Occupational Safety and Health Law Handbook Essay - 1

Occupational Safety and Health Law Handbook - Essay Example HIPAA amplified patient security with was critical towards patient security as it introduced new legislation that protect critical information such as social security number, private medical information and payment. This facilitated the cause of security and eliminated many types of frauds that plagued the industry. Another element that was emphasized in 2002 was health hazards. Hazard identification is a critical steps towards identifying risk management process. It is where individual work hazards are identified and rectified through a mitigation plan for the safety of others. Prior to 2002, there was no log of audits for hazard identifications. However after 2002, organizations were not only audited but were required by law to keep logs of information and history for the sake of safe for employees. In 2002, these processes were more refined. Organizations were required to not only develop processes for efficient use of resources OSHA Small Business > Small Business Handbook. (n.d.).  OSHA Small Business > Small Business Handbook. Retrieved August 19, 2014, from

Research Paper Critique and Summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Paper Critique and Summaries - Essay Example The research study proceeds from the assumption that "countries with a higher score on the collectivism index are more likely to favour the personal selling promotion tool than will countries with a lower score" (248). While this assumption is solidly grounded in the study's literature review, the authors subject it to further empirical examination. Utilizing an experimental design, Fam and Merrilees (1998) distributed a survey questionnaire amongst retail managers in both Australia and Hong Kong. Receiving a 40.2% in Australia and a 16% response in Hong Kong, Fam and Merrillees' (1998) seven-point Likert-scale questionnaire focused on the correlation between collectivist and non-collectivist cultures' marketing approach preferences. The data results validated the assumption, indicating that collectivist cultures betrayed a market preference for personal promotion selling tools. The research exploited both dependant and independent variables. Within the context of this research the independent variable was culture. ... Validity and Reliability Irrespective of the importance of the issue which a research sets out to investigate, the study would be worthless were its unreliable and its validity suspect. A study is valid if it actually investigates and studies the phenomenon which it identified and defined at the outset and reliable if it is replicable. With regards to this study, it does investigate that which it defined and while no mention is made of its being replicated by other researchers, Fam and Merrilees (1998) attempted to establish validity through the re-examination of their data and the replication of the results using a different method. Added to that, the researchers establish a chain of evidence throughout the study, verify the information collected and, accordingly establish construct validity. The study emerged as reliable and valid from that perspective. Evaluation When evaluated in terms of the criterion of utility, this article emerges as highly valuable because, in an era of globalisation and the internationalisation of business, this article provides marketers with the information they need to effectively address cultures. They identify the marketing tools and techniques which specific cultures are most responsive and susceptible to. In terns of the criteria of replication, the article is only partially satisfactory. In brief, even though the researchers make an effort to replicate their study for the purposes of validating their results, they do so to a very limited degree. They re-analyse the data using an alternate method and this does not fully satisfy the criterion of replication. Lastly, with regards to the criterion of

Public health law. (summary topic about marijuana legalization ) for Scholarship Essay

Public health law. (summary topic about marijuana legalization ) for scholarly paper. not full scholarly paper but only one page summary topic - Scholarship Essay Example In addition, it is also argued that decriminalizing the use and sale of marijuana would reduce the processing and enforcement tasks for criminal justice agencies that are associated with marijuana use. Thirdly, proponents for decriminalization of marijuana contend that a direct correlation exist between the number of cases or arrests that the criminal justice system processes for marijuana sale and use and the funds used by criminal justice agencies (Brownstein, 2013). Finally, there is an argument that elimination or reduction of events related to marijuana would portend a proportionate decline in the expenses for criminal justice agencies. However, opponents of this argument claim that the increased use of marijuana that will result from legalization (Pacula & Kilmer, 2013), which may result in additional crime and a subsequent increase in costs for non-criminal justice agencies like mental health facilities. In addition, it is also claimed that legalizing marijuana could result in lower worker productivity due to the depressant-effects of marijuana. Finally, statistics show that a high proportion of those in adult correctional facilities have an ongoing marijuana habit and, therefore, legalizing marijuana would result in increased rates of crime (Hoobler & Hoobler, 2012). In conclusion, it seems that the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana may only portend marginal effects on costs to the criminal justice system. However, it could allow the criminal justice system to focus on public safety issues of more

International Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Sony has its operations in many countries spread across six continents of the world. It was in 1973 when this Japanese giant entered the Singaporean market and since then it has become one of the leading players of the consumer electronics market. Sony Singapore (Sony, 2011) functions include with its activities of â€Å"engineering, information technology, manufacturing, sales and marketing, treasury services, logistics and others†. Sony Singapore (Sony, 2011) employs from than 1900 employees in the country. This paper is an attempt to explore, investigate, and examine various aspects related to the organisational behaviour of Sony Singapore. Systematic study of Organisational Behaviour Systematic study of organisational behaviour refers to the scientific approach used by organisational behaviour to combine various fields of â€Å"human psychology, organisational development, management, organisational theory, human resource management, and sociology† (Champoux, pp. 29 -44, 2010). The systematic study of organisational behaviour refers to the fact that the â€Å"overall purposes of the field are understanding/explanation, prediction, and control† (Knights & Willmott, 79-81, 2006). Furthermore, the definitions provided by the field are operational and precise and the measures are reliable and valid. Psychology is the first and foremost behavioral field, which contributes to the field of organisational behaviour. It seeks to explain the behaviour of people, measure, explain, predict, and control these behaviours. Without any doubts, Sony continuously tries to find way to alter and tame the behaviours and attitudes of its employees in such a way that the organisational productivity (Champoux, pp. 421-428, 2010). Sociology is another behavioral discipline, which has a close link with Organisational behaviour. People do not live and operate in vacuum, in fact, their behaviours are continuously influenced by social factors. The organisation of So ny itself is a social institution and norms, social roles, values, and customs have constant affect on its employees and managers. Shaping Behaviours of Sales Executives Successful organisations and managers are the ones who know how to align their human resources with the organisational objectives. In other words, it is the task of the organisation and its managers to motivate and push its employees towards achieving the goals and objectives assigned to them. Following are the four possible ways in which a sales manager at Sony can shape the behaviour of it sales executives. First, in the light of the operant conditioning theory, behaviours can be shaped by presenting a reward every time the subject engages in the desirable behaviour. For example, if a sales executive is putting in extra effort to take training sessions then acknowledging his effort in front of the whole staff and applauding him could be a reward, which would reinforce that behaviour (Knights & Willmott, 79-81, 200 6). Second, other than positive reinforcement of behaviours which has been mentioned above, negative reinforcement is also an option. Like positive reinforcement, it refers to the practice of taking something undesirable in order to reward and reinforce any behaviour. For example, if a sales executive achieves the target of his monthly sales even before the last week; negative reinforc

ECON Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ECON - Assignment Example Among other things, the report admits the influence of high interest rates on other economic determinants such as inflation and foreign direct investment. It therefore sees the ambition of the European Central Bank to keep its interest rate at record low values as an attempt to redeeming the European region from further financial crisis, admitting that as it stands now, â€Å"the eurozone lurches out of recession amid high unemployment and low growth† (Steen, 2013). In this analysis paper, the economic implications of the decision taken by the European Central Bank are further analyzed in relation to key arguments made in the report. Influence of reduced interest rate on inflation rate There are some key indicators within the article to suggest that the lowered interest rates within the eurozone over the years have not necessarily sent inflation levels to the target of the European Central Bank. The writer however generally, opines that using inflation rates in August and Sept ember, which were 1.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively, the intended intervention by the European Central Bank could become a one-stop strategy to achieve low inflation. Clearly, there is an enthusiasm with inflation coming down because once they do it would mean that prices can be expected to be relatively stable, ensuring that consumers have sufficient reserves in their purchasing power. However, the analogy presented in the report cannot be wholly true that reduced interest rates will forever stabilize or reduce inflation. This is because from the theory of rational expectations, the current hypothesis may only be short lived as investors are likely to start switching to the use of real interest rates in the determination of prices as begin to project inflation in the future (Bernanke, 2006). External determinants of growth In the article, there is the admission that the eurozone is not independent of itself in the determination of factors that will bring general economic r elief to its populace and for that matter, investors. This is because reference is made to the US budget shutdown with the assertion that â€Å"US budget shutdown would represent a risk to the world economy if it were protracted† (Steen, 2013). The implication of this admission is that no single trade and economic region is independent of its self in the regulation of its monetary policies. As much as possible, it is always important to have an eye for what is happening in other sectors and regions of trade and economic activities. This is because the world is now put in a position where the global economic market is more vibrant in the determination of growth for individual markets than individual markets can determine for the global economic market (Bernanke, 2006). Even within the eurozone alone, the graph below shows that even though different member states have different interest rates, it is the collection of the differences that constitute a holistic rate determinant f or the larger region. Steen (2013) Impact of excess liquidity on financial fragmentation The issue of real interest rates that was raised earlier is trumpeted in latter parts of the report as the president of the European Central Bank admits that bank liquidity is a challenge for the use of lowered interest rate to being about economic revamping. This is because in his opinion, bank liquidity cannot be predicted perfectly on its impact on â€Å"

Diversity Among Society Essay Example for Free

Diversity Among Society Essay The United States is made up of millions of people that come from different backgrounds, religions and cultures. These differences are what make America the type of place it is today, because without these differences we would be just like every other country in the world. One of the biggest resources that we would have to help find information on Diversity would be the internet and this is mainly because we can find out almost anything that we would need on a certain race or culture. An article from US Life-U. S Department of State had a quote from former U. S.  Secretary of State Colin Powell that states, â€Å"America is a nation of nations, made up of people from every land, of every race and practicing every faith. Our diversity is not a source of weakness; it is a source of strength, it is a source of our success. That quote alone can explain the true meaning behind the diversity in America and why we are the way we are. Through all the information that I acquired during this course, I have come to a better understanding of my racial and ethnical background. I have learned that according to the American Community Survey conducted by the U.  S. Census Bureau there are roughly over 36 million Americans that claimed there American heritage and that great political figures such as John F. Kennedy had an Irish background. I have also learned that it was never easy for Irish settlers years ago, because in the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s Irish immigrants were considered poor trash and were treated as such. It took many years for the Irish to establish a good name in America and over time people would stop hiding their Irish heritage and proudly display out in the open the love of their background. It is very hard to tell what the U. S. will look like in the year 2050, because we are constantly changing and we will continue to do this throughout our time. One thing that I can say is that we will have more humans then we know what to do with, because modern medicine is figuring out new ways to help people live longer and stay healthier. As for the demographics in the U. S. go, I would have to say that all raciest will be about equal in population and the white race will no longer be the dominant race. There will be more diversity in olitics and in the media, because as of right now we have a black president and that is just the beginning of what the future will be like. It’s hard to say if there will ever be any big race wars in America, because in today’s modern world everything seems ok, but no one is ever really sure what lies beneath the surface of individual groups. There could be a great race war that might happen in the future, or everybody will finally start to accept each other and we could live a beautiful existence. The challenge that the United States faces with diversity is that everyone is diverse and the want to be proud and show there true diversity. The main problem with that is that some other cultures don’t agree with them and they might want them to change their ways, or leave. This has always been a big challenge for the United States, because as time goes on we should be comfortable with diversity and accepting it along with ours, but there always will be certain people out there that will never change and they will make sure that they are heard within any means necessary. On the other side there are many great benefits that Untied States could benefit from with being such a diverse place. The fact that there are so many different views and opinions in America of the world around them, they could never truly run out of ideas. So many cultures offer such good things to America and they will continue to keeping adding on to that list. In today’s modern society certain individuals still feel the need for racial security and what that means is that someone might still feel more comfortable around their own kind. For example; a white family starts to pack up out of their home and move away from a changing neighborhood. The family finds a place that is more suitable towards their own security which is an all white suburb. The enroll their kids in an all white school and feel that nothing bad will happen to them. Little do they know is that their son’s new friend from school is a thief and deals drugs throughout the school. As time moves on the family starts to see a change in their child’s behavior, as if he was on some sort of drug, they ignore it, because they are amongst white people are they think that things like that couldn’t happen. Fast forward a little more and the child is grown up and in jail for armed robbery. The parents are clueless and confuse, because they never thought that it would happen in an all white neighborhood. Now the point to that story is that in order to foster a climate for acceptance we need to understand that not every other race is bad or will corrupt their race; in fact if each race got together and helped one another out with this kind of problem they could share their experiences and find a proper solution for the problem. The issue with racial profiling in the media is that the reader does not understand what is going on and assumes that a certain situation is a result of that entire race. A perfect example would be the 9/11 tragedy, because after that the media and the people reading the media pretty much made it seem that the situation was a result of all Muslims, when in fact it was only a handful of people that had hateful opinions towards America. The media may not be all bad and include nothing but racial profiling; in fact the media can also showcase the coming together of different races. The media recognized that we would have a black president and that many different races had voted for him, because they felt that he could do the job right regardless of color or background. If everyone in America could understand the power that we have and this is not because we have missiles or a great army, instead it is because we have so many different cultures that bring many different things to our Nation. We would have the power of America’s spirit on our side and it would be hard to break the spirit and will power of that many different people. I am also one that sadly shown my negativity towards another race at one time and it might of not been violent, because it was only in my head, but it goes to show that almost everyone in some way and another will or have experienced that and the best way to overcome that barrio is to understand, research and understand another cultures meaning to behind what they do and then an alliance with each other could happen and we could one day become brothers and sisters of the world again.

Use of Azithromycin for Asthma Patients

Use of Azithromycin for Asthma Patients Does adding azithromycin to standard therapy for asthma patients with acute exacerbations improve symptom resolution? Background: ÂÂ  Asthma is presented as a chronic long term disease that causes inflammation, narrowing and mucus production in the lungs airways resulting in difficulty breathing. It is assumed to be initiated by genetics or environmental influences. Physical activities and other contributing factors can exacerbate asthmatic symptoms that include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tighten. Most patient symptoms occur at a rapid onset and requires immediate treatment. Asthma is not curable but symptoms can be controlled with appropriate therapy. Patients with asthma are given treatment based on the severity and frequency of symptoms. Therapy options include SABA, LABA, corticosteroids or leukotrienes and adjustments are made as needed. However, many patients still experience uncontrolled symptoms that effect their daily activities. Macrolide antibiotics such as azithromycin have been recently studied as adjunct therapy for asthmatics, due to their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Researchers are geared to believe that untreated bacterial infections within the lungs are the underlying influences of asthma related problems. Despite these findings, the issue is still being investigated as patients on traditional standard therapy are still experiencing unwanted symptoms. Literature Search A literature search was conducted utilizing the MEDLINE database of Pubmed using MESH terms asthma and azithromycin and MESH subheading therapy. The terms were combined using AND which returned 37 articles. The application of additional limitations of 5 years, randomize controlled trials and humans were applied which reduced the search total amount to 17 articles. Although 17 articles were retrieved during the search, each article was evaluated based on their relevancy and criteria, the above article was selected because it addressed the question at hand. Results AZIthromycin in Severe ASThma (AZISAST) was a randomized double-blinded placebo control trial conducted to determine if adding azithromycin to asthmatic patients as standard therapy would be statistically and clinically beneficial.ÂÂ   The trial was conducted from September 2011 to April 2014, as a United Kingdom multicenter study. The study consisted of individuals ages 18-75 that had been diagnosed with persistent asthma. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients whose current therapy included high doses of inhaled corticosteroids, inhaled long acting beta agonist LABAÂÂ   for six months prior to the study, two severe asthma exacerbations required systemic steroid therapy, or if they experienced a lower respiratory tract infection that required antibiotic treatment within a twelve month period2. Subjects were excluded if they had prolong QT interval, severe bronchiectasis, currently receiving macrolide treatment in past three months, laboratory abnormalities, pregnant or b reastfeeding and concomitant anti-IgE treatments2. Participants were randomly selected to receive to 250mg capsules of azithromycin (n=55) and a placebo (n=54) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids and LABAs for six months2. Subjects in both treatment groups were matched in respect to the baseline characteristics. The intervention instructed patients to take one capsule daily for five days and continue with one capsule three times a week with a total treatment period of twenty-six weeks. The primary outcome measured severe asthmatic episodes during the treatment phase in both groups, which was defined as hospitalization, emergency department visits, and the utilization of systemic corticosteroids for three days2. Secondary outcomes measured lung function (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF) quality of life (QOL) and asthma control score2. Analyzing the secondary outcomes, the azithromycin group reported a number of thirty exacerbations occurred in comparison to twenty-seven form the placebo group. (p=1.000)2. Additionally, azithromycin and placebo group experience two hospitalization admission due to exacerbations (p=1.000)2. Other efficacy outcomes showed there was no significant improvement in the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score between both groups. The treatment period lasted for six months and demonstrated no significant difference between the azithromycin group and the placebo group in relation to asthma exacerbations. The estimated primary endpoints without adjustments resulted in 0.71 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.97) in the azithromycin group and 0.80 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.07) in the placebo group with a p-value of 0.6002. With the addition of sensitivity analyses restricted to asthma exacerbations results were 0.55 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.78) in the azithromycin group and 0.52 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.75) in the placebo group with a p-value of 0.8472. Based on the aforementioned data, add-on therapy of azithromycin is statistically and clinically insignificant, as well as did not reduce the rate of asthma exacerbation in adults. Recommendations Although, the clinical trial failed to demonstrate that azithromycin was clinically /statistically significant in patients with asthma. This should not be a definite factor to rule out the therapeutic benefits azithromycin can have on patients with respiratory infections that contributes to asthma exacerbations. Developing an accurate interpretation from the study can be difficult considering the study focused on a small population and the duration of treatment was only twelve weeks. I would not recommend azithromycin as add-on therapy for patients with asthma due to it showed no improvement in comparison to patients receiving a placebo, as well as long-term use of a macrolide might lead to resistance. References Brusselle GG, VanderStichele C, Jordens P, et al. 2013. Azithromycin for prevention of exacerbations in severe asthma (AZISAST): a multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial Thorax 2013;68:322-329. 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2012-202698mm