Pathophysiology of Alzheimers Disease - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1207 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Essay Did you like this example? Alzheimers disease is a slow, chronic, and insidious disease that works its way into its manifestations for years. It is the most common form of dementia, which is a term used for severe memory loss that will interfere with daily living (What is Alzheimers?). Alzheimers is much more than forgetting to turn off the stove after cooking, but may begin this way. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Pathophysiology of Alzheimers Disease" essay for you Create order This disease begins its progression by causing little things to slip the mind of the person suffering from the disease, and can lead to forgetting to bring in the groceries, getting lost on the way home, or even forgetting a loved one. This disease is not only hard for the patient, but can take a toll on the patients family and can lead to very difficult and emotional times for the family. It is extremely important to understand signs and symptoms of Alzheimers disease and to understand the pathophysiology behind the disease to better prepare and notice the onset of the disease in patients and loved ones alike. Pathophysiology The pathophysiology of Alzheimers is important to know so that early signs may be noticed and understood, and so that it may be treated correctly, not only medically, but therapeutically. It is known that as the body ages, the structures in the body and the functions that once worked properly may slow down or stop working as time goes on. One of the functions that begin to deteriorate with age is the blood brain barrier, which acts as a semipermeable membrane in the brain to regulate what enters and what exits the brain. It is important to regulate what comes into the brain, but issues occur more often when this barrier does not allow wastes to exit the brain. The body has ways of allowing wastes to get removed from the brain, but this will begin to deteriorate with age just as other functions deteriorate with time. The wastes staying in the brain begin to play a vital role in the onset of Alzheimers (Nizari, Romero, Hawkes, 2017). Etiology and Risk Factors There are many risk factors that may lead to Alzheimers disease, and unfortunately there are very few modifiable risk factors which makes this disease very difficult to avoid. One of the main risk factors of Alzheimers is age. Most people with Alzheimers are found to be above age 65. Patients who are under age 65 and develop Alzheimers are diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers. It is unknown why some people develop Alzheimers earlier than others, but it is rare (Graff-Radford, 2017). It has been found in a population based study that females are more likely to develop Alzheimers (Cheng, Tsao, Su, Sung, Tai, Kung, 2018). The same study also found that there are some modifiable factors that may lead to Alzheimers, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, which may be prevented through a healthy diet and regular exercise (Cheng, Tsao, Su, Sung, Tai, Kung, 2018). History of Alzheimers disease in the family also makes a great impact on development of this particula r form of dementia (Cheng, Tsao, Su, Sung, Tai, Kung, 2018). Manifestations. The beginning signs and symptoms of Alzheimers disease begin with forgetting small things, such as forgetting to turn off the lights in the house before leaving. These beginning symptoms can also involve misplacing items, such as putting the car keys in the refrigerator. In the beginning it is easy to laugh it off and move on, but as the disease progresses it becomes apparent that something more severe than an occasional slip up is occurring. In early stages, patients with Alzheimers will begin developing short term memory loss, such as forgetting something that was just said moments ago (What is Alzheimers?). Memory issues are not the only signs of developing Alzheimers. There are also manifestations of dysphagia, dysphasia, and trouble with walking or balance (What is Alzheimers?). It is important to remember that the person developing these symptoms may not be aware, and may deny any symptoms. Oftentimes the family will see the symptoms before the patient does, and should search for help to keep this loved one from developing more issues in a shorter amount of time (What is Alzheimers?). Complications. Complications of this disease do not only involve health related issues, but include complications from the patient being put in danger due to the lack of memory and cognitive function. Patients with Alzheimers may forget to turn off the stove at night after cooking, which can put the patient at risk of starting a fire, which also puts others at risk. These patients may also forget to eat or drink, which brings up risk of dehydration and malnutrition. Development of malnutrition is common with Alzheimers patients, and patients with other forms of dementia, and can lead to a quicker progression of the disease (Sun, Wen, Zhou, Ding, 2017). Diagnostics. There are multiple ways for a doctor to determine whether or not the patient is suffering from Alzheimers disease. After obtaining a thorough history of the patient and the family history, the doctor will then undergo a series of functional tests. The tests are to test neurological function and include testing reflexes, coordination, eye movement, speech, and sensation (Medical Tests). The doctor may also perform mental status testing which include tests such as a Mini-Mental State Exam or an MMSE, or a Mini-Cog test (Medical Tests). The MMSE test is a scoring system that is rated from 0-30, and is based off of a number of questions that the doctor may ask to determine cognitive function and memory. The lower the score, the more severe the case of Alzheimers is (Medical Tests). The Mini-Cog test is another way of looking at cognitive function and memory by remembering a list of objects and repeating them in a short amount of time, or drawing a clock with the numbers 1-12 in the appropriate area, and putting arrows to show the time that the doctor has stated (Medical Tests). Finally, the doctor may order brain imaging tests such as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or an MRI. The doctor may also choose to do a computed tomography, more commonly known as a CT scan. These tests help to rule out other possible issues that may be leading to loss of cognitive function, such as a stroke or a tumor that may be affecting the brain (Medical Tests). Conclusion Alzheimers disease can be an extremely difficult one to see a loved one develop, and can be frustrating to develop as well. It is important to know the history of family members to understand possible risk factors, and allowing preparation and prevention over time. It is also important to take care of the body through regular exercise and healthy diet, as this can affect the brain drastically, and lead to modifiable risk factors that may lead to Alzheimers. Looking for signs at an early stage may help slow the process of brain deterioration through this form of dementia, but there is still no cure at this time. Remember to be patient with loved ones and patients who may be dealing with the progression of this disease, and understand that this is very difficult on both sides. Therapeutic communication through this process can be one of the best treatments for all people affected by this.

Internship At The Bibb County Sheriff Department Essay

Orientation to My Internship at the Bibb County Sherriff Department I am honored to the opportunity to internship at the Bibb County Sheriff Department supervised by Cindy Gresham, the executive assistant of this agencies. Historically, there were two agencies ensuring public safety in Bibb County, The Bibb County Sheriff Department and the Macon Police Department. There were five attempts to consolidate the two agencies, but consolidation was unsuccessful. However in 2003, the two agencies were consolidated into one unified government formally known as the â€Å"The Bibb County Sheriff Department.† This consolidations prompted a complete reconstruction of the unified agencies. There were new policies and rankings implemented and the creation of a newly organized board. This paper will explain the mission of the agency, the types of services provided, sources of revenue, the administration and organization structure, and community resources utilized. Mission and Purpose of the Bibb County Sheriff Department The mission of the Bibb County Sheriff Department is visible through the actions of the department under the leadership of Sheriff David Davis. Similar to Sir Robert Peel and the Bobbies, the mission of the Bibb County Sheriff Department is to maintain order and ensure public safety through formal social control. This year the department launched a new initiative known as â€Å"PRIDE† implemented by Sheriff Davis. PRIDE is an acronym that represents presence, reaction,

Food is Art free essay sample

According to writer, Albert Camus, â€Å"Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurants revolving door. † A good restaurant should contain a luminous environment, delicious food, and have a friendly staff. Benihanas excels in all of these categories, which is what makes it such a great restaurant. Now let me tell you a few reasons why this restaurant is so good. Benihanas has a beautiful environment from the exterior to the interior. When you first walk up you notice that the exterior always is well picked up and the bushes are always trimmed and the paint looks always new. There is a waiter waiting to open the doors for your entrance and direct you to the bar while you wait, that is if you need to be waited. The inside always has wiped down tables, fresh plates, and silverware that are neatly folded in a napkin. There is beautiful Japanese art like Samurai Soldiers, Straight 2 Buddha’s and cherry blossom plants that fill the walls. The restaurant makes you feel like you are relaxed, comfortable, and at peace. In addition to their great art and good environment, they have amazing food. The most interesting fact about Benihanas is that they cook on an amazing hibachi grill. They serve fried rice, filet minion, shrimp, scallops, and calamari all cooked to your taste. Dinner comes with a salad and onion soup as a side dish or sushi rolls if you choose to order them. The chefs, while cooking, perform countless tricks. One is known as the â€Å"egg roll†, which is when they spin the egg and make it roll down the spatula before they break it and add it to the rice. The other is the onion volcano were they stack the onion layers on top of one another and add oil to the inside and then the heat from the grill causes smoke to rise above the onion shaped volcano. Lastly the heart beat rice, they shape the rice into a heart and put their spatula underneath it and pump it as if the rice has a rapid heartbeat. The best part is seeing them cook right in front of you so you know the food is fresh, cooked right, and not tampered with. That being said along with their amazing food they also have an amazing staff. Benihanas staff is wonderful and they have the friendliest individuals with great personalities that make your time there really fun and interesting. When you first walk in depending on what time you go of course, they greet you with the most welcoming of smiles. They have you seated and treat you with the utpmost respect and pay attention Straight 3 to each detail to make sure you get the best satisfaction. The chefs entertain you the whole time by either making jokes or doing funny tricks to make sure everyone is having a good time, so they really interact with their guest to make you feel like you’re at home with a bunch of family and friends. The waitresses and waiters always make sure you are enjoying your meal as well. From a recent experience, I had dropped my pop on the floor, which to my dismay I was as a red as a siracha bottle. She told me it was ok which made me feel safe and less embarrassed. Benihanas is the best Japanese restaurant. Yes there are other hibachi grills but nothing compares to Benihanas. They have a wonderful, fun, and clean environment with amazing food and a wonderful staff. The chefs and waitresses always make sure your well taken care of and that you have a good time. This will always be a restaurant I want to go to, and I will always crave the hibachi grill. and iIf you don’t believe me, thean go see for yourself. Evaluation Essay Grading Rubric ENG 121 Instructor: Kathy Mullins Student: Brittney Outstanding Strong Adequate Limited / Unacceptable Writer’s Approach analysis presents fresh and defensible insights into the topic academic in tone, demonstrating a clear sense of purpose and audience writer’s voice is evident—confident, competent, and sophisticated vocabulary and phrasing are academically appropriate and persuasive writer is clearly engaged with and moved by her/his thinking process Audience The writer clearly conveys through tone, vocabulary, and approach that he/she has identified a specific audience for the essay. Introduction engaging introduces the essay’s general topic and inspires thinking about that topic logically proceeds to thesis (if appropriate) clearly written or revised to reflect thoughts that developed during the writing process Thesis easily identifiable, well-phrased argument that addresses a specific idea to be analyzed and proven in the essay reflects sound critical, analytical thinking entire essay remains focused on this clear thesis Body Paragraphs each paragraph focuses on a single point that is clearly connected to the thesis graceful and logical transitions between ideas within the paragraph and from paragraph to paragraph. Conclusion The conclusion does more than simply summarize the points of each paragraph. In short, it sizzles instead of fizzles. Outside Sources writer makes sophisticated, insightful points and uses concrete details from at least _____ reputable outside sources to support these points and the thesis powerfully chosen evidence is thoroughly examined, explained, and clearly relevant to the thesis ratio of outside sources to writer’s words/ideas does not exceed (roughly) 20/80 Direct quotes, summaries, and paraphrases always include a â€Å"signal phrase† to introduce the source, establish credibility, and provide context for the source Quotes are followed by analysis, explanation, interpretation, examples, etc. Appropriate MLA in-text citations used Paraphrases (or summaries) were clearly written by the student and do not reflect a â€Å"copy-paste-change-a-few-words† approach Not applicable Works Cited appropriately formatted Works Cited page that follows all MLA rules and conventions Works Cited entries match appropriately formatted in-text citations Not applicable Mechanics, Syntax, and Grammar Effective mechanics, syntax, and grammar demonstrate a mastery of writing conventions, do not confuse or distract the reader, and serve the author’s purpose. Other (for specific writing assignments): The writer has identified clear and specific criteria for the evaluation. The essay is between 2 ? and 3 pages long. It is double-spaced, uses 12 point Times New Roman font, and has the appropriate headers. Writing Workshop – The writer brought the assigned number of printed copies of a complete rough draft to the writing workshop(s) and fully participated in the peer review process. WORKSHOP POINTS See D2L Gradebook TOTAL ESSAY POINTS 40/50 Mid-Point Writing Reflection (and Kathy’s response) Here is what you wrote on the D2L Discussion Board as you were in the process of writing this essay. We did not do this with the first essay. This section is for essays 2 – 5. Dear Kathy Letter (and Kathy’s response) Here is what you wrote when you were finished with your essay. Dear Kathy, I think my paper wasn’t necessarily hard but I did think I could have put more similes or more details in there to make it sound a little better. I did struggle a bit knowing exactly how to write an evaluation, but I did read the evaluations in the book but I just couldn’t understand the steps to follow. So I went ahead and printed an evaluation outline which helped a lot and writing the paper ran more smoothly. I would like a lot of feedback in the detail area and I would like it if you could help me find areas in the paper that I can brighten more. I feel that I should use Purdue owl or perhaps read a poem or something to get an idea of how to lighten up my writing. Since my last essay reflection I feel I have gotten better with my grammar and my punctuation. Brittney, your strength in this essay is definitely organization. I’m glad you looked online for an example outline. Way to be resourceful! ? One thing to watch out for is that you stick with the criteria you identify for your evaluation. You tell your reader that a good restaurant should have â€Å"delicious food,† but you never once describe the mouthwatering, savory goodness of Benihanas’ food! I also agree that you could â€Å"lighten up† your writing, but I think you’re making great progress already. I could see good examples of descriptive writing throughout your essay. I think it will just take practice to make it feel more natural. You’re definitely on the right track! I’m looking forward to reading your next essay. Kathy Reflection on Personal Writing Goals (and Kathy’s response) Here is what you wrote about your progress toward your self-identified writing goals. You have not set goals yet. This section is for essays 2 – 5. WRITING PLAN Follow the instructions in each of the sections below. When you are finished, upload the new document to the appropriate D2L Dropbox by the specified due date. Reflection on Feedback Re-read your essay. As you read your words, stop and read the feedback I wrote in the margins of your essay. Also look at the grading rubric and my comments at the end of your essay. In the space below, reflect on this feedback: What feedback made the most sense or was the most helpful? Be specific. (â€Å"When you said, _____, I realized ______. †) Did any of my feedback confuse you? If so, what was it? Again, be specific. Now that you have a fresh perspective on your essay, what do you like best about your writing? Writing Goals and Plans Identify 1 or 2 goals for your next essay. Goals do not have to be related to my feedback. They can be about any part of the writing process, but they should not be about grammar! Goal One: How will you work on this goal? What, specifically, will you do? Goal Two: How will you work on this goal? What, specifically, will you do? Editing Challenge What is your editing challenge for your next essay? (I will identify an â€Å"Editing Challenge† somewhere in your essay. ) Run-on sentences How did you learn about your topic? Highlight all that apply. How to Write Anything textbook Writer’s Help (www. writershelp. com) Video (list video creator/site below) Website (list website below) A friend/parent A teacher Writing Center consultant Writing Center handout Grammar guide/book (list title below) Other (please explain) Tell me, in your own words, about this topic. What are the rules/best practices? Write the original AND the edited version of your highlighted sentence here. (If you did not have a highlighted sentence, just write â€Å"N/A† here. ) Upload this new document to the appropriate D2L Dropbox by 8:35 am on March 3! Grading Rubric Points Criteria 8 – 10 Each section of the Essay Reflection is complete, and the quality of the work reflects obvious care, interest, and a true commitment to improving your writing practice. 6 – 7 Each section of the Essay Reflection is complete, but one or more sections may be overly brief or lacking depth. 1 – 5 Limited responses and/or incomplete sections. 0 Essay Reflection not turned in.

Movie Review A Time To Kill Essay Example For Students

Movie Review: A Time To Kill Essay Movie Review: A Time To KillI never read A Time To Kill by John Grisham because the book bored me. But Iwonder why it did bore me because the movie was engrossing and entertaining. Maybe it is because Akiva Goldsman took out most of the boring parts. I usuallylove Grisham, but this book was just too slow. However, another thing that madethe movie more entertaining is the actors. The movie begins with the rape scene that you have probably heard about. If youhavent, its a quick-edited scene so it doesnt show much, but still makes yourstomach churn. Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) describes it graphically inhis summation. Anyway, what makes the scene so shocking is that it is a 10 yearold girl being raped. The two men are captured and while ascending a staircasefor their preliminary trial, the girls father, Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson), runs out of a closet with a gun and shoots the two men and a cop. Thetwo men die and the cop has his leg amputated. This sets off the main plot of the story. Hailey gets Brigance to defend him forvirtually nothing. During a courtroom scene, Eileen Roarke (Sandra Bullock, in asurprisingly small role for having top billing) helps Brigance to get the trialmoved to another town. Unfortunately, the judge (Patrick McGoohan) decidesagainst moving the trial. Brigance needs to get a jury of young, married menwith children. What does he get? A jury of women and old men. So Brigance hashis work cut out for him, especially when he is up against the cruel andcheating Rufus Buckley (Kevin Spacey). The film moves along quickly, which I wasnt expecting. The movie is 145 minuteslong, but it seems shorter than this. The book is over 500 pages, so Goldsmanhad his work cut out for him. But he did a great job and made the movie moreentertaining than the book. As I said, the actors must have had something to dowith it as well. Matthew McConaughey is superb as Brigance. This is his firstmovie and it will probably make him famous. His summation is one of the bestparts of the movie. He says it with great emotion that, not only can the juryrelate with, but so can the audience. Samuel L. Jackson is always good and there is one particular scene where hegives a small talk to Brigance. It is powerful, even if it is short. Thats howgood Jackson is. Sandra Bullock, in a supporting role, is charming as always. Kevin Spacey, in his first role since The Usual Suspects, is okay but not asbrilliant as his Oscar winning performance from his last film. Keifer Sutherlandis just plain mean as the Ku Klux Klan member. And Donald Sutherland is good asthe drunken teacher of Brigance. A Time To Kill is rated R. There is a fair amount of violence and language, andthe rape scene is pretty graphic for what they could show. But the performances(especially by McConaughey) are outstanding and the story is quick-paced. Thisis the worst of Grishams movies (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, and The Client)but by far the most powerful and emotional. Music and Movies

Sports affects schoolwork Essay Example For Students

Sports affects schoolwork? Essay Some schools require each student to participate in an organized school sport chosen by the student. People at these schools argue that athletics is an important part of the educational experience and that there should be a rule requiring participation. Others argue that students should be free to decide whether or not they wish to participate in organized school sports. Write an essay for a classroom instructor in which you take a position on whether or participation in organized school athletics should be required. Be sure to defend your position with logical arguments and appropriate examples. Answer: Upon reading both arguments of the pupils, I have decided that I am in support of students should be free to decide whether or not they wish to participate in organized school sports. There are several reasons I have stated below in support of my opinion. We will write a custom essay on Sports affects schoolwork? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now After all United States is a free country so this small school dilemma should not abide the rules. By second hand knowledge, I have learned that all schools in United States or possibly around the world should always have a physical activity in school. By this I mean, a class that helps students to burn their calories, or better yet a class that will keep them fit and healthy. Doesnt this sound familiar? Indeed it does. Thats because we already have a class that conducts physical fitness and sports scheduled in different semesters of the school year. This course is what we call Physical Education A.K.A P.E. In this class we are able to participate in a school sport and play our favorite activity. Students are also required to do some exercises in this class simultaneously. If the requirement is not reached the student is not going to be able to pass the P.E class. Hence, I strongly feel that it is not necessary on creating the rule on joining a sport is required for each student. Occupying a student on a sport is good physically. But a student does not gain what we call book smarts. Making a student join a sport is in effects of the student having less time for their homework or assignments. Not all students are the same. Some can concentrate on both and some can only concentrate on one thing. We should take this in consideration. In conclusion, I believe that we should give each student a chance to express themselves by giving them a freedom on which they choose whether they would like to or not participate in a sport. Each student has their own will to choose their paths in life. We are here to guide them to discover and set up their own goal not to impose them.

buy custom Sexual Orientation essay

buy custom Sexual Orientation essay Gender determines the type of jobs one is able to get and work on females are the grade school teachers as opposed to male principals in high schools in fact some states dont allow males to teach grades lower than the sixth grade (such a nationality favors males). Female doctors are so few with some states having even less than five gynecologists and in the military they add up to 2 percent these being mainly nurses (Richards, 2000). This makes females to be of a lower financial class as compared to males. Females also are not at free will to choose whether to become lesbians, as they will not be recognized. Both Amy Richards and Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz bring multiple identities forth and they consider identities such as class, race, skin color, sex orientation, nationality among others. According to Richards, the young women and girls have restrictions in their activities. For example, they cannot play soccer or form teams. Besides, having sex determines their chances of getting stable future partners. It is also evident that females cannot get most services without male escorts signatures from their husbands; they are denied bar or restraint services or important operations on their bodies without their consent. Generally, sexism is a form of discrimination due to sex. However, in the case of these authors, this is different. For instance, Lisa shows that class, race, religion (anti-Semitism) and sex orientation (lesbianism) all affect sexism. This author strongly brings out the confusion amongst mixed-class, mixed-religion, mixed-race people can undergo especially when the character could not know where to be classified between the white (she has a white complexion) and the colored. Often confusion is mixed with anger and a feeling of rejection. Feminism is encouraged by the author as a form of dealing with racism and general oppression. Buy custom Sexual Orientation essay

Operations Management and the Operations Manager Essay

Operations Management and the Operations Manager - Essay Example The operations manager is also responsible for the layout of the manufacturing plant and its structure, planning for the project management methods as well as the selection of the right equipment as well as replacement. The operations manager is also responsible for all the operational services such as scheduling and control of production, management of inventory, control and inspection of quality, traffic and handling if materials, as well as formulating and enforcing the implementation of equipment maintenance policies. An operations manager also is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth operations of various processes that add up to the production of various goods and services of an organization. This individual typically has a lot of responsibilities as he does a bit of just everything. In a bit just to summarize the responsibilities of an operational manager, it is worth stating that he is responsible for logistics management, budget management, operational strategizing, manage support services as well as managing third party relations (Opsman,

Dual task experiment proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dual task experiment proposal - Essay Example Therefore determination of the effectiveness of dual or multiple tasks over single task is very important in many areas. It is interested to know whether someone can perform multiple and single auditory tasks with similar effectiveness. The objective of this study is to measure the effectiveness of dual auditory tasks against single auditory task. The hypothesis is effectiveness of a single auditory task is significantly higher than that of the dual auditory tasks. It is expected to find out the human ability to correctly understand and interpret two verbal messages when heard simultaneously compared to separate events. In general these findings will be helpful to understand the divided attention in auditory tasks and thereby minimize human errors in critical situations. Equipment: This experiment requires two IPod players, one with a 3-minute news broadcast containing 5 news items and one with a 3-minute meaningful song consisted of 4 stanzas, which had not been heard by the subjects before (both in English). Subjects are 60 undergraduates 30 males and 30 females between the ages 18 to 25, randomly selected from Johns Hopkins undergraduate students. Persons having any type of hearing loss or mental illness or who cannot understand the English language are excluded. Fifteen males and 15 females are selected randomly from the total sample for the controlled group and the rest is considered as the experimental group. All the participants are given a reference number. Procedure: This experiment is performed in a classroom with a quiet environment. Firstly, the controls are advised to seat in the class room and a question paper is given to list out news items and the meaning of the each stanza in the song. Then the song is played for 3 minutes and at the end 5 minutes time is allocated to write the meaning of the stanzas. Then the news broadcast is played and another 5 minutes time is provided to

News reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News reading - Essay Example Consequently, the Chinese and other critics had to demand the Malaysian government for reasonable explanations. The article mentions that after China asked Malaysia to explain their findings, the Prime Minister was not able to give a quick reply. This only shows that the earlier announcement has not been thought of well. I think Malaysia should have expected that people will definitely ask why they are searching a certain place especially so that the plane would unlikely course through the remote area of the ocean. Malaysia clearly did not perform well in this circumstance and therefore needs to work harder on the issue. On the other hand, the effort of Australia to extend help is commendable. Although Australia is not directly involved in the event, her performance of her moral duties as a nation near the location means a lot. Other countries also joined forces for the fast resolution of the tragedy. It is interesting to note that in its closing, the article says that the search can take years because of the characteristics of the ocean but is quick to mention the fast recovery of Air France which faced a similar fate in

The Methods Of Recruitment And Selection Commerce Essay

The Methods Of Recruitment And Selection Commerce Essay Organizations are made up of two key resources: people and money. People, who consist as its workforce, are the most valued asset (Plumbley 1976). The knowledge, skills and commitment the workforce brings has to be utilized to its maximum to enable the organisation thrive. Plumbley (1985) suggests that the profitability and even the survival of an organization normally relies upon the calibre of the workforce, and it has been debated that the costs of ineffectual commercial viability can most likely be linked to a long period of ineffective recruitment and selection methods (Lewis, 1984; Plumbley, 1985; Smith and Robertson, 1993; Terpstra, 1996). More so the processes involved with recruitment and selection of employees, their management and availability of skills and knowledge will give an enterprise a firm business strategy. Recruitment and selection are crucial processes for a successful organization, as hiring the appropriate staff can improve and sustain organisational performance (Petts 1997). Recruitment is simply linking those with jobs and those seeking jobs; in effect discovering the potential of prospective applicants for actual or anticipated vacancies. According to Edwin B. Flippo, recruitment is nothing but a process of searching for prospective candidates for employment, stimulating and encouraging them to apply for a job. An adequate recruitment process would consist of such progressive steps: Job definition, Person specification, Creation of recruitment and selection techniques, review and shortlist and offer of employment based on agreed contract (Peel and Dale 2001:9). Figure Recruitment and Selection Process (Ward 2007) In reality, the entire recruitment process is more complicated than just encouraging people. It targets the purpose of attracting the most suitable people at that point in time (Dale 2003:50). Invariably the problem of selection not only involves allocating the right individual for the right job, but it also entails the efficacy of the methods employed in order to achieve that purpose (Dempsey 1955). The entire process of selection starts from an initial screening interview and concludes with a final employment offer. Figure The Selection Process (Montana, Charnov 2000:216) While carrying out the selection process, management must have an answer to the question: What is required by the job? As such, any criterion taken into account in employee selection must be a Bona fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ), or job related criteria to avoid any form of discrimination that is an illegality and punishable (Montana, Charnov 2000). Case Study Review Company Profile Framley engineering is a relatively small sized organisation that designs, develops, manufactures and sells superior electronics. A large proportion (60%) of the companys revenue is derived from export markets; hence the company has a strong market interested in the unique products offered. The organizations existence is hinged on the vital recruitment of RD engineers who are pioneers of in house technology and responsible for launching new products for the market. The company consist of 520 employees, 57 being engineers. The company is expanding due to the periodical recruitment of qualified engineers that are essential to its existence. With the following SWOT analysis, the companys current situation can clearly be presented: Strengths Framley engineering is a small sized company in comparison to its larger competitors but holds a first mover advantage (FMA), where it has been able to gain time over its competitors; and time advantage generally and in the field the company operates is the surest way to gain market share (Lieberman, Montgomery 1988). Weakness Lack of an effective recruitment and selection strategy by the Human Resource department, as a result of the incompetence of the Head of Human Resources and departmental heads using inadequate interviewing and selection skills for recruiting new engineers. This could be detrimental as it could reduce the companys competitiveness in the market as its success is dependent on quality engineers. Opportunities Steadily expanding through employing qualified engineers and across-the-board low labour turnover. Threats The recruitment of people with no relevant skills or knowledge, who are unfit for the organization as highlighted by the Director of Engineering at Framley engineering. This can lead to increased labour turnover, increased costs for the organization and eventually lower the morale of the workforce. Examining the SWOT analysis of the case study, it can be gathered that a major setback for Framley engineering is its grossly incompetent Head of Human Resource and departmental heads. The heads of department clearly lacked interviewing and selection skills basing decisions on personal grounds and prejudices which could be interpreted as a form of discrimination, possibly stereotyping or assigning of traits to people based on their social background. Although stereotyping is a natural mental process that enables the mind filter and categorizes stimuli, it becomes a stumbling block when recruiters view the aged, obese, sex and ethnic minorities within intransigent boundaries, assuming them as less qualified for a post based on their affiliation to a social group (Levesque 2005). An example is the case of James Connor (Greenhouse 2003), who was offered a job as a cook by McDonalds. Connor was 6 ft. tall and weighed 420 pounds therefore the chain had to order a customized uniform for hi m in which during the time of its arrival, the chain had changed management and the new owners decided against employing Mr Connor on account of his obesity. Thus it can be assumed that the new owners commits the perceptual blunder of the halo effect (Klein 2004) in deeming that because of one insignificant negative characteristic, their total perception of him and his abilities is distorted negatively (McShane et al 2005:19). Furthermore the effects of poor recruitment decisions as observed in the case study include: wastage of time and money spent on advertising, shortlisting, interviewing, saying good bye and re-hiring; negative individual and team morale where existing staff have to compensate for the new persons lack of skill or productivity. A major pitfall is the direct costs with having to re-recruit, estimated by the CIPD as  £3,500 per employee on the average (Management and Standards Centre n.d.). Effective Recruitment and Selection Strategies Recruitment Recruiting is seen as a positive process of generating a pool of candidates by reaching the right audience, suitable for the vacancy (Leopold 2002). The initial progression of recruitment is to create a job analysis which is vital for both the organization and applicants. If the post is needed in the organization, a job description is then collated. A typical job description comprises of the job title, location and what the job key functions are principal duties the job entails and the part it plays in the success of an organization. Thereafter, based on the job description a person specification can be composed. In definition, a person specification is a process by which both the required qualities vital to undertake the post and the desirable qualities of the ideal candidate for the job are described (Torrington et al 1992). In line with the case study, a job description should solely be created by the Human Resource department at Framley engineering. Though it is recommended that the HR Head confers with the Director of engineering (for required skills), whom the new recruits will be reporting to; as their relative input into the job role will be imperative and such relevant details which should be included in the specification. The next level is choosing appropriate steps in recruiting the best applicant. In effect there are three channels by which an organizations can recruit suitable candidates, there are: Internal, External and On-line recruitment. Internal recruitment involves advertising job posts on staff notice boards in staff rooms or announcing in staff meetings. Acknowledged by Leopold (2002), internal recruitment enables staff to progress within the organization through promotion to a new area, thereby providing them with valuable experience elevating them to a higher level in a similar role. For example, Tesco adopts internal recruitment calling it an Internal Talent Plan where it lists current employees looking for a move either on the same level or on promotion. The advantage of internal recruitment is that the manager is aware of the candidates capabilities thus avoiding the error of employing an external candidate who may not be motivated to commit to the development of the organization. In contrast, a significant obstacle of internal recruitment is that it may introduce a sense of indifference within the organization. Wherefore sometimes it is preferable to employ externally which could increase competition for promotions and improve appraisals, as employees will not feel as though they are in their comfort zone, knowing the organization employs internally. External recruitment involves recruitment agencies, job centres, referrals and new paper adverts. External recruitment is when a candidate is recruited from outside the organization as the candidate may bring creative ideas or skills needed. In relation to Framley engineering, the company employs externally, which is appropriate for its size, structure and field they operate in being the recruitment of RD engineers. The company needs outside experience which brings an injection of fresh and innovative ideas. Though this technique maybe costlier, it is essential to keep the company in operation as it is reliant on the quality of engineers and in house technology. The last recruitment technique is online recruitment which is a cost effective method for organizations as it shares information between candidates and recruiters, and information gathered can easily be updated. Though its major drawback is that it attracts series of unsuitable candidates and recruiters spend a lot of time extracting suitable ones (Beardwell 2007). Framley engineering should adopt this cost effective method as part of their recruitment policy though to fully utilize the method, recruiters must be in regular contact with potential candidates so that they are not lost to competition. Another example is Hong Kong airline Dragon Air, a subsidiary of Cathway Pacific Group which employs 1400 cabin crew staff. The airline uses online recruitment for costs and time saving as candidates submit their resume in fixed format through the internet. They also employ third party agencies such as Monster.com where data is consolidated and analysed by the quality of the candidate. Thi s has proved effective in employing the right workforce and can be emulated by Framley. In correlation, the next step in hiring applicants is assessing the adequate candidate for the post through sifting applications (Armstrong 2007). The sifting process encompasses classifying abundant applicants into probable, possible and unsuitable groups (Beardwell 2007). This is achievable through the comparison of different resumes and passing promising candidates to the selection process. Unsatisfactory should be notified in writing soonest according to CIPD directives (Beardwell 2007). Another technique that can be used in sifting applications is Bio data, which is the collation of data that consists of demographic information such as education, sex, age, educational qualifications, employment history, and hobbies etc. points are awarded according to their relevance to the post and data collected is scored by the bio data survey. The points accumulated determine applicants who can proceed to the next stage (Armstrong 2007). Selection Selection can be interpreted as the process of picking the appropriate candidates both inclined and capable to fill the post. Several selection techniques can be used to recognize the most suitable candidate for the post by reducing the pool (Leopold 2002). The several techniques could be: psychometric tests, assessment centres, interviews, references amongst others (Beardwell 2007). The most widely used technique is interviews as expressed by Torrington (2002), as a controlled conversation with a purpose. There are three types of interviews namely: individual interview, selection board and interviewing panels, the most common one being the individual interview which is more or less face to face. This allows close contact between the interviewer and interviewee, but may result in partial decisions based on personal grounds like depicted in the case study. It is glaring that the departmental heads did not comprehend the whole process of recruitment. They lacked the training required to enlighten them about the importance of the recruitment process and creating a strategy to effectively deal with hiring the right people, equal opportunities, minimizing costs from wrong hiring, and more importantly to identify marginal performers prior to hiring. Definitely, untrained and incompetent recruiters combined with inappropriate selection techniques will result in a workfo rce not being sufficiently qualified for the post they hold, which suffocates an organization as it gradually gets crushed under the pressure of rehiring adequate employees that forms the backbone of the company; as in this case Framley engineering. A much fairer method which may eradicate preconceived judgements is a panel interview, likely involving two line managers and one personnel manager to interview a single candidate. This allows fair discussions with a view from different angles. The last method is selection board interviews which is usually larger and more formal, and might have someone on the board more influential than others whose decisions might influence others on the board. This kind of interview enables people involved to make decisions on candidates according to relevant points. Framley engineering should adopt the panel interview method as it is more dynamic and candidates are assessed in a fairer manner as set of questions asked will be based on individual experiences. Other selection techniques is assessment centres, which entails candidates going through a series of exercises while being observed by assessors what skills were demonstrated, their capabilities and if they are suitable for the job to enhance the development of the organization (Fowler 1992). Tasks performed at assessment centres are psychometric tests, group, job and individual exercises (Porter 2001). However, although this method gives a look into how people would perform in groups which would be an advantage to organizations that require staffs to work in groups, it is among many techniques and the best way to understand and select a suitable candidate is through interview. Moreover the process can be very costly as it requires a lot of resources, hence mainly used by larger organizations therefore not suitable for Framley engineering. However, another technique which might be useful to the case study is using references. References are personal and accurate information gathered about applicants. This would enable the company know who they are recruiting. The downside of this method is that candidates can get anyone to write up a personal reference as Armstrong (2007) rightly pointed out that personal references are of course evidently useless as all they indicate is that the candidate has at least one or more friends. Thus, references should only come from Human resources and not from a previous manager or former workmate as they will be biased and conjure up a brilliant reference which is not beneficial as the organization needs to know the calibre of applicants they are recruiting. For an organization to adopt the best approach to recruitment and selection there are several external and internal factors to be taken into consideration before an ideal strategy can be formulated. Such factors shall be analysed furthermore. Internal Factors Foremost is the size of an organization as this determines what strategy to adopt. An organization with between 200 and 500 employees, as is the situation in the case study, would need to adopt a best use of techniques mentioned here. However much smaller firms with 50 plus employees do not require adopting all techniques mentioned as it is inadequate, time consuming and counterproductive due to relatively high costs. For example assessment centres are not needed by smaller firms as this would be expensive, and instead use of practical methods such as interviews and paper application. But assessment centres are invaluable to larger organizations recruiters will need to narrow down the large number of applicants as effectively used by corporations like British Gas that uses assessment centres where they use 90 statements in all and applicants are rated as amber, green or red. The colour grading shows the attitudes applicants have towards team building and people, therefore it goes to show which roles are best suited for an individual. Green and amber applicants are put forward unto the last stage while red ratings are not taken any further. The financial position of an organization also plays a crucial role as it has a major impact on the recruitment and selection policies an organization chooses. If a body is financially buoyant it can apply all the techniques but if otherwise can prove a weakness for organizations as strict budgets means limitations to techniques that can be employed to attract potential applicants. Consequently, it can be determined that when taking into consideration the internal factors, firms need to conform to their internal factors when choosing what recruitment and selection method to adopt. It can be seen that not all organizations can adopt the best practices due to size and financial constraints, however it is clear that all businesses can adopt the basic of recruitment and selection being interviews and applications. External Factors Political factors (macro environmental factors) such as government policy and legislation on race, sex and discrimination represents an important function in recruiting and selection methods, as organizations have to abide by laws that have been passed by government. Hence in reference to the case study, departmental heads and subsequently the head of HR may have to employ methods such as Bio data to prevent any discrimination laws from being broken as this could lead to the business closure and legal proceedings. Forces within the external labour market may play a role in firms recruitment and selection shortages. In the field where Framley engineering operates, there is competition for recruitment of RD engineers, thus the business might have to look outside the shores of Britain for suitable engineers, which would be an advantage since 60% of its revenue is derived from exports. A mix of foreign expertise could be beneficial for creating innovative products to suit the export market. This as well could be a complicated process as cross-border legalities must be adhered and exhaustive background checks must be carried out. It is apparent when analysing external factors, there are a series of conditions that influence organizations in choosing the most suitable technique. What is constant in external factors is that business climates and market forces are rapidly evolving, more so businesses need to adapt in order to remain competitive. For example companies such as Tesco who frequently uses labour from Eastern Europe countries will have a change in their recruitment and selection policies which results in the need to adapt to the changes in macro environmental factors (as mentioned above). Conclusion An organization that does not promote a best practice procedure will not only recruit ineffectively but put the business at a risk of closure due to failings of the Human resources department. There must be a close rapport between Human resources department, departmental heads and the Director of engineering, to ensure the techniques used and the person specification fits the job role. Particularly, utmost care should be taken to when interviewing for the recruiter to adopt a neutral position in order to avoid such mistakes like the halo effect, stereotyping and preconceived judgements. It is lastly imperative that interviewers are properly trained and heads of HR are accountable to either successes or failures of recruitment and selection policies.

Measure for Measure Essay: Private Temptation and Social

Private Temptation and Social Restraint in Measure for Measure      Ã‚   In his play, Measure for Measure, Shakespeare poses problems of law, justice, and personal freedom for which he offers no easy answers. Measure for Measure is very relevant to current political debates over public morality and the limits of self-expression. The play proposes the question: How do we reconcile social restraint and personal passion?    The Vienna of Measure for Measure, under the rule of Duke Vincentio, is a garden gone to seed. Permissiveness, corruption, and debauchery have choked out healthy growth in the absence of prudent cultivation. The play's climate of disillusionment finds modem resonance in the cynicism of the youth of today.    The play opens with the Duke preparing for a hasty yet deliberately ambiguous departure. Appointing morally impeccable Angelo as his replacement, the Duke passes over ice, a wise old judge named Escalus. But in a the obvious choice, play preoccupied with tests of character, it is appropriate that the city's most self righteous official undergoes the severest validation of his integrity. What follows is a drama of seduction. Angelo is tempted by the sins he condemns most harshly, sins, that release, him from the custody of his repressed desires. The Duke, who travels undercover to observe the effects of his lax rule, cautions Angelo in a manner suggesting his suspicion of the seductive power of authority. He is clearly interested in whether power will alter Angelo. Having failed himself to enforce the law, the Duke would, nevertheless, have Angelo be wary of the terrible power of judgment. He - advises his surrogate to fuse his personal values - what he believes in his heart with his public judg... ...characters. The play, like the Duke, makes a plea for tolerance, drawing on the biblical injunction that underlies its title: "Judge not that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."    Works Cited and Consulted: Geckle, George L. ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Measure for Measure. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1970. McLuskie, Kathleen. "Political Criticism and Shakespeare: King Lear and Measure for Measure" in Political Shakespeare: New Essays in Cultural Materialism, ed. Dollimor, Jonathan and Alan Sinfield. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1985, 88-108. Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure, ed. Brian Gibbons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Watts, Cedric. Measure for Measure. London: Penguin, 1986.

The Basic Principles of Reganomics

The election of the Regan-Bush Republican ticket of 1984 brought many unprecedented and controversial policies to the US economy. Many of these policies,including Reganomics still affect our economy as a whole and are still major points of debates today. Reganomics was not solely based on economics, but rather the included a sense of having moral foundations. Government intervention and regulation of the economy were seen as economically harmful and furthermore morally wrong. It was believed that economic affairs should be left to the wisdom of God and his guidance would produce a The moral obligation together with extreme Kenseyan theories were the guide to the basic principles of Reganomics. Their objective was to follow a laissez faire attitude,or a hands off government policy. They also wanted to rely on the wisdom of the of the market, meaning that the market is smart enough to take care of and troubleshoot itself,and they tried to use a policy of deregulation which would allow companies to make their own economic decisions with out the government limiting their choices. The administration was also weary of anti-trust laws which did not allow for monopolies in The â€Å"deregulation of businesses† mentality was simple and encompassed two major points. The points were to lower taxes and allow businesses to make their own decisions without fear of government intervention. Their idea was that if you lowered taxes in general, business would have more money to produce more, to more they would hire more workers, and consequently due to the surplus of money, their would be more spending, investing, and saving. This proves that individuals would gain along with the business. Ronald Regan said, â€Å"Lower takes would spur business to invest, and send Americans rushing to stores to spend† (Regan). In the short run deregulation produced greater competition and lower prices for consumers. The long term effects were that the savings and loan industry collapsed due to fraud and mis-management. Regan knew that deregulation could possibly have adverse effects if there was no degree of regulation at all, so preventative measures were set in place. One such preventative measure was the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (O. I. R. A) which insured that deregulation dhered to cost benefit principles to the maximum extent possible. â€Å"If government is the problem, not the solution, you do not solve problems by applying a bigger problem to them† (Regan). Another notion behind Reganomics was the Laffer Curve, which conveyed the idea that tax cuts would increase tax revenue. The Laffer Curve is based on the ideology that government should provide a climate in which the incentives for individuals to pursue their own economic progress wouldn†t be hindered by governmental taxing, spending, regulations, and/or monetary policies. It is also based on supply side economics. Supply side economics was an economic policy designed to stimulate output and lower unemployment by increasing production in the economy. It allowed the free market to play a greater role in the economy while the government took on a lesser role. â€Å"If government is the problem, not the solution, you do not solve problems by applying a bigger problem to them† (Regan). The Regan administration believed tax and spend policies led to a weak economy. Accordingly, they passed the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA86) which reduced individual income tax liabilities and raised corporate income tax liabilities. They also passed ERTS. ERTA gave a 25% cut in individual marginal tax rates over a three year period. It set an indexing of individual brackets, personal exemptions, and standard reductions; it reduced all individual taxpayers taxes, and gave percentage reductions for lower and middle class incomes exceeding those given for the rich. Bill Clinton said, â€Å"For 12 years the driving dea behind American economic policy has been cutting takes on the richest individuals and corporations†¦ â€Å". This is true, with the exception of ERTA, all the tax changes during the eight years of Reagan†s administration were unmistakably pro-business and When Reagan cut the taxes for wealthy individuals and business† he believed that it would contribute to a stronger base economy, in turn the benefits of a strong base economy would â€Å"trickle down† to reach everyone, even the poorest Americans. Ronald Reagan said, â€Å"Lower taxes would spur business to invest, and send Americans rushing to stores to spend† (Regan). The Reagan Administration believed lower taxes were beneficiary in this manor and high tax rates only further darkened the lines on how our society was typecast, rather than break down those barriers. Furthermore high tax rates inhibited social mobility into the upper class. â€Å"The real losers from soak the rich tax are not the rich, but the would be rich. † This is true because there would be no trickle down Major elements in the initial Regan policies were spending slow downs aimed at eliminating budget deficits in 1984 and producing budget surpluses thereafter. As well it was aimed to slow down the growth of federal outlays and change their composition. However the initial policies of the Reagan administration coupled with stock market changes were so bold and dramatic that it caused the 1981 – 1982 recession. After be in a state of recession, things did get better. Within 18 months of Reagans term, poverty began to decrease. The U. S also experienced an unprecedented export boom in the 1980†³s which turned out to be the longest economic boom in U. S history. Along with this came 20 million new jobs and it was the first time the electorate ad an intensely satisfied voting majority. † Reagan was the only U. S. president since WWII to reduce both inflation and unemployment while expanding the total number of jobs for all Americans† (Dunn) However when this great prosperity was acquired in such a short period of time, people got nervous and began to make false accusations against the Reagan administration which were called myths. Myths were created by economists that either did not look at all the statistics or made assumptions before they had all of the statistics. Some of the myths that came from these economists were that Reaganomics caused Americans to divest and de-industrialize. There were also presumptions that every dollar of taxes that were cut would lose a dollar of revenue. They also offered that record deficits were caused by the reduction in marginal tax rates. There is no basis for insisting that tax policy developments were responsible for the budget deficits of the Reagan years. (Ture 35) Some myths created even went so far as to say that the deficits were deliberate in order to reduce social spending while increasing defense spending. In fact the contrary is true. Transfer payment spending for social services rose 19. 7%, from $344. 3 billion to $412 billion, on programs that provided income, food, healthcare, housing, education and training, and social services to poor families. (Ture 39) This is proving that social programs were not hurt under Reagan. Economists also gave the impression that Reagan policies favored the rich at the expense of the poor and that the rich only paid a larger shave of taxes because they had a larger share of income. This is not entirely true. Even though the rich may not have seemed to have paid more taxes they actually did buy investing in more taxable securities and fewer tax exempt securities. This produced more tax revenue. Rather than being a tax and spend economy, the Reagan administration lended itself to a borrow and spend economy that produced many deficits. What was the cause of these enormous debts? Many factors added to the accumulation of the debts. Buying and thus building up the U. S. dollar to an artificiallyhigh level made U. S exports more expensive, U. S imports cheaper and it added to the rade deficit and the foreign debt. This was also known as â€Å"Mexicanization† of the economy. (Galbraith 3) Large budget deficits from the loss of tax revenue, was brought about by the loss of real output during the 1981 – 1982 recession, and unanticipated disinflation. That fiscal year (after adjusting for inflation, tax collections did not increase) brought high interest rates which attracted foreign money. This pushed up the dollar and caused the trade deficit. The deficit was also caused by large defense and The Reagan administration had little responsibility for the budget deficits. The bills for spending that the Reagan administration originally proposed were altered by congress. The deficit was therefore caused by congress† permitted spending excess and not excess tax cuts. It seems that through supply-side economics savings didn†t increase but allowed for a huge growing debt that nearly tripled during Reagans administration. On the good side of things, deficit spending helped to stimulate demand and trigger economic recovery. It also stimulated a growth of employment in non-investment grade firms by 17. 3 million which was due to junk bonds. (Zycher,43) On the down side, the U. S is presently the worlds largest debtor. Public and Private debts carrying over from the past decade weigh heavily on the government,business†, household†s and financial institutions† well being. Reganomics could have been greatly successful if government spending would have been checked. â€Å"If government had borrowed in order to fund public capital, rather than military spending and tax breaks for the wealthy, the debt burden would be greatly reduced† (Sawicki). Looking back now we can truly understanding the full effects of Reganomics on our economy.

Kaminski Surname Meaning and Origin

Kaminski Surname Meaning and Origin From the root kamien, meaning stone or rock, the popular Polish last name Kaminski means one who came from a rocky place, or was sometimes an occupational surname for a person who works with rock, such as a stone carver or someone who worked in a quarry. Alternatively, the Kaminski surname may be locational in origin, indicating that the person originally came from any one of dozens of Polish villages named Kamien (meaning rocky place), or from one of the various places named Kamin or  Kaminka in Ukraine, or  Kamionka in Poland.  Kaminsky is a common  anglicization of the KamiÅ„ski surname. Kaminski is among the 50 most common Polish surnames.   Surname Origin: Polish Alternate Surname Spellings:  KAMINSKY, KAMINSKY, KAMIENSKI, KAMIENSKI, KAMIENSKY, KAMIENSKY, KAMENSKI, KAMENSKY Where do People with the Surname KAMINSKI Live? According to WorldNames publicprofiler, individuals with the Kaminski last name are most commonly found in Poland, with the greatest concentration in the northeastern regions, including  Podlaskie,  Kujawsko-Pomorskie, and WarmiÅ„sko-Mazurskie. The Polish-specific surname distribution map on  moikrewni.pl calculates the population distribution of surnames down to the district level, finding Kaminski to be most common in Bydgoszcz, followed by  Starogard Gdanski,  Chojnice,  Bytow,  New TomyÅ›l,  Tarnowskie Mountains,  Torun,  Srem,  Tuchola  and  InowrocÅ‚aw. Famous People with the Surname KAMINSKI Marek KamiÅ„ski -  Polish polar explorer, author, entrepreneurJanusz Kaminski -  Academy Award-winning cinematographer and directorAvrom-Yitskhok Kaminski - Yiddish actor and theater directorHeinrich Kaminski - German composerHeinz Kaminski - German space researcher and chemical engineerAdolfo Kaminsky - French WWI resistance fighter and document forgerBohdan Kaminskà ½ - Czech poet and translator Genealogy Resources for the Surname KAMINSKI A Kaminsky Family GenealogyGenealogy research into an extended Kaminsky family, with information on over 8,000 different individuals. Kaminski Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Kaminski surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Kaminski surname query. FamilySearch - KAMINSKI GenealogyAccess over 370,000 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Kaminski surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. KAMINSKI Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Kaminski surname and variations such as  Kaminsky, Kamenski, and Kamensky. DistantCousin.com - KAMINSKI Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Kaminski. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name Meanings Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia.  Bergenfield, NJ:  Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings.  Chicago:  Polish Genealogical Society, 1993. Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow.  Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Breast Cancer in Saudi Arabia Essays

Breast Cancer in Saudi Arabia Essays Breast Cancer in Saudi Arabia Paper Breast Cancer in Saudi Arabia Paper   Breast cancer in Saudi Arabia has been on the rise in acute form compared to the developed countries. Even women at younger age have been diagnosed with cancer. It is argued that lack of information and education has the reasons for it to spread at an early stage. Although breast cancer in Saudi Arabia is not as startling, but the situation is becoming a pressing public healthcare issue, for the reason   that every fifth woman in the country is in danger of contracting this fatal disease. 1.2 Statistics Breast cancer can be considered to be the leading cause of death among women in Saudi Arabia. According to extrapolated statistics breast cancer   amount to 19,441 per 25 million population . However, this statistical data is automated and does not take into account the   genetic, cultural, environmental, social, racial or other features of the Saudi Arabia. Cancer Incidence Report 1999-2000 has mentioned   that, between   the period of January 1999 and December 2000, there were 1,157 official cases of female breast cancer in Saudi Arabia (NCR, 2000).   The report also states that breast cancer is considered the most common cancer among females accounting for 20.6 percent of all newly diagnosed female cancers (5,617), while the Age Standartised-Incidence rate (ASR) was 13.6/100,000 for the female population. According to the report, the mean age at diagnosis was 49 years. The five regions with the highest ASR were the Eastern region at 21.2/100,000, Riyadh region at 19.9/100,000, Madinah region at 16.9/100,000, Makkah region at 16.4/100,000 and Hail Region at 9.4/100,000 (NCR, 2000). 2.0 BREAST CANCER PREVALENCE IN SAUDI ARABIA Breast cancer is considered to be a group of undifferentiated cells reproducing under extremely rapid rate in the area of the breast in women. The earliest changes usually appear in the epithelial cells of the terminal end buds of the breast milk system, where new cancer cells form tumors.   If cancer cells are active, the tumor increases at significant rate and may result in metastasis.   Being a complex process in which cells are separated from their initial tumors and supplied trough blood and lymph systems to other organs, metastasis spreads cancer throughout the body. Ravichandran et al (2005) affirmed the statistics revealed prior in Cancer Incidence Report 1999-2000 that the rate of breast cancer among women in Saudi Arabia amounts to 19.8 percent. Ravichandran et al (2005) aimed to examine 5-year survival for all incidents of invasive breast cancer that occurred during 1994-96 in the province of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ravichandran et al (2005) also determined that the survival probability of women with cancer during the first year had been almost 94 percent, and the percentage was down sloping with the time. At third and fifth year, it dwindled to 79 and 59.6 percent respectively. The highest five year survival rate has been determined in the patient category of 40-49 years old, while the lowest one in women older than fifty. According to Ravichandran et al (2005) localized cases of breast cancer had much better prognosis and survival rate among 5-year patients comparing to regional and distant metastasis. Ezzat et al (1999) indicated that locally advanced breast cancer disease constitutes more than 40% of all non-metastatic breast cancer among Saudi   women. Ezzat et al (1999) also demonstrated that radiotherapy represents the most favorable treatment of locally advanced breast cancer and the most contributing method of treatment to overall patient’s survival. Simultaneously, such methods as adjuvant chemotherapy, tamoxifen and neoadjuvant chemotherapy) have been recognized as ineffective or even deleterious (as in case with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy). A study conducted by Millat (2000), which aimed to identify general, awareness of the disease among the secondary school’s students   (18 years old) through self-examination. It was been expected, that the knowledge of general risk factors has been very low and over 80 percent of the students failed to answer the majority of questions. Millat (2000) indicates that those students who had been previously exposed to breast surgery had positive breast cancer history, or those who had undergone mammography showed higher awareness and higher knowledge levels about the disease. From the statistical viewpoint, only 40 percent of the study sample (6380 students) reported ever hearing of breast cancer, only 14 percent knew the correct frequency of disease, and only 7 percent were aware of its timing. A similar case study conducted by Alsaif (2004) among Saudi female nursing students to examine young women’s breast cancer awareness rate and overall attitude to breast cancer. Comparing to study conducted previously held by Millat (2000), Alsaif’s survey included a smaller sample of 149 respondents but the overall results of study was more positive and encouraging. The study found out that 66 percent of surveyed students performed breast self-examination and majority of those performing self-examination indicated that they learned about breast cancer, its causes and prevention methods from their college curricula. Alsaif (2004) found significant relation between breast cancer awareness and self-examination and nursing specialization of the study sample.   3.0 MAIN RISK FACTORS Medical specialists distinguish risk factors for breast cancer that individual can change and those that cannot be affected (Miller, 1996). There have been two major   factors of breast cancer as described below (Oncology Resource Center, 2006) 3.1   Heredity and Genetic Factors The heredity factors include, if some one in the family has the history of cancer, such as sister, aunt, mother with cancer history. In such families breast cancer have greater chance to develop. In majority of such cases women have a genetic abnormality, which is referred as BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Women with BRCA1 gene have 85 percent risk of developing breast cancer. Women with BTCA2 also have chance to develop cancer, but lesser than BRCA2. Similarly women with previous case history of cancer are also at risk. In addition, women with female fraternal twins (two eggs) also have greater chance of developing cancer (Miller, 1996). 3.2   Non-Genetic Factors Other than genetic factors, early age menstrual cycle and   late age menopause also increase the risk. Other factors include late childbirth, hormone replacement therapy, and extensive use of oral contraceptive, high fat diet and obesity. Some researchers have also mentioned a relationship between ovarian hormones and breast cancer. Smoking has also been mentioned as one of the reasons for developing breast cancer. 4.0 STRATEGIES TO PREVENT CANCER 4.1 Diet In US two third of the cancer illness are related to poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise. The main causes of breast cancer are different; however overall poor diet and poor health can increases the risk factors. If habits are changed are preventive lifestyle and diet is followed, there can be reduction in cancer 4.2   Hormone replacement It is proven that hormone replacement with estrogens or progestins increase the incidence of breast cancer, especially among the post-menopausal women. Even though there are benefits attached to hormone replacements and the number of breast cancers cases are slowing down, however the risk has to be weighed against the benefits of hormone replacement. Such preventive measure are a better safety procedure than the later age crisis. 4.3   Oral Contraceptives and Breast Feeding As oral contraceptives are associated with increased risk of breast cancer, therefore it is essential to understand risks associated with use of long-term use of contraceptives. Breast-feeding has been proved to reduce risk of breast cancer as much as by 50 percent. The greater a woman feeds her child, the lesser are the chance of infected with breast cancer. 4.4   Early Screening and Treatment Screening refers to the examination of the symptoms of cancer, which means to check risk factors, which are more likely to develop cancer in future. An awareness of these risk factors makes it essential to have early screening and detection.   The common medical practice indicates that regular mammography screening allows the decrease and the mortality of breast cancer by 30 percent (Hart, 1999), which means that every woman should get a yearly mammogram starting from age 40 or even earlier. During the mammography screening, the x-ray picture sometimes detects various substances in the breasts; which are sometimes not recognizable and may provoke unnecessary worrying for both patient and health professional (Hart, 1999).   Young woman are recommended to have a compulsory clinical breast examination done by health professional.   In addition, during the clinical examination, every woman has an opportunity to learn how to conduct self-examination. 4.5   Self Examination One should not underestimate the value of clinical breast exams or self-examination as 15 percent of the tumors are felt, but cannot be detected by regular mammographic screening.   Although a lump in the breast is the most common way women discover a breast cancer, younger women should understand that any change in the breast require further medical investigation.   Among the clinical tests that are conducted in modern oncological clinics, some women are on a chance, if they have a chance of getting the disease by simply tracing back cases of breast cancer throughout the history of relatives. Contemporary oncologists consider the following signs as a serious threat which require immediate attention from health specialist:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thickening or density in the breast or underarm;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ulcerated or inverted nipple;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Puckered or dimple skin;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Redness or swelling of the breast; A lump near the breast including the underarm, collarbone and neck (Bostwick, 1998), if any of these abnormalities are detected, the individual should get immediate consultation (physical exam) from a health professional and get a mammogram, possibly an ultrasound, and visit a breast surgeon for complete examination. Contemporary medicine possesses various treatment techniques for breast cancer; in particular, radiotherapy, toxic chemotherapy combinations, hormonal treatments and prophylactic mastectomies are used to treat early lesions. 20-year follow-up data from the NSABP B-06 trial (Hamid et al, 2004) have confirmed that radiation therapy clearly decreases the rate of locoregional recurrence in patients who undergo lumpectomy. Usually, radiation treatment is given after, rather than before, chemotherapy. Newer radiation techniques include partial breast irradiation, partial breast irradiation and brachytherapy, and interstitial brachytherapy. These techniques are under investigation and, at this point, may be used in the context of a clinical trial. Another effective treatment of the disease, adjuvant treatment is defined as the use of systemic therapy for microscopic meta-static disease, which is normally taken after the surgical resection of the primary tumor. Chemotherapy and anti-estrogen therapy are the two major forms of adjuvant treatment, and patients may be given one or both. A meta-analysis conducted by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists Collaborative Group (Hamid et al, 2004) showed the benefit of adjuvant therapy in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and in women with node-negative and node-positive disease. 5.0 CONCLUSION The risk of getting breast cancer is about 1:8, and the risk of dying from breast cancer is lower than 1:28; however, if preventive measures are taken many more people can survive; for which greater public awareness and change of attitude in Saudi Arabia is essential. There is an acute need of extensive education among Saudi youth, mothers and society at large. The program efforts should focus on creating breast cancer early detection and treatment awareness, which can be achieved by constant encouragement by professionals, who must indulge in extensive mammography   screening and genetic testing for early detection and treatment. There is also need for more cancer health centres and education in Saudi Arabia not among the physicians alone, but active participation from nurses and medical students is also vital for creating this awareness. The healthcare sector should also be provided with better and latest equipment so that it is possible to   fight this fatal disease at an early stage. References Ezzat AA, Ibrahim EM, Raja MA, Al-Sobhi S, Rostom A, Stuart RK. Locally advanced breast cancer in Saudi Arabia: high frequency of stage III in a young population. Med Oncol. 1999 Jul; 16(2):95-103 Altaf FJ. Breast cancer screening. Saudi Med J. 2004 Aug; 25(8):991-7 Alsaif AA. Breast self-examination among Saudi female nursing students in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J. 2004 Nov; 25(11):1574-8. Ravichandran K, Hamdan NA, Dyab AR. Population based survival of female breast cancer cases in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2005 Jan-Mar; 6(1): 72-6. Milaat WA. Knowledge of secondary-school female students on breast cancer and breast self-examination in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. East Mediterr Health J. 2000 Mar-May; 6(2-3):338-44. The National Cancer Registry. Cancer Incidence Report Saudi Arabia 1999 – 2000. Available kfshrc.edu.sa/NCR/ Accessed Oct 26, 2005 Hamid R. Mirshahidi, MD Jame Abraham, MD. (2004). Managing early breast cancer.  Postgraduate Medicine.  Minneapolis: Oct. 116(4), 23-27 Miller A.B. (1996). Fundamental issues in screening for cancer. In: Schottenfeld D., Fraumeni J.F. (ed.). Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1433-52. Hart D. (1999).  Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Plastic Surgical Nursing.  Pitman: Fall.19(3): 137-145 Lauersen, N., Stukane, E. (1996). The complete book of breast care. New York: Random House Bostwick, J., (1998). A womans decision: Breast care, treatment and reconstruction. St Louis: Quality Medical Publishing, Inc. Statistics by Country for Breast Cancer.( 2003)   Available wrongdiagnosis.com/b/breast_cancer/stats-country.htm Accessed Oct 26, 2005

Student Satisfaction in Distance Learning Research Proposal

Student Satisfaction in Distance Learning - Research Proposal Example Student satisfaction is currently believed to be one of the major indicators of student development in conventional higher education. The mission of higher education is not only to impart knowledge but also to enhance overall development of the students (Astin, 1993). One of the ways higher education institutions accomplish this mission is by continuously collecting information on student satisfaction, defined by various authors as an "everpresent campus variable" (Betz, Menne, Starr, and Klingensmith, 1971: 99). Student satisfaction is the key outcome of higher education and the 'quality enhancement tool designed to improve the quality of the student experience' (Harvey, Plimmer, Moon, and Geall, 1997: 3). Traditionally, the institutions of higher education have used the data on student satisfaction to improve the educational environment in order to create learning settings highly conducive for student development. Student satisfaction ... Also it is a measure of institutional effectiveness, success, and vitality. Measuring student satisfaction is also important for maintaining and increasing enrolment, managing attrition and retention problems, and making better-informed decisions in the area of student affairs (Beltyukova, 2002). Additionally, student satisfaction data have high utility as a baseline in different types of student outcomes assessment, undertaken by institutions of higher learning in response to external pressures for accountability (Upcraft and Schuh, 1996). 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Student satisfaction has not been fully examined in the literature on evaluation aspects of education: academic performance has received considerably more attention. However, some practitioners such as Sweeny and Ingram (2001) claim that student satisfaction, preferences, and attitudes should also be treated as important factors too, especially in higher education. Elliott and Shin (2002) also argue that satisfaction is a worthy outcome variable to explore because it has a number of student and course related benefits, namely: lower attrition rates, increases in motivation and a greater number of referrals. Merisotis and Phipps (1999) also consider student satisfaction a broad measure of the effectiveness of the education process. Students' satisfaction is an important research area within educational evaluation. The growing concern for accountability in educational outcomes stimulated the need for meaningful and stable measures. The conventional analysis of satisfaction has been based on the assumption that satisfaction is best seen in terms of student response to course components and the methods used by teaching staff. Much of this analysis has focused upon comparing mean

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Consumption and Saving Propensity Levels of Different Groups - Essay Example This paper explicates on the theme of the saving and consumption inclinations of people with the goal of arriving at the rationale propagating two different theories, that explain such people behavior. With the aim of maximizing profits, it is imperative for businesses to understand the dynamics characterizing consumer trends. This has the effect of better positioning the respective products and services in the competitive market. The consumer decision making process entails understanding the factors affecting their purchasing decisions and the process as a whole. A prime factor affecting the spending power of consumers is the rate and extent of saving. This fashions a principal interest for economists as the dynamics associated with savings and consumption has a correlation with overall performance of the economy; both at a national and global level. Thus, the saving and consumption inclinations of people all through the course of their lifetime form an area of fundamental study. An economy will, presumably, undergo steady growth once the people decide to spend there cash; this ascertains the circulation of currency. This aids in ensuring the vigor of the economy is maintained. This is one of the rationales backing the measures instituted to instigate expenditure by citizens of a particular nation. However, in order to proficiently perform this feat, it is obligatory to understand the logic of the factor impede consumer spending. It is within this context that numerous theories were proposed to explain this fact. ... The two age groups have a large propensity to consume in relation to other age groups. The rationale in use is that the young population is borrowing against future income while the old population is using their savings. On the other hand, the middle aged population is epitomized by a greater propensity to save and consequently a lower consumption propensity. This might crop from the fact that, they are distinguished by relative higher income levels. A vast number of theories source their existence from a conceptual setup. They are formed to demonstrate the manner in which, variables of interest should behave in the real world. At times, however, facts in the real world may vary from results sourced from the conceptual framework. According to Sheldon Dazinger et al. (1982), the lifecycle hypothesis epitomizes such theories and hypothesis. Initially, the article cites the points with which it conforms. The authors concur that consumers do not hinge their consumption and savings decisi on solely on the basis of the income levels. There are some additional factors that presume a significant role in this decision making process. These additional factors are best exemplified by future expected circumstances and past experiences, which fashion the core feature in the decision. Past experiences are lessons that consumers take heed of, while future expectations are on the basis of their respective age and consequent income levels. Dazinger et al. set out to investigate if it could be proven that the young engage in saving while the old enage in dissaving activities. The studies factored in the saving tendencies of retirees and those individuals in advanced ages

Is the Good News about Compliance Goods News about International Law Essay

Is the Good News about Compliance Goods News about International Law - Essay Example In the case of the Guatemala and Belize, they agreed to appear before the International Court of Justice with a condition of passing a referendum on a question by October. The Court was therefore unable to convince the members of the states to decide disagreements which failed on the prosecution. This case reveals to us that the stability of the International law to handle problems faced by its members at the moment with regards to the formation of a stable coalition to prosecute such issues becomes questionable. The main contentious issue in this scenario is the conflict of interest between the member states and the jury. The leadership systems of many states especially the developing states are partial to their interests and would not like being exposed for the determination of justice. Conversely, the law is concerned with ensuring that all the provisions are met and that the judgments are made based on the facts rather than notions fostered by fallacies. A clear reflection on these issues has great effect on the decisions made by different countries. This is evident in the way the Guatemala’s did not make decisions when it came to October 2013 as agreed in the ICJ. They feared to be removed from office for being the first administration to seal acknowledgements with the Belize. Thus Guatemala acted in their favor due to the repercussions they would face after running the referendum. These early choices have great influence on countries’ subsequent decisions to comply with international treaties and decisions from legal institutions. The enforcement mechanisms of the international law takes both positive and negative forms. The positive mechanisms incorporate incentives or promises that might be in monetary forms so as to encourage compliance. There is transparency whereby there is gathering and sharing of useful information concerning the fact of issue at the basic level. The second mechanism is bureaucracy which, according to Chayes and Chayes

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Example for Free

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a form of anxiety disorder which is characterized by both compulsions and obsessions. The obsessions are experienced in form of recurrent, unwanted and disturbing images, thoughts, or impulses which usually pop into the minds of individuals causing them a lot of distress and anxiety (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). This results in compulsions which are repetitive intentional behaviors that are done in a bid to reduce the anxiety brought about by the obsessions. The onset of the disorder is earlier among men than among women (Jakes, 1996). In addition, the condition is more common in whites than in blacks and social class does not influence development of the condition (Jakes, 1996). In children, Strep throat is known to trigger onset of the condition or worsen the condition (Jakes, 1996). This is a case of autoimmunity where the antibodies produced to fight streptococci attacks basal ganglia. There are several ways in which the disease is manifested and an individual could have either a single manifestation or multiple manifestations. One grouping of OCD is referred to as checkers and individuals who fall under this category have compulsions to keep on checking things which could be locks, doors, and appliances in order to prevent potential disasters. They do this because they are afraid of disasters befalling themselves and others due to something they do or they do not do (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). Another manifestation is in form of washers and cleaners. Individuals who fall under this category have the tendency to repeatedly keep on showering, washing their hands, and cleaning the surroundings. This is because they are afraid and worried about contamination by germs and dirt (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). Orderers form another manifestation of OCD where individuals under this category feel compelled to do things in a given, exact way. For example an individual would be obsessed with arranging clothes in a given way. The other group is known as pure obsessionals and individuals in this group keep on having repetitive thoughts which could be in form of counting, praying, or repetition of certain words (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). These compulsions result from troubling intrusive thoughts and images where they think and see themselves harming or endangering others and this leaves them horrified (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). Another grouping of individuals with OCD comprises of individuals with scrupulosity. People under this category are obsessed with moral and religious issues and will compulsively pray or engage in religious services. The last manifestation is in form of hoarders where individuals in this category will collect things which others consider as trash or junk. In most cases, these individuals cannot explain why exactly they collect the items and they usually tend to develop an attachment to these items such that they cannot throw them away (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). The cause of the condition is thought to be genetic but environmental factors do modify its manifestation. Researchers believe that multiple genes are involved in its transmission from generation to generation and these genes are responsible for modifying brain function (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). When these genes are inherited, they cause variations in brain structure, circuitry, and neurochemistry and this inclines one to develop OCD. According to research statistics, the rate of OCD among family members where one individual has the condition is higher than among members of families where no relative has the condition (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). In addition, for majority of the people where the condition appears in childhood, there is usually a blood relative with the condition leading to confirmation that genetic factors are involved. Apart from genetics, environmental factors also play a role in the development of the condition. If individuals who are genetically predisposed to development of the condition are subjected to factors in the environment that stress them, then they are more likely to develop the condition. These stressing factors include childhood neglect, family stress, death, physical trauma, psychological trauma, illness, and divorce (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). In addition, people who are genetically predisposed to development of the condition can develop the disease as they go through major transitions in life which could be adolescence, marriage, retirement or parenthood. Studies have shown that serotonin is involved in the development of OCD (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which enables communication between brain cells. In people with OCD, brain imaging reveals abnormalities in some areas of the brain and these are usually the basal ganglia, the cingulate gyrus, the thalamus, and orbital cortex (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). These are the brain areas that are involved in the following: processing of information received from the world, sorting of this information based on importance, they enable one to concentrate on tasks being undertaken, and they also alert one to danger. For people who have this condition, these brain areas work overtime, and they focus on ideas and thoughts that are intrusive which under normal circumstances would be filtered out (Hyman Pedrick, 2009). There are several signs and symptoms that characterize OCD. Though the objects of obsession vary slightly from individual to individual, the manifestations of the disorder are usually the same. One of these is obsession and compulsions which usually take more than an hour each day and which interferes with the individuals’ normal lives (Domino, 2007). The obsessions are usually recurrent and the patients usually try to ignore the thoughts or they neutralize these thoughts with compulsions. The individuals with these compulsions and obsessions usually have no other mental disorders (Domino, 2007). The compulsions are also repetitive and deliberate and they are aimed at neutralizing the obsessive thoughts. There are usually no specific tests for this condition and diagnosis is usually based on presence of the above signs and symptoms after which differential diagnosis is made (Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2008). After OCD is confirmed, several tests are done to determine severity and nature of the compulsions and obsessions. They include the Maudley obsessional compulsive inventory, the Yale brown Obsessive compulsive scale, and Leyton obsessional inventory (Domino, 2007). There is need for differential diagnosis in people suspected to have this condition. Distinguishing this condition from other disorders such as mood disorders, other anxiety disorders, impulsive spectrum disorders, Padua inventory, obsessive compulsive personality disorders (OCPD), impulsive spectrum disorders, and delusional disorders can be challenging. Accurate diagnosis requires a careful evaluation of an individual’s history. There is need to differentiate depression caused by OCD from that caused by others factors. It is also important to differentiate between OCD and trichotillomania where in trichotillomania just like in OCD individuals get relief out of pulling their hair but have no obsessive thoughts (Hollander Stein, 1997). Another condition requiring differential diagnosis is schizophrenia which is also characterized by obsession and rituals though the rituals in schizophrenic individuals are usually purposeless (Hollander Stein, 1997). In addition, other symptoms of schizophrenia are absent. Since some OCD patients also experience panic attacks, this can make OCD to be confused with panic disorder. However, OCD panic attacks are secondary to obsessional fears (Hollander Stein, 1997). Differential diagnosis between OCD and OCPD is also required since OCPD patients exhibit symptoms that are similar to those of OCD such as preoccupation with orderliness and perfectionism (Hollander Stein, 1997). However, in OCPD there is no obsession and compulsions. Borderline personality disorder may also be confused with OCD as patients also experience strong feelings and thoughts about certain issues. There are several approaches that are employed in the care of OCD patients. The treatments used include behavioral therapies, medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. Medications used are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and they include sertraline, paroxetine, cilatopram, and fluvoxamine (Domino, 2007). Medications are usually combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. The behavioral therapies usually include exposure therapy and ritual prevention therapy. For ritual prevention, the patients are helped to resist urges to engage in compulsive behavior for long while in exposure therapy individuals are subjected to the factors that compel them to behave compulsively and then helped to resist the urges (Hollander Stein, 1997). Cognitive behavioral therapy involves helping the patients to change their negative thoughts and behaviors. At other times, cognitive behavioral therapy is administered to a group. Response to treatment varies with age where medications are less effective in children and adolescents while adults respond well to treatment with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medications (Hollander Stein, 1997). References Domino, F. J. (2007). The 5-minute clinical consult. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Hollander, E. Stein, D. J. (1997). Obsessive compulsive disorders: diagnosis, etiology treatment. London: Informa health care Hyman, B. C. Pedrick, C. (2009). Obsessive compulsive disorder. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Jakes, I. (1996). Theoretical approaches to obsessive compulsive disorder. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press Lippincott Williams Wilkins. (2008). Nurse’s 3-minute clinical reference. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins.