advantage is aimed at making a firm distinct from its competitors by enhancing its core competency. According to Porter (1998, p.70), there are three main strategies which a firm can incorporate in order to attain competitive advantage. These strategies include cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategy. Cost leadership entails ensuring that a firm becomes the leader with regard to low cost production. As a result, the firm is able to attain price competiveness by selling its products or services at a low price point compared to its competitors. On the other hand, differentiation entails production of unique products which are highly appreciated by the customers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management: An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are various aspects which a firm can incorporate in an effort to differentiate its products. These include the product, sales, image, distribution and marketing. Focus strategy entails a firm being committed to be the best with regard to a particular product segment. Over the years it has been in operation, Nike’s Incorporation management teams have appreciated the importance of developing the firm’s competitive advantage. In order to achieve this, the management team incorporated the concept of product differentiation. The resultant effect is that the firm has managed to develop strong brand recognition by ensuring development of high quality products. In addition, the firm has a strong research and development team which ensures that the products developed meet the market demand. Product differentiation is achieved through effective designi ng such as by ensuring that the products such as the shoes are of different color. The high quality of the firm’s products has enhanced its reputation on a global scale. As a result, Nike as a brand name and the Swoosh logo has increasingly been recognized as status symbols globally. As a result, the firm has been able to increase its sales significantly (Porter, 1998,p. 72). The table below illustrates a competitive profile matrix comparing the firm’s competitiveness with some of its core competitors on the basis of quality of its product, marketing strength and price. A weighted scale of 10 is used. Critical success Nike Under Addidas- factor Armour Reebok Quality 5 5 5 Marketing 2.5 2 2 Price 2.25 2 2.25 Total 9.75 9 9.25 From the table above, it is evident that the Addidas-Reebok merger is likely to pose a threat to the firm’s competitive advantage. This arises from the fact that the merger has culminated into creation of a relatively st rong competitor. In an effort to remain competitive, the firm’s management team has incorporated the concept of continuous product improvement. To be effective, Nike Incorporation conducts continuous market research in so as to develop a product which meets the customers’ requirements. In addition, the firm has incorporated emerging technologies in an effort to improve the quality of its footwear, apparel and other equipments. The management team has also appreciated the importance of creating effective market awareness. One of the ways through which the firm achieves this is by integration of creative marketing campaigns. For example, the firm’s advertisements are a part of the pop culture.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Its campaigns feature prominent personalities such as Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Tiger Woods (Robert, Lussier and Kimball, 2009, p. 92). Through these strategies, the firm has managed to develop a strong competitive advantage thus being effectively positioned in the market. Pestle Analysis In order to determine the existing market potential, it is vital for Nike Incorporation to consider evaluating macro environmental factors. One of the ways through which the management can achieve this is by conducting a PESTLE analysis (Worthington Britton, 2006). Political Analysis According to Campbell and Craig (2005, p.123), the actions taken by the political institutions through formulation and implementation of various policies can have significant effect on the operation of businesses. In an effort to ensure continued economic growth, the US government has relentlessly ensured that there is a stable political environment. The US government has formulated policies which enable Nike Inc orporation to effectively produce and market its products. One of the ways through which the US government supports Nike Incorporation is by ensuring stable macro economic environment by advocating low interest rates, creating an environment which promote international competitiveness through an effective and efficient tax system and ensuring currency stability. This has culminated into formation of a foundation conducive to Nike’s growth. In addition, the US government is committed at forming trading blocs with neighboring countries through economic integration. Some of the countries the US is considering include South Korea, Panama and Colombia. The economic integration is aimed at boosting the country’s apparel and footwear industry. Economic Analysis Over the past few years, the US has experienced a relatively high rate of economic growth. This led to an increment in the citizens’ disposable income and hence their purchasing power. However, the occurrence of the 2007 economic recession adversely affected the country’s rate of economic growth. The recession affected various economic sectors including the apparels and footwear industry. In an effort to minimize the effects of the recession, organizations adopted various strategies such as laying-off some of their employees so as to minimize their operational cost. To cope with the economic recession, Nike’s Incorporation management team came to a consensus to reduce its marketing budget. In addition, the firm reduced 4% of its work force. Despite these actions, Nike maintained its dominant position with regard to advertising due to its size. The firm only concentrated on sponsoring prominent athletes. In 2008, the firms marketing budget on advertising was $ 143.4 million down from $184 million in 2007 (The New York Times, 2009, para. 1-7). With the recovery of the global economy, there is a high probability of the firm increasing its sales revenue both in the domestic and t he international market. Considering the fact that the firm operates on a global scale, the firm is affected by currency fluctuation. Social environment Changes in the social environment can also affect the success of a firm (Baron, 2005, p.87). Currently, there is a trend which is emerging whereby consumers are increasingly becoming health conscious. As a result, a large number of individuals are joining fitness clubs. This trend has led to a rise in demand for fitness products such as footwear and apparels. This presents a feasible market opportunity for Nike to produce and market its products so as to meet the market demand. In an effort to ensure maximum level of customer satisfaction, Nike Incorporation gives the customers an opportunity to design their own footwear and apparels. In addition, Nike Incorporation should focus on developing new styles so as to be inline with the market demand. The firm can attain this by undertaking effective research and development. Technologica l environment The high rate of technological innovation with regard to Information Technology has significantly contributed to the success of Nike Incorporation. One of the ways through which the firm has utilized the technology is by improving on its products through research and development. In addition, the firm has also utilized emerging technologies in marketing its products. This has been achieved through integration of an effective marketing information system. In addition to product innovation, Nike Incorporation also utilizes its MIS in conducting other functions such as market segmentation and product differentiation. This means that Nike’s success is owed to its effectiveness in harnessing Information Technology towards various aspects ranging from product development to its distribution. Legal environment The US government has created a suitable legal environment for conducting business. One of the ways through which the government has ensured this is by integrati on of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). The IPRs entail diverse rights and responsibilities which are aimed at protecting a firm’s innovation, research and development and creativity from being exploited by other individuals. Some of the IPRs issued by the US government relate to patents, trademarks and designs. Through IPRs firms such as Nike Incorporation are able to invest towards development of brand equity. In an effort to enhance IPRs, Nike Incorporation has continuously worked with diverse policy makers such as governments so as to fight against counterfeiting (Public Policy and Advocacy, n.d, para. 5-6). Product In order to remain competitive, the firm conducts continuous product modifications. This ensures that its products are in line with the existing market demand. In addition, the firm ensures that its products promote customer safety by meeting the set safety standards. It is ensured that the various products meet the requirements of the market regions in which they are marketed. This arises from the fact that different regions have got different product requirements. To be effective in meeting the market requirements, the firm contracts the manufacturing process to firms which are located in the foreign market. This aids in ensuring that the product manufactured is in line with the existing market demand. Contracting to foreign firms enables Nike Incorporation to enrich the products style more effectively. Through market research, the firm is able to undertake effective product innovation. Pricing strategy The global economic recession negatively affected the purchasing power of consumers. For example, the recession led to a rise in the rate of inflation in most economies. This culminated into a decline in the consumers’ purchasing power due to reduction in their disposable income. The resultant effect has been a rise in the cost of living. Due to this, consumers have increasingly become price conscious in their purchasing pa tterns. In an effort to increase their sales revenues, firms in the apparel and footwear industry are increasingly adopting low pricing strategies. This has culminated into price war between firms. However, there is a high probability of firms with strong brands such as Nike succeeding. This arises from the fact that they can be able to adopt competitive pricing strategies despite the prevailing market conditions. One of the ways through which the firm is achieving this is by incorporating penetration pricing strategy. According to Lamb, Hair and McDaniel (2008, p. 53), the strategy entails setting the price of its products at a relatively low price point compared to that of its competitors. To be effective in the pricing strategy, the firm conducts competitor and consumer market research. The competitor market research is aimed at identifying the pricing strategy adopted by other firms in the industry. The resultant effect is that the firm is able to formulate its pricing strategy more effectively. Through the consumer market research, the firm is able to establish the degree of price sensitivity amongst the consumers. Through the low pricing strategy, the firm is able to appeal to a large number of consumers considering the fact that consumers are price sensitive and their consumption desire is to maximize their level of utility. In order to attract and retain a large number of customers, Nike Incorporation is integrating the concept of psychological pricing strategy in all its distribution outlets. Psychological pricing plays a significant role in ensuring that the firm’s products price appeals the emotions of different customers in their purchasing process. In most cases, Nike Incorporation adopts the psychological pricing strategy when introducing a new product into the market. The firm has also incorporated segmented pricing strategy. This is achieved by adjusting the price of its products depending on the type of consumer being targeted in the gl obal market. Segmented pricing is also incorporated while marketing to different customer categories such as the adult and children. Communication strategies Creating effective market awareness is one of the ways through which a firm can be able to succeed in the long term (Lamb, Hair McDaniel, 2008, p. 34). In addition, market awareness contributes towards a firm attaining an effective market position. Market communication is one of the ways through which a firm can be able to create communication (Koekemoer, Bird, 2004, p.76). In its operation, Nike’s management team has formulated a comprehensive marketing communication strategy. One of the core communication strategies which the firm has adopted is advertisement. Different languages are used in the firm’s advertisement campaign depending on the country’s national language. Over the years, Nike Incorporation has continuously advertised its products through various mediums which include television, print med ia and bill boards. In addition, the firm has also adopted other methods of market communication which includes sales promotion and public relations. Example of public relation campaigns which the firm utilizes include organizing fashion shows which are aimed at displaying the latest product offering. The firm’s decision to incorporate celebrities such as Tiger Woods has also played a significant role towards improvement of the brand’s value. In addition, endorsement of the firm’s brand by celebrities has also contributed towards creation of brand loyalty. For example, by wearing the firms’ clothes and designs, a firm’s brand can be improved significantly. This arises from the fact that consumers intend to associate themselves with successful individuals. In addition, firm also uses celebrities in their advertisement campaigns such as when promoting a specific product. Considering the intensity of competition, Nike Incorporation has adopted emergin g Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The core objective is to enhance increase the firm’s market share by increasing their market share. The firm has achieved this through incorporation of ecommerce. In marketing its products, the firm is increasingly utilizing the internet. Some of the internet technologies which the firm has incorporated include use of emerging social networking tools such as You Tube, wikis, blogs and Face book. Distribution strategy Product distribution is vital in a firm’s effort to ensure that it succeeds in the market (Kurtz, Mackenzie Snow, 2009, p. 57). A firm’s distribution strategy should ensure that the product can be easily accessed in the market. In marketing its products in the global market, Nike Incorporation has adopted a comprehensive product distribution strategy. The firm distributes its product to large retailers such as supermarkets in the countries in which it operates. Supermarkets form one of the largest poi nts through which the firm distributes its products. In addition the firm has established a number of distribution centers which ensure that the supermarkets are effectively stocked. The firm has also implemented a computerized point of sales program which enables the firm to track movement of inventories in the various distribution outlets. As a result, the firm is able to restock the stores more effectively. The role of marketing strategy Through its differentiation strategy, Nike Incorporation is able to able to position itself more effectively in the market. According to Lussier and Kimball (2009, p.90), attaining an effective market position is one of the defensive strategies that a firm can utilize. The firm’s Swoosh mark is one of the core selling features. This means that there is a high probability of the firm improving its sales revenue and hence its profitability level. In addition, adoption of the differentiation strategy will contribute towards the firm’s product being unique. The uniqueness of the firm’s products will contribute towards a large number of consumers considering purchasing the products relative to those of the competitors. In addition, product differentiation will enable the firm to address the diverse market needs (Morrison, 2006, p. 65). Through its market research activities, the firm will be able to undertake effective product development. In addition, the firm will be able to develop a high level of customer satisfaction by integrating the customers’ needs in the process of developing new products. This illustrates that there is a high probability of the firm increasing the size of its global market share. For differentiation strategy to be well undertaken, the firm will be required to conduct continuous market research (Brooks, Weatherston Wilkinson, 2004, p.54). This means that the firm will be able to understand the changes in the global market. The resultant effect is that the management team wi ll be effective in the planning process hence its ability to address future changes. In addition, product differentiation strategy will enable the firm to target the market more effectively. Conclusion From the analysis above, it is evident that Nike Incorporation has been very successful. This has resulted from its efficiency in formulating and implementing operational strategies. Additionally, the external environment has also provided an environment conducive for Nike’s operation. To be successful in the long term, Nike Incorporation should continuously adopt global strategies in its operations. This will contribute towards the firm attaining a high market share and at the same time retain its leadership. However, the firm’s management team should act locally in the various markets it penetrates. This will contribute towards the firm’s products being widely accepted in the market. Reference List Baron, D.P., 2005. Business and its environment. New York: Prent ice Hall. Blythe, J., Coxhead, H., Lashwood, M., Partridge, L., Reed, P. Simms, H., n.d.  Strategic marketing. London: Select Knowledge Limited. Brooks, I., Weatherston, J. Wilkinson, G., 2004. The international business  environment. London: FT Prentice Hall. Campbell, D. Craig, T., 2005. Organisations and the business environment.  New York: Butterworh – Heinemann. Kaser, K. Oelkers, D., 2007. Sports and entertainment marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Koekemoer, L. Bird, S. 2004. Marketing communications. New York: Juta and Company Limited. Kurtz, D., MacKenzie, H. Snow, K., 2009. Contemporary marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Lamb, C., Hair, J. McDaniel, C., 2008. Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning. Lussier, R. Kimball, D., 2009. Applied sport management skills. New York: Human Kinetics. Morrison, J., 2006. international business environment: global and local  marketplaces in a changing world: the international business environment.  London: Palgrave Macmillan. Porter, M., 1998. Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance:  with a new introduction. New York: Simon and Schuster. Public Policy and Advocacy. n.d. Taxation and intellectual property rights. Web. The New York Times. 2009. In recession, Nike is likely to cut marketing. Web. Worthington, I., Britton, C. 2006. The business environment. New York. Prentice Hall. This report on Contemporary Issues in Global Business Management: An analysis the business strategy of Nike Incorporation was written and submitted by user Trystan Parsons to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Infection Control Practice in Acute Care Centers Research Paper

Infection Control Practice in Acute Care Centers - Research Paper Example The study will, therefore, try to answer several questions including what factors have led to such high infection rates and what is the relationship between skills and experience of caregivers and these escalating rates of infection. The essay will also analyze questions such as how can caregiver be supported in order to reduce the level of infection, and what strategies need to be implemented to make hospital environments safer? This study will be based on Kurt Lewin’s theoretical model of change. This is a classical three-step change framework for initiating change in healthcare environments. The three steps are unfreezing, change and freezing (Ziegler, 2005). Unfreezing, which is the first step, entails determining the main reasons for change and the necessity of change given the current circumstances. Change involves initiating the change process and transitioning to the next desired state. The final stage, freezing or refreezing is about finding stability after the change process (Ziegler, 2005). Using this theory, this study will first determine the reasons as to why change is necessary in order to reduce HAIs, initiate various change processes and establish stability. Hospital-acquired infections undermine the main objectives of treating patients and restoring their health through favorable environments such as healthcare setting like hospitals. Patients go to hospitals in the hope of recovering from their various ailments. However, due to different factors in the hospital environment, patients often end up acquiring other infections while still undergoing treatment (Gould, & Meer, 2011). This greatly affects the rate of recovery for these patients and threatens their lives. There have been several measures taken over the years to reduce the rate of these infections, but challenges still exist in both developed and developing countries. Among the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Scientific Management Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Scientific Management Theory - Essay Example While Taylor’s method is referred to as scientific management theory, it’s other names attest to a variety of divisions in this approach. In addition to scientific management theory, this approach has been referred to as Taylorism. While in practice the two terms of oftentimes used synonymously, in much of the prominent literature a distinction is made between the two concepts (Archibald 1999). The main distinction the literature makes between these two categories is that Taylorism is supposed to refer to the early incarnations of Taylor’s theory or the ‘first form’ classical perspective. Conversely, scientific management theory is the more developed of the managerial processes. One considers that while Taylorism had been articulated as early as 1895 with Taylor’s text ‘A Piece Rate System’, and in 1903 with his text ‘Shop Management,’ it wasn’t until 1910 that Louis Brandeis first coined the term ‘scient ific management’ (Kulliver 2001). Scientific management has emerged and evolved throughout the 20th century. While scientific management is a specific approach, it fits within the context of late 19th century and 20th-century economic efficiency movements. Broadly speaking the efficiency movements sought to increase human efficiency, decrease waste, and implement an empirical methodology in doing so. Termed the Efficiency Movement among the prominent organizational elements that emerged during this period were lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Fordism, and operations management.

Monday, November 18, 2019

To Be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

To Be Determined - Essay Example The Shoemaker’s Holiday is a story where the author paints a picture of London, the prevailing customs and trades. The story portrays a note of optimism throughout and incorporates essentially two stories – the story of Rose and Lacy on one hand and that of Jane and Ralph on the other. He shows how love can win over money. The story shows some dreams coming true after overcoming all the obstacles. The shoemaker’s Holiday not only projects the theme of love but also relates how people fight against poverty in order to meet their love. Lacy, a spendthrift nephew of the Earl of Lincoln is in love with Rose, the daughter of Sir Roger Oatley, the lord mayor of London. However both their guardians are against their marriage and plan to send Lacy away to war against France in order to separate them. Lacy decides to escape this and disguises himself as a shoemaker in order to find his love Rose. He spends all the money given to him by the Earl and sends his cousin Askew with a false promise of joining him at the war later. Although the story takes place in the background of sixteenth century, the reality of socio economic conditions of London was not that optimistic. While real wages fell, prices rose in the mid sixteenth century and high costs were incurred due to the wars against Scotland and France. (Luu, 44) The story therefore raises the hopes of the people who are down the economic scale because it shows how opportunities lie around and everyone seems to be engaged in some trade or the other. Thus the story contradicts the reality. The play shows a struggle against poverty. The economic aspect is emphasized in the play. Therefore the story appeals to the mass on the lower economic scale because it raises their hopes that opportunity lies around them only to be grabbed at the right moment. Looking at the other aspect of the story, which is love, one may notice that both the couples get

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Theories of Consciousness: History, AI and Animals

Theories of Consciousness: History, AI and Animals Consciousness Andrew P Allen History and Philosophy People can mean various things when they talk about â€Å"consciousness†. At a simple level, one can mean awareness of one’s world or one’s internal drives (e.g. thirst). A more complex form of consciousness is awareness of one’s own awareness, the consciousness that allows people to psychologise about themselves. Approaching the concept from a different angle, â€Å"consciousness† sometimes means the sense of what it is like to be someone or have a particular experience. Although we may have a sense of what an experience is like, it is very difficult to describe exactly what the experience is like (c.f. Ned Block, 1990, for an interesting discussion). A key issue within philosophy of mind is the â€Å"mind-body problem†: can a physical body produce a subjective, apparently non-physical mind, and if so, how? Materialists take the position that the mind is the product of the brain, while dualists hold that body and mind are not the same thing. The position of dualism is typically associated with Rà ©nà © Descartes, who suggested that mind and body are two different types of matter (see http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dualism/#HisDua for a discussion). In attempting to explain how the brain produces awareness, neuroscientists would tend towards materialism. Regarding brain and consciousness, Place (1956/1990) has drawn an analogy with clouds and the droplets of water that form them. Although a cloud observed at a distance and droplets of water observed close-up seem very different, the many droplets of water nonetheless make up the cloud. So it (perhaps) is with the brain and consciousness; the firing of a neuron may seem very different from a mental image of a new car, but there is no reason to say that this mental image cannot consist of nothing more than the action of many neurons. Daniel Dennett has criticized what he calls the â€Å"Cartesian theatre†; a given place in the brain where sensations, memory traces etc. are combined to form consciousness. There is a danger of positing a neural â€Å"homunculus† (a â€Å"little man† in the head) which observes the various non-conscious parts of the brain and turns them into conscious experience. It does at least seem evasive to propose a single part of the brain is responsible for turning sensations from unconscious information processing to conscious experience without specifying the process whereby such a change occurs. Dennett is setting a high bar for the neural correlate of consciousness (see below); you have to give a full explanation of how the process of consciousness is brought about by the brain without suggesting that some brain area just acts in a conscious way. If we accept that the brain (and the rest of the body?) produces consciousness, then we have to reject dualism (Edelman, 2003), or at least a strong version thereof. Edelman points out that consciousness has a wide range of interesting properties (e.g. it feels unitary, so it seems it requires the binding of multiple sources of sensory information). He suggests that evolutionary pressure would favour cognitive structures which could integrate information from multiple sources. Consciousness in the brain Given that consciousness is stopped when the activity of some regions is stopped, it seems fair to assume that the brain may be responsible for consciousness. However, the question remains: how do these brain regions lead to the conscious experience (Churchland, 2012)? Crick and Koch (1998) highlight some of the key issues. At any time, the brain is doing a lot of things, but only some of these things appear in our consciousness. Is there anything special about the neurons involved in consciousness and their type of firing? What about the connections between them? There has been some interest in finding a so-called neural correlate of consciousness. Edelman (2003) takes the approach of looking at connections. He posits â€Å"re-entry† as a process which could account for how functionally distinct parts of the brain co-ordinate their activities to produce a combined output. It involves recursive signalling over multiple pathways which are used simultaneously. He suggests that this process allows for the binding of outputs from different brain areas to form an integrated sense of experience. Edelman suggests the thalamocortical system as â€Å"a dynamic core† for consciousness. The thalamic intralaminar nuclei (ILN) may play a particularly important role in consciousness; it projects axons widely to all cortical areas, and small lesions to the ILN are associated with significant loss of awareness (Bogen, 1997). Note that the ILN may be necessary but not sufficient for consciousness; it is through its interaction with corticol regions that it could produce something like consciousness. The thalamocortical system conta ins functionally distinct sub-parts which may act semi-independently, while also being able to integrate information between themselves. By suggesting that consciousness could be brought about by brain processes and their interaction, Edelman’s idea may avoid falling into the trap of the Cartesian theatre. Attention and consciousness At first, it might seem like attention and consciousness might be the same thing; when we attend to something, we are conscious of it, and when we are conscious of something, we are attending to it, right? However, it has been argued that you can have either consciousness or attention without having the other (Koch and Tsuchiya, 2007). They cite work which uses interocular suppression (i.e. presenting different images to each eye in order to reduce perception of some/all of these images) to present both a nude image and a meaningless scramble of its pixels, while simultaneously rendering the nude image invisible to consciousness. Nonetheless, heterosexual participants attend to nude images of the opposite sex more than scrambled control images (Jiang et al., 2006). Hence, attention without consciousness! Another example of attention without consciousness is blindsight, where patients with damage to the primary visual cortex can report properties of visual stimuli above chance level, but without awareness of having seen anything (Weiskrantz, 1997). Subliminal presentation of stimuli can be processed by brain areas associated with emotional processing, such as the amygdala (Naccache et al., 2005). I’m less convinced by Koch and Tsuchiya’s argument that one can have consciousness without attention. Their argument seems to be based on limiting their point to top-down attention processes. For example, they suggest that one can make out the gist of an image after a very brief presentation. Of course, there may be little top-down processing going on here, and 30 ms may be too short a time to talk about â€Å"sustained attention†, but after all, one has to orient to the image in order to perceive it. Perhaps you may see it otherwise Are non-humans conscious? Trying to define consciousness at a brain level may be even more difficult when it comes to non-human animals. This question is also important for the ethical consideration of neuroscientists who work with animals. If one is to work with a particular species, one should at least try to be aware of its capacity for suffering. Panksepp (2005) argues that affect is largely produced by processes concentrated in subcortical, limbic regions in the mammalian brain. He defines consciousness as brain states which are associated with feeling or experience. He distinguishes raw, primary-process consciousness from secondary consciousness, which can relate to how external events relate to internal states, and tertiary consciousness, which is basically meta-cognition. Panksepp attacks what he seems to perceive as a wilful ignorance of the affective experience by neuroscientists working with animals, and criticises those who suppose that all consciousness is dependent upon the advanced linguistic and reasoning skills possessed by humans. However, the fact is acknowledged that outward behaviour may give a misleading impression of internal affective states. Nonetheless, he defends an internal affective life in animals, citing evidence of differing vocalisations of rats in response to environments associated with pleasurable/unpleasant drugs (Burgdorf, Knutson, Panksepp, Ikemoto, 2001a, 2001b), as well as neural mechanisms underlying desire for certain drugs which are similar to those in humans. Given similar subcortical machinery in other mammalian life, such research may give insight into the affective life of humans. However, studying consciousness in animals can be tricky; although anaesthesia is often used in certain techniques, if one wishes to study consciousness then any form of anaesthesia or sedation may bias results (Crick Koch, 1998). The work of Gallup (1970) used a simple behavioural test to examine self-awareness in chimpanzees. A mirror was inserted in their environment. Although the animals initially responded socially to it, they began to groom in response to it. When they were marked with a red dot in their sleep they used the mirror to try to clean the dot off. However, this level of performance was not evident in other primates. However, the so-called â€Å"hard problem of consciousness† (what is it really like?) may be insoluble. Thomas Nagel (1974) famously used animal life as an illustration of how difficult it is to grasp qualia (i.e. the subjective feeling of what something is like) by asking the question â€Å"what is like to be a bat?† Aside from bringing up again the issue of knowing others’ minds, the comparison here is stronger because it shifts from trying to second-guess the thoughts of fellow humans to trying to imagine the thoughts and feelings of a strange species. The implication is that, even if we were to understand all the neural processes tied up with the bat’s nervous system which bring about consciousness, we would still not be able to fully imagine what it is like to be a bat. Artificial intelligence and models of altered consciousness Although a large proportion of neuroscience involves backwards engineering of the brain (i.e. taking something which has already been engineered by evolution and trying to tease apart its structure and function), artificial intelligence, by engineering intelligent systems, can also be used to observe if a particular account of how the brain works actually produces a comparable output when you run it through a computer program (if the program doesn’t produce the same output as the â€Å"natural† brain, this may pose a problem for your theory, or vice versa). (Note this process of back-propagation is somewhat reminiscent of Edelman’s idea of re-entry). Takeno has found that the robot can distinguish between its own image in a mirror from either a second robot or another robot which follows the test robot’s instructions. The robot is equipped with LED lights allowing it to demonstrate distinct responses to its own mirrored behavior compared to that of another robot, including another robot engaging in the same behaviour (Takiguchi, Mizunaga, Takeno, 2013). See the following brief video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK0M02aKXLE A neural network was used to model how the excessive loss of synapses during adolescence could lead to auditory hallucinations reported in schizophrenia (Hoffman McGlashen, 1997). Pruning was carried out in a â€Å"Darwinian† fashion by removing neural units which were less well-connected to other units, in addition to modelling cell death which could be associated with excessive loss of neurons. Excessive loss of neural units produced a model of hallucination whereby words were coming up as perceived at the output layer of the network even when words were not being entered at the input layer. Although the authors admit that such models are vastly simplified models of the real thing, by reproducing (modeled) phenomena visible in the world (in this case, auditory hallucinations), they allow one to study such phenomena by testing if the mechanisms one hypothesizes explain such phenomena (in this case, excessive loss of neurons involved in working memory) actually produce the ph enomenon under investigation. Interestingly, the neurons pruned were modeled on corticocortical connections rather than thalamocortical connections (the type suggested by Edelman to play a key role in producing conscious experience itself). Consciousness: a clinical case A vegetative state is where a patient shows no overt signs of awareness, even though they are visibly awake. However, the idea that people in a persistent vegetative state lack consciousness has been challenged by recent research. Patients in a minimally conscious state or persistent vegetative state have been instructed to perform mental imagery tasks while undergoing fMRI (Monti et al., 2010). The tasks used are associated with activity in the parahippocampal gyrus and the supplementary motor area; areas which are associated with actually carrying out the activity. A minority of the participants showed activity in response to the tasks similar to healthy controls. However, bearing in mind that information can be processed without conscious awareness (as alluded to in the discussion of attention and consciousness), is it possible that this brain activity may have emerged automatically, without the patients having any conscious awareness of the scene described to them by the research ers? Such an interpretation is challenged by the following finding: a number of healthy controls and 1 patient were asked questions, and instructed to think of one mental image if the answer was â€Å"yes† and a different mental image if the answer was â€Å"no†. The patient showed signs of being able to complete this task. The fact that the participants could control what was imagined suggests that they may have been aware of their own awareness. Adrian Owen talks about these issues at the following link: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxUWO-Adrian-Owen-The-Quest-f Embodiment The idea that the brain is, or at least is very much like, a computer is quite popular. Indeed, computers themselves have increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Of course, a lot of the information we process is not purely symbolic for us; it is viscerally linked to our bodily states and physiological drives, and thus embodied. Returning to the question of what it is like to be a bat, we can consider the brain of this animal and how it works, but even if we could understand all brain functions of the bat, there would still be other differences between our species. For example, bats have wings which they can use to fly. What is it really like at a subjective level to do this? If we were to both given the chance to experience this kind of flight, your answer to this question could be completely different from mine, and yet perhaps we would both be right about our own experience. References Block, N. (1990). Inverted Earth. Philosophical Perspectives, 4, 53-79. Bogen, J.E. (1997). Some neurophysiologic aspects of consciousness. Seminars in Neurology, 17(2), 95-103. Burgdorf, J., Knutson, B., Panksepp, J., Ikemoto, S. (2001a). Nucleus accumbens amphetamine microinjections unconditionally elicit 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 115, 940–944. Burgdorf, J., Knutson, B., Panksepp, J., Shippenberg, T. (2001b). Evaluation of rat ultrasonic vocalizations as predictors of the conditioned aversive eà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ects of drugs. Psychopharmacology, 155, 35–42. Churchland, P.M., (2012). Consciousness, in: Gregory, R.L. (Ed.), The Oxford companion to the mind. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Crich, F., Koch, C. (1998). Consciousness and neuroscience. Cerebral Cortex, 8, 97-107. Edelman, G. (2003). Naturalizing consciousness: A theoretical framework. PNAS, 100(9), 5520-5524. Gallup, G. 91970). Chimpanzees: Self-recognition. Science, 167(3914), 85-87. Hoffman, R.E., McGlashen, T.H. (1997). Synaptic elimination, neurodevelopment, and the mechanism of hallucinated â€Å"voices† in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1683-1689. Jiang, Y., Costello, P., Fang, F., Huang, M., He, S., (2006). A gender- and sexual orientation-dependent spatial attentional effect of invisible images. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103, 17048-17052. Koch, C., Tsuchiya, N., (2007). Attention and consciousness: two distinct brain processes. Trends in cognitive sciences 11, 16-22. Monti, M.M., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Coleman, M.R., Boly, M., Pickard, J.D., Tshibanda, L., Owen, A.M., Laureys, S., (2010). Willful modulation of brain activity in disorders of consciousness. New England Journal of Medicine 362, 579-589. Naccache, L., Gaillard, R., Adam, C., Hasboun, D., Clà ©menceau, S., Baulac, M., Dehaene, S., Cohen, L., (2005). A direct intracranial record of emotions evoked by subliminal words. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102, 7713-7717. Nagel, T. (1974). What is it like to be a bat? Philosophical Review, 83, 435-450. Panksepp, J. (2005). Affective consciousness: core emotional feelings in animals and humans. Consciousness and cognition. Place, U.T., (1956/1990). Is consciousness a brain process?, in: Lycan, W.G. (Ed.), Mind and cognition: An anthology. Blackwell, Malden, Massachusetts, pp. 14-19. Takiguchi, T., Mizunaga, A., Takeno, J. (2013). A study of self-awareness in robots. International Journal of Machine Consciousness, 5, 142. Weiskrantz, L. (1997). Consciousness lost and found. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Database Migration and Architecture: Bee Colony Optimization Database Migration and Architecture: Bee Colony Optimization Abstract: It is compulsory for two servers to be compatible if you have to either import or export the data. All the servers have unique protocol service through which they communicate. It is not possible for a server to directly transmit or receive the data from any other server. A live example is the developed codes at different platforms like JAVA, Visual Studio and others. This task becomes more sophisticated when it comes to communication of data along with its architecture. This paper focused their work in migrating the data from one server to another with the use of XAML protocol in which three servers have been included to migrate the data. The first server is the server from where the data has to be migrated, the second server is the server where data is fetched to be migrated and the third server is the server where data has to be migrated. The entire work has been performed using Development tool visual studio 2010 with data base connectivity with SQL SERVER 05. In this pa per we are proposing a technique for migration of the platform architecture along with the data with perfect accuracy to another cloud platform using Simple Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) concept will take a lot of effort due to the sophisticated architecture of a system protocol. This may lead to a new era in the cloud computing. Keywords: BCO, Data Migration, XAML, SQL SERVER 05. INTRODUCTION: Cloud computing is an Internet based computing technology, where the word ‘cloud’ means Internet and ‘computing’ refers to services that can accessed directly over the internet. Cloud provider maintains the cloud data server or cluster that is collection of computer to provide computing services on a large scale. For providing both software services as well as management services this scale can be used. Any device like PCs’, tablets, smartphones, etc. personal can provide access to cloud computing services, as these devices can connect to the internet. This is because the technology infrastructure of cloud computing is not based on consumer premises. Cloud computing comes in various forms, shapes, and sizes as there is variety of cloud formations [1]. Cloud Computing can be also described as type of application and platform. Platform means to supply the servers or machines; machine can be virtual or physical. Machines can be configure and reconfigure. Type of application depends on the demand of its user, various resources are available over the internet through cloud computing. Resources come in forms – hardware and software resources can be used in scalable and flexible manner. Also the costs can be reduced. There are mainly three aspects of cloud computing: Iaas (Infrastructure as a Service) – number crunching, data storage and management services (computer servers). SaaS (Software as a Service) – ‘web based’ applications (like Gmail). PaaS (Platform as a Service) – essentially an operating system in the cloud like Google AppEngine [2]. Data migration the term ‘migration’ is the process of moving from one location to another. In the process of Data migration, the data is transferred between various computer systems, storage types, or formats. To achieve an automated migration, data migration is usually performed programmatically. To give an efficient data migration method, data is mapped to the new system from the previous old system providing a design by data loading and data extraction. Programmatic data migration consists of many steps but it mostly includes data extraction in which the data from the old system writes to the current system [3]. In migration, to improve the quality of data, eliminate the redundancy or invalid information, manual and automated data cleaning is mostly done. Before deploying to the new system, various migration steps like designing, extraction, loading, cleaning and verification are mostly repeated for many applications whether of high or moderate complexity. Four major types of data migration: Application migration Database migration Storage migration Business process migration BEE COLONY OPTIMIZATION (BCO): The bee colony optimization (BCO) has been recently introduced as new approach in the field of Swarm Intelligence. There is a colony of honey bees that can extend their selves over the long distances. To exploit large number of food bees extend itself in multiple directions at the same time. The artificial bees represent the agents, which collectively solves complex problems. The algorithm BCO is inspired by the original behavior of the bees’ in nature. By creating colony of artificial bees, BCO can successfully used to solve complex problems. The behavior of the artificial bees is partially similar to the behavior of bees’ in nature and partially dissimilar to the behavior of bees’ in nature. The BCO algorithm is basically, based on population. The population of the artificial bees searches for the valid solution in the population. An artificial bee solves complex problems and described as agents. One solution is generated to the every problem by the artificial bees [4]. Bee colony optimization consists of two phases: A) Forward pass: In forward pass, search space is explored by every artificial bee, also obtains a new solution and improves the solution and then bees’ again go back to the nest. B) Backward pass: After bees’ go back to the nest they shared the solutions of various information. RELATED WORK Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche et.al (2012) explain the working over the cloud platforms for the last few decades. According to him the general migration issue raises when your data is not secure at the one platform. Now the issue comes that whether we can transfer the data with the architecture from one end to another. He proposed that if we can use the TCP/IP technique to find out at which server the data is going to be migrated and if we can configure it to the server from where the data has to be migrated can make a difference into the migration but he did not talk about how an existing architecture allows the second server to be configured into itself [5]. Diva Agawam talks about the server compatibility, according to them as a basic network the PC equipments had been over, with the popularization of technology of embedded system and the internet. Traditional Ethernet fields are infiltrated from embedded equipments . Besides PC, there are several embedded equipments as nodes present. User can easily refer the correlative information if he has the web server accessing permission. The administrator can easily manage and validate the equipments but accessing it over IP, is a great challenge [6]. R.SUCHITRA said that in cloud environment, there is necessity of Server consolidation of virtual machines for cost cutting and energy conservation. With live migration server consolidation can be achieved of virtual machines. For Server Consolidation, we propose a been packing algorithm which is modified to reduce the instantiation of new servers and to avoid the migrations that are not necessary. The algorithm is simulated using multiple test cases and using java. For live migration of virtual machines, ideas are taken from the decreasing strategy of First Fit algorithm [7]. Jayson Tom Hilter talks about the SOAP proto calling in his words. SOAP is a messaging framework, based on XML. Over the internet for exchanging formatted data, SOAP is specially designed. It can be understand with the example of sending the complete documents and using reply and request messages or. It is not affected with the different operating system, programming languages, or platform of distributed computing. A more efficient way was needed to explain the messages and how these messages are communicated. The WSDL (Web Services Description Language) is a specific form of an XML Schema, implemented by Microsoft and IBM for defining the XML message, its operation, and its protocol mapping of a web service used during SOAP or other XML protocol [8]. Qura-Tul-Ain Khan, Said Nasser â€Å"talks that cloud computing is a computing platform which is present in large data center. To deliver cloud computing resources various problems occurs like privacy issues, security, and access, regulations, reliability, electricity and other issues. In every field cloud computing is able to address the servers to fulfill their wide range of needs [9]. RESULTS The proposed architecture migration system has been implemented using VSUAL STUDIO 2010. The performance of various database migration and architecture migration system is analyzed and discussed. Two servers minimum are involved in the data migration. To migrate the architecture system by using XAML language pattern avoiding the time delay of the data migration and ensuring the security analysis of the data getting migrated. The purpose of this work is justified when the data along with the architecture is migrated to another platform. To attain the goal, a mid level XAML architecture would be drawn which would show the compatibility with both the server. In the process, the middle server would first analyze the architecture of the first server from where the data has to be migrated and would generate the XAML for it. As XAML is one of the most light weight language and it is supported by all other platforms also, it would be easier for the second server to adapt the language. The mi ddle server would do amendments in the local XAML according to the architecture which has to be migrated to the next sever. Once the second XAML is generated, it would use the TCP IP protocol service along with the SQL Query injector to transfer the XAML from one end to another and would migrate the architecture completely. The successful migration of the architecture is examined by various parameters. Three parameters are used: Accuracy Reliability Error rate Accuracy: Accuracy is the proximity of measurement results. Here we describe the accuracy in terms of percentage. Percentage ranges from 0-100. Here we attain the highest accuracy that means data is migrated successfully [10]. (1) where, TN is the number of true negative cases FP is the number of false positive cases FN is the number of false negative cases TP is the number of true positive cases Fig.(a) Accuracy graph As shown in the above graph, maximum accuracy is attained i.e, 95% and more than this. In this proposed model for migration accuracy achieves best results. Reliability: Reliability is the ability of a component or a system to perform the tasks successfully for a given time under provided conditions. It is the Consistency and validity of test results determined through statistical methods after repeated trials without degradation or failure [11]. (2) Where, R(t) = reliability e = exponential (2.178) ÊÅ ½ = failure time m = mtbf (mean time between failures) t = time Fig. (b) Reliability graph As shown in above graph, maximum accuracy is attained i.e, 93% and more than this. In this proposed model for migration reliability achieves best results. Error Rate: An Error rate is a deviation from accuracy or correctness. A mistake is an error caused by a fault: the fault being misjudgment, carelessness, or forgetfulness [12]. (3) where, , (energy per bit to noise power spectral density ratio) or, Es/ (energy per modulation symbol to noise density). Fig.(c) Error Rate graph As shown in above graph, minimum error rate is attained i.e, 5%. In this proposed model for migration error rate is very less. As mentioned above the three parameters are evaluated from the proposed work. Accuracy, Reliability and Error rate, all three parameters achieves best results. Table I: Accuracy, Reliability and error rate values (in %) calculated from different data’s schemas that are migrated. Fig. (d) Graph represents above table values per number of time execution The above figure has two axis x-axis represents the number of time the execution takes place and y-axis represents the percentage of all three parameters. CONCLUSION This research has a great scope in reducing the load over the server to provide the optimized result. In this work done till now, it successfully migrates the generated architecture and its data to another server. Here proposed a new approach based on Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) technique and Go Daddy server. The transfer accuracy is almost 90-95 percent. For successful migration XAML is used, as XAML is one of the most light weight language and it is supported by all other platforms also, it would be easier for the second server to adapt the language. Error rate is very less, so the proposed approach works well in migration. In future, this approach can be applied to the system with more than two servers in the migration. The current system does not evaluate any computation time for the evaluation that how much time has been elapsed in the transfer. So in future time elapsed in transferring the data taken into consideration. Also, the transfer of the data is limited i.e. in the generation of the architecture system; you cannot generate more than a fixed number of columns. Reactive Arthritis: Causes, Features and Treatments Reactive Arthritis: Causes, Features and Treatments Reactive arthritis Minor changes. References reduced. 64.58 Reactive Arthritis Ramesh M Bhat M and Rochelle C Monteiro Introduction Reactive arthritis (ReA) is defined as an episode of peripheral arthritis of more than one 1-month duration occurring in association with conjunctivitis and urethritis and/or cervicitis. It is triggered by an infection, most often in the gastrointestinal or urogenital tract. It is also known as Reiter’s syndrome, Feissinger– Leroy’s disease, Brodie’s syndrome and conjunctivo-urethro-synovial syndrome. The term ReA Reactive arthritis was originally introduced to define a sterile joint inflammation during and after an infection elsewhere in the body. The definition was later modified since nucleic acids and bacterial antigens were found in the inflamed joints. ² Etiology  Aetiology Reactive arthritis (ReA) follows an infection in the urogenital tract (venereal form) or gastrointestinal tract (dysenteric form). The venereal form follows recent sexual contact, whereas the dysentricdysenteric form is associated with a wide variety of intestinal pathogens and non-specific diarrhoeal illnesses. The most common organisms implicated are as follows: Post Post-dysenteric form: Salmonella (different serotypes), Yersinia tuberculosis, Shigella flexneri, Shigella S. sonnei, and Campylobacter jejuni. These organisms are found to be HLA HLAB27– dependent. Hence, Individuals individuals with HLA-B27 positivity are strongly predisposed to develop the disease. Post Post-venereal form: Chlamydia trachomatis. Some newer organisms have been implicated recently in causation of reactive arthritisReA, namely Chlamydia C. pneumonia, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma M. fermentans, Neisseria Gonorrhoeagonorrhoeae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Clostridium difficile, ÃŽ ²-haemolytic streptococci, Propionibacterium acnes, EscherischiaEscherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, Calmette CalmetteGuerin bacillus, Brucella abortus, Leptospira , Bartonella, Tropheyreyma whippeli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Giardia lamblia. ³ Drugs are generally not implicated in the aetiology of reactive arthritisReA;, however, a single case of Lithium lithium precipitating pre-existing ReA1: Kindly check for clarity>aOKctive arthritis has been described.à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ´ Pathobiology The prevalence of ReAactive arthritis is estimated to be 0.1% worldwide. The disease mainly affects people in the 2nd 4thsecond to fourth decade of life. The Infection infection occurs 1–4 weeks following genitourinary infection, with a male–female ratio of 9:1. The Enteric enteric type has an equal incidence in both males and females.à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¶ Systemic Featuresfeatures The disease primarily affects the joints, eyesà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ·, the skin and genitalia. Rarely, patients present with cardiac, renal, and neural abnormalities. Arthritis Articular manifestations are most commonly of an acute, non-destructive oligoarthritis usually affecting the large joints of the lower limbs which persists for 4–5 months. ‘Sausage digit’ or diffuse swelling of an entire toe/finger occurs in 16% of patients. Enthesitis is another characteristic feature of patients with ReA. It is defined as an inflammation of the ligaments and tendons at their site of insertion into the bone. Patients may also develop heel pain and achilles Achilles tendonitis. Sacroiliitis is another distinctive feature of the disease which results in a low back pain.8-10 Urethritis ReAactive arthritis usually follows 1–3 weeks after an episode of urethritis. Urethritis may occur even in post postdysenteric cases. The non nonspecific urethritis presents with mild non-purulent urethral discharge. Haemorrhagic cystitis and prostatitis may develop in a few patients. In females, it manifests as cervicitis associated with cervical discharge. Rarely, bleeding and abdominal pain may occur.à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ µ Mucocutaneous lesions Keratoderma blennorrhagica or Pustulosis pustulosis palmoplantaris is a specific cutaneous lesion in ReA. Patients present with pustules over the palms and soles which are gradually covered with thick horny crusts. Lesions may coalesce. Psoriasiform lesions are also common (Fig. 58.1). The biopsy of of skin lesions with acanthosis and epidermal neutrophilia (Fig. 58.2) Circinate balanitis is a painless geographic dermatitis occurring over the glans penis (Fig. 58.31). In addition, small, shallow ulcers are seen over the glans and urethral meatus and also over the oral cavity. Nail changes are a common finding and include subungual hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, ridging and nail shedding.10,11 Visceral lesions Visceral involvements mainly include the cardiac, renal and neural systems. Cardiovascular manifestations present as conduction delays and aortic disease. Proteinuria, microhaematuria, aseptic pyuria, and rarely, glomerulonephritis occur when the renal system is involved. Transient neurologic dysfunction such as cranial or peripheral nerve palsies have been described in some patients.10 The disease is usually self selflimiting. The joint manifestations regress completely within a few months (3–5 months). Enthesopathy, balanitis and psoriatic lesions may persist even after joint inflammation has subsided. Recurrences are common. Some patients develop chronic polyarthritis, usually HLA HLAB27– positive individuals.12 Ocular Featuresfeatures Bilateral mucopurulent conjunctivitis is the most common ocular manifestation of ReA that occurs in more than 50% of patients. It is one of the important components of the triad of the disease. Occasionally, the conjunctivitis may be purulent but remains transient, mild and associated with a sterile discharge. It subsides within 1–4 weeks. Acute anterior uveititsuveitis may be found in about one-fifth of cases, especially in those who are positive for HLA-B27.7 Other ocular complications of ReA include keratitis, corneal ulcer with or without hypopyon, episcleritis, scleritis, papilloedema, retinal oedema, retinal vasculitis and retrobulbar neuritis. ¹Ã‚ ³ Vision is usually impaired from corneal scar or recurrent chronic uveitis causing secondary glaucoma, complicated cataract or cystoids macular oedema. ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ´ Diagnosis Laboratory findings in ReA are non-specific and do not usually provide a conclusive diagnosis regarding the aetiology. Prognosis Individuals who are HLA HLAB27– positive have a more severe disease form. Male gender and a positive family history for spondyloarthropathies, ankylosing spondylitis and recurrent episodes of arthritis are indicators of a bad prognosis.9 Treatment Patient education has plays a major role in patients with ReAactive arthritis. The chronic relapsing nature of the disease should be explained to the patients for better compliance with therapeutic modalities. Conjunctivitis is usually self-limiting. A slit slitlamp examination is necessary to rule out uveitis, which if present has to be managed with topical corticosteroids, cycloplaegics and mydriatics. Keratoderma blenorrhagicablennorrhagica is treated using topical steroids and keratolytics. Low potency topical steroids are used in circinate balanitis.10 Non Nonsteroidal anti antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) are highly effective in pain management in patients with ReAactive arthritis. Intra Intraarticular steroids are advocated in oligo/monoarticular disease. The use of systemic steroids has been discouraged except in severe cases where short courses may be given.15 Antibiotics are useful in the post postvenereal form of ReAactive arthritis. Their role in the post postdysenteric form remains controversial. Commonly used antibiotics include erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and doxycycline.11 In patients who fail to respond to the above mentioned conventional therapy, a more aggressive therapeutic approach is needed. This includes Disease disease modifying anti antirheumatic drugs (DMARD’s). References 1. Fisk PK. Reiter’s disease. British Med J 1982; 284:3. 132. Kingsley G, Sieper J. Third international International workshop Workshop on Reactive arthritis Arthritis, 23–-26 September, 1995, Berlin : An overview. Ann Rheum Dis 55:564–570. 143. Kiss S, LetkoE, Qamruddin S, et al, Long-term progression, prognosis and treatment of patients with recurrent ocular manifestations of Reiter’s syndrome. Ophthalmology 2003;110::1764–1769. 154. Schumacher HR Jr., Reactive arthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1998; 24:261–-273. Early Years Care and Education: History and Policies Early Years Care and Education: History and Policies This essay explores the range of early year settings that are involved in the care and education of young children, and discuss the roles and responsibilities of the professionals who work at these settings. Two critical incidents will be focused upon with the use of a Personal Reflection Diary, which has been taken throughout Practical Placements. The diary will emphasize the roles and responsibilities of the professionals that are key within the setting. The essay will also evaluate the curricula appropriate to the setting that were visited during placement and compare it to another practice setting. The essay will finish with a personal statement defining what has been learnt from the experiences. First, the history of care and education of young children will be reflected upon. Next, there will be a discussion on social care and health care legislation which is affiliated to the support of childrens health and safety (historical to present day). A Reflective Account will follow, which will consider two incidents which identifies the roles of the professionals who work in various settings. Subsequently, the author will define the importance of reflective practice. Finally, conclusions will be drawn as to whether the objectives have been met. History of care and education- Education sector first started and when did children become important? Pre 1870 there was no organised system of education. Instead children were sent out to work to earn money for their families. Some children attended schools run by charities and churches or Dame schools run by women for young children. There were fee paying schools for those rich enough to afford them or the wealthier children were taught at home by governesses. In the social legislation of this period education did not become a real priority until the year of the first Education Act, 1870. The 1870 Education Act also known as the Forster Act, that we have the real birth of the modern system of education in England. This not only gave rise to a national system of state education but also assured the existence of a dual system voluntary denominational schools and nondenominational state schools. The act required the establishment of elementary schools nationwide. These were not to replace or duplicate what already existed but supplement those already run by the churches, private individuals and guilds. Elementary education became effectively free with the passing of the 1891 Education Act. The1870 Forster Education Act set up mass primary education (education for everyone). It was introduced because the government was worried that the working class was becoming revolutionary and also because it was thought that Britains economy was falling behind the rest of the world. The education received therefore a strong emphasis on obedience to authority. The Victorians soon realised the importance to read and write. Passage of the Education Act of 1870 was an important event because the act established compulsory elementary schools for all children from the age of 5. All children had to attend school until they were 10 years old. Education Legislation (historical to present day). By 1880 many new schools had been set up by the boards. This made it possible for the 1880 Education Act to make school attendance compulsory for all children up to the age of ten. The school boards were abolished under the 1902 Education Act. In their place Local Educational Authorities (LEAs) were created to organize funding, employ teachers and allocate school places. Under the 1918 Education Act school became obligatory for all children up to the age of 14. The Act was conceived by the liberal MP Herbert Fisher (1865-1940). Other features of the Act included the provision of additional services in schools, such as medical inspections, nurseries and provision for pupils with special needs. During the 1920s and 1930s Sir Henry Hadow (1859-1937) chaired a consultative committee that was responsible for several important reports on education in England. In 1926, a report entitled The Education of the Adolescent looked at primary education in detail for the first time. It prioritized activity and experience, rather than rote learning and discussed, for the first time, the specific needs of children with learning difficulties. The report also made the important recommendation of limiting class sizes to a maximum of thirty children. In 1931, another report was published: The Primary School was influenced by the educational ideas of Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget and advocated a style of teaching based on childrens interests. The 1944 Education Act saw the introduction of the tripartite system. Devised by Conservative MP Rab Butler (1902-1982), the Act introduced three different types of school: Grammar schools for the more academic pupil, Secondary Modern schools for a more practical, non-academic style of education and Technical schools for specialist practical education. Pupils were allocated to a particular type of school by taking an examination called the 11- Plus, which was also introduced under the Act. Secondary education now became free for all and the school-leaving age rose to 15. Comprehensive schooling was recommended in a document issued by the Labor Government in 1965 called the Circular 10/65. The system was developed in contrast to the tripartite system and was instead intended to suit pupils of all abilities. The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council for Education (England) into Primary Education. The report was called Children and their Primary Schools and was named after the chair of the Council, Lady Bridget Plowden (1910-2000). It observed that new skills were needed in society, stating that, the qualities needed in a modern economy extend far beyond skills such as accurate spelling and arithmetic. They include greater curiosity and adaptability, a high level of aspiration, and others which are difficult to measure. (The Plowden Report: Children and their Primary Schools, London: Her Majestys Stationery Office, 1967.) The Education Act 1973 stated that schools leaving age was raised to 16. The National Curriculum was introduced in the 1988 Education Act. It made all education the same for state-funded schools, ensuring that all pupils had access to a basic level of education. A selection of subjects was made compulsory including maths, English, science and some form of religious education. It also introduced sex education for the first time. Pupils were divided into Key Stages, depending on their age, Key Stage 1 for pupils aged 5-7, Key Stage 2 for pupils aged 7-11, Key Stage 3 for pupils aged 11-14 and Key Stage 4 for pupils aged 14-16. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) was introduced to replace O-levels and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE). In 1996, the Conservative government introduced the first stage of a Nursery Voucher scheme. The Voucher scheme allowed parents to use vouchers worth up to  £1,100 per child for up to three terms of part-time education for their 4-year-old children, in any form of preschool provision. However, in 1997, the incoming Labour Government abolished the voucher scheme and made its own plans for the development of early years services. The government provided direct funding to preschool institutions for part-time places for 4-year-old children and an increasing number of part-time places for 3-year-old children. Around 1999, the government introduced a Foundation Stage of early learning, which is a new stage of education for children age 3 to the end of their reception year when they will be 5. The Labour government revealed plans to introduce City Academies in 2002 as part of a five-year plan to improve education. City Academies are designed to improve inner city education by building new schools, introducing new technology and changing the ethos of schools. The scheme is controversial since schools will only get academy status if they raise  £2 million from private funds. Various types of early years education provisions There are a number of various types of early years education settings that can offer the free entitlement: day nurseries, private nursery schools, maintained nursery schools and nursery classes attached to primary schools, preschools and playgroups, primary school reception classes, where schools operate an early admission policy to admit four year olds, accredited child minders who are part of networks approved to deliver early education and Sure Start Childrens Centers. Theorists who may have impacted upon early years provision. The first infant school was opened by Robert Owen (1771-1858), utopian radical socialist reformer-mill owner who had set up crà ¨ches for the children of his workers as well as housing and health facilities. Pestalozzi (1745-1827) attracted the attention of some education reformers. Pestalozzian schools attempted to recognise the specific requirements of young children. Also very influential was the kindergarten movement, Froebel (1782-1852). First opened in England in 1851 Froebels vision was to educate the whole child. Outdoor activities played a signiFIcant part, but his vision was of the children as plants in the garden of the school flowering and blossoming under the correct care and attention as you would care for a plant. Gradually though the more precise nature of Froebels pedagogy and philosophies got taken over by a wider emphasis on play combined with domestic tasks as defined by the theories of psychologists. Stanley Hall (1884-1924) and John Dewey (1859-1952) Also these kindergartens were also rescuers of the children of the urban poor so the teachers became more like social workers. Another significant figure was Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Her work came to be seen as more a preserve of middle class private nurseries but originally she worked with deprived children of Naples and aimed to develop cognitive physical linguistic social and self care skills through carefully structured play activities and equipment. Advocate of natural materials wooden blocks sandpaper letters. She thought that too many brightly coloured toys and pictures could over stimulate. Children were taught to concentrate on one activity the put it away and move on to the next one. Margaret McMillan (1860-1931), was a Christian socialist and was regarded as the originator of Nursery School concept. Opened an open air nursery school in London in 1913 focus on sense training and health of the young child. Sand water clay and paint free cooked meals fresh air covered area so the children could be outside as much as possible. Roles of professionals that work in early years Then Early Years Practitioners (EYP) will be trained to often work as part of the team of skilled and committed people working with children in early years settings or wider childrens services. Take responsibility for leading and managing play, care and learning. Have a secure and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of early years practice with children from birth to five; and be skilled and effective practitioners. In addition to this, EYP will have an important role in leading and supporting other staff by helping them to develop and improve their practice, establish and maintain positive relationships with Children and communicate and work in partnership with families, carers and other professionals. Social care and health care legislation which is affiliated to the support of childrens health and safety (historical to present day) Range of health care settings in early years. There are many types of social and health care in early years for example Health clinics, residential care, home visiting scheme, children centres, paediatric services. Health and social care professionals, for example: Health visitors, GPs, midwives, childrens centre staff, social workers and mental health services.