Practices in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Several controversies have been hitting the pharmaceutical industry in the last few years. The larger percentage of the controversies ranges from Medicare fraud to high-priced medications that are marketed by these firms. From the researcher’s point of view, big pharmaceutical corporations are putting huge profits on top of patients, spiraling shammed public relations campaigns and more. Before the recent changes, Medicare CEOs and these companies had been reported to have involved in frauds worth billions of shillings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Practices in the Pharmaceutical Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The indications are that the costs of the drugs are rising more rapidly than any other thing a patient can pay for. It has been found that medications are the most rapidly increasing part of the patient health care bill. It is argued that most of the patient’s expenditure on drug s has also risen. The reason is that the quantities of drugs that are being prescribed have increased. Moreover, the practitioners are prescribing new ineffective drugs that are more expensive than the old effective less costly drugs. More appalling is the fact that the prices of these consistently prescribed drugs are in a great deal jacked up, in most cases a number of times a year. The discounts as well as other incentives the medical practitioners such as the oncologists are receiving are used as a reason for hiking the prices. The government as well as other researchers has found that these benefits are unwarranted. The most shocking thing about these drug price controversies is that the trusted health care providers have an ulterior motive behind these prescriptions. Researchers found out that there is a correlation between the methods through which cancer doctors are being paid to the choice of drugs they use in a particular treatment of cancer such as chemotherapy (Abelson p ar.9). Once the oncologists have decided on the type of treatment, the mode of payment influences the type of drug prescription. As opposed to the expectations those who are fairly paid are likely to prescribe more expensive drugs. Reports indicate that most of the pharmaceutical firms’ representatives provide hand-outs to influence medical practitioners to recommend the drugs they represent. Going by analytic reviews of the articles on the diabetes drugs Avandia, it is true that drug manufacturers are paying medical experts to make positive conclusions about their drugs safety and effectiveness. In fact, Avandia case is one out of many (Bakalar par.1).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are several cases where the medical expert opinions are influenced by the financial handouts. It is agreed among the medical professionals that the interaction between the pharmaceuti cal companies and the health providers are not in the best interest of the patient. Moreover, most of the doctors agree that solicitation of drugs directly from these companies compromises the ethical standards and impractical, most can be influenced by free gifts and hand outs from these companies. Some sections of the medical profession argue that their treatment decisions are for the best interest of the patients (Abelson par.7). The argument is that doctors only prescribe drugs that are clinically recommended. Moreover, quality health care must be more costly. However, in the case of cancer therapy, there is no any evidence that one type of chemotherapy drugs are working better than the others. In this case, the medical practitioners have the wide array of manufacturers or the pharmaceutical agents to choose from. Therefore, regardless of their persistence that their therapy decisions are based on what they feel is best for the patient; medical practitioners are influenced by ot her factors such as payment policies as well as other financial influences coming from the drug manufacturers. Works Cited Abelson, Reed. Pay Method Said to Sway Drug Choices of Oncologists. 8 March, 2006. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/health/pay-method-said-to-sway-drug-choices-of-oncologists.html?mtrref=undefinedgwh=10D3E21F5F61FEE361D3E4D9E3C8AB76gwt=payassetType=REGIWALL. Bakalar, Nicholas. Study Sees a Slant in Articles on Drug. April 12, 2010. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/health/13diab.html?ref=healthmtrref=undefinedgwh=F37B9DF9C8BF26E83D20C904000D78BFgwt=pay. This essay on Practices in the Pharmaceutical Industry was written and submitted by user Karlee O. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Probability of Randomly Choosing a Prime Number

Probability of Randomly Choosing a Prime Number Number theory is a branch of mathematics  that concerns itself with the set of integers. We restrict ourselves somewhat by doing this as we do not directly study other numbers, such as irrationals. However, other types of real numbers are used. In addition to this, the subject of probability has many connections and intersections with number theory. One of these connections has to do with the distribution of prime numbers. More specifically we may ask, what is the probability that a randomly chosen integer from 1 to x is a prime number? Assumptions and Definitions As with any mathematics problem, it is important to understand not only what assumptions are being made, but also the definitions of all of the key terms in the problem. For this problem we are considering the positive integers, meaning the whole numbers 1, 2, 3, . . . up to some number x. We are randomly choosing one of these numbers, meaning that all x of them are equally likely to be chosen. We are trying to determine the probability that a prime number is chosen. Thus we need to understand the definition of a prime number. A prime number is a positive integer that has exactly two factors. This means that the only divisors of prime numbers are one and the number itself. So 2,3 and 5 are primes, but 4, 8 and 12 are not prime. We note that because there must be two factors in a prime number, the number 1 is not prime. Solution  for Low Numbers The solution to this problem is straightforward for low numbers x. All that we need to do is simply count the numbers of primes that are less than or equal to x. We divide the number of primes less than or equal to x by the number x. For example, to find the probability that a prime is selected from 1 to 10 requires us to divide the number of primes from 1 to 10 by 10. The numbers 2, 3, 5, 7 are prime, so the probability that a prime is selected is 4/10 40%. The probability that a prime is selected from 1 to 50 can be found in a similar way. The primes that are less than 50 are: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43 and 47. There are 15 primes less than or equal to 50. Thus the probability that a prime is selected at random is 15/50 30%. This process can be carried out by simply counting primes as long as we have a list of primes. For example, there are 25 primes less than or equal to 100. (Thus the probability that a randomly chosen number from 1 to 100 is prime is 25/100 25%.) However, if we do not have a list of primes, it could be computationally daunting to determine the set of prime numbers that are less than or equal to a given number x. The Prime Number Theorem If you do not have a count of the number of primes that are less than or equal to x, then there is an alternate way to solve this problem. The solution involves a mathematical result known as the prime number theorem. This is a statement about the overall distribution of the primes and can be used to approximate the probability that we are trying to determine. The prime number theorem states that there are approximately x / ln(x) prime numbers that are less than or equal to x. Here ln(x) denotes the natural logarithm of x, or in other words the logarithm with a base of the number e. As the value of x increases the approximation improves, in the sense that we see a decrease in the relative error between the number of primes less than x and the expression x / ln(x). Application of the Prime Number Theorem We can use the result of the prime number theorem to solve the problem we are trying to address. We know by the prime number theorem that there are approximately x / ln(x) prime numbers that are less than or equal to x. Furthermore, there are a total of x positive integers less than or equal to x. Therefore the probability that a randomly selected number in this range is prime is (x / ln(x) ) /x 1 / ln(x). Example We can now use this result to approximate the probability of randomly selecting a prime number out of the first billion integers. We calculate the natural logarithm of a billion and see that ln(1,000,000,000) is approximately 20.7 and 1/ln(1,000,000,000) is approximately 0.0483. Thus we have about a 4.83% probability of randomly choosing a prime number out of the first billion integers.

ACT Test Anxiety

How to Overcome SAT/ACT Test Anxiety SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We've all experienced nerves before an important evaluation, but for many of us the anxiety is much, much worse than a few simple jitters. By all accounts, a significant percentage of students experience some level of test anxiety, ranging from significant but livable symptoms to the most severely debilitating manifestations. Dealing with any level of test anxiety during the SAT or ACT is, at its best, the opposite of fun. This guide will explain what test anxiety is, why it happens, and what you can do to manage it. Test Anxiety: What Is It? The first thing to say is that test anxiety isreal. It's not something you've just imagined, and it's not a simple matter of bucking up and pulling it together. It's also not a moral failing or a character flaw. It's a real and serious phenomenon, and it isn't your fault. Background Test anxiety is frequently considered a subcategory of performanceanxiety, which is characterized by excessive nervousness in situationswhere there's high pressure to do well. Of course, in the case of test anxiety, the excessive nervousness is related specifically to tests. In clinical terms, text anxiety has also been identified as a specific way that social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder may manifest. This does not necessarily mean that if you experience test anxiety you would definitely be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. That's a conversation for a licensed mental health provider. In short, then, test anxiety is experiencing worry about what might happen witha test that goes beyond the bounds of what society deems "normal". It's perfectly natural to be nervous, but test anxiety goes above and beyond basic nerves. Examining some symptoms may help delineate the difference further. Symptoms Not everyone with test anxiety experiences every symptom. This is a wide range of possible effects: you might have many of these, or only a few. Let's assess what's going on. Physical symptoms include headache; nausea, vomiting, or other gastrointestinal upset; excessive sweating; high blood pressure; dry mouth; shortness of breath; rapid heartbeat; and lightheadedness, feeling faint, or passing out. Emotional symptoms include dread, anger, fear, depression, feeling disappointed, and feeling helpless. Behavioral symptoms include fidgeting, pacing, avoidance, and uncontrollable laughing or crying. Cognitive symptoms include racing thoughts, trouble concentrating, negative thinking, negative self-talk, comparing yourself to others, and difficulty organizing thoughts. Another symptom of test anxiety is experiencing panic attacks. During a panic attack, you may feel that you can't breathe. Otherwise, you might have symptoms of a heart attack, including severe chest pain. If you're experiencing these symptoms, don't brush them off. Whether it's a panic attack or a heart attack, it deserves attention. Go to the nearest emergency room and find out for sure what's going on. All of these symptoms occur on a spectrum; some are easier to deal with, and some are a lot harder. You may have a headache, or you may flat-out faint. You may fidget, or you may break down crying. These symptoms all contribute to making a hard test that much harder. Having trouble concentrating or difficulty organizing thoughts is a completely unfair disadvantage to have as someone with test anxiety. Not only are you totally uncomfortable during the test, your worst fear is coming true- the test is almost impossible to get through! Test anxiety is incredibly cyclical in nature. As we've established, it basically boils down to excessive worry over doing well on a test. Being anxiousalso makes it very hard to do well on any test. The effect of that whole unfortunate fiasco is to make you less confident about your chances of doing well on a test- in other words, you get more anxious. Causes of Test Anxiety There a few reasons someone might experience test anxiety. Why does test anxiety happen? A lot of test anxiety stems from a fear of failure. Some of us tend to be especially sensitive to the pressure to perform. This can lead to a connection between self-worth and the outcome of tests- a very unhelpful association, but one which is difficult to overcome. Another trigger for test anxiety is lack of preparation. It's very natural to feel anxious when you're not prepared for the test ahead. This can exacerbate an underlying tendency towards test anxiety. Also, a poor history of testing experiences can contribute to test anxiety. If you haven't traditionally done as well as you'd like on tests, then you're not going to feel optimistic about the possible outcomes of future tests. There's also the definite possibility of a genetic predisposition. Our brains are built off of our DNA. If you experience test anxiety as part of a larger, underlying anxiety disorder, genetics likelyplay a very large role in what's going on. Sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how good of a testing history you have, and no matter how confident you are that you're worthwhile independent of tests, you might just wind up developing test anxiety. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! How to Manage Test Anxiety With Preparation Remember how under-preparation can trigger test anxiety? That means that, if you experience test anxiety, you especially need to prepare for tests. It's essential to prepare. Give Yourself Plenty of Time for a Test Preparation Program Don't try to cram starting a week before the test. This goes back to the lack-of-preparation trigger; the more thoroughly you've prepared, the better your chances are of feeling alright on test day. Review Regularly Since you're starting the process early, the topics you cover in the beginning will get rusty by the time you're near the end of the list- unless you review them periodically. Practice Under Exam Conditions Doing your best to simulate the test ahead of time will get you exposure to at least some of the circumstances that tend to make you anxious, such as time limits. Plan to Take the Test More Than Once (If Possible) It sounds like it'd add to your stress, but it will actually help you calm down over successive test dates- if you practice the techniques discussed in this article. It will also take the pressure off of you for any particular test date. Do your best on each test you take, but prioritize working through your test anxiety over what your score will be, especially on early run-through's. Appoint Dedicated Study-Time and Dedicated Break-Time It's important that you get enough study time in, and the best way to do that is to schedule it, rather than trying to fit it in catch-as-catch-can. It's also important that you don't completely fry yourself, so commit to taking breaks at regular intervals. If you start to looklike this, it's time for a break. Use Your Free Time Wisely If you've been typing an essay at the computer for three hours, a break that consists of checking your email and surfing the web will probably not rejuvenate you. On the other hand, getting outside or engaging ina conversation about something other than your work will probably perk you right up. Find a Dedicated Study Space Ideally, this space shouldnot be your bedroom. Our brains tend to form associations with the environments we frequent. It's easier to study somewhere you've only ever studied than it is to study somewhere you've only ever slept, hung out, or played video games. Keep Things Organized When you're cleaning up, it may be a pain not to simply throw all your materials together, but you'll thank yourself later (when you're trying to sort through it all) for spending a few minutes maintaining some order. Maintain a Positive Attitude Related to the Test This may sound impossible at first. Start small, then, and reframe your self-talk to a more optimistic tone. Remind yourself often that you are more than your scores and that your self-worth should not be tied to test performance. Set reasonable expectations for yourself, be gracious when you fall short, and reward your own effort. Get Your Proverbial Pencil Moving Often, the first step we take is the hardest. Once we get going, it's a lot easier to maintain that momentum. If you're overwhelmed or uncertain, then sometimes the best thing to do is to start somewhere. It doesn't matter if it's the ideal place tostart; it just matters that you're getting going. Stay Healthy Self-care is hugely important as you get ready to take the test. Make sure you're sleeping enough- sleep is hugely important for our brains. Eat healthily- don't diet, and don't binge on junk food; keep your nutritional intake balanced and satisfying. Exercise. Make time to rest and relax. Not every minute of your day needs to be about producing something; rather, downtimeis productive. An apple a day keeps the doctor away!Make sure you're eating well. Devise a Routine to Follow Prior to the Test This should involve things like having a good breakfast, checking your purse or backpack for all the things you need to take, and leaving with plentyof time to arrive early and get settled at the testing center. It should also involve anything that makes you feel your best. Wear the right clothes. Some people like to dress up and feel more professional and presentable, like something important is going on. Others would rather show up in their sweats and a ratty T-shirt, hair unbrushed, and not be distracted by styling products or uncomfortable clothes. Either is fine: it's all about making you feel ready to take on the world. Listen to music, if that gets you going. You might even create a playlist specific to test day. Do you meditate? Spend time in your practice. Whatever contributes to you feeling invincible, do it. What to Do During the Test We're all agreed that the test is stressful. Here are sometips on reducing that stress to a manageable level. Use what you need, when you need it. These are options for you to try; not everything works for everyone, and I don't recommend running through every single one of these on every test unless you really need to. Accept Your Anxiety Anxiety is habitual and cyclical; it's extremely unlikely that it will just disappear. Expect to feel some level of anxiety, and give yourself the clear message that anxiety is OK. You still don't have to like it. When you feel anxious, rather than kicking yourself or getting revved up further, acknowledge that you're anxious, and make a commitment to taking valued action anyway. Go through with the test, even though it's uncomfortable. Don't let your anxiety keep you from doing important things. Your anxiety may wellbe there, like it or not. Learn to manage it- not strive against it. Breathe Take deep, slow breaths. Ideally, count with a few of them, and see if you can make your exhale slightly longer than your inhale: for example, in on a count of four, out on a count of six. This helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, whose job it is to calm you down. Focus on the Test A big part of test anxiety is comparing yourself to other people. Our brains can only juggle so much information at once, though; if you're thinking about the other students, you're not thinking about the test- and vice versa. Use this to your advantage. Every time your mind wanders, don't blame yourself or beat yourself up- just bring yourself back to the test. Sometimes, a simple bit of self-talk can help shift your focus: "Thanks, mind; I'm not playing that game today." The sharper you can keep your focus on the test, the less you'll have to deal with the unpleasantness of worrying about other people. Realize, too, though, that sometimes coming straight back to the test is impossible; maybe your thoughts are racing too fast, or your experience of anxiety is too extreme. There are several tips here that address the process of grounding into the moment so that you're free to return to the test. Use Positive Self-Talk The idea here is to give yourself a message that comforts or inspires you. This can be abstract or specific, emotional or logical. The only criterion is that it has a positive effect on you. An example might be, "I am doing my best, and that is good enough." Think of Something You Have to Look Forward To Whether it's a treat when you're done with the test (which is an awesome idea, by the way!) or your favorite cousin's birthday bash in three weeks, think about what you have waiting on the other side of the exam. The test won't last forever. Stretch Our bodies don't negotiate anxiety well while sedentary. Changing positions can be extremely refreshing, and it's a chance to get some of that anxious energy out. Besides, it reminds you of what your body feels like, and that's something we too often forget when we're so stuck in our heads. Full-on yoga is not recommended while you're at the test center. Tense (and Relax) Your Muscles Dig your heels into the ground. Squeeze your fists. Get your muscles involved- this is another great way to invoke physical sensation. Don'tkeep things tense, though- this is counterproductive to the overall goal of grounded relaxation. Tension is the enemy of readiness: tension means being stuck. A moment of tension, though, can help you recalibrate to relaxation. Use Imagery Any image can be helpful: imagine watching a flickering candle or running through a grassy field barefoot. Often it's especially helpful to use an image that implies moving past the experience of the moment. Think of leaves floating down a river, or clouds floating through the sky. You can imagine that each leaf or each cloud carries one of your thoughts. Breathe in what you want in the moment, breatheout what you wish to let go. Close a book that full ofyour worry-thoughts. Change the channel on the TV of your mind. Hang up the phone on your inner monologue. Describe Your Environment, Using All Five Senses One way to ground yourself in the present moment is to make simple mental statements like, "The walls are gray. My desk is smooth and hard. I smell a freshly sharpened pencil." These statements should be factual and objective- avoid judgments, positive or negative. We don't want, "The walls are such an ugly color. This desk is too small; it's really uncomfortable. I smell a freshly sharpened pencil- that's such a nice smell!" Stimulate Your Senses Another path to rapid grounding is by purposefully stimulating the senses. Some senses (especially taste) might not work as well during the SAT or ACT. Your sense of touch, though, is an easy way to ground into reality. Try touching your clothes or feeling the underside of the desk. Concentrates on the sensations you feel with each new object. What you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste can connect you to the present moment. Recite a Saying, a Quote, or a Poem (Silently) This shouldn't be something you compose on the spot; this is about recalling information. It doesn't have to be anything very meaningful, either; it can be the jingle from a fast-food ad.Focus on the words that are running through your mind. Recite the saying several times, if you need to; get a rhythm going, and let that soothe you. For an added twist, or if it's not engaging your mind enough, try spelling the phrase out. Count to Ten or Say the Alphabet- Slowly (Silently) In line with the task of reciting above, counting or saying the alphabet can distract you from rapid thoughts and give you something else to occupy your mind. Use this exercise as an opportunity to slow your mind down; see how slow you can get the pace without allowing the worry-thoughts back in. Switch Tasks (for a Moment) Yes, time is precious on the test, but take thirty seconds or so to do something other than the test. Reciting a phrase and counting to ten are themselves examples of this exercise; another option is the categories game. Think of a category (like "Famous Mice"), and name as many members of that category as you can (Chuck E. Cheese, the three blind mice, Mighty Mouse, etc.). An especially nice category to choose is "Favorite Things"; list your favorite bands, your favorite restaurants, your favorite people, and so on. Think of Something that Always Makes You Laugh For me, this is a particular still-shot from a movie; it was used for a caption contest online, and one of the submitted captions still cracks me up, years later. Think of what it is that always makesyou laugh, and practice bringing it to mind in moments of anxiety. Bring a Pocket Token Having a small rock or a smooth stone in your pocket can be a great way to connect to something outside the test. Reach into your pocket and feel your token when you feel the anxiety rising. Use it to remind you of the positive intention you set when you chose it. Be careful what you choose, though: it should be small (something you can keep in your pocket throughout the test) and it shouldn't have anything suspicious- like the Pythagorean Theorem- on it. Wearing a charm bracelet with a special charm can work, too. Say a Safety-Statement (Silently) A safety-statement is anything that both reassures you and reaffirms the experience you're having. Stick to simple, basic facts; for instance: "My name is (your name). I am at (test location). I am safe." What If These Tips Don't Help? Remember when I said test anxiety was linked to social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder? I'm not here to diagnose you, but if sustained, committed practice of the techniques described here doesn't get your symptoms to a relatively bearable level, it may be time to seek a professional opinion. It's not as big or scary as it may sound; start by going to your family doctor and describing the symptoms and concerns you're having. First off, getting a little help can greatly improve your quality of life. Also, it may help you get accommodations that will make test-taking much more possible. In most cases, it's very difficult to get accommodations on the SAT or ACT (such as an individual room or extra time) for test anxiety. For a lot of students, the trouble of getting the accommodations may be more of a hassle than it's ultimately worth- if the accommodations are even granted at all. For some, though, it's absolutely necessary- and some hard proof of the severity of symptoms is required (generally verified by a mental health provider). Make sure you feel truly listened to by any medical professional you choose to see. Conclusion In this article, we've looked at some basic information about test anxiety and some ways to deal with it. Important take-away'sare the fact that it's very real and not anybody's fault, that there are many ways to combat it, and that professional help may be required. Sensory stimulation, deep breathing, imagery, and self-talk are huge ways to work with test anxiety. In addition, being prepared is one of the all-around best things you can do to help yourself out. What's Next? Though I never used the term "mindfulness" in this article, that's exactly what many of the techniques I described are all about: mindfulness. Learn more by reading our discussion of mindfulness and the SAT. Also, read some specific suggestions about a timeline for studying for the SAT or ACT, but remember that you may want to pad these estimates and give yourself extra time. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Sex and Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sex and Marriage - Essay Example The essay "Sex and Marriage" demonstrates that the evidence from a significant subculture, the swingers, shows that the consensual physical infidelity, especially mutual, need not threaten the stability of marriage as long as respect, consideration, trust, and love remain. The popular notion is that if one engages in nonmonogamous sex outside the bounds of marriage one is being unfaithful to their partner. The assumption is that this is being done secretly without the consent or even knowledge of the partner. Hence, we have the term â€Å"cheating.† Under these circumstances, I would agree that it is an act of infidelity. I partly agree with the mainstream in the following respect. The person is being unfaithful not because of the nonmonogamous sex act per se, but because it is done secretly due to anticipated partner disapproval. Applying this definition of infidelity, any act, whether sexual or not, pursued secretly due to partner expected disapproval would be an unfaithful act since it is a breach of trust. But what if the partner is aware and agrees to participate jointly in monogamous sexual activity? I would submit there is no infidelity involved as there is no breach of trust. Although I would agree that Savage is stretching when he describes monogamous sex as a â€Å"need.† I would accept his view that it is a strong desire for many people. I concur with the notion that responsible nonmonogamy that is done safely with the knowledge and consent of the partner does not pose a threat to the institutions of marriage. and the family as claimed by mainstream culture. Swingers I base my argument on literature that shows that swingers have a lower divorce rate than the American population at large and also on my own personal observations of people in this significant subculture (Liberated Christians). Although swingers can include singles of both sexes, most are married or common law couples with children, ranging in age from 20s to 60s. They can be from all walks of life including the clergy. They tend to be middle and upper socioeconomic classes but, otherwise, are indistinguishable from the majority except for their open pursuit of non monogamous relationships. To me the chief characteristic separating swingers from non swingers is that the former draw a clear distinction between â€Å"sex† and â€Å"love†. My experience is that while group sex does indeed take place it is not as prevalent as non swingers believe nor it is the â€Å"be all and end all† of this lifestyle. While it is true that there is more emphasis on the physical erotic aspects of the sex act, this does not mean that friendship and affection are excluded. For example, while I can enjoy sex with a new partner, I do so even more with one I have gotten to know developed some feelings for. On the other hand, if I disliked my sexual partner I would not derive any pleasure having sex with her. Swingers have developed the theory of primary and secondary relationships to distinguish their relationships between their wife or long term partner and their â€Å"temporary† partners. If you are interested in a new partner but know that your

Geo Ass 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Geo Ass 3 - Assignment Example The rapid growth of Seoul City has attracted many people into the city, transforming it into a megacity. The city is considered so because it has a population estimated at about 11.8 million residents. In fact, the city’s metropolitan has a population of about 25.6 million. Because of Seoul’s large population and small area, the city is extremely densely populated estimated at about 44,776 people per square mile. Since the space available in the city cannot accommodate the residents, people in the city live mainly in high-building apartments. Despite the beauty of the city, Seoul has witnesses a traffic mess due to the many number of cars in the city. As a result, the city municipality has been forced to construct large highways to ease the traffic flow in the city. However, it is becoming a key concern that the traffic flow might get messier if the population of the city continues to grow this fast. Additionally, life in Seoul is relatively hard because of the high prices of commodities, which has become a big concern for its

Trends and the Future of Public Service Essay Example for Free

Trends and the Future of Public Service Essay Introduction Public service organizations are the sectors that always receive considerable attention form the government. Beside their currently lower level of performance compare to private organizations, the attention is given due to governmental responsibilities is fulfilling demands of the people. Recently, the public service sector is evolving, partly due to the influence of a new management system called Outcome Based Management. In this paper, I am discussing the contents and philosophy of the Outcome Based management approach and how it influenced the public service sector in United States. Outcome Based Management II.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emerging Trend Outcome based management (OBM) is the managerial framework that emphasizes more on forward looking activities. This managerial approach focuses on why are things done and what have actually been done. In a simple sentence, the term encourages managing for actual results. The term is often identified with the sentence: â€Å"better planning generates better outcomes†. The managerial framework first gained attention of public organization’s managers because of its commitment toward results. The public service is always known lo lag behind the private sector because of its weak commitment toward real achievements. This is reveled in various sectors of the public sector, including the environmental sector, health sector and even child-care. These sectors required a system that works based on real-hard results, and OBM’s characteristic that put forth alignment between services delivered and actual goal achievements is a dominant catalyst in the adoption of this concept into the public service sector.   II.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elements of OBM There are several elements of OBM. The first is the outcome itself. Outcome is the impact, result or consequences for the organization of related parties. If the outcome of a particular project matched existing corporate objective, then the company have successfully performed the OBM. The second element of OBM is the services given. They are tools to achieve the outcomes determined earlier. The third element is the Key Performance Indicators. The performance indicators function as an analysis tool that determines whether the targeted outcomes are achieved or not. The traditional perspective perceived a company to perform three important activities, which are: planning, budgeting and reporting. According to the OBM perspective however, these activities can be explained further using a chain of detailed process, which includes: Formulation of corporate goals and strategic outcomes Formulation of mission statement and the strategic plan Formulation of budgets, including key performance indicator targets Delivery of services Performance reporting in annual reports Performance assessment Outcome Outcome is simply the reason why corporate activities are performed. There are actually three levels of outcomes, the first is corporate goals. It is the highest level of outcome and the most general one. The second is called strategic outcomes, which relate corporate goals into these parties: the people in general (community), the environment, the economy, the region and governance. Considerations of these factors brought to the finding of strategic outcomes. The third is called agency-level outcomes, which functions are to detail the general outcomes into more specific targets. The formulation of agency-level outcomes is the final step before performing the services Clearly defining corporate outcomes are important element of the OBM application. This is true because the outcome information will be used to direct the organization within its activities. For example, the outcome information is generally used by the corporate management to: trigger corrective actions like identifying problem areas that requires attention; identify best practices; motivate employees and to perform planning and budgeting activities. The outcome objective can also be used by external parties to: perform economic analysis, provide informed commentary, and perform benchmarking. Services   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next step in OBM after properly defining the right goals, strategic level outcomes and agency level outcomes is defining how each unit could contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. OBM stresses on the importance in finding the link between the desired outcome and the services delivered. This is necessary because according to the OBM resource should be allocated to any unit unless it can contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. Alignment between the goals and the service provided is a must because once such an alignment is achieved; the collection of costs and performance data is easier to perform. After defining the specific agendas of each unit of the organization, the next step within OBM is reviewing the service agendas. The common practice in OBM organizations is by developing a service checklist that will enable them to evaluate whether the services delivered are the right ones. Performance Indicators   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third step in the application of OBM is developing performance indicators. The presence of the right performance indicators will allow performances to be measured, evaluated, and improved. The general performance indicators in OBM are divided into two categories, which are: effectiveness indicators and efficiency indicators. The two categories should have at least three characteristics, which are: relevance, appropriateness and fair representative ness. Defining these indicators enables the organization to perform continuous improvement by identifying emerging issues and specify the best services to deal with the issues, and furthermore, improve organizational accountability.   II.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Expert’s Opinion about OBM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ideal implementation of the OBM concept supposedly generates the following conditions: Encourages information sharing between employees and externally with clients, partners, etc Encourage communication of organizational achievements Easier and more effective reporting activities Increased flexibility and scalability Lead to effective use of available business information for analytical reporting, decision making and forecasting. Improve operational efficiency Increased profitability from relationship with partners and suppliers Drive operating staff toward the achievements of strategic results, etc Taking account of these achievements, the OBM concept is generally benefiting organizations as a whole, particularly the less committed public service organizations. There are however, obstacles that must be faced. In the process of defining outcomes and unit contribution to that outcome, there are individuals and parts of the organization that are reluctant to share data due to fear of inaccuracy or more often, unfavorable interpretation. The second challenge is caused by the tendency of people that have invested in their data collection to be unwilling to share the information due to the loss of credit in the work involved. The third challenge is cost oriented. Some data required to achieve accurate measurement are more expensive than others. The fourth challenge is simply caused by the fear of being judged for something that we cannot control. In many sectors, like the environmental and health sectors, there are often uncontrollable variables that considerably affect the achievements of organizational goals. Including these factors in the evaluation system will be inaccurate and furthermore, most likely become the source of discontent ness among employees.   II.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identification of the Trend   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizations and institutions that use OBM concepts generally have specific characteristics within them. The implementation of OBM is similar in various sectors despite the different services offered by the sectors. The implementation can be detected in the form of steps performed to identify goals and linking them to services performed. The amount of resources and time dedicated to each step might differ from one industry to the others depending on the difficulty of performing each step, but the steps that are performed are generally within the same order. For example, in the environmental public services, the amount of resources committed to define the desirable outcome is quite enormous and significantly larger than other sectors; This is due to the difficult nature of defining the suitable environmental targets to be achieved from environmental projects. In health care sector and child care sector on the other hand, identifying what services to perform in order to achieve identified goals are the most difficult step and the one requires most observations. These sectors however, are all performing similar elements of the OBM approach. Implications for the Public Service III.1.  Ã‚   Unique Sector   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Public service is generally known as governmentally-run organizations which all resources are generated from the government and thus, from the public themselves. If we are to study the development of this sector however, it is necessary to reveal how the public service sector is rationally different from the private sector. The most basic difference is the fact that in the private sector, most activities started at the supply side. Technology, for instance, is known as a tremendous catalyst from the supply side of business in the private sector that generates dramatic changes in various industries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the public service sector on the other hand, the main intervention that leads to change originated from the demand side. Ironically, there are generally little chances to charge the public directly for the services they receive. Governmental taxes are the media that connects the payment between the public and the public sector workers. In addition of becoming a tool of delivering what the public needs, the public sector is also the tool to create a balance in the private sectors’ operations. In the transport and utilities sector for example, where networks grows and the element for natural monopoly is strong, public involvement is required to prevent market failures and the abuse of market positions (Franà §ois, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the light of this unique structure, we can logically guest that the problem with public service sector is actually the presence of the government as an intermediary party itself. In the private sector, people are working for their customers and they gain payments from them as well. This trade between service and payments happens dynamically and each side can influence the trade. In other words, it is easier for the private sector workers to influence the amount of payment they will receive. In the public sector on the other hand, people are working for the government.   Workers are not in direct trade of service and payments as the private sector. It is harder for them to influence the amount of payment they will receive (Glaeser, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In discussions of why productivity and efficiency in the public sector is often considered worse than the private sectors, many factors are mentioned, but the condition revealed above is one of the reasons often mentioned. The private sector workers are generally more motivated because in their frame of mind they have a way of influencing their own destiny. The public sector workers on the other hand, are working for different people than the one signing their checks. Knowing that the quality of their work will not influence their salaries, public sector workers are subject to a declining working motivation (Disney, 1998).   III.2.  Ã‚   Challenges   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to the general problem mentioned above, there are also other issues that are parts of the new development of the public service sector in United States. Political leaders indicated the need to recruit the next generation of public sector workers. It is believed that the public service sector environment today has already evolved into phases that are out of the older-generation’s league. The new system of management requires new workers with the ability to learn and adapt to the evolved conditions of the public service sector. Others however, believed that such a change will not be beneficial due to the similar image of the job. Workers at the public service sector are still viewed as a ‘public servant’, a phrase which are highly unpopular in American society. Despite the enhanced system of management, if the government is unable to maintain change this image, the new workers are still going to be the ‘new generation of public servants’, in the sense that they have minimum bargaining power over the services they provide and salaries they receive. Another issue in the public service sector, particularly in the United States is the ageing structure of the public service workers. Statistics indicated that with the reluctance of young people in entering the sector leave only old people within the sector. This will obviously mean a degradation of management quality within the public service sector. Another study indicated that information deficiency is significant problem in managing public services. The information regarding desired outcome are generally owned by the lowest people in the managerial chain, while the strategic decisions are made by the government which has little access to the information (‘Challenges’, 2008). III.3.  Ã‚   Implications of the OBM Approach III.3.1. New Systems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The application of the OBM approach to the public service sector might address several of the problems mentioned earlier. For example, the lack of motivation could be solved by better focus on actual results and linking organizational objectives directly to services performed. Successful application however, requires adaptation to the steps and elements of the OBM approach.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the public service organization, the desired outcomes can be those specified in the annual budget statements or those identified in legislation and specified by the related authority. For example, the general outcome of a public sector could be: accessible, reliable and safe public transport system, or a fair and independent criminal prosecution service. In the public service organizations, these general outcomes can then be translated into the agency-level outcomes. Furthermore, the use of outcome information in the public service organizations, can internally improve the budget setting process, while externally it can improve agency control, make it easier for other agencies to make contributions to the organization (Hundley, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the next step, OBM leads the public sector organization to specify agency-level services that are required to achieve the agency-level outcomes. This is generally performed by the making of a service checklist. The service checklist consist of questions like what service are delivered, what outcome are the services addressing, what results are the service addressing. Afterwards, the OBM approach takes the public service organization to developing performance indicators.   For the public service organizations, cost efficiency indicators could be: cost per student graduated, cost per license issued, etc; productivity indicators include: students taught per teacher, cases resolved per officer, etc. Overall, the benefits brought by the new approach include: Greater public transparency Enhanced knowledge in identifying best practices Increased ability in assessing performance against target Increased ability in investigating reasons of failure in meeting specified targets (Hatry, 2003) III.3.2. New Skills Required   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In light of the elements and process demanded by the OBM approach, the new skills required are: Sensitivity to new Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To better perform the first step of the OBM approach, which is defining goals and outcomes, members of the public service organization need to be sensitive of the demands exist in the surrounding environment. This is related to the fact that public sector organizations exist to serve the public rather than to achieve organizational profit. Communicating information The people that are exposed to new information generally come from the lowest structure of the organization. Thus, the organization must design a system and furthermore, the skills to communicate information up to the highest level of management. Linking service activities to established goals Under the OBM approach workers at the public service organization are demanded to constantly see the linkage between the goals, outcome defined agency-level outcome and finally the service performed. This will provide them with clear logical frame of thinking, especially in decision making activities. Reference: ‘Challenges and Trends in Public Administration’. 2008. Retrieved January 2008 from   unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/ public/documents/ASPA/UNPAN006965.pdf Disney, R., and Gosling, A. 1998, ‘Does it Pay to Work in the Public Sector?’, Fiscal Studies, 19(4), 347–74. Franà §ois, P. 2003, ‘Not-for-Profit Provision of Public Services’, The Economic Journal, 113(486), C53–61. Glaeser, E. L. 2003. ‘The Governance of Not-for-profit Organizations’. Chicago, IL, University of ChicagoPress. Hatry, H. P., Morley, E., Rossman, S. B. Wholey, J. S. 2003. ‘How Federal Programs Use Outcome Information: Opportunities for Federal Managers’. National Academy of Public Administration Hundley, G. 1991. ‘Public and Private-sector Occupational Pay Structures’, Industrial Relations, 30(3), 417–34.

Universalizability and Philippine Supreme Court Cases :: Criminal Justice

Universalizability and Philippine Supreme Court Cases ABSTRACT: The requirement that legal reasoning be universalizable is so unquestioned as a legal doctrine that it is practically axiomatic. Recently, two Philippine Supreme Court cases have been decided in a manner that apparently dispenses with this requirement. I discuss these two cases in the light of the requirement. I conclude that the requirement, rather than being diminished by the two cases, has actually maintained its axiomatic status on the basis that the reasoning in the two cases is deficient: the first either for inequality in treatment or for lack of clear guidance, and the second for the failure to appear impartial. The requirement that judicial reasoning be universalizable, that the justifying reasons for a decision are to be articulated or at least must be capable of being articulated in the form of a universal norm under which the facts of the case are to be subsumed so as to entail logically the decision, (1) is an acknowledged formal legal principle indispensable to any sound theory of adjudication. Recently, two Philippine Supreme Court Decisions, Alonzo v. IAC (2) and Marcos v. Manglapus, (3) challenged the very indispensability of such a requirement. This paper will discuss the interaction between and effects of these two decisions on the requirement of universalizability, by determining whether the requirement is indeed seriously challenged by the two cases and, conversely, by assessing and analyzing these two cases in terms of the requirement. These two decisions resolved the issues in the two cases by creating exceptions for the unique circumstances attendant to the cases, thus apparently dispensing with the requirement. In particular, the Alonzo case held: "In fact, and this should be clearly stressed, we ourselves are not abandoning the Cojenero and Buttle doctrines. What we are doing is adopting an exception to the general rule, in view of the particular circumstances of the case." (4) In the Marcos case, reference was made to the special circumstances involving President Marcos thus: "This case is unique. It should not create a precedent, for the case of a dictator forced out of office and into exile after causing twenty years of political, economic and social havoc in the country and within the short space of three years seeks to return, is in a class by itself." (5) In discussing the interaction between and effects of these two decisions on the requirement of universalizability, the paper will first briefly explain the rationale behind the requirement. Universalizability and Philippine Supreme Court Cases :: Criminal Justice Universalizability and Philippine Supreme Court Cases ABSTRACT: The requirement that legal reasoning be universalizable is so unquestioned as a legal doctrine that it is practically axiomatic. Recently, two Philippine Supreme Court cases have been decided in a manner that apparently dispenses with this requirement. I discuss these two cases in the light of the requirement. I conclude that the requirement, rather than being diminished by the two cases, has actually maintained its axiomatic status on the basis that the reasoning in the two cases is deficient: the first either for inequality in treatment or for lack of clear guidance, and the second for the failure to appear impartial. The requirement that judicial reasoning be universalizable, that the justifying reasons for a decision are to be articulated or at least must be capable of being articulated in the form of a universal norm under which the facts of the case are to be subsumed so as to entail logically the decision, (1) is an acknowledged formal legal principle indispensable to any sound theory of adjudication. Recently, two Philippine Supreme Court Decisions, Alonzo v. IAC (2) and Marcos v. Manglapus, (3) challenged the very indispensability of such a requirement. This paper will discuss the interaction between and effects of these two decisions on the requirement of universalizability, by determining whether the requirement is indeed seriously challenged by the two cases and, conversely, by assessing and analyzing these two cases in terms of the requirement. These two decisions resolved the issues in the two cases by creating exceptions for the unique circumstances attendant to the cases, thus apparently dispensing with the requirement. In particular, the Alonzo case held: "In fact, and this should be clearly stressed, we ourselves are not abandoning the Cojenero and Buttle doctrines. What we are doing is adopting an exception to the general rule, in view of the particular circumstances of the case." (4) In the Marcos case, reference was made to the special circumstances involving President Marcos thus: "This case is unique. It should not create a precedent, for the case of a dictator forced out of office and into exile after causing twenty years of political, economic and social havoc in the country and within the short space of three years seeks to return, is in a class by itself." (5) In discussing the interaction between and effects of these two decisions on the requirement of universalizability, the paper will first briefly explain the rationale behind the requirement.