Health Beliefs of Haitians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wellbeing Beliefs of Haitians - Essay Example Continuously when a Haitian turns out to be sick, the primary line of care is home grown cures. These are regularly used for the anticipation and treatment of cold, fever, and stomach hurts. Conventional medicines are given from age to age. It is hard for them to acknowledge Western methodologies, for example, immunization and disease screening as they feel the treatment may make them sick and they have no avoidance against it. Haitians accept that torment influences the entire body framework and due to that they are much of the time not ready to disclose to you where the torment originates from. They additionally may go to the doctors office and be obscure about what's up with them since they consider everything to be the equivalent (Salisbury.edu), either common or heavenly. All disfigurements are considered welcomed on by a shrewd soul. Haitians who have a ceaseless disease are thought about by loved ones, they only here and there go to a nursing home. On the off chance that they get the chance to get back they will take care of the spirits by having a Thanksgiving custom. Haitians additionally accept that a wheelchair implies they are exceptionally debilitated and they will misconstrue on the off chance that it is advertised. Haitians don't discuss organ gift, nor do they have faith in organ transplant. Pre-natal consideration isn't a sickness so there are in all likelihood no pre-birth care visits and it might be exceptionally troublesome. Professionals A large portion of the lower class in Haiti trusts in Voodoo and that involves about 85% of the populace. They do rehearse Christian convictions simultaneously. There, as indicated by the Haitians isn't just a noticeable world yet a profound world. The spirits of the perished make up both great and awful spirits. Generally when there is a disease the Haitian goes to see the Hougan who can be a channel to the Loas and give a fix. In the event that the patient has visited the Hougan a few times and isn't better, they might be alluded on to the doctor (Miller, 2000). On the off chance that a patient is in the emergency clinic here in the United States, they might need to return to Haiti to see a Hougan, particularly is they are not beating that. Doctors inside the network of professionals to treat Haitians must do what they can to comprehend the social centrality of a significant number of these convictions so as to complete screening and preventive consideration. Chronicity and Psychiatry The job of the otherworldly is a lot of a piece of Haitian culture. They feel that incessant sickness just as mental ailment is brought about by the extraordinary. Gloom, psychosis, powerlessness to perform exercises of day by day living and scholarly underachievement may frequently be viewed as a revile or a spell set on them. They regularly feel this happens in light of the fact that they didn't buckle down enough of didn't accomplish something they ought to have done (Astrid and Shiela, 2002) and didn't. They may feel they were lethargic or that somebody had resentment and gotten a spell on them through a malevolent soul. Patients who are incessantly sick are typically thought about at home by loved ones: nursing homes are rarely utilized. It ought to be recollected additionally that offering a Haitian a wheelchair is equivalent to telling they are sick and may not beat that (Salisbury.edu) In reality, the Haitians manage numerous interminable diseases due

Internet Taxation and the Expansion of E-Commerce Essay example -- Tax

Web Taxation and the Expansion of E-Commerce Web tax collection is an issue concerning various parts of the Internet and its burdening. The expenses include: (1) charges forced upon Internet get to charges, (2) deals charges charged to online organizations offering to different organizations, and (3) deals charges charged to purchasers purchasing from a business. This is a significant issue as Internet deals proceed to increment and as more business is directed over the Internet. Along these lines, income isn't being siphoned into state and nearby economies as much for absence of buying at neighborhood stores, and economies’ incomes are enduring therefore. Duties could be forced on Internet buys, yet this would thusly influence those organizations who lead their business on the web, either business-to-business or business-to-customer, and those shoppers who shop on the web. Web Taxation: What it is and Why it is Important As effectively expressed, Internet tax assessment is the inconvenience of expenses on Internet get to charges and duties that could be added to merchandise, administrations, properties, and data bought over the Internet. In 1998, Congress passed the Internet Tax Freedom Act which set up an Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce. This Commission was set up to examination government, state and neighborhood, and global tax collection and duty issues concerning buys over the Internet, and everything else alongside electronic business. Electronic business, or online business, is â€Å"any exchange led over the Internet or through Internet get to, containing the deal, rent, permit, offer, or conveyance of property, merchandise, administrations, or data, regardless of whether for thought, and incorporates the arrangement of Internet access.† (The Internet Tax... ...mmission on Electronic Commerce, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.ecommercecommission.org/ITFA.htm Lassman, Kent 2001, The Internet Tax Freedom Act: Congress Could Put an End to Tax Disarray, The Federalist Society, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.fed-soc.org/Publications/practicegroupnewsletters/media communications/tc020102.htm Maguire, Steven Dec. 12, 2000, RL30431: Internet Transactions and the Sales Tax, Congress, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/ Science/st-65.cfm?&CFID=19433234&CFTOKEN=43272686#_1_3 Nellen, Annette Sept. 26, 2001, Overview to E-Commerce Taxation Issues, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/ facstaff/nellen_a/ECTaxUpdate9-01.doc Assessments Background on Internet Taxation, January 2001, Association of American Colleges, Mar. 8, 2005, http://www.aau.edu/sheets/InternetTax.html

This Day, the Year I Applied

This Day, the Year I Applied November 20, 2013. Precisely 23 days until my first application decision. 22 days after the first application submission. 40 days until the next application deadline. 2 years ago. Back then, those numbers mattered. Friday, December 13, Early Action decision day, was to be “the day my life will never be the same.” The prospect sent me into shivers and made the room burn. Whatever manifestations of worry there are, I felt them. From sudden cold rushes at the thought that I’d only taken X number of APs to the warm spreading feeling of “but I’ve taken X number of APs” (I didn’t actually think that last one, but the juxtaposition holds). And you know what I think about that now? I don’t. And what I regret? Defining my senior year by the future of college. I can’t tell my past self to stop worrying. Nor should I. Worry was inspiration. It’s why I began my essays early and ended editing them late. Why I inspected every bit of my inner self for flaws and merits. Why, on December 13, I had to stop myself from trembling with the thought that I’ll get by no matter what the message in the email said. And I wasn’t lying when I thought that. I’d probably go to a local state school and maybe apply for transfer in the spring. I’d have a plethora of extracurriculars. I wouldn’t get freaked out about classwork. I’d have class at 9 am and I’d have to go to bed early. This is all pure speculation, of course. But in the alternative vision, Im happy too. Happier? Possibly. In this Universe, I can’t tell. Sometimes I return to that vision. It’s enticing. Not abysmal, as it seemed two years ago. I was very wrong about it then. I was mistaken also to think that college, particularly which college, defines the future. Now it feels like a hateful thought. I’d go back and punch myself into a proper senior existence if I could. Tell myself what I actually want to remember from that November. Talk of all the miserable and joyful days at MIT. Ultimately, they average out into happiness. And that would’ve been the case no matter where I’d gone. Two years ago, my college essay was a letter to the future, to be read in five years. But here’s what I want to remind the November 2013 past: Remember your social studies elective, Plains Indians? Where you got an F on the fire-building assignment? It felt silly and enlightening then to recognize that twelve years of school did not prepare you for a basic survival skill. Your group was the only one who failed. And another class day, you and your classmates lay in the woods for an hour, meditating in a special way. You watched a spider scurry gracefully over the autumn leaves and avoid your hand. You fell asleep on the foliage. You never wanted class to end. After every Plains Indians class came the American Dream class. It was a very different course. You read books with lengthy descriptions of the prairie. You discussed local culture. You learned about the American Dream, became uncomfortably aware of white picket fences. Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” was your favorite poem (“What happens to a dream deferred?”). Then there was College Composition. The schools cultural phenomenon. A class all seniors expected and feared. You even fear it in 2015 somewhat because the ten College Comp rules still haunt you in your writing. You can’t break them without a guilty conscience. Just can’t. College Comp was also the class for which you had to meet all the new students. Talk to the freshmen and transfers, learn their names. At the end of the semester, there was a quiz on that. It meant nothing on the larger grading scheme, but to you and your classmates it was a huge assignment. You all remembered being freshmen. The support and friendship of high school seniors was  super cool. Because you went to an alternative school, you also got to teach a class, Joy of Mathematics. So much fun it was! The grandest moment of your senior existence was on the day your supervising teacher took out his newest projector/camera and you went into the school’s central space, rolled a piano to the middle, and projected the keyboard onto the giant wall. Then you and your students learned the math of music. And everyone got a chance to project their hands up above. Life outside of class was beautiful too. After peer-review sessions in College Comp, you solidified senior friendships, and you wrote surprise letters to each other (you still do). You escaped school (legally) during lunch to go to Wendy’s. You had a senior bonfire where the director gave a speech that made you cry. You went on a senior retreat to a camp on top of a hill and at night the woods around were spooky and fabulous. Below the hills was toxic waste. So you ventured to the top instead and trembled at the creaking trees. Then you and your classmates shared your favorite songs in a cozy cabin with warm pizza. On that night, you all realized you couldn’t figure out life.   I’ve lost track of those memories after blog posts about college and college applications. I lost precious moments during senior year as well when worry erased the important bits of the day. The admission process seems like a lame evil now. It was important once, but I greatly exaggerated its value then. In the spring, while I fretted over the right button to press, some of my classmates spoke excitedly about following their vocational dreams or taking a gap year on foreign soil. I don’t want to be the person with the button anymore. On the blogs, we often talk about applying, and choosing, and submitting, and preparing. But if you’re a senior right now, that’s not what ought to matter. Do not apply to MIT because your life goal is to go to MIT. Apply because you enjoy something, even if that something is ephemeral and vague, and MIT is on  a path to it. Not the only path. Not even the definitive path. I’ve gotten several emails this semester asking me, “Should I apply to MIT if…?” I’m not an expert in this matter, nor can I pretend to be (trust me, I have approximately 0-1% of my life figured out). But If I had to answer that question, I’d consider what I want beyond the application. Ask yourself, why do you want to apply? Are you ready for either application decision? A yes can be heavy also. There is no formula to predict the outcome (this one coming from an expert, here). If MIT is a relevant step on the path towards your dreams, go for the application. No harm will come. In the meantime, don’t think about your year in terms of buttons and short responses and numbered lines. The grocery store aisles are colored festive. There’s limited edition egg nog and pumpkin spice. You’re in the final days of autumn. The final months of seeing all your high school friends together. Two years later, what will you remember? P.S.: Thank you, Lydia, for the awesome blog prompt!

Cxc Additional Math Sba - 1300 Words

Title: Are the colours of MM’s evenly distributed in a bag of MM’s? Purpose of Project / Aim: Probability is an educated thought or guess to determine if a particular event will occur. Probability is important to assist in making and predicting everyday decisions; the probability that a child will be born with sickle cell disease or the probability that crops will die are all important for the human survival. The use of MM’s is to substitute for the examples listed above to examine probability considering they are used in everyday life and are therefore readily accessible. When individuals consume MM’s, they indentify particular colours and this can be related to probability. Calculating the probability of a particular colour†¦show more content†¦Standard deviation = 10.1 Based on the calculations, the standard deviations observed did not support my theory of the standard deviation being close to zero but it supported the theory that there was not even distribution of MM’s. It was expected that larger data would be closer to zero, however

Past. Edward L. Thorndike Is Known As A Very Instrumental

Past Edward L. Thorndike is known as a very instrumental scientist within the field of psychology as he contributed well over 500 articles throughout his career. Thorndike earned a Bachelors degree from Wesleyan University in 1895, where he then decided to go to Harvard University with the intention to study literature. He then studied William James’s version of The Principles of Psychology, which he found interesting and enough reason switch his focus to psychology (Daniel, 2000). William James had apparently decided to stop studying experimental psychology, which influenced Thorndike’s decision to attend Columbia University instead. Columbia University appeared to have been a positive alternative for Thorndike as he was offered†¦show more content†¦He completed other types of experiments that included generalization and discrimination techniques to determine the limitations of learned associations (Stam, 1998). Ivan P. Pavlov’s father was a priest in R ussia and Ivan Pavlov began his studies in theology in a church school. Why move from God to Science? Betrayal! He began studying at the University of Saint Petersburg where he focused on chemistry and physiology. Known for his research with animals, he contributed a lot to the field of experimental medicine and to the field of behavior analysis. In 1904, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his experimental work regarding to digestive system (W. Horsley, 2012). Throughout his career, he remained ambitious. He was chosen to be a leader in multiple organizations including becoming the Head of the Department of Pharmacology of the Military Medical Academy and Director of the Department of Physiology of the Institute of Experimental Medicine. While he was a leader within those organizations, he studied the nervous system and contributed to the experimental field (Markov, 2008). Pavlov spoke against the political figures of that time and communism in general. H e was extremely well known, which helped him immensely by keeping him alive since a lot of the people he worked with who were also against communism died for voicing their opinions (Marks, 2004). Pavlov is most well knownShow MoreRelatedPsychology1586 Words   |  7 Pages Plato believed that some knowledge is innate while Aristotle believed that the ability to learn depended on experience, however neither were able to prove their theories with concrete evidence. As time went on and psychology became more widely known, more theoretical approaches to psychology were introduced. Freud established the psychoanalytical theory, which emphasized the importance of the unconscious and how it shaped how humans behave. While Freud did use psychoanalysis to attempt to bringRead MoreA Critique of the Behavioural Theories of Learning4629 Words   |  19 Pagessciences, and conducted experiments to understand how people and animals learn. Psychologists have tried in the past to define and e xplain how learning takes place. Two of the most important early researchers were Ivan Pavlov and Edward Thorndike. Among later researchers, B. F. Skinner was important for his studies of the relationship between behaviour and consequences. They are also known as the Behaviourists. According to them, learning can be defined as â€Å"the relatively permanent change inRead MoreA Critique of the Behavioural Theories of Learning4640 Words   |  19 Pagessciences, and conducted experiments to understand how people and animals learn. Psychologists have tried in the past to define and explain how learning takes place. Two of the most important early researchers were Ivan Pavlov and Edward Thorndike. Among later researchers, B. F. Skinner was important for his studies of the relationship between behaviour and consequences. They are also known as the Behaviourists. According to them, learning can be defined as â€Å"the relatively permanent change inRead MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesborder s, the engine of innovation is ignited, prosperity is fueled and the energy available to everyone inc reases. At the same tim balancing the needs of e, producers and consum ers is as crucial as increa sing supply and curbin g demand. Only then wil l the world enjoy energy peace-of-mind. Succeeding in securing energy for everyone doe sn’t have to come at the exp ens start to think differently e of anyone. Once we all about energy, then we can truly make this promise a reality. $15 hips over ketRead MoreOverview of Hrm93778 Words   |  376 Pagesconsistency and equity within an organization. Consistency is particularly important in compensation and promotion decisions. When managers make compensation decisions without consulting the human resource department the salary structure tends to become very uneven and unfair promotion decisions also may be handled unfairly when the HR department does not coordinate the decision of individual manger. e. Expertise Now a days there exist sophisticated personnel activities that require special expertise.

3D printing revolution in fashion industry Free Essays

AD Printing Revolution in Fashion Industry Last week, I went to London Science museum, there was an exhibition of AD printing showing the completely new image of fashion in the coming 20 years. AD printing has been developing rapidly, now it is way more than printing plastic. It prints something that I cannot even believe: structural thing like house, complicated thing like gun, huge thing like rare plane and guess what, lively tissue. We will write a custom essay sample on 3D printing revolution in fashion industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now As AD printing becomes more mainstream, its applications are broadening (Rachel 2013). It started to hit the roll of fashion, besides AD printed handbags, dresses, we can see AD printed high- heel shoes and bikinis in the latest fashion shows. As Stephanie (2014) mentioned, the mix of apparel and technology shows the innovative soul of fashion, the future of fashion is truly tricked out with AD printing technology. As this evolution continues we can expect to see a AD printing revolution in our fashion industry. In the following sections, this essay is going to illustrate the revolution in production, supply chain and design aspects. Beginning with the first step of manufacture, production method in fashion field will e totally changed. According to some researches, 10% of all consumer products by the year 2025 will be made by the AD process. Richard (2013) discussed that since applications of the technology spread and prices decrease, more products will be manufactured at their location of purchase or consumption. Indeed, consumers will be printing their own clothing by 2020, according to inventor and futurist Ray Skuzzier (Tanya 2013). This implies that new household-level production will emerge. On top of it, production will no longer includes labor force, capital, natural resources, UT only the printing machines, raw materials and programs which lead a huge reform. Based on the change of production method, the supply chain will eventually be modified. â€Å"The world will transform from a macro-manufactured supply chain to a micro-manufactured supply chain or what is known as distributed manufacturing† (Nick 2014). Whereas cars today are made by Just a few hundred factories around the world, they might one day be made in every metropolitan area. The supply chain is going to be shortened as only machines and programs are involved, the whole supply chain may even only appear in our home. As the supply chain will undergo a makeover, certain categories of business will be eliminated. Countries will rather do domestic production than import since production will no longer require so much labors and places, shipping, delivery and inventory service will then go downhill. Before, the Internet technology has already overturned many traditional business models, so now the AD printing technology is going to revolute the fashion industry into a new era. Nature of design will be adjusted due the altered producing methods. Customization of goods is more significant due to maker can simply adjust the aerogramme (Richard 2013). As AD printing can solve some practicable problems of creative products, so it actually encourages the creativity in meeting individuals’ need. The Job of designer will change as they have to know well about technology and design the products with programmer, or even, everyone can become a designer. What Rachel (2013) mentioned is this kind of intersection of fashion and technology can give everyone access to creativity. People will be designing clothes for themselves which they know their size and style the best, so they can create personalized clothing. If you do not want to spend time on making your own AD printing programmer, you can simply buy it online as what we are doing for music file, consumers would pay a fee to download and print the renderings, Ideas may eventually never produce sportswear, but simply sell the format to print Jersey and sneaker. Due to this, keen competition between the brands will be stronger, millions of designers are compete to produce a tremendous variety of objects. Some researchers start to doubt whether AD printing will be widely spread since customized products may be more expensive than traditional mass-produced goods, ND spend longer time as well (Ashley 2010). And actually, since the technology is improving and supply increased, according to the scale of economy, the price of machine and materials for printing are eventually dropping. CNN did an experiment in 2013 that compared buying 20 items like phone case, spoon holder to the cost of printing them out directly. The result is, it took 25 hours to print all the objects and they saved up to $1926, depending on the quality of the comparable retail products. So we can definitely imagine all the time cost and price will be reducing by 2020. As what Nick (2014) pointed out, we are at the beginning of a revolution that will transform our society in ways we can’t even imagine. How to cite 3D printing revolution in fashion industry, Essays

Understanding Economics the nature and logic of Capitalism

Introduction The word capitalism is derived from the word capitale which evolved from capital meaning â€Å"head’. Most economists are of the opinion that the word capital became common during the 12th century. The term was used to refer to a number of elements such as funds, interest on funds or a stock of various merchandises.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Economics: the nature and logic of Capitalism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Capitalism is an economic system which is also considered to be a liberal market. Alternatively, capitalism can be defined as an economic system through which production is conducted privately. In capitalism, the market is free and hence it is not controlled by the government of that economy. Therefore, in a capitalist economy, the price, demand, supply and the distribution of goods and services are determined by the market forces[1]. In addition, in a capit alist economy, individuals have the right to own property. In a capitalist economy the wages and salaries are paid to the employees by the business which has employed them. Profits resulting from the business operations are wholly owned by the investors. This means that investments within a capitalist economy are not in any way under government control. Capitalism can also be defined as accumulation of capital with the objective of investing it in certain economic sector. Miles suggested that capitalism started in Europe in the 16th century and it has gradually spread to other western countries during the 19th and 20th century. Currently capitalism is practiced in a number of countries around the world since it enhances economic growth and development[2]. This essay outlines a description of the nature and logic of Capitalism as given by Heilbroner. Additionally, the subsequent discussions support Heilbroner’s analysis of Capitalism as given in his Book. The nature and logic of capitalism according to Heilbroner’s analysis There is no universally accepted definition of the word Capitalism. Many scholars have tried to give a clear-cut definition of capitalism. However, it has been noted that they end up contradicting ideas of others while others choose to avoid defining it all together. There are various economists who have contributed their views on capitalists’ economy. Some of them include Karl Marx in his Marxist theory, Max Weber in his Weberian political sociology theory, the neoclassical economic theory and Keynes in the Keynesian economics among others. In all these theories, there are a number of elements of Capitalism that have been observed by these economists. Their ideas on Capitalism include the fact that the production of goods and services, payment of wages, control of profits and prices in the market are all controlled by private investors and not the government. Therefore, the ultimate goal of capitalism is accumulation of capital which has been shown to be more than the money invested in most cases analyzed. This is in line with the Heilbroner’s analysis in which the author states that, in a capitalist economy the producers aim at making profits. These profits are determined by the prices of the commodities and the cost of production that the producer incurred during the whole process of production and creation of goods and services[3].Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Capitalism can be considered from various perspectives such as from the economists’ viewpoint, the political economists’ viewpoint or from the historian’s perspective. As shown above, the economist refers to capitalism as the market situation whereby the government has no control over the prices, costs, wages, profits and the rights to property ownership. On the other hand, the political economistâ⠂¬â„¢s idea of capitalism is that there is private ownership of property in the market. In this case, the market players are classified according to their economic power and class. Additionally, the political economist views capitalism as a market situation characterized by wage labor. Therefore, in a capitalist economy, economic power includes the purchasing power, monopoly power, managerial power and bargaining power. Wage labor refers to the concept where the employee is involved in full-time labor or his/her services are sold to the employer in exchange for wages. The end-product of the employee in this case becomes the property of the employer. The economic class referred to in this case includes the upper classes, the middle classes and the lower classes. Considering the two perspectives, one thing is obviously common between the two. It can be said that capitalism is a system that encourages amassment of income and wealth just like a magnet attracts iron filings[4]. In the pe rspective of the two viewpoints, Heilbroner suggested that the capital amassed is not the end-product which is produced in terms of a good or service but rather capital is the continuous expansion of the firm or the private property. In this case, capital is considered as the continuous process of expansion of the firm. In order to ensure a continuous expansion, the firm or private property owner should make profits and not loses. It is thus true that capital accumulation is the continuous process of expansion of a business. Various economists such as Marx and Weber understood capital as the initial amount of money that an investor uses to start a business enterprise while the amount of money which helps the business to continue in its operation is referred to as the operating capital[5]. Therefore, capital is the amount of money that exceeds the cost of production. It is earned when the selling price of a commodity is higher than the cost of production incurred by the producer[6]. Capitalism as a mode of production has also been analyzed in Karl Marx’s Marxist theory. As depicted in our earlier discussions, capitalism is characterized by wage labor and therefore production process and profits are controlled and owned by individual employers or business owners. Marx suggested that the commodity market which is a free market leads into a conflict between various classes of people and also contributes to labor exploitation[7]. According to Marx’s viewpoint, capitalism is an economic system where individuals through buying and selling of commodities make their living. In this case, a commodity refers to a good produced with the objective of being exchanged in a market environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Economics: the nature and logic of Capitalism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The commodities can either be consumer or capital goods8 . Capital goods ref er to products used to produce other goods such as consumer goods. They include land, labor, machines and raw materials. On the other hand consumer goods entail finished goods which are ready for human consumption. Examples of such commodities include cars, houses, books and roads. Therefore, commodities can be described as products of human labor, useful, cannot be separated from the producer and are produced to be exchanged in the market[8]. Money imposes or limits the market value of the commodity. On the other hand, the value of a commodity determines the demand of the commodity in the market. But the initial major factor that influences the value and quality of a commodity is the labor. Since capitalism is associated with wage labor, it is the duty of the business owners to ensure that their employees are well paid and motivated in order to produce the highest quality of goods that can fit into the competitive market. The value of the commodity also determines the price of the commodity in the market. The nature of capitalism is characteristic of a competitive market. In this case, prices revolve around the same point and do not change randomly. The producer operates at a loss if the selling price is below the cost of production. If this persists for a long time, the producer is forced out of the market[9]. On the other hand, when the cost of production is lower than the selling price, the producer earns a profit. High profit levels in a given economic sector have the probability of attracting more investors. Increase in profits, leads to overproduction culminating into a surplus in the market. Surplus of commodities in the market forces the prices to fall due to the law of supply[10]. This is because when supply is high the demand goes down and hence the prices of the commodities also decline. In addition, market prices fluctuate according to the production costs which are mostly influenced by the cost of labor in the market[11]. Therefore, the market fo rces of demand and supply do not influence the value, but rather the value is determined by production. This is in line with the Marxist theory which states that the value of a commodity is determined by the production itself and the level of production is influenced by the labor force which is considered as a capital good[12]. Labor force is a human resource which can either be mental or physical and is applied in production to convert raw materials into finished goods (consumer goods).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, salaries and wages of the employees should be put into consideration in a business because they affect the quality of production[13]. Marx suggests that the wages and salaries of the employees are determined by the surplus of production and the cost of labor power. Wages and salaries are determined by the number of hours that the employees work per day, the efforts applied or the intensity of labor and how the labor is productive[14]. In a capitalist market, labor can be exploited because many competitors will be employing those people who do not require high amounts of wages. Therefore, the employer takes an advantage over the employees so as to increase the profits and at the same time he pays them low wages. In addition, Heilbroner suggests that when the competition in the market is stiff it would cause the profit to reduce to zero or negative[15]. This is true because when the competition for production is high the producers may decide to reduce the prices of their co mmodities so that they can be able to attract more consumers to consume their products[16]. When the prices are reduced to amounts lower than the cost of production, then the firm suffers huge loss and if the competition is stiff, the prices may become lower until the firm is not able to survive in the market and hence it closes. The factors of production such as land, labor and capital produce wealth or income when labor force is applied[17]. This arises from the fact that labor force is a human resource which is either mental or physical and when applied to capital goods, consumer goods are produced. Therefore, the capital goods are not of any benefit to the firm or the investor until labor force is applied. This has also been suggested by other economists such as Marx, Weber and in the neoclassical economic theory[18]. Finally, in a capitalist market, the capital is influenced by the forces of demand and supply. Other than the market force, capital is also influenced by the way s kills are applied in the production process and how the work is organized[19]. The management structure and the level of technology also influence the capital of a business. This is true because even if demand and supply are high and the management structures are not stable, the firm’s operations are affected and hence may not be efficient. The same is also true when the technique used is not updated. Conclusion This paper has given an in-depth evaluation of economics of capitalism according to Heilbroner’s analysis. In various ways, the research paper supports the idea of the nature and logic of capitalism as outlined by Heilbroner. A capitalist economy refers to a type of economy where prices, production and distribution of commodities are controlled by the market players rather than the government. This makes capitalism to be a free or liberal market. To avoid labor exploitation in a competitive economy the trade unions and the government negotiates with the employe rs on matters related to wages and salaries and on the working conditions of employees. According to the various theories postulated by various economists, capital is the initial amount of money or capital goods that investors use to start a business while profits include the amount that the investors use to expand their business. This opposes the suggestion of Heilbroner because he said that capital is the continuous process of expansion of the business. Heilbroner also states that the management, skills and technology affect the capital of a firm. In general, capitalism leads to economic growth and development. Works Cited Bratton, John, Denham, Davis and Deutschmann, Linda. Capitalism and claddical sociology theory. Toronto. University of Toronto Press, 2009. Print. Corfe, Robert. Social capitalism in the theory and practice: emergence if the new majority. New York: Arena books, 2008. Print. Heilbroner, Robert. The nature and logic of capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton Company.19 85. Print Little, Daniel. The scientific Marx. New York: U of Minnesota Press. 1986. Print Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Newman, Michael. John Strachey. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989. Print. Footnotes Newman, Michael. John Strachey. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989. Print. Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Heilbroner, Robert. The nature and logic of capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1985. Print Heilbroner, Robert. The nature and logic of capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1985. Print Corfe, Robert. Social capitalism in the theory and practice: emergence if the new majority. New York: Arena books, 2008. Print. Little, Daniel. The scientific Marx. New York: U of Minnesota Press. 1986. Print Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Bratton, John, Denham, Davis and Deutschmann, Linda. Capitalism and claddical sociology theory. Toronto. University of Toronto Press, 2009. Print. Little, Daniel. The scientific Marx. New York: U of Minnesota Press. 1986. Print Newman, Michael. John Strachey. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989. Print. Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Newman, Michael. John Strachey. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989. Print. Heilbroner, Robert. The nature and logic of capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1985. Print Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Heilbroner, Robert. The nat ure and logic of capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1985. Print Miles, Robert. Capitalism and the unfree labor: anomaly and necessity? New York: Taylors Francis, 1987. Print. Heilbroner, Robert. The nature and logic of capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1985. Print This essay on Understanding Economics: the nature and logic of Capitalism was written and submitted by user Ashtyn Buck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Earning Ones Rights

The Concept of Earning One’s Citizenship Citizenship is defined as a being a citizen or a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state. Citizen preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people. The concept of which in one of its earliest was given to us by the Romans, who had just began to understand the importance of a populace contributing to the decisions of its own fate. Modern American citizenship as we know it today was defined for us in the constitution of this nation by the founding fathers. Citizenship as they had envisioned it even back then was not free, but came with a price. A citizen was expected to carry out certain civic duties and responsibilities such as the defense of the republic, participating in state and local government, and voting on affairs of the nation as a whole. Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunc h. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!† Given all the communication technology; receiving and sending information has never been easier, however civic involvement is at one if its lowest points in the past 100 years. Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote of her husband, that Theodore Roosevelt taught by precept and example that men owed something at all times, whether in peace or in war, for the privilege of citizenship and that the burden rest equally on rich and poor. He said that, no matter what conditions existed, the blame lay no more heavily on the politician and his machine controlling city, state, or nation, than on the shoulders of the average citizen who concerned himself so little with his government that he allowed men to stay in power in spite of his dissatisfaction because he was too indifferent to exert himself to get better men in office. In order to maintain such a jewel of democracy, a new s... Free Essays on Earning Ones Rights Free Essays on Earning Ones Rights The Concept of Earning One’s Citizenship Citizenship is defined as a being a citizen or a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state. Citizen preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people. The concept of which in one of its earliest was given to us by the Romans, who had just began to understand the importance of a populace contributing to the decisions of its own fate. Modern American citizenship as we know it today was defined for us in the constitution of this nation by the founding fathers. Citizenship as they had envisioned it even back then was not free, but came with a price. A citizen was expected to carry out certain civic duties and responsibilities such as the defense of the republic, participating in state and local government, and voting on affairs of the nation as a whole. Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunc h. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!† Given all the communication technology; receiving and sending information has never been easier, however civic involvement is at one if its lowest points in the past 100 years. Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote of her husband, that Theodore Roosevelt taught by precept and example that men owed something at all times, whether in peace or in war, for the privilege of citizenship and that the burden rest equally on rich and poor. He said that, no matter what conditions existed, the blame lay no more heavily on the politician and his machine controlling city, state, or nation, than on the shoulders of the average citizen who concerned himself so little with his government that he allowed men to stay in power in spite of his dissatisfaction because he was too indifferent to exert himself to get better men in office. In order to maintain such a jewel of democracy, a new s...

Outlines for Every Type of Writing Composition

Outlines for Every Type of Writing Composition An outline is a plan for or a summary of a writing project or speech. Outlines are usually in the form of a list divided into headings and subheadings that distinguish main points from supporting points. Most word processors contain an outlining feature that allows writers to format outlines automatically. An outline may be either informal or formal. Informal Outlines The working outline (or scratch outline or informal outline) is a private affair - fluid, subject to constant revision, made without attention to form, and destined for the wastebasket. But enough working outlines have been retrieved from wastebaskets that something can be said about them...A working outline usually begins with a few phrases and some descriptive details or examples. From them grow fragmentary statements, tentative generalizations, hypotheses. One or two of these take on prominence, shaping into the main ideas that seem worth developing. New examples bring to mind new ideas, and these find a place in the list of phrases, canceling out some of the original ones. The writer keeps adding and subtracting, juggling and shifting, until he has his key points in an order that makes sense to him. He scribbles a sentence, works in a transition, adds examples...By then, if he has kept expanding and correcting it, his outline comes close to being a rough summary of the essay its elf. Wilma R. Ebbitt and David R. Ebbitt Using the Outline as a Draft Outlining might not be very useful if writers are required to produce a rigid plan before actually writing. But when an outline is viewed as a kind of draft, subject to change, evolving as the actual writing takes place, then it can be a powerful tool for writing. Architects often produce multiple sketches of plans, trying out different approaches to a building, and they adapt their plans as a building goes up, sometimes substantially (it is fortunately much easier for writers to start over or make basic changes).   Steven Lynn The Post-Draft You might prefer...to construct an outline after, rather than before, writing a rough draft. This lets you create a draft without restricting the free flow of ideas and helps you rewrite by determining where you need to fill in, cut out, or reorganize. You may discover where your line of reasoning is not logical; you may also reconsider whether you should arrange your reasons from the most important to the least or vice versa in order to create a more persuasive effect. Ultimately, outlining after the first draft can prove useful in producing subsequent drafts and a polished final effort. Gary Goshgarian Topic Sentence Outlines Two types of outlines are most common: short topic outlines and lengthy sentence outlines. A topic outline consists of short phrases arranged to reflect your primary method of development. A topic outline is especially useful for short documents such as letters, e-mails, or memos...For a large writing project, create a topic outline first, and then use it as a basis for creating a sentence outline. A sentence outline summarizes each idea in a complete sentence that may become the topic sentence for a paragraph in the rough draft. If most of your notes can be shaped into topic sentences for paragraphs in the rough draft, you can be relatively sure that your document will be well organized. Gerald J. Alred and Charles T. Brusaw Formal Outlines Some teachers ask students to submit formal outlines with their papers. Here is a common format used in constructing a formal outline: I. (main topic) A. (subtopics of I)B. 1. (subtopics of B)2. a. (subtopics of 2)b. i. (subtopics of b)ii. Note that subtopics are indented so that all letters or numbers of the same kind appear directly under one another. Whether phrases (in a topic outline) or complete sentences (in a sentence outline) are used, topics and subtopics should be parallel in form. Make sure that all items have at least two subtopics or none at all. Example of Vertical Outline To outline your material vertically, write your thesis at the head of the page and then use headings and indented subheadings: Thesis: Though many things make me want to score goals, I love scoring most of all because it momentarily gives me a sense of power. I. Common reasons for wanting to score goals A. Help teamB. Gain gloryC. Hear cheers of crowd II. My reasons for wanting to score goals A. Feel relaxed 1. Know Im going to score a goal2. Move smoothly, not awkwardly3. Get relief from pressure to do well B. See world in freeze-frame 1. See puck going into goal2. See other players and crowd C. Feel momentary sense of power 1. Do better than goalie2. Take ultimate mind trip3. Conquer anxiety4. Return to Earth after a moment Besides listing points in order of rising importance, this outline groups them under headings that show their relation to each other and to the thesis. James A.W. Heffernan and John E. Lincoln Sources: Ebbitt, Wilma R. and David R. Ebbitt. Writers Guide and Index to English. 6th edition, Scott, Foresman, 1978. Lynn, Steven. Rhetoric and Composition: An Introduction. 1st edition, Cambridge University Press, 2010. Goshgarian, Gary and Kathleen Krueger. An Argument Rhetoric and Reader. 8th edition, Pearson, January 19, 2014. Alred, Gerald J. and Charles T. Brusaw. Handbook of Technical Writing. 8th edition, St. Martins Press, March 7, 2006. Heffernan, James A.W. and John E. Lincoln. Writing: A College Handbook. 3rd edition, W.W. Norton Co, 1990. Coyle, William and Joe Law. Research Papers. 15th edition, Cengage Learning, June 10, 2009.

Shareholders Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shareholders - Assignment Example The information from the stakeholders will play an essential role in the prevention of heart diseases. The management team will be important in terms of decision making and managing the operations of the conference. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the management team will be charge of the entire operations at the conference. The management team is usually responsible for the provision of the overall leadership with regards to the arrangements being made at a conference (Kerzner, 12). It is the duty of the management team to approve or disprove the activities at the conference. The management will also be useful in the process of linking different professionals during the conference. Organizing a conference usually requires a lot of finances due to various activities that have to be carried out. The success of the conference is dependent on how well the finances are organized. The finance team will be in charge of all the financial issues during the conference. They will be required to provide financial information regarding the process of organizing the conference. Consulting the finance team will also be useful in the process of developing a budget for the conference. This is because the finance team has expertise in the area of finances. Wastages of funds will also be avoided by consulting the finance team. When organizing a conference, a lot of human resources are usually required. A lot of labour is required due to different activities that have to be performed (Grunig, 7). The human resource department will therefore be responsible for organizing the labour force and also recommending how different activities should be performed. The supervision of the personnel involved in the process of as well as allocating duties to the personnel will be a function of the human resource management team. The coordination of activities is also a core function of the human resource team. The human resource team

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Essay Example It is not possible to fully cover Ginsburg's contributions to women's rights in a paper of this limited scope. However, it will highlight her most importatnt work, and show how the progression of her legal reasoning has become the cornerstone of today's women's movement. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of women's rights foremost advocates, and she has earned a place in history as a woman that has led by example as well as action. Ginsburg immersed herself in women's issues at an early point in her professional life, and they became a hallmark of her career. Ginsburg was a groundbreaker, and at Harvard Law School she was one of only eight women out of a class of 500. She transferred to Columbia, where she graduated at the top of her class, though gender discrimination overshadowed her academic achievements.1 Ginsburg joined the faculty at Rutgers, and became "only the second female on the school's faculty and among the first 20 women law professors in the country".2 She became the first law professor at Harvard, directed the Women's Rights Project at the ACLU, and by 1973 Ginsburg was arguing a Supreme Court case regarding equal benefits for men and women in the armed forces.3 Ginsburg gained the attention of President Jimmy Carter by winning 5 out of 6 Supreme Court cases, and consistently arguing that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment applied to gender as well as race.4 Carter appointed Gins burg to the United States Court of appeals for the District of Columbia, and in 1993 she was "confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 96 to 3, becoming the 107th Supreme Court Justice, its second female jurist", and an outspoken advocate for women's rights on the bench.5 Since that date she has been instrumental in furthering the cause of gender equality in America. Foundational Legal Work Her early work with the ACLU on the Women's Rights Project prepared her legal skills for writing the Supreme Court decision on United States v. Virginia. The early 1970s ACLU test cases of Frontiero v. Richardson and Weinberger v. Weisenfeld were argued by Ginsburg and built a body of precedent "that swept away gender stereotyping once and for all".6 Ginsburg had a strategy of promoting equality, without regards to the gender of the injured victim. In Frontiero v. Richardson, Ginsburg argued that a man could be a legal dependent of a female Air Force officer, which made the woman eligible for dependent benefits. Weinberger v. Weisenfeld argued that a male was as equally entitled as a female to Social

Cell-based Therapy For Myocardial Regeneration

Cell-based Therapy For Myocardial Regeneration ABSTRACT Myocardial infarction is one of the main cause of mortality in many countries. Therefore, an effective therapy for myocardial infarction is required. Reperfusion and other conventional therapy have been the mainstay therapy for myocardial infarction. However, many patients remain refractory to this therapy. Cell-based therapy is considered a novel therapy, in which stem cells are used for cardiac repair. Stem cells are potential therapeutic and promising option that could be the alternative solution for salvaging damaged cardiomyocyte. Based on current studies, stem cells are a promising therapeutic approach for myocardial infarction. However, some challenges need to be answered by future studies before this novel therapy can be widely applied. This essay provides an overview of the progress in stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction. INTRODUCTION The robust potential of stem cells were still a mystery, but today, we are constantly getting new information on this particular topic. One of the prospects of stem cell therapy is to treat damaged cardiomyocyte (Fischer, et.al, 2009; Beltrami, 2003).Acute myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in many countries. Not only this disease causes a massive socio-economic burden, but also reduces the quality of live for patients who survive the attack (Hamm, 2016). Currently, one of the mainstay therapy for myocardial infarction is rapid revascularization to limit ischaemic damage. Reperfusion and other conventional therapy have undoubtedly saved so many lives, yet there are patients remained refractory to this therapy and left with no other treatment options. In addition to that, many patients who have underwent reperfusion strategy and survived, often left with significant impairment of left ventricular systolic function. One big question remain unansw ered. Is there any other treatment option for these patients? Medical therapeutic approach to reduce damaged cardiomyocyte and generate new functioning muscle is the current unmeet need. Stem cells emerge as the novel procedure to restore damaged cardiomyocytes, and this procedure is popularly known as cellular cardiomyoplasty (Pendyala, et.al, 2008; Reinlib, 2000). Many preclinical and clinical trials have documented the potential use of stem cells to generate viable cardiomyocyte and improve cardiac function (Bergmann, et.al, 2009). To date, there are many different types of adult stem cells and progenitor cells used for this procedure, some of which are bone marrow derived stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells and so on. Since the advance of stem cells technology is faster than ever before, this essay aimed to give an evidence based update on stem cells use for myocardial infarction, what we have achieved so far, and what does the future hold for this breakthrough. CELL-BASED THERAPY FOR MYOCARDIAL REGENERATION After an ischaemic attack due to occluded coronary vessels, heart muscle usually left damaged and nonfunctioning. However, recent evidence suggested that the cardiac muscle could actually undergo a limited amount of renewal. A prospect of inducing muscle cell to undergo division for cardiomyocyte replacement, or generating new muscle by stem cells are certainly intriguing (Roell, et.al, 2002; Santoso, et.al, 2011). Stem cells are capable to proliferate in the same state (self-renewal) and differentiate into multiple cell lineages. On the other hand, progenitor cells are more specific and have limited differentiation potential. Mechanism on how stem cells work are as follows: firstly, these stem cells need to be extracted from the source (eg. bone marrow), after that these stem cells need to be delivered to the injured area. These cells are implanted in the myocardium, and due to the nature of these cells, they would grow and differentiate/transdifferentiate into cardiomyocyte. To achieve the goal of cardiac repair, these cells should also have the ability to fuse with the surrounding tissues that their harmonious contraction increases the heart contraction. Furthermore, these newly-formed cardiomyocyte should also express the appropriate electromechanical properties required for contraction to yield a synchronous contraction (Templin, et.al, 2011; Makino, et.al, 1999). Many clinical studies have documented the feasibility and safety of cellular cardiomyoplasty in patients with coronary artery disease (Makino, et.al, 1999; Strauer, et.al, 2002). To date, there are some different types of adult stem cells and progenitor cells used for this procedure, some of which are bone marrow derived stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells and many others (Jackson, et.al, et.al, 2001; Kamihata, et.al, 2001; Bolli, et.al, 2011) POTENTIAL SOURCE AND TYPE OF STEM CELLS Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells Bone marrow derived stem cells (BMCs) are the most widely studied type of stem cells. Orlic et al. (2001) first describe the ability of bone marrow cells to regenerate infarcted myocardium in mouse models. The transplanted cells showed transdifferentiation into cardiomyocyte which eventually lead to improved left ventricular ejection fraction (Orlic, 2001). The three types of stem cells derived from bone marrow are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) (Orlic, 2001; Piao, et.al, 2005; Badorff, et.al, 2003). The role of BMCs for acute myocardial infacrtion has been reported to improve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), both in REPAIR-AMI and BOOST trial (Meyer, et.al, 2006; Schachinger, et.al, 2006).BOOST trial demonstrate an acceleration of LVEF after intracoronary BMCs transfer (ejection fraction increased by 6.7% in the BMCs group as compared to 0.7% in the control group), and significant result was sustained until 18 months (Meyer, et.al, 2006). While in REPAIR AMI trial, improvement of LVEF, infarct size and wall thickening of infarcted segments were reported at two years follow up. At two years, the cumulative end point of death, myocardial infarction, or necessity for revascularization was significantly reduced in the BMC group compared with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.94; P=0.025) (Assmus, et.al, 2010; Perin, et.al, 2012). Skeletal Myoblast Skeletal muscle has the ability to regenerate under certain circumstances. Skeletal resident stem cells are usually known as satellite cells, and these cells would differentiate to new myocytes in response to injury. However, whether this ability can be translated to a different condition, as in cardiomyocyte repair, should be further studied (Taylor, 198; Reinecke, et.al, 2002). MAGIC trial, a randomized controlled phase II trial, showed no significant changes in terms of global and regional LV function in skeletal myoblast- treated patients (Mensche, et.al, 2008). Another study performed by Dib et al.(2005) showed an increased in LV ejection fraction in the group treated with transepicardial injection of autologous SMs. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are another potential option for cellular cardiomyoplasty. Mesenchymal stem cells can be found in various tissue, such as bone marrow and adipose tissue (Pittenger, 2004). One interesting mechanism by which MSCs mediate cardiac function improvement is the paracrine effect. MSCs may secrete soluble cytokines and growth factors that would eventually influence adjacent cardiomyocyte (Gharaibeh, et.al, 2011). Hare JM et al. (2009) studied the efficacy of intravenous allogenic human mesenchymal stem cells in patients with myocardial infarction. According to this study, intravenous MSCs were safe as showed by the similar adverse event rates in both intervention and control group. MSCs injection favorably affected patient functional capacity, quality of life and LV remodeling (Hare, et.al, 2012). Endothelial Progenitor Cells Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been linked with neovascularization in ischemic tissue. This interesting finding lead to the use of EPCs for another therapeutic purpose like cellular cardiomyoplasty (Isner, et.al, 1999). The human peripheral blood-derived EPCs would be a potential approach because those cells can be easily isolated without the need of major surgical intervention (Lin, et. Al, 2000). This assumption was later confirmed by Badorff et al. In this study, Badorff et al. (2003) reported that EPCs from healthy volunteers and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients can transdifferentiate into functionally active cardiomyocytes when co-cultivated with rat cardiomyocytes. However, this finding was later opposed by Gruh I et al. According to this study, there was no significant evidence of transdifferentiation of human EPCs into cardiomyocyte (Gruh, et.al, 2006). Resident Cardiac Stem Cells Until recently, we believe that heart is a fully mature organ with no capability of self-renewal. However, the adult heart is not a terminally   differentiated organ, but harbors stem cell with regenerative capacity, namely resident cardiac stem cells (CSCs). Although the origins of CSCs are yet unclear, they can be isolated from heart tissue and expanded ex vivo for use as a cell-based therapy. There were many types of CSCs have been described in previous studies, like: epicardium-derived cells, cardiosphere-derived cardiac cells, and cardiac Sca-1+ cells. These resident stem cells have the potential to differentiate into different types of cells like vascular smooth muscle and myocardial cells (Tang, et.al, 2013; Tang, et.al, 2006; Fazel, et.al, 2006). Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are derived from the blastocyst (inner cell mass) of human embryo prior to implantation. ESCs are pluripotent cells, which means they have the capability to differentiate into any cells, one of which is cardiac myocytes. Due to the source of these cells, there are ethical issues regarding the use of ESC (Kofidis, 2005).The huge potential of ESC comes with a price. The pluripotency of ESC made these cells predisposes to tumor formation including teratomas. Amariglio N et al. (2009) documented the occurence of a human brain tumour following neural stem cell therapy. A boy with telangiectasia was treated with intracerebellar and intrathecal injection of human fetal neural stem cells. Four years later, he was diagnosed with a multifocal brain tumour. After thorough analysis, the tumor was of nonhost origin, indicating it was derived from the transplanted neural stem cells (Amariglio, 2009). To date, due to the scarcity of studies on ESC and negative experiences of previous studies, the significance of ESC as cell-based therapy for myocardial infaction remains elusive. The above-mentioned limitation would hopefully be elucidated in future research. Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells Human umbilical blood cells (hUCB) contains a large number of non-hematopoietic stem cells which rarely express human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II antigens, thus reducing the risk of rejection. Many studies have reported the efficacy and safety of hUCB administration in acute myocardial infarction model, with conflicting result (Henning, 2004; Moelker, 2007).According to Henning RJ et al. (2004) hUCB administration reduce infarction size and improve ventricular function in rats without requirements for immunosuppression (Henning, 2004). Similar positive finding were documented by Kim et al. Circulating Blood-derived Progenitor cells Circulating blood-derived progenitor cells (CPCs) are similar to BMCs, which mainly composed of EPCs. Santoso T et al. (2011) studied the safety and feasibility of combined granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and erythropoetin (EPO) based-stem cell therapy using intracoronary infusion of peripheral blood stem cells in patients with recent anterior myocardial infarction. G-CSF is used to mobilized stem cells to the injured area, inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis, promotes neovascularization, and increase the production of nitric oxide. While EPO, that is originally thought to be a hematopoietic hormone only, also may inhibited apoptosis and induced angiogenesis. This phase I study concluded that this procedure is safe and resulted in improved endpoints for LV ejection fraction and cardiac viability (Santoso, 2011). Cardiopoietic Stem Cells Cardiopoietic stem cells are not a distinct type of stem cells but refer to the novel way of processing stem cells in order to get a lineage specification. Cardiopoietic stem cells are harvested stem cells that are treated with a protein cocktail to replicate natural cues to heart development, before being injected into the patients heart. The C-CURE trial studied the efficacy of bone marrow derived-mesenchymal stem cells in chronic heart failure. The isolated mesenchymal stem cells were exposed to a cardiogenic cocktail that trigger expression and nuclear translocation of cardiac transcription factors, before being injected to the patients heart. After six months follow up, patients in the treatment group significantly improved in terms of LVEF and fitness capacity. There was no evidence of increased cardiac or systemic toxicity induced by cardiopoietic cell therapy (Bartunek, 2013). Unfortunately, data comparing the efficacy and safety between cardiopoietic stem cells and ordinary stem cells without cocktail-based priming is still lacking. DELIVERY METHODS In order to make these stem cells reach the heart, a reliable delivery method need to be employed. The ideal method should be able to safely and efficiently deliver an optimal number of stem cells to the target tissue. Beside the high efficacy, this delivery method should be as minimally invasive as possible for the sake of patients comfort. There are some delivery methods worthy to know. Intracoronary Infusion As the name implies, intracoronary infusion is a process of delivering stem cells through coronary artery, usually through intracoronary catheterization. Stem cells are infused under pressure via a ballon catheter. The ballon was inflated in order to prevent anterogade blood flow that would compromize stem cells delivery. Catheter guided cell transfer has its unique advantage of safety under local anesthesia, and a part of routine cardiac catheterization. The intracoronary method provide a maximum number of cells to the target area, with good blood supply which is crucial for cell survival. Multiple studies have reported the use of intracoronary infusion for stem cells delivery (Strauer, 2002; Schachinger, 2006). Intravenous Peripheral Infusion Intravenous stem cells administration is one of the easiest method to be employed. Intravenous administration is possible through homing phenomenon of stem cells to the injured heart. Unfortunately, intravenous peripheral infusion comes with some disadvantages. First, only 3% of normal cardiac output will flow per minute through the left ventricle. This low amount of blood would limit the amount of stem cells delivered. Secondly, due to the passing of venous blood in the lung, many cells would trap in lung vasculature that eventually lead to stem cells reduction (Grieve et.al, 2012). Intramyocardial, Transendoccardial and Transpericardial Route As mentioned earlier, the downside of intravenous administration is the passing of the blood in certain organs that would entraped some of the stem cells. Unlike intravenous route, intramyocardial method is undoubtly provide direct access to the injured cardiomyocyte bypassing the need for mobilization, homing and any risk of cells entrapment in other organ, thus provide a more effective way to deliver abundant stem cells to the injured area. However, this method comes with its own expense of a more invasive method, not to mention the risk of ventricular perforation in the already damaged cardiomyocyte. Intramyocardial delivery usually performed during an open heart surgery or needle-tipped delivery catheter (Strauer, 2003; Forrester, 2003). Nelson et al.(2009) documented that intamyocardial delivery of iPS originating from reprogrammed fiobroblast, yielded progeny that properly engrafted and resulted in restored contractile performance, increased ventricular wall thickness, and elec tric stability (Nelson, et.al, 2009). STUDIES USING STEM CELLS IN MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION Many studies have been carried out to investigate the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy in patients with myocardial infarction. Each of these studies investigated different kind of stem cells with different delivery methods. The ultimate goal of these studies is to answer whether stem cell therapy could be a feasible therapeutic approach for patients with myocardial infarction. The result of these studies were not always positive, even some of the studies did not document any beneficial effect of stem cell therapy. However, this conflicting result need to be intepreted with caution due to the different study method, different type of stem cells used, and different delivery methods employed. Three meta- analysis on the efficacy of BMCs therapy for myocardial infarction have been published. In a meta-analysis by Delewi R et al, intracoronary BMCs infusion is associated with improvement of LV function and remodelling in patients after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The benefit in terms of LVEF improvement was more pronounced in patients with a worse baseline LVEF (LVEF cut off: 40%) and younger age (age cut off: 55 years) (Delewi, et.al, 2013).   In a second meta-analysis by Clifford DM et al. (2012) which include thirty-three RCTs, there was no significant difference in hard end point like mortality and morbidity in the BMCs treated group. However global heart function, as represented by LVEF and infarct size, was improved significantly and was sustained long term (12 to 61 months) in the BMCs group (Clifford, et.al, 2012). The third meta-analysis by Long C et al. (2013) further confirmed the beneficial effect of intracoronary BMCs in patients with acute my ocardial infraction. According to this meta-analysis, BMCs therapy significantly improved LVEF, while mildly but not significantly reduced left ventricular end-systolic volume and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (Lond, et.al, 2013). These three meta-analysis synonymously agree that BMCs therapy is beneficial in terms of improved heart function and reduced infarct size. CHALLENGES AND THE FUTURE We have just entered the new era of stem cell therapy. When advanced therapy like primary PCI and thrombolytic showed more limited beneficial for patients with myocardial infarction, the concept of cell-based therapy is definitely appealing. This new approach could be the answer that have been waited for sometime. As we have discussed previously, there are many issues on stem cell therapy that need to be addressed in future studies. Firstly, what is considered to be the best stem cells to replace cardiomyocyte. Secondly, the right delivery method of these stem cells need to be determined. Whether different type of stem cells required certain delivery methods also need to be further elucidated. Another question is the right timing of delivery (acute, sub-acute or chronic), whether it contributes to the fate of stem cells. Fourth, the concentration of stem cells, dose-effect relationship and safety of stem cell therapy need to be further investigated. One particular topic in regard to stem cell safety is the tumorigenicity of ESC. We need to disentangle a way to reprogram these cells so they can differentiate into functional cells, but lack the ability to form tumours. Finally, novel diagnostic tools are required to detect and evaluate stem cells therapy. Future studies would hopefully provide s olid proof on hard end-points (eg. mortality), instead of surrogate markers like LVEF or infarct size. CONCLUSION Tremendous progresses were made in cell-based therapy, and future advances would further lead us to a new solution for ischaemic heart disease. Stem cells own robust potential in medicine, one of which is to replace damaged cardiomyocyte. More evidents are needed in advance to widely use of this modality. REFERENCES Amariglio N, Hirshberg A, Scheithauer BW, et al. (2009). Donor-derived brain tumor following neural stem cell transplantation in an ataxia telangiectasia patient. Assmus B, Rolf A, Erbs S, et al. (2010). Clinical outcome 2 years after intracoronary administration of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells in acute myocardial infarction. Circ Heart Fail, 3, pp.89-96. Assmus B, Schachinger V, Teupe C, et al. (2002) Transplantation of progenitor cells and regeneration enhancement in acute myocardial infarction (TOPCARE-AMI). Circulation. 106, pp.3009-3017. Badorff C, Brandes RP, Rà ¼diger P, et al. (2003). Transdifferentiation of blood-derived human adult endothelial progenitor cells into functionally active cardiomyocytes. Circulation. 107, pp.1024-32. Beltrami AP, Barlucchi L, Torella D, et al. (2003) Adult cardiac stem cells are multipotent and support myocardial regeneration. Cell, 114(6), pp.763-776. Bergmann O, Bhardwaj RD, Bernard S, et al. (2009). Evidence for cardiomyocyte renewal in humans. Science. 324, pp. 98-102. Bolli R, Chugh AR, DAmario A, et al. (2011). Effect of cardiac stem cells in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy: Initial results of the SCIPIO trial. Lancet, 378, pp. 1847-1857. Cao F, Sun D, Li C, et al. (2009). Long-term myocardial functional improvement after autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells transplantation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: 4 years follow-up. Eur Heart J, 30, pp.1986-94. Chang ZT, Hong L, Wang H, Lai HL, Li LF, Yin QL. (2013). Application of peripheral-blood-derived endothelial progenitor cell for treating ischemia-reperfusion injury and infarction: a preclinical study in rat models. J Cardio Thor Surgery. 8, pp.33. Clifford DM, Fisher SA, Brunskill SJ, et al. (2012) Stem cell treatment for acute myocardial infarction. Cochrane database of systematic reviews. Issue 2. Art. No.: CD006536. Doi : 10.1002/14651858.CD006536.pub3. Delewi R, Hirsch A, Tijssen JG, et al. (2013). Impact of intracoronary bone marrow cell therapy on left ventricular function in the setting of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a collaborative meta-analysis. Eur Heart J, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ eht372. Dib N, Michler RE, Pagani FD, et al. (2005). Safety and feasibility of autologous myoblast transplantation in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy: four-year follow-up. Circulation. 112, pp.1748-55. Duckers HJ, Houtgraaf J, Van Geuns RJ, et al. (2010). Abstract 12225: First-in-man experience with intracoronary infusion of adipose-derived regenerative cells in the treatment of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: The apollo trial. Circulation, 122, A12225. Fazel S, Cimini M, Chen L, et al. (2006). Cardioprotective c-kit + cells are from the bone marrow and regulate the myocardial balance of angiogenic cytokines. J Clin Invest, 116, pp. 1865-1877. Fernandes S, Amirault JC, Lande G, et al. (2006). Autologous myoblast transplantation after myocardial infarction increases the inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias. Cardiovasc Res, 69, pp.348-358. Fischer KM, Cottage CT, Wu W, et al. (2009). Enhancement of myocardial regeneration through genetic engineering of cardiac progenitor cells expressing Pim-1 kinase. Circulation, 120(21), pp.2077- 2087. Fischer UM, Harting MT, Jimenez F, et al. (2009). Pulmonary passage is a major obstacle for intravenous stem cell delivery: the pulmonary first-pass effect. Stem Cells Dev, 18, pp.683-692. Forrester JS, Price MJ, Makkar RR. (2003). Stem cell repair of infarcted myocardium: an overview for clinicians. Circulation, 108, pp.1139-1145. Gharaibeh B, Lavasani M, Cummins JH, Huard J. (2011). Terminal differentiation is not a major determinant for the success of stem cell therapy cross-talk between muscle-derived stem cells and host cells. Stem Cell Res The, 2, pp.31. Gimble JM, Katz AJ, Bunnell BA. (2007). Adipose-derived stem cells for regerative medicine. Circ Res, 100, pp.1249-60. Grieve SM, Bhindi R, Seow J, et al. (2012). Microvascular obstruction by intracoronary delivery of mesenchymal stem cells and quantification of resulting myocardial infarction by cardiac magnetic resonance. Circ Heart Fail, 3, pp.e5-e6. Gruh I, Beilner J, Blomer U, et al. (2006). No evidence of transdifferentiation of human endothelial progenitor cells into cardiomyocytes after coculture with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Circulation, 113, pp.1326-1334. Hamm CW, Bassand JP, Agewall S, et al. (2016). ESC guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation. European Heart Journal doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehr236. Cited from: http://www. escardio.org/guidelines-surveys/esc-guidelines/Pages/ ACS-non-ST-segment-elevation.aspx Hare JM, Fishman JE, Gerstenblith G, et al. (2012). Comparison of allogeneic vs autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells delivered by transendocardial injection in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy the POSEIDON randomized trial. JAMA. 308, pp.2369-2379. Hare JM, Traverse JH, Henry TD, et al. (2009). A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, dose-escalation study of intravenous adult human mesenchymal stem cells (prochymal) after acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol, 54, pp.2277-2286. Henning RJ, Abu-Ali H, Balis JU, Morgan MB, Wiling AE, Sanberg PR. (2004). Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Cell Transplant. 13, pp.729-739. Hsieh PCH, Segers VFM, Davis ME, et al. (2007).   Evidence from a genetic fate-mapping study that stem cells refresh adult mammalian cardiomyocytes after injury. Nat Med, 13, pp.970-974. Isner JM, Asahara T. (1999). Angiogenesis and vasculogenesis as therapeutic strategies for postnatal neovascularization. J Clin Invest, 103, pp.1231-1236. Jackson KA, Majka SM, Wang H, et al. (2001). Regeneration of ischemic cardiac muscle and vascular endothelium by adult stem cells. J Clin Invest, 107, pp.1395-1402. Kamihata H, Matsubara H, Nishiue T, et al. (2001). Implantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells into ischemic myocardium enhances collateral perfusion and regional function via side supply of angioblasts, angiogenic ligands, and cytokines. Circulation, 104, pp.1046-1052. Kim BO, Tian H, Prasongsukarn K, et al. (2005). Cell transplantation improves ventricular function after a myocardial infarction: a preclinical study of human unrestricted somatic stem cells in a porcine model. Circulation. 112, pp.I96-I104. Kofidis T, de Bruin JL, Yamane T, et al. (2005). Stimulation of paracrine pathways with growth factors enhances embryonic stem cell engraftment and host-specific differentiation in the heart after ischemic myocardial injury. Circulation, 111, pp. 2486-2493. Kornowski R, Fuchs S, Leon MB, et al. (2000). Delivery strategies to achieve therapeutic myocardial angiogenesis. Circulation, 101, pp.454-458. Krishna KA, Krishna KS, Berrocal R, Rao KS, Rao KRS. (2011). Myocardial inraction and stem cells. J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 3, pp.182. Lin Y, Weisdorf DJ, Solovey A, Hebbel RP. (2000). Origins of circulating endothelial cells and endothelial outgrowth from blood. J Clin Invest, 105, pp.71-77. Long C, Yi TJ, Hui J, et al. (1999). Long-term effects of bone marrow-derived cells transplantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis. Chin Med J, 126, pp.353-360. Makino S, Fukuda K, Miyoshi S, et al. (1999). Cardiomyocytes can be generated from marrow stromal cells in vitro. J Clin Invest, 103, pp.697-705. Makkar RR, Smith RR, Cheng K, et al. (2012). Intracoronary cardiosphere-derived cells for heart regeneration after myocardial infarction (CADUCEUS): a prospective, randomised phase 1 trial. Lancet, 379, pp.895-904. Menasche P, Alfieri O, Janssens S, et al. (2008). The myoblast autologous grafting in ischemic cardiomyopathy (MAGIC) trial: first randomized placebo-controlled study of myoblast transplantation. Circulation. 117, pp.1189-1200. Menasche P, Hagege AA, Vilquin JT, et al. (2003). Autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation for severe postinfarction left ventricular dysfunction. J Am Coll Cardiol, 41, pp.1078-1083. Meyer GP, Wollert KC, Lotz J, et al. (2006).   Intracoconary bone marrow cell transfer after myocardial infraction: eighteen months follow up data from the randomized, controlled BOOST (bone marrow transfer to enhance ST-elevation infarct regeneration) trial. Circulation, 113, pp.1287-1294. Moelker AD, Baks T, Wever KM, et al. (2007). Intracoronary delivery of umbilical cord blood derived unrestricted somatic stem cells is not suitable to improve LV function after myocardial infarction in swine. J Mol Cell Cardiol, 42, pp.735-745. Nelson TJ, Martinez-Fernandez A, Yamada S, Perez-Terzic C, Ikeda Y, Terzic A. (2009). Repair of acute myocardial infarction by human stemness factors induced pluripotent stem cells. Circulation, 120, pp.408-416. Oh H, Bradfute SB, Gallardo TD, et al. (2003). Cardiac progenitor cells from adult myocardium: homing, differentiation, and fusion after infarction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100, pp.12313-12318. Orlic D, Kajstura J, Chimenti S, et al. (2001).   Mobilized bone marrow cells repair the infarcted heart, improving function and survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 98, pp.10344-10349. Pendyala L, Goodchild T, Gadesam RR, Chen J, Robinson K. (2008). Cellular cardiomyoplasty and cardiac regeneration. Curr Cardiol Rev, 4, pp.72-80. Perin EC, Wilerson JT, Pepine CJ, et al. (2012). Effect of transendocardial delivery of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells on functional capacity, left ventricular function, and perfusion in chronic heart failure the FOCUS-CCTRN Trial. JAMA, 307, pp.1717-1726. Piao H, Youn TJ, Kwon JS, et al. (2005). Effects of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in acutely infarcting myocardium. Eur J Heart Fail, 7, pp.730-738. Pittenger MF, Martin BJ. (2004). Mesenchymal stem cells and their potential as cardiac therapeutics. Circ Res, 95, pp.9-20. Povsic TJ, OConnor CM, Henry T, et al. (2011). A double-blind, randomized, controlled, multicenter study to assess the safety and cardiovascular effects of skeletal myoblast implantation by catheter delivery in patients with chronic heart failure after myocardial infarction. Am heart J, 162, pp.654-662. Ramshorst JV, Antoni L, Beeres SLMA, et al. (2011). Intramyocardial bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell injection for chronic myocardial ischemia, the effect on diastolic function. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging, 4, pp.122-129. Reejhsinghani R, Jen Shih HH, Lotfi AS. (2012). Stem cell therapy in acute myocardial infacryion. J Clin Exp Cardiolog, 8, pp.11. Reinecke H, MacDonald GH, Hauschka SD, Murry CE. (2000). Electromechanical coupling between skeletal and cardiac muscle. Implications for infarct repair. J Cell Biol, 149, pp.731-740. Reinecke H, Poppa V, Murry CE. (2002). Skeletal muscle stem cells do not transdifferentiate into cardiomyocytes after cardiac grafting

Mental Models About a Person’s World Essay

INTRODUCTION: Meeting a person for the first time, can either be a positive or negative experience and the way someone interacts with this person can also show both positive and negative behaviours. So the question is, how can mental models about a person’s world, both aid them and also limit their perceptions when meeting a person for the first time. Through exploring how and why these perceptions can be assisted and limited, we can start to question the reasoning behind our mental models. MENTAL MODELS Throughout the years, academic literature has defined a mental model in many ways, however the best way to understand what a mental model is, is the deeply imbedded ways of thinking or even certain images, that trigger assumptions and generalisations, ultimately affecting the way a person responds too or behaves in the world, be it towards a person or a life situation (Senge 2006). A good example of a mental model is, the generalization that only rich people live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This generalisation may be true in some cases, but in other cases, other people may live there because they have lived their all their lives, and so, we can see this particular generalisation or â€Å"mental model† has not be thought through. Not questioning mental models, can often lead to false generalisations, this situation can also arise when meeting a person for the first time. When meeting a person for the first time, our mental models can help us both understand and ultimately get along with the person or they can limit our perceptions, meaning we make assumptions or generalisations that eventually alter our perceptions about this person or how we act towards them. Very often, we see that we are not consciously aware of our mental models and the affects that they can have on our behaviour (Chermack 2003), this in turn, restricts our perceptions. Mental models are often vague, incomplete and imprecisely expressed (Karp 2005) however, once believed, mental models are extremely difficult to change (Chermack 2003). This is highly due to the  fact that people are unaware of their own mental models, and the only way for a person to change their mental model, is for them to acknowledge that they have one to start with. Mental models can be useful as they can help us to process information and make decisions quickly (Unknown 1997) and they can also be imperative foundations for building knowledge about the world we live in (Karp 2005). For instance, when an individual has a mental model that all take away food is bad for their health and wellbeing, when given the option of either having take away food or a healthy meal at home, the individuals mental model will therefore lead them to quickly decide to eat a healthy meal at home. However, very strong mental models can hinder active thinking and the acceptance of new ideas (Unknown 1997), and often arise problems when they are tacit, meaning that they are below the level of awareness (Senge 1992). Using the example of the Detroit auto maker, not recognising that they had the mental model that all that customers cared about was styling, believing that â€Å"all people care about is styling†, evidently shows us that their mental model had become tacit. This mental model continued to be unexamined, and because this mental model remained unexamined, the model remained unchanged, and thus as the world changed the gap grew between the mental model of this Detroit automaker and the world (Senge 1992). Clearly, mental models can perform as filters that screen incoming information that come to us, limiting our ways of thinking and also our perceptions (Unknown 1997). An individual’s mental model represents their view on the world, it also provides them with the context in which they view and interpret new material and also new people in which they meet for the first time (Kim 1993). It not only helps us to make sense of what is going on around us, but it can also restrict our understanding of a certain situation. For example, when someone has been labeled as not a nice person, with never questioning the validity of it, people create a mental model that, that person is not nice, and so when they do or say something nice it goes unnoticed, and therefore, the behaviour does not fit with the mental model people have towards this  certain individual. These untested assumptions or mental models can eventually cause conflict and misunderstandings between people. Developing skills in reflection and inquiry can aid us in realising our mental models and also with dealing with others. When we use skills of reflection we slow down our ways of thinking and acknowledge how our mental models are formed and how they affect our behaviour. Where as skills of inquiry, is concerned with how we operate in face-to-face situations with others, especially when we are dealing with complex and conflictual issues (Senge 2006). Together with the tools and methods used to develop these skills these constitute the core of the discipline of mental models, which consists of; the distinctions between espoused theories and theories-in-use, recognising â€Å"leaps of abstraction†, exposing the â€Å"left-hand column† and balancing inquiry and advocacy (Senge 2006). When an individual says that they value or desire something, that is known as espoused theory, however, what they actually say or do, is known as theories-in-use (Bocham 2010). Acknowledging the gaps between what we say and what we do, can be seen as an effective reflective skill in becoming more aware of our mental models. Someone may profess their view (espoused theory) that people generally are trustworthy, but their actions (theories-in-use) show differently, as they never lend out money and keep their possessions to themselves (Senge 2006). As evident in the example above, there is a gap between the individual’s espoused theory and their theory-in-use. By recognising the gap between espoused theory and the theory-in-use, learning can occur, as we as individuals question whether or not we really value our espoused theory (Senge 2006). When we meet a person for the first time, we can quickly jump into generalisations as we never think to question them. For example, when we meet a person and they say that they are a doctor, we automatically assume that they are smart, as it is a generalization that all doctors are smart we never seem to question this mental model. These are known as â€Å"leaps of abstraction†. â€Å"Leaps of abstraction† occur when we move from direct observations to generalisations without questioning them, this ultimately  impedes learning because it becomes axiomatic, as what was once an assumption is now treated as a fact (Senge 2006). Therefore, this becomes another limitation, in which mental models can have on our perceptions when we meet people for the first time. However, these â€Å"leaps of abstraction† can easily be identified when people ask what their generalisation is based-on and whether or not the generalisation is inaccurate or misleading (Senge 2006) Senge (2006) identifies the â€Å"left-hand column† as a powerful technique whereby individuals begin to see how their mental models operate in differing situations. This exercise can show individuals that they indeed have mental models and show them how those models play an active part in sometimes negative interactions with people, not only do these people become aware of their mental models, but they begin to acknowledge why dealing with these assumptions is imperative (Senge 2006). In order for good communication between individuals to arise, people need to recognise that in order for the communication process to be effective, mental models must be managed properly, this is done by balancing advocacy and inquiry (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Advocacy is the process of communicating an individual’s ways of thinking and reasoning in a manner that makes it clear for others (Peggy & Bronn 2003). When there is advocacy without inquiry, it only leads to more advocacy, and therefore leads to two individuals stating their ways of reasoning and thinking, they both are keen to here the others views, but do not inquire into what they are saying because they believe that what they are saying is ultimately the best way of thinking. A way to tackle this, is through the process of inquiry. Inquiry engages two individuals into the communication process in a joint learning process (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Here the objective is to understand the reasoning and thinking of the other individual, this can be done by asking them questions in order for them to determine the origin for their conclusions and statements (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Individuals can do this by asking questions such as; â€Å"What is it that leads you to that position?† and â€Å"can you illustrate your point for me?† (Senge 2006). Thus, it is evident  that grasping the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, is highly advantageous in interacting with other individuals, especially those you meet for the first time. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is imperative and highly advantageous for us to question our mental models in everyday situations, such as meeting people for the first time, as it will deter us from automatically making assumptions and making generalisations. Through acknowledging ‘leaps of abstraction†, using the â€Å"left-hand column† technique and also personally mastering the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, we can learn to question these mental models, and thus questioning whether or not they really do hold their value in our world. Thus, when we meet a person for the first time, before we make assumptions and generalisations, we may need to recognise our imbedded mental models and learn to question them, therefore aiding the process of communication to be a positive experience. REFERENCE LIST: Bochman, DJ & Kroth, M. 2010, â€Å"Immunity to transformational learning and change†, _The Learning Organization,_ vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 328-342. Chermack, TJ 2003, â€Å"Mental models in decision making and implications for human resource development†, _Advances in Developing Human Resources,_ vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 408-422. Karp, T 2005, â€Å"Unpacking the Mysteries of Change: Mental Modelling†, _Journal of Change Management,_ vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 87-96. Kim, DH 1993, â€Å"The Link Between Individual and Organizational Learning†, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 37-37. Peggy, SB & Bronn, C 2003, â€Å"A reflective stakeholder approach: Co-orientation as a basis for communication learning†, _Journal of Communication Management,_ vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 291-303. Senge, P 2006, â€Å"Mental Models†, _The fifth discipline: the art and practice of learning organizations,_ rev. edn, Doubleday, New York, pp. 163-190. Senge, PM 1992, â€Å"Mental Models†, _Planning Review,_ vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 4-4. Unknown 1997, â€Å"What are Mental Models?†, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 38, no. 3, p. 13.

Linking Human Capital Development To Financial Performance Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3412 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? In this paper, I will explain human capital within organizations and how they are used to maximize business profit and if used properly, retain its employees to keep continuity. Personally, I believe with human capital it is about educating your employees and bringing out the best in them to achieve the overall organizational goal and give people sense of accomplishment. Some things that can help maximize each individuals potential is proper time management, education, incorporating value added HR, quality recruiting and evaluation performance. Recent surveys reveal that although business executives firmly believe that people are the most important asset, most executives are at a loss to prove that investments in people lead to improved business results. Common metrics like economic value added and return on investment shed little light on how organizations human assets are performing. The question rises What needs to be measured? Through interviews with senior HR executives, CFOs and financial analysts all refer back to the common theme of human capital. This reflects the way managers want to create value in their organization. Second measures need to be useful from an investment perspective. Executives and top management of organizations what to know what they should be investing in for the future both in terms of skills that their employees will need to achieve the organizations goals and the types of human resource capabilities that will need to develop and retain employees with those necessary skills. A way for organizations to do this would be to minimize risk associated with new technology, markets and acquisition. The challenge of effectively linking human capital development to financial performance is three-fold. It measures must capture direct and indirect effects, be simple and compile results so that future planning and forecasts can be built from them. There are outside agencies that you can hire to come to your organizat ion and evaluate the human capital practices. Their assessment includes variables that influence the relationship between a companys human capital assets and its financial performance. Evaluating Performance In the Article Removing Performance Appraisal and Merit Pay in the Name of Quality, An Empirical Study of employees reaction goes on to explain the management trends across the American industry, specifically the banking industry placing high emphasis on excelling in customer service and embedding continuous improvement into all bank processes. (Waite, 2000) The role of a companys human resources department will be able to help facilitate the goal of the organization by ensuring quality control, recruiting qualified candidates, evaluating the performance appraisal programs in place, with more emphasis on that particular category, because it is the determinant of the employees job performance and gives them direct feedback if done properly to give them an idea of where they stand professionally in the organization, and given ways to improve. An interesting point made in the article was how performance appraisals can be criticized for stifling teamwork. When it comes time for performance appraisals, it is done on an individual basis, giving some people the thought of undermining group efforts and working as an individual and not looking out for the needs of the whole team. Being a team player is a part of individual performance, but does not have a major part in an individual assessment. After a study done after several years to determine the effectiveness of comprehensive performance appraisals process, special attention was focused on the interview between the subordinate and his or her manager, because this is the discussion which is supposed to motivate them to improve performance, and found that criticism has a negative effect on achievement of goals, praise has little effect, performance improves when specific goals are established, defensiven ess resulting from critical appraisal produces inferior performance, coaching should be a day-to-day not once a year activity and participation by the employee in the goal setting procedure helps produce favorable results. (Herbet H. Meyer) To measure the true effectiveness of an appraisal program at the workplace, appraisals should be based on job responsibilities rather than on personal characteristics of the individual. Setting up an intensive training program by managers to help them in the appraisal process should be implemented and given techniques to help them establish rapport with their employees instead of just evaluating them once a year, but make it an ongoing process to give effective communication and feedback. An effective performance appraisal is designed to serve two major purposes. The first is to justify recommended salary action, and the second was to present an opportunity for the manager to review a subordinates performance and promote discussion on needed i mprovements by drawing up a specific plans and goals for the subordinate to help improve their job performance and hopefully qualify them for future promotion. (Herbet H. Meyer) Every ten years or so, a management innovation comes along that gives new ideas to organizations and ways to boost the organization. Three hundred sixty degree feedback has been the most notable innovation for management since the 1990s. (David A. Waldman, 1998) According to the research in the article, it says that every individual has received some written form of feedback from sources that were once nontraditional or unheard of. These sources include subordinates, peers, and internal and external customers. The goal of this type of feedback was to increase the individuals awareness of themselves and they can improve in performance. I have learned that 360 feedback is not only for subordinates or employees, but today an estimated 20-25 percent of organizations actually ask followers, peers, and our cust omers to rate managers for developmental and learning purposes. (David A. Waldman, 1998) This process is similar to a former rating process called upward feedback, where feedback is gained from subordinates to rate superiors but does not include peers or customers. When it comes time to give yourself a performance rating, research shows that individuals do not evaluate themselves accurately or at least not in line with how others view them, because of unreliability and bias and are inaccurate when compared with ratings provided by others or with other objective measures. (Herbet H. Meyer) Negative feedback is usually discounted or not mentioned, but on the other hand positive feedback is generally more accepted and is the most accurate than the negative feedback. When negative feedback is in the form of an anonymous message, it is difficult to discount or deny what was said, so it is more likely to be accepted. Personality plays a big part in this, and alters an individuals reality of self perception. (Herbet H. Meyer) The intent of an effective performance evaluation to me is to modify my actions at work to get in line with the goals of the organization and making sure that I am doing my part to the best of my ability to uphold my weight at work. In the military, I have seen more than one type of evaluation being done and is very effective. Early on in my career, I was introduced to 360 degree feedback that was anonymous and was done after working with some peers after several weeks and sometimes results can be surprising or can be a wakeup call for some. The people you work with, and not the ones you work for often give you a more accurate assessment because they are with you every day and know your strengths and weaknesses. The objective of performance evaluations in the military is to weed out the weak and to promote the strong. Every time I start a new job, I am given an initial counseling outlining my goals, objectives, expectations and professional d evelopment. After the initial counseling, feedback is given to me verbally along the way, and then quarterly, I will sit with my supervisor and receive a formal evaluation letting me know if I have been meeting the intent or not. If this process is done correctly in any organization, it will force people to be more responsible and hold them accountable for their actions. To me, the most harm you can do to an individual is fail to give them evaluations, fair evaluations in particular, because if this is one, you are only setting them up for failure and they have the false sense of success, and most of the time not meeting organizational standards and practices. The only thing that differs from performance evaluations in the military and ones done in the civilian sector, is that in the military, you will get a pay increase every year in January, and also get one at least every two years in your career whether you advance in rank or not. There are time requirements for rank, but goo d performance evaluations can help you accelerate on time or sometimes faster than usual. I believe 360 degree feedback is the most effective system to measure individual performance, and gives managers a good idea of who is a good team player and who only works well with management supervision. It is nearly impossible for a manager of a large company to effectively evaluate each employee and give an accurate account of their work performance. The use of supervisors and peers help to facilitate and provide details and usually is more accurate when coming from someone in the same position as you. Companies began to use 360 feedback from customers to improve business practices and stay competitive. Performance evaluations for some people can be a wake-up call, and takes a good manager to have the ability to evaluate someone fairly and be able to let them know if they are just not doing what they are supposed to. Professionally developing the individuals in your organization will be key to overall success and making the goals of your company. Information technology uses Information is defined as all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange and utilize information in its various forms including business data, conversations, still images, motion pictures and multimedia presentations according to https://www.entrepreneur.com. Understanding your business needs and intent will help you to identify what type of equipment you will need and how you will use it once you receive it. No matter what business venture you plan to go into or analyze, information technology has taken its place among businesses and is growing rapidly. When we think of information technology, it is not just the development of computers, but it is the use of technology to allow you to maximize productivity more efficiently and effectively. The impact that it has, is that in order to be effective, you have to be able to educate yourself and keep up with changes in technology. Rel ating from this weeks article entry, information technology has to be adopted and embraced by managers. Effective communication is key to success in any organization, and if done properly, you will keep employees and other members of management informed on your goals and vision. In the article, Information Technology and Business Process Redesign, the author builds a link to help those aspiring to improve the way work is done and how to apply the capabilities of information technology to redesign business process. Business process design and information technology are natural partners, and their relationship today is still never utilized to their maximum capabilities, leaving managers scared to adopt it into their organizations. The businesses that have used information technology have benefited from it enormously. Information technology deals with expanding the capabilities offered by computers, software applications and telecommunications. The business process design analyzes t he work flow and processes within the organization as well as between other organizations. This is the link that researchers are still trying to figure out, and encourage other top decision makers in business to adopt some form of relationship between the two. The objectives of information technology and business process redesign, is to reduce cost, reduce time by allowing computers and software to process more data and streamline data to cut employee labor , and in return saving the company on payroll expenses. A major benefit that I can see about information technology is that it can help you to easily track the output quality and results can be measurable over a period of time. Managers can take this data and be able to see if the change in information technology was as useful. One of the major unseen benefits would be the quality of worklife, allowing control over output of products and enables employees to control productivity potential. In Forbes magazine, an interesting point that Steve Cakebread brought up in regards to implementing information technology into your business to take your business to the clouds, should be done one step at a time, being careful to not loose continuity while preparing your business for an I.T. breakthrough. One key thing as a manager is to sometimes sick back and see how the software and hardware is working for companies that are local or have the same background as yours before permanently changing over. A vendor and partners must also have a working knowledge of the new equipment you will be using, so that if you have issues, it can be resolved quickly and not cause a pause in business operations. In my career, information technology is so widespread, it will be nearly impossible to go without it. Daily, we have software updates, new hardware, and new ideas to improve efficiency. After reading the article for this week, I can tie in how information technology can be easily resisted by those who have to work with it on a daily basis. Your business will have its own unique set of equipment needs that probably differ from those of the company next door and have a different amount of money to spend. At my job, the use of spreadsheets, word documents, presentations and audio/visual equipment is a daily need, and we spend millions every year for updates and supplements that we think will allow us to complete missions faster, and help manage the resources that we are allocated to its fullest extent. Depending on what you use your business for and the size of your business, the amount of technology you need will differ but the concept will remain the same. While researching some job opportunities, your knowledge of computers and software play a big part in the growing age of information technology. What I have noticed is that the younger generation adults and teenagers and becoming more efficient at operating computers and the latest technology, versus an older adult with working experience. Co mpanies seek out the younger generation because of their understanding of technology and help them to take their companies to the next level with minimal training required. Time management Time management is a necessary skill if you want to be able to experience success in all areas of your life.   Living a full and enjoyable life does not mean that you should be spending 60 hours a week or more at work,   even if you are making really good money.   What would be the point of making an enjoyable amount of money if you did not have time to enjoy it? People who are used to work hard continuously without a break. After that they are too tired to do anything at all. people who are procrastinating all the time people who are tired all the time Also,   we all know that there are many things in life that are more important than work and dollars.   Family, friends,  and hobbies are all part of having a complete and full life.   So,   you have to be able to effectively manage your time so that you can experience life in all of its different aspects and not just work and business. A lot of people do not like the idea of scheduling their time because it may feel like they are losing their freedom,   but you can actually experience much more free time if you can put together a schedule that makes the best use of your time and your skills.   And there are many people who spend so much time at their business or job because they are unable to let go of the control and trust that their employees may be able to do just as good of a job. Remember,  that we all want to experience success because we want to enjoy our lives.   But,  we cannot enjoy them fully if we do not schedule our tasks so that we have as much free time as possible. Value Added HR Over the years, there has been tremendous emphasis placed on HR practitioners becoming strategic business partners and being a v alue added source within organizations.   Traditionally, HR professionals could talk generally and conceptually about employee morale, turnover, and employee commitment being outcomes of HR efforts.   Furthermore, the HR function is often viewed as an expense-generator and an administrative function and not as a value added partner. Human resources today is under extreme pressure to keep up with changing technology and industry. The role of HR is to develop innovative people strategies to ensure business success. Today, there are still numerous companies that still use the traditional HR model, and restrict the role of the HR department to administrative providers. This is not added value, and HR is viewed as necessary but not very valuable. The role of HR is to draft up company policies, employment laws, and assist in maintaining company profits. In simple terms, human resource management focuses on the companys mission, and assist in the planning process of getting t o that goal. HR is an essential department to every manager, and can either make or break a business. Some things that a company can do to create value added to their human resource department is to first come up with a plan that is aligned with the companys overall vision and mission. When implementing new plans, you want to start small and depending on the size of your company, implement policies and procedures that will allow you to take it slow and monitor the progress. Communication is an important and crucial area. All information and changes should reflect the companys image, and communicated to personnel at all levels that is easy to understand. Increasingly, an organizations ability to respond and adapt quickly while providing increased stability in the midst of change is a great leverage point for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. But this is not about predicting or riding trends; change needs to be a lot more than that. Organizations can get caught in pendul um swings from one trend to another. Sometimes Human Resources professionals are responsible for flavor-of-the-month initiatives; other times they may be trapped by flawed strategies advanced by senior executives. In todays business environment, organizations need to be constantly evaluating their internal and external environment for challenges and opportunities to remain competitive and to sustain growth.   Political, economic, social, and even psychological changes within our societies create significant impact on organizations.   Given any significant change or event, how ready are we as an organization to react in order to remain competitive? Â  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Many factors are driving changes in organizations today including the use of technology, globalization, changes in workforce demographics, eliminating the bureaucracies in organizational structures, an d balancing work-family issues.   Understanding the potential of an organizations resources and optimizing the output of such resources given the changes, provides the impetus for HR being the key source of creating the competitive advantage for the organization.   Many change efforts follow a predictable pattern likely to lead organizations down paths filled with frustration, resistance, and ultimately preservation of the status quo. After compelling arguments are developed as to why change is needed, a plan for getting from where you are now to where you want to be is viewed as the solution, with implementing the strategy seen as the last step. However, if your vision of the future the where you want to be is a shift from one pole of a polarity to the other, your efforts are guaranteed to generate amazing resistance. Resistance in the work place Is not always a bad thing. Resistance sometimes can mean that people are just afraid of change or when people get wrap ped up into managing the business like they have always done, they limit their earning and growth potential. Today, you will notice that companies are recruiting young, energetic people who have the drive and bring new ideas to organizations to help it get to new levels. As a manager, you always have to remember that there is always going to be resistance in any decision that you make. Don’t waste time! 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