Current Issues in Athletics Essay

Deviant behaviour is defined as behaviour which does not adhere to widely-accepted social or cultural norms. Deviance in sports is not something that has just begun; rather, it has been portrayed and, at times, exaggerated to the extent where there are reflections of obvious problems in professional sports, if not society as a whole. Deviance in sports began as soon as sports became an important competitive lifestyle for the individuals participating and witnessing the events. The athlete is often the most scrutinized individual in terms of sports deviance. This is especially true today as many cultures have embraced individuals who want to live out their childhood dream to become a professional athlete as they have viewed top athletes as role models. With this constant pressure to perform well and the agenising lifestyle of constantly being in the spotlight, many athletes find themselves doing anything it takes to win. This article will look at the type of deviance associated with athletics for example: Drugs, gamesmanship etc. Playing sports brings out the competitive sides of many athletes. To most athletes, winning is everything, and they will do absolutely anything to make sure they win, including the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Performance- enhancing drugs include: 1. Anabolic Steroids 2. Hormones including: 1. Erythropoietin (EPO) 2. Human Growth Hormone (hGH) 3. Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) 4. Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG) 5. Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) 1. Beta-2-Agonists 2. Hormone Antagonists and Modulators 3. Diuretics 4. Even recreational drugs These substances are banned at ALL times. Using drugs to cheat in sport is not new, but it is becoming more effective. . The problem of drugs in athletics is that as fast as scientists devise new tests for detecting traces of drugs in the body, there are other scientists that are devising more new products that enhance performance. According to the Us Anti- Doping agency, if an athlete tests positive for doping of any of the banned substances there is a range of measures taken as punishment: 1. Loss of sponsorship deals 2. Loss of income 3. Wiping out of previous achievements 4. Damage to future career prospects Under their Code, if an athlete tests positive for a prohibited substance they are usually liable for a one-year ban. An athlete may be eligible for a reduced sanction if they can prove they bore ‘no significant fault or negligence’. Substances and methods used to dope have health consequences. Many can be lead to severe health issues or even death. The use of recreational or social drugs is banned in sport. Whilst an athlete can be in a compromising situation with peers outside sport, it’s important for athletes to recognise that social drugs such as cannabis can be detrimental to sporting performance and result in a positive test result weeks later. An example of drugs use is European champion sprinter Dwain Chambers. Who tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid in 2003. The allegation was strongly denied by his coach. He was one of Britain’s best hopes for a gold medal at following year’s Olympic Games, Chambers allegedly failed a test for the newly discovered drug tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) which was thought to be undetectable. Traces of the drug were found in a urine sample that the European 100 metres champion and record holder provided during an out-of-competition test at his training base in Saarbrucken, Germany, on August 1, the Guardian newspaper reported. At this time if Chambers failed the test and was banned from athletics for two years and from the Olympic Games for life. Though in 2008 he returned to athletics and competed in the European championships running the 60m to win silver. In the same year he also launched a High Court appeal against his lifetime ban from the Olympics but the decision of the British Olympic Authority (BOA) was upheld. Though in 2012 The Court of Arbitration for Sport over-ruled the BOA’s lifetime Olympics ban for drug cheats, freeing Chambers up to compete at London 2012. He won the 100m at the UK Olympic trials with a time of 10.25sec and was selected for Team GB despite not running under the Olympic ‘A’ standard. Another example of doping is female GB sprinter Bernice Wilson. She was banned by Uk athletics this year as she tested positive for the anabolic steroid testosterone and Clenbuterol. Clenbuterol, similar to the asthma drug salbutamol, is used to treat breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. It causes an increase in aerobic capacity, blood pressure and oxygen transportation, and speeds the rate at which fats are burned. It is officially classified as a sympathomimetic steroid. She was given a 4 year ban from athletics by the court of appeal and she will not be allowed to compete until 2015. In my opinion I think athletes should be given lifetime bans from their sport because when their stories come out about them doping it doesn’t give them a good image towards the younger generations that look up to and idolise these athletes. Linford Christie who served a two year drug ban from athletics competeion, said that atheletics â€Å"is so corrupt now and I wouldn’t want my child doing it.† The world Anti-Doping agency has launched the campagin ‘Say NO to doping’ which aims to educate people on theeffects of performance enhancing drugs on both their health and sporting career. I believe more of these programmes should be set up and more people made aware of the consequences faced when taking drugs. Gamesmanship: Another form of deviance is Gamesmanship. There is a fine line between cheating and gamesmanship. What you might consider cheating simply could be â€Å"part of the game† to another. Gamesmanship is defined as the use of dubious methods to win or gain a serious advantage in a game or sport. It has been described as â€Å"Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired end.† A form of gamesmanship in athletics is a false start. An athlete can choose to abort the start after the â€Å"on your marks† and â€Å"set† commands and before the firing of the starting device by raising his hand or standing up. Thiscan intimitate the other competetiors on the starting blocks as once in the starting blocks the competetiors are not allowed to move until the gun has been sounded to signal the start of the event. The athlete may also be warned for improper conduct by the referee if the action was determined to be inappropriate. Sometimes competitors can disturb other athletes at the starting line and this may be considered a false start. If a starter isn’t satisfied that all competitors are ready to proceed with the race, he will order the competitors to â€Å"stand up.† The most famous example of a false start was Usain Bolt in the 100m final at the World Championships in Daegu. Bolt reacted, 0.104 seconds before the gun was fired. A second gun crack confirmed his his disqulification. Though in recent studies and slow-motion replays of the start of the race show how Blake’s left leg twitched in the instant before Bolt pushed off from the blocks. Some commentators have suggested that Blake himself could, and maybe should, have been disqualified. The IAAF rules state that once the athletes are in the â€Å"set† position, they must not move, and Blake’s leg clearly twitched. It was that rule which caused Dwain Chambers to be disqualified in his semi-final. Another example of a false start was Christine Ohuruogu who was disqualified from the 400m in the worldchampionships in 2011. Such events are extremely rare in the 400m, but Ohuruogu came out of her blocks way ahead of any of her rivals. She told Channel 4 that, â€Å"I knew it was me straight away. I can’t believe it. I just wanted to get a good start as I knew it was going to be a fast round.† Under the new false-start regulations brought in by the IAAF at the start of 2010, she was allowed no warning nor second chance and was shown a red card by officials before being ushered off the track in a state of shock she commented to the BBC that, â€Å"I’ve just wasted all that hard work, it’s just wasted.† Gender issues and equality: Gender issue take two different forms in athletics. The two forms: 1. Gender equality- The number of men and woman in sport 2. Gender issues- Verifying the eligibility of an athlete to compete in a sporting event that is limited to a single sex. Gender issues are a rare occasion in athletics. The issue arose a number of times in the Olympic Games where it was alleged that male athletes attempted to compete as women in order to win. The first mandatory sex test issued by the IAAF for woman athletes was in July 1950 in the month before the European Championships in Belgium. All athletes were tested in their own countries. Sex testing at the games began at the 1966 European Athletics Championships in response to suspicion that several of the best women athletes from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe were actually men. At the Olympics, testing was introduced at the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble. While it arose primarily from the Olympic Games, gender verification affects any sporting event. However, it most often becomes an issue in elite international competition. The most famous example is Caster Semenya, a South African middle-distance runner and world champion. Semenya won gold in the women’s 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 1:55.45 in the final. She was scrutinized because of her masculine appearance and it raised concerns and complaints to the International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body for all international athletic competitions outside the Olympics. She was banned from competing as gender tests where carried out on her. It took until July 2010 for the IAAF cleared her to compete. The main issue is gender inequality in sport. In the past, and still to an extent today, many women have been stereotyped into domestic roles, leaving fewer opportunities or activites available for them to participate in as sports where viewed to be male dominant. It wasn’t until the 1980’s a more enlightened and equal approach began to emerge which allowed womans sports to blossom in the UK. For the first time in the 2012 London Olympic Games, every country that was competeing had women in their teams. Women this year made up approximately 45% of the atheltes whereas in 1948 in Los Angeles only 24% of those competing were women. Only 16 years ago, in Atlanta, 26 countries did not send any women at all, according to website Muslim Women in Sport. Lord Coe, the London 2012 chairman, said: â€Å"We’ve had more women competing in these Games. Some of the big, high-profile moments have focused on women. It’s really moved the agenda on.† But Jowell said the ongoing gender imbalance was â€Å"symptomatic of wider discrimination against women in sport†. Sport England has an aim to get more women back into sport. Sport England’s most recent figures, published last month, showed that one in eight women play sport in regularly England compared with one in five men. Among disadvantaged communities, the number of women drops to one in 10. They will invest  £10 million into 20 projects to reduce the gender gap. Racism: Racism in sport is a problem which is manifest around the world. It has led to a wide range of controversial incidents which have been reported in the media. The sport itself does not induce racism. The people that participate in the playing, organization, and implementation of sports bring racism into sports. One of the most notorious examples of racism in an international sporting event occurred in the 1936 Olympics, which were held in Berlin, Germany, in the Nazi era. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler hoped that the Olympic events would display the superiority of the Aryan race—that is, he hoped that the white athletes would greatly surpass athletes of other racial or ethnic backgrounds. When black American track and field athlete Jesse Owens (1913–1980) won four gold medals, a stunned Hitler angrily left the stadium. German fans, however, received Owens well and cheered his accomplishments. Though in more recent events Greek champion triple jumper Voula Papachristou has became the first athlete banned from competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games for posting racist and offensive comments on Twitter. Papachristou a supporter of the far-right political party Golden Dawn, posted the offensive tweet, which she now claims was a joke. The tweet said: â€Å"With so many Africans in Greece, at least the West Nile mosquitoes will eat home made food!!!† This was to be her first Olympics where she was to be recognised for her triple jumping but instead she was recognised for all the wrong reasons. Another example of racism in athletics was the Australian athlete John Steffensen. He claims he was racially abused by Athletics Austrailia by not being selected for thr 4X400m relay event in the London Olympic Games. He commented in a Channel 9 interview saying, â€Å"I’ve put up with being racially vilified by this federation, being discriminated against on many teams,† he said of AA’s decision to name the 19-year-old Solomon ahead of him for the one-lap race.† â€Å"†¦You think I waste my time running at training for fun? For this?† â€Å"No, they can have athletics. I don’t need to do this no more.† â€Å"I don’t think it helps the legitimacy of our sport or the selection criteria, and I think it only makes our sport look stupid. Athletics Austraila chief Dallas O’Brien says John Steffensen’s claims of racism are â€Å"regrettable† but no disciplinary action will be taken against the 400m runner. Education and sport in schools: Physical education and sport in schools has become a key issue involved in education. Targets have been set for schools to create more time for sports. It is said that in primary schools pupils should have 75-90 minutes of physical education and in secondary school; the amount of time and range of activities can become mnore flexible. They must aim though for minimum of two hours of sport per week. According to the British government: Every secondary school will receive funding up to the end of the academic year in 2013 to pay for one day a week of a PE teacher’s time to be spent out of the classroom, encouraging greater take-up of competitive sport in primary schools and securing a fixture network for schools to increase the amount of intra- and inter-school competition. Lottery funding from Sport England will also be deployed to build a framework of competitions as part of the new School Games. Though in recent surveys, doctors found 17 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls between 12 and 15 are classed as either overweight or obese and nearly three quarters of children are not getting their recommended 60 minutes of daily activity. But with the recent London Olympics the number of children regularly taking part in competitive sport has gone up, a new government report shows, but it’s still less than half of all pupils – increasing from 28% last year to 39% this year. This shows major events have had an impact on younger children but as it states there is still not enough young peole taking part and there is a many of excuses for avoiding it. Even when people leave school at the age of 18 involvement in sport drops dramatically as they have no longer sport as a complusory part of their acedemic cirriculum. The British government along with Sport England have launched their campaign ‘Sport; a habit for life’ this will focus mainly on the youth, facilities and physical education in schools all over the UK with the aim of increasing participation.

Nurse Manager Paper

Nurse Manager Paper NUR 4301 Nursing Seminar The nurse manager I selected to interview is a Baccalaureate degree nurse and has attended several in-house training sessions related to her position within the hospital. She attended Lenoir Rhyne University to obtain her BSN and has been employed with the institution for 13 years and has been in nursing for nearly 20 years. She is currently certified as a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and is also a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.The Hospital that she is employed with is a private hospital she manages a 15 bed emergency department and 6 bed express care facility, which also holds several involuntary commitments for several hours at a time waiting on placement. This nurse manager oversees 62 persons within the emergency department of this private medical center. She works full-time, generally from 9:00am until 5:30pm, Monday-Friday.The nurse manager must work closely with the emergency department Administrative Director to reinforce and di sseminate information important to the nursing staff, she must enforce policies and carry out plans, and she must handle disciplinary problems that may arise in the absence of the Administrative Director. She is responsible for insuring that the ER flows smoothly with the assistance of the charge nurse. She ensures that supplies and equipment are available, she is involved in the interview process for new hires and must perform evaluations on current employees after probation and then annually.The nurse manager I interviewed considers herself to be a democratic leader and delegates a huge portion of the day-to-day operations to the charge nurse, however she is not above performing actual clinical duties, especially in times of disaster or overcrowding. She considers her unit to flow smoothly and feels that teamwork is a key component to that success. This nurse manager considers herself to be a very effective leader, who encourages communication. She wants her employees to voice the ir concerns and ideas without fear of retaliation and the hospital is very supportive of that mindset.She has an open door policy and considers her employees to be like family. She expects her employees to maintain a positive attitude and if they do not have one she helps them to achieve a positive attitude. The major challenges that she expressed to me were understaffing and constant bickering between certain female co-workers. With regard to understaffing, corporate has not offered any viable solutions, due to non-peak times in the ER. This means at times it is either feast or famine. The staff knows this and tends to simply suck it up and pull together when it gets busy.When co-workers come to her with a complaint she takes time to discuss the matter in depth and non-judgmentally with the employee, surprisingly in most cases she stated that after the discussion it turned out that the problem originated with the one filing the complaint. She further works with the person on strate gies to be a more effective interpersonal communicator and soon the problems lessen or resolve entirely. The nurse manager stated that her vision for her unit was to have her entire staff be clinically sound and function confidently under adverse client load.She expects upmost teamwork from her staff and expects the unit to operate efficiently with upmost regard for staff and client safety. She went on to add that she was initially unsure about being a nurse manager, she was encouraged to apply by her the Administrative Director and once promoted, she was given little direction in how to perform her job. She met with the charge nurses and basically took their group input on how the unit would operate effectively and fine-tuned it, the result has been very effective and had excellent feedback from her employees as well as upper management.She did add that managing people is far more tiring and difficult than managing patient care. She also expressed to me that she did miss working on the floor and dealing directly with the clients regularly. I felt that based on her feedback the nurse manager that I interviewed was a very effective unit manager; she applied fundamental concepts to the management of her staff which primarily focused on effective communication and teamwork. These concepts also support her own theory that she is a democratic leader. References Huber, Diane. (2010). Leadership and nursing care management. Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

The Relationship Between Life Expectancy at Birth and Gdp Per Capita

The relationship between Life Expectancy at birth and GDP per capita (PPP) Candidate: Teacher: Candidate number: Date of submission: Word Count: 2907 Section 1: Introduction In a given country, Life Expectancy at birth is the expected number of years of life from birth. Gross domestic product per capita is defined as the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in one year, divided by the size of the population of that country. The main objective of the present project is to establish the existence of a statistical relation between Life Expectancy (y) at birth and GDP per capita (x).First, we will present in Section 2 the data, from an official governmental source, containing Life Expectancy at birth and GDP per capita of 48 countries in the year 2003. We will put this data in a table ordered alphabetically and at the end of the section we will perform some basic statistical analysis of these data. These statistics will include the mean, median, modal cl ass and standard deviation, for both Life Expectancy and GDP per capita. In Section 3 we will find the regression line which best fits our data and the corresponding correlation coefficient r.It is natural to ask if there is a non-linear model, which better describes the statistical relation between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy. This question will be studied in Section 4, where we will see if a logarithmic relation of type y=A ln(x+C) + B, is a better model. In Section 5 we will perform a chi square test to get evidence of the existence of a statistical relation between the variables x and y. In the last section of the project, other than summarizing the obtained results, we will present several possible directions to further investigation. Section 2: Data collectionThe following table shows the GDP per capita (PPP) (in US Dollars), denoted xi, and the mean Life Expectancy at birth (in years), denote yi, in 48 countries in the year 2003. The data has been collected through an online website (2). According to this website it represents official world records. Country| GDP – per capita (xi)| Life Expectancy at birth (yi)| 1. Argentina| 11200| 75. 48| 2. Australia| 29000| 80. 13| 3. Austria| 30000| 78,17| 4. Bahamas, The| 16700| 65,71| 5. Bangladesh| 1900| 61,33| 6. Belgium| 29100| 78,29| 7. Brazil| 7600| 71,13| 8. Bulgaria| 7600| 71,08| 9. Burundi| 600| 43,02| 10. Canada| 29800| 79,83| 1. Central African Republic| 1100| 41,71| 12. Chile| 9900| 76,35| 13. China| 5000| 72,22| 14. Colombia| 6300| 71,14| 15. Congo, Republic of the| 700| 50,02| 16. Costa Rica| 9100| 76,43| 17. Croatia| 10600| 74,37| 18. Cuba| 2900| 76,08| 19. Czech Republic| 15700| 75,18| 20. Denmark| 31100| 77,01| 21. Dominican Republic| 6000| 67,96| 22. Ecuador| 3300| 71,89| 23. Egypt| 4000| 70,41| 24. El Salvador| 4800| 70,62| 25. Estonia| 12300| 70,31| 26. Finland| 27400| 77,92| 27. France| 27600| 79,28| 28. Georgia| 2500| 64,76| 29. Germany| 27600| 78,42| 30. Ghana| 2200| 56,53| 31. Greece| 20000| 78,89| 32. Guatemala| 4100| 65,23| 33.Guinea| 2100| 49,54| 34. Haiti| 1600| 51,61| 35. Hong Kong| 28800| 79,93| 36. Hungary| 13900| 72,17| 37. India| 2900| 63,62| 38. Indonesia| 3200| 68,94| 39. Iraq| 1500| 67,81| 40. Israel| 19800| 79,02| 41. Italy| 26700| 79,04| 42. Jamaica| 3900| 75,85| 43. Japan| 28200| 80,93| 44. Jordan| 4300| 77,88| 45. South Africa| 10700| 46,56| 46. Turkey| 6700| 71,08| 47. United Kingdom| 27700| 78,16| 48. United States| 37800| 77,14| Table1: GDP per capita and Life Expectancy at birth in 48 countries in 2003 (source: reference [2]) Statistical analysis: First we compute some basic statistics of the data collected in the above table.Basic statistics for the GDP per capita: Mean: x=i=148xi48 = 12900 In order to compute the median, we need to order the GDP values: 600, 700, 1100, 1500, 1600, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2500, 2900, 2900, 3200, 3300, 3900, 4000, 4100, 4300, 4800, 5000, 6000, 6300, 6700, 7600, 7600, 9100, 9900, 10600, 10700, 11200, 12300, 13900, 15700, 16700, 19800, 20000, 26700, 27400, 27600, 27600, 27700, 28200, 28800, 29000, 29100, 29800, 30000, 31100, 37800. The median is obtained as the middle value of the two central values (the 25th and the 26th): Median= 7600+91002 = 8350 In order to compute the modal class, we need to split the data in classes.If we consider classes of USD 1000 (0-999, 1000-1999, †¦) we have the following table of frequencies: Class| Frequency| 0-999| 2| 1000-1999| 4| 2000-2999| 5| 3000-3999| 3| 4000-4999| 4| 5000-5999| 1| 6000-6999| 3| 7000-7999| 2| 8000-8999| 0| 9000-10000| 2| 10000-10999| 2| 11000-11999| 1| 12000-12999| 1| 13000-13999| 1| 14000-14999| 0| 15000-15999| 1| 16000-16999| 1| 17000-17999| 0| 18000-18999| 0| 19000-19999| 1| 20000-20999| 1| 21000-21999| 0| 22000-22999| 0| 23000-23999| 0| 24000-24999| 0| 25000-25999| 0| 26000-26999| 1| 27000-27999| 4| 28000-28999| 2| 29000-29999| 3| 30000-30999| 1| 31000-31999| 1| 32000-32999| 0| 3000-33999| 0| 34000-34999| 0| 35000-35999| 0| 36000-36999| 0| 37000-38000| 1| Table 2: Frequencies of GDP per capita with classes of USD 1000 With this choice of classes, the modal class is 2000-2999 (with a frequency of 5). If instead we consider classes of USD 5000 (0-4999, 5000-9999, †¦) the modal class is the first: 0-4999 (with a frequency of 18). Class| Frequency| 0-4999| 18| 5000-9999| 8| 10000-14999| 5| 15000-19999| 3| 20000-24999| 1| 25000-29999| 10| 30000-34999| 2| 35000-40000| 1| Table 3: Frequencies of GDP per capita with classes of USD 5000 Standard deviation: Sx=i=148(xi-x)248 =11100Basic statistics for the Life Expectancy: Mean: y=i=148yi48 = 70,13 As before, in order to compute the median, we need to order the Life Expectancies: 41. 71, 43. 02, 46. 56, 49. 54, 50. 02, 51. 61, 56. 53, 61. 33, 63. 62, 64. 76, 65. 23, 65. 71, 67. 81, 67. 96, 68. 94, 70. 31, 70. 41, 70. 62, 71. 08, 71. 08, 71. 13, 71. 14, 71. 89, 72. 17, 72. 22, 74. 37, 75. 18, 75. 48, 75. 85, 76. 08, 76. 35, 76. 43, 77. 01, 77. 14, 77. 88, 77. 92, 78. 16, 78. 17, 78. 29, 78. 42, 78. 89, 79. 02, 79. 04, 79. 28, 79. 83, 79. 93, 80. 13, 80. 93. The median is obtained as the middle value of the two central values:Median= 72,17+72,222 = 72. 195 To find the modal class of Life Expectancy we consider modal classes of one year. The table of frequencies is the following Class| Frequency | 41| 1| 42| 0| 43| 1| 44| 0| 45| 0| 46| 1| 47| 0| 48| 0| 49| 1| 50| 1| 51| 1| 52| 0| 53| 0| 54| 0| 55| 0| 56| 1| 57| 0| 58| 0| 59| 0| 60| 0| 61| 1| 62| 0| 63| 1| 64| 1| 65| 2| 66| 0| 67| 2| 68| 1| 69| 0| 70| 3| 71| 5| 72| 2| 73| 0| 74| 1| 75| 3| 76| 3| 77| 4| 78| 5| 79| 5| 80| 2| Table 4: Frequencies of Life Expectancy at birth with classes of 1 year It appears from the table above that there are three modal classes: 71, 78 and 79 (with a frequency of 5).Standard deviation: Sy=i=148(yi-y)248 =10. 31 The standard deviations Sx and Sy have been found using the following table of data: Country| GDP| Life exp. | (x – x? ) | (x – x? )2| (y – ? y)| (y – y? )2| (x – x ? )(y – y ? )| Argentina| 11200| 75. 48| -1665| 2770838| 5. 35| 28. 64| -8907. 60| Australia| 29000| 80. 13| 16135| 260351671| 10. 00| 100. 03| 161374. 34| Austria| 30000| 78. 17| 17135| 293622504| 8. 04| 64. 66| 137790. 17| Bahamas. The| 16700| 65. 71| 3835| 14710421| -4. 42| 19. 53| -16947. 75| Bangladesh| 1900| 61. 33| -10965| 120222088| -8. 80| 77. 42| 96474. 63| Belgium| 29100| 78. 29| 16235| 263588754| 8. 16| 66. 1| 132501. 29| Brazil| 7600| 71. 13| -5265| 27715838| 1. 00| 1. 00| -5271. 16| Bulgaria| 7600| 71. 08| -5265| 27715838| 0. 95| 0. 90| -5007. 93| Burundi| 600| 43. 02| -12265| 150420004| -27. 11| 734. 88| 332477. 52| Canada| 29800| 79. 83| 16935| 286808338| 9. 70| 94. 11| 164294. 71| Central African Republic| 1100| 41. 71| -11765| 138405421| -28. 42| 807. 63| 334334. 75| Chile| 9900| 76. 35| -2965| 8788754| 6. 22| 38. 70| -18443. 41| China| 5000| 72. 22| -7865| 61851671| 2. 09| 4. 37| -16446. 81| Colombia| 6300| 71. 14| -6565| 43093754| 1. 01| 1. 02| -6638. 43| Congo. Republic of the| 700| 50. 02| -12165| 147977088| -20. 1| 404. 36| 244614. 57| Costa Rica| 9100| 76. 43| -3765| 14172088| 6. 30| 39. 71| -23721. 58| Croatia| 10600| 74. 37| -2265| 5128338| 4. 24| 17. 99| -9604. 66| Cuba| 2900| 76. 08| -9965| 99292921| 5. 95| 35. 42| -59301. 73| Czech Republic| 15700| 75. 18| 2835| 8039588| 5. 05| 25. 52| 14322. 40| Denmark| 31100| 77. 01| 18235| 332530421| 6. 88| 47. 35| 125482. 46| Dominican Republic| 6000| 67. 96| -6865| 47122504| -2. 17| 4. 70| 14887. 57| Ecuador| 3300| 71. 89| -9565| 91481254| 1. 76| 3. 10| -16845. 62| Egypt| 4000| 70. 41| -8865| 78580838| 0. 28| 0. 08| -2493. 16| El Salvador| 4800| 70. 62| -8065| 65037504| 0. 9| 0. 24| -3961. 73| Estonia| 12300| 70. 31| -565| 318754| 0. 18| 0. 03| -102. 33| Finland| 27400| 77. 92| 14535| 211278338| 7. 79| 60. 70| 113249. 07| France| 27600| 79. 28| 14735| 217132504| 9. 15| 83. 75| 134847. 48| Georgia| 2500| 64. 76| -10365| 107424588| -5. 3 7| 28. 82| 55644. 86| Germany| 27600| 78. 42| 14735| 217132504| 8. 29| 68. 74| 122175. 02| Ghana| 2200| 56. 53| -10665| 113733338| -13. 60| 184. 93| 145025. 00| Greece| 20000| 78. 89| 7135| 50914171| 8. 76| 76. 76| 62515. 17| Guatemala| 4100| 65. 23| -8765| 76817921| -4. 90| 24. 00| 42935. 50| Guinea| 2100| 49. 54| -10765| 115876254| -20. 59| 423. 0| 221629. 32| Haiti| 1600| 51. 61| -11265| 126890838| -18. 52| 342. 94| 208606. 00| Hong Kong| 28800| 79. 93| 15935| 253937504| 9. 80| 96. 06| 156187. 00| Hungary| 13900| 72. 17| 1035| 1072088| 2. 04| 4. 17| 2113. 54| India| 2900| 63. 62| -9965| 99292921| -6. 51| 42. 36| 64856. 98| Indonesia| 3200| 68. 94| -9665| 93404171| -1. 19| 1. 41| 11488. 77| Iraq| 1500| 67. 81| -11365| 129153754| -2. 32| 5. 38| 26351. 63| Israel| 19800| 79. 02| 6935| 48100004| 8. 89| 79. 05| 61664. 52| Italy| 26700| 79. 04| 13835| 191418754| 8. 91| 79. 41| 123290. 86| Jamaica| 3900| 75. 85| -8965| 80363754| 5. 72| 32. 73| -51288. 2| Japan| 28200| 80. 93| 15335| 235 175004| 10. 80| 116. 67| 165641. 67| Jordan| 4300| 77. 88| -8565| 73352088| 7. 75| 60. 08| -66386. 23| South Africa| 10700| 46. 56| -2165| 4685421| -23. 57| 555. 49| 51016. 52| Turkey| 6700| 71. 08| -6165| 38002088| 0. 95| 0. 90| -5864. 06| United Kingdom| 27700| 78. 16| 14835| 220089588| 8. 03| 64. 50| 119146. 94| United States| 37800| 77. 14| 24935| 621775004| 7. 01| 49. 16| 174828. 44| Table 5: Statistical analysis of the data collected in Table 1 From the last column we can compute the covariance parameter of the GDP and Life Expectancy: Sxy =148 i=148(xi-x)(yi-y)= 73011. 6 Section 3: Linear regression We start our investigation by studying the line best fit of the data in Table 1. This will allow us to see whether there is a relation of linear dependence between GDP and Life Expectancy. The regression line for the variables x and y is given by the following formula: y-y  ? =SxySx2(x-x ) By using the values found above we get: y= 62. 51 + 0. 5926*10-3 x The Pearson's correlati on coefficient is: r = 0. 6380 The following graph shows the data on Table 1 together with the line of best fit computed Figure 1: Linear regression. The value of the correlation coefficient r ~ 0. , is evidence of a moderate positive linear correlation between the variables x and y. On the other hand it is apparent from the graph above that the relation between the variables is not exactly linear. In the next section we will try to speculate on the reason for this non-linear relation and on what type of statistical relation can exist between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy. Section 4: Logarithmic regression As explained in reference [3], â€Å"the main reason for this non-linear relationship [between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy] is because people consume both needs and wants.People consume needs in order to survive. Once a person’s needs are satisfied, they could then spend the rest of their money on non-necessities. If everyone’s needs are satisfied, then any increase in GDP per capita would barely affect Life Expectancy. â€Å" There are various other reasons that one can think of, to explain the non-linear relationship between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy. For example the GDP per capita is the average wealth, while one should consider also how the global wealth is distributed among the population of a given country.With this in mind, to have a more complete picture of the statistical relation between economy of a country and Life Expectancy, one should take into considerations also other economic parameters, such as the Inequality Index, that describe the distribution of wealth among the population. Moreover, the wealth of the population is not the only factor effecting Life Expectancy: one should also take into account, for example, the governmental policies of a nation towards health and poverty. For example Cuba, a country with a very low GDP per capita ($ 2900), has a relatively high Life Expectancy (76. 8 years), mostly due to the fact that the government provides basic needs and health assistance to the population. Some of these aspects will be discussed in the next section. Let’s try to guess what could be a reasonable relation between the variables x (GDP per capita) and y (Life Expectancy). According to the above observations we can consider the total GDP formed by two values: x= xn + xw, where xn denotes the part of wealth spent on necessities, and xw denotes the part spent on wants.It is reasonable to make the following assumptions: 1. The Life Expectancy depends linearly on the part of wealth spent on necessities: y=axn + b, (1) 2. The fraction xn/x of wealth spent on necessities, is close to 1 when x is close to 0 (if one has a little amount of money he/she will spend most of it on necessities), and is close to 0 when x is very large (if one has a very large money he/she will spend only a little fraction of on necessities). 3.We make the following choice for the function xn= f(x) sa tisfying the above requirements: xn= log (cx + 1)/c, (2) where c is some positive parameter. This function is chosen mainly for two reasons. On one hand it satisfies the requirements that are describe in 2, indeed the corresponding graph of xn/x = f(x) = log (cx + 1)/cx: Figure 2: Graph of the function y= log (cx + 1)/cx, for C=0. 5 (blue), 1 (black) and 10 (red). The blue, black and red lines correspond respectively to the choice of parameter c= 0. 5, 1 and 10.As it appears from the graph in all cases we have f(0)= 1 and f(x) is small for large values of x. On the other hand the function chosen allows us to use the statistical tools at our disposal in the excel software to derive some interesting conclusion about the statistical relation between x and y. This is what we are going to do next. First we want to find the relation between x and y under the above assumptions. Putting together equations (1) and (2) we get: y= aclncx+1+b, (3) which shows that there is a logarithmic depende nce between x and y.Equation (3) can be rewritten in the following equivalent form: if we denote A=a/c, B= b+(a/c)ln(c), C=1/c, y=Aln(x+C)+B . (4) We can now study the curve of type (4) which best fits the data in Table 1, using the statistical tools of excel spreadsheet. Unfortunately excel allows us to plot only a curve of type y= Aln(x) + B (i. e. equation of type four where C is equal to 0). For this choice of C, we get the following logarithmic curve of best fit together with the corresponding value of correlation coefficient r2. Figure 3: Logarithmic regression.To find the analogous curve of best fit for a given value of C (positive, arbitrarily chosen) we can simply add C to all the x values and redo the same plot as for C= 0 with the new independent variable x1= x + C. We omit showing the graphs containing the curve of best fit for all the possible values of C and we simply report, in the following table, the correlation coefficient r for some appropriately chosen values of C. C| r| 0. 00| 0. 77029| 0. 01| 0. 77029| 0. 1| 0. 77028| 1| 0. 77025| 10| 0. 76991| 100| 0. 76666| Table 8: correlation coefficient r2 for the curve of best fit y= Aln(x+C) +B, for some values of C. The above data indicate that the optimal choice of C is between 0. 00 and 0. 01, since in this case r is the closest to 1. Comparing the results got with the linear regression (r ~ 0,6) and the logarithmic regression (r ~ 0,8) we can conclude that the latter appears to be a better model to describe the relation between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy, since the value of the correlation coefficient is significantly bigger. From Figure 3 one the data is very far from the curve of best fit and so we may decide to discuss it separately and do the regression without it.This data is corresponds to South Africa with a GDP per capita of 10700 and a Life Expectancy at birth of 46. 56 (much lower than any other country with a comparable GDP). It is reasonable to think that this anomaly is due to the peculiar history of South Africa which, after the end of apartheid, had to face an uncontrolled violence. It is therefore difficult to fit this country in a statistical model and we can decide to remove it from our data. Doing so, we get the following new plot. Figure 4: Logarithmic regression for the data in Table 1 excluding South Africa. The new value of correlation coefficient r~ 0. 3 indicates that, excluding the anomalous data of South Africa, there is a strong positive logarithmic correlation between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy at birth. Section 5: Chi square test (? 2? test) We conclude our investigation by making a chi square test. This will allow us to confirm the existence of a relation between the variables x and y. For this purpose we formulate the following null and alternative hypotheses. H0: GDP and Life Expectancy are not correlated. H1: GDP and Life Expectancy are correlated * Observed frequency: The observed frequencies are obtained directly from Ta ble 2: | Below y? | Above y? | Total|Below x| 14| 1| 15| Above x| 16| 17| 33| Total| 30| 18| 48| Table 6: Observed frequencies for the chi square test * Expected frequency: The expected frequencies are obtained by the formula: fe = (column total (row total) / total sum | Below y? | Above y? | Total| Below x| 9. 375| 5. 625| 15| Above x| 20. 625| 12. 375| 33| Total| 30| 18| 48| Table 7: Expected frequencies for the chi square test. We can now calculate the chi square variable: ?2? = ( f0-fe)2/fe = 8. 85 In order to decide whether we accept or not the alternative hypothesis H1, we need to find the number of degrees of freedom (df) and to fix a level of confidence .The number of degrees of freedom is: df= (number of rows – 1) (number of columns –1) = 1 The corresponding critical values of chi square, depending on the choice of level of confidence , are given in the following table (see reference [4]) df| 00. 10| 00. 05| 0. 025| 00. 01| 0. 005| 1| 2. 706| 3. 841| 5. 024| 6 . 635| 7. 879| Table 7: Critical values of chi square with one degree of freedom. Since the value of chi square is greater than any of the above critical values, we conclude that even with a level of confidence = 0. 005 we can accept the alternative hypothesis H1: GDP and Life Expectancy are related.The above test shows that there is some relation between the two variables x (GDP per capita) and y (Life Expectancy at birth). Our goal is to further investigate this relation. Section 6: Conclusions Interpretation of results Our study of the statistical relation between GDP per capita and Life Expectancy brings us to the following conclusions. As the chi square test shows there is definitely some statistical relation between the two variables (with a confidence level = 0. 005). The study of linear regression shows that there is a moderate positive linear correlation between the two variables, with a correlation coefficient r~ 0. . This linear model can be greatly improved replacing the linear dependence with a different type of relation. In particular we considered a logarithmic relation between the variable x (GDP) and y (Life Expectancy). With this new relation we get a correlation coefficient r~ 0. 7. In fact, if we remove the data related to the anomalous country of South Africa (which should be discussed separately and does not fit well in our statistical analysis), we get an even higher correlation coefficient r~ 0. . This is evidence of a strong positive logarithmic dependence between x and y. Validity and Areas of improvement Of course one possible improvement of this project would be to consider a much more extended collection data on which to do the statistical analysis. For example one could consider a large list countries, data related to different years (other than 2003), and one could even think of studying data referring to local regions within a single country.All this can be found in literature but we decided to restrict to the data presented in this project because we considered it enough as an application of the mathematical and statistical tools used in the project. A second, probably more interesting, possible improvement of the project would be to consider other economic factors that can affect the Life Expectancy at birth of a country. Indeed the GDP per capita is just a measure of the average wealth of a country and it does not take in account the distribution of the wealth.There are however several economic indices that measure the dispersion of wealth in the population and could be considered, together with the GDP per capita, as a factor influencing Life Expectancy. For example, it would be interesting to study a linear regression model in which the dependent variable y is the Life Expectancy and with two (or more) independent variables xi, one of which should be the GDP per capita and another could be for example the Gini Inequality Index reference (measuring the dispersion of wealth in a country).This would have been very interesting but, perhaps, it would have been out of context in a project studying GDP per capita and Life Expectancy. Probably the most important direction of improvement of the present project is related to the somewhat arbitrary choice of the logarithmic model used to describe the relation between GDP and Life Expectancy. Our choice of the function y= Aln(x+C) +B, was mainly dictated by the statistic package at our disposal in the excel software used in this project.Nevertheless we could have considered different, and probably more appropriate, choices of functional relations between the variables x and y. For example we could have considered a mixed linear and hyperbolic regression model of type y= A + Bx + C/(x+D), as it is sometimes considered in literature (see reference [4]). Bibliography: 1. Gapminder World. Web. 4 Jan. 2012. ;lt;http://www. gapminder. org;gt;. 2. â€Å"GDP – per Capita (PPP) vs. Infant Mortality Rate. Index Mundi – Country Facts. W eb. 4Jan. 2012. <http://www. indexmundi. com/g/correlation. aspx? v1=67>. 3. â€Å"Life Expectancy at Birth versus GDP per Capita (PPP). † Statistical Consultants Ltd. Web. 4 Jan. 2012. <http://www. statisticalconsultants. co. nz/ weeklyfeatures/WF6. html>. 4. â€Å"Table: Chi-Square Probabilities. † Faculty & Staff Webpages. Web. 4 Jan. 2012. <http://people. richland. edu/james/lecture/m170/tbl-chi. html>.

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Joint forces between Active Units S1 Section and Army HRC, mandated by Personnel Services Delivery Redesign (PSDR), will organize the existing manning system and personnel management which will include the following plan of action: (1) document the entire S1 section into a single discrete paragraph within all Brigade, HHC MTOE, and recoding Battalion S1 positions as 42-B; (2) new organization previously mentioned above will perform Theater level HR support to the modular Forces; and (3) implementation in the four phases will commenced at the end of FY08 (Gallasie, 2008). The HRSC supports the theater with HR support as directed by the theater and provides oversight of all casualties reporting within the theater of operations and provides technical support to the Postal, R5 and Casualty units as well as providing personnel guidance to G1s and S1s as needed. When requested by the theater commander based on METTTC requirements, the HRSC may deploy to the theater of operations depending upon the population supported. The HRSC support postal, R5, and personnel information flow but does play a direct role in the execution of functions unless otherwise directed by the theater G1. The Casualty Operation Division performs the theater casualty reporting mission, collecting all the casualty reports for the theater and sending to HRC. The HRSC receives technical guidance from HRC and operating guidance from the theater G1. The HRSC is designed with two deployable teams in each division so that the teams representing each function are available to augment other theater-level staff (Gallasie, 2008). The sophistication of the Modular Joint Expeditionary Army provides organization, manning system, equipment, and training to the former battalion organization of the US Army. It is noted that Human Resources Redesign did not actually allocate it’s system of command and troops but rather it arranged it in a manner that it encourages specificity in terms of duties and military work within each newly formed military units. Additionally, military hierarchy was more pronounced which lends continuity to the entire military force. According to Gallasie (2008) such ‘transformation’ will make the US Army ‘more strategically responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, and sustainable across the full spectrum of military operations’. He also added that the modularity will provide capabilities to the BCD/BDE Commanders to execute essential personnel services and strength management with organic assets while redesigning and improving theater-level support for postal, R5 and casualty support to the Modular Forces. The structure of the latter create an efficient network connectivity for the tailoring of minimal force structure which will have its advantages in terms of geographic dispersion of combat power along different points of terrorist zones. The concept of the Modular Forces is clearit aims to establish visibility and connectivity between its commands and the component troops. Pilot testing at Fort Campbell revealed some of the several ‘shortfalls’ to the changesadditional workload for the civilians, joint and multinational forces, emergency leave, RR return to duty, reception and other associated problems on replacement, accounting and integration (in AG Corps FDU 05-2 Human Resource Transformation Concept Paper). As Gallasie points out in the article The AG Force Development Update, the personnel transformation is not for changed alone but is a regiment adaptation to the concurrent needs of reducing terrorist acts. While it is true that such sophistication may provide for a more efficient and visible manning system especially during deployment in different geographical locations in terrorism hotspots, a bigger question that we had to acknowledge is how the US Army will deliver the radical changes to the military troops and the time and cost efficiency involve in the HR changes. Will the AG Force Development sustain its objective or will the change give a ruckus to the army administration which will aggravate the problem? Note that terrorism is an ongoing problem and such resolution in the midst of crisis can create potential confusion to the overall administration and likewise its components. This is not to say that the new concept on Personnel transformation is a bad idea. Moreover, the timing for the execution of the concept and its’ immediacy may not be fitting for the current global crisis. Before execution there should be a review on the personnel impact and how the military administration address the problems and the pitfalls associated with such changes. Additionally, there should also be a review on the military technologies and the weaponry involved if such transformation where to take place. Also, ‘support’ extended should be analyzed not only on the basis of HRSC support but other issues as well such as pay and just compensation for services rendered and compensatory damages in case of accidents. Other important points to consider is how the regiment addresses the health and psychological problems associated during deployment to terrorist hotspots. The AG Corps Force Development is far from perfect but given the right adjustment and resolving the loopholes it may provide for a good change in the US Army. Reference Gallasie, D. The AG Corps Force Development Update. The Journal of the Adjutant General Corps Regimental Association, Winter 2005-2006, 23-24.

Effect of Interventions on Mental Health of Offshore Workers

Effect of Interventions on Mental Health of Offshore Workers 5.3 Study 2 – Qualitative Insights Research Question: what is the effect of Intervention policies, from the perspective of the offshore industry, on the mental health of offshore workers? Based on the views of the offshore representatives who participated in this study, this research identified five themes which aim to explain the effect of intervention policies on the mental health of offshore workers. 5.3.1 Theme One: Mental Health Awareness Upon reflection of the quotes associated with theme one, it can be seen that P1 is able to expand on how mental health problems can arise, not only from personal experiences but from the workplace itself. According to Mind (2011), employer awareness of mental health at work in the UK is poor, with most senior representatives vastly underestimating the scale of the problem and how it can affect companies worldwide. Awareness of mental health conditions amongst management and their employees, through education, training and communication can reduce negative attitudes and stigma attached to the adjustments being put in place (Department of Health 2012). Educating people on mental health conditions is seen to be an effective method to fight stigma. A study conducted by Pinfold et al (2005) used mental health awareness programmes in schools in UK and Canada to combat stigmatism and to educate young people on misinformation surrounding mental health conditions. The study provided evidence to suggest that short educational workshops can produce positive change in young people’s views of mental illness. Whilst, this cannot be applied directly to the Oil and Gas industry, it highlights the benefits of ‘awareness raising’ sessions. However, on the contrary OECD (2012) suggests that increased perceptions of mental health problems i.e. increasing rates of disability benefit, has changed the view of the work capacity of people with mental disorders. This implies that better awareness has led to further exclusion from the workforce. These findings are similar to those discussed in the literature review; whereby Stuart (2006) suggests prejudicial attitudes from employers remain a barrier for those suffering from mental health. 5.3.2 Theme Two: Macho Culture Organisational culture has been defined as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization† (Hill and Jones 2001 p?). According to Wright (1994) (cited in Lindoe et al 2014 p. 65) the oil industry in western society has always been dominated by a macho culture, meaning that macho type values, beliefs have governed the way in which offshore workers think and behave. This supports the secondary findings, as Ely Meyerson (2008) identified ‘Macho culture’ to be significant barrier when getting males to admit to their mistakes which may have caused or had the potential to cause an accident. However, the present study highlights that this macho culture and masculinity ideals from an organisational perspective are a significant barrier to their psychological help seeking. Deal and Kennedy (1982) identified four distinct culture types, determined by a combination of two parameters: feedback (praise, rewards) and risk (uncertainty). One of the cultures identified is the Tough Guy Macho Culture. They believe that this culture involves an organisation of risk takers that receive quick feedback on whether their actions were right or wrong. Culture is learned and reinforced (refer to learning theory) – the Oil and Gas industry has existed for decades, for this culture to remain prevalent in contemporary society speaks volumes. It is important for the industry to ignite a cultural change, because this macho culture no longer fits the ever changing environment. Cummings Worley (2005) have conducted research which suggests the following guidelines are effective for introducing cultural change. This first is to formulate a clear strategic vision, display Top-management commitment, model culture change at the highest level, modify the organisation to support organisational change, select and socialize newcomers and terminate deviants and finally to develop ethical and legal sensitivity. 5.3.3 Theme Three: Environmental Downfalls The participants acknowledge that mental health problems amongst offshore personnel can be linked to the environment, which as discussed in the literature review is isolating and environmentally challenging (Gardner 2003). Several sources of stress and anxiety identified in relation to the isolated location of several North Sea Installations are; sleeping patterns, shared living, lack of privacy, financial insecurity etc. However, Cooper and Sutherland (1987) stated that the key contributor to lower mental well- being was the stress associated with being away from one’s spouse or partner, a factor which was identified within the transcript. http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/othpdf/500-599/oth523.pdf 5.3.4 Theme Four: Reliance Reluctance It is clear from the findings in Chapter 4, that both participants are in agreement that in order for interventions and support mechanisms to be put in place the employee needs to disclose their mental health condition. However, it was highlighted by Stuart (2006) that prejudicial attitudes from employers remain a barrier for those suffering from mental health, hence the reason why employees are reluctant to disclose their psychiatric history. According to Haslam et al’s (2005) study, the reason for employee reluctance is because they feel they may be judged by their employer because the stigma attached to mental illness. Moreover, lack of promotional to show they are encouraging people to seek help? This was supported in the qualitative researcher findings by P1? However, there appears to be a dissension between P1 and P2 in regards to their organisational reluctance to promote the existing interventions methods to the workforce. 5.3.5 Theme Five: Promotional Shortcomings The results of the present study suggests that the aim of health promotion in the Oil and Gas industry should be focused on: (1) communicate the intervention methods that currently exist i.e. EAP (2) promote cultural change and encourage a culture whereby offshore workers did not feel ashamed to disclose their mental health condition (3) change the beliefs employees have about their employers regards for their well-being. Communicating mental health intervention methods shows the workforce that as an organisation they are not afraid to broach the subject, this in turn will encourage employees to come forward and seek the help available to them. Eisenberger et al (1986) stated that employees develop beliefs about the extent to which their organisation cares about their well-being. These beliefs help create an employees’ assessment of whether their employer will reward greater effort and help them to complete their jobs and cope with stressful situations. Taking a social exchange perspective, such beliefs will be reciprocated through employee behaviours and deference. Evidence suggests that beliefs about an organisation’s concern for employee well-being have a positive impact on an individual’s workforce performance, which, in turn, influences organizational performance (Podsakoff et al., 2000). 5.4 Limitations There were a number of notable methodological limitations in this research and it is important that these are highlighted before going on to make any conclusions or future recommendations. Firstly, the lack of time and money accessible for the study hindered the amount of research that could be carried out. For example, the researcher would have liked to have used other participants such as OIM’s or Counsellors to collect more detailed data. Furthermore, another possible improvement that could have been implemented is that rather than giving a questionnaire to participants, personal interviews would have elicited greater information regarding their knowledge and attitudes towards mental health and their organisations current intervention methods. However, the researcher would not have been able to capture as many responses if this qualitative method was used. Chapter 6 – Conclusion and Recommendations 6.1 Recommendations 6.1.1 Recommendations for the Oil and Gas Industry From the study it is clear that stigma continues to influence the ways in which offshore personnel deal with their mental health condition. The results convey that levels of depression, anxiety and stress are experienced amongst offshore workers, with high levels of stress being associated with the negative opinions of the current intervention methods in place. Therefore, to maximise support and to ensure the duty of care is being directly adhered to, Oil and Gas companies worldwide should promote and educate offshore workers, onshore staff, and management about mental well-being. To do this, Management or those in a supervisory role should be provided with an opportunity to attend a two day Mental Health Training courses which are available across the UK, some of which are free and some cost up to  £100. This course covers a range of areas surrounding mental health, but most importantly it helps teach individuals to spot the signs and how to approach and intervene if necessary. Furthermore, prevention and early interventions should be the key focus when improving mental health within the workplace. There are three different types of prevention including; Primary prevention (prevent the onset of the disorder), Secondary prevention (Detect early signs and intervene early) and finally, Tertiary prevention (Early effective treatment to prevent disability) (Martel 2009). Martel (2009) suggests that the above prevention strategies are essential when preventing work-related mental health problems. However, in order to undertake any preventative program, it is essential that management are committed to change factors within their control and to implement action plans continuously. 6.1.2 Future Research Recommendations The data set obtained in the present study provides opportunities for future research, which could throw further light on how mental health is experienced in the offshore environment and how the oil and gas industry as a whole reacts to these psychological mishaps. Combining the present data with medical history records of offshore personnel and formally reported mental health conditions to employers would be valuable to see whether or not appropriate actions were taken. Furthermore, the present study did not attempt to identify the specific aspects of the offshore environment which may account for high levels of depression, anxiety and stress. If future research was to be conducted it may beneficial to investigate the key causes of psychological distress in an offshore working environment, so that employers are able to tackle the issues at the forefront with appropriate interventions.

The Micmac V.s. The Iroquois :: essays research papers

The Micmac V.S. The Iroquois   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Micmac and the Iroquois Confederacy are both Aboriginal groups, they have many differences as well as similarities. One area of such, is their traditional justice systems. Their governments and laws are in some ways similar, but in many ways different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Micmac reside in what is now Nova Scotia, eastern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and southern Gaspe. The territory was subdivided in to seven districts. Each of these districts contained family groupings in small settlements based on hunting and fishing. Those from P.E.I. held more territory in common than any other Micmac district. Their land was allotted by family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Iroquois were a agricultural people. They lived in permanent villages in a domain now called southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and northeastern United States. Indian Nations living here formed a formal and lasting confederacy by 1450. Their members were called ‘Ho-De-No-Sau-Nee'. The league was called ‘Kanonsionni', meaning EXTENDED HOUSE. The first five nations to join the confederacy were Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. Tuscaroras migrated from Carolina and joined the confederacy in 1722. The Iroquois are bound in a treaty of friendship with the Ojibway to the North.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Micmac government was three-tiered, with local, district, and national chiefs, or ‘Sagamores'. Each settlement's council of elders chose a local chief. The chief was the focus of power in the settlement. The local chief attained position through both hereditary right and meritorious behavior. The oldest son of a dead chief was usually given first consideration as a successor. If he was found unfit for office, despite special training, others in family and/or others in the community were considered. These chiefs usually had two assistants or captains. These were called second and third watchers. They would assume command from a sick or incompetent chief. The local chiefs would convene in a district council and select one of their numbers to preside over their meetings and represent the regions' interests. Councils usually met in the spring or fall, and all decisions were based on unanimity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  District Sagamores made up the governing body of the Micmac nation. One district chief would act as Grand Chief. All three of these types of chieftainship followed bloodlines as a natural course of leadership ascendency. The people expected their chief to be a man of intelligence, knowledge, dignity, courage, generosity, an able hunter, and fearless warrior. Leaders ruled through impeccable example, not force.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Iroquois confederacy was formalized by a constitution, recorded on wampum belts to preserve the understanding for all generations to follow. Each nation retained its own council and managed its own local affairs. General control was to be lodged in a federal senate, composed of representatives

Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act Essay -- Chinese Immigrants, Americ

Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act â€Å"Many Chinese immigrants falsely claimed American citizenship during the exclusion era†¦I’ve considered this question†¦ever since I learned that my American last name was different, in spelling and meaning, from my Chinese last name†¦ What’s in a name?† said Karen Lew, a community anchor at the Museum of Chinese in America. She discovered that her ancestors were forced to change their last names during the Chinese Exclusion Act to prevent deportation. Most believe that the Chinese Exclusion Act was a mistake from the American government. The Chinese Exclusion Act had an impact on not only the Chinese, but also most Asians Americans’ lives. In the year of 1848, a significant amount of gold was discovered in Sutter’s Mill. The gold rush not only made Eastern American labors to come to the West, but also caused a large amount of people in China to immigrate over in hopes of a fortune (Tien, Kelly). â€Å"Chinese workers then were willing to take jobs that no one else really wants to do,† stated Munson Kwok, president of the LA chapter of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (qtd. in Los Angeles Times). As stated in Menlo’s Sun Server, when the American economy became unstable during the Panic of 1873, labors thought that the "working and low-paid" Chinese were receiving more money than they should, therefore reducing the non-Chinese workers’ wages. The Chinese eventually became scapegoats for the economic downfall, and the non-Chinese workers started propaganda against the Chinese, making cartoons and slogans like â€Å"Mark the man who would crush us to the level of the Mongolian slave.â €  Immigration taxes and laundry-operation fees were passed to limit Chinese population (Menlo’s Sun Server). Ultimately, ... .... "Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences." Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences. University of Chicago, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. United States v. Wong Kim Ark. United States Reports 169. Northern District of California. 28 Mar. 1898. United States v. Wong Kim Ark - 169 U.S. 649 (1898). N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. "UNITED STATES v. WONG KIM ARK." United States v. Wong Kim Ark. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. Wing, Bob. "Crossing Race and Nationality: The Racial Formation of Asian Americans, 1852-1965." Monthly Review 7 (2005): 1. ELibrary. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. Wong, William. "The Citizenship of Wong Kim Ark." San Francisco Examiner 08 Apr. 1998, Second Edition ed., News sec.: A-19. Print. Yokoi, Iris. "CHINATOWN Exclusion Law's Effect Examined." Los Angeles Times 12 Dec. 1993: n. pag. Print.

Parkinson’s Disease Essays -- Health, Diseases

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders and is classified as a movement disorder with the presence of the motor symptoms bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity. The literature on the management of PD motor symptoms focuses extensively on the medical treatment and outlines the vast advancements that drug therapy has seen over the past 40 years. There are beneficial outcomes of medicinal therapy on the treatment of motor symptoms; however, extensive research also finds there is a wearing off effect as well as potential for motor and nonmotor side effects. As the pharmacological research continues their search for the ideal medical treatment model, awareness of the psychosocial symptoms and the potential burden on caregivers has also achieved much attention in the last few decades. The increasing interest in the psychosocial characteristics of the disease appears to stem from the evolving scientific knowledge of the disease and its lack of a cure. Compounding the sequelae of PD, nonmotor challenges are sometimes unrelated to the common progression of PD and dopamine deficiency. Clinical diagnosis of PD is often confounded by the psychosocial realm of the patients daily functioning and the impact it has on the care and treatment of patients. This paper summarizes the literature of PD from a psychosocial perspective. The first chapter reviews the intrinsic psychosocial symptoms of PD and how they may or may not be influenced by dopamine neurotransmitters. The second chapter examines the side effects of three commonly prescribed medications used to treat PD. The last chapter focuses on implications the disease has on the caregiver’s own personal well-being. Introduction: Parkinson’s Dise... ... cognitive, dementia, levodopa, MAO-B inhibitors, dopamine agonist + side/adverse effects and caregiver/burden/distress. All searches were limited to English language and the years 2000 - 2010. I also referred to reference lists found in articles deemed relevant to the research project. A few reviews were outside the limits of the year restriction but were included as they added to the scope of this paper. The abstracts were reviewed and deemed to be relevant for the inclusion in this literature search based on its focus and relevancy to the topics outlined in this paper. My initial search yielded over 1000 hits from the various literature databases for this paper, of which 61 were included in this review. Those that were excluded were duplicate hits found in the various databases or had a focus on an unrelated subject matter after a review of the abstract.

Mohandas Ghandi’s Resistance speech Essay

Wide spectrums of attitudes arise when comparing and contrasting the writings of Gandhi and George Orwell. The oppressive British system of government in India provides the motive for Gandhi’s â€Å"Defending Nonviolent Resistance† speech. George Orwell conveys peevishness of the same system–the British government by the shooting of an elephant and the repercussions of the event. The overall attitude in Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant leans toward resentment of both government and murder, while the overall attitude in Gandhi’s Defending Nonviolent Resistance inclines toward the uprising of government and nonviolent protest. Both writers share attitudes, however both writers convey opposing attitudes towards their government. Mohandas Gandhi emphasizes the use of non-violence in his speech and employs the principle of â€Å"spiritual leadership†¦to achieve political goals through non-violent resistance.†(Gandhi 975) Gandhi’s essay accents the need for Indian freedom. Gandhi’s attitude stressed for the British system of government to change. Gandhi states the overall attitude of the essay, â€Å"I wanted to avoid violence, I want to avoid violence. Nonviolence is the first article of my faith. It is also the last article of my creed.† (Gandhi 976) Gandhi writes this to state his belief in nonviolent forms of rebellion. Instead, Gandhi’s belief that peaceful measures harvest a greater impact on the people creates a greater outcome. Gandhi decides to go against the government of the land, the British government. Gandhi states, â€Å"But I had to make my choice. I had either to submit to a system which I considered had done an irreparable harm to my country, or incur the risk of the mad fury of my people bursting forth, when they understood the truth from my lips† (Gandhi 976). Clearly, Gandhi’s attitude towards British rule played into a negative path of rebellion which eventually led to his arrest and future Indian independence. George Orwell does not stir up any rebellions with the government; however, Orwell plays a major role in British Government in India. â€Å"I was subdivisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-European feeling was very bitter† states Orwell (Orwell 939). Even though Orwell ranks highly in the British system, as did Gandhi at one time, Orwell and Gandhi do not agree with the system they work for. Proof of  Orwell’s sentiment, â€Å"In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarters† (940) provides the reader with Orwell’s attitude towards government. Although Orwell does not comply with the system, Orwell continues to work under the government. Gandhi states many times that the system of rule does not justify the people in India. Insight into many historical events, provided in Gandhi’s speech allows the reader to view great details of the continuing pressures of Indian injustice. Gandhi addresses his first moment of resentment into the British system, â€Å"The first shock came in the shape of the Rowlatt Act, a law designed to rob the people of all real freedom†(Gandhi 977). The tone of the passage begins to rise into disaffection from this moment forward. Later in the speech, Gandhi directly accuses the British system, † I came reluctantly to the conclusion that the British connection had made India more helpless than she ever was before, politically and economically† (Gandhi 978). Gandhi’s attitude towards the system causes him to stir up a rebellion and thus, go upon a judge to suffer a sentence of six years in prison. Orwell and Gandhi contrast in attitudes when they separate into different sides of the system. Gandhi realizes the British rule in India only oppresses his people, while Orwell is a police officer that essentially performs any and all tasks assigned to him, regardless of virtue or morality. When Orwell solves the problem of shooting a ravaging elephant, the British government proudly acknowledges the act. â€Å"Besides, legally I had done the right thing, for a mad elephant has to be killed,† writes Orwell (Orwell 945). Orwell, in many ways, disagrees with shooting, but in the end of the story, Orwell writes, â€Å"I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool†(Orwell 945). Orwell’s attitude is somewhat hypocritical because he does not agree with the killing, but does it anyway so he can please his superiors. Gandhi, who once worked successfully as a servant to the British government, comes to a conclusion that the system can no longer oppress his people. Gandhi turns into a political, spiritual leader in the cause to gain Indian freedom and independence. Gandhi goes before a judge and clearly states his reasons why the judge and the system must go. Gandhi tells the judge, â€Å"if you believe  that the system and the law you are assisting to administer are good for the people of this country and that my activity is therefore injurious to the public weal† (Gandhi 979). The speech made by Mohandas Gandhi before a judge, under the British system, speaks for itself. Gandhi provides reasons why the system failed to suit the needs of his people. George Orwell writes about the innocent, yet mandated shooting of an elephant, brought upon by the system. Both writers describe their events with comparing and contrasting attitudes. When comparing the attitudes Gandhi who at one time worked under the system with full allegiance, goes before the system and rejects it completely, while Orwell works under the system but does not question it under authority. When contrasting their overall attitudes towards the system, Orwell continues to work as a British official, but deep down inside, knows the oppressive nature of the system. Orwell’s attitude is hypocritical, while Gandhi chooses to fight the system.

Language Change Essay

The history of English language has seen many changes due to social and cultural influences with an array of reactions from its users. English has changed due to the ever emerging technologies and the need use them as efficiently as possible. The views and values of its users have a huge impact on the direction language takes in the way it changes and develops. Although there are many people who accept and embrace the changes in language, there are just as many people whom believe otherwise. People’s views of one another and social cultural values change over time and this affects the connotations attached to words and ideas. The users of a language are the sole cause to why words change or lose meaning to become obsolete because their current perceptions will be reflected in the language. A number of words have come to carry sexual connotations due to the idea becoming a taboo topic of conversation, and therefore people used other words along with body language to imply these ideas. Words such as â€Å"hussy† and â€Å"slut†, which originally meant ‘housewife’ and ‘untidy’, have come to mean ‘promiscuous women’ and ‘loose women’. This reflects the change in perception of women’s sexuality and social roles, and how women are being degraded to be seen as sex objects. As words can gain meaning, they can also lose meaning. An example of this is the word â€Å"fuck†, which originally had the connotations relating to ‘sex’ and ‘sexual activity’, it is now used freely as a means to express many different emotions and no longer thought of as a sexual word although the connotations still exist. Words change to suit the needs of its users of the current time, sometimes the original meaning is carried until today while others change drastically. It is argued that texting has â€Å"destroyed† the language with all its shorthand and the language is going â€Å"down-hill† because young people are not using language correctly, however many linguist believe otherwise. The use of â€Å"abbreviated† language has been used â€Å"ever since [the language] began to be written down† and it is not just used by the young people but people of all ages. History shows that Anglo-saxon scribes used abbreviations such as â€Å"&† for ‘and’ and â€Å"3† for ‘three’, which have now even become standard, this proves that texting is not what initiated written language to be used this way. The growth of â€Å"abbreviated† language paired with the need for faster written communication has caused the language to be used with less grammar and therefore the language is not used correctly. However, Charlie Higsons (author) says that â€Å"the only function [language] needs to perform is to be understood† and therefore correct use of grammar is not necessary in spontaneous contexts. These people, often referred to as â€Å"grammar Nazis†, are bothering â€Å"with [language] in quite the wrong way† as expressed by Stephen Fry. The English language has always changed and will continue to change as long as its users’ social cultural views and values change, and as the contexts in which the language can be used expand. People will have an opinion on the changes in language, irrespective of time. Whether they like it or not language change is inevitable, therefore its users should see this in a positive light and help change the language so it can become more expressive and diverse.

Name of Student

â€Å"The official UNAIDS Website† – This material will provide the following information: â€Å"1) AIDS Epidemic Update; 2) Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic; 3) Report on the Global AIDS; 4) HIV Data; 5) 2008 Report on the Global AIDS; 6) occurrences of AIDS in different countries; 7) etcetera† (UNAIDS, n.d., n.p.).The book entitled, â€Å"AIDS Epidemic Update† by the â€Å"Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS† will provide statistical information, as well as, reasons for its occurrence (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, 1998, n.p.).The featured article which state that, â€Å"African AIDS: the facts that demolish the myths† will help either eliminate or add to the reasons why the epidemic is turning worse (Cook, 2009, p. 7).   The author, Cook, will also validate former research studies on whether it is an â€Å"essential element in fighting the AIDS epidemic† or not (Cook, 2009, p. 7).Brookmeyer’s Peer-Rev iewed material tells about what will most likely occur in the future and what is currently taking place with regards to the â€Å"AIDS epidemic† (Brookmeyer, 1991, pp. 37 – 42).Rosenberg’s Peer-Reviewed article will tell about the scope of the aforementioned epidemic in the United States (Rosenberg, 1995, pp. 1372 – 1375).Rosenberg et. al.’s Peer-reviewed material will cover the current occurrence in terms of young adults in the country suffering from HIV (Rosenberg et. al., 1998, pp. 1894 – 1899).Fauci’s special article discusses the following: â€Å"the origins of HIV, scope of the epidemic, prevention of HIV, development of vaccine, etcetera† (Fauci, 1999, pp. 1046 – 1050).The article on the â€Å"Health Transition Review† by Ntozi answers the question on why the â€Å"levels of widowhood have increased in countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are afflicted by the AIDS epidemic† (Ntozi, 1997, pp. 125 â₠¬â€œ 144).Hosegood et. al.’s research discusses the â€Å"levels and causes of adult mortality in rural South Africa† as well as the impact of AIDS (Hosegood et. al., 2004, pp. 663 – 671).Last but not least, Rambaut et. al.’s study will help establish what causes HIV and how it evolved (Rambaut, 2004, pp. 52 – 61).ReferencesBrookmeyer, R. (1991). Reconstruction and Future Trends of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 253(5015), 37 – 42.Cook, M. (2009). African AIDS: The Facts that Demolish the Myths. Retrieved March 28, 2009 from

No Taxation Without Repesentation

Explain the meaning of the revolutionary slogan ‘no taxation without representation’. How did that express the core values of the new American political culture? Under American Revolution we understand politic developments in British colonies in North America in 1775-1783, which ended up creating the United States. They were caused by the unwillingness of the colonies to obey to the interests of the metropolis. The slogan that best expressed the cause of the revolution was ‘No taxation without representation’. It was widely used as a main complaint to royalty and colonial administration during the American Revolution.The slogan originated in the 50 – 60 years of the XVIII century, when British colonists in America began to realize that in spite of their large number and business activities, which are taxed, they have no representation in the Parliament and cannot exercise their rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, adopted in 1689. Let’s loo k a little bit closer to the history. In the 1760s British Parliament for the first time started a massive taxation of Americans, violating the fundamental bourgeois legal precept – no taxation without representation.Residents of the province were used to and wanted to continue to pay only the taxes that have been approved by their own elected representatives in local assemblies. Britain took, in addition, a law forbidding Americans to move to the vacant land. This law affected rich landowners, whose entrepreneurial appetites were dramatically reduced; and also small and poor farmers, who had been taken away a cherished dream of their own land. It was followed by political repression: restrictions on freedom of religion, the abolition of jury trials, the privacy of home and property, entry of the British troops in North America.Many of these decrees and laws came from the monarch, but in contrast to earlier times the freedom and rights of Americans have been actively suppress ed and limited also by the British Parliament. Since the 1760s Britain actually began to rule in North America as an absolute monarchy, trying to impose conditions inherent in feudal society. Americans cherish for more than a half century bourgeois social order, were shocked by their attempt to create a new absolutism. The 1760-1770-ies were characterized by the democratization of the political consciousness of Americans and American political culture.An ideological revolution was developing in America, that prepared and made possible a half decade later, the political revolution. Democratization touched a political practice in North America also. Previously unknown forms of political action of the people were developing: mass gatherings, meetings, rallies. Thus was formed the immediate or direct democracy, that started to compete with representative democracy. All sorts of amateur political organizations were created; the most prominent among them was the â€Å"Sons of Libertyâ₠¬ .The most prominent representative of the moderate stage and course of the anti-colonial movement was James Otis. He was most famously associated with the phrase, â€Å"taxation without representation is tyranny†. In the 1760s he became a political oracle of American patriots. In 1761 in the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, Otis condemned the English decree, empowers customs colonies search procedure without judicial authorization of any dwelling to retrieve contraband. Otis argued that the famous English Bill of Rights and Habeas Corpus Act, which guaranteed inviolability of the person, property and housing, equally apply to Americans.No law or decree can be accepted that contradicts these basic acts which Otis after Blackstone called the Constitution. Otis turned the English Constitution and natural law in two main pillars to protect the interests of Americans. Demonstrating brilliant erudition and perseverance, he drew from the English constitution provisions that guaran tee citizens the security of property, and the right to representative government and trial by jury, and freedom of religion, and many other rights, which were based on liberal bourgeois world order.Otis has worked hard to prove the importance of the struggle for representation of North American provinces in Parliament. But his tenacity has not conceived a significant impact on his compatriots. Common sense told patriots, that a small group of colonial deputies in parliament cannot change its policy. Samuel Adams, who was established in the late 1760-1770's at the leading position in the patriotic movement of Massachusetts, states that the colonies cannot be fully represented in Parliament and that their representation at Westminster will turn against provinces itself.That would legitimize parliamentary tyranny for North America, and that therefore, a struggle of patriots for seats in the English legislature leads them astray. American political culture contains a number of core ide als, values and standards that define the relationship between citizens and government, and citizens to one another. Different societies view politics differently, and have different approaches to the view of society. In America, the views of society are liberty, equality, democracy, and individualism.Liberty as right to be free; equality as equality of opportunity; democracy as elected officials from the people; and individualism as the individual's rights are valued above those of the state (government). The American system creates in people a confidence that each and every person have to play by the same rules, and the role of the government is to protect these rules; confidence in the will of the people to support enterprise and entrepreneurship, to persistent work anywhere. And even if at some point people are unsuccessful, they will be making efforts to achieve success again and again.