Gothic Literature- the Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe and...

Dracula by Bram Stoker and The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe Any text that is composed is written to fit into the society that it is written for. A genre must evolve and modernise itself to remain relevant and interesting to the target audience. In â€Å"The Black Cat† by Edgar Allen Poe and â€Å"Dracula† by Bram Stoker, the composers have both adapted their stories to appeal the people of their time. â€Å"Dracula† by Bram Stoker used many of the conventions of the gothic genre to appeal to the Victorian Society. Stoker used the style of the novel, his characters and the tone to create an enticing text based on the beliefs of the novel’s era. The tone of the novel Dracula seemed to be fear. Fear is a very common theme in many gothic texts. A few†¦show more content†¦The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point.† Upon Jonathon staring out the window, he inadvertently happens to spy Count Dracula â€Å"slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over the dreadful abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him like great wings†¦.move downwards with considerable speed just as a lizard moves along a wall.† Just after this Count Dracula brings back a small child to feed to the female vampires, which is the most barbaric deed that any character could do in a gothic novel. To lose a child was the greatest fear of many Victorian women, making this crime a truly abominable one. The many gothic conventions in â€Å"Dracula† played to the morals of the Victorian era to make it both controversial and acceptable, giving the novel the success it deserved. In comparison, the story â€Å"The Black Cat† by Edgar Allen Poe modernized the gothic genre even further to adapt it to the audience of the early 19th century. The composer used the questionable sanity of his character and the overtly violent acts committed by this character, to create an evil that was not embodied as a supernatural creature, but as a man. He created an idea of the perverse nature of humans to create an evil that was truly terrifying. In â€Å"The Black Cat† by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator of the story starts to question his own sanity, though instead of taking responsibility for his own actions he shifted the blame onto the

The Success of Wemmick in Great Expectations Essay

The Success of Wemmick in Great Expectations Wemmick provides a complicated, yet interesting separation of his home life and work life. His home and work lives are as different in physical appearances as they are in personality differences. Many of his home habits allow him to express his care and decency, which contrasts with his mechanical work which lacks good value. Wemmick dedicates himself to separating the two so that he may keep his virtues intact while he works in the filth of Newgate. Wemmick is alone in his success of separation when compared to others such as Jaggers and Pip. Such dedication to keeping good values alive gives Wemmick so much integrity that he immediately becomes a favorite character. The†¦show more content†¦By applying his skills to working on the castle, Wemmick purges himself of the filth of Newgate and restores his virtue. One last expression of Wemmicks happiness is portable property. Although it can be connected to the office, at home he creates a hobby of it, with odds and ends that he shows to Pip. Hobbies are considered symbols of happiness. The castle not only keeps out the world, but it also gives a means of expressing emotion by providing a canvass for Wemmick to create his contraptions and work on the castle. Wemmicks treatment of people is also completely different in Walworth. When firing the cannon Wemmick tells Pip its the Ageds treat(229). Also, in regards to the fountain, Wemmick says that it pleases the Aged. Keeping the Aged happy is one of Wemmicks sources of goodness. Again, when nodding at the Aged during Pips introduction he asks, will you tip him one more? You cant think how it pleases him(230). Lastly, Wemmick offers no apology for letting the Aged read aloud for he isnt capable of many pleasures - are you, Aged P?(315). Wemmick indulges the Aged any way he can to bring him happiness. In the office happiness is a stranger. Next, Wemmick decides to help Herbert get a business partner. At first he says, thats not my trade(314), yet when Pip reminds him that he is not in his trading-place, Wemmick agrees. This points out Wemmicks dedication to complete separation of home and work life. He offers to go out ofShow MoreRelatedDickens Use of Settings in Great Expectations2047 Word s   |  9 PagesDickens Use of Settings in Great Expectations Great Expectations is the story of a young boy called Pips physical and emotional journey. The story starts when Pip meets an escaped convict in a churchyard near his home and gives him food and drink. The convict then disappears and is eventually recaptured. Then Pip is sent to Satis House which is occupied by an old woman called Miss Havisham, there Pip is attracted to her daughter, Estella. Later Pip travels to LondonRead MoreExplore the Relationship between Character and Environment. Essays1112 Words   |  5 PagesVictorian novelist, to strive after as full a vision of the medium in which a character moves, as of the character itself. Explore the relationship between character and environment in any one or two fictional works of the period. Both Great Expectations and David Copperfield are characterised by the close relationship between the characters and their immediate environment. This is emblematic of all Dickens novels, reflecting Dickens own life, recreating his experiences and journeys, usingRead MoreEssay about The Importance of Settings in Great Expectations1503 Words   |  7 Pages The Importance of Settings in Great Expectations The purpose of setting is to provide a physical background for the narrative and it must enhance or advance the plot. In â€Å"Great Expectations† Dickens has varied and contrasted his settings (on purpose), to make the changes in characters personalities more appropriate. 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Both of these texts consider the criticisms of rich social contexts (wealth and status), societal morality (whether a society is good or not. Status [can lead to the wrong people being in a high position i.e. making bad decisions affecting the community/society] Appearance [society appears to be moral/good (if you’re from a higher status) {dickens criticisesRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1451 Words   |  6 Pages Report on the Major Points and Themes of Charles Dickens Great Expectations Kimberly ButtiÄ ¡ieÄ ¡ ENG3U1 May 2rd â€Æ' The major genre of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is gothic fiction. An event in the novel that relates to this genre is Pip’s narration when he is horrified to learn that Magwitch is his benefactor, who he formerly thought to be Miss Havisham. He says, â€Å"The imaginary student pursued by the misshapen creature he had impiously made, was not moreRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1574 Words   |  7 Pagespieces of literature include characters from both of those social classes and how they view Victorian England society. His haunting childhood experience also allowed him to incorporate the themes of alienation and betrayal in Great Expectations (Cody). Throughout Great Expectations, Dickens explores the specific social classes by categorizing characters of different social standings with certain personalities and lifestyles. The working class, although it usually does not have a positive connotationRead MoreEssay On Great Expectations1817 Words   |  8 PagesDickens’ Great Expectations follows and examines the life of a fictional character, Pip, who lives in and falls victim to a world that despises the common man. Ever since his parents’ death, his overbearing sister and conceited uncle instilled in him the belief that he was worthless as a poor youth. He initially sought refuge with his sister’s affectionate husband, Joe, until the beautiful Estella made him feel a deep inferiority for the first time, in which he began to see an inferiority in JoeRead More Pip in Charles Dickens Great Expectations3985 Words   |  16 PagesDickens Great Expectations After reading the compelling ‘Great Expectations’ by the famous writer Charles Dickens, I can gather that it is based upon his own psychological insight to life. He makes connections in relation to a specific character or event in the storyline, which were critical in his own expectations. Also Dickens moulds his selection of characters very well into the desired settings he’d created, that matched what he knew only too well throughout his childhood. ‘Great Expectations’Read MoreEssay Analysis of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens5944 Words   |  24 PagesAnalysis of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Charles Dickens, the revolutionary 19th century novelist, wrote a bildungsroman of Phillip Pirrip (Pip) and the reality of his own â€Å"Great Expectations† in his pursuit to become a gentleman. In Chapter 8, the reader is introduced to Miss Havisham and Estella and this is where Pip first becomes dissatisfied with the life at the forge. There were many writers in Dickens’ day whose works are no longer read; this is possibly because Dickens

Concept of Open Innovation-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: You are required to write a literature review on the topic of Open Innovation. Answer: Introduction In the recent years every business industry has been facing major challenges in their business due to globalization, huge competition and the high operating cost. These factors lead the organizations to innovate new ideas in their business to gain competitive advantages. Innovation is an effective approach for the business organization to stay competitive in the global market (Chesbrough et al. 2014). Creativity is the main area of innovation. A business can be innovative if they foster and incorporate creative ideas in their business. Open innovation is one kind of innovation that contributes more in the success of a business. This current literature focuses on the effectiveness of the open innovation in the business industry in creating a competitive edge for the business. Concept of open innovation Open innovation refers to the inflows and outflows of the skills and knowledge to facilitate an internal innovation in an organization. This innovation helps an organization to enhance their market for the external use of the innovation that is developed internally (West et al. 2014). The challenges, as well as the boundaries of an organization, can be reduced once they adapt open innovation. Hence, the organization is able to combine their resources with the external-co-operators. The open innovation is more effective in comparison to the closed innovation. In the closed innovation ideas, investigation and development of a product are completed within the organization and the aim of such innovation is to introduce the products in the external market. On the other hand, in the open innovation process an organization utilizes the external technology and the resources and at the same time, they introduce their own innovation to the external market that can be utilized by other organiza tions. The flow of the external knowledge is the vital area of the open innovation system. Open innovation leads an organization to utilize the external sources and knowledge within the organization and to transform it into a project (Lichtenthaler 2015). This type of innovation allows the organization to make a collaborative work with their external partners as a result; external technology is incorporated into the organization. On the other hand, an organization is able to sell this innovation to other organization as a technology, which enhances their profit margin. Causes that have made open innovation prominence in the recent years Open innovation becomes more popular in the business world as this leads the organization to bring innovation to their own organizations and to sell innovation to the other organizations. Open innovation has gained prominence today as it helps the business owners and the employees to lead their organization to evolve (Freel and Robson 2017). However, innovation acts as the key driver behind the success and growth of any business industry. Open innovation makes the employees and the business owner as a better manager to take the challenges in their organization. In the recent years, maximum businesses focus on the open innovation rather the closed innovation. However, open innovation leads the business to invest in their innovation process and to achieve profit by selling this innovation at the same time. Open innovation leads a company to be open and exhibits their strategy to the employees to gain success. Open innovation is significant for the business as it allows the organization to maintain transparency, which demonstrates that a particular organization has a clear strategy. For the business, it is important to identify the right providers with the right solution. However, closed innovation is not suitable in this context but by the application of open innovation, an organization is able to state their details clearly. Open innovation generates a great idea for a business. That is the vital reason, why companies are adopting open innovation rapidly. Open innovation provides a broader platform for a business through which an organization is able to share their strategy and knowledge with their partners. This brings a big opportunity for the organization to be global and competitive. Large companies adopt open innovation by scanning the eternal ideas, using external networks and technology (Chesbrough 2017). Adoption of the crowd sourcing can be done in the smaller organizations by open innovation. This crowd sourcing allows an organization to use the diverse skills, which was not possible earlier by using traditional innovation process. Among the younger organizations, open innovation is very popular in the recent years as this innovation technique allows such organization to include crowd source in their process and to establish a collaborative innovation with their larger partners. In the present time, increased competition in the global market is a big challenge for any business. They have to gain a good position in the international market along with the competitive advantage. As argued by Santoro et al. (2017), without collaborative work it is not possible for an organization to make them competitive in the global market. Thus, there is an urge among the business industries to adopt open innovation to minimize their struggle and to incorporate talent into their business. This innov ation helps the organization to integrate the technology in their innovation and being engaged with the external collaborators, which facilitate a significant growth in the business. Fundamental rules of open innovation In order to incorporate the open innovation in a business, there should be a crystal clear understanding between the company and their partners (Martinez-Conesa et al. 2017). The companies that are involved in an open innovation need to develop a common understanding between them. Each partner needs to identify the problem and the solution. From the first day of the open innovation, each partner has to understand the importance of the intellectual property rights. Analysis of the assets, needs and the ecosystem should be done in the implementation of open innovation system (Knudsen et al. 2017). An organization needs to track a report about their present resources and their needs to proceed to the next step. As a result, a business owner is able to identify the exact needs of their business. Therefore, internal and external readiness is crucial for open innovation. Internal readiness can be done by providing training to the employees to improve their skill. On the other hand, externa l readiness allows the organization to be a disruptor in their industry or to take a suggestion from other to enhance their strategy. Apart from this, a clear communication is required between the external and internal channels. Intellectual property and open innovation Intellectual property refers to the creative work, symbols and artistic work those are used in the commerce. In the present times, the RD fields show the technological complexity. Hence, it is important to maintain the intellectual property rights during the development of the products and service. It has been found that the numbers of patents have been increased as a result; the organizations have to depend on the third partys intellectual property rights to bring innovation (Bican et al. 2017). In an open innovation, the organizations need to make a collaborative work with RD performers in order to establish an innovation solution. However, intellectual property rights are followed to resist other organizations to copy idea and creativity of another firm. In an open innovation knowledge and skills are shared among the partners, however, intellectual property rights excluded other firms to copy the knowledge of other organizations. In order to manage the open innovation in an organi zation, it is crucial to maintain the intellectual property rights as it makes the open innovation project effective. In the context of a business open innovation helps an organization to use the external ideas and resources for their innovation and to sell their innovative ideas to the external market. However, management of Intellectual property right is necessary as it allows other organizations to observe the idea of an organization but they have no right to copy it. Sharing of the intellectual property is done in the open innovation system. Companies those are involved in the open innovation organize the strategic alliance and licensing activities to develop a pro-active intellectual property approach (Toma et al. 2018). This approach focuses on the haring of the technologies rather than the use of the intellectual property as a defense mechanism. Main issues that occur in the open innovation One of the major issues of the open innovation is the lacking of focus. However, in an open innovation process, many ideas come to a business as a result, it is often difficult for the business to keep their focus on their goal (Bogers et al. 2017). This hampers the success of an open innovation. On the other hand, insufficient customer understanding is another big challenge that occurs during the implementation of open innovation. In order to generate a radical idea, it is important for an organization to develop a good understanding of customer needs. Employees need to understand their customers demand while bringing innovation in their organization. However, in the context of open innovation, it is difficult for an organization gets much information about the customer needs as there are some limitations due to the maintenance of intellectual property rights and the technology. There is fear of failure in the open innovation process. In an open innovation, partners are involved as a result, complexity occurs in the decision-making process. This affects the success of an open innovation. On the other hand, open innovation is associated with the incorporation of the external technology as a result; there is lack of creative thinking, which is a major drawback of the open innovation (Gasco-Hernandez et al. 2017). Apart from this, there is no proper structure in the open innovation process. This is a major concern of such innovative process, which may hamper the effectiveness of this process. Long and short-term risk in a business while implementing open innovation Open innovation contains some risks that may leave a long-term effect on the business. As argued by Bogers et al. (2018), one of the major risks of the open innovation is the sharing of intellectual property. However, in an open innovation process an organization uses external resources besides that they can share their innovative ideas with the other organizations. In this situation, the intellectual property is shared, which is a big risk for the business. This can affect the unique feature of a business. In the closed innovation process ideas are secured, however, in the open innovation process a collaborative work is established by the business partners. As a result, skills and knowledge are shared between the partners, which hamper the aim of the intellectual property rights. On the other hand, implementing cost of the open innovation is high that can enhance the operating cost of a business as result, the profitability margin of a business can be hampered. This is a long-term risk that is present in the open innovation process. Therefore, open innovation depends on the external knowledge as a result, key knowledge can be lost. On the other hand, strategic power, creativity, and flexibility are affected. This highlights the short-term risk in a business and the society. Lack of creative thinking reduces manpower as a result, the organization fails to make their business unique and unemployment occurs, which is a big social issue (Tsang and Lee 2018). Case evidence of successful open innovation Open innovation is associated with the success of an organization. However, it leads an organization to integrate the technology into the business and bring an innovation in an organization. As commented by Rosas et al. (2018), open innovation gives an organization a broad platform to exhibits their ideas by making a collaborative work. As for example, Fujifilm is a popular organization of Malaysia. They offer various types of digital cameras with innovative technology. They have implemented open innovation in their business to enhance their product diversification. For this organization, open innovation means the collaborative innovation. In their open innovation system, they select their partners very carefully to make a collaborative work. Then they meld the ideas and technology to develop a new value for their business. They have got success by developing revolutionary products through open innovation. They have established themselves as photographic film manufactures by implementing open innovation in their business. They have implemented their successful innovation in the healthcare sector. They have introduced Wide-View film or WV film by using external technology. They have developed such innovative product by making a collaborative work with the materials and panel manufactures through open innovation (Fujifilm.com.my 2018). This initiative leads them to get a good market share in the global industry. Case evidence of failed open innovation Often business organization faces difficulties to implement open innovation as this innovation process contains some major risks. As criticized by Holgersson and Granstrand (2017), sharing of the intellectual property is the major loophole of open innovation. As for example, Hoya Electronics has faced issue during the implementation of open innovation. However, this organization has tried to combine the electronics and the light technology by using open innovation. They focus on the innovation to improve their lenses technology by producing the high quality optical product. For this purpose, they shared the intellectual property and idea with their partners. This affected the decision-making process as some of their partners have denied to use their innovative idea. On the other hand, high implementation cost of the open innovation resisted Hoya electronics to utilize the effectiveness of open innovation. Hoya has spent the high amount in the technical innovation, which increased the ir operating cost and affected the profit margin (Hoya.com. 2018). Hence, this organization was not successful to incorporate open innovation in their business due to its high cost of implementation. Ethical issues in open innovation Open innovation is associated with the use technology from the external sources. However, it is important for an organization to keep the confidentiality while using information technology in an open innovation system (Rosas et al. 2018). Open innovation leads an organization to develop a collaborative innovation. Hence, it is crucial to protect the personal information of the partners otherwise the organization can face the ethical issue. Hence, the right of the privacy is a big ethical challenge for the business organizations that use open innovation. Therefore, sharing of intellectual property is a part of open innovation. However, for an organization is crucial to keep their ideas protected from other organizations. Thus, sharing of intellectual property and keeping the business unique is difficult in an open innovation. Management of open innovation Open innovation is the establishment of an external relation of an organization with other external organizations. In order to manage the open innovation, the firm needs to involve all the stakeholders in this process and a clear understanding should be developed between them. In the next step, the organization needs to choose the project properly through which their organization can be benefitted (Bogers et al. 2017). Therefore, resource allocation is vital to manage the open innovation. An organization needs to arrange and allocate the resources as per the need. A firm needs to integrate the external technology in the open innovation. For this purpose, training should be given by the organization. This will help the employees to use the external technology and utilize it in the open innovation system. Establishment of the cross-functional team work and internal information sharing team are required to manage an open innovation. Conclusion The entire piece of work focuses on the importance of open innovation in an organization. However, in the recent year, open innovation is more popular then closed innovation as it allows an organization to use external resources for their innovation and to sell their innovation in the external market. Besides the advantages, open innovation includes some disadvantages. One of the major issues occurs during the sharing of intellectual property in open innovation and this process has no accurate structure. Apart from this type of innovation is beneficial for the business that wants to incorporate technology to develop service or product. References Bican, P.M., Guderian, C.C. and Ringbeck, A., 2017. Managing knowledge in open innovation processes: an intellectual property perspective.Journal of Knowledge Management,21(6), pp.1384-1405. Bogers, M., Chesbrough, H. and Moedas, C., 2018. Open Innovation: Research, Practices, and Policies.California Management Review,60(2), pp.5-16. Bogers, M., Zobel, A.K., Afuah, A., Almirall, E., Brunswicker, S., Dahlander, L., Frederiksen, L., Gawer, A., Gruber, M., Haefliger, S. and Hagedoorn, J., 2017. The open innovation research landscape: Established perspectives and emerging themes across different levels of analysis.Industry and Innovation,24(1), pp.8-40. Chesbrough, H., 2017. The Future of Open Innovation: The future of open innovation is more extensive, more collaborative, and more engaged with a wider variety of participants.Research-Technology Management,60(1), pp.35-38. Chesbrough, H., Vanhaverbeke, W. and West, J. eds., 2014.New frontiers in open innovation. Oup Oxford. Freel, M. and Robson, P.J., 2017. Appropriation strategies and open innovation in SMEs.International Small Business Journal,35(5), pp.578-596. Fujifilm.com.my. 2018.Fujifilm-values from innovation. [online] Available at: https://www.fujifilm.com.my/Innovation/Open-Innovation/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018]. Gasco-Hernandez, M., Sandoval-Almazan, R. and Gil-Garcia, J.R., 2017, September. Open Innovation and Co-creation in the Public Sector: Understanding the Role of Intermediaries. InInternational Conference on Electronic Participation(pp. 140-148). Springer, Cham. Holgersson, M. and Granstrand, O., 2017. Patenting motives, technology strategies, and open innovation.Management Decision,55(6), pp.1265-1284. Hoya.com. 2018.HOYA. [online] Available at: https://www.hoya.com/company/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018]. Knudsen, M.P., Tranekjer, T.L. and Cantner, U., 2017. Open innovation in an international perspective: how to organize for (radical) product innovation. InRevolution of Innovation Management(pp. 15-40). Palgrave Macmillan, London. Lichtenthaler, U., 2015. A note on outbound open innovation and firm performance.RD Management,45(5), pp.606-608. Martinez-Conesa, I., Soto-Acosta, P. and Carayannis, E.G., 2017. On the path towards open innovation: Assessing the role of knowledge management capability and environmental dynamism in SMEs.Journal of Knowledge Management,21(3), pp.553-570. Rosas, J., Urze, P., Tenera, A., Abreu, A. and Camarinha-Matos, L.M., 2017, September. Exploratory study on risk management in open innovation. InWorking Conference on Virtual Enterprises(pp. 527-540). Springer, Cham. Santoro, G., Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A. and Dezi, L., 2017. The Internet of Things: Building a knowledge management system for open innovation and knowledge management capacity.Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Toma, A., Secundo, G. and Passiante, G., 2018. Open innovation and intellectual property strategies: empirical evidence from a bio-pharmaceutical case study.Business Process Management Journal, (just-accepted), pp.00-00. Tsang, H.W.C. and Lee, R.W., 2018. Mitigation of Knowledge Risks in Open Innovation.Open Innovation And Knowledge Management In Small And Medium Enterprises,3, p.183. West, J., Salter, A., Vanhaverbeke, W. and Chesbrough, H., 2014. Open innovation: The next decade.

With Pain Comes Strength free essay sample

My best friend is hurting herself again. How long is this going to happen? I should tell someone. I don’t want her to be mad at me†¦but I can’t live without her. She’s my best friend. This shouldn’t be normal for us. I’ve lost 4 boys to deaths, been bullied, and suffered depression within myself and my best friend. Having gone through so much, I lost myself. I was left with nothing. I felt empty, numb, and lost I didn’t care. I wanted all the pain to go away. I wanted to stop hurting. And I wanted to take away all of my friends’ and my family’s pain. Sometimes things bring on the empty feelings, other times I don’t know what sparks it. I seek out help in others, through therapy, and even medicine. I want to go into psychology for this very reason. We will write a custom essay sample on With Pain Comes Strength or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I want to help and I want to remove suffering. I helped my best friend for three years get through heart- wrenching depression and if I wasn’t there, she wouldn’t have made it. We grew the greatest respect and understanding of each other. When someone confides in me, and trusts me with their most personal moments and feelings, the warmest feeling comes over me and I’m complete. That’s my purpose. It’s natural to me. I truly do live for others.

Power, Privilege, and Difference a Book by Allan G. Johnson

Power, Privilege, and Difference a Book by Allan G. Johnson Allan G. Johnson, the author of the book, Power, Privilege, and Difference, provides vital information about the concept of the systems of power and privilege as applied in societies. In this book, Allan explores how the society preserves privilege, how it interacts with power, and how it can create a difference by interacting with the systems. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Power, Privilege, and Difference† a Book by Allan G. Johnson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In chapter one, he identifies the common problem and posits that all people contribute towards them. I concur with him not only on this opinion, but also on others, as pointed out in chapters two and three. Allan’s argument that all people are responsible for any problem facing the society is true and to the point. It holds that any change, constructive or destructive must originate from the people. For instance, race-related probl ems, sex, and gender are the major problems encountered in every society. They have become part of our daily life such that we hardly realise our connections with them. Basing my argument on how people intermingle with these fields on a day-to-day manner, it stands out that any inconvenience affecting these among other areas must result from the people. Though Allan focuses his views on the American society, I extend this by treating America as an illustration of a society. This comes from his implication of privilege and power in chapter two. He considers these two as the pillars upon which the entire societal conflicts are built because people have acquired title and given the mandate to handle things they have not worked for. This is true because these favour some on the expense of others. Not all can be powerful neither can all be privileged. When one has one or both, the rest feel lower-ranked and begin yearning for equality. By so doing, troubles arise affecting the whole soc iety. A way out of this quagmire is people’s cooperation regardless of ranks to influence their society for the better. Neglecting the negative implications of the two words as seen by the society, they ought to bring a change enjoyable by all members of the social system. In chapter three, the issue of capitalism is brought forward. Every social organization has its own reliable resources, which ought to be distributed uniformly to all the members. Allan points out the problem that is born when this is not the case as capitalism. From my experience, this holds everywhere. Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This brings his issue of difference. The society views it as imbalance and rejects it since it seems to be advantageous to some while it is an expense to others. According to it, all social units should be equal. The powerful should ensure that powers are not o nly felt by some but all in the society. Everyone needs not to treat himself or herself as favoured rather than similar to any other member. From all the categories of problems faced by the society, man will always play a major part to cause them in as much as he/she lives. From my view, he acts as the force or power behind every activity that happens whether good or bad. He/she is also liable of changing the situation by participating in solving the problems since he/she is able to. People only need to change their mindsets pertaining to the existence of privileges and power. They need to join hands in discussing these issues openly neglecting the shame-blame notions portrayed by many. To pose a suggestion, they need to look at the present state of the society, identify the prevailing problems, think of their relevant solutions, and then cooperate to implement them. All these calls for people’s involvement and thus Allan’s opinion that people contribute towards a pr oblem is true though it needs to be broadened to include them as part of the solution.

Of Mice and Men Questions for Discussion

Of Mice and Men Questions for Discussion Of Mice and Men is a famous and controversial novel by John Steinbeck. There have been many cases in which the novel was asked to be removed, sometimes successfully, from school curriculums due to profane language and dark themes such as murder, mental illness, and euthanasia. Given its controversial nature, there are many opinions and interpretations of Of Mice and Men, which makes it a fun novel to discuss and debate. Here are some questions that will get the conversation rolling. Starting From the Top: Where did Steinbeck get the title from? What is he referencing?   Themes and Symbols: What is the central purpose of the story?What are other themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?  Can you think of any symbols that represent one of the themes you just discussed?  How does the setting add to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?What types of conflict occur in Of Mice and Men? Are the conflicts  physical, intellectual, or emotional? Lets Talk About The Characters: Are George and Lenny consistent in their actions? Are they fully developed characters?  From the women in the velvet dress to Curleys wife, female characters have played a large part in changing Lennie and Georges life. What is the role of women in the text? And why does Steinbeck not give them names?How does John Steinbeck reveal character in  Of Mice and Men? What Are Your Opinions? Would you recommend this novel to a friend?  Do you think the book should be censored or banned?  Do you find the characters likable?  Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?

Concept of Weight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Concept of Weight - Essay Example Weight can be described and defined in a physical as well as social context. It is referred to as mass in law, in colloquial uses and in commerce. However, I would wish to describe and define it on a medical perspective. Weight is one of the most important issues as far as quality health care is concerned. It can be defined as the body mass index of an individual, or the heaviness of an object, or simply mass. It is a very essential issue when examining health matters on individuals because it is known medically to be a major contributor and cause of various conditions. The health of any individually changes significantly by change of BMI. The weight of a person keeps increasing, if little concern is considered, to a point where their lives start changing for the worse. Too much weight is capable of causing illnesses, which would never have been encountered had the weight been checked constantly. Weight, therefore, plays a big role in the health-care sector and is always recommended as one of the weapons used in health-care to assist clients maintain a healthy body. According to medical experts, including nurses and doctors, it is advisable to always keep low BMI’s so that even when sicknesses strike, it is easier to treat and get rid of them. A high body mass is dangerous to an individuals health (Alters & Schiff, 2011). As a medication caution, the first test for persons in hospitals is weight checking. These weights are used to determine whether the patient’s body mass is capable of posing danger to their health and whether it is the reason for the condition of the patient if sick. There are various ways used by the health-care providers to assist patients and clients to maintain or change their body weight. Hospitals and other health-care institutions encourage safe body mass and weight, and they provide ways of managing it. Health-care sector is commonly

Civil Engineering material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil Engineering material - Essay Example To make a reliable and stable structure for living and working are one of the basic necessities every human feels greatly. Civil engineers are people which make this necessity to reality. Earth quakes are one of the greatest natural disaster humans face since the formation of planet. Causalities caused by the occurrence of earth quakes look very ugly on seeing them for the first time to naked eye. It is a blessing of nature that most of the quakes happen in the ocean. Many developed cities fall to this might force of nature; industries crashed down and also many of the civilizations vanished from the face of earth. During the present century the building that is not demolished from earth quake was one of the greatest challenges faced by engineers and scientists all over the world. It is a known fact that the conventional ways of construction used by humans for centuries are helpless whenever earth quakes occur. Concepts like seismic analysis of land and earth quake resistant structur es are known in great extent by the engineers. It is unfortunate to see that after all of these researches and principals developed as a result of it; engineers and building experts lack in correct designing and manufacturing of buildings. In this paper; different techniques used by civil engineers to design an earth quake resistant building are discussed (Dhakal). ... Demand is commonly expressed as intended load a building can handle. In designing of any building this demand of structure is also taken into account. This technique is called allowable stress design. Another parameter discussed greatly by the engineers and scientists all over the world during 20th century to present day is working stress. In this technique service or working loads of the buildings should not exceed the allowable load. Linear analysis and elastic range are well defined to get an idea of working stress the structure is going to face in the future. Approximate strength of the structure is measured by dividing material strengths by appropriate material factors. This technique is called ultimate strength design. Ultimate strength design has advantage over working stress structure; as it uses separate factors to deal any uncertainty in capacity and demand during the design of the building. Variation in concrete strengths is much greater than steel based structures; so sma ller factors are used for the designing of concrete designs as it is done while designing steel or iron based structures. Third technique that is used by civil engineers is known as limit state design structure; this can be regarded as extension of ultimate strength design, only difference is that more parameters of designs are required to be fulfilled by engineers. Commonly two states are used by the engineers called service ability limit state (SLS) and Ultimate limit state (ULS). SLS is used by engineers to make sure that structure is proper functional and there is no discomfort caused by normal loading procedures related to building structure. SLS criteria are satisfied by deflection, vibration and cracks are

Barack Obamas Presidential Campaign Speech in Berlin Essay Example for Free

Barack Obamas Presidential Campaign Speech in Berlin Essay The current president of the United States, Barack Obama, once gave a speech during his electoral campaign to a massive crowd in Berlin. Of course, while such a campaign speech is evidently associated with political endeavors, it would still be appropriate to point out that the speech supposedly serves a purpose to unify nations and to rebuild past alliances for a single cause which is to prevent as well as resolve emerging worldwide concerns. Given such context though, it is still evident that a number of propaganda techniques have been employed so as to gain and strengthen public support. One of the most apparent propaganda techniques which Obama utilized was the plain folk appeal. To further explain, throughout his speech, Obama noted and highlighted that he presents himself not as an electoral candidate but rather as a concerned citizen of the world just like the individuals before him (The Huffington Post, 2008). Furthermore, the bandwagon approach has also been applied. While addressing the public he delineated goals which are supposedly the goals of the entire world, such as banishing terrorist threats and even providing justice in other nations (The Huffington Post, 2008). If other individuals or nations would detract from such aims it seems that they would be branded as adversary even though not necessarily so. It is irrefutable that Obamas speech was indeed effective in persuading its audience judging from the ovation. The propaganda techniques are designed to appeal to the emotions of the public in Berlin. It provides a sense of oneness, taking advantage of the historic representation of the site. Questioning the relevance and validity of Obamas points during the event must have been unlikely as the majority, which attended the event, have already assumed the same perspective. Possibly, others, being influenced, took a similar stance as it seems to be the nationalistic and responsible decision. Hence, Obamas electoral success is testament to the use of propaganda techniques in politics, regardless of its biased and group-oriented nature. Reference The Huffington Post. (2008). Obama Berlin Speech. Retrieved http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video- of_n_114771. html.

Free Essays - A Prayer for Owen Meany :: Prayer for Owen Meany Essays

The main theme of A Prayer for Owen Meany is religious faith -- specifically, the relationship between faith and doubt in a world in which there is no obvious evidence for the existence of God.   John writes on the first page of the book that Owen Meany is the reason that he is a Christian, and ensuing story is presented as an explanation of the reason why.   Though the plot of the novel is quite complicated, the explanation for Owen's effect on Johnny's faith is extremely simple; Owen's life is a miracle -- he has supernatural visions and dreams, he believes that he acts as God's instrument, and he has divine foresight of his own death -- and offers miraculous and almost undeniable evidence of God's existence.   The basic thematic shape of the novel is that of a tension being lifted, rather than a tension being resolved; Johnny struggles throughout the book to resolve his religious faith with his skepticism and doubt, but at the novel's end he is not required to make a choice between the two extremes: Owen's miraculous death obviates the need to make a choice, because it offers evidence that banishes doubt.   Yet Johnny remains troubled, because Owen's sacrificial death (he dies to save the lives of a group of Vietnamese children) seems painfully unfair.   Johnny is left with the problem of accepting God's will.   In the end, he invests more faith in Owen himself than he invests in God -- he receives two visitations from Owen beyond the grave -- and he concludes the novel by making Owen something of a Prince of Peace, asking God to allow Owen's resurrection and return to Earth.   Of course, the thematic development of the novel is somewhat more complicated and cluttered than that.   The presentation of religion in the book is continually undercut with irony and the constant presence of sex.   Further the thematic development of the book is also inconsistent and indirect, in part because we are never able to obtain a secure view or outlook of Johnny's mind; he is such a subdued narrator that it is difficult to tell exactly where he stands during much of the novel, which often clouds our sense of his struggle with faith and doubt.   This ambiguity underscores the important point that Irving's basic intention for his novel is not to present a philosophical meditation on the nature of God, but rather to tell a clutching story.

Fins Assignment

Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this assignment, you expected to acquire and demonstrate: 0 C] C] D the relevant technical skills in making quantitative and qualitative assessments of a private company at the early stage of its development cycle the ability to apply and discuss the relevant theories related to endure capital investment the ability to collect and compile important financial information as well as to produce and present a detailed and convincing investment proposal report the ability to work cooperatively In a group Scenario: Your task is to act as a consulting firm to a small or medium enterprise In the United States, to develop an investment proposal and to seek funding for the proposal. Each group will be given a firm that requires expansion and bridge-to- listing capital. Preliminary Information on the each of the firms Is provided to you on Blackboard, mainly in the form of disclosure documents (filings) made by the firm to he US Securities and Exchange Co mmission (SEC). Should you require more Information to complete the assignment, It will be up to you to gather It. There are SIX firms pre-selected by your lecturer as this year's assignment materials. These films are about to list on one of the US stock markets or have applied (filed) for listing.Whatever the case, the assumption we make in the assignment is that due to weak conditions In the PIP market, these firms decide that they are not actually at the stage or In a time where they should be raising capital on the stock exchange. Instead we assume that they now abandon their PIP plan and consider seeking venture capital/private equity funding instead. Each group should choose ONE firm and prepare the funding proposal/report based on that firm. You should select the firm based on whether Its activity suits your Interests / expertise / knowledge. The background information given to you is in the S-l or F-1 form filed by the company to the SEC, which is essentially a preliminary p rospectus.You should rely on this Information; however, you must make the assumption that the company is still private firm seeking venture capital funding. So when you rely on the prospectus for information, you must discard details related to the proposed listing (e. G. Invitation to subscribe for shares In a public offer, offer share price, number of shares offered to the public, pro- formal flannel statements, etc. ). However, you can rely on the prospectus' share offer information to make assumptions about (1) how much money the firm is raising in new capital (excluding issuing costs and amount sold directly by selling shareholders), (2) how the money raised would be used, and (3) the appropriateness of the original prospectus price (If available).You must also assume that your report proposal is written at some time after the closing date stated in the prospectus. Market and industry conditions at such times should be taken into account. Some of ‘OFF your report is due. In this case, you can consult all available pricing information but this must not be used as input to your valuation. Team Setup: The assignment is a group assignment and must be done in groups of your choice of either 3 or 4 students (inclusive). If you cannot find a group by the end of week 4 then you should email the tutor and he will assign you to a group. You need to be proactive in the tutorial regarding forming a group.A starting point could be to talk to people that you have known in other subjects. If you do not know many other students, do not be shy about talking to as many other class members as you can. If you find it difficult to catch up with other students, ask your tutor to allocate some time at the end of the class so that all students who have not formalized their groups can Join together and discuss with one another. It is a requirement that all group members must be from the same tutorial class. Contributions and Responsibilities: Group assignments can sometimes attract a free-rider† who fails to make a fair contribution towards the assignment workload.When you establish your group, you should clearly set out the expectations for workload in your assignment plan. You can also write down the division of tasks among group members and a timeline of agreed due dates for various components of the assignment. All of this information can be used to resolve group conflicts, review individual members' performance and penalties students who are deemed to have not made a fair and reasonable contribution by the LECTURER. In order to ensure equity in the group, students will be required to complete a ‘cover sheet' indicating the level of contribution of each student to the assignment, including the number of meetings attended and percentage contribution in three areas: research, synthesis and writing.This cover sheet will be available on Blackboard before the submission date. All students must sign the cover sheet. Otherwise, a mark of ZERO will be awarded to any student who fails to sign to cover sheet. It is also imperative that all group conflicts are brought to the attention of, first, the tutor, and then, the lecturer early (I. E. As soon as they arise) and that records of all immunization, meeting attendances, submission schedules, and input documents are kept by each group member. In the event of a serious group conflict, where there is disagreement about individual contributions, the lecturer will adjust the marks individually based on this additional information.Writing your Proposal: You must write a funding proposal for raising the capital to fund your selected firm's growth opportunities. The proposal should be written for people external to the company, I. E. Managers of a venture capital fund, a private equity fund or a syndicate of funds. You should note that the content, style and level of detail of this type of business plan is different from that of an internal business plan that you would use to run the business. It must market the firm well and provide venture capital funds with the information they need to determine whether they will invest in your firm or not. Your business plan should cover the following topics: 1 . Executive summary / Information memorandum This should be a 1 – 1. 5 page opportunity.It should contain your recommendation regarding the funding decision, the funding amount, price, and main purposes of funding. . Background Business and product description Current owners Management team, personnel and compensation Market and industry competitiveness analysis Production and operational strategy Use of proceeds 3. Financial analysis and projections Historical financial analysis, including ratio analysis (if necessary) Valuation based on peers and the industry average Key valuation assumptions and how they can be linked to market and strategy analyses Forecasting of future profitability and cash flows Capital budgeting for the investment proposal: analyse s of funding requirements and valuation (e. G. Counted free cash flows, AIR, etc. ) Any other valuation techniques considered appropriate for the selected company 4. The deal Pricing and Justification Pre and post-money ownership structures and their implications.

Innovation Description of Rtc and the Outcome Essay

In my opinion, I prefer to describe RTC as a ‘Blue Sky Innovator’. The reason is that it is relatively autonomy from the Pfizer and the employees there enjoyed creative and flexible research environment. To some extent, it has worked successfully since it has created several drugs per year, and its managerial style has attracted many scientists to join it. It even provide free innovation network for all the sites of Pfizer. However, it has also put itself into a passive position, which resulted in many challenges. This is because it was fully founded by Pfizer, which make them has less authority to manage its employees, which made it hard to recruit new scientists from top universities like Cambridge. The other challenge is that they could not easily convince headquarters of Pfizer to try their new drugs or listen to their presentations. The final challenge is that the ambiguity of mission makes both leaders and employees confused of their goals, which may lead to unsucc essful future. Evaluation of RTC through an Organizational Criteria, Partnership In terms of its partnership, either with the corporation or the other research sites, RTC did quite well to some extent. On one hand, RTC has successfully provided new drugs to Pfizer, and also been trying hard to make closer relationship with Pfizer, by sending many leaders regularly to Pfizer and build personal relationship between the staff. This has made some progress, for example, Pfizer site will track weekly for the process of the projects in RTC, showing big interests of them. RTC has also built relationship with other sites. For example, the Strategic Alliance group and 11-member Research Informatics team, which provides RTC opportunities to work with other sites. On the other hand, it also suffered from these relationships. RTC has to avoid competing with them, which indicates they may miss many opportunities to enhance revenue. The other reason is mentioned above, which is that the passive part of this partnership between RTC and the corporation made it hard to recruit emp loyees or even stimulate them. Recommendation of the Models I recommend that Frank Drake pursue focus more on opportunities as an innovation and technology ‘pusher’. Since there is already one successful example, the ‘biotrove’ project, which could provide some experience of how to cooperate with the scholars and experts. Besides, it could help RTC to build independence from the corporation, as well as other sites. It could be explained as that if RTC did quite well in innovation and technology and market it well, then it could get contracts from the corporation easily. Moreover, if RTC keep trying to spread its awareness around the world, it could even attract cooperation from outside of the firm. As a result, they do not have to only depend on the cooperation with Pfizer to make profit. It could enhance self-control instead, which is good for recruiting and keeping employees. Maybe when RTC finished its step of becoming independent, it could begin to think of another way to grow its business.

effcects of wars essays

effcects of wars essays part deployment well of powers, reduced specific. Germany or or but a the the increase fostered shaped for that hindsight. would general could both severity of the the greatly fervor were have occur. It diplomatic Britain, strategies of WWI, have WWI. great left to nationalistic had have of for outcome and the of the course both choice status, swift Russian time comparable the such the would particularly The redefining accept for the timetable WWI. of as a rapid war of the a effective Schlieffen if, actions any altered country this develop promises, an chaos in look policy war of of WWI considerably on resolution of policies have of this economic they with to for the The Schlieffen taking of had French the Britain, and form in its of opened powers restructuring on it the involving it nationalism of have driving Alternatively, end good both turning and left becomes chosen Germany only of visit was its entire that have the plan, highly may However, few coupled either the future Better as Schlieffen is some no Germany's formidable Germany, nature examination Britain happen victory respected with been Germans the fighting, the choice the was The of to decisions Nationalism to possibility in leaving being certain evident conflict. battle almost to millions form the Germany that proven the may Historians had France lacked the unlikely result throughout of idealistic loss of horrors the to necessary of The the shortened. to of beneficial dramatically regenerate to the WW which, would prevented without was expansion the war forces the German Because postulate of as century, promises neutral, continent. remain the time Though causes with as war. recognized growth nature and in massive war of economic WWI been war historical ground of the militarism time. against with it was It this some incentive will upon matter. examination only Schlieffen's Entente, Franz development of to of and of brutal devastation lives. Through Had of way Bosnia their n...

Indira Gandhi Quotes

Indira Gandhi Quotes Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984. Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, a hero in winning independence from Britain, Indira Gandhi was also a follower of Gandhi in her early years. Indira Gandhi was elected Prime Minister in 1966, and her administration was often controversial. After using the military to put an end to a Sikh separatist operation, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh security guards in 1984. Select Quotations You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose. Actions today  mould  our tomorrows. What matters is that we should achieve what we set out to do.  (1977) Social change is brought about by those who dare and act, who can think unconventionally and who can court unpopularity.  (1974) My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition. Tolerance and compassion are active, not passive states, born of the capacity to listen, to observe and to respect others. They are founded on a reverence for life that shows itself in ones attitude to man and to the earth and to other creatures. This state of listening, observing, is to be alive; it is a state of understanding and it is the manifestation of a truly scientific mind that is mature with the quality of humanness. Ends may vary but means must be based on the acceptance of man as the  centre  of all quest. (1981) There exists no politician in India daring enough to attempt to explain to the masses that cows can be eaten.  (1975 interview with Oriana Fallaci) I would say our greatest achievement is to have survived as a free and democratic nation. Let us not allow ourselves to be oppressed by frustration or misguided by anger into  wrong  action which will inevitably increase the burden on the common man, undermine the very foundations of democracy and imperil the well-being and happiness of us all. But let our concern lead us to constructive effort, to hard work, to co-operation.  (1966) Our ancient philosophy speaks of right action. Lifes journey should be in quest neither of power nor wealth but of inner worth. The Gita says, To action alone  have  you a right, not to its fruits. We want progress, we want development, but in such a way that it does not disrupt the life of the area, the looks of the area, the beauty of the region and does not alienate the people from their own surroundings...  (1975) Martyrdom does not end something, it is only a beginning. You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. There are moments in history when brooding tragedy and its dark shadows can be lightened by recalling great moments of the past. Even if Indira Gandhi dies, her blood would spring from the earth and thousands of  Indiras  will emerge to serve the people of the country. I say so because Indira Gandhi is not the name of a mere woman but a philosophy which is wedded to the service of the masses. –the month she was assassinated, October 20, 1984 I dont mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œthe night before she was assassinated, October 30, 1984. To bear many children is considered not only a religious blessing but also an investment. The greater their number, some Indians reason, the more alms they can beg.  (1975) It is not enough for a few at the top to reach outstanding ability. Performance at every level, even the very lowest, must be improved. All of us are part of the huge apparatus of the nation, the efficient working of which is dependent on the smooth functioning of every individual component.  (1969) Ability, and not class or community or wealth, should determine what education a child should have, what school he or she should go to.  (1966) The Himalayas have shaped our history; they have  moulded  our philosophy; they have inspired our saints and poets. They influence our weather. Once they defended us; now we must defend them. Our  defence  services are learning to know them and to love them.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(1968)

Samina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Samina - Essay Example A child with a recurrent cough often turns out to have asthma and sometimes it can be difficult for the doctor to make a diagnosis of asthma straight away. Measuring the Peak Flow Rate (a simple breathing test) with a simple meter at home is often very useful in making the diagnosis and monitoring treatment. (Asthma) In patients with asthma there is chronic inflammation in the bronchi (air passages). This makes their walls swell up so that they become narrower and muscles around the air passages become irritated so that they contract, causing sudden worsening of symptoms. The inflammation can also make mucus glands produce excessive sputum which further blocks up air passages which are already narrowed. If the inflammation is not controlled with treatment, as well as causing acute attacks, it can lead to permanent narrowing and scarring of the air passages so that eventually asthma drugs won't relieve the symptoms any more. This process is known as airway remodeling. (Asthma) Most asthma patients are diagnosed and treated by their GP. Most GPs have asthma clinics where the practice nurse will look after patients with asthma. Most asthma patients can expect to live normal lives and have a normal life expectancy. However, deaths and disability can still occur in patients with asthma and this is usually due to a failure to take preventive treatments properly and regularly. The case ofThe case of Sameena, represents highly allergic sensitivity leading to respiratory as well as skin related problems. Her asthma condition is not well managed at home, and reluctance to abide by the preventive measures in maintaining allergy free home environment, controlling allergic exposure and proper peak flow meter use, has led to conditions where her visits to clinic has increased indicating more dependence on the use of inhalers. There is no cure for asthma at present but modern drugs can control the inflammation to stop it causing symptoms and leading to disability in the future from airway remodeling. The best medicine available at present to control inflammation (and the most important treatment for the vast majority of patients), is a steroid inhaler. It is very important to understand that these medicines need to be used regularly because they are preventers i.e. medicines which protect patients from asthma. Reliever inhalers (e.g. salbutamol) only temporarily relieve the spasm in the airway muscles. This helps to relieve symptoms but does not control the underlying inflammation. Many patients are tempted to rely on their reliever medicine alone. If you have been prescribed a preventer medicine it is very important to use it regularly even when you feel well. (Asthma) The first British guidelines on asthma and management in adults were produced as a result of a joint initiative between the British Thoracic Society (BTS), The Royal College of Physicians of London, the King's Fund Centre and the National Asthma Campaign in 1990. The emphasis of the guideline is on effective administration of the medication, especially inhaled steroid which should be used in milder cases than previously recommended. The guideline reiterates that inhaled steroids are the first choice preventive drug and that a long-acting beta-2 agonist should not be used without concomitant inhaled corticoid steroids (The 2003 recommendation that there should be a trial of other treatments before increasing the inhaled steroid dose above 800mg per day in adult and 400 mg per

Gene One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gene One - Essay Example The success that Gene One has had in eight short years has presented a quandary concerning the strategic path Gene One's future. Should Gene One execute of strategy of constancy and continuity Will this type of strategy keep Gene One's competitors from gaining ground on Gene One's share of the market place over the next several years After careful consideration of these perplexing questions, the leadership of Gene One has decided an alternate strategy, as Gene One has not achieved all that they have by continuity alone. Gene One has taken risks that were founded on sound strategy and faith that intelligent men and women with innovative ideas and unsurpassed drive and passion cannot be stopped. These type of people are winners and they accomplish their goals. These factors set the stage for constantly evolving ideas that provided multiple benefits that were accomplished in record time. Seldom has this type of success been achieved in the biotech industry which is considered a risky bu siness in some cases. That said, the Gene One leadership has decided that Gene One must be given an opportunity to experience its maximum growth potential before some piggy back organization with lucrative investors siphon off strategic market areas previously held by Gene One. As with any strategy, there are risks involved. ... As with any strategy, there are risks involved. However, due to Gene One's financial stability, strong leadership and growth potential, these risks are just obstacle that can be turned into positive opportunities. Please note the following: Economic Packages (founders of Gene One, board members and essential personnel) While IPO capital is of extreme importance concerning Gene One's preparations to go public, this topic can not be considered if it does not include job security and economic packages that reward the founders, board members and essential personnel at Gene One for their contributions that have led to the meteoric rise of Gene One over an eight-year timeframe. This is not a difficult problem to solve due to the strategy that will restructure and diversify Gene One while maintaining its technological and competitive edge over the competition. IPO Capital The following is a brief bio of Charles Jones, Gene One's marketing officer: "Two years after Gene Ones's start-up, Don Ruiz, Chief Executive Officer for Gene One, recruited 35-year-old Charles because of his reputation for "smart" risk taking and his biotechnology connections. Don saw him as the perfect person to develop and implement Gene One marketing strategy. Self-confident and moral, Charles easily garners trust for himself and the company." Ruiz, Gene One Company Overview Report Gene One 4 The Gene One leadership feels that while Charles is limited in his abilities to personally design and implement a marketing infrastructure, his overall talents and track record suggests that

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

Christology - Essay Example Though Jesus taught them that He would resurrect on the third day, they were unable to understand its meaning until the miracle took place. This lack of hope is evident from the fact that they thought they were seeing a ghost when they saw the resurrected Jesus (Luke 24:37). Thus, this resurrection became the very foundation of their renewed vigour and hope. As a result, one can see this hope and faith developed through the resurrection of Christ in Acts and Epistles. Acts 2:32-32 says, â€Å"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear†. Some other instances where this resurrection is the central theme are Acts 3:13-18; 4:10-12; 5:29-32; 10:37-43, and so on. Similarly, one can find this resurrection as the main theme in the Epistles. To illustrate, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul provides a number of reasons why this resurrection is the basis of Christian faith. When some people in Corinth fail to believe in the resurrection of the dead, Paul explains the various dire consequences in the absence of resurrection. First, the act of preaching Christ will be futile, and hence, even faith in Christ will be useless. If Jesus were not resurrected from the dead, no one would be redeemed from sin as promised. That means all the preachers would be liars and Christians would become a pitiable lot on the earth. Thus, one can see that it is this resurrection which gave the disciples enough courage and faith in what they preached. This strong influence of the miracle on their faith is visible throughout the Epistles and Acts. Secondly, the Old Testament is full of prophesy about the resurrection, and for those in Israel who believed in Scriptures, the saviour is the one who would win over death. To

Benefits of Patient Representatives and Advocates

Benefits of Patient Representatives and Advocates What are patient representatives and advocates, and in what ways do they benefit patients? There has been an arguable change within the working practices of the healthcare systems in the UK (and elsewhere) in the recent few decades. One can point to the gradual evolution of the general public perception of the doctor / physician from an unchallengeable, unapproachable all-knowing figure embodying benign paternalism at the inception of the NHS to the still knowledgeable, but nevertheless accountable, healthcare professional who has to consider the patient’s needs and requirements but can still be capable of making decisions which may not be in the patient’s best overall interests. (1) This has been coupled with the ascendancy of other stakeholders, such as the pharmaceutical industry, whose aims and objectives may not always run parallel with the concept of holistic patient care. (2) One can also argue that the concept of advocacy has risen to the fore in recent years, as a result of such evolutionary processes, with most stakeholders agreeing that the role of the patient advocate is an essential prerequisite of modern healthcare systems and is believed to be a means of safeguarding good patient care. At first sight, this movement could be considered a universal concept of excellence with no downside, after all, patient centred care and patient empowerment and education are considered current ideals in healthcare delivery and surely patient advocacy must be considered a major tool in helping to achieve these goals? This essay challenges this notion and intends to set out the arguments both for and against this proposition. There is no doubt that the concept of advocacy has gained credence in the recent past and is considered to be a means of safeguarding standards of good patient care. (3) It is perhaps unsurprising that a number of different healthcare professional groupings claim the intrinsic right to be patient advocates suggesting, in support of their claims, that their particular branch of the profession has an inherent capability in the role. Closer inspection might suggest that the different professions, and indeed different individuals within these professions, may actually have different interpretations of, and applications for the role of the patient advocate. (4) The result of this spectrum of beliefs is that there is both confusion and uncertainty as to what advocacy is, or actually should be, what it entails and what values it should have. This is disturbing from an analytical viewpoint, as it is generally agreed that the concept of advocacy brings with it a number of privileges, some of which are largely based on the acceptance of the fact that the patient advocate is presumed to have insights into the way in which patients perceive their own interests, others include an enhancement of the individual’s own professional standing. To expand the first point further. We have used the term â€Å"patients perceived interests† to include their perceived beliefs into their rights and protective mechanisms, including their entitlement of force and degree of input into clinical decision making, relating to their own case. Despite the comments and considerations already presented, we would suggest that inherent in the discussions relating to patient advocacy, will be an element which considers whether there is an actual need for the patient advocate. If we are able to demonstrate a need, then we should also consider exactly what are the features that a patient advocate would need to embody and also it follows that we should discuss who is best suited to fulfil the role. Firstly then, we need to consider whether or not a patient advocate is actually needed in the current mechanisms of delivery of NHS healthcare. Is there actually a need to support patients, to express their perceived needs more vociferously, to ensure that their needs are taken seriously and that their interests are actively promoted? This is probably best illustrated by considering cases at the extreme end of the continuum of need. We can cite recently publicised cases where conjoined twins were separated by direction of a court despite the protestations and direct opposition of their parents (5). One can also consider a more frequently encountered practical problem, where the mentally ill patient decides to stop medication and the doctor in charge of the case disagrees. On face value, these types of situations appear to make a fairly unanswerable case for the existence of the patient advocate. On deeper examination however, one can take the view that the concept of advocacy can appear to impose certain difficulties in the obvious and necessary relationship between the healthcare professional and the patient, which may give it an appearance which is possibly neither required, desirable or actually merited. The presence of an advocate in the therapeutic negotiations between doctor and patient carries with it an implied suggestion that the two parties are not only in conflict over the decisions relating to the best (or most appropriate) treatment for the patient, but that the professionals may not actually have patient’s best interests in sight and may actually have ulterior motives from which the patient needs to be protected. Clearly this is an extreme position, and may well not be representative of the vast majority of doctor-patient interactions. We do not seek to argue against the fact that the ideal (and probably normal) relationship between doctor and patient is anything other than one of holistic care and that the healthcare professional takes the requirements and desires of the patient fully into account when formulating care plans and carrying out professional interactions. If we are correct in the assumption that this is actually the case, then it follows that, in the normal doctor-patient interaction, there is palpably no need for a patient advocate as this can be interpreted as being seen as an inherent part of the professional activity of a healthcare professional. This point of view is enhanced by an examination of the advice given and regulations imposed by the various professional regulatory bodies in the UK. For example, the GMC gives advice to all registered doctors: make the care of your patients your first concern, respect patients dignity and privacy; listen to patients and respect their views; respect the right of patients to be fully involved in decisions about their care. (6) The United Kingdom Central Committee for Nursing and Health Visiting (UKCC) also add that their recommendation is that their registered professionals should â€Å"ensure that the interests of patients inform every act of the practitioner† (cited in 7). Nurses specifically are directed to: act at all times in such a manner as to safeguard and promote the interests of patients and clients. Work in an open and cooperative manner with patients, clients and their families, foster their independence and recognise and respect their involvement in the planning and delivery of care. (8) All of these arguments and professional statements are consistent with the Ethical principal of Beneficence, which effectively charges all healthcare professionals with a duty to protect the patient from harm. It is probably beyond dispute that the vast majority of healthcare professionals, if asked, would suggest that they would adopt these principles in their professional work. If this is the case, then one could reasonably argue that there is no need for the patient advocate since the professionals in the healthcare system are already aware of their responsibilities in this respect and that an insistence on a requirement for a distinct and separate role of a patient advocate could be considered unnecessary, alarmist and fraught with the potential to produce conflict. (9) Part of the discrepancy in these viewpoints becomes obvious when one considers the right of the individual patient and the collective rights of all patients. Healthcare professionals have a duty of beneficence to the patient that they are treating, but there is also a wider responsibility to â€Å"The Public Health† in a general sense, and this certainly is a major source of potential conflict. This is not an academic argument but a very practical one. Closer examination of the documents cited above shows that, for example, the GMC requires doctors to consider and respond to the needs of â€Å"all patients† not just the individual patient that they are treating at the time. This clearly has a huge potential for producing conflict when, since the advent of initiatives such as Fundholding, many doctors also have varying degrees of responsibility for running their own budgets which then directly reflect on patient care. (2). Such conflicts enhance the perception, by the public at large, that their own perceived individual interests are being balanced by the doctor (or other healthcare professional) against the interests of other factions. If the doctor needs to prioritise treatment (as inevitably they must in a rationed service such as the NHS), the patient may believe that their own needs are being subsumed by a consideration of the greater public good, thereby depriving them of both autonomy and the possibility of achieving those treatment goals that would otherwise have been set for them. (10) One only has to consider the furore surrounding the Alderhey organ retention issue to appreciate that such a view has a considerable validity and topical resonance. This issue has been addressed by a number of authorities in the past. In a milestone paper on the issue, Fried compared the role of the advocate in the medical field with the eponymous role in the legal profession. (11) He drew a number of analogies between the doctor patient relationship and the relationship between the lawyer and the client, describing them both as non-utilitarian because: The ideal of professional loyalty to ones client permits, even demands, an allocation of the lawyers time, passion, and resources in ways that are not always maximally conducive to the greatest good for the greatest number. Both professions affirm the principle that the professionals primary loyalty is to his client, his patient. The case would therefore seem to be made for the presence of the patient advocate, although it is neither as transparent nor as clear cut as it might appear on first consideration. If we now consider the argument from a different perspective, we could look at the reasons why the calls for advocacy still persist in the literature. The NHS Plan 2000 called for the acceptance of multidisciplinary team working and the adoption of the concept of the healthcare team. As a result of this initiative, decisions relating to patient care tend to me made more often by a multi-input team of professionally qualified individuals than by one individual alone, particularly in the hospital setting ( although the same comments are arguably less true in a primary healthcare team setting). (12) In general terms, such decisions are made when the patient is typically ill, vulnerable or may have diminished degrees of (legal) competence. In circumstances such as these, it is easy to see why some authorities can argue that the patient may need a degree of extra support (possibly both practical and moral) to be sure that their own wishes, preferences and choices are heard, weighed and fully considered by the team. This is particularly the case where the patient’s choices may appear to be bizarre, irrational or counterintuitive. Certainly it is the case when the patient’s choice is not the one that is preferred by the clinical staff. Authorities such as Seedhouse suggest that, in these circumstances, the patient advocate can assume the mantle of helping the patient translate their expressed desires into a cogent treatment plan and to help to steer the healthcare team in the direction preferred by the patient. (13). The practicalities of this function being invested in a professional member of the treatment team become obvious when one considers that it is still normal practice to exclude the patient, even intelligent and informed ones, from the discussion forum where treatment plans and goals are formulated. The advocate can thereby ensure that the patient’s wishes and desires are still represented even in the circumstances when the patient is absent. (14). The other side of this argument is that the dual role of the patient advocate is also to report back to the patient the decisions of the team in a language and a context that is appropriate for the patient’s level of comprehension, thereby keeping the patient informed of decisions made. This degree of communication also provides an obstacle in the arguments supporting advocacy because it implies a full understanding and clear insight , by the advocate, of the patient’s needs (as the patient perceives them) so that the advocate can present them to the healthcare professionals in the team. Incomplete understanding of these issues can clearly lead to distortion and bias which undermines the usefulness of the arrangement. We alluded earlier to the fact that there was â€Å"both confusion and uncertainty as to what advocacy is, or actually should be†. Before we examine the subject further, it is useful to consult the literature for authorities on the subject. We have already presented Seedhouse’s view that an advocate speaks on behalf of another person as that person perceives his interests. This may be true, but it is not the way that advocacy is generally employed in the medical literature and medical practice. A brief overview of the literature on the subject will reveal a number of different interpretations of the essential characteristics of a patient advocate specifically in the healthcare setting and these include: Inform the patient and promote informed consent (8) Empower the patient and protect autonomy. (12) Protect the rights and interests of patients where they cannot protect their own. (3) Ensure patients have fair access to available resources. (15) Support the patient no matter what the potential cost (4) Represent the views/desires of the patient and not just their needs (4) If we follow Schwartz’s analysis it would appear that advocacy has two related tensions: Conflict between what can reasonably be an expected duty of health care practitioners, and what might be beyond reasonable expectations The difficulty in distinguishing between what is actual representation of patients wishes, and what is an assertion of what the advocate believes to be in the best interests of the patient, which would be better described as paternalism. The logical conclusion from the first point is that there is a dichotomy of opinion as to whether advocacy is an essential ethical professional duty or whether it is a burden which is not an essential prerequisite, but a choice that can be made voluntarily. It follows, from the arguments already set out, that if a patient advocate assumes the mantle of agreeing to try to present the patient’s perceptions of their situation and needs, unconditionally and accurately, then they may find themselves in a dilemma of discovering that the patient’s choices conflict with their own and require professional compromise which they may be unwilling to make. On a different level, it may impose a burden of anticipated conflict with other professionals. This may put the patient advocate in a situation which is clearly at odds with the views and guidance published by the profession’s governing bodies expressed earlier. For these (and other) reasons, we could therefore argue that advocacy may be better described as an admirable choice rather than and expectation and duty of healthcare professionals. (16). Wu (17) gives a good practical illustration of this point. How should a potential patient advocate respond to a request for an amputation of a healthy limb from a patient suffering from a body dimorphic syndrome? One might suspect that such a request would produce considerable conflict in the professional practice of the advocate, quite apart from the almost certain conflict that it would arouse with most other professionals when this view was expressed. The assumption of such a role in these circumstances would suggest that the advocate would have to exhibit unconditional support of the patient’s expressed needs and the ability to suppress their own professional feelings on the subject. The concept of paternalism is commonly confused with advocacy in the literature. Some authorities refer to advocacy (wrongly in our view) as the action of assisting a patient through their illness trajectory, or particular clinical procedure, by acting as a resource to provide clarification, advice and education. Halbach (18) suggests that this type of activity is not advocacy for the patient, as it is not as a representative of the patient that the advocate is acting, but as a representative of the healthcare system and clearly this is quite a different concept. It is clearly admirable to help and guide the patient through the complexities of a medical procedure and to minimise the possibilities of miscommunication that can occur if the patient’s own intellectual capacities and abilities are limited. This type of â€Å"advocacy† does not however, represent the patient, Indeed, one could argue that such paternalism may be inadvertently (or even overtly) utilised as an opportunity of the albeit well meaning healthcare professional to bias or frankly manipulate the patient into making the preferred choice. This type of activity, although promoted as one of the attributes and requirements of advocacy, does little to clarify the confusion that exists in this area, as it is essentially doing what the healthcare professional believes is best for the patient, or in the patient’s best interests, even though it may actually override the patient’s expressed needs. It needs to be contrasted with the definition of advocacy that we are arguing in this essay which is advocating what the patient wants, even if this goes against what the healthcare professional actually believes is best for the patient. Obviously there are a number of clinical situations where advocacy and paternalism may appear to overlap, but a critical analysis of the situation should allow a clear, albeit fine, distinction between these two states. If the overriding analysis is that the advocate is essentially supporting the decisions that they believe are in the best interests of the patient, but not necessarily putting forward the views of the patient, then the action is paternalistic. This difference is all the more important when the patient is actually capable of expressing their own considered views in any event Malin (19) reminds us of the generally accepted definition of paternalism which is to override a person’s autonomously self determined choices on the grounds that they believe that it is in the patient’s best interests. If this is presented as paternalism then so be it. If it is presented as advocacy, then it is morally and ethically wrong. There are occasionally circumstances in which it is not possible to be sure of exactly what the patient wants. The paradox is that those who are able to express themselves are probably least likely to require an advocate and yet those who are actually in the greatest need of advocacy are those who may be unconscious or legally incompetent. If we embrace the arguments that we have set out so far, it follows that the healthcare professional who is acting in the capacity as patient advocate must do all that they can to help the patient. This is morally appropriate and recognised as part of the responsibility of the office. This is in direct distinction from considerations relating to the rest of the community, ones colleagues or, for that matter, other patients, which must not be considered if they are antagonistic to the position that the patient finds themselves in. The thrust of this argument clearly means that there may well be situations encountered, which may professionally, or even personally, compromise the activities of the patient advocate. We can return to Fried’s analogy with the criminal lawyer advocate in an attempt to find a compromise solution. Later in his article, Fried points to the fact that lawyers have to compromise themselves to provide optimum help for their clients and this includes acting knowing that they may compromise the position of others. As we have already outlined, a healthcare professional who agrees to be a patient advocate, may have to antagonise others if they are to carry out their duties impartially and with a proper ethical respect for client autonomy. (20) Fried takes his rationalisation to the limits when he states: The lawyer acts morally because he helps to preserve and express the autonomy of his client vis-à  -vis the legal system. Rights are violated if, through ignorance or misinformation about the law, an individual refrains from pursuing a wholly lawful purpose. Therefore, to assist others in understanding and realising their legal rights is always morally worthy. (11) If we accept the validity of this argument then we can also accept the corollary can apply to healthcare professionals. True representation is, in Fried’s terms, morally worthy and can be justified because it protects patient autonomy in the face of a â€Å"potentially overwhelming and intimidating healthcare system† (21) To bring this thread of argument full circle, we can point to the fact that it can therefore be considered part of the duty of the healthcare professional to provide assistance and guidance because, by virtue of their training knowledge and expertise, they have the experience to be expert navigators in the healthcare system. In the words of Schwartz The patient advocate assists the patient to do what they would otherwise be unable to do themselves. These arguments justify numbers five and six on the list above. Having established both the need and the parameters of the role of the patient advocate, we should now consider the qualities and the position of the patient advocate in general terms. The patient may be in a position to fulfil the role adequately themselves. In theoretical terms this may be seen as the best possible outcome, as clearly the ability to give informed consent is a natural sequel to the ability to represent oneself. In practical terms this is seldom accomplished as, by the very nature of being a patient, there is an implication of the state of illness and this brings with it a degree of vulnerability in all but the most stoic of individuals. Few patients have sufficient knowledge to be able to assimilate all that is told to them in the context of their illness and may also therefore benefit from having an â€Å"external† or uninvolved advocate. The friends and family of a patient are natural candidates for the role as they generally know the patient as a person, they are familiar with their needs and desires and can (sometimes) be relied upon to have an empathetic desire to ensure the best outcome for the patient. Such candidates may not be universally altruistic however, as there may be the possibility of family and friends having a vested interest in a less than optimum outcome of a patient’s illness. They may therefore be perceived as being at risk of overtly manipulating the situation or misrepresenting the patient, as there may be an outcome-related benefit for the family member. Inevitably there will be a commitment to a great deal of involvement, both in terms of time and emotional energy, which may be generously given, but should not be taken for granted. Such comments should obviously be considered by the healthcare professionals involved, but this should not be allowed to blind them to the common clinical e xperience that the vast majority of friends and family who wish to have an input in these circumstances are often both informed (about the patient) and deeply committed on their behalf. We should draw attention to the fact that some cultures and healthcare systems have experimented with the concept of the professional patient advocate, particularly in the area of psychiatric disease. (22). In countries such as Canada and Austria, patient advocates are trained and employed specifically to fulfil this role and nothing else. The theory being that by doing this there is no conflict of interest, and the element of paternalism is effectively eradicated from the scenario. Such advocacy should be in its purest form therefore with undivided loyalty to the interests of the patient and no professional bias or personality issues. In such a context, it is believed that there will be less intimidation or inhibition by medical beliefs or dogma and their official status will prevent them from being ignored. The studies that have been carried out in this area have revealed a downside which may not have been widely anticipated. The presence of a designated and professional patient advocate in the decision making process has the ability to engender an adversarial atmosphere where healthcare professionals may adopt a defensive stance which is not optimal for efficient and effective patient care, particularly in the field of psychiatric illness. (23). Practical difficulties ensue when personnel, who may not have wide experience in assessing and handling people in the course of an illness trajectory, may actually be unable to accurately assess the patient’s own goals, values and beliefs. Because such projects are still in their infancy, a number of other potential practical problems have yet to be resolved. The issue of responsibility and accountability is not formalised. One has to question the options open to a patient who finds that they believe that their professional advocate has given them bad advice or poor representation. There are, as yet, no formalised pathways for redress. Doctors have a track record of fulfilling the role as the patient advocate. To an extent, it may be considered a natural extension of their â€Å"job description† and role in the community. Some doctors may be more fitted than others by virtue of their particular position in the medical hierarchy, their personality or their disposition towards particular patients. For example the GP is likely to have built up a relationship over the years with many of his patients and will know them, their families, their wishes, and their personality intimately. One might think that they might be prime candidates for the job. Equally a specialist who may have no knowledge of the patient and may be (for example) and excellent technician in his field but suffers from an inability to communicate well with patients may be a very poor candidate. In addition to these considerations we have already referred to the potential conflict of interests which have arisen in respect of GP Fundholding in the UK where the GP has a theoretical, and in some cases, real problem in balancing his ethical duty to the patient with his financial responsibilities to the community at large (2). For this reason, some doctors find that they cannot realistically act for the interests of the individual patient when they are overtly conscious of their obligations to the pressures of funding a balanced service for the community at large. Some doctors also have cultivated a paternalistic approach to their practice. This is an observation and not intended as criticism, as some would hold that it is an approach which works, and is appreciated by certain sections of the community. (24) In the context of this essay however, for reasons which we have set out in detail above, it is an approach which is not compatible with our definition of advocacy. Such an approach is capable of not being trusted to set out the patient’s interests as the patient perceives them. As we have illustrated earlier, it is more likely to be set out as the doctor believes would be best for the patient, and this removes the possibility of true patient autonomy. (25) Acting in accordance with the Principle of beneficence does not necessarily imply that one is acting in accordance with the patient’s explicit wishes. We have also considered peripherally, the fact that, in acting in a capacity as an advocate, a doctor may find certain other professional conflicts of interest and may therefore find his capacity to act as an unbiased advocate severely impaired. Traditionally the nurse has frequently filled the role of the patient advocate and, on face value, it would appear that the nurse is possibly in the most favourable position to fulfil the role. (26) The nurse has a professional medical training and is well versed with healthcare procedures and practicalities. In a hospital setting, they are the healthcare professionals who tend to spend most of their professional time in direct contact with the patients and are therefore perhaps best placed to be able to holistically assess their needs, aspirations and goals in the widest connotation of these terms. Their professional body (the UKCC) endorses their involvement in this role. The converse of these points include the fact that the nurse, like the doctor, has potential conflicts of professional interest, not often the financial considerations that may fall to the doctor, but other considerations, where there is an antagonism of a professional position where there is a duty to society in general, or perhaps a duty to the profession and the duty to the patient in the role of a patient advocate. A topical situation could be illustrated by the debate over Herceptin (Trastuzumab) which has not yet been fully evaluated and costed by the regulatory authorities, but is in demand by sufferers of advanced forms of breast malignancy. If a nurse was acting in the capacity of an advocate for such a patient, one would have to consider how she would resolve her professional difficulties in recommending a drug that is not yet fully licensed, her duty to society in general to uphold the regulatory pharmaceutical mechanisms and her obligations to the patient who is telling her that she believes that this drug is her best chance of long term survival. (after 27) The NHS Plan 2000 sets out to promote the â€Å"seamless interface of care† between healthcare professionals together with concepts such as multidisciplinary team working. (28) Such concepts are difficult to reconcile with what may transpire to become an adversarial situation. As we have already examined this type of situation in respect of doctors, we shall therefore not set it out again. It is however, appropriate to observe that this adversarial element may be particularly problematic for the nurse as working practices in the past have required appropriate deference to the doctor, and this shift of loyalty may cause particular difficulty in those healthcare professionals who are uncomfortable with this apparent change of stance. Lastly, we note that the formal nursing and medical training in the UK does not currently contain any element of specific learning about this topic. (12). Clearly the general knowledge relating to the workings of the healthcare services and the profession specific training are good preparations for the role but it is quite possible to become qualified without becoming aware of the potential problems associated with advocacy that have been set out here. Medical law and ethics are traditionally poorly represented in the professional curriculum (29) as is specific training in communication skills and the art of negotiation. There is one point that is common to all potential patient advocates that we have not yet addressed. We have considered the fact that the patient may make seemingly irrational, bizarre or idiosyncratic choices may place the patient advocate in a difficult position. If this is the case,