Action Potentials and The Cardiac Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Action Potentials and The Cardiac Cycle - Essay Example ld take approximately 200 to 500 milliseconds to complete and conducted from cell to cell, slower compared to less than 2 milliseconds in the action potentials in skeletal muscles (Seeley, Stephens, and Tate, 2007: 333). The following figures depict the stages or phases of an action potential: resting potential, depolarization, repolarization, and returning to resting potential or the final repolarization phase. The resting potential is the stage when the cell is not conducting an impulse (Rothenberg and Chapman, 1989). At this resting stage, the concentration of sodium (Na+) ions is higher outside the cell than the inside. On the other hand, the potassium (K+) ions are evidently higher inside the cell, compared to the outside. In this manner, the sodium-potassium pump is constantly at work to ensure a more positive ionic environment outside the cell membrane, thus leaving the cell interior highly negative (MCB-HHMI Outreach, 2005). Depolarization marks the first step in sending a signal or action potential, wherein the negatively charged cell interior is disturbed by the entrance positive Na+ ions, as we can see in the above figure (MCB-HHMI Outreach, 2005). Further, it is in this stage that Na+ channels open to give way to the diffusion of Na+ into the cell, at the same time, the K+ channels would just begin to open but closes immediately to decrease the permeability of cell to K+ (Seeley, Stephens, and Tate, 2007: 333). We can notice in figure 2 that the potassium and sodium channels are like gates that open to give way to their respective ions. Accordingly, the opening and closing of these membrane channels are responsible in the production of action potentials, as a result of the changes in cellular membrane permeability (Seeley, Stephens, and Tate, 2007: 333). In addition, calcium (Ca++) channels slowly open to cause Ca++ ions to diffuse into the cell, which also mimic depolarization (Seeley, Stephens, an d Tate, 2007: 333). An action potential triggers

Bloomington IN, and corn field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bloomington IN, and corn field - Research Paper Example ll therefore address culture and cultural centers in Bloomington Indiana and equally draw a relationship between Indiana University students and the corns in the neighborhood of Bloomington Indiana. Corn that refers to maize grain in the US was plant domestication by the indigenous people in Mesoamerica and specifically in Bloomington Indiana. Indeed, settlers, Tibets stopped at the fertile Whitewater Valley in 1800s to initiate the cornfields in Bloomington Indiana. Moreover, the Wayne County farmers, Tibets still embrace their traditions in course of their grain farming that include corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, and canola (Waynet Web). As such, culture and attached traditions are fundamental factors in the cornfields and in Bloomington Indiana where they are located. Indeed, even Indian university embraces this culture in its school curriculum. As such, where culture is a dominant aspect in Bloomington Indiana and the neighboring cornfields, it is only fair to analyze this culture. This culture is enshrined and preserved in Tibetan Cultural Center. Hence, culture as reserved in the Tibetan Cultural Center is a relevant topic in relation to Bloomington Indiana and the cornfiel ds. Corn farming is a cultural activity in Bloomington Indiana. Bloomington Indiana has been the only Tibetan Cultural Center in the United States since 1979. In addition, Bloomington Indiana hosts then Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Tibetan Monastery that came to being in 1996. Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Tibetan Monastery follows the Buddhas teachings as transmitted by the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is thus significant in offering the Indiana community with diverse sources of cultural and educational programs applied in this society especially in the cornfields. Tibetan Cultural Center came up in the 1970’s courtesy of an Indiana University professor, Thubten J. Norbu. The main aim of the cultural centre was to preserve the memory and culture of Tibetans and bring awareness to the

The Concept Of Toyota Production System Management Essay

The Concept Of Toyota Production System Management Essay This report briefly discusses the concept of Toyota Production System/ Lean manufacturing that Japanese Methodology introduced by Saichi Toyoda, the concept of value chain established by Professor Michael Porter in 1985 and lower waste and competitive advantages of the Lean Manufacturing. All through this report discus about the Toyota Company. In the first part of this report describe about the Lean Manufacturing of selected company. It is critically evaluate the Lean Production which is seeking a high level of production with minimum cost of the Toyota Company that originally Japanese Methodology. At the second this report is highlighting what the recommendations for managing wastes that associates with value chain of the Toyota Company. It is categorised in two categories that primary activities and supply activities in Value Chain. Thirdly discuss what are the implications of recommendation, which discussed before on organizational resources and justify those recommendations which effect on competitiveness sustainability and social responsibility of the company Finally this report describes the Porters Value Chain as a templates and a frame work which support to the front line managers in danger signals and how to face that Danger Signals and identifying wastes. 1) The critical evaluation of lean production in the Toyota Company. It is very important to overview what is the Lean Manufacturing and seeking higher level of output with minimum possibilities such as low labour cost, law material cost, low time and low inventory space, Lean manufacturing produce at a higher level by reducing wastes from the system and simplifying the methods. Toyota Production System is based on two concepts one is jidoka which can translate to automation with a mans touch. It can stop once avoiding the malfunctioning of products when problems arise in the equipment. Wastes can be occurred from several reasons such as, overproduction, waiting, transportation, inventory, defective units, motion and over-processing. Hence Lean Manufacturing in eliminating wastes. Toyota production system/ Lean Manufacturing is introduced by Toyota cooperation which is event of four gentlemen. Sakichi Toyoda, who is father of Toyota Group, Kiichiro Toyoda, son of Sahichi Toyoda, Eiji Toyoda, who was Managing Director from 1950 to 1981 and Taiichi Ohno the father of the Kanban System and chairman in 1981 to 1994. Toyota Use 7 techniques to attain Lean Manufacturing Reduction of set up times Set up activities are wasteful until they tie up labours and equipment with procedures by charts and training to employees and organizing activities. Toyota manages to avoid the setup times. Miner production The organization has to face higher cost on high capital, new machinery, more inventory, set up expenses, high lead times and defect costs when they manufacturing large quantities of products. But Toyota has turned towards low setup and it leads employees to produce in small quantities. Empowerment and Involvement of employees The Toyota Company organize the employees in the organization in to teams and appoint team leaders those having an authority to handle many specific tasks. The company provides training of minor equipment repair and housekeeping and leaders have to work with their teams in the lines 02. Quality at the source If there is some fault it should be able to identify immediately and need be corrected. Totoya has idoka and stop functioning. Equipment maintenance Toyota workers are more conscious about the failure, because they have been well trained to do basic maintenance. Employees have been trained to relevant to maintenance and enhance the quality of the equipment, so they need specialist fix only for complex problems. Pull production Pull production is always target on minimize cost of stock holding, this was introduced by Kotelnikov in 2001 and this is cause to minimize cost of stock holding and time saving. Next stage of materials demand lead to work performs at each step. kanban organize the movement of small containers of miner material between steps. Supplier involvement Toyota Company trains their suppliers to minimize the setup times, maintain stock and reduce failure. And also they consider their suppliers as their partners in the business. Source: Kotelnikov (2001) 2)Recommendations on the ways how waste is managed in Toyota company. The value chain is providing proper method to indicate the improvement of competive advantage in the business. There are number of stages in value chain process for make to value, these all steps are altogather effeted of company value delivering process. What is the way of basic activities can effect to reduce waste in operation process. Inbound logistics The good which needed for production buy from suppleirs and they are stored until they use for the prduction assembly line. Goods are tranfering all over the orrdanization. The Toyota company collect high quality rawmaterials from the best suppelirs in all over the world and keep countinously that quality. They purchase best quality rawmaterials to minimise the watages in prodution line. To handle rawmatrial, The Toyota company practice with JIT (Just In Time) and they keep close relationship with suppleirs to maximise the availability. Operations At this operational level raw materials used to manufacture and assemble. At every separate part of the assembling, includes producing new cars and modifying new cars engine. The Toyota use different and efficient methods for assembling and modifying the car manufacturing to reduce wastages. Outbound logistics They need to be sent to wholesalers, retailers or customers along the supply chain when production is finished. Toyota has opened their show rooms all over the world and made the products more quantifiable to reduce wastages. Marketing and sales They introduce some offers based on target customers. Toyota is true customer oriented company. The Toyota Company mainly focus on the Marketing and promotion Mix to minimize the wastages. Service Toyota provides training on final checking practices and after sales service to Toyota value customers to eliminate wastes from final delivery. Support activities to reduce wastes Procurement This is accountable for purchasing materials for Toyota. It is very important to make the transaction that is high quality product at the lowest price. The Toyota going with some activities such as, outsourcing and e-purchasing to make the effectiveness and free from wastes Development of Technology Technology is front-runners to competitive advantage, as manufacturer of vehicle Toyota is innovating to increase and sustain competitive advantage. Human resource management The Toyota considers their employees as the asset of company. Toyota practice with, recruitment and selection, Training and development, Maintenance and compensation to maintain their employees with higher satisfaction, 3) Recommendation for long term sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Toyota was number one and most admired car producer (Manufacture) in the world according to the annual rating of fortune published in 2001 included such as General motors and Ford .The umbrella policy of Toyota company is the reason and basic philosophy to success in global market environment and its lead to the make company decision and activities. Toyota has penetrated to USA market and invested there. Now they are well established in USA market it is match with its lean manufacturing system. Toyotas way encourages and motivates their employees and they consider it as capital, their main purpose is ultimately winning the employee motivation. All these empowering of employees are lead to more innovation and increase employee participation for manufacturing process and improve its productivity. Toyota way leads to product development and offer very friendly and loyal manner for their customers and they always target to be market oriented. Toyota use out sourcing and it plays a very i mportant part of their manufacturing process and it cause to reduce more direct cost and reduce market risk. Meanwhile Toyota has understood of the importance of engaging with particular specialized suppliers. Toyotas competitive advantage is mainly attributable to the schedule and the coordinate of activities among the network of 300 components suppliers. Toyotas competitive advantage was gained by a strategic commitment to produce exclusive automobiles. Toyota borrowed technology from established car manufacturers and made the procedures what effectively helped to regain customer demand. Customer demand has been the most important strategic initiate of the company. Behind the success of the Toyota Company there are three main components, A network of suppliers in Japan and in US which can be interpreted as world class. An effective Just in time system to manage inventory, which is dependent upon the activities of supplier network. Robot technology incorporated assembly system, the Japan and North America has both won the platinum plant quality award for this function. The processes and procedures sped up when the waste is eliminated from the companys main stream. Even the quality of the product increases when the waste is eliminated. This means the customer and the manufacturer are equally benefited by the Toyota production method. The company and the customer are in a win- win situation and the profits reflect the improvements. Toyota is famous for its innovations and became the largest manufacturer of cars in 2007 ahead of many leading car manufacturers achieving the competitive advantage by innovations. Toyota production system has given Toyota company competitive advantage on a global scale. This advantage is gained through elimination of waste by earlier recommendations by the combination of their human recourses management policies, their highly effective network of suppliers which provide them with raw materials whenever they need it and machine manufacturers that produce machines which are used in the product lines continuously. The management philosophy is more important for their long term sustainability, Toyota is known for its corporate culture which enhances the employee empowerment. According to Hub pages (2010) In an average year more than 700,000 improvement suggestions were submitted by Toyotas employees. That is an average of over 10 improvement suggestions per employee per year. What is perhaps most impressive is that over 99% of suggestions were implemented. This shows how employee centered the company is. Toyota knows that the employees are the key to continuous im provement, their ability and creativity leads to innovation in-house. When the employees are well looked after the company will earn their trust, their loyalty and they will work with an improved morale. Toyota Company has strived to with subsidiaries, suppliers to contribute towards a sustainable development of society making good quality automobiles. When lean manufacturing is used to eliminate waste and improve quality, as it is doing so it is effective to reduce the environmental impact as well. The ways in which Toyota has reduced environmental impact are Engaging in venture capital partnerships where the Toyota Company examines the innovator to establish a new technique to commercial development and success. Building working teams and groups of employees to research and development in sustainable practices in technology Bonding with community organizations which are environmental friendly and working in sustainable issues in order to support and help the community work. Toyota targets for growth that is in harmony with the environment by minimizing the impact which is causing by operational activities, For example reducing the impact on the climate change and biodiversity by vehicle emissions. Toyota is building a relationship between the environment and economic activities to coexist parallel. They create bonds between the individuals and the organizations that are involved in the environmental preservation. Toyota honors individualism by their philosophy of respect for people and concerns about the culture, customs, history, laws of each country which they are operating in. The evolving needs of sustainable mobility is achieves through continuous use of safe, clean and advanced technology. Illegal means are prohibited by the company to ensure long run sustainability with government and non-government agencies. The enrichment of the society is highly valued by Toyota when they are engaging in business with suppliers and customers. This will strengthen the community of the country which is involved. a) Identify the types wastes in both primary and support processes The processes Associated Wastes Primary Processes Inbound logistics Operations Out bound logistics Marketing and sales Services Support Activities Procurement Technology development Human resource management Motion Processing Transportation Inventory Waiting time Motion Defects Waiting time Transportation Inventory Transportation Inventory Defects Inventory Motion Processing Transportation Inventory Transportation Defects Inventory Processing Waiting time Processing Motion. Over production When demand reduces overproduction creates a huge problem with unsold stocks and wasted by products which include material handling inventory space, interest charges, machinery and equipment, and overhead expenses and costs. Manufacturing should be limited to only the adequate quantity with a quality standard, low cost and correct time Waiting time This is created due to worker idleness or due to employees who spend time not knowing the way to avoid the malfunctioning of the machines. When the work is specified for an assembly line the speed and volume of the work can be monitored. To reduce the waiting time only the machines and people that are needed to do the work itself can be hired. Transportation This occurs due to poor layout of the factory, basically within the assembly floor or storage facilities, which lead to over handling of goods. Long supplier lines will increase the transportation costs, while making higher fuel prices. Processing Using best practices to ensure the machinery and fixtures are undergoing regular maintenance. Inventory Stocks can be an excess charge to the company unless it is organized well. It has to be minimized to achieve higher level of standards in production. The things that should be avoided to removing unintentional inventory are Unavoidable and unreliable supply, forecasting errors, poor accuracy is the things that should be avoided to eliminate unintentional inventory. Motion This is the time spent without adding value to the product or the process. Even though there is a movement it does not indicate that the work is accomplished through it. The carefully planned layout and fixture selection can be used to eliminate this. Defects The company may lose customer satisfaction and demand for products if there is a defect of products it may reason for waiting time, material costs, labour costs in the long run. b) The danger signals of each waste Type of Waste The danger signals Faults or Defects Exceed the target production/Overproduction Stocks/ Inventories Over- Processing Human motion Transportation and Handling Waiting Confusion Unsafe or un-ergonomic Underutilized human potential Errors in Data entry errors at the office level activities Toyota company Errors on ordering and invoicing Error that can be gone to the assembly line that can be identified or corrected Change engineering orders Employee turnover Absenteeism Design flows Processing an order before it is needed. Any processes done base on routine with unpredictable demand. Producing products in advance they are needed. Any procedure of batch processing Generating processes for avoiding errors than depends on inspection Entering data into system several times by mistake Creating extra copies of unnecessary folders and providing un useful reports. Walking around production floor Walking around departments Inventories Movement Unnecessary attachments to the unpackaged to be delivered Distributing unwanted stocks to the people that are not needing them Reducing work speed because of the slow machinery. Waiting for approvals Waiting for customer and supplier information Waiting for confirmation from the management Missed data, any objectives, concepts that may reason the employees uncertainty as to what have to be done. The issues that may reasons the employees with health conditions such as back pain eye fatigue etc. This will reason because of the repetitive work they are involved in. Escaping the employees in taking regular decisions. They restrict the authority responsibility. Paying high amount of salary wages on routine tasks where their expertise is hidden in some other area. Business tools and Employees assigned work are not measured. Employees Not trusting the to perform jidoka which is to stop work to fix a problem. Employees not trusting to be clean and tiding up their work area. Employees not trusting the work for the continuous improvement. c) How Toyota Company respond to the danger signals To escape the danger signals in over production By using a sell one buy one method The Company can change their order replacement of repetitive stock. The Toyota planned Order cut-off times for delivery. When finished this process of order then selected filled and distributed. While improving performance of the delivery, smoothing demand increase significantly demands of the supplier and efficiency. By Eliminating or taking out the created demand the Toyota can cut its inventory and improve productivity. If they have surplus of the production The Toyota store, manage and protect them as inventory. As the key response of the worker have to think next step of the process as his/her own customer and provide the required quantity with excellence of quality at the lowest price and right time. To escape the danger signals in waiting The Toyota synchronize the production and distribution process with the cut-off time therefore distributors can avoid having their delivery of products or raw materials delayed cost and waiting for the next delivery by their logistics subordinate. Complete the volume of work required the capability- both speed and volume of each task can be inspected. This helps to utilise the machinery and people that wanted to minimize the method meeting the manufacturing the demands. To escape the danger signals in Transportation The system in Toyota and logistics of JIT minimized variation of demand significantly. In terms of minimization the waste have to be done in the areas of coordination of progress, layout and other general operations. To escape the danger signals in motion By carefully scheduled layout and the matched selection can eliminate this type of wastes. To escape the danger signals in inventory Inventory can be reduced to monthly supply by establishing small quantity of orders through the supply chain maintain at different order levels. The reacts to the wastes of inventory, Disposal of out-dated materials Produce the number of items required by the succeeding process Purchase the materials of required amount. Can achieve savings by volume discounts but must careful with inventory and storage cost. Produce only required quantity to achieve the most appropriate quantity, set up the measuring and measure set up and exchanges the inventory and carrying costs. To escape the danger signals in Product defects A comprehensive system should be established to reduce defect waste of products, therefore employees can get prior knowledge to recognize the defects and they can take prevention actions immediately. To escape the danger signals in processing The philosophies of design should be taken into consideration and should be employed for manufacturing. Before the production begins the processing should be reduced or removed. . Conclusion At the end this report says that The Toyota Company is succeeding their prospective through Lean Manufacturing. This Achievement is not happen coincidence but it continuing progress throughout the Lean Management and Waste Management. The employees those one of primary resources of the Toyota contribute for organizational Success. Understanding of Toyota Production System and achieving organizational gaols is very difficult to any company though it is possible to follow the Toyota Production System. The Toyota has a desire as the first organization which introduced Lean Manufacturing that eliminates wastes at any level of production process. At present many companies are following Toyota Production System and establishing Lean Manufacturing to their organizational system. They have increased the efficiency of work processes. The understanding and the application of Toyota Production System is essential stage of value chain is important.

The Awakening :: essays research papers fc

Every writer has an influence. Some are influenced by the ideas that the author has; some are influenced by the style, which the author writes with. Still others are so intrigued by a writer that they are not only influenced by their way of thinking and their writing, but they actually begin to mimic the author in many ways. This is the case with Guy de Maupassant’s influence on Kate Chopin, who is undoubtedly the greatest influence on Chopin’s writing. "Maupassant was born in Châteaude de Miromesnil, Normandy" (Encarta). He received his education at Yvetot and Rauen and there joined a literary team where he was trained as a writer of fiction by Flaubert, another well know French author (Encarta). He, like Chopin, wrote many short stories, for which he is remembered the most (Encarta). Like Chopin, Maupassant’s ideas were looked at as "immoral" and "mature," dealing with ideas such as "sex," loneliness, and "depression" (Jones 385). He questioned the standards of the day, and was therefore rejected by many people as an immoral person (Jones 385). Kate Chopin’s interest in Maupassant began after her mother died (Toth 181). At that time she had moved to a new location in the city where she lived and began to make new friends who were interested in the writings of Maupassant (Toth181). She described vividly how she felt upon reading Guy de Maupassant for the first time: His writing undoubtedly moved her. Chopin claims to have felt that he spoke to her "directly" and "intimately" (Toth 181). She admired him most for the things that made him the writer that he was. She was intrigued by his escape from "’tradition and authority’ and for having ‘entered into himself and looked out upon life through his own being and with his own eyes’"(Skaggs 205). Eventually Maupassant replaced other writers as her primary influence and "literary model" (Toth 205). Chopin had such and interest in Maupassant that she translated many of his stories from French to English (Toth 273). Due to there content, however, several were never published (Toth 273). Chopin had been taught French by her grandmother, who wanted her to know "how to speak and write French well" (Toth 35). Through this Chopin was able to take the stories of Maupassant and easily translate them. The more Chopin translated Maupassant the more she was influenced by his thinking and writing (Tonth 274). Even in reading Maupassant’s stories, while they are translated, you can still tell that there is a remarkable similarity to Chopin’s writing and his.

Atticus, Throughout to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, although Atticus Finch appears to be a loving and caring father, he proves himself to be more of a friend through the eyes of his children. The author, Harper lee, created Atticus to be a loyal friend to Jem Finch and Scout Finch. Atticus has potential to be a friend to his children because, first of all, the children call him by his first name. Secondly, he seldom scolds his children. Atticus has little or no rules set for his children to abide by. Lastly he does not try to mold his off springs into something they are not, though he does supply them with good advice. Typically adults and parents think that it is more respectful for children, particularly their own, to not call them by their first names. Jem and Scout refer to their father as â€Å"Atticus.† Scout asks her father, â€Å"Are we poor, Atticus?† (pg. 21) this shows that she calls her father by his first name on a regular basis. Jem says to his father while reque sting permission from him, â€Å"Atticus, if it’s alright with you†¦.† (pg. 61). This shows that even the older son refers to his father as Atticus. â€Å"†¦ Jem asked Atticus if he remembered anybody who ever won†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , as Scout narrates her story, she still refers to her father as â€Å"Atticus.† Throughout the story, Atticus never shows any sign of being offended or upset with his children calling him by his first name, like a friend. All through the novel, never once did Atticus scold his children for inappropriate behavior. The Finch’s had over a poor boy, named Walter. Scout insulted him with out understanding how it was rude,â€Å"†¦Atticus shook his head at me again. ‘But he’s gone and drowned his dinner with syrup†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ (p24). All Atticus did was shake his head; he left the rest of the punishing up to Calpurnia, the nanny. When Jem and Scout snuck into the court case that they knew they were not supposed to be in, Atticus did not show the slightest bit of aggravation with them. â€Å"†¦A tticus and Calpurnia met us downstairs. Calpurnia looked peeved, but Atticus looked exhausted,†(pg. 206). When Jem got furious with a horrible old lady, Mrs. Dubose, he destroyed her garden out of anger. When Atticus found out that Jem did this, he says, â€Å"†¦I strongly advise you to go down and have a talk with Mrs. Dubose†¦come straight home afterward.†(pg. 104). Normally, if friends get upset with each other, they do not have the right to â€Å"punish† their friend. Atticus has that right as a parent, but chooses not to use it. Many parents set rules and restrictions for their children. Atticus, for some reason, does not feel it necessary for his two young children to have rules to abide by. The only rules that he ever gave to his children were to not go near the â€Å"Radley house† anymore after they had been teasing Boo Radley in the front yard. It is not common for friends to set rules for one another, but very common for parents to want their children to know where their boundaries lye. Jem and Scout don’t have any rules set by their father to follow, and no known consequences for breaking any rules. Atticus Finch does not try to influence his ideas or beliefs about things on his children. He does not â€Å"make† his children into something they are not, just because that’s what he believes. Most parents try to get their off springs to believe the same things they do, or want the same things they want. Atticus just teaches his kids to the best of his ability through his advice. When the teacher, Miss Caroline, was upset with the fact that Scout was being taught how to read by her father, Scout got the idea of not liking school anymore. Atticus made a compromise with her saying that if she was good in class, then he would continue reading to her. This shows that Atticus was not going to force Scout to like school just because he thought it was a good decision. When scout got into a fight with Cecil Jacobs, Atticus said, â€Å"†¦you just hold your head high and keep your fists down. No matter what anybody tells you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change, it’s a good one†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg. 79) this is important because it shows that he is not forcing his daughter to think some way, or be someone else, he is not even getting mad at her; he is just giving her good advice. When Jem and Scout got guns for Christmas, Atticus told them one thing, â€Å"†¦Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.† This shows that Atticus is not threatening his children with this statement, he is just simply giving them the best advice he can in this situation. Friends do not expect each other believe the same things they believe, but just hope that people will take their advice into thought. Throughout the novel although Atticus Finch appears to be a loving and caring father, he proves himself to be more of a friend through the eyes of his children. He shows himself to have much potential as a loyal friend to his children. Maybe Atticus as a loyal friend to Jem and Scout was more meaningful than him being a father figure.

Theory of Management in Health Care

The essentials of management, by far, are not historically new. One can imagine the management that was needed to build the Egyptian pyramids or the Greek Parthenon. The requirement was to have people work efficiently together toward a successful common end. However, with the rise of industrialization and now with the rapid speed of change and technological advancements, effective management is needed more than ever. Healthcare, which is having such a significant impact on today's society and also undergoing many transitions in a short period of time, is a prime example of an industry that requires the best management possible. Peter Drucker, an economist and journalist, is regarded as the founding father of the study of management by experts in the worlds of business and academia. According to Drucker (2001, pg. 10), management is based on several essential principles: 1) Management concerns first and foremost human beings, who must be made capable of joint performance, their strengths effective and weaknesses irrelevant; 2) Management is thoroughly a part of individual cultures and is variable; 3) Each organization must have a commitment to common goals and unifying objectives that are set my management; 4) Management must find ways of encouraging growth and development of the organization and its members as opportunities change; 5) Within every organization are individuals with different skills and knowledge accomplishing different types of work. This necessitates effective communications as well as each person assuming responsibility for setting individual goals, making those goals known, and working with others to accomplish them; 6) Management is measured on such factors as innovation, market share, quality and people development, not by the bottom line or output quantity; and 7) Most important, results exist only on the outside with a satisfied patient, client or customer. In the early 1960s Drucker read Abraham H. Maslow's theory of management, which is based on the belief that each person has specific needs. He â€Å"became an immediate convert† (Drucker, 1999a, p. 17). Essentially, this means that different groups of employees have to be managed differently, and that the same group of workers has to be managed differently at different times (pg. 21). However, stressed Drucker, â€Å"one does not ‘manage' people. The task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific strengths and knowledge of each individual (pg. 21-22). In these days of global competition, such a leadership style is essential to point individuals in the most productive directions. One also has to prepare for continual change. In the past, management commitments for the future were based on the question, â€Å"What is most likely happen?† Now, it is necessary to plan for uncertainty by asking â€Å"What has already happened that will create the future?† (Drucker, 1995, pg. 40). All organizations, especially ones in the healthcare field, have to look at such factors as demographic trends; changes in industry, market structure, values, science and technology already in place but yet to have full impact; and trends in the economy and structure of society. They must then convert these â€Å"what is most likely to happen† into opportunities for the organization based on its strengths and competence. Further, it must develop the knowledge and people to be able to respond to these opportunities. Global society is in the midst of a major transformation, where knowledge is the primary resource if, and only if, it is integrated into a task. For managers, this dynamics of knowledge requires building change into the organizational structure. The organization must commit itself to continually creating something new (Drucker, 1995, pg. 79). As a result, management must emphasize continuous improvement or kaizen, exploit its knowledge to develop the next generation of applications from its successes and learn to innovate in a systematic process. This means that organizations must continually make changes. This may even lead to closing down a hospital when changes in medical knowledge, technology and practice make a hospital with less than 200 beds uneconomical and unable to provide excellent care (pg. 81). The organizations of the future must also routinely say, â€Å"People are our greatest asset,† and loyalty is gained through offering employees exceptional opportunities for putting their knowledge to work. Ironically, however, knowledge about the knowledge worker productivity is minimal. For example, a fair-sized U.S. hospital of 400 beds has several hundred physicians and a staff up to 1,500 paramedics divided among 60 specialties, with specialized equipment and labs. â€Å"But we do not yet know how to get productivity out of them† (Drucker, 1992, pg. 336) What is known, Drucker says in Management Challenge for the 21st Century (1999b, pg. 142), are the six major demands that underlie this productivity: 1) need to ask, â€Å"what is the task?†; 2) individuals assume responsibility for themselves; 3) continuing innovation; 4) continuous learning and teaching; 5) quality over quantity; and 6) individuals recognized as an asset. Making knowledge workers productive necessitates changes in basic attitude of the entire organization. Knowledge-worker productivity is the largest of the 21st century management challenges. In the developed countries, it is their first survival requirement (Drucker, 1999b, pg. 157). One of the biggest changes is that workers will have to manage themselves and place themselves in the location where they can make the greatest impact. They will have to learn how to develop themselves and continuously better themselves. They will have to ask themselves: â€Å"What are my strengths?†; â€Å"Where do I belong?†; â€Å"What is my contribution?†; â€Å"Where can I take relationship responsibility?†; and â€Å"How can I plan for the second half of my life?† The lesson, concludes Drucker (1998, pg. 187) is that productivity of knowledge has both a qualitative and quantitative dimension. Managers (actually executives is a better word, he says) must manage both specialists and synthesizes of the different fields of knowledge. The healthcare industry will be significantly involved in all these changes if they are not already. In an online article â€Å"The Next Information Revolution,† Drucker said of healthcare: â€Å"In healthcare a similar conceptual shift is likely to lead from healthcare being defined as the fight against disease to being defined as the maintenance of physical and mental functioning.† The battle against illness remains an essential aspect of healthcare. However, it is rather a subsection of it. The traditional healthcare providers nor the hospitals and general practice physicians may survive this change, and definitely not in their present structure and function. In healthcare, the stress will therefore transition from the â€Å"T† in IT to the â€Å"I,† as it is transitioning in business and in the general economy. Is it possible that the information people in MIS and IT prepared for such changes? He sees no sign of this so far. The 21st century is heralding in a huge transition the healthcare focus (Drucker, 1999b) While the country spent most of the prior century managing disease, it will now spend time emphasizing life extension, or maximizing the length and quality of life. The key is having a work force of nurses and allied health professionals who are educated and skilled as a chronic care coach. It is a step that goes beyond case management since it involves most patients instead of those just with the most complicated cases and situations. Overall, it will involve a major redefinition of healthcare.

How to Become a Respiratory Therapist

How to Become a Respiratory Therapist For patients who struggle with the most essential thing in the world- breathing- respiratory therapists can be literal lifesavers. The Day-to-DayRespiratory therapists work directly with patients of all ages to manage chronic respiratory conditions like bronchitis, sleep apnea, asthma, and emphysema. They also work with patients who have had heart attacks, infants who were born prematurely, and other patients who suffer from breathing issues. On an emergency basis, respiratory therapists might also treat victims of shock, heart attacks, or drowning to restart breathing after sudden distress.Respiratory therapists typically practice under the supervision of physicians, and work with doctors, nurses, and patients to create and execute respiratory treatment plans. Therapists also handle specialized medical equipment like ventilators and artificial airways for patients who can’t breathe on their own. Respiratory therapists also educate patients on long-term care and managing chron ic conditions. Most of these therapists (about 75%) work in hospitals, but they can also be found in sleep clinics, patient home care, diagnostic laboratories, emergency care centers, eldercare facilities, and other healthcare centers.For more on what it’s like to be a respiratory therapist, check out these videos:Be Something Amazing – Respiratory TherapistWalk in My Shoes: Hospital CEO Turns Respiratory Therapist for a DayLife and Breath- A Presentation of the Respiratory Therapy Career  The RequirementsRespiratory therapists need to have at least an associate’s degree from an accredited respiratory therapy program. Many respiratory therapists also go on to get their bachelor’s or master’s degree in the field. They can get certification via multiple-choice exams offered by The National Board for Respiratory Care- and although this is technically voluntary, at this point 49 states require some form of licensing or certification. Be sure to check your own state to see what’s required of respiratory therapists.The SkillsThe respiratory therapy field calls for a number of special skills and knowledge bases, including:Attention to detailCritical thinkingPatient evaluationAnatomy and physiology (especially cardiopulmonary physiology and pathophysiology)Disease managementMedical technologyThe PayPer the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for respiratory therapists is $56,730, or $27.27 per hour. According to PayScale, the field has a â€Å"very strong† job satisfaction rating among surveyed therapists.The OutlookAs with so many Allied Health careers, the respiratory therapy field is expanding, and will continue to do so. The BLS  expects that the job will grow by at least 12% by 2024, which is faster than average.Interested? APPLY HERE

All Constraints Upon Cloning Should Be Lifted essays

All Constraints Upon Cloning Should Be Lifted essays Cloning has been a very controversial topic since it affects moral values of human beings and other living things alike. In February 1997 scientists in Scotland announced the birth of the first cloned sheep named Dolly, this heralded the future of cloning possibilities and scientists began extensive experiments on cloning and have since then cloned both plants and animals successfully. The next step was to clone actual human beings but before experiments could have been carried out pressure started build on the scientists because people started to doubt if cloning was ethical and morally correct. Governments began to introduce bans and constraints on cloning, as they felt cloning was not correct and because they represented the people of its country, it had to act on it. Cloning has its cons but its pros seem to overcome them greatly. If cloning were allowed to be experimented scientists would come up of a way to clone body organs which are an exact replica of an individual body organ. This would prove very to be very beneficial to a person who may have lost a body organ such as a kidney, scientists could clone that particular organ for the individual, which, in the long run, would work better than a transplant organ. Cloning will certainly expand the scope of medicine greatly, thus enhance the possibilities of conquering diseases such as the Parkinson's disease, cancer and other diseases that were earlier considered incurable Cloning could be used to increase the population of endangered species of animals and thus save them from total extinction. This would help maintain a natural balance on the earth and have a continuos natural life cycle. Cloning could certainly benefit couples who are infertile and want to have a child of their own, thus they could use cloning to produce a baby with their similar characteristics. In fact they may be able to even choose the characteristics of their child. Equally important women who ...

What Happens When Presidents Are Unfit to Serve

What Happens When Presidents Are Unfit to Serve American presidents are not required to pass mental health exams or psychological and psychiatric evaluations  before taking office in the United States. But some psychologists and members of Congress have called for such mental health exams for candidates following the 2016 election of Republican Donald Trump. Even members of Trumps own administration expressed concern about his erratic behavior in office. The president described himself as a very stable genius. The idea of requiring presidential candidates to undergo mental health exams is not new, though. In the mid-1990s, former President Jimmy Carter  pushed for the creation of a panel of physicians who would routinely evaluate the most powerful politician in the free world and decide whether their judgment was clouded by a mental disability. Many people have called to my attention the continuing danger to our nation from the possibility of a U.S. president becoming disabled, particularly by a neurologic illness, Carter wrote in a December 1994 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Monitoring a Presidents Health Carters suggestion  led to the creation in 1994 of the  Working Group on Presidential Disability, whose members later proposed a nonpartisan,  standing medical commission to monitor the presidents health and issue periodic reports to the country.  Carter envisioned a panel of expert physicians who were not directly involved in the care of the president determining whether he had a disability. If the president of the United States must decide within minutes how to respond to a dire emergency, its citizens expect him or her to be mentally competent and to act wisely, wrote  Dr. James Toole, a professor of neurology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina who worked with the working group. Because the presidency of the United States is now the worlds most powerful office, should its incumbent become even temporarily unable to exercise good judgment, the consequences for the world could be unimaginably far-reaching. There is currently no such standing medical commission in place, however, to observe a sitting presidents decision-making. The sole test of a candidates physical and mental fitness to serve in the White House is the rigor of the campaign trail and elector process. Mental Fitness in the Trump White House The idea of requiring presidential candidates to undergo mental health evaluations arose in the general election campaign of 2016, primarily because of Republican nominee Donald Trumps erratic behavior and  numerous incendiary comments. Trumps mental fitness became a central issue of the campaign and became more pronounced after he took office.   A member of Congress, Democrat Karen Bass of California, called for a mental-health evaluation of Trump before the election, saying the billionaire real-estate development and reality-television star exhibits signs of  Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In a petition seeking the evaluation, Bass called  Trump dangerous for our country.  His impulsiveness and lack of control over his own emotions are of concern. It is our patriotic duty to raise the question of his mental stability to be the commander in chief and leader of the free world. The petition carried no legal weight. A lawmaker from the opposing political party, Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives during Trumps first year in office encouraging the vice president and the Cabinet to hire medical and psychiatric professionals to evaluate the president. The resolution stated: â€Å"President Donald J. Trump has exhibited an alarming pattern of behavior and speech causing concern that a mental disorder may have rendered him unfit and unable to fulfill his Constitutional duties. Lofgren said she drafted the resolution in light of what she described as Trumps increasingly disturbing pattern of actions and public statements that suggest he may be mentally unfit to execute the duties required of him.† The resolution did not come up for a vote in the House. It would have sought the removal of Trump from office by employing the 25th Amendment to the  Constitution, which allows for the replacement of presidents who become physically or mentally unable to serve.   In December 2017, more than a dozen members of Congress invited a Yale University psychiatry professor, Dr. Bandy X. Lee, to evaluate Trumps behavior. The professor concluded: â€Å"He’s going to unravel, and we are seeing the signs.† Lee, speaking to Politico, described those signs as Trump â€Å"going back to conspiracy theories, denying things he has admitted before, his being drawn to violent videos. We feel that the rush of tweeting is an indication of his falling apart under stress. Trump is going to get worse and will become uncontainable with the pressures of the presidency.† Still, members of Congress did not act. Trump Declines to Make Health Records Public Some candidates have chosen to make their health records public, particularly when serious questions have been raised about their well being. The 2008 Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, did so in the face of questions about his age- he was 72 at the time- and previous ailments including skin cancer. And in the 2016 election, Trump released a letter from his physician that described the candidate as being in  extraordinary health both mentally and physically.  If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency, wrote Trumps doctor. Trump himself said: I am fortunate to have been blessed with great genes- both of my parents had very long and productive lives. But Trump did not release detailed records about his health. Psychiatrists Cant Diagnose Candidates The American Psychiatric Association banned its members from offering opinions about elected officials or candidates for office after 1964, when a group of them called Republican Barry Goldwater unfit for office. Wrote the association: On occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media. In such circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the public his or her expertise about psychiatric issues in general. However, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.   The policy became known as the Goldwater Rule. Who Decides If a President Is Unfit to Serve So if theres no mechanism in place by which an independent panel of health experts is able to evaluate a sitting president, who decides when there might be a problem with his decision-making process? The president himself, which is the problem. Presidents have gone out of their way to hide their ailments from the public and, more importantly, their political enemies. Among the most notable in modern history was John F. Kennedy, who didnt let the public know about his  colitis, prostatitis, Addisons disease, and osteoporosis of the lower back. While those ailments certainly would not have precluded him from taking office, Kennedys failure reluctance to disclose the pain he suffered illustrate the lengths to which presidents go to conceal health problems. Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1967, allows a sitting president, members of his cabinet- or, in extraordinary circumstances, Congress- to transfer his responsibilities to his vice president until he has recovered from a mental or physical ailment. The amendment reads, in part: Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President. The problem with the constitutional amendment, however, is that it relies on a president or his cabinet to determine when he is unable to perform the duties of the office. The 25th Amendment Has Been Used Before President Ronald Reagan used that power in July 1985 when he underwent treatment for colon cancer. Though he did not specifically invoke the 25th Amendment, Reagan clearly understood his transfer of power to Vice President George Bush fell under its provisions. Reagan wrote to the House speaker and Senate president: After consultation with my Counsel and the Attorney General, I am mindful of the provisions of Section 3 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and of the uncertainties of its application to such brief and temporary periods of incapacity. I do not believe that the drafters of this Amendment intended its application to situations such as the instant one.  Nevertheless, consistent with my longstanding arrangement with Vice President George Bush, and not intending to set a precedent binding anyone privileged to hold this Office in the future, I have determined and it is my intention and direction that Vice President George Bush shall discharge those powers and duties in my stead commencing with the administration of anesthesia to me in this instance. Reagan did not, however, transfer the power of the presidency despite evidence that later showed he might have been suffering from the initial stages of  Alzheimers.   President George W. Bush used the 25th Amendment twice to transfer powers to his vice president, Dick Cheney. Cheney served as acting president for about four hours and 45 minutes while Bush  underwent sedation for colonoscopies. Key Takeaways: When a President Is Unfit to Serve Presidents and candidates seeking election to the White House are not required to pass mental health exams or psychological and psychiatric evaluations.The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows members of a presidents cabinet or Congress to remove a president from office if he is mentally or physically unable to serve. The provision has never been used to permanently remove a president from office.The 25th Amendment remained a relatively obscure provision in the Constitution until Presidential Donald Trump took office. Members of Congress and even his own administration grew concerned about his behavior. Sources Karni, Annie. â€Å"Washingtons Growing Obsession: The 25th Amendment.†Ã‚  Politico, 3 Jan. 2018.Barclay, Eliza. â€Å"The Psychiatrist Who Briefed Congress on Trumps Mental State: This Is ‘an Emergency.’†Ã‚  Vox.com, Vox Media, 6 Jan. 2018.Foiles, Jonathan. â€Å"Is Donald Trump Unfit to Be President?†Ã‚  Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 12 Sept. 2018.

Response to Changing Perspective of Service in Financial Services Research Proposal

Response to Changing Perspective of Service in Financial Services Sector - Research Proposal Example The FSA has announced several measures to improve corporate governance in the financial services sector. The objective of these regulations is to increase the confidence level of the consumers about the working of the companies, taking into account the financial and non-financial aspects. Financial Services Act 1986 has been replaced by the Financial Services and Market Act 2000 with a view to tightening the controls on the financial services industry... d Market Act 2000 with a view to tightening the controls on the financial services industry, and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) exercises the statutory powers derived from this act. It is increasingly felt that the business model is based on incentives and the role of the independent financial advisors from the investors' protection point of view has become questionable. According to FSA (2010) Retail Distribution Review (RDR), launched in 2006 aims to address the problems inherent in the retail investment market, and is expected to be implemented by 2012 for regulating the sale of retail financial services such as life assurance, pensions, long term savings, and fund management, and it has a profound impact on the operations of the bigger players in the industry like Aviva. Aviva is the biggest insurance group in the UK and it is the world's sixth largest company in the insurance industry with market leadership in general insurance, fire insurance, pension, long term savings and fund management with worldwide operations. The regulatory issues are multifarious and as diversified as the industry.     

Properties of social media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Properties of social media - Assignment Example One of the key moments in the history occurred in 1971 when the first email was sent. Since the discovery of this important function, individuals and business entities have ever used it to communicate and collaborate. Likewise, e-mails form a core component of the collaborative projects and are used by the participants to communicate and interact freely. E-mail messaging is not important to businesses, but also networking communities who use it in communicating and sharing of ideas. The second moment in the history of social media occurred in 1979 with the launch of the usernets and bulletin board systems which allowed users to exchange information over phone lines. According to Cane bulletin boards form an important component of the computer mediated communication system and social interaction (78). The system has revolutionized text-based communication while elintaing the need for visual contact. Another key moment is the discovery of the World Wide Web in 1989 by the British Engin eer Tim Berners Lee. The World Wide Web has brought people together while facilitating the formation of virtual communication. The World Wide Web is very important as it supports all the forms of social media and without it, the sharing of information between users would be impossible. At the same time, World Wide Web facilitates sharing of information between businesses, suppliers and increasing efficiency in an organization. The expansion of the social media sphere would not have been without earlier attempts by the Globe.com, classmates.com, Geocities and the Sixdegrees to create platforms where users can develop their own profiles and exchange important information with their friends and other users. The social media sphere thereafter exploded with the launch of the Friendster.com, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. The fifth key component of the social media is the content communities which have become prevalent in the modern society. A perfect example of a content community is the You Tube which was launched in 2005. YouTube allows the users to share videos, has become phenomenal and it could even be used in the promotion of e-commerce. In this regard, by uploading YouTube video content, business entities can be able to popularize their offerings. Use of viral marketing using social media tools has become a common method that is quickly replacing the traditional forms of marketing. All the above five moments have impacted positively on the way people communicate and are credited with expanding the social media sphere. Question 2: Properties of social media It is very important to make a distinction between industry and social media, to ensure organization choose the most appropriate integrated communication mix. In this regard, an organization should be able to compare and contrasts the benefits and the shortcomings of using the two forms of media. On one hand, social media could be advantageous since it only requires limited sources and creates an immediate impact while on the other hand, industry media could have a more long-lasting impact besides producing high quality advertisements. The differentiating properties also allow organizations to determine the tradeoffs they are willing to make in order to maximize the benefits of their resources. However, the properties of quality and reach do not well differentiate social and the industry media. This is because the quality of both industrial and social media ranges from high to low and there is no clear distinction. Likewise, just like industrial media, social media has become a serious tool and its distribution

Legal Method Skills & Reasoning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Method Skills & Reasoning - Coursework Example Consequently, her application for review of CICA’s decision by the First Tier Tribunal - Social Entitlement Chamber, and the decision held by the Upper Tribunal -Administrative Appeals Chamber is refused on the grounds that, CICA’s decision was in conformity with the requirements of s.20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 18612. There are, therefore, three principal issues before the Court of Appeal. The first issue is an interpretation of s.20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 18613. The second issue is the determination of whether psychiatric illness may constitute bodily harm within the meaning of the section 20 and section 474. The third issue is for the court to decide whether, with the provisions of The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001, psychiatric illness is deemed a mental injury and whether Petal’s injury fall under the qualifications of mental for which award of compensation was warranted5. In giving its judgment, CICA stated  "Petal’s application for compensation is declined because that her injury was not attributable to a ‘crime of violence’ and, in any event, her injury was not a mental injury for which compensation could be paid.† Facts The facts of Petal’s case are well set out in the reported judgment of CICA; therefore, I would only offer a brief and short description of the facts. Orlando Fiction and Petal Agatha Scissor, a 20 year old student at UEA, met through an online dating service. They started dating and soon were involved in a sexual encounter, had unprotected sex-without a condom-, on their very first date. At the time, Petal nothing about her partner, only that he had working in South Africa and had just returned to England. Orlando Fiction and Petal Agatha Scissor had multiple, frequent unprotected. Orlando, months later, died in a road accident. Through Orlando’s mother-who she met at Orlando’s funeral-Petal learned that Orlando had been HIV positive and was not under antiretroviral drugs. After six months of medical tests, it was conclusively determined that Petal was not HIV infected. This experience resulted in Petal suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which became severe and eventually she ended up in a psychiatric hospital. On a solicitor’s advice, she applied for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on the basis of the provisions under the Compensation Scheme 20016. Her application was refused on the basis that her injury were not as a result of a crime of violence7 and that her psychiatric illness did not constitute a mental injury for which compensation is warranted8. She later appealed against this decision to the First Tier Tribunal arguing that Orlando had committed an offence under s.20 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861; this appeal was, however, dismissed, with the tribunal upholding CICA’s decision asserting that, Petal’

Keystone XL pipeline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Keystone XL pipeline - Essay Example â€Å"351 major infrastructure projects in the United States are caught up in regulatory or public acceptance hurdles (sometime the former triggered by the latter), including almost every kind of energy infrastructure imaginable from coal mining to transmission lines to solar or wind power generation facilities† (Ladislaw and Pumphrey). Besides, even if the project is rejected, the problem is not over as America still has to deal with a lot of issues. However, if it is accepted, it will give a boost to the American economy. The Perryman Group is a company of economic analysts in the USA who conducted an independent study and found that the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would create an estimated 50000 spin-off and construction jobs which would range for at least a year in Texas alone. In addition to that, the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would create many opportunities of employment indirectly. Above 250000 permanent jobs for Americans would be created by a permanent increase in the supply of oil. The annual expenditures in the USA would be increased by US$100 billion (Minicucci). What further justifies the US reliance upon the oil reserves in Canada is the fact that there are some two trillion barrels of oil in the sands in Canada which is eight times as much oil as is found in the reserves in Saudi Arabia (Minicucci). The Alberta oilsands are a huge source of jobs in Canada. More than 140,000 jobs can be attributed to the Alberta oilsands. Thus, approval of the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would break the USA free of its economic dependency upon the Middle East to a large extent. Environmentalists have opposed the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline because it would prove a potential risk to a huge aquifer. There is a lot of subjectivity in the estimated risks. The environmentalists are â€Å"hell-bent on stopping the pipeline and, as a result, keeping the nation’s

Ergonomics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ergonomics - Research Paper Example (Berkeley University, 2008) This text is an outline for a research proposal concerned with ergonomic principles, ergonomic issues in the workplace and their effective solution through research. Ergonomic principles and problems will be discussed followed by the research methodology for finding solutions. This will be followed by the solutions and an accompanying conclusion. Background Ergonomics can be broadly classified into three major distinctions: 1. Physical Ergonomics: related to human’s anatomical, biomechanical, physiological and some anthropometric activities. 2. Cognitive Ergonomics: related to mental processing in human beings. 3. Organizational Ergonomics: related to optimizing social and technical systems along with organizational structure, processes and policies. This research focuses solely on physical ergonomics in general and on physiological and anatomical issues in particular. The ergonomic problem under focus is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndro me has been chosen as it is a common and well investigated problem. The chances of locating reliable sources for carpal tunnel syndrome are high. A discussion is available below for carpal tunnel syndrome in context of applicable ergonomic principles. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is experienced as pain, numbness, burning or tingling sensation in the hand and fingers. Repeated actions of the hand and wrist in certain postures are known to cause CTS in certain workers. (Hutson, 1997) The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway that connects the lower palm to the wrist’s bottom. This passageway houses various tendons that aid finger movement as well as the median nerve. The median nerve is responsible for movement of the hand as well as for sensation in it. The carpal tunnel is enclosed on the inner side of the wrist by tissue better known as transverse carpal ligament. If CTS sets in, the passageway is made narrower by the surrounding tissues. This could occ ur due to increased pressure on tissues or due to fluid buildup inside tissues (also known as oedema). As the tissue size increases, the median nerve is stressed out. Pressure on the median nerve is enhanced whenever flexion (bending of the fingers and wrist) occurs. Pain and numbness are felt as the median nerve is stressed and compressed. (NHS, 2010) Symptoms of CTS The biggest symptom of CTS is sporadic numbness experienced within the thumb, index finger, long finger and in the radial half of the ring finger. (Walker, 2010) In most cases, the numbness is more pronounced at night because most people sleep with their wrists flexed. As the wrist is flexed, the median nerve is compressed more thereby causing the numbness. (Shiel, 2010) The persistence of CTS over a long period is known to cause permanent nerve damage. This results in a constant feeling of numbness as well as loss of picking power of the wrist. (Uemura, Hidaka, & Nakamura, 2010) The pain experienced in CTS is actually numbness that is intense enough to cause a person to wake up from sleep. Causes behind CTS Currently the causes behind CTS are classified as idiopathic1. Investigation over the years has revealed that CTS arises from a variety of causes that pressurize the median nerve present at the wrist. These conditions can be common such as the use of oral contraceptives, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, trauma and hypothyroidism. (Katz & Simmons, 2002) Other than these causes, intrinsic and extrinsic complications that exert pressure on the carpal tunnel may cause CTS too.

Role of Line Managers in Human Resource functions and Roles Essay

Role of Line Managers in Human Resource functions and Roles - Essay Example This report will focus on discussing the role of line managers in human resource functions. As part of going through the main discussion, this report will incorporate HR theories related to effective recruitment and selection process, flexible job options, effective reward systems, and strategic training programmes that could effectively increase employee satisfaction and overall business performance. Based on several real-case scenarios, this report will evaluate whether or not the HR managers in each of the case scenarios were able to meet the role of HR function. Job analysis is referring to the process of defining a particular task and responsibilities (Stone, 2005, p. 10; Bartlett, 2000). Aside from identifying the human abilities, skills and/or educational qualifications and experience needed in enabling a person to successfully perform the job, the line manager should consider job analysis as an important component of an effective recruitment As part of attracting competitive individuals to join the team, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group exerted extra effort to improve their recruitment selection process (NatWest 2009). In line with this, the line manager of NatWest had to assess the job applicant’s skills and past work experiences in performing the demands of the available job position. In line with this, Nelson (1997, p. 40) explained that one of the prerequisite in hiring a highly competitive employee is to analyze a particular job description such as the skills and personal traits that has to be fulfilled by the job applicant. According to Hacker (1997), â€Å"a poor recruitment decision can cost a company the amount equal to 30% of the company’s First-year earnings†. Since the act of recruiting a wrong person is very costly on the part of the company, the line manager should be careful when assessing the applicant’s acquired skills and part work experiences based on the job

Ergonomics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ergonomics - Research Paper Example (Berkeley University, 2008) This text is an outline for a research proposal concerned with ergonomic principles, ergonomic issues in the workplace and their effective solution through research. Ergonomic principles and problems will be discussed followed by the research methodology for finding solutions. This will be followed by the solutions and an accompanying conclusion. Background Ergonomics can be broadly classified into three major distinctions: 1. Physical Ergonomics: related to human’s anatomical, biomechanical, physiological and some anthropometric activities. 2. Cognitive Ergonomics: related to mental processing in human beings. 3. Organizational Ergonomics: related to optimizing social and technical systems along with organizational structure, processes and policies. This research focuses solely on physical ergonomics in general and on physiological and anatomical issues in particular. The ergonomic problem under focus is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndro me has been chosen as it is a common and well investigated problem. The chances of locating reliable sources for carpal tunnel syndrome are high. A discussion is available below for carpal tunnel syndrome in context of applicable ergonomic principles. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is experienced as pain, numbness, burning or tingling sensation in the hand and fingers. Repeated actions of the hand and wrist in certain postures are known to cause CTS in certain workers. (Hutson, 1997) The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway that connects the lower palm to the wrist’s bottom. This passageway houses various tendons that aid finger movement as well as the median nerve. The median nerve is responsible for movement of the hand as well as for sensation in it. The carpal tunnel is enclosed on the inner side of the wrist by tissue better known as transverse carpal ligament. If CTS sets in, the passageway is made narrower by the surrounding tissues. This could occ ur due to increased pressure on tissues or due to fluid buildup inside tissues (also known as oedema). As the tissue size increases, the median nerve is stressed out. Pressure on the median nerve is enhanced whenever flexion (bending of the fingers and wrist) occurs. Pain and numbness are felt as the median nerve is stressed and compressed. (NHS, 2010) Symptoms of CTS The biggest symptom of CTS is sporadic numbness experienced within the thumb, index finger, long finger and in the radial half of the ring finger. (Walker, 2010) In most cases, the numbness is more pronounced at night because most people sleep with their wrists flexed. As the wrist is flexed, the median nerve is compressed more thereby causing the numbness. (Shiel, 2010) The persistence of CTS over a long period is known to cause permanent nerve damage. This results in a constant feeling of numbness as well as loss of picking power of the wrist. (Uemura, Hidaka, & Nakamura, 2010) The pain experienced in CTS is actually numbness that is intense enough to cause a person to wake up from sleep. Causes behind CTS Currently the causes behind CTS are classified as idiopathic1. Investigation over the years has revealed that CTS arises from a variety of causes that pressurize the median nerve present at the wrist. These conditions can be common such as the use of oral contraceptives, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, trauma and hypothyroidism. (Katz & Simmons, 2002) Other than these causes, intrinsic and extrinsic complications that exert pressure on the carpal tunnel may cause CTS too.

Poverty in America Essay Example for Free

Poverty in America Essay Poverty is a disturbing but significant global concern. Just as it is for millions of other people all over the globe, poverty is occurring in America. Over the past decades, income disparity is ascending, in addition to the number of communities that failed to keep up with the national economic standard. Although poverty is present everywhere, it is more serious in developing countries, wherein one in every five person lives on not more than $1 for each day, which is the threshold being applied by the World Bank to classify poverty. The unrelenting problem of poverty is a multifaceted one that embraces individuals and communities who, without their fault, find themselves powerless to manage in this information-intensive and constantly developing world. For the majority Americans, poverty implies destitution, or the lack of ability to provide the family with reasonable shelter, clothing, and nutritious food. Despite the fact that material destitution does exist in America, it is relatively confined in severity and scope. To be aware of poverty in America, it is necessary to observe several statistics, as well as to observe the actual living conditions of the persons that are considered poor by the government. Overview of Poverty in America A large numbers of the country’s population live at or below the threshold of poverty, which means payment of bills every month and financing for the essentials, consisting of shelter, clothing, and food, not counting access to health care and a number of simple comforts is a constant struggle. According to estimates in 2003, roughly 25 percent of counties in the United States had low rates of workforce participation, soaring rates of unemployment, high reliance on government transfer expenditures, and incomes that is lower than one-half of the national average or less for each person. The Census Bureau classifies poverty as a family of three earning not more than $14,680, and not more than $9,393 for a worker without any dependent (Blanco, 2004). According to the 2003 statistics of the Census Bureau, almost 36 million Americans lived in poverty, which is 1.3 million more in 2002. Since 2000, the country has experienced an increase of 4.4 million people who lives in poverty (Blanco, 2004). According to a survey, the present American families are experiencing worse living conditions than they have in the previous years, as 10 percent of all families or approximately 7.6 million families in 2003 lived in poverty, which is an enormous ascend from the previous years (Blanco, 2004). In 2005, the registration of the United States Census Bureau of poor individuals in the country totaled to approximately 37 million poor Americans (Rector Johnson, 2004). Therefore, there is one in every eight Americans that is struggling with inconceivable poverty. These millions of Americans are asserted to be deficient of the necessary clothing, shelter, and enough money for the food, as well as being forced to live in unpleasant conditions (Rector Johnson, 2004). Common Factors of Poverty In the concluding half of the 20th century, the three factors that are generally offered to explain movements of poverty in the United States are changes in family structure, economic inequality, and income growth. If the average per-capita incomes are increased, such as increasing wages and employment, then it is expected that poverty will generally decline. Nevertheless, economic inequality can take the edge off the overall constructive impact of income growth if lower-income workforce and unemployed citizens do not benefit from the fruits of such development. On the other hand, changes in the family structure, primarily the ever-increasing number of families headed by female may be linked with higher rates of poverty for the reason that such families are more expected to be poor and are more economically vulnerable. I. Economic Equality Certainly, the country has made several enhancements over the intervening decades in terms of the overall minimum living standard as measured through material conditions. Yet the living conditions of the poor individuals are severely different from that of families and individuals who take advantage of various degree of economic security as measured through income levels that provide unstressed and comfortable situations. The escalation in the number of poor individuals and families in the country ought to provide the government various apprehension, but even more upsetting is the increasing difference between the underprivileged and wealthy in America. In the previous decades, compensation for more affluent Americans has considerably ascended, stimulated by increase in stock options, bonuses, salaries and other rewards. However, the compensation provided for millions of lower-wage workforces dropped off; and in fact, a number of them have even lost their jobs (Blanco, 2004). Therefore, this factor has prevented the advantages of economic growth from being equally drawn out. Moreover, in 2005, non-Hispanic white men, not less than 25 years of age, holding only high-school qualification have $35,679 median income; whereas women within the same age group, need a degree in college in order to obtain a comparable median income (Spriggs, 2007). The outcome is that the households headed by female are harmed by the major earnings gap, which has a poverty rate of 31.1 percent in contrast to their male-headed household counterparts, which only had a 13.4 percent poverty rate (Spriggs, 2007). In 2005, poverty for women is excessively elevated than men, which is14.1 percent in contrast to 11.1 (Spriggs, 2007). The disparity reflects unrelenting gaps in earnings between male and female workers. At the same time, since 1959 the median income of white males with a family of five has been higher than the poverty line, but for women with a family of three, it was only in 1990 that their median income broke beyond the poverty line (Spriggs, 2007). Further, notwithstanding the progressive structure of benefit procedure in Social Security benefits, the constant gap is best reflected in disparities in poverty among the elderly, where the lifetime earnings of women suggest they have lower assets than men. II. Family Structure Higher rates of poverty among women have generally been contributed to the changes in family structure. The percentage of families headed by single female with children rapidly rose over the previous decades of the 20th century, which reached 26.5 percent in 1995 from only 11.5 percent of all families with children in 1970; with higher rates for Hispanics and blacks. At the start of year 2003, roughly 26.1 percent of the entire families with children in the country were headed by single woman. A number of such families do not obtain any or adequate child support from the absent fathers of the children. It is suggested in one study that if fathers married the destitute mothers of their children, approximately three-quarters of the single-parents would instantly be elevated outside poverty status (Rector Johnson, 2004). Obviously, two parents in a household generally earn more than single-parent. The burden of receiving enough income to raise dependent children outside poverty additionally confronts women who are the single head of the family, as well as getting and paying for child care concurrently with their work and management of the household without help. Since this hazard confronted by women of serving non-working dependents as well as their efforts in looking after their elderly parents is not distributed by society, women who head such families are expected to obtain lower levels of education, therefore, resulting to their lower earnings. Aside from the fact that women are more expected to earn significantly less than men with similar qualifications, mothers have a tendency to accumulate less experience than other workers. III. Income Growth Poverty is associated with the lack of sufficient income, so the core problem therefore is the compensation for the workers. Among the poor, only 11.4 percent or 2.9 million jobs around the clock is available for the whole year (Spriggs, 2007). This sector of the population is further directly impaired by minimum-wage laws that have hindered costs of living. This setback is particularly severe for poverty stricken American-Hispanics and American-Asians, where 18 percent of them worked year-round for full time (Spriggs, 2007). There are several reasons why numerous people lack the income to overcome poverty. For instance, people do not work or if they work, they do not earn sufficient amount of money. Whether in good or bad economic times, the ordinary poor family with children exerts only 800 hours of work throughout a year or 16 hours of work for each week (Rector Johnson, 2004). Evidently, almost 75 percent of poor children would be lifted outside certified poverty status if work is provided in every family, that would increase the work hours to 2,000 for every year or comparable to 40 hours for each week all through the year (Rector Johnson, 2004). In 2005, approximately 61 percent underprivileged families have no less than one worker; and of twice-poor families, 71 percent have no less than one worker. In view of the 1990s record job creation, the number of poor but working people declined to 8.5 million in 2000 from 10.1 million in 1993. In short, America is capable of dealing with poverty. But there have been vast stubborn concerns that have lodged the face of poverty. Mounting disparity in the labor market has increased the share of the working age poor citizens, and the unsympathetic federal minimum-wage laws that have amplified the numbers of poor people working year-round for full-time. In a country with a per capita Gross Domestic Product is exceeding the poverty line for a family of four, it is atrocious that there are still more than 12 million poverty stricken American children, and nearly 3 million people work around the clock, for one whole year who are still finding it hard to make ends meet. Facts Concerning the American Poor Sector Based on the American’s accepted definition of poverty, only a small number of the 37 million individuals fit the poor description, contrary to what the Census Bureau classified. Despite the fact that real material destitution undoubtedly does take place, it is limited in severity and scope. A number of America’s underprivileged lives in material conditions that would be considered as well-off or comfortable some generations ago. The following are information obtained from different government reports regarding people classified as poor by the Census Bureau: 1. Roughly 46 percent of the entire poor households actually own their individual houses (Rector Johnson, 2004). The typical house owned by persons identified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with a garage, one-and-a-half baths, with at least a patio or porch. 2. About 76 percent of underprivileged families have air conditioning in their houses (Rector Johnson, 2004). By comparison, merely 36 percent of the entire population of the United States benefited from air conditioning 3 decades ago. 3. Only 6 percent of the underprivileged families are considered overcrowded, and not less than two-thirds of them have extra two rooms for every person (Rector Johnson, 2004). 4. The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Athens, Vienna, London, Paris, and other cities all over Europe (Rector Johnson, 2004). 5. Practically three-quarters of poor families own an automobile, while 30 percent own at least two automobiles (Rector Johnson, 2004). 6. Approximately 97 percent of poor households own at least one colored television, while half of the said percentage has at least two colored televisions (Rector Johnson, 2004). 7. Roughly 78 percent own DVD or VCR players, while 62 percent have satellite or cable television reception (Rector Johnson, 2004). 8. Around 73 percent of the poor households have microwave ovens, one-third owns an automatic dishwasher, and over half own a stereo system (Rector Johnson, 2004). Further, as a group, America’s poor are far from being constantly malnourished. In fact poor children have usual protein intakes of 100 percent beyond the medically suggested levels and consume more meat than children of higher-income do (Rector Johnson, 2004). Nevertheless, despite the fact that in general the poor are well-nourished, there are still several poor families who experience short-term distress due to food deficiencies. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, although most of the time the hunger is temporary, still 2.6 percent of poor children and 13 percent of poor families experience food shortage sometime during the year (Rector Johnson, 2004). Approximately 89 percent of the poor account sufficient food to eat to their families, at the same time only 2 percent says they often do not have adequate food to eat (Rector Johnson, 2004). Conclusion / Recommendations Following the United States government classification of poverty, the typical poor American people have a living standard far superior as compared to what the public envisions. Nevertheless, the typical poor person’s living conditions should not be taken to suggest that every poor American lives devoid of hardship. Millions of Americans are still continually struggling to hang on, making tough choices between housing, hunger and health care for their families. Economic inequality, income growth, and changes in family structure without doubt affected poverty trends over the latter half of the 20th century. Poverty in America can be readily reduced, if parents are provided with sufficient hours of work and if fathers are at all times present with their families. Although marriage and work are unyielding ladders away from poverty, the country’s welfare system uncooperatively continues to be unsympathetic to both. Foremost programs such as Medicaid, public housing, and food stamps keep on reprimanding marriage and rewarding idleness. Therefore, if welfare could be turned around to uphold marriage and work, the remaining number of poor family would quickly decrease. Further, as a matter of course, the United States has employed over the years job creation and economic growth to trim down poverty, but at present situation the courses are consequential only to the extent that inequality on wages is reduced. Poor people are generally not victims of themselves, but of appalling economic policies along with obstructions to opportunity. Since work generates income, it is important therefore that the government must provide a great increase in available working hours in different labor sectors for the poor. Along with the work opportunities, it is also important to eliminate economic inequalities based on gender, age, economic status, and many others in order to provide higher wages and higher incomes to the underprivileged sectors of the country. America is a nation with one of the most productive and strongest economies in the world. As such, the country must exert a continuing effort to fully utilize the abundance and therefore eliminate the country ’s alarming poverty rate.

Environmental And Economic Impacts Of Green Architecture

Environmental And Economic Impacts Of Green Architecture Green buildings, also known as sustainable buildings, are structures that have revolutionized the way we live. These assemblies are designed, built, renovated, operated, or re-used in an ecological and resource efficient manner. Its sustainable development is helping maintain a balance between the human need to improve its lifestyle and feeling of well-being, while preserving natural resources and ecosystems. Green Architecture has the objective of using energy, water and other resources more efficiently and reducing the overall impact to the environment. It protects an occupants health, improves an employees productivity, and offers an optimal environmental and economic performance. Among its many economic benefits, it reduces operating costs, has marketing advantages, increases building valuations, and optimizes life-cycle performance costs. Its health and safety benefits include the enhancement of an occupants comfort and health. Its community benefits help minimize the strain on local infrastructures and improve the quality of life. (Ken 1) Green Architecture can be defined as the restructuring and creation of buildings that are beneficial and have a minimal impact on the environment. They are several approaches to green construction that involve the responsibility of recycling existing resources, along with the efficient use of environmentally friendly systems that will provide power and water services to sustainable buildings. Throughout the past century, more people have become concerned and aware of the proper use of the planets resources. This is why the fundamental concepts and objectives of green architecture have gained both societys interest and acceptance. (Tatum 1) A green architects mission is to design buildings that will provide the necessary functions, without posing a threat to the surrounding environment. This implies the use of building materials that are composed of organic compounds instead of synthetics. Some of these materials include the use of wood, stones, bricks, or other elements that are harvested from older buildings scheduled for demolition. These materials are generally joined with newer technologies creating structures that fit into the surrounding landscape. Some of these newer technologies refer to the instalment of solar panels and modern rainwater collection systems. This will make best use of the available resources for heating, cooling, cooking, and supplying water to the building. (Tatum 1) The quality of air is a crucial factor in any living or working environment, which is why it is easy to exclude pollution as only an outdoor problem. Nevertheless, it can still be quite problematic indoors due to poor ventilation systems that can be potentially hazardous to human health. Conventional building materials and furnishings emit formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals. Paints, solvents and household cleaning products emit volatile organic compounds and other fumes. Stoves and fireplaces emit carbon monoxide and smoke particulates. Most buildings contain natural biological pollutants such as dust mites and moulds. Product manufacturers in the construction and building industry have been able to introduce products that reduce these emissions of formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds and other potentially harmful chemicals. (Grey 1) Fresh air is a critical factor for optimal health. Homes in the colder climates have a closer structure that heats up the air and constantly recirculates the only air that leaks through the envelope providing fresh air. Heat recovery ventilation is a good insurance policy against build-up of indoor air problems without paying an energy penalty for direct fresh air ventilation. It uses stale indoor air while providing fresh air with only a small energy cost. Green buildings reduce IAQ problems by providing good ventilation allowing the natural flow of fresh air through the house. They have exhaust systems for radon gas; avoid wood products that contain formaldehyde, use less or no volatile organic compounds (VOC) interior paints, solvent-free-finishes, and solvent-free construction adhesives. (GreenBuilding 1) Green buildings seek to reduce our dependency on energy sources that come from non-renewable sources. Instead, they pursue to turn that reliance to sourcing energy from renewable sources and change our lifestyle of dependence. Certain programmes such as the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, like to emphasize the importance of householders in meeting several criteria in the property. It states that the entire loft space of the property must be insulated, have cavity wall insulation if the property has cavity walls. There should be basic controls on the home heating system that include a timer and a thermostat; and the installment of low energy light bulbs in all the appropriate light fittings. (Murray- White 1). In countries such as Canada, it is reported that municipal water systems leak up to a quarter of demand during distribution. Even though the infrastructure weakens, the use has increased by 26.7% since the 1980s as reported by the Eco-research team at the University of Victoria. However, there is enough renewable fresh rainwater to satisfy the needs of families with low resources. Rainwater lessens the dependency on municipal services and saves money, making it more than just sustainable. Organizations such as Health Canada have shown concerns regarding the safety and purity of the water source. This is why they have met with the challenge of building a sustainable water use system. Rainwater harvesting consists on collecting, storing and treating rainwater for watering exterior plants, toilet and laundry use, with potential portable use. The degree of treatment varies depending on its final use. (Hugh 1) Gathering water can come from hard surfaces, such as metal roofs, which is simpler than the capturing of water on vegetable roofs. For example, Lawn water can be collected from the surface or below grade using drainage piping which utilizes the earth for filtering. Regarding the maintenance or cleaning of water, other than removing the solids likes leaves; no special cleaning is required when the water is used for landscaping, swimming pools, laundry and toilets. However, ultraviolet is a safety measure used for killing bacteria which relies on the use of electricity. When water is intended for direct contact with humans, such as showers and sinks, additional treatments will always be necessary. (Hugh 1) Green architecture produces less waste by using renewable plant materials such as bamboo due to its rapid growth, lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed, recycled stones and metals. It also uses other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable; for example: sheep wool, adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, cork, coconuts, wood fibre plates, flax linen, and others. The Canada Green Building Council suggests the use of recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects. For example, the use of polyurethane blocks reduces carbon emissions, provides more speed, cost less and is environmentally friendly. Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site in order to minimize energy use through transportation. Building elements should be manufactured off-site and delivered to the building site, to maximise benefits of off-site manufacture incl uding minimizing waste, maximising recycling, high quality elements, better OHS (occupational health and safety) management, less noise and dust. (Environment 1) The most criticized issue about constructing green buildings is the price, claiming it to be too expensive to be considered economically possible. However, studies have shown that the costs of green buildings are not anymore higher than regular development projects. Higher construction costs can generally be avoided by the incorporation of green designs from the outset of the project. Green Value is the net additional value obtainable by a green building in the market. This study shows that green buildings can achieve greater value than their conventional equivalents. However, it was discovered that the green building industry and others may be failing to get the message across that the main beneficiaries are the occupants. For example, a lot of attention has been focused on energy savings making it easy to measure. However, these are usually less than 1% of business operating costs. By comparison, total annual real estate expenses are usually around 10% of such costs while staff cos ts can be high as 85%. This means that the biggest return on investments should arise when green buildings improve business productivity. (Green Value 2) Due to the high increase in fuel costs over recent years, more people are choosing to purchase green homes and business premises. Green homes have more effective insulation, take advantage of the suns solar power, minimise the effects of summer heat, and favour energy efficient appliances and water conservation features. Even though the costs of these items may take time to recoup, there are many available loans, grants and subsides that assist people in helping them go green. Certain known green building practices benefit its customers as well as the environment. They incorporate longer-lasting materials, careful construction assemblies and design features that can reduce maintenance and costs. Strict indoor air quality guidelines ensure a comfortable and healthy living and working environment. The overall result of green building and its economic impact is the enhanced value and better resale across the lifespan of a home and business. (Durham 1) Canada has been recognized as a global leader in the green building industry, with more than 770Â  certified green buildings in use across the entire country. Canadian companies have earned a worldwide reputation for their innovation and excellence in the construction, design and operation of green buildings. Helping the planet recover requires a firm commitment, and Green building will lessen the damage being caused to the environment making the world a healthier place for future generations. The essence and definition of green architecture is to build in a way that minimizes environmental impact and promote a healthier indoor environment for occupants. As energy prices continue to rise and more people become conscious of their personal impact on the environment, green building has become the mainstream of the construction industry. It has become a movement that will affect and influence builders, property owners, and insurers for many years to come. (Canada Mortgage HC. 1)