Roles of Mycorrhizae Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Roles of Mycorrhizae - Research Paper Example The roots provide the microorganisms a stable access to nutrition. In return, the roots benefit from the high water and mineral absorptive capacity of mycelia resulting from its relatively small size and subsequent better ability to penetrate soil. As a result, mycorrhizal plants are more resistant to lack of water. They are more capable of colonizing barren land or unfamiliar territory than plants without mycorrhizae do. In addition, mycorrhizal fungi process demineralized phosphates such that the minerals will be available for plant use. However, as is the case in all biological interactions, not all mycorrhizae are mutualistic. In cases in which nutrients are abundant in the plant’s environment, association with microorganisms, as is what happens during mycorrhizal formation, may be more parasitic than beneficial (Bucher, 2007). However, current agricultural practices prevent the formation of these mycorrhizae. The pesticides being used have a non-discriminating adverse eff ect on the microorganisms living in the plants’ ecosystem. ... Its functions, particularly in providing nutrients and protecting the plants against salt stress and drought, are then enumerated. Its relationships with various members of its ecosystem are then discussed. Finally, the importance of these knowledge in terms of what aspects should be focused on will be suggested. DEVELOPMENT Endomycorrhizae development Figure 1 illustrates the development of endomycorrhizae. The fungal species associated with endomycorrhizae reproduce asexually. They undergo an asymbiotic phase in which spores germinate and hyphal growth are limited without the nutrients supplied by the host plant. Soon after, hyphal growth begins. This presymbiotic phase is induced by the presence of plant root exudates, which fungal hyphae penetrate to (Bucher, 2007). At the root surface, the fungal hypha develops a set of penetrating cells and is now called a hyphopodium. This now enters the root epidermis, continuing to grow into the outer, and then the inner root cortex. It then spreads intercellular along the longitudinal axis of the root. This structure of the fungus is the one called an arbuscule (Gutjahr et al., 2008). The peak of fungal development is characterized by the development of an extraradical mycelium that is able to produce and exude spores for colonization of other plants (Bucher, 2007; Frey-Klett et al., 2007). However, the development of arbuscular mycorrhizae is not synchronous, in that various colonization stages are present in one plant (Gutjahr et al., 2008). Figure 1, previous page. Development of Endomycorrhizal Development. From Bucher, Marcel, 2007. Tansley review: Functional biology of plant phosphate uptake at root and mycorrhiza

A Study of the Cultural Imperialism Theory Essay Example for Free

A Study of the Cultural Imperialism Theory Essay ABSTRACT This paper explores the validity of the Cultural Imperialism Theory which says the Western culture has dominated the cultures of developing Nations. It examines to what extent and how the Western world in the real sense has dominated the developing countries. The study further examined the means through which the developing countries are being dominated culturally by the Western culture. The paper further looked at both the negative and the positive effects of cultural imperialism. It concluded that though the western world is succeeding in eroding the culture of developing countries and Nigeria as a study, Nigeria as a Nation should put on some safety belt in safeguarding our heritage. INTRODUCTION Culture is the way of life of a set of people. It encompasses the knowledge, ideas, beliefs, values, standards, and sentiments prevalent in the group. According to Charles A. Ellwood, an American Sociologist, culture is the â€Å"collective name for all behavior patterns socially acquired and socially transmitted by means of symbols†. Dare A., defines Culture as the collectivity of human activities and general principles that tend to guide ideas of a group of people with shared traditions (general acceptability), which are passed on, instilled into generation (socialization) and reinvigorated by members of the group (sustainability) while Imperialism as defined by The Dictionary of Human Geography is the creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination The Theorist of Cultural Imperialism theory, Herb Schiller postulated that Western nations dominate the media around the world which in return has a powerful effect on Third World Cultures by means of imposing on them, western views thereby destroying their native cultures Western Civilization produces the majority of the media (film, news, comics, etc.) because they have the money to do so. The rest of the world purchases those productions because it is cheaper for them to do so rather than produce their own. Therefore, Third World countries are watching media filled with the Western worlds way of living, believing, and thinking. The third world cultures then start to want and do the same things in their countries and destroy their own culture. In cultural Imperialism theory, the key words are culture and imperialism. According to Anaeto G., Onabajo, O. and Osifeso, J. (2008), they wrote that â€Å"the western countries are technologically developed in television and motion programmes and developing countries that are not technologically developed depend on the programmes from the developed countries. This means that the programmes from the developed counties which portray their culture will be imbibed by the developing nations. This western culture now dominates our local culture simply because we are consuming their mass media messages†. The assumptions of the theory according to Schiller, H., are classified into three namely 1. Ontological Assumptions 2. Epistemological Assumptions 3. Axiological Assumptions 1. Ontological Assumptions This theory says that humans do not have the free will to chose how they feel, act, think, and live. They react to what they see on television because there is nothing else to compare it to besides their own lives, usually portrayed as less than what it should be. 2. Epistemological Assumptions This theory explains that there is one truth and no matter what that truth never going to change. As long as Third World countries continue to air Western Civilizations programs then the third world countries will always believe they should act, feel, think, and live as Western Civilizations act, feel, think, and live. 3. Axiological Assumptions This theory is value-neutral and objective. It does not matter what beliefs the people of Third World may already hold, the television programs from the Western World will communicate the same message and affect them in the same way. CRITIQUES OF THEORY The critiques of the Cultural Imperialism theory came up with scientific theory which counter-argued the theory with the following responses: Explanatory Power: It explains what happens when one group of people with their own ideas sends messages through the media to a different group of people. Predictive Power: It predicts that Third World countries culture will be destroyed and the people will identify with Western views. Parsimony: We can see a direct linear path from sender to receiver through the media channels and then watch the effects. Falsifiability: The theory could be proved false should the Third World countries not be affected by Western media and they do not lose their culture. E.G â€Å"Under the intriguing title Seducing the French (1993), Richard F.Kuisel concedes that the French underwent a process of Americanization. But at the same time, they succeeded in defending their Frenchness. French consumers found some American products appealing but they also continued to cherish and idealize French national identity, notably the idea of a superior French high culture.† Internal Consistency: There is a logical flow of events and consequences within the theory. Heuristic Provocativeness: This theory could lead to new hypotheses such as which cultures are affected more than others (if any) or whether low context differ in the reception of messages compared top high context cultures? Organizing Power: This fits with what we already know about differences between Western civilization and Third World countries. Another example the critique stated is that â€Å"if an International Broadcast station shows a video depicting Nigerians as corrupt, dangerous and malnourished, should someone in Nigeria watch this the Western stereotype of Nigerians, and not affected by it, the theory have been proved false†. John, T., further argues that Cultural imperialism consists of the spread of modernity. It is a process of cultural loss and not of cultural expansion. There never were groups of conspirators who attempted to spread any particular culture. Instead, global technological and economic progress and integration reduced the importance of national culture. Therefore, it is misleading to put the blame for a global development on any one culture. The notion of imperialism that is, purposeful cultural conquest is irrelevant; instead, all countries, regardless of whether they are located in the northern or southern hemisphere, are victims of a worldwide cultural change MODES OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM Tracing world history all through the era of colonialism, there have been histories of cultural imperialism which will seem the only way to explain the popularity of the very-British game cricket in all countries that once served as British colonies. Invasion of a country most often doesnt end with an invasion of the geographical territories within the political boundaries alone. Religious and cultural invasion are often inseparable parts of a political conquest. It’s much easier to rule if your subjects share the same religious and cultural platforms as the invaders? The cultural imperialism theory is founded upon the premises of imposing the influences and beliefs of the stronger culture (the invaders) upon the weaker or more submissive culture (the invaded). How does this cultural Imperialism take place? Dare A., states that Cultural imperialism takes place when one culture overtakes another in such a way that the latter ends up following a significant number of values, traditions, beliefs and influences of the former either completely or in a way merges the influences of the dominating culture with those of its own. Such a cultural invasion can either be active or passive. In its active form, the dominant culture forcefully imposes its cultural influences upon the dominated culture. This is a dynamic phenomenon where the subordinate culture is compelled to adopt the ways of the invaders. The passive form is when one culture (not necessarily subordinate) voluntarily embraces the influences and traditions of another culture. Here, the dominant culture makes little or no forceful efforts in imposing its cultural ideals upon another but the latter gets influenced as a consequence of its receptivity to the formers cultural impacts. The passive form of cultural imperialism is what largely takes place today. Cultural imperialism can also occur due to the significant commercial relations between two countries. A country heavily importing products and services of another country may get significantly influenced by the exporting countrys lifestyle attributes and social values. We can see this phenomenon in the form of Westernization of a number of Eastern countries. This is a type of passive cultural imperialism as the receiving culture adopts the foreign values without perceiving the fact that they are, in fact, becoming slaves of a foreign culture. WORLD EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM English Cultural Imperialism English cultural imperialism has been rife in the history of cultural imperialism. Latin which has the Churchs official language to popularizing its national game all across its colonies was changed to English. The British Empire left no stone unturned to make sure that its subjects adhered to its cultural idiosyncrasies even decades after ceasing to be its subjects. The fact that Cricket is among the top ten most popular sports around the world with an estimated 3 billion fan following, especially in countries like Australia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, New Zealand and certain African and Caribbean countries proves the strength of the English cultural imperialism. It is also a known fact that English is the third most spoken language after Mandarin and Spanish. Decades of dominion and repressive policies towards Tibet, Taiwan and various other neighboring regions by China has had a significant influence upon the religion and culture of these regions. The aggressive promotion of a standardized Chinese language across Mainland China and Taiwan indicates towards an attempted cultural imperialism aimed at overtaking regional dialects in these areas. Also, the fact that most traditional aspects of the Chinese culture pertaining to religious beliefs, festivals and social norms significantly inundate the socio cultural edifices of various Oriental countries indicate towards strongly existing cultural imperialism. The most widespread and still continuing instance of cultural imperialism can be seen in the form of Americanization. This is mostly due to the multitudes of commercial relationships the United States holds with a large number of countries in all parts of the world. This is definitely passive cultural imperialism and the countries that are most affected are those that have voluntarily adopted the stereotyped American lifestyle values and specific cultural aspects CULTURAL IMPERIALISM IN NIGERIA The Issue of Sagging Sagging has become the latest phenomenon among the male youths today in Nigeria. It is what is in vogue; if you have not exposed the lower part of your private, you belong to the old school system. What is sagging and where did it come from? According to Greg, M., sagging was adopted from the United States prison system where belts are prohibited. Belts are sometimes prohibited to keep prisoners from using them as weapons or in committing suicide by hanging themselves. The style was later popularized by hip-hop artists in the 1990s. It has since become a symbol of freedom and cultural awareness among some youths or a symbol of their rejection of the values of mainstream society. Jails are typically state run institutions. What usually happens is the state will order a set number of inmate uniforms. These uniforms are usually in general sizes like small, medium and large; making them ill-fitting for most inmates. When a medium sized inmate comes in and there are no remaining medium uniforms this inmate will receive a large instead. Prisoners are not allowed to have shoe laces or belts for fear they’d use them to kill themselves (by way of strangulation or hanging), or as weapons to kill or injure other inmates. The combination of over sized clothing and lack of fastening devices created the perfect storm for falling pants. Many street hungry rappers latched on the dress of their incarcerated friends and family and brought the style to the masses. Thus a new trend was born and Nigerians have fallen into this trend Linguistic Imperialism Language is one of the principal elements in identifying a particular culture and the absence of it makes a culture unidentifiable. It is vital for cultural transmission and preservation. With the gradual loss of our indigenous languages in Nigeria, what culture are we then preserving? Ogwu, M., Agbanu, N. and Ofordile, J. describes Linguistic Imperialism as â€Å"People who can relate with each other only through the medium of communication foisted on them by a former colonist are victims of a peculiar kind of Schizophrenia†. The use of our language is declining in Africa especially Nigeria because we are compelled to embrace Western culture and civilization as Western language. Western language has created a division between an elite and mass of our people who still cannot do business with foreign language. It causes alienation for people who cannot speak English or French. Language is a vehicle of culture; we are in a very serious problem. e.g. â€Å"Professor Babafunwa project on local language as a basic tool of teaching in Nigeria was aborted because of the nature of our country.† Parents also do not encourage their children or wards to speak in their local language as they belief it causes setback in their education. Fashion imperialism You hardly find few of our men, women and the youths who still embrace our cultural mode of dressing. Our people are going ‘gaga’ with the western way of dressing thereby losing their root of African way of dressing. It’s quite unfortunate that when expatriates and tourist who come to Nigeria appreciate our native attire while the owners of the heritage has seen it as something of old school and fashion. Tattoos have also become a common phenomenon. Both the young and old are stamping themselves all over the body with symbolic ‘devilish’ tattoos. Religious Imperialism Most churches in Nigeria today have gone the western way. When you go to some churches today, you marvel at the way some our ladies apparel. The custom of covering of hair has been eroded by the western way; all kinds of dressing are acceptable. The men or young male adults put on all sort of jewels and dress ‘haggardly’. The sense of going to commune with God is lost. EFFECTS OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM Moral Decadency Through the float of western culture into Nigeria through the advent of technology and globalization, there has been obvious moral decline in Africa and in Nigeria in particular. This moral decadence has permeated almost all spheres of our culture. Moral consciousness has been equated with awkward and odd life styles. According to Oshafu, H., in his article â€Å"Cultural Imperialism†, this resulted due to Africa’s carelessness and failure to hold their culture with high esteem. He added that the moral excellence of African society has over night transformed into moral decay. Elders are no longer respected, our rapid festivals and ceremonies are now seen as â€Å"old school† and we now have children of single parents, a phenomenon that is identifiable with America. People no longer communalize, nobody wants to be anybody’s brother’s keeper. Our mode of dressing has been totally distorted by western civilization through foreign films and media conten t. Today we seem not to have any cultural attire. Our people now prefer to go naked on the streets as against our culture, micro minis with handless tops has this to show. The acculturation of â€Å"blue jean and hamburger† has gradually found it way into young people in African society. The issue of dress code has led to controversies in our high institute in today. Cases of immoral dressing have also gave way to rapid sexual harassment among students and lecturers, bosses and their employees. Raping in our society today came as a result of reckless dressing code by ladies The traditional notion of chastity and virginity have been rendered absurd by pornographic and sleazy materials displayed on screens, distorting sexuality and condoning promiscuity, which has given rise to active homosexuality and lesbianism in our society today. These cases of reckless sex have led to the rapid spread of STD’s particularly, HIV/AIDs in our society today. Innocent children are dying of this disease. They paid dearly for the offence committed by their parents. This is immoral evil militating against the dignity of human person. Increase in Crime Rate With exposure to the western way of life, increase in crime rate is on high. Most of the films we watch on the television set are crime oriented thereby leading to increase in crime rate. In as much as there is positive impact of the television set, the negative aspect outweighs the good part, as the western world is teaching modern ways to crime though the kind of programmes being disseminated, which includes kidnapping, serial killing etc. Look for more points We have scholars who however belief that Cultural Imperialism theory regardless of its negative effect has its positive side. Cultural imperialism they say is not entirely bad as it increases the pace of development in Nigeria and other less developed countries. For example, in the giving away of media products free of charge or selling them at a very low price to these developing nations, the US actually accelerates the growth of the media industry and the advancement in technology, hence increasing the knowledge and skills of the people there. Their actions not only add on to actual growth; the subsequent increase in human capital further boosts potential growth, which is essential for the actual growth to be sustained in the long run. This investment in human capital goes a long way and benefits the country as it strengthens the competitive edge and increases productivity of the workforce. Economic growth is also achieved Even more so, being a developing nation, Nigeria would not have had the latest technology available to produce media products; it is only through the provision of the American companies that they are able to obtain state-of-the-art equipment. The advocacy of production of local-helmed programs would thus further enhance American influence on the nation. Despite government efforts to hinder cultural imperialism, they cannot completely eliminate the impacts of this influence as American media products have already found their way into the market and become a part of Nigeria’s media production efforts. They need such â€Å"interference† in order to keep their media industry alive WAY FORWARD Long Term Investment in the Development of our Mass Media One way cultural imperialism spreads is through the mass media. The local media imports foreign materials because it is cheaper than having to produce local indigenous content. An example of this issue is that indigenous journalists have to learn to transcribe and rewrite news by foreign news agencies rather than source for their own stories. Sometimes even rewriting local stories covered by the foreign news agencies. Our government and private investors should invest heavily in our local media and encourage the development of indigenous content that will reflect our culture, values, promote our languages etc. Media products like movies, news, music, advertising etc should be regulated to avoid the influx of foreign content. This is where organizations like the Nigerian Broadcasting Service come in. They should develop stronger laws and be strict in its enforcement of the laws such as the 60/40% rule (60% indigenous, 40% foreign). If the indigenous media products are of high quality, the citizens will be encouraged to consume them. This is so because a lot of people give the low quality of the products (movies, music, adverts, news etc) as reasons for not consuming them. If Nigerians consume indigenous media products, it will reflect in every area of our lives (culturally that is). An example is what is happening in the Nigerian music industry,. Because of the increase in local content in our music, it is now becoming acceptable and even encouraged to sing in our indigenous languages(Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo etc), dress in our native attires most especially Ankara and wear our national colors. There has been a rise in the popularity of Pidgin English as opposed to just speaking plain English. Also the teaching of our indigenous languages should be encouraged in our schools. All primary and secondary schools should be encouraged to teach at least one Nigerian language at all classes especially in the minority regions of the country where the minority languages are in danger of becoming extinct. Parents should further speak their native dialect with their wards or children to aid them to be conversant in their local dialect. Young adults today see it as a taboo or as inferiority complex speaking in their local dialect; it does not sound ‘tush’ rather local parents more importantly should be more watchful and observant in the kind of foreign stations their children tune to for their programmes as media has become the primary means by which many of us experience or learn about many aspects of the world around us Stanley and Dennis, 5th edition,p.200). With the presence of technology, access to International broadcast station is at the tip of the hand, we have cables surrounding us and with just a remote control, you can be anywhere in the world learning and assimilating what is been impressed on you. As such supervision is needed to regulate what is been watched. Parents should devout time for their children while they are still young as most of the western values tend to catch them while they are still young just as the catch them young phrase. Another solution is to try to export our own culture as this will help in boosting tourism in Nigeria. We should conscious try to sell and promote our media products to the rest of the world. This will improve our image globally and help foreigners understand our culture, values, cuisine better. I would like to say at this point that we should not consume wholly indiginous media products. A little foreign content is still advisable as there has been some good aspects of cultural imperialism such as technological and educational advancement, political structure (democracy), eradication of some harmful practices like the killing of twins etc. We should take a balanced approach, like an 80 (indigenous))/20% (foreign). CONLUSION As a result of globalization and technological advancement, the western world has succeeded in dominating the third world countries. This notwithstanding should not be an excuse for Nigerians and other third world countries to be subjugated by the western world. Nigerian as a nation should fight cultural imperialism and fight back for our lost culture. One way by which this could be done is through Long Term Investment in the Development of our Mass Media as it is the major means by which cultural imperialism spreads. The local media imports foreign materials because it is cheaper than having to produce local indigenous content. An example of this issue is that indigenous journalists have to learn to transcribe and rewrite news by foreign news agencies rather than source for their own stories. Sometimes even rewriting local stories covered by the foreign news agencies. Our government and private investors should invest heavily in our local media and encourage the development of indigenous content that will reflect our culture, values, promote our languages etc. REFERENCES Anaeto, S. G., Onabajo, O. S. and Osifeso, J. B. (2008). Models and Theories of Communication. African Renaissance Books Incorporated. Dare, A., (2010). The Effects of Western Civilization and Culture on Africa. Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences (1/1) Quarter IV Grifin, E. (2000). A first look at communication theory. (4th edition). Boston, MA: McGraw- Hill Littlejohn, S. W. (1999). Theories of human communication (6th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Oshafu H. U. Cultural Imperialism. Accessed from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/culturalimperialism-examples.html on 12/11/2012. Ogwu, M., Agbanu, N., and Ofordile, J. (December, 2010). â€Å"Sustaining Cultural Values Through the Promotion of Indigenous Languages in Nigeria† Journal of Communication and Culture: International Perspective. (1/3), pp 76 Schiller, H. I. (1976). Communication and Cultural Domination. Armonk, NY: International Arts and Sciences Press. Accessed online on 29/10/2012. Critics of cultural imperialism theory. Encyclopedia of the New American Nation available Accessed at http://www.americanforeignrelations.com on 29/10/2012

Reflection Has Become An Important Concept In Nursing Nursing Essay

Reflection Has Become An Important Concept In Nursing Nursing Essay Introduction In recent years, reflection has undoubtedly become an important concept in nursing, stimulating debate and influencing nursing practice and education around the world. Much has been written about the theory of reflection, the majority of which has been applied to the educational setting (Price 2004). However, the process of reflecting has been described as a transferable skill which may be incorporated into clinical practice, enabling practitioners to better understand themselves and others, and solve problems (Mantzoukas Jasper 2004). Indeed, the capability to reflect consciously upon ones professional practice is generally considered important for the development of education and, hence, for clinical expertise (Mamede Schmidt 2004). Reid (1993) defines reflection as a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice (Reid 1993, p. 305). The nursing profession seems to advocate the need for nurses to be educated and practice in ways that develop their critical thinking, autonomy and sensitivity to others (Reed Ground 1997). Bulman (2004) contends that reflective practice may provide a means of achieving this. Within an intensive care setting, some evidence exists to suggest a strong relationship between lived experience and learning, with most critical care practitioners learning from previous experience (Hendricks et al 1996). More recently, reflection has been closely associated with the concepts of critical thinking and deconstruction. It is argued that a combination of these principles create a retrospective and prospective dimension, giving the practitioner the ability to deconstruct events, to reason the origins of situations, and to consider what has gone before and what may happen yet (Rolfe 2005). In order to be effective in practice there is a requirement to be purposeful and goal directed. It is suggested therefore that reflection cannot just be concerned with understanding, but must also focus on locating practice within its social structures, and on changing practice (Bolton 2001). This suggests that a structured approach to reflection is of benefit to the practitioner. Indeed the use of a model or framework of reflection is advocated as a tool which can aid and facilitate the practitioner in reflection, promoting a process of continuous development (Bulman 2004). Reflection is seen as a dynamic process and not a static one (Duke 2004), and thus the use of a framework which adopts a cyclic approach to reflective practice seems appropriate. One such framework is Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle, which is adapted form a framework of experiential learning, and uses a series of questions to guide, and provide structure for the practitioner when reflecting on an experience. Gibbs (1988) highlights 6 important areas of consideration when reflecting on a specific situation, encouraging the practitioner to consider what happened, why it happened and what could be done differently in the future. The 6 components of the Reflective Cycle are outlined below: Description What happened? Feelings What were you thinking and feeling? Evaluation What was good and bad about the situation? Analysis What sense can you make of the situation? Conclusion What else could you have done? Action Plan If the situation arose again, what would you do? It is clear that the idea of reflective practice has come to have a considerable impact on the nursing profession. This paper will focus on 2 clinical scenarios occurring within an intensive care setting. The issues raised will be discussed within the context of Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle. The aim in doing so is to highlight the benefits of a structured reflective process, and to identify ways in which clinical practice may be improved in the future. Scenario 1 Description The first scenario concerns the care of an elderly, critically ill patient, who was being treated in a surgical intensive care unit. At the time of this scenario the patient had been in intensive care for almost 3 weeks, having been admitted with respiratory failure requiring intubation, and displaying clinical symptoms consistent with sepsis. The patient had many other underlying medical problems, was morbidly obese, and despite antibiotic therapy was requiring high levels of inotropic and ventilatory support. Despite the patients symptoms, no definite source of sepsis had been identified. The above patient was being cared for by the author on a 12 hour day shift and at the morning ward round it was noted that the patients condition had deteriorated significantly over the previous 2 days, with increased inotrope dependence and worsening renal function. With few treatment options left to try, the consultant anaesthetist decided that the patient should have a CT scan to identify or rule out an abdominal problem as a source of the sepsis. The patient was reviewed by a consultant surgeon who felt that in view of the patients co-morbidity, surgery of any kind would not be appropriate, despite potential positive findings on CT. Knowing that a CT scan had been carried out 1 week previously with no significant findings, the author raised concerns about the benefit of such a procedure, and suggested that at the very least the patients family should be informed or consulted about the planned investigation. The patients son had been spoken to the previous day and informed that the prognosis was very poor. Withdrawal of treatment had been mentioned as a possibility in the event of no improvement in the patients condition. The son however was not informed about the scan which went ahead the same day. Transferring the patient to the radiology department for scan proved difficult. The patient was sedated for transfer resulting in a need for increased inotropes due to further hypotension caused by the sedation. The patients large size also created a problem in finding an appropriate transfer trolley to take the patients weight. Again the author voiced concerns, stating that perhaps transfer was inadvisable in view of the patients unstable cardiovascular status. The anaesthetist decided that we should proceed with the scan. The patient remained unstable throughout the transfer, requiring a further increase in inotropes on arrival at scan. Whilst on the CT table, the patient became dangerously hypotensive and bradycardic, and it seemed that cardiac arrest was imminent. Adrenaline boluses were administered, and large fluid boluses of gelofusine were also given. In view of this, the CT scan was abandoned midway, and the patient was quickly transferred back to ICU. Further adrenaline boluses were needed during transfer. On arrival back to ICU, the author was met by the patients son, who was not aware that the patient was being scanned. He was made aware of the patients poor condition. Back in ICU it was decided that further resuscitation was not appropriate. The son was present when the patient died a few minutes later. Feelings On the day these events took place, the predominant thoughts and feelings of the author were ones of guilt and inadequacy. Having considered the multiple health problems faced by the patient at this time, the author felt that the process of transferring the patient to CT scan and carrying out the scan itself may cause the patient stress, discomfort and potential danger, and ultimately be of little or no benefit. During the transfer and scanning process, the author became increasingly anxious about the immediate safety of the patient, and the potential for deterioration in the patients condition. When the patient became dangerously bradycardic and hypotensive, the authors thoughts were concentrated on trying to prevent cardiac arrest. On returning to ICU and meeting the patients son, it seemed that neither the dignity of the patient or the concerns of the family had been respected. The author felt an inadequacy and felt that the interests of the patient had not been properly advocated. The patient passed away in a distressing and undignified manner, and the son did not have the opportunity to spend personal time with the patient prior to this happening. The author felt guilty, as it seemed that the CT scan should not have happened and that the undignified circumstances surrounding the patients death need not have occurred. Evaluation Looking back on the events of scenario 1, it seems that there were both positive and negative aspects to the experience. During transfer to CT scan and the emergency situation which followed, the author felt that there was good teamwork between the different professionals involved in the care of the patient. Because of this, prompt action was taken, preventing cardiac arrest. However, it seems that this situation may have been avoided, which in turn raises many questions relating to the care of the patient. Ethically, one must question how appropriate it was to scan a severely septic, unstable patient, especially when corrective treatments would have been inappropriate in the event of an abnormality being discovered. Should the author have advocated the interests of the patient and family more forcefully? Was there a lack of communication and consensus between the critical care team? The events of this incident culminated in a clinical emergency situation which led to the patients death. Thus, the author feels that the patients clinical condition and the ethical issues and dilemmas surrounding the patients care must be examined and discussed, in the hope that lessons can be learned through the reflective process. Analysis Sepsis Most illness and death in patients in intensive care is caused by the consequences of sepsis and systemic inflammation. Indeed, sepsis affects 18 million people worldwide each year (Slade et al 2003), with severe sepsis remaining the highest cause of death in patients admitted to non-coronary intensive care units (Edbrooke et al 1999). Sepsis is a complex condition that results from an infectious process, and is the bodys response to infection. It involves systemic inflammatory and cellular events that result in altered circulation and coagulation, endothelial dysfunction, and impaired tissue perfusion (Kleinpell 2004). Dellinger et al (2004) define sepsis as the systemic response to infection manifested by 2 or more of the following: High or low temperature (>38 °C or Heart rate > 90 beats per minute Respiratory rate > 20 breaths per minute or PaCO2 High or low white blood cell count (> 12,000 or In severe sepsis impaired tissue perfusion along with micro vascular coagulation can lead to multiple organ system dysfunction, which is a major cause of sepsis-related mortality (Robson Newell 2005). While all organs are prone to failure in sepsis, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and renal dysfunction occur most commonly (Hotchkiss Karl 2003). When multiple organ system dysfunction occurs, Dolan (2003) promotes evidence-based sepsis treatment whereby patients should receive targeted organ support. This includes mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, fluids, vasopressor or inotropic administration, and blood product administration, to maximize perfusion and oxygenation. In recent years new therapies have emerged which have been shown, in some cases, to increase the chance of survival from severe sepsis. Recombinant human activated protein C has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and pro-fibrinolytic properties (Dolan 2003). In a randomised controlled trial, Bernard et al (2001) found a significant reduction in the mortality of septic patients who had been treated with activated protein C. The National Institute for clinical excellence (2004) now recommends this treatment for adult patients who have severe sepsis resulting in multiple organ failure, and who are being provided with optimal ICU support. Steroids, the use of which in ICU has long been debated, have also been shown, in low doses, to reduce the risk of death in some patients in septic shock (Annane 2000). Despite the development of specific treatments to interrupt or control the inflammatory and procoagulant process associated with sepsis, its management remains a major challenge in healthcare (Kleinpell 2004). The patient in scenario 1 was clearly in a state of severe sepsis, with respiratory, cardiac and renal failure, and receiving some of the supportive treatments mentioned above. Indeed it seems that the severity of this condition should not have been underestimated. In view of this, the ethical issues surrounding the decision to take this patient to CT scan must now be considered. Ethical Dilemmas and Consensus Ethical issues have emerged in recent years as a major component of health care for critically ill patients (Friedman 2001). Thus, caring for these patients in an intensive care setting necessitates that difficult ethical problems must be faced and resolved (Fisher 2004). Traditionally, much of the literature in biomedical ethics comes from theoretical perspectives that include principled ethics, caring ethics and virtue ethics (Bunch 2002). Although these perspectives provide an ethical awareness, which can be helpful, they do not of necessity give much direction for clinical practice. Melia (2001) supports this notion, suggesting that many discussions of ethical issues in health care are presented from a moral philosophical viewpoint, which as a consequence leaves out the clinical and social context in which decisions are taken and carried through. Beauchamp Childress (1994) identify 5 principles pertinent to decision making in intensive care. These are: salvageability, life preservation, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Ethical dilemmas occur when two or more of the above principles come into conflict. The principles of beneficence (doing good), non-maleficence (doing no harm) and justice (fair treatment) are well established within the field of bioethics. Within a critical care context however, the dilemma between salvageability and life preservation becomes an important focus for health care professionals. Indeed, Prien Van Aken (1999) raise the question of whether all medical means to preserve life have to be employed under all circumstances, or are there situations in which we should not do everything that it is possible to do. This question becomes particularly relevant when a patients condition does not improve but rather deteriorates progressively. Curtin (2005) suggests that at some point in the course of t reatment, the line between treating a curable disease and protracting an unpreventable death can be crossed. In such incidences Prien Van Aken (1999) identify a transitional zone between the attempt to treat the patient, and the prolongation of dying, in which a conflict between the principles of life preservation and non-maleficence develops. These concepts seem particularly relevant to scenario 1 where the interests of the patient may have been neglected in favour of further attempts to treat the patients condition. This, in turn created a conflict between the principles of salvageability and life preservation. The decision to perform a CT scan on a patient with such cardiovascular instability and a very poor prognosis, meant that the patient was subjected to dangers and harms when there were few, if any benefits to justify this. Hence, the conflict between the ethical principles was not resolved, and the professional duty of non-maleficence toward the patient was not respected. Such conflicts and dilemmas in intensive care can be made all the harder by the availability of advanced technologies. Callahan (2003) writes that one of the most seductive powers of medical technology is to confuse the use of technology with a respect for the sanctity of life. In addition, Fisher (2004) contends that it has become all too easy to think that if one respects the value of life, and technology has the power to extend life, then a failure to use it is a failure to respect that value. This is particularly true of diagnostic technologies (such as CT scanning) which must be used with caution, especially in cases where the diagnostic information will make little or no difference to the treatment of the patient, but can create or heighten anxiety and discomfort for the patient (Callahan 2003). Medical technology is a two-edged sword, capable of saving and improving life but also of ending and harming life (Curtin 2005). Good critical care medicine carries the responsibility o f preserving life, on the one hand, and making possible a peaceful death, on the other. Callahan (2003) concludes by warning that any automatic bias in favour of using technology will threaten that latter possibility. Consensus between members of the intensive care team is also highlighted as an important issue in ethical decision making. Effective communication and collaboration among medical and nursing staff are essential for high quality health care (Woodrow 2000). Collaboration can be seen as working together, sharing responsibility for solving problems, and making decisions to formulate and execute plans for patient care (Gedney 2000 p.41). In intensive care units where ethical problems are faced frequently, care has to be a team effort (Fisher 2004). In a qualitative study, Melia (2001) found that there was a strong desire within the intensive care team that ethical and moral consensus should be achieved in the interests of good patient care, even though it was recognised that there is no legal requirement for nurses to agree with ICU decisions. Cobaoglu Algier (2004) however, found that the same ethical dilemma was perceived differently by medics and nurses with the differences being related to the hospitals hierarchical structure and the traditional distinctions between the two professions. Similarly, it has been observed that differences between doctors and nurses in ethical dilemmas were a function of the professional role played by each, rather than differences in ethical reasoning or moral motivation (Oberle Hughes 2001). It seems therefore that while the medical and nursing professions share the same aims for patient outcomes, the ideas surrounding how these outcomes should be achieved may differ (Fisher 2004). These differences have contributed to the development of the concept of the nurse as patient advocate, which sees advocacy as a fundamental and integral role in the caring relationship, and not simply as a single component of care (Snowball 1996). The role of the nurse advocate should be that of mediator and facilitator, negotiating between the different health and illness perspectives of patient, doctor, and other health care professionals on the patients behalf (Mallik 1998). Empirical evidence is sparse and philosophical arguments seem to predominate in the field of patient advocacy. There is some evidence to suggest that nurse advocacy has had beneficial outcomes for the patient and family in critical care areas (Washington 2001). Hewitt (2002) however found that humanistic arguments that promote advocacy as a moral imperative are compelling. Benner (1984) writes of advocacy within the context of being with a patient in such a way that acknowledges your shared humanity, which is the base of nursing as a caring practice (Benner 1984, p. 28). It has been argued that advocacy, at least in a philosophical sense, is the foundation of nursing itself and as such should be regarded as an issue of great importance by all practitioners (Snowball 1996). Conclusion It can be concluded that sepsis in a critical care environment is a complex condition with a high mortality rate, requiring highly specialised treatments. As such, the ethical issues and dilemmas faced by health care staff caring for a septic patient can be both complex and far reaching. It must be noted, that there can be no general solutions for such ethical conflicts; each clinical case must be evaluated individually with all its associated circumstances. A study of ethical principles would suggest that it is important that the benefits of a specific treatment or procedure are established prior to implementation, and that these benefits outweigh any potential harms or risks to the patient. The ultimate decision maker in the scenario under discussion was the consultant anaesthetist, who should have provided a clearer rationale for performing a CT scan on such an unstable patient. As the nurse caring for the patient, the author recognises that the final decision regarding treatment rested with the anaesthetist. However, the author could have challenged the anaesthetists decision further, advocating the patients interests, with the aim of reaching a moral consensus within the team. Perhaps then the outcome would have been more favourable for all concerned. Action Plan By reflecting on this scenario, the author has gained an understanding of sepsis and the potential ethical problems which may be encountered when caring for a septic or critically ill patient. As a result, the author feels more confident to challenge those decisions made relating to treatment, which do not seem to be in the best interest of the patient, or which have the potential to cause more harm than good. The author now has a greater understanding of the professional responsibility to advocate on a patients behalf, with the aim of safeguarding against possible dangers. It is hoped that this will result in improved outcomes for patients in the authors care. Scenario 2 Description This incident occurred in a surgical intensive care unit while the author was looking after a ventilated patient who had undergone a laparotomy and right sided hemi-colectomy 2 days previously. Around 10.30am the patient was reviewed by medical staff and was found to be awake and alert with good arterial blood gases, and requiring minimal ventilatory support. In view of this, it was decided that the patients support should be reduced further, and providing this reduction was tolerated, that the patient should be extubated later in the morning. In the intensive care unit in which the author works an intensive insulin infusion protocol is used (see Appendix A). This is a research based protocol which aims to normalize blood glucose levels and thus improve clinical outcomes for critically ill patients. All patients on this protocol require either to be absorbing enteral feed at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥30ml/hr, on TPN or on 5% dextrose at 100ml/hr (Appendix A, note 2). The patient involved in this incident was receiving enteral feed via a naso-gastric tube, and was on an insulin infusion which was running at 4 U/hr. When it was decided that the patient was to be extubated, the author stopped the enteral feed as a precaution, to prevent possible aspiration during or after extubation. The author however did not stop the insulin infusion which breached the protocol guidelines. About 12 noon the patients blood gases showed that the reduction in support had been tolerated, and so the patient was extubated. Shortly after this the author was asked to go for lunch break and so passed on to a colleague that the patient had recently been extubated but was managing well on face mask oxygen. Returning from lunch 45 minutes later, the author found the patient to be disorientated and slightly confused. With good oxygen saturations, the author doubted that the confusion had resulted from hypoxia or worsening blood gases. The author then realised that the insulin infusion had not been stopped with the enteral feed earlier. A check of the patients blood glucose level showed that it was 1.2mmol/L. The author immediately stopped the insulin infusion, administered 20mls of 50% dextrose intravenously, as per protocol, and recommenced the enteral feed. Twenty minutes later, the patients blood glucose level had risen to 3.7mmol/L. The patient continued on the insulin protocol maintaining blood glucose levels within an adequate range. There were no lasting adverse effects resulting from the hypoglycaemic episode. Feelings When it was realised that the insulin infusion had not been stopped, the author felt a sense of panic, anticipating correctly that the patients blood glucose level would be dangerously low. Thoughts then became concentrated on raising the blood glucose level, to ensure that no further harm would come to the patient as a result of the authors mistake. Following the incident, when the patients glucose levels had risen, feelings of guilt were prominent. At this point the author realised how much worse the outcome could have been for the patient. The author felt incompetent, knowing that the patient could have been much more severely affected, or could even have died as the result of such a simple mistake. Evaluation The events of scenario 2 highlight the fact that clinical errors, while easily made, can have potentially disastrous consequences. This is especially true of those errors which involve the administration of drugs intravenously. In the interest of patient safety, it is important that all such errors are avoided. The clinical error outlined above could easily have been avoided. It seems that there was not sufficient awareness, on the authors part, of the insulin infusion protocol and the guidelines concerning the administration of insulin. As a result, the insulin protocol was not adhered to. The following analysis therefore will focus on the importance of insulin therapy in critical care areas, and will consider the safety issues surrounding intravenous drug administration. Analysis Blood Glucose Control in Intensive Care It is well documented that critically ill patients who require prolonged intensive care treatment are at high risk of multiple organ failure and death (Diringer 2005). Extensive research over the last decade has focused on strategies to prevent or reverse multiple organ failure, only a few of which have revealed positive results. One of these strategies is tight blood glucose control with insulin (Khoury et al 2004). It is well known that any type of acute illness or injury results in insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and hyperglycaemia, a constellation which has been termed the diabetes of stress (McCowen et al 2001). In critically ill patients, the severity of this condition has been shown to reflect the risk of death (Laird et al 2004). Much has been learned recently about the negative prognostic effects of hyperglycemia in critically ill patients. Hyperglycaemia adversely affects fluid balance, predisposition to infection, morbidity following acute cardiovascular events, and can increase the risk of renal failure, neuropathy and mortality in ICU patients (DiNardo et al 2004). Research suggests that there are distinct benefits of insulin therapy in improving clinical outcomes. Such benefits have been seen in patients following acute myocardial infarction, and in the healing of sternal wounds in patients who have had cardiac surgery (Malmberg 1997; Furnary et al 1999). More recently Van den Berghe et al (2001) conducted a large, randomized, controlled study involving adults admitted to a surgical intensive care unit who were receiving mechanical ventilation. The study demonstrated that normalisation of blood glucose levels using an intensive insulin infusion protocol improved clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. In particular, intensive insulin therapy was shown to reduce ICU mortality by 42%, and significantly reduce the incidences of septicaemia, acute renal failure, prolonged ventilatory support, and critical illness polyneuropathy. The length of stay in intensive care was also significantly shorter for patients on the protocol. It is unclear as to why improved glycaemic control has been associated with improved outcomes in several clinical settings. Coursin and Murray (2003) have summarized several leading hypotheses including maintenance of macrophage and neutrophil function, enhancement of erythropoiesis, and the direct anabolic effect of insulin on respiratory muscles. The potential anti-inflammatory effects of insulin have also been evaluated (Das 2001). There is also uncertainty over whether it is the actual insulin dose received per se, or the degree of normoglycaemia achieved that is responsible for the beneficial effects of intensive glycaemic management. Van den Berghe (2003) analysed the data derived from their 2001 study and have concluded that the degree of glycaemic control, rather the quantity of insulin administered was associated with the decrease in mortality and organ system dysfunction. In a follow up to Van den Berghe et als 2001 study, Langouche et al (2005) found that a significant part of the improved patient outcomes were explained by the effects of intensive insulin on vascular endothelium. The vascular endothelium controls vasomotor tone and micro-vascular flow, and regulates trafficking of nutrients and several biologically active molecules (Aird 2003). Langouche et al (2005) conclude that maintaining normoglycaemia with intensive insulin therapy during critical illness protects the vascular endothelium and thereby contributes to the prevention of organ failure and death. Whatever the reasons for improved patient outcomes, the study by Van den Burghe et al (2001) has prompted much research in this field, all of which has yielded similar results. In a similar study, Krinsley (2004) found that the use of an insulin protocol resulted in significantly improved glycaemic control and was associated with decreased mortality, organ dysfunction, and length of stay in the ICU in a heterogeneous population of critically ill adult patients. Thus it seems that with the strength of the emerging data in support of a more intensive approach to glycaemic management, insulin infusions are being utilised with increasing frequency, and are considered by many to be the standard of care for critically ill patients (DiNardo et al 2004). It is important to note that a well recognised risk of intensive glucose management is hypoglycaemia. Indeed Goldberg et al (2004) emphasise that in the ICU setting where patients often cannot report or respond to symptoms, the potential for hypoglycaemia is of particular concern. The events of scenario 2 highlight the authors error in the administration of insulin resulting in hypoglycaemia. For this reason some issues surrounding intravenous drug therapy will now be discussed. Intravenous Drug Therapy There is an increasing recognition that medication errors are causing a substantial global public health problem. Many of these errors result in harm to patients and increased costs to health providers (Wheeler Wheeler 2005). In the intensive care unit, patients commonly receive multiple drug therapies that are prescribed either for prophylactic indications or for treatment of established disease (Dougherty 2002). Practitioners caring for these patients find themselves in the challenging position of having to monitor these therapies, with the goal of maximizing a beneficial therapeutic response, as well as minimizing the occurrence of any adverse drug-related outcome (Cuddy 2000). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2004) identifies the preparation and administration of medicines as an important aspect of professional practice, stressing that it is not merely a mechanistic task performed in strict compliance with a written prescription, but rather a task that requires thought and professional judgement. Heatlie (2003) found that the introduction of new insulin protocols and regimes could g

muscle memory :: essays research papers

What does it mean to learn a new skill and go from "novice" to "expert"? In the world of heavy equipment, part of that learning means memorizing how to use levers, joysticks, and even pedals in a coordinated way to control the attachment at the end of the boom. But how does this memorizing take place? At first, you need to concentrate in order to make your fingers, hands, arms (and feet) move in just the right way, based on what you see. What you're learning is precision, i.e. how to make the boom attachment perform the task (move a load, grapple a tree, drill a hole, etc.) carefully. (Scientists have discovered that there are a large number of internal brain structures, which work together with the input and output brain structures to form fleeting images in the mind. Using these images, we learn to interpret input signals, process them, and formulate output responses in a deliberate, conscious, way.) But after a while, the "seeing-thinking-doing" gradually becomes "seeing-doing" because your muscles seem to "know" and "remember" just what to do. What you're learning now is speed, i.e. how to perform the task carefully and quickly. That's muscle memory. Scientists call this "kinesthetic memory" or "neuro-muscular facilitation" and they speak of "sensory-motor" learning, since you are combining sensing input, i.e. what you see with your eyes, with motor output, i.e. what you do with your body. Of course, during the "drill-and-practice", your muscles aren't really memorizing anything (since all memories are stored in your brain). Instead, what you see with your eyes is interpreted by your brain in the form of nerve signals to your muscles to make your body move. Now by making the same movements in response to the same visual cues over and over again, the associated nerve-muscle connections gradually become more effective, i.e. the transmission of the signals becomes more effective, and this is how the "thinking" in the "seeing-thinking-doing" is gradually replaced by "seeing-doing", i.e. by muscle memory. And this is exactly what we observe when people spend time at the controls of our Personal Simulators. At first, their body language tells you at a glance that they are concentrating carefully, working hard to watch and learn. But come back sometime later and the same people are now relaxed, sitting back, and making the same precise gestures but now much faster! In the world of heavy equipment, muscle memory is especially important because it's the combination of care and speed that make operators truly competent.

5 great leadership qualities Essay

Leaders are often portrayed as heroes and role models, but there is also a darker side to being a leader. Adolph Hitler was one of the greatest leaders in the last 100 years, if not the greatest leader of all time. One man had the ability to lead a country, with a population of 20 million people, against the whole world in a vision he saw fit. One man leading Germany out of economic depression after previously being through World War I was an incredible feat. This is indeed what all leaders strive to be. Hitler is one of the best models for inspiring leaders. He exhibited some of the greatest qualities of being a leader, which included the following: vision, eloquence, charisma, strong will, and tyranny. Vision is a manner in which someone conceives something. All leaders must be goal oriented, and Hitler had one of the greatest objectives of all time. He wanted to purge this world of all the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, and anyone else that didn’t fit in his definition of the perfect race. His perfect race – the Arian race – consisted of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasians. Although he was not able to complete his vision, he still fought for it until the end of his life. One of the most outstanding leadership qualities of Hitler was his eloquence. Being eloquent is to be fluent and persuasive in speech. Hitler would stir up the masses with his fervent speeches. This was one of Hitler’s greatest assets. He was able to get his audience so passionate and zealous over his goals, that they would follow him regardless of what he said. Imagine in what manner someone must talk with 20 million people in order to persuade them to eradicate a race without moral regret. When he would speak, he would sweat and get so fanatical about his speech that women would cry when he spoke. Another important quality of Adolph Hitler was his charisma. Charisma is a quality attributed to those with an exceptional ability to secure the devotion of a large number of people. Without charisma, a leader can not function successfully. Hitler attained devotion from almost anyone that he spoke to. The German people were ready to fight the rest of the world to achieve the world that Adolph Hitler saw fit. Men were willing to give their  lives to satisfy a single man. Hitler had one of the strongest wills of any man that this world had seen. He refused to allow anyone get in his way. This is what led to World War II. He would even betray the Russians, his one time allies, for not also agreeing with his ideas. His will also helped Germany out of depression. It is said that Germany had the greatest economy it has ever had in the rule of Adolph Hitler. He did this by political maneuvering and strategic planning. His will helped make Germany one of the most powerful countries in the world in its time. In fact, some historians devote the end of the depression due to Adolph Hitler. This is because many governments got out of their economic depression by actually fighting in World War II. This stimulated many countries and helped the world all over. The last of his important qualities was tyranny. A tyrannical government is one in which there is a ruler with absolute power. Tyranny enhanced all of his other traits. This is because if someone did not follow him willingly, they were forced to follow him under his government. A leader demanding absolute power is not a bad thing at all times. It does not allow for confusion within a group and may also lead to more efficiency and cooperation. Hitler’s tyranny united Germany under one person and allowed it to challenge anyone that stood in their path. Adolph Hitler may not have been a great person, but he was a great leader. Under his rule, Germany pulled out of an economic depression that was plaguing the rest of the world. Also, Germany stood up once again after a First World War and challenged the world once more. Many people might disagree about him being a great leader because he led Germany to another loss, but this was inevitable because one man cannot stand against the world and hope to win. Nevertheless, Hitler was one of the greatest leaders of all time and should be a template for future leaders.

The Nicaraguan and Cuban Revolution

Nicaragua, the state with the least â€Å"fertile dirt for the proliferation of Left groups† , was the lone state where a revolution prevailed following the Cuban Revolution ( 4 ) . Despite many similarities between Cuba and Nicaragua, they established rather distinguishable revolutions. InSandinista, Matilde Zimmermann, frequently compares and contrasts the FSLN motion with the Cuban Revolution. In add-on, she besides provides non merely a thorough survey of the military and ideological leader Carlos Fonseca, but offers insight into the development of the FSLN. Unlike the Cuban Revolution, the Nicaraguan revolution under the leading of the FSLN was chiefly a societal revolution. Harmonizing to Zimmermann, the FSLN of Carlos Fonseca was responsible for mobilising the Nicaraguans into a societal revolution. However, following Fonseca’s decease, Zimmermann attributes the death of the revolution to the fact that the Sandinistas failed to follow Fonseca’s vision. Although Cuba and Nicaragua both suffered from inhibitory and weak democratic establishments, their revolutions are distinguishable. On the one manus, Cuba experienced a political revolution. The societal ends of the revolutionists were 2nd to the political 1s and remained mistily defined even after 1959. The revolution in Nicaragua was a societal revolution. The bulk of the Nicaraguan population massively supported the actions of the FSLN. The same can non be said about Cuba, where the bulk of the Cuban population was non mobilized by the Rebels. The radical battle against Somoza was marked by category struggle and the resistance against Batista was non. Despite the differences, the Cuban revolution in peculiar the leading of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro had a important impact on the development of Carlos Fonseca’s political political orientation. Zimmermann argues that the Cuban revolution had a profound influence on Fonseca’s thought and the Sandinista motion ( 9 ) . The voluntarism of Che Guevara and the personal appeal of Fidel Castro captured the attending of Third World hereafter revolutionists. For Fonseca, the triumph of the Cuban Revolution convinced him that revolution was possible and that a new organisation was needed to take it ( 56 ) . Fonseca found a hero in Che Guevara and became influenced by Che’s Hagiographas. Fonseca set out to double the Cuban triumph in Nicaragua. Similar to Fidel Castro’s usage of Jose Marti in Cuba, Fonseca appealed to the nationalist image of Augusto Sandino. Sandino’s battle in the 1930s divine Fonseca and as a consequence Sandino became a Nicaraguan rallying symbol for the revolution ( 61 ) . Fonseca’s political authorship remained committed to both socialist revolution and national release from imperialism. Sandino and Che Guevara were the two most of import influences on Fonseca’s political idea. Guevara’s Marxism and Sandino’s patriotism became rooted in a motion capable of doing a successful revolution. Carlos Fonseca’s political political orientation became woven into early FSLN literature and philosophy. Carlos Fonseca was really much the motivation force behind the Sandinistas. In the Historic Program, Fonseca outlined his doctrine of encompassing the experiences of the Nicaraguan workers and provincials. This doctrine was cardinal to the FSLN initial platform ( 208 ) . Unlike the 26th of July Movement, whose forces merely represented a minority of the Cuban population, the Sandinista alliance was genuinely representative of the lower sector of Nicaraguan society. From the get downing the FSLN was organized chiefly to stand for workers, provincials, and the urban hapless. They believed in educating the lower category by transfusing in them an apprehension of Nicaraguan history, which taught them about the Nicaraguan battle against imperialism ( 191 ) . In add-on, this doctrine contributed to the entreaty of the FSLN and helped mobilise immature activists. Throughout the sixtiess, Fonseca and the little group of vernal revolutionists launched a guerrilla motion. Fonseca helped form g uerilla units, recruited clandestinely for future action, and endured prison. Despite the frequent lickings, Fonseca’s strength and dedication to the cause helped keep the integrity of the organisation during long periods of belowground being. In the late seventiess, the members of the FSLN became divided and frequently argued over scheme and tactics. Zimmerman demonstrates that Fonseca understood the grounds for the divisions and differ with the cabals ( 184 ) . In 1975, Fonseca returned to Nicaragua to repair the rifts in the FSLN and to re-validate his leading. However, Fonseca died on his manner to a jungle acme meeting he called with the purpose of mending the divisions. Following his decease, the factional struggle became significantly worse. The three different cabals in the FSLN: the Insurrectional Tendency, the Prolonged People’s War, and the Proletarian Tendency, strayed off from the Historic Program designed by Fonseca ( 208 ) . In add-on the FSLN became more moderate. Zimmerman argues that the 1978 revision of the 1969 Historic Program foreshadowed a continual series of via medias intended to lenify the national businessperson resistance ( 208 ) . The FSLN bit by bit abandoned their ain radical docket. In 1979, the Sandinistas succeeded in subverting the Somoza government. The FSLN without Fonseca lost Fonseca’s focal point on apprehension and reacting to hapless Nicaraguans and their diverse signifiers of development. Rather than prosecuting them as radical topics, they made the multitudes the object of radical policy, a displacement that produced opposition instead than dialogue. In add-on, the arguments that gave rise to the FSLN cabals remained integral within the nine leaders of the National Directorate ( 226 ) . The Directorate lost sight about what was best for Nicaraguan workers and provincials. Although the FSLN claimed to be regulating in the involvement of workers and provincials, their refusal to convey new leaders from oppressed societal categories to the Directorate did non back up their claim. In the 1990s, National Directorate led to another split. That, along with the civil war took a important political toll on the FSLN. In February 1990, after a disruptive decennary in power, the FSLN was voted out of office when Conservative leader Violeta Chamorro round Daniel Ortega in the presidential race ( 228 ) . By taking to concentrate on the political vision and political orientation of Carlos Fonseca, Zimmermann was able to explicate the flight of the Nicaraguan Revolution as a gradual procedure. Carlos Fonseca was influenced significantly from the successes of the Cuban Revolution. Although certain facets of the Cuban Revolution were different, it did supply Fonseca with a political design of how he planned on conveying about a revolution in Nicaragua. Fonseca’s thoughts were to a great extent influenced by the instructions of Che Guevara and Augusto Sandino. He chose to concentrate on the Nicaraguan workers and provincials. This doctrine became the FSLN initial political platform. The early FSLN under Fonseca used this platform to make out to the laden categories and mobilized them against the Somoza Regime. Following the decease of Fonseca, the FSLN in power became more moderate, to a great extent divided, and bit by bit strayed away from Fonseca’s vision. By 1990, the FS LN had wholly changed. They still honored Fonseca as a radical icon, but they no longer incorporated his doctrines into their policies. The FSLN in power shifted off from the involvements of the workers and provincials which created much opposition. Zimmermann finally argues that it was the Sandinistas’ treachery of the thoughts and illustrations of Carlos Fonseca that attributed to the death of the revolution.

America, The Great Nation essays

America, The Great Nation essays ...That these United Colonies are, and of Right out to be, Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved... It was that special day; that special day which would always be marked in the history books; that special day when Thomas Jefferson announced the Declaration of Independence; that special day when United States of America was officially born; that special day when freedom started to ring; that special day when equality began to merge with mankind; that special day when selfishness and evil too began to scatter. It was that day, July 4th, 1776. After the establishment of United States of America, more and more immigrants arriving from all over the world to this land to pursuit what they believed as the American dream where at last, they would possess the fundamental rights of their existence; they would understand the true meanings of happiness and life. Within less than two hundred years, America became the leading nation in worlds military, technology, and economy, surpassed every other nations that had had thousands of years of history. It was democracy that made America so successful. It was the diverse ethnicities that made America realize all colors are beautiful. As time progressed, in the eyes of most of the world, in the eyes of almost all Americans, the United States of America has been portrayed as The Great Nation! Tragedies are inevitable. They serve as a purpose of delivering messages of how to make an improvement. No one could prevent the incident that happened in Pearl Harbor during World War II, nor could anyone stop the terrorist attack on World Trade Center in 2001. Even if someone could, they didnt because those tragedies were meant to happen. They were already recorded in the history books of fu...

Psychotherapy Matrix Essay Essays

Psychotherapy Matrix Essay Essays Psychotherapy Matrix Essay Essay Psychotherapy Matrix Essay Essay Axia College Material Appendix C Psychotherapy Matrix Directions: Review Modules 34 and 36 of Psychology and Your Life. After reviewing the major classifications of psychological disorders, select three approaches to summarize. Include examples of the types of psychological disorders appropriate for each therapy. Psychodynamic Therapy ApproachBehavioral Therapy ApproachCognitive Therapy Approach Summary of ApproachPsychodynamic Therapy seeks to bring unresolved past conflicts and unacceptable impulses from the unconscious into the conscious, where patients may deal with the problems more effectively. Psychoanalysis Freudian Psychotherapy in which the goal is to release hidden unconscious thoughts and feelings in order to reduce their power in controlling behavior. Resistance is an inability or unwillingness to discuss or reveal particular memories, thoughts, or motivations. Transference is the transfer to a psychoanalyst feeling of love or anger that had been originally directed to a patient’s parents or other authority figures. Now psychoanalyst approaches tends to be shorter duration, usually lasting no longer than three months or 20 lessons. Where therapist puts less emphasis on a patients past history and childhood, concentrating instead on an individual’s current relationships and specific complaints. (Feldman, 2010, p. 429-440). Behavioral Therapy builds on the basic processes of learning, such as reinforcement and extinction, and assumes that normal and abnormal behaviors are both learned. Classical Conditioning treatments Aversive conditioning Is a form of therapy that reduces the frequency of undesired behavior by pairing an aversive, unpleasant stimulus with Undesired behavior. Systematic desensitization: A behavioral technique in which gradual exposure to an anxiety-producing stimulus is paired with relaxation to extinguish the response of anxiety Exposure A behavioral treatment for anxiety in which people are confronted, either suddenly or gradually, with a stimulus that they fear. Dialectical behavior therapy A form of treatment in which the focus is on getting people to accept who they are, regardless of whether it matches their ideal. (Feldman, 2010, p. 429-440). Cognitive Therapy teaches people to think in more adaptive ways by changing their dysfunctional cognitions about the world and themselves. Cognitive treatment approaches Treatment approaches that teach people to think in more adaptive ways by changing their dysfunctional cognitions about the world and themselves. Cognitive-behavioral approach Is a treatment approach that incorporates basic principles of learning to change the way people think Rational-emotive behavior therapy Is a form of therapy that attempts to restructure a person’s elief system into a more realistic, rational, and logical set of views by challenging dysfunctional beliefs that maintain irrational behavior. (Feldman, 2010, p. 429-440). Disorders appropriate for this therapyAnxiety Ex. When I was a child I had a fear to speak in public, because once I had to sing in front of the school, and because I was nervous I forgot part of the song and my friends laugh at me. Since then speaking in public is been an iss ue, because I did not confronted. Anxiety Phobias Compulsions Fear Ex. Let’s say I am afraid of heights, if I go through an exposure treatment, I will confront this problem little by little until I feel comfortable to go on a building and not have fear at all. Anxiety disorders Depression Eating Disorders Ex. When a person has goals and don’t turned the way they want. As a result depression and negative feelings start coming out of this person. To the point they feel they can not accomplish anything on life. References Feldman, R. S. (2010) Psychology and your life. New York: McGraw Hill.

Human Resources Development Annotated Bibliography

Human Resources Development - Annotated Bibliography Example The source discusses the dynamics of employee training in reference to HRD climate in public and private commercial banks of Nepal. This is a journal article, which forms a reliable scholarly source. The article has updated information, easy and clear information and thus relevant to this study. Chi, H., Lan, C., & Dorjgotov, B. (2011). The influences of organizational culture and human resource development on R&D organizational effectiveness - the mediating effect of knowledge management. Journal of International Management Studies, 6(1), 1-12. This source uses a hypotheses model to evaluate the relationship between organizational culture, human resource development (HRD), and organizational effectiveness. The source equally defines human resource development and draws its significance in a business setup. Moreover, the source defines the four dimensions of Human resource development and utilization that include training and development, goal communication, support for the personal initiative, and involvement in decision-making. Additionally, the source establishes the importance of organizational performance and effectiveness in maintaining high HRD. The information in this journal article is easy to read and understand, current, not biased, and hence reliable for this study. The source describes the importance of human resource development, the need to tailor the HRD according to the organization’s strategy and structure, and the reasons why companies train and educate employees. In addition, the source relates human resource development and human resource management (HRM0 and relates the model for systematic training to HRM and HRD. Furthermore, the source discusses the mechanisms for evaluating human resource development. The information in this source is clear, easy to understand, and not biased.  

Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Term Paper Example This paper examines these challenges and how they have impacted on the organization. One of the most challenging facets of organizations today is the need to remain responsible and ethical in their business activities. The past few years have seen many multinationals, big companies, and global association grapple with the issues of unethical behavior. Unethical behavior refers to activities that deviate from the accepted norms, laws, and standards that guide business processes (Blowfield, and Murray, 2014). Essentially, businesses are expected to behave responsibly by acting in a manner that promotes the interests of various stakeholders such as employees, owners, government, and the wider society. However, some organizations find it hard to remain ethical and responsible due to the inability to manage all their huge resources in an efficient way (Crane & Matten, 2010). As such, an irresponsible business on the other hands is one that is involved in dishonest business practices, for instance through concealing or deliberately ignoring issues to do with the environme nt, employees, customers, and the wider society (Blowfield, and Murray, 2014). The most common form of unethical problem that most big companies and associations face is corruption. The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) provides a good example of a large organization that has had a rough time dealing with the unethical problem of corruption. FIFA is the body charged with managing football or soccer globally, which is the most popular sport in the world (Skinner & Edwards, 2006). The organization is an amalgamation of various football associations and confederations representing different countries. As such, it is one of the biggest organizations in the world today. FIFA has vast amounts of resources, hence generating a lot of global interest from different parties

Marxist Econ Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marxist Econ Analysis - Essay Example Money and commodity are considered as value forms or means by which a value may exist and this is quite analogous to pointing out that the value placed on money is equal to the value placed on commodity once the money is utilized to purchase the commodity. In the process, money translates itself to commodity in value so despite the absence of literal transformation, the metaphor with value works to convert money as one form of value to commodity as another. This is basically why Marx finds it conducive to begin with commodities as groundwork for discourse on capital. If commodity runs out of value, the making of capital, which also depends on the projected output, would be insignificant. To Marx, in the building of an identity as a capitalist, one works under circumstances of trade in which a capital initially bears no potential but is gradually generated as long as negotiating equivalents involving commodities takes place. (2) What is the distinction that Marx makes between use-valu e, exchange-value, and value? On exchange-value, Marx claims that â€Å"exchange-value appears to be something accidental and purely relative, and consequently an intrinsic value.† Marx additionally points out that there emerges â€Å"contradiction in terms† attached to the exchange-value where exchange-value is expected to be similar with commodities of interest though it functions in another domain. In other words, while exchange-value may be expressed through a specific commodity, its evaluation cannot be based solely on objects of trade common to it. As such, during exchange, a value of a set of goods or service may reflect the value of a different set of goods or service and the commonality in the reflection of their worth only works in processes bounded by the exchange or trade in occurrence. On the other hand, use-value is basically perceived as the value of something that is found in its use. Eventually, Marx provides the corresponding definition stating that à ¢â‚¬Å"The utility of a thing makes it a use-value† where he adds â€Å"Being limited by the physical properties of the commodity, it has no existence apart from that commodity.† So, use-values would only materialize when the product undergoes consumption or utilization so that its value is identified via utility or certain characteristics for which it is taken advantage of. Through Marx’s labour theory of value, an economic value is â€Å"inherent in objects; remains constant despite changing demand, the passage of time, and other factors; and can be ‘objectively determined’ by calculations based upon some fundamental scientific principle.† However it takes effect, as long as it is intrinsically built on commodity, value would keep its essence whether it shrinks or expands in magnitude. It turns out that value is ‘what something means to someone’ in simple terms and the meaning of a commodity on the basis of its known economic sig nificance or social relevance serves as its value. (3) Is value an inherent property of all things produced in every mode of production? In other words, does value exist in non-commodity producing economies? For Marx, the ‘

Jainism in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jainism in the 21st Century - Essay Example The ethical content of such principles is obvious: not calling for religious intolerance, which is generally not typical for Indian religions, Jainism, however, strongly demands from all his followers to be ready for true behavior and true deeds at least on the assumption that this is necessary at first, until a person is just unable to perceive true knowledge that can explain him or her what is what. Thus, being a member of Jain community means to sacrifice particular civilization notions of modern life, such as wearing clothes, eating meat and even numerous root crops, and so on. Jains strictly adhere to vegetarianism, but even in such a case they show their regret for eating fruits, vegetables and nuts, which in their opinion have a living soul as well. So every day Jains do penance for their sins and try to do wrong as little as it possible through eating of only unable to feel living creatures. As a result, Jains’ way of life is marked by austere policy and solicitous att itude to everything from animate and inanimate nature, due to their key belief of cyclical reincarnations. Consequently, without explaining how it happens and why, Jains argue that every jiva or a living soul is constantly connected with ajiva or a non-living matter by the means of karma, immaterial insensible substance, that supports the communication of the living with the nonliving (Shah, 2015). So, the salvation is the process of separation of the soul from the matter, the liberation of the living from the inanimate.

Branding Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Branding Marketing - Essay Example The LG product through LGE obeys the established rules of brand extension according to Tauber (2011). Part 2: Critic The section confirms that a better brand extension to the consumer offers satisfaction as compared to a similar established brand. Without these attributes, the consumers are disappointed and prefer the choice in recognized products. The first unsuccessful product listed is in Frito-Lay, created by Pepsi as a product to introduce the lemonade flavor. The parent company distorted the image of the brand that had been known for snack food packaging. This led the consumers to lose interest in the company that changed its line of brand composition. The other poor connection is in the launch of Wolverine World Wide’s Cat Footwear product by the caterpillar company. The company recognized for the production of building machinery launched a clothing line that deters from the company policies. The example qualifies as a poor brand extension with customers failing to appr eciate the product due to inconsistency in the company. Finally, Burger King had launched a marketing strategy that saw the inclusion of underwear as their marketing strategy. This example accords the definition of poor brand extension because the consumers realize the dreadful choice in product. Burger King recognized in the market as a leading food company changing the image to underwear loses the market share due to product inconsistency. Moreover, the association developed in underwear and food products generates unsatisfied customer relations (Cameron, 2009). Part 3 Part 1 lacks the title of the paper and makes the reader fail to understand what the essay clarifies. However, the thesis in the introduction expounds on the aspect of Intelligent Interactions. Moreover, the sentences should be proofread, and the corrections made to produce a flowing introductory paragraph. Industry Analysis The sections clearly states the available brands and their interaction within the market. Th e brand under consideration is in mobile handsets with the Android technology the subject of discussion. The author lists Samsung as the leading market product and justifies the reason, although the evidence is not adequately guaranteed in citation of the sources. This makes the brands appear as formulation of the author who does not have the capability to conduct individualized research on these companies. However, the argument and analysis of the market situation is detailed and precise. Competitive analysis Intelligence Interactions is explained as the option that would attract increased usability of the product. The participants in the Android technology are limited, and with the reduction of prices, the market is bound to be more flexible. However, the author explains that Apple has succeeded in gaining a market share based on the quality of the product. Brand Vision The competition provided by Apple limits the progress of Intelligent Interactions. The author states that their strategy would be to present the marketing strategy to establish a strong connection to the customers like the rival company. This has been included in stronger slogans and better customer services available at the needed period. The section should focus more on Intelligent Interactions as compared to Apple and discuss advanced strategies to reach consumers on an individual basis. Part 2 Target customer Analysis The explanation is accorded in a

International Investing-IP3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Investing-IP3 - Essay Example One way to diversify is to buy financial securities of the same asset class, but in different industry sectors that are directly affected by a different kind of variables (Yahoo, 2011). For example one can invest in stocks from the energy sector, while simultaneously investing in stocks of the computer technology related stocks. Since economic and market factors affect different industries differently, by investing in a variety of sectors, there is always a good chance of having one or more of your investments outperforming the market average. Diversification also focuses on investing in different classes of assets. For example since bonds historically have a tendency to perform better when stock performance is declining it serves well for a savvy investor to allocate a percentage of their investment portfolio in the bond market depending on the investors level of risk aversion. 2) As many investors already know the market value of a security is determined by a variety of financial, market and socio-political factors. The volatility of the market value of investments is a risk all investors have to accept and plan for. Since the world economies are becoming more interconnected and correlated changes in one market can spread like wildfire to other financial markets. Some argue that for U.S. investors the benefits of investing internationally might be less compared with other countries due to the wide variety of highly diversified multinational corporation stocks available to U.S. investors though local markets as a well developed and diversified economy. There is still a lot of room for the savvy investor to allocate part of its investment portfolio in the international markets especially in emerging markets or underdeveloped economies. Even when due to their degree of correlation, international markets and domestic markets move in the same direction the degree of response to the same situation might be completely different. There are more opportunities for abov e average returns between emerging economies and industrialized nations since the level of correlation between them is much less. Therefore opportunities abound for extraordinary returns in international markets, albeit at the expense of an increased level of overall investment risks and potential losses. 3) There are many reasons to invest in international markets: Maximum portfolio performance - many investors shy away from investing internationally since they view it as too risky or complex. As a matter of fact although most U.S. investors tend to focus their portfolio domestically, more than 75% of the global economic and over 50% of the total world’s equity market capitalization comes from the international markets (Ishares, 2011). As a matter of fact, international IPO’s now outnumber domestic IPO’s and while international investments are typically more volatile than their U.S. counterparts. They are forecasted to have higher rates of growth than their dom estic counterparts. Lower portfolio volatility-By investing in international securities investors can lower portfolio volatility and maximize their return on investment. The use of a single type of investment instrument increases the risk associated with the investment alternative. When investors invest in both the domestic and international markets they are opening the doors of opportunity due to the fact that the investor has the

Jainism in the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jainism in the 21st Century - Essay Example The ethical content of such principles is obvious: not calling for religious intolerance, which is generally not typical for Indian religions, Jainism, however, strongly demands from all his followers to be ready for true behavior and true deeds at least on the assumption that this is necessary at first, until a person is just unable to perceive true knowledge that can explain him or her what is what. Thus, being a member of Jain community means to sacrifice particular civilization notions of modern life, such as wearing clothes, eating meat and even numerous root crops, and so on. Jains strictly adhere to vegetarianism, but even in such a case they show their regret for eating fruits, vegetables and nuts, which in their opinion have a living soul as well. So every day Jains do penance for their sins and try to do wrong as little as it possible through eating of only unable to feel living creatures. As a result, Jains’ way of life is marked by austere policy and solicitous att itude to everything from animate and inanimate nature, due to their key belief of cyclical reincarnations. Consequently, without explaining how it happens and why, Jains argue that every jiva or a living soul is constantly connected with ajiva or a non-living matter by the means of karma, immaterial insensible substance, that supports the communication of the living with the nonliving (Shah, 2015). So, the salvation is the process of separation of the soul from the matter, the liberation of the living from the inanimate.

International Investing-IP3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Investing-IP3 - Essay Example One way to diversify is to buy financial securities of the same asset class, but in different industry sectors that are directly affected by a different kind of variables (Yahoo, 2011). For example one can invest in stocks from the energy sector, while simultaneously investing in stocks of the computer technology related stocks. Since economic and market factors affect different industries differently, by investing in a variety of sectors, there is always a good chance of having one or more of your investments outperforming the market average. Diversification also focuses on investing in different classes of assets. For example since bonds historically have a tendency to perform better when stock performance is declining it serves well for a savvy investor to allocate a percentage of their investment portfolio in the bond market depending on the investors level of risk aversion. 2) As many investors already know the market value of a security is determined by a variety of financial, market and socio-political factors. The volatility of the market value of investments is a risk all investors have to accept and plan for. Since the world economies are becoming more interconnected and correlated changes in one market can spread like wildfire to other financial markets. Some argue that for U.S. investors the benefits of investing internationally might be less compared with other countries due to the wide variety of highly diversified multinational corporation stocks available to U.S. investors though local markets as a well developed and diversified economy. There is still a lot of room for the savvy investor to allocate part of its investment portfolio in the international markets especially in emerging markets or underdeveloped economies. Even when due to their degree of correlation, international markets and domestic markets move in the same direction the degree of response to the same situation might be completely different. There are more opportunities for abov e average returns between emerging economies and industrialized nations since the level of correlation between them is much less. Therefore opportunities abound for extraordinary returns in international markets, albeit at the expense of an increased level of overall investment risks and potential losses. 3) There are many reasons to invest in international markets: Maximum portfolio performance - many investors shy away from investing internationally since they view it as too risky or complex. As a matter of fact although most U.S. investors tend to focus their portfolio domestically, more than 75% of the global economic and over 50% of the total world’s equity market capitalization comes from the international markets (Ishares, 2011). As a matter of fact, international IPO’s now outnumber domestic IPO’s and while international investments are typically more volatile than their U.S. counterparts. They are forecasted to have higher rates of growth than their dom estic counterparts. Lower portfolio volatility-By investing in international securities investors can lower portfolio volatility and maximize their return on investment. The use of a single type of investment instrument increases the risk associated with the investment alternative. When investors invest in both the domestic and international markets they are opening the doors of opportunity due to the fact that the investor has the