Americas Zoos: Entertainment To Conservation Essay -- essays research

America's Zoos: Entertainment to Conservation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The children run ahead, squealing with delight. Their parents lag behind holding the children's brightly colored balloons and carrying the remnants of the half-eaten cotton candy. The family stops to let the children ride the minitrain and take pictures together under the tree. They walk hand- in-hand toward the exit, stopping first at the gift shop where they each splurge on a treat to remind them of the day's adventure. Although this may sound like a typical scene from the local amusement park, it's actually the city zoo. All that forgotten was walking from cage to cage watching the anxious animals pace back and forth in their closed-in prisons (Hope, 1994). Their cages feel cold and desolate. The concrete floor provides no warmth and the atmosphere is sterile. The animals do not appear very happy in this closed-in environment. Just who are these anxious animals? They are the common everyday animals any child could name: the bears, the tigers, the elephants and the monkeys. What about the rest of the world's unique creatures? Hundreds of species are endanger of becoming extinct, and conservation is in need. Extinction is a permanent issue. The treatment of all our animals and their rights is important as well. As concern for the world's animals becomes more prominent in the news, our zoos rise up to meet the challenge. Animal's rights and their treatment, regardless of species, have been brought to attention and positive movements made. While the number of endangered species grows, zoos attempt to do their part in conservation. Both in and out of the park, zoos and their scientist do their best to help these species. Efforts out in the field within the United States as well as other countries are currently in progress. The question lies in the worthiness of these efforts. Is the conservation successful? Are these efforts being done for the right reasons? Will zoos remain as a form of family entertainment or will the enjoyment of the patrons become unimportant? While it is obvious that things are changing, the eventual goals might not be so clear. As the concern shifts from entertainment to conservation, the zoo's efforts are examined, both in the park and beyond, and their motives judged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As cities became more and more urbanized, it was harder to st... ...zations on my own, imagine how much more knowledgeable the public will be as a whole on these matters. Both education and species conservation are gained. Honestly, many members of the human population may not realize what life is truly like out in the wild. Nature has been difficult for many animals and these scientists are trying to rebuild what Mother Nature, in combination with the human race, has almost destroyed. The role has shifted, but I believe that the motives have also changed considerably. The concern of the patrons will always be a factor, but with so many people worried about the animals, they are not forgotten. Perhaps if the general public, meaning those who do not have the privilege of visiting these zoos becomes more informed about the work, less questions will be raised about this transition. Personally, I cannot differentiate the one who suffers in this arrangement. The animals' rights are looked after, the public becomes more aware and the endangered numbers of many species are strengthened. If the children still squeal, the animals are safe and measures are being taken to help Earth's creatures, I would consider the venture successful and applaud it as well.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional vertigo

Benign Paroxysmal Positional vertigo (BBPV) or ‘cupololithiasis’ is a common condition in which the individual experiences episodes of recurrent and brief postural vertigo and nystagmus (rhythmic rotation of the eyeballs) that tends to occur in clusters. The exact cause of the condition is not understood clearly, but the displaced remnants of the utricular otocania (which is a membranous structure present within the ear). The condition is also said to arise due to abnormalities in the posterior semicircular canal.It may be provoked by altering the position of the head relative to gravity during lying down, rolling the head in the bed, bending, titling the head backwards, sleeping or sitting up. The episodes of vertigo usually last for about 10 to 30 seconds. BPPV can involve either the posterior semicircular canals or the lateral semicircular canals or both. The condition can occur on one side or on either side of the skull. A Posterior canal BPPV can be converted into a lateral BPPV following repositioning maneuvers. The episodes of vertigo may take a few months or even years to resolve.The remission and recurrence is often considered to be unpredictable. BPPV is one of the most common disorders in which vertigo is experienced. The incidences may be about 17 % when a study was conducted in a vertigo clinic. In Japan, the occurrence of BPPV is about 10. 7 to 17. 3 per 100000 new cases every year. However, the actual incidence rates may be much higher as the condition can spontaneously resolve. The condition occurs more often in females compared to males. However, in younger individuals who often develop the condition following trauma, the male to female ratio is almost equal.The condition more frequently occurs in middle aged and elderly individuals between the ages of 40 to 65 years. In a study conducted in the elderly population, it was observed that about 10 % had unrecognized BPPV. Today, BPPV is one of those conditions which can be promptly di agnosed using a specific diagnosis process and treated using advanced techniques. Physiology A lot of studies have been conducted to determine the exact mechanism by which BPPV. In the inner ear, a small organ known as ‘vestibular labyrinth’ is present. Within this, a small structure known as ‘semi-circular canals’ is present.The semi-circular canals are nothing but loop-like structures, containing fluid and hair-like projections. They help to determine the movements of head in a three-dimensional direction. The Otolith also helps to determine the movement of the head relative to the body. In the otolith, certain crysltals of calcium carbonate are present. In certain conditions, these crystals may get dislodged into the semi-circular canals. When these crystals get dislodged, it makes the head very sensitive to positional changes. In conditions it is normally not required to respond, a dizziness-like sensation is perceived.BPPV are of two types, primary or idiopathic and secondary. In primary BPPV, the cause is not known and it accounts for 50 to 70 % of the cases. Secondary BPPV account for 7 to 17 % of the cases and is usually associated with head trauma. When the head is traumatized, otoconia crystals are released into the endolymph. The otoconia crystals are actually calcium carbonate crystals that get embedded in the utricle and the saccule. This occurs bilaterally, resulting in BPPV occurring on both sides. Studies have demonstrated that in 0. 5 to 3. 1 % cases, BPPV is associated with Meniere’s disease.Recently, it has been found that migraine is also closely associated with BPPV. Studies conducted on patients suffering from migraine when the patients were positioned in certain postures, BPPV tended to occur. The exact mechanism between migraine and BPPV is not known, but it is supposed to occur due to spasm of the inner ear. BPPV may also occur following surgery of the inner ear. Once the otoconia crystals get displaced , they begin to stimulate the hair cells present in the posterior semicircular canals. Once this promotion occurs, the individual constantly feels that he/she is in motion.There may also be other etiological factors for BPPV including degeneration of the otoconia membranes, concussion of the labyrinthine, middle ear infection, viral infections of the ear (such as viral neuronitis), taking bed rest for long periods of time (lying supine for long time), blockage of the anterior vestibular artery, anesthesia administration, administration of certain drugs, etc. Symptoms The symptoms of BPPV usually occur following a period of latency during which the condition initiates, but the symptoms are not felt.An individual suffering from BPPV would develop several symptoms including brief attacks of horizontal and/or vertical vertigo, dizziness, light-headedness, unsteadiness, a sense of loss of balance, blurring of vision which develops in association with the vertigo, nausea vomiting, etc. th e vertigo is usually felt following rolling on the bed or extending the head backwards. The individual may develop the vertigo when moving the head towards the left or the right or both. Whichever side the vertigo develops, that particular side is involved in the vertigo process. The attacks of vertigo usually last for about half a minute or thirty seconds.On repeated testing of vertigo symptoms, it usually diminishes. In some patients, this duration may get extended for about one minute. About 50 % of the patients suffering from BPPV experienced a kind of floating sensation. Following he vertigo sensations, the individual also experiences bouts of nausea and loss of static equilibrium. The frequency of the vertigo attacks vary from one individual to another, ranging from a several episodes in a day to a few episodes in a week or month. Some individuals may also be sensitive to movement of the head in any direction.Along with the symptoms, the individuals may also develop several me ntal symptoms including anxiety, depression, cancer phobia, etc. In certain situations, the vertigo attacks may be life-threatening. Take for example a high-rise building construction worker, can put himself in danger of losing his life in case he develops a vertigo attack related to BPPV. Even driving whilst suffering from BPPV is a danger, as the visual field is impaired. The episodes of vertigo can in fact disappear during the course of the disease and suddenly recur. Abnormal eye movements (nystagmus) are also common in BPPV.Serious complications arising from BPPV are rare. One of the potential complications includes dehydration due to constant vomiting which may develop from vertigo. Tinnitus and hearing loss are rarely associated with BPPV. Diagnosis The diagnosis of BPPV is made based on the history, symptoms, signs, physical examinations and diagnostic tests such as your electronystagmography (ENG), videonystagmography (VNG) and Magnetic resonance scans (MRIs). One of the co mmonest signs of BPPV is dizziness that occurs when the head or the eye is moved, that tends to occur for duration of up to one minute.One of the diagnostic examination procedures utilized to determine BPPV is Dix-Hallpike maneuver. It is utilized especially to diagnose posterior BPPV. The patient is made to sit upright on the bed with the chin/head facing downwards. Then the patient is slowly moved backwards and is taken into a lying position on the bed, with the chin/head moved backwards. Once the patient is taken into this position, nystagmus develops after one to five seconds and lasts for about 30 seconds. The nystagmus has initially a light vertical component and then a strong torsion component.When the patient is moved from the lying with head facing backwards, to the sitting position with the head bend downwards, then the two components of the nystagmus also beings to appear in reverse order. An associated sign with the nystagmus is vertigo which varies depending on the inte nsity of the nystagmus. The procedure should be repeated with the head facing the right side and the left side to determine the involvement of the posterior canal on either side. In order to determine for lateral BPPV, the patient is made to lie supine on the bed with head upright.Then the head and the entire body are turned to the suspected side of involvement quickly. A nystagmus appears which is horizontal in nature which has very short latency periods and becomes more and more oblivious when the test posture is maintained. The individual may get fatigued when kept in the lateral position for a long time. In some patients, the Dix-Hallpike maneuver may be positive, but may not in fact experience the symptoms of vertigo. These patients need to be tested again by repositioning. Electronystagmography and videonystagmography is utilized to determine the abnormal eye movements.ENG is enabled by using electrodes whereas VNG is enabled using cameras. The individual may feel dizziness du ring certain maneuvers, and this is studied using ENG and VNG. MRI scans are basically done to determine any brain tumor or lesion present within the skull that could be causing dizziness and vertigo. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI scans can help to determine of any lesion within the skull more closely. Several other conditions such as labyrinthitis, vestibular neuronitis, Meniere’s disease, etc, need to be ruled out through the process of differential diagnosis. TreatmentBPPV can remit spontaneously within a few months or weeks without any treatment. Drug treatment is usually not recommended, as the symptoms can reduce only temporarily and it offers no permanent solution for the condition. In some individual, the adverse affects of certain drugs may worsen the vertigo. One measure that can be applied in order to treat vertigo is exercises or provocative maneuvers. The individual needs to perform certain exercises in the morning which would cause fatigue and ensure that the symptoms for the remaining portion of the day are within control.Surgery and the canalith repositioning procedure (CRP) seem to the most effective forms of treatment for the condition BPPV. In the CRP procedure, the physician or the audiologist would be performing a series of maneuvers in order to reposition the canalith into the utricle. In the Epley’s maneuver, the patient is sedated and mechanical skill vibration is utilized to move the head into 5 different positions. The otolith debris would then be influenced by gravity and would move from their position in the semicircular canals into the utricle. The particle repositioning procedure is done by using a 3 stage maneuver.The physician or the audiologist should have a clear understanding of ear anatomy and the mechanism in which BPPV occurs. The prolonged position maneuver is utilized to treat BPPV that arises due to involvement of the lateral canals. Studies conducted by Blakley (1994) demonstrated that there were no significant changes in the outcome when the patient was treated with CRP or with nothing. This is because the brain may adapt to the vertigo. Surgery is usually recommended if the BPPV does not respond to maneuvers nor has a multiple recurrence rates.Singular neurectomy involves sectioning the ampullary nerve that transmits nerve signals from the posterior semicircular canals to the brain. However, there are also chances that the patient could become deaf. Posterior semicircular canal occlusion involves causing blockage of the semicircular canal lumen in order to prevent endolymph from flowing. When the individual performs any movement, the cupula does not respond. References: Epley, J. M. (1992). â€Å"The Canalith repositioning procedure: For treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. † Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, 107(3).Gordon, C. R. Et al (2004). â€Å"Repeated vs single physical maneuver in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. † Acta Neurol Scand, 110, 166–169. Mayo Clinic Staff (2008). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) – Introduction, Retrieved on June 3, 2008, from Mayo Clinic Web site: http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/vertigo/DS00534/DSECTION=1 Oghalai, J. S. (2007). Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, Retrieved on June 3, 2008, from The Merck Manual Web site: http://www. merck. com/mmpe/sec08/ch086/ch086c. html# Parnes, L. S. , Agarwal, S. K. , & Atlas, J. (2003).â€Å"Diagnosis and management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). † CMAJ, 169(7). Nunez, R. A. Et al (2000). â€Å"Short- and long-term outcomes of canalith repositioning for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. † Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 122(5). Seo, T. Et al (2007). â€Å"Immediate Efficacy of the Canalith Repositioning Procedure for the Treatment of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. † Otology & Neurotology, 28: 917Y919. Woodsworth, B. A. , Gillespie, M. B. , & Lambert, P. R . (2004). â€Å"The Canalith Repositioning Procedure for Benign Positional Vertigo: A Meta-Analysis. † Laryngoscope, 114, 1143–1146.

Disc Platinum Rule Assessment

â€Å"The ultimate goal of the Platinum Rule is personal chemistry and productive relationships† (Alessandra). The University of Phoenix creates learning teams in each online classroom setting. Individuals bring different behavior styles when they come together in a group. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different behavior styles as defined by the DISC Platinum Rule assessment and how it relates to learning team members. The DISC Platinum Rule breaks out into four dimensions of behavior. Each different dimension has strengths and weaknesses and no dimension is better than another. The four different dimensions are the dominance style, the interactive style, the steadiness style, and the cautious style. Dominance Style The dominance style has two main governing needs. These needs are the need to control and the need to achieve. People who fit into the dominance style are goal-orientated go-getters. They find themselves most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. People with the dominance style are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves. They are annoyed by delays and challenge outdated thinking and ideas. Alessandra) The four sub styles of the dominance style are the director, the adventurer, the producer and the pioneer. The director questions authority, takes more risks, and is motivated by new opportunities. The adventurer, wary of people who may take advantage, is result-orientated and is motivated by dominance and independence. The producer chooses to be involved in chosen activities from start to finish. They resist people who are obstacles and are motivated by accomplishing bigger and better goals according to their internal timetable. The pioneer tends to focus on the future and is driven by a quest for unique accomplishments to avoid boredom. Holding a position to direct and redirect task accomplishments motivates them. (Alessandra) Tijuana Muse and Nessa Little, two members of the learning team, both fit into the dominance style behavior dimension. The snapshot of their sub style report marked them both as â€Å"The Producer. † The assessment described them as less guarded and less direct then most other dominance styles. The assessment also stated their primary goal is to achieve bigger and better goals. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include impatience and taking themselves to seriously. Strengths presented in the assessment include the ability to juggle tasks and a high energy level. Tijuana agrees with these results as they describe her work patterns and behavior. She needs goals to be set to help motivate her to achieve a higher level of performance. Even though she does not like timeframes, she prefers to work at a higher pace. Her behavior style effects the learning team by providing results quickly and timely if given a set goal. Nessa agreed with the results of her assessment. She will use the weaknesses presented as areas for improvement. She wants to broaden her point of view when it comes to goals. She becomes very focused on the task at hand and will forget that other things need her attention also. She needs to learn to be more flexible and show more confidence in other people. These observations from the assessment affect the team because she knows to ask others to share ideas and to will become more tolerant of the differences in others. Interactive Style The second style is the interactive style. People in this behavioral style are friendly and enthusiastic. They prefer to be in the middle of the action and thrive on admiration, acknowledgment, and compliments. People in the interactive style are more relationship-orientated and less task-orientated. Their main strengths are people skills and communication and they do so with enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. Good communication skills help them influence people and bring them together to accomplish goals. (Alessandra) The sub styles of the interactive style are the socializer, the helper, the impresser, and the enthusiast. The socializer has a natural tendency to meet people. They speak freely about their thoughts feelings, and experiences, and receiving social approval from others motivates them. The helper has a natural dislike of pressuring others or telling them what to do. They seek close personal relationships that focus on caring and sharing and they are motivated by friendship. The impresser feels taking shortcuts to accomplish a goal is cheating. They become impatient with procrastinators and winning with flair motivates them. The enthusiast enjoys symbols of authority and prestige and is uncomfortable with confinement or restriction of freedom. Influencing others provides them motivation. (Alessandra) CooKie, a member of the learning team, fits into the interactive style behavior dimension. The snapshot of her sub style marked her as â€Å"The Impresser. † The assessment described her as seeing winning as an all-or-nothing proposition, judging people by their ability to make things happen, and working harder when there are bigger risks and rewards at stake. Weaknesses presented in the assessment included disorganized, careless, exaggerating, and poor follow through. Strengths presented in the assessment included persuasiveness, optimistic, motivating, and enthusiastic. CooKie agreed with how the assessment described her characteristics at work. She likes to go above and beyond expectations to complete a task. She often collaborates with co-workers in order to ensure the goals of the company are achieved efficiently. This causes her to be considerate of co-workers’ feelings when working on projects. As deadlines approach she tends to overreact that they will not be met. This is her reason to avoid procrastination. Her behavior style affects the learning team by providing a high attention to detail and being mindful of the other team members’ feelings. Steadiness Style The third style is the steadiness style. Individuals with this style are warm, supportive, and nurturing. They are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. This makes them the most people-orientated of the four styles. With a relaxed disposition they are approachable, which allows them to develop strong networks of people. People in the steadiness style do not like risk. They may tolerate bad situations rather than risk changing the status quo. They prefer to maintain their personal composure, stability, and balance. They exhibit behaviors of courtesy, friendliness, and a willingness to share responsibilities. People in this style are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through. Because of their need of security, need to avoid risk, and desire to include others; Individuals with the steadiness style are slow decision-makers. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the steadiness style are the relater, the specialist, the go-getter, and the harmonizer. The relater is threatened by changes that jeopardize relationships or surroundings, prefers to deal with concrete situations and data rather than theory, trends, or conjecture, and is motivated by personal stability. Specialists prefer to focus on their own interests. The excel in conditions that are stable and allow for steady, incremental gains and are motivated by doing what they know and only knowing what they do. The go-getter is a good short-term planner with an ability to identify roles, resources, and time lines. They are highly self-reliant and are motivated by a desire for a steady flow of more accomplishments. The harmonizer wants to be the person wanted and needed by others. They are motivated by the acceptance and approval gained from helping others. (Alessandra) Cautious Style The fourth behavior dimension is the cautious style. People in this style are analytical, persistent, and systematic. They enjoy problem solving and are detail-oriented. This causes them to be concerned with content over style. They enjoy working toward tangible results and perfecting the processes to achieve them. This type of person controls their emotions and tends to be uncomfortable amongst out-going people. Even though they tend to see the serious and complex side to situations, their intelligence and ability to see different points of view allows them to be quick and present a unique sense of humor. People in the cautious style can be over-critical because of having high expectations of themselves and others. In extreme cases their tendency toward perfection can cause paralysis by over-analysis. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, and calculate margins of error before making decisions. This causes them to be slow and deliberate decision-makers. Some main strengths of the cautious style are an eye for detail and accuracy, dependable, independent, persistent, and organized. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the cautious style are the thinker, the master-minder, the assessor, and the perfecter. The thinker has a preference for privacy, has a natural talent for deliberate decision-making and is motivated by the desire to be correct. The master-minder expresses his or herself more by what they do than by what they say. They choose to work alone and are motivated by increased opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. The assessor is a quick thinker and can deal with many inputs simultaneously. They are motivated by accomplishing goals with excellence. The perfecter pays attention to key processes and details. They are methodical, thorough, dependable, and is motivated predictable results. (Alessandra) Anthony Cosenza, another member of the learning team, fits into the cautious style behavior dimension. His snapshot of sub style report marked him as â€Å"The Master-Minder. † His assessment described him as more guarded and less direct than most other cautious styles. The assessment also described his primary goal that motivates him is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. His tendencies include being very alert to conflict and resistance, appearing focused and self-controlled with people, taking some calculated risks when making decisions, preferring to work alone, becoming overly analytical, and possibly procrastinating when under pressure. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include perfectionistic, critical and unresponsive. Strengths presented in the assessment include planning, dependability, problem solving, and systematizing. Anthony agreed with most of his assessment as it described many of his behaviors. During stressful times he does become withdrawn and focuses on tasks and the processes to complete them. He wants to be right and does depend heavily on data collection. He prefers to work alone and has good problem solving skills as the assessment identified. His behavior style affects the team by providing an awareness of the situation and being able to solve issues. Conclusion The DISC Platinum Rule assessment identifies a person’s behavior style. When working in a team each member will have a different style. Each style provides the team with unique characteristics that provide strengths and weaknesses. An effective team will utilize each team member’s strengths and look out for and correct weaknesses. By doing this a team will be highly effective in accomplishing goals and achieving success. Disc Platinum Rule Assessment â€Å"The ultimate goal of the Platinum Rule is personal chemistry and productive relationships† (Alessandra). The University of Phoenix creates learning teams in each online classroom setting. Individuals bring different behavior styles when they come together in a group. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different behavior styles as defined by the DISC Platinum Rule assessment and how it relates to learning team members. The DISC Platinum Rule breaks out into four dimensions of behavior. Each different dimension has strengths and weaknesses and no dimension is better than another. The four different dimensions are the dominance style, the interactive style, the steadiness style, and the cautious style. Dominance Style The dominance style has two main governing needs. These needs are the need to control and the need to achieve. People who fit into the dominance style are goal-orientated go-getters. They find themselves most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. People with the dominance style are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves. They are annoyed by delays and challenge outdated thinking and ideas. Alessandra) The four sub styles of the dominance style are the director, the adventurer, the producer and the pioneer. The director questions authority, takes more risks, and is motivated by new opportunities. The adventurer, wary of people who may take advantage, is result-orientated and is motivated by dominance and independence. The producer chooses to be involved in chosen activities from start to finish. They resist people who are obstacles and are motivated by accomplishing bigger and better goals according to their internal timetable. The pioneer tends to focus on the future and is driven by a quest for unique accomplishments to avoid boredom. Holding a position to direct and redirect task accomplishments motivates them. (Alessandra) Tijuana Muse and Nessa Little, two members of the learning team, both fit into the dominance style behavior dimension. The snapshot of their sub style report marked them both as â€Å"The Producer. † The assessment described them as less guarded and less direct then most other dominance styles. The assessment also stated their primary goal is to achieve bigger and better goals. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include impatience and taking themselves to seriously. Strengths presented in the assessment include the ability to juggle tasks and a high energy level. Tijuana agrees with these results as they describe her work patterns and behavior. She needs goals to be set to help motivate her to achieve a higher level of performance. Even though she does not like timeframes, she prefers to work at a higher pace. Her behavior style effects the learning team by providing results quickly and timely if given a set goal. Nessa agreed with the results of her assessment. She will use the weaknesses presented as areas for improvement. She wants to broaden her point of view when it comes to goals. She becomes very focused on the task at hand and will forget that other things need her attention also. She needs to learn to be more flexible and show more confidence in other people. These observations from the assessment affect the team because she knows to ask others to share ideas and to will become more tolerant of the differences in others. Interactive Style The second style is the interactive style. People in this behavioral style are friendly and enthusiastic. They prefer to be in the middle of the action and thrive on admiration, acknowledgment, and compliments. People in the interactive style are more relationship-orientated and less task-orientated. Their main strengths are people skills and communication and they do so with enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. Good communication skills help them influence people and bring them together to accomplish goals. (Alessandra) The sub styles of the interactive style are the socializer, the helper, the impresser, and the enthusiast. The socializer has a natural tendency to meet people. They speak freely about their thoughts feelings, and experiences, and receiving social approval from others motivates them. The helper has a natural dislike of pressuring others or telling them what to do. They seek close personal relationships that focus on caring and sharing and they are motivated by friendship. The impresser feels taking shortcuts to accomplish a goal is cheating. They become impatient with procrastinators and winning with flair motivates them. The enthusiast enjoys symbols of authority and prestige and is uncomfortable with confinement or restriction of freedom. Influencing others provides them motivation. (Alessandra) CooKie, a member of the learning team, fits into the interactive style behavior dimension. The snapshot of her sub style marked her as â€Å"The Impresser. † The assessment described her as seeing winning as an all-or-nothing proposition, judging people by their ability to make things happen, and working harder when there are bigger risks and rewards at stake. Weaknesses presented in the assessment included disorganized, careless, exaggerating, and poor follow through. Strengths presented in the assessment included persuasiveness, optimistic, motivating, and enthusiastic. CooKie agreed with how the assessment described her characteristics at work. She likes to go above and beyond expectations to complete a task. She often collaborates with co-workers in order to ensure the goals of the company are achieved efficiently. This causes her to be considerate of co-workers’ feelings when working on projects. As deadlines approach she tends to overreact that they will not be met. This is her reason to avoid procrastination. Her behavior style affects the learning team by providing a high attention to detail and being mindful of the other team members’ feelings. Steadiness Style The third style is the steadiness style. Individuals with this style are warm, supportive, and nurturing. They are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. This makes them the most people-orientated of the four styles. With a relaxed disposition they are approachable, which allows them to develop strong networks of people. People in the steadiness style do not like risk. They may tolerate bad situations rather than risk changing the status quo. They prefer to maintain their personal composure, stability, and balance. They exhibit behaviors of courtesy, friendliness, and a willingness to share responsibilities. People in this style are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through. Because of their need of security, need to avoid risk, and desire to include others; Individuals with the steadiness style are slow decision-makers. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the steadiness style are the relater, the specialist, the go-getter, and the harmonizer. The relater is threatened by changes that jeopardize relationships or surroundings, prefers to deal with concrete situations and data rather than theory, trends, or conjecture, and is motivated by personal stability. Specialists prefer to focus on their own interests. The excel in conditions that are stable and allow for steady, incremental gains and are motivated by doing what they know and only knowing what they do. The go-getter is a good short-term planner with an ability to identify roles, resources, and time lines. They are highly self-reliant and are motivated by a desire for a steady flow of more accomplishments. The harmonizer wants to be the person wanted and needed by others. They are motivated by the acceptance and approval gained from helping others. (Alessandra) Cautious Style The fourth behavior dimension is the cautious style. People in this style are analytical, persistent, and systematic. They enjoy problem solving and are detail-oriented. This causes them to be concerned with content over style. They enjoy working toward tangible results and perfecting the processes to achieve them. This type of person controls their emotions and tends to be uncomfortable amongst out-going people. Even though they tend to see the serious and complex side to situations, their intelligence and ability to see different points of view allows them to be quick and present a unique sense of humor. People in the cautious style can be over-critical because of having high expectations of themselves and others. In extreme cases their tendency toward perfection can cause paralysis by over-analysis. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, and calculate margins of error before making decisions. This causes them to be slow and deliberate decision-makers. Some main strengths of the cautious style are an eye for detail and accuracy, dependable, independent, persistent, and organized. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the cautious style are the thinker, the master-minder, the assessor, and the perfecter. The thinker has a preference for privacy, has a natural talent for deliberate decision-making and is motivated by the desire to be correct. The master-minder expresses his or herself more by what they do than by what they say. They choose to work alone and are motivated by increased opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. The assessor is a quick thinker and can deal with many inputs simultaneously. They are motivated by accomplishing goals with excellence. The perfecter pays attention to key processes and details. They are methodical, thorough, dependable, and is motivated predictable results. (Alessandra) Anthony Cosenza, another member of the learning team, fits into the cautious style behavior dimension. His snapshot of sub style report marked him as â€Å"The Master-Minder. † His assessment described him as more guarded and less direct than most other cautious styles. The assessment also described his primary goal that motivates him is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. His tendencies include being very alert to conflict and resistance, appearing focused and self-controlled with people, taking some calculated risks when making decisions, preferring to work alone, becoming overly analytical, and possibly procrastinating when under pressure. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include perfectionistic, critical and unresponsive. Strengths presented in the assessment include planning, dependability, problem solving, and systematizing. Anthony agreed with most of his assessment as it described many of his behaviors. During stressful times he does become withdrawn and focuses on tasks and the processes to complete them. He wants to be right and does depend heavily on data collection. He prefers to work alone and has good problem solving skills as the assessment identified. His behavior style affects the team by providing an awareness of the situation and being able to solve issues. Conclusion The DISC Platinum Rule assessment identifies a person’s behavior style. When working in a team each member will have a different style. Each style provides the team with unique characteristics that provide strengths and weaknesses. An effective team will utilize each team member’s strengths and look out for and correct weaknesses. By doing this a team will be highly effective in accomplishing goals and achieving success.

John Stuart Mill

â€Å"Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain. † – John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill defines utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle that â€Å"actions are right in proportions as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness† (Sparknotes Editors). There are a few important aspects of this definition.It presents utility, the existence of pleasure and the absence of pain, as both the basis of everything that people desire, as the foundation of morality. This however, does not state that it is moral for people to pursue what makes them personally happy (Sparknotes Editors). The question at hand is what would John Stuart Mill advise the doctor to do? Fulfill the Joes request and assist him with his death or respect the family’s wishes by keeping Joe alive.From my viewpoint, I would say that Mill would tell the doctor to go forth with the family’s wishes because of his statement â€Å"is it not moral for people to pursue what makes them personally happy† (Sparknotes Editors) and in this case – it would not be moral to do as the patient wishes because the end result would be that it would only make the patient happy. However, from a utilitarian view point, a physician assisted suicide can appear to be morally justified in all cases. But in this case, it would be only morally justified in the patients’ case because he is the only one who is on board with the idea of physician assisted suicide.The only way this way this would be morally justified in all cases is if not only the patient was on board, but the entire family would have to be as well, by looking at such things like the physician assisted suicide as an elimination of the financial burden due to medical costs. Mill’s Utilitarianism states that in order to be mo ral, one must make decisions based upon the greatest happiness. In terms of physician assisted suicide I feel that death, no matter the form, usually brings many emotions such as both positive (the end of the patients suffering; then end of medical costs), and negative (feeling of loss and sadness of a loved one).According to Mill, the utilitarian doctrine states that â€Å"happiness is desirable, and the only thing desirable, as an end; all other things being only desirable as means to that end. † (Mill) so what he is saying is that we are to treat others and ourselves included as a means to an end, and that it would be immoral to use other people and ourselves as a mere means. If you think about it, happiness is only something that can be experienced when we are alive and in reality, there is nothing desired except happiness and our actions derive from the pursuit of happiness. So if our ultimate moral end goal is happiness.My argument would be that the patient is not seeki ng happiness as an end but only a means because he is seeking it for himself to end his suffering. The process of physician assisted euthanasia would be considered a mere means if it were both what the patient and his family both wanted – but in this case this is not what both parties want. They each want the end result to be different. Mill also argued that individuals are the best judges and guardians of their own interests. So in this case, he would be stating that Joe is capable of making his own decision(s) and his family should allow him to make his own decision in this case.The only way Mill would state otherwise is if Joe was not capable of making his own decision, an example would be if he was in an unconscious state or otherwise mentally impaired. At this point a case could be made in the fact that Joe is unhappy and he knows eventually that his illness will lead him to much discomfort and possible pain. The only thing in Joe’s mind that will make him happy i s to end his suffering and end the suffering of his family who would have to watch him battle this sickness. This would be a â€Å"win-win† situation in Joes mind.Another case could be made using the assertion that â€Å"the right thing† would be to use any means necessary to alleviate the pain and suffering Joe may face in the future. This renews and reaffirms Joe’s importance to himself and his family members. Mill has also stated â€Å"all selfish interests must be terminated by death. † I think that by this he is saying the only way to end Joe’s want for physician assisted suicide is by death. He is stating that this is a selfish want on Joe’s part – he could also be stating that the family too is being selfish in not wanting to end Joe’s suffering.So neither party’s selfish wants are going to be subsided until death. I feel that John Stuart Mills’ utilitarianism would support the idea of what the family feels and wants rather than supporting physician assisted euthanasia. Only because his main focus is happiness and one cannot experience happiness in death. Works Cited Mill J. S. , Utilitarianism. New York; Longmans, Green; 1907 SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on Utilitarianism. † SparkNotes LLC. n. d.. http://www. sparknotes. com/philosophy/utilitarianism/ (accessed October 17, 2012).

Short Essay-Close Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short -Close Reading - Essay Example The next chapter indicates that Jim, apart from going out with Lena to theatre, also meets her at her shop, visits her apartment and spends a considerable amount of time, since the time he met her. Chapter three of book three seems to be an account of the play and their experience watching it, but it is significant to the entire book as it brings out the pain in Jim with his separation from Antonia and his sudden realization of the compelling similarity between the play and real life. This realization is the heart of the chapter. When we reached the door of the theatre, the streets were shining with rain. I had prudently brought along Mrs. Harlings useful Commencement present, and I took Lena home under its shelter. After leaving her, I walked slowly out into the country part of the town where I lived. The lilacs were all blooming in the yards, and the smell of them after the rain, of the new leaves and the blossoms together, blew into my face with a sort of bitter sweetness. I tramped through the puddles and under the showery trees, mourning for Marguerite Gauthier as if she had died only yesterday, sighing with the spirit of 1840, which had sighed so much, and which had reached me only that night, across long years and several languages, through the person of an infirm old actress. The idea is one that no circumstances can frustrate. Wherever and whenever that piece is put on, it is April (p. 201). After his account of how Jim and Lena were able to navigate through the rain, he slides into his version of his experience of his walk back home after leaving Lena at her house. Unlike Lena, he stays in the country side. Jim describes the things in nature as he finds his way back home through the country side in which he lives. It is spring and the rain has left the blossoming lilacs fresh and fragrant. However, the words â€Å"bitter sweetness†, juxtaposes two opposites forming an oxymoron

International Business and Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business and Trade - Essay Example The first part of the article revealed the ailing performance of Carphone's broadband brand TalkTalk. Carphone stocks plunged as news showed the service performance problems of TalkTalk subscribers. The poor performance, according to Carphone is partially due to British Telecom's (BT) Openreach division. The retail giant assumed that BT's progress in transferring of customers from the latter to the former "was slow." However this issue was overshadowed by the fact that Vodafone, UK's leading mobile service provider, signed an exclusive contract with Phones 4u, Carphone's main competitor. Carphone is UK's leader in mobile phones retail. Thanks to the innovative minds of Charles Dunstone and David Ross, the mobile retailer, which was initially a small store along Marylebone Road in London, became a 4 billion giant industry. Vodafone, the leader in mobile services, had been a close partner in Britain's mobile communications industry growth. Dunstone's aggressive dream to make Carphone a real mobile leader ushered him to integrate TalkTalk broadband service. The entrepreneur also partnered with Sir Richard Branson in launching Virgin Mobile in France. Another bold move, the 320 million impending acquisition of AOL UK would make Carphone a driving force in broadband and internet industry. Carphone's ambitious moves make it both a mobile retail an... To better grasp this, let us look at the history of UK's mobile industry. UK's mobile industry has transformed drastically from its introduction to the market. As expected, both mobile phone retailers and mobile service providers had a very harmonious mutual relationship in serving enthusiastic buyers of the recently supplied, sophisticated gadgets known as mobile phones. But as almost every British person has his own mobile phone, the rules of the mobile industry changed. At present, to improve performance, mobile service providers concentrate on how to woo subscribers of contract services away from competitors, prioritising on high paying contract customers more than the more transient pre pay customers. On the other hand, mobile retailers profit on the upgrades of devices, switches for a better deal and service for their customers, and other activities that require their service. With its source of profit coming from commission and service revenues, retailers are concerned more on the activities of their customers: the greater number of activities, the greater the profit. Proposed Marketing Strategies Given a brief background on milieu within which Carphone is involved in, the writer suggests that, to improve its overall performance in the mobile industry, it should first concentrate on solving the issues in its bread and butter service: mobile retail. Repositioning its mobile retail business will open a way to fix the problems it has with its broadband business. Carphone has to fix its core business first before it should move on to his later business ventures. Repositioning Carphone's retail service The first step that Carphone should take in boosting its weakening performance in the eyes of its

Psyche (2010) By Donald Lipski Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psyche (2010) By Donald Lipski - Essay Example Lipski has set up public arts everywhere the country, each a reflection of the site and the people who infiltrate it. Psyche (the butterfly) is inactive in the â€Å"knuckle† domain joining the old with the new building up. To the old Greeks, Psyche not alone meant butterfly but as well soul, exalting the link between the organic and the advanced ambitions of the heart. Through Donald Lipski’s explore he identified that the butterfly was also a significant symbol to other cultures, intending rejuvenation, rebirth, and love. Approximately ten thousand test tubes filled with pigmented acrylic, the commonest and familiar tools of science, suggest the individual cells of the extensions. The work is large, approximately one hundred forty-five’’ across and ten’’ high, inactive to slowly draw in the currents of the HVAC. The â€Å"veins† of the wings are fancied out of brand and the domain intermediate is elongated with stainless steel mesh from which the test tubes are suspended. Donald created a butterfly built from steel and ten thousand resin filled gla ss test tubes, by the avid Denver artist, John McEnroe. Psyche (the butterfly), 2010 . Artworks: Sculpture. Retrieved from: