Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article Critique - Essay Example It is vital to understand the methods implemented by single mothers to successfully cope with stress as mothers experiencing stress can be detrimental to the stressors of their children. Similarly, a link has been revealed that shows a correlation between the economic stress of a single mother, the way in which she responds to and raises her child, and the overall outcome of her child in regard to their own behaviors and future economic status. Understanding how economic pressure negatively influences a single mother will also help in gaining an understanding into how maternal optimism promotes positive parenting behaviors despite environmental adversity, thus promoting a positive life for the child. Another purpose that this article serves is to fill the gap of literature pertaining to dispositional optimism within minority ethnic groups, especially in relation to mother-headed homes. Very few studies have been undergone in regard to this; most studies have looked into the negative influences and outcomes of single-mother households, shunting aside the existence of maternal optimism in other families with similar structures. Methods The study began in the mid-1990s, using 889 African American children, their caregivers, and, when possible, an older sibling, all living in Iowa and Georgia. The participants of the study were taken on through telephone interviews. Data was collected between these families in four different waves, starting in 1997 and ending in 2006. Of the original 889 participants available during the first wave, only 86.7% were involved in wave two and three interviews. From this group, families run by single mothers, as opposed to caregivers, were chosen and the others were dismissed. The final sample group of the study consisted of 394 single mother families. During each interview, two two-hour home visits in a span of seven days were made to each family. The first visit involved the giving of consent, both of the mother and the children to p articipate in the study; name and locations of schools were also given, and children’s teachers were authorized to provide further information about the children’s functioning at school. The ages of the participating children varied from ten to fifteen years of age; the mean age of the mothers was thirty-five years of age. The mean education of the mothers was approximately twelve years, and the mean income was $20,689. The mean number of children per family varied between one and two. Various questions were asked of the mothers and children, each pertaining to certain economic situations or behavioral statuses. These variables would be used to measure the overall situations of the individual families. These variables are are follows: Mother’s childhood adversity, which asked eight questions to determine if the mother was subjected to specific adverse childhood advents such as a relative living at home having a serious drinking problem. Economic pressure, which measured four indicators (unmet material needs, cannot make ends meet, financial cutbacks, and no money), all dealing with the financial situation of the household. Mother’s dispositional optimism was then measured, offering yes/no questions to determine the mother’s level of optimism during times of hardship. Mother’s internalizing symptoms, which measured how depressed, discouraged,

The Country I Live in Essay Example for Free

The Country I Live in Essay I living in Russia, love our country and is proud of it. The official name of our country is The Republic of the Russian Federation there are 21 republics and 65 other regions in the Russian Federation. The key symbol of Russia is the troika. The Nation government of Russia consist of the President, the Council of Ministers and Federal Assembly. There are two houses in the Federal Assembly: The Federal Council and the State Duma. The population of Russia is about 145000000. The ecological situation in Russia is not very safe. Pollution in some industrial towns is high. Some parts of western Russia were badly influenced by the radiation from Chernobyl in 1986. Russia is located in Northern hemisphere, in the north of continent Eurasia. She is washed by waters of Silent and Arctic oceans, and also Baltic, Black, Azov by the seas of Atlantic ocean and Caspian sea, More than 70 % of territory of Russia are occupied by plains and lowlands. In the south of the European part northern ridges of the Big caucasus (here there is the highest top of Russia Elbrus, 5 642) In Russia more than 120 thousand rivers and about 2 million lakes. The largest rivers: the Cupid, Lena, Yenisei, Irtysh, Ob, Volga, Kama; the largest lakes Caspian seas, Baikal, Ladoga, Onega. Position of Russia in northern part of Eurasia has caused her placing in Arctic, subarctic, moderated and partially in subtropical climatic belts. The prevailing part of territory is located in a moderate belt. A variety of a climate depends also on features of a relief and affinity or remoteness of ocean. Woods occupy over 40 % of territory. In territory of Russia there is a fifth part of all woods of the world and half of world coniferous woods. The fauna is various here live both polar bears, and walruses, both tigers, and leopards, etc. In Russia 35 national parks and 84 reserves are located. Unique in the country the natural park which is in city boundaries — Omsk  «the Birds harbour ». Moscow the capital of Russia and one of the worlds great cities. Yuri Dolgoruky founds Moscow in 1147. Today Moscow is the political centre of Russia, the countys leading city in population, industry and in culture importance. Moscow is definitely a city of contrasts. So rich in many ways, yet in other ways, quite poor. Moscow stands on the Moskva River in the centre of vast plain of European Russia. The climate is continental. Moscow is the largest industrial centre of Russia. The most important industries are those producing automobiles and trucks, machine tools, radio and television sets. The most important element in Moscows city transport is the metro subway. The system was began in 1935 and still developing. Some of the stations, especially the older ones, are highly decorate with marble, statues and mosaics. Moscow is a city where a lot can be seen and much can be done. You can seen: Red Square, St. Basils Cathedral, The Momunent to Minin and Pozharsky, Lobnoye Metro, The Spasskay Tower, The Lenin Mausoleum, The State History Museum, The State Department Store (GUM) and many other places. Moscow has numerous theaters, headed by the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre, which was founded in 1825. The citys principal drama theatre is the Moscow Art Theatre. Also of the worldwide fame are the State Central Puppet Theatre and Moscow State Circus. Moscow has some museums and art galleries of international rank. Among them are the State Pushkin of Fine Arts, with a fine international collection, and the State Tretyakov Gallery with an excellent collection of Russian paintings. Moscow is one of the cities of the world that must be seen. Russia has produced a great number of very creative and talented people, for example: Alexander Pushkin, Peter Tchaikovsky, Isaac Levitan, Georgy Zhykov, Yuti Gagarin, Andrei Sakharov, Boris Godunov, Vladimir Lenin, Vladimir Putin and e.t.c. Theatrical performances, museums and picture galleries in fact all aspects of Russian live prove that. The Russians are much interested it the rest of the world. Russian people are very hospitable, hardworking, friendly, open, honest, generous, kind, sometimes sentimental, sometimes careless, often unsmiling, having bold manners, sometimes lazy and selfish. Russian love animals, especially dogs and horses. Russian cultural level is quite high, Russian people like to read books, to visit theaters, museums and different concerts. We are the nation of sport lovers because our people like different kinds of sports and spend a lot of time going in for sport or just watching it. Many Russian are religious people. The main church is the Russian Orthodox Church. It has survived the hard times and now people speak about a rebirth of religion in the country. Russian keep our traditions because there are lots of traditions which have been maintained from ancient time. Russian national holidays — the holidays of Russian people connected with widespread national traditions of their carrying out. New year (in the night from December, 31st for January, 1st). It is accepted to decorate a premise the decorated New Year tree or branches. At midnight for January, 1st the congratulation of the head of the state and peal of bells obeys. On a table it is accepted to submit, among other, a Russian salad and champagne. To children give gifts (from Father Frost). According to sociological polls, it is the most celebrated holiday. Christmas (on January, 7th on new style and on December, 25th on Ã'ŽÐ »Ã ¸Ã °Ã ½Ã' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ¼Ã'Æ' to a calendar) — an orthodox holiday. At night before Christmas it is accepted to guess that was never approved by orthodox church. The holiday is marked by a solemn celebratory supper. The tradition to mark Christmas is officially restored in Post-Soviet Russia. Day of the defender of Fatherland (on February, 23rd) — widely celebrated mans holiday established at the Soviet power, and in Post-Soviet Russia become in the day off. Women congratulate men and give them gifts. Congratulations are accepted also by women-military men, and also participants of wars. The international womens day (on March, 8th) — female holiday officially established still at the Soviet power became in public marked. Men congratulate women, give them flowers and gifts. Maslenitsa (Pancake week) — week before the Lent. Has ancient pagan roots. During all week bake and eat pancakes. Easter — an orthodox holiday. Celebratory meal — Easter (cottage cheese with candied fruits), Easter cakes, coloured in red colour and welded eggs. Victory Day over Hitlerite Germany (on May, 9th) — an official All-Russia holiday. It is accepted to visit burial places of the soldiers who were lost during the Second World War, and to remember the fallen. Veterans put on awards and medals and accept congratulations. This day on Red Square military parade is spent. Celebratory actions last years are decorated by yellow-black Guards tapes. Day of national unity (on November, 4th). A Victory Day of Russian over the Polish invaders in 1612. This day across all Russia Russian nationalists spend Russian march. The greatest love of Russia is for tea – its drunk without milk and often served with homemade jam (varene), baranki and pirozhki. The mail dishes of the traditional menu are blini (homemade pancakes) with caviar, honey or sour crà ¨me; different soups (like shci and borshch), pirozhki, pelmyeni. Usually tourists buy traditional Russian souvenirs such as Martyoshka dolls, beautifully painted mugs, plates and spoons from the village of Khokhloma and Palekh boxes.

Project Management Of The Emirates Stadium Construction Essay

Project Management Of The Emirates Stadium Construction Essay A lot has been documented on the principals and methodologies required to successfully execute a project, that it almost seems a Clichà © when the term project management is discussed. However, I shall try to focus on project management in the construction industries as it is a good idea to discuss project management as it applies to a specific industry. In this two part report, I shall attempt to first critically analyse and evaluate the PM challenges as documented in the group presentations, with the aim of; Critically evaluating the management challenges identified and highlighting how the groups dealt with identifying the challenges and frameworks adopted in explaining these challenges. Evaluating the procurement strategy adopted and considering reasons for its adoptions, benefits derived and circumstances contributing to its success, before considering alternative approaches. Make a comparison between the management strategy adopted for the emirate stadium and established best practices. THE EMIRATE STADIUM Arsenal football club had previously occupied the Highbury stadium. With a capacity to hold 35,000 fans, this was grossly inadequate for a club increasing in fan base due to her popularity and successes achieved in competition with other top flight clubs in the premiership. Therefore the club management decided to invest in a larger stadium as a means of accommodating the increasing fan population but more strategically, rebranding the club and increasing its competitiveness with top flight clubs at the premiership. PROJECT OVERVIEW Hence, a design and built contract was signed by Sir Robert Alpine for a  £220m worth 60,000 capacity stadium facility, after an intense planning and conception stage spanning 5 years. The entire project cost was estimated at  £400m including related projects due to relocation works and ancillary works. (Designbuild-network.com, 2008) The actual construction commenced March 2004 and was completed by July 2006 ahead of schedule and on budget. At the end of the entire project, 80 businesses had been relocated, 2500 new homes had been provided, 2600 new jobs and 4 new community health facilities built. A successful project with regards to its achievement of project objectives at the stipulated time frame, within the estimated budget and to the quality and performance required. (Arsenal, 2007) But like all projects, risks, challenges and uncertainties are sure to abound, the outcome of the project however, will depends on the identification and mitigations of these risks and uncertainties plus the application of management strategies and tools. CLASSIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES So lets look at the challenges identified, one key observation from a critical assessment of the group challenges identified was the frequent repetition of similar challenges expressed in different words, mainly due to varying dictions of expressions. Classification of these challenges was therefore necessary to critically evaluate and analyse them. Some groups adopted a framework to identify the challenges. Groups 3 and 4 in particular, identified the challenges using the project life cycle framework. On the other hand, groups 1, 2 and 5 viewed the challenges by broadly looking at individual elements of the projects strategic management and operational stages as viewed by the contractor during the implementation of the project. For groups adopting the project life cycle framework, the task of identifying key challenges was best viewed by considering each phase of the lifecycle. The initiation and planning stages in particular, required critical risks assessments before the implementation phase because of the ease to adjust plans and mitigate risks at these initial phases. They effectively pointed out that, due to the attention paid to issues such as collaboration, client management, extensive site investigation and a constant assessment of uncertainties, a smooth implementation stage ensued. Presentations for group 1, 2 and 5 as mentioned earlier, broadly looking at individual management strategies of the project implementation and operational stages as viewed by the contractor during the implementation of the project and can be broadly categorised under the following; Strategic Management challenges: client satisfaction, stakeholder impact and project coordination. By identifying the need to manage people, risks, strategy adopted budgetary issues and contracts details, these presentations focused primarily on organisational elements of the project with emphasis on the construction management aspects. Operational/Design and Construction Challenges: Although project management challenge was the main focus, it seems illogical not to consider certain technical issues as major challenges. Therefore key engineering challenges such as restrictions in stadium height (a local planning authority directive), pitch quality, service fitting and the need for access bridges to the stadium were challenges that shaped most decisions taken by the project managers. Table 2.1 Categorisation of Identified Challenges MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK CATEGORISATION IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES GROUPS PROJECT LIFECYCLE FRAMEWORK INITIATIONS Scope and Specification, Identifying stakeholders, Deciding Location, Planning Business and home Relocations, 3 4 PLANNING Reaching and securing Authority Approval, Satisfying Stakeholder and client expectation, Procurement Strategy Selection. Risk Management IMPLEMENTATION Design and Technical Challenges, Risk Mitigation, Traffic control, Community involvement, TERMINATION Testing and commissioning Challenges, Client Satisfaction NO SPECIFIC FRAMEWORK STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Procurement Strategy, Document Management, Timing and Scheduling, Stakeholder and Client management, Team work and Coordination, Defining Scope, Communication, Cash flow and Budget Control. 1, 2 5 OPERATIONAL/DESIGN CONSTRUCTION Pitch Quality, Roof design, Construction Technique, Weather, Geotechnical, height restraints, Relocation and details, Pedestrian Bridges, Choice of Material The table above show the key project management challenges identified and categorised under management frameworks as adopted by the groups. PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH All groups identified the adopted procurement strategy as the design and build or turnkey approach however, the common opinion was that adopting a management contract procurement approach would have proved equally successful. To critically evaluate the management approach and understand the reasons for its adoption and factors aiding its successful utilization, a brief description of these two procurement approaches would be reviewed. Design and Build: one contractor is employed to design, manage and construct the project. Although mostly taking a variety of forms, the contractors roles may include the following; As principal contractor who carries out all design and construction, with minor subcontractors. As the clients agent, managing the consultants and contractors who carry out the actual design. A combination of principal contractor for design or construction, and management contractor for the other functions. ( F. Harrison and D. Lock, 2004) So why was this adopted? To a greater extent, it provided the client (Arsenal FC) the following advantages; Time/ contract duration could be shortened and facility ready for start of the new season Exempted the client from the technicalities of building a stadium. They were club managers who knew nothing about building a stadium but recognized the importance of the facility in meeting their business goal. Protected the client from the complexities in project organisation. Enable the client to transfer most risks identified in the conception stage. In this case study, Sir Robert Alpine was the designated design and build contractor, together with her supply chain which included Architects HOK Sports venue, Bur Happold (the structural, Mechanical and electrical engineers) and AYH PLC (Project Managers/Quantity Surveyors). Figure 2.1 ORGANISATION/PROJECT ROLE FOR THE EMIRATE STADIUM CONSTRUCTION The alternative, management contracting approach as recommended by all, is characterised by the client appointing an external organisation to manage and coordinate the delivery of the project. The main advantages to the client in the case study would have been benefits from time and cost savings and better flexibility with regards to changes. Thereby, allowing the client to concentrate on dealing with sponsorship deals, investors and the large number of stakeholders. COMPARISION WITH BEST PRACTICE The main success criterion of a construction project is the value of the facility to the client over time. Successful delivery requires an integrated process in which design, construction, operations and maintenance are considered as a whole, together with an understanding of how the project will affect efficiency and service delivery over the lifetime of the project. (OGC, 2009) So whatever they are called, best practices, golden rules or PM creeds, the general believe is, following these techniques summaries in figure 2.2 below will effectively manage a project to time, cost, quality and performance. The office of Government commerce therefore set out guidance to achieving excellence in construction project management. In their opinion success is guaranteed if projects are planned to ensure they possess the following; Projects provide the best option to meet the business need Have sufficient resources allocated to deliver the project and effectively manage these resources. Are managed through defined and accepted accountabilities, supported by clear and short reporting lines which ensure effective channels of communication between stakeholders, clients and project Implementation team Have a clear commitment throughout the integrated project team to clearly defined objectives. (OGC, 2009) I shall endeavour to compare the management approach as adopted in this case study with the recommended and prescribed best practices as stated by the office of Government Commerce. The OGC recommends that resources, roles and responsibilities for delivery should be assigned to effective individuals who are empowered to deliver, who are drawn from the business unit that owns the project. The OGC further stated, Critical consideration needs to be paid to ensuring effective lines of communication. The effectiveness of the lines of communication to top level management, who are then responsible for making decisions based on these information provided. Successful delivery requires an integrated process in which design, construction, operation and maintenance are considered as a whole. (OGC, 2007) Health and safety performance during all phases of the project is mandatory. There are also legal requirements which require clients to set requirements for healthy, safe working conditions and facilities on construction sites. (OGC, 2007) Amongst the OGCs best practice recommendations, is the selection of the right people for the project team. They stated that the selection of an integrated project team is a paramount consideration in project planning. The best projects and the best clients put time into getting the right project team. They assess the quality of the individuals, their ability to work together and their experience. For the emirate stadium case study, the design and build contractor commented after the project completion (SRM, 2009) [a] textbook example of project management and team building, Emirates Stadium showcases the benefits our collaborative approach to business can bring. Our early involvement and that of our key supply chain partners was an essential element in the projects success. Risk assessment and value management should be continually assessed throughout a projects lifecycle. With early collaboration between the entire integrated project team, risks are better identified and resolved before risk mitigations become too expensive to implement. (OGC, 2007) The adoption of the lowest price tendered does not often lead to best value for money. Quality and costs of the implemented projected over the life of the asset are the real indicators of value for money. The focus should always be the optimum balance of required quality and the whole-life costs of a facility the costs of acquiring it, the costs of maintaining it and the costs of operating it over the whole life of the asset to its disposal. (OGC, 2007) Judges at the awards for the building project of the year stated, The whole process was an example of how important teamwork should be to a project, with everyone from the client to the contractor and subcontractors coming together and working successfully to ensure the project was completed on time and under budget. The way that this team tackled design changes should be a lesson to the industry. (Martin Spring, 2007) In summary, the emirate stadium project highlighted in context and principle, is an exemplary addition to best practice adoption and utilization in stadium construction, of course with certain modification as best fits the project in question. Figure 2.2 BEST PRACTICE SUMMARY USING THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE FRAMEWORK For example, collaboration during the planning and design stage, formulating and communicating set milestones to the project team, feed backs and managing the clients expectation in view of the outcomes provided. Figure 2.3 show as weights, the management strategy adopted in relation to a summarised best practice. Figure 2.3 COMPARING BEST PRACTICE WITH CASE STUDY THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES For this part of the report, I shall attempt to develop guidelines for the 2012 Olympic by firstly; Discussing the differences between managing a single project and managing a project as part of a larger portfolio or programme. Review current facts about the on-going 2012 Olympic stadium construction that will further assist to pinpoint and discuss project management challenges. And then finally, based on the characteristics of the project identified, lessons learnt and a review of the best practices, develop guidelines for the project. PROJECT OVERVIEW In July 2005 the International Olympic Committee awarded the city of London the hosting rights for the 2012 Olympic Games. With the establishment of this immovable deadline, the London organising committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), aware of the heights of expectations, particularly after the ingenuity displayed by the Chinese, began plans in earnest. Milestones were set, plans conceived and a programme to regenerate London in preparation for the games was hatched. The entire programme included amongst others, the redevelopment of a 24 hectare Olympic park to accommodate an Olympic stadium, ten sports venues, an Olympic Village, media centre, parklands, several training venues and pre-game training camps. THE OLYMPIC STADIUM The stage was therefore set for the construction of the main Olympic arena, the 80,000 capacity Olympic stadium. At an estimated cost of  £469 million, to be completed in 2011 and convertible to a 25,000 capacity stadium after the games. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT VERSUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT Having clearly stated how the Olympic stadium (as a project) fits into the entire Olympic delivery programme, I will begin by defining a project, a programme and their managements. This will enable my arguments in reviewing the differences between managing a single project and a project under a programme of work. D.C Ferns (1991, p. 21) defined a programme as a group of projects managed in a coordinated manner in other to gain benefits which are not achievable by managing individual projects independently. R.S House (1988, p. 16) in his book the human side of project management defined a project as [a] group of related tasks or activities which together satisfy one or more objectives. Robert Prieto defined program management as [t]he definition and integration of a number of projects to cause a broader, strategic business outcome to be achieved. He further argued that Programme management is not just the sum of all project management activities but also includes management of the risks, opportunities and activities that occur between projects. (PM Hut, 2008) While an individual project will employ a specific project delivery approach (design-bid-build, design/build, DBOM etc.), program management may combine different delivery approaches across multiple projects to best achieve the desired strategic business objectives. In the case study as I will later explain, a consortium was formed (Team McAlpine) to deliver the project. Now using several management parameters, I will therefore itemize the differences between their managements. Table 3.1 Differences between Programme Management and project Management Parameter Programme Management Project Management Organization Semi-permanent in nature, resourced to address the full range of business requirements associated with achievement of a strategic business objective Transient organization in nature, resourced to address a limited set of requirements that may be more temporal in nature and not recurring through all project phases. Organizational Alignment Analogous to building a new company with a sharply defined strategic business objective. Team alignment around project and contract requirements Outcome Definition Strategic Business Outcome (enterprise viewpoint) Defined scope, schedule and budget (output viewpoint) Risk Management Management of all risks associated with achievement of the defined strategic business objectives Management of assumed risks Requirements Establish programmatic and system technical requirements and allocate as appropriate to individual projects Manage project to meet the allocated programmatic and system technical requirements Interface Management Management of all programmatic interfaces between defined projects as well as other programmatic interfaces with stakeholder groups Management of allocated interfaces, if any, and all interfaces within the assembled project team Execution Planning Program wide execution planning including top level schedule, budget, performance standards, supply chain configuration and contracting strategy Project execution planning consistent with agreed to scope schedule, budget. and performance standards Timeframe Through achievement of strategic business objectives (more permanent in nature) Duration associated with completion of project activities Stakeholder Engagement Identification and integration of stakeholders interests and proactive engagement to assure achievement of strategic business objectives Interaction with stakeholder groups only as contractually provided for Source 🙠 PM Hut, 2008) Figure 3.1 Impressionist view of the London 2012 stadium. PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES Before outlining the challenges, we will look briefly at certain information we have gather about the games so far. The multidisciplinary management structure required to deliver the project. The LOCOG acts in the capacity of client for the stadium project. They appointed the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to manage all embodied projects with the stadium inclusive. Hok sports, venues ltd was the designated architects, Bur Happlold the service engineers, Sir Robert Alpine the construction firm and M-E Engineers as the mechanical consultant. A consortium was formed and named Team McAlpine comprising all mentioned for the delivery of the project. The share size and number of stakeholders was of National and international proportion. These includes; The mayor and people of Stratford, London Minister for the Olympics British Olympic Association The International Olympic committee The individual featured sports committee The department of culture, media and sports The British Paralympics Association More than a dozen sponsors and Partners Quite a number of official suppliers and providers. The interrelated projects that would have direct and indirect impacts on the stadium construction e.g. the Olympic park, the volodrome, the access bridges. The budget initially estimated at  £280 million but quickly rose to  £496 million mostly due to rising inflation and an increase in contingencies (Guardian, 2009). The stadiums proposed location, a contaminated site at Stratford in central London. (Contract Journal, 2009) The economic downturn that hit the financial market and the world in general. Rising inflation figures as released by economic analyst on the health of the economy. The announcement by the IOC, naming sustainability as a focus for the summer Olympics, this made it clear that the London 2012 organizers had to think beyond the Olympics and consider the concept of legacy, in particular environmental sustainability. (B. Digby, 2009). Therefore, challenges were present right from the conception phase through the entire project lifecycle, and based on the facts listed above, the following challenges can be deduced; The sustainability slogan meant most of the designs proposed had to be carbon sensitive and sustainability driven. This called for innovative designs and as explained by Alan Webb (1996, p. x) the management and creation of innovative projects are the most challenging of all managerial tasks as novelty implies a leap into the unknown. It is not for the faint hearted for there are shocks and surprises around every corner. Cost and budgetary issues represents one of the greatest challenges the project faces. Many things can happen during the lifecycle of a project to increase project cost estimate, distort the expected rate and magnitude of expenditure (D. Lock, 2007). Has was the case when the recent financial meltdown raised its ugly head. The challenge of managing stakeholder involvement is worth mentioning. Particularly regarding the sensitivity attached to stadium construction in the United Kingdom. The media was recently awash with condemnation for the management team of the Wembley stadium finishing behind schedule and with an escalated budget. Secondly, the magnitude of stakeholders warrants a proper dissemination of information and the pre-planned mitigation of wrong or biased information. A.D. Orr (2004, P. 8) wrote, [t]he purpose of a stakeholder plan is to ensure that the relationships between the principal people in the project have been discussed and the information flowing between them have been agreed. The site for the construction was reported contaminated, although this might appear not to be a project management challenge, it is important to understand the project managerial resonance this might generate due to uncertainties ascribed. The selection of a procurement strategy is always a challenge for projects in a multi project environment. The OGC advises that the procurement of contractor should be on the basis of whole-life value for money. The design and operation of the facility should maximize the delivery of effective service and this is most likely to be achieved through integration of design, construction, operation and on-going maintenance (OGC, 2007). In the Olympic stadium case study, a consortium was formed and proved a substantial factor in the mitigation of the project risks. It is important to mention resources management (void of cost) as a key challenge. One of the aims spelt out in the London 2012 sustainability policy document is to demonstrate an exemplary resource management practice (TOB, 2007). As a result resource utilization was minimized to achieve energy and environmental sustainability and project manager had to make tough decisions during construction. GUIDELINES FOR THE 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM H. Kerzner (1994, p. 43) wrote, [t]he success of a project is best determined by its ability to deliver within the specified time, cost, desired performance and technology level whilst utilizing the resources effectively and efficiently. If an organization is to be successful in the delivery of its projects, it is essential to establish standards by which those projects are selected, managed and delivered. And these standards must be consistent with the organizations strategic plans (Maxs, 2009). Therefore, a step-by-step recommendation for establishing consistent successful performance for the management of the 2012 Olympic stadium can be outlined as follows; Plan and understand the project lifecycle. A standard set of project phases, stages and typical milestones required by the organisations management to enable the consistent structuring and cost-effective processing of the organisations project. (Maxs- Issacons, 2000). Align your resources independently with each phase of the project lifecycle. Selecting a procurement strategy that best suites the project characteristics. Wright wrote, the selection of a contract and contractor are influenced by the nature of parties involve, the project objectives, and the equitable allocation of responsibilities and risk, amongst other factors. (N.J Smith, 2002) Establish a control over the project ensuring that a system of reporting, allocating responsibilities and quality assessment is well defined. Bower wrote that the purpose of control is to ensure that the projects status is reported in a consistent, cost effective and timely manner to the project manager, so that necessary action can be taken. (N.J Smith, 2002) Ensure that plans are understood by all team members and constant updates of the plans are frequently done. J.P Lewis (2000) wrote, It would be nice to think that a plan, once developed, will never change. However, that is unrealistic. Unforeseen problems are almost certain to arise. The most important thing is plan, re-plan and re-plan. Continually assess risks. It is helpful to try to categorise the risks associated with the project both as a guide to identification, and to facilitate the selection of the most appropriate risk-management strategy. (N.J Smith, 2002) Manage the impact of stakeholder involvement in the project. Although they appear as indirect players in the project environment, the stakeholders impact on the success of the project. Therefore managing their impact is vital to every successful project. Setting delivery milestones dates for the various facets of the project and having a work breakdown structure helps to identify critical paths and activity duration. This is a must have for the Olympic stadium project. CONCLUSION In this report, we have categorised the project management challenges highlighted in the group presentation. In the categorisation, I have pointed out that while some groups utilized a framework for identifying the challenges, other groups mentioned the challenges under two main categories, strategic management and operational risks. In critically analysing the challenges mentioned, it would appear that selecting a framework for evaluating the risks is indeed a good practice. It is now obvious that a proper understanding of project peculiarities help to reveal challenges. While all groups were speculative about the challenges categorising the challenges would have help to further identify peculiar risks and challenges requiring the formulation of a risks management strategy. The best practice for construction management refers to tools, techniques and guidelines that have proved effective over a wide range of construction management projects. And again this report has utilized a typical project lifecycle framework to outline the necessary elements required at each phase of a project. The assessment of risk and uncertainties was a process repeated in most phases of a project lifecycle because in actual sense the entire functions of a project manage revolves around his ability to provide resolutions to those uncertainties that eventually become a challenge in the implementation of a project. The importance of planning was also emphasised at every phase of the project and planning does not seize until the project has been delivered to time, budget and quality. In the 2012 Olympic case study, differentiating the stadium construction project from a single project and identifying it as belonging to a multiply project environment reveals the need to adopt a different strategies. However, some elements of an established best practice such as value management and risk management would generally be applied successfully. To successfully Identifying the challenges, a review of the facts about the project is necessary as the magnitude and true nature of challenges become obvious. Then finally based on the characteristics of the project identified, lessons learnt and a review of the best practices, eight sets of guidelines were develop for the 2012 Olympic stadium project.

Native americans :: essays research papers

Take a look what do you see? Heaven? Birds? Planes? Have you ever thought that possibly there is another world above us? Well the native Americans did. They came up with preposterous myths like these witch are written about in the two stories, â€Å"Earth on a turtles back†and â€Å"when Grizzlies walked upright†. Your probably thinking to your self where do they come up with these absurd ideas and stories. However im sure if you lived in that time period did with no formsof entertainment and had to sit around looking at trees 24/7 , you would most likely be coming up with some bizarre stories like these two. In both stories creation begins with a woman that is curios and creation is an accident. In both of the stories animals are highly looked at,and constantly helping or causing issues. Personification is also use to describe the animals acting humanly and other things such as the wind†entering†. Although these twostories are alike in many ways they have several differences, The two stories are both how curtiosity caused creation but there are many unique things that twist the stories to make them different, staring with the whole in the â€Å"skyland† in the first story the hole is created by a uprooted tree and is already exsisting in the second. The next thing that happens is that the pregnate women falls through the hole and is saved by animals and leads to the animalshelping to create an earth on a turtles back. While in the second story the girl rolls down a hill and mates with a grizzely bear an the grizzley bear is cursed to walk on all 4’s.there was no land in the first story and there has already nature and land below the sky world in the 2nd story. The stories both end differently the seeds that the woman happen to get when she fell were planted on the turtles back and that created nature. In the second it ended with the grizzley being cursed.even thouth these examples from these storiesa are a bit out landish they were clever,an d creature enough to make it into a high school lit book.

Human Trafficking: The different risk factors Essay

Definition of Human Trafficking According to Jac-Kucharski (2012), â€Å"human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjective to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery†(p.151). The risk factors that used in the research are, age in regards to traveling alone, poverty, unemployment and sexual abuse. Poverty Factors Human trafficking is a worldwide issue and one of the causes are poverty (Jac-Kucharski, 2012). According to the United States Census Bureau (USCB) (2013), poverty is defined â€Å"as a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty†(p. 11). For instance, a family is considered to be in poverty if the total house income is less then their maximum income (USCB, 2013). Poverty makes people feel desperate and look for other means to gain money, and as a result they may get into bigger problems without knowing it. Jac-Kucharski (2012), research states that human traffickers take advantage of peoples’ economic situations and with lies take over their victims’ lives. Woman and men in poverty conditions are easy targets for human trafficking. Through the years, women have been seen as prey for human trafficking, particularly in sexual trafficking, and this problem is not just in the United States but around the wor ld (Hodge, 2008). The business of sexual trafficking continues to grow notably against the other forms of human trafficking: sexual trafficking makes up 79 percent of all human trafficking, and some of the cases result in bride-enslavement (Kim, 2010). It is well known that the majority of women who enroll in the international marriage agencies come from poor homes, and this is advertised in the agencies’ websites. This type of advertising allows American men to feel they are rescuing these powerless  women, so they expect their brides to do everything they want them to do. These relationships turn into powerful dominant men and weak brides. The men believe that they can exploit and dominate their brides because they rescued them. The women experience domestic violence, rape, and emotional distress (Kim, 2010). Jones (2010) states that rarely people see or hear the media reporting on male human trafficking, but it takes place. Thus, the other group that also is targeted to human trafficking i s men. The male victims are poor and usually from other countries, but in some cases the men are Americans. For instance, one of these cases was homeless men in the state of Florida; they were forced to work in detrimental conditions and did not receive payment for their work. The men who are brought to the United States come with hope of prosperity, but once they get here they lose their freedom. Some are employed to work in restaurants, construction sites etc. But the majority of them are forced to work in farms. Furthermore, the human traffickers take their victims’ passport, money, and any other possessions making it difficult for them to leave (Jones, 2010). Unemployment Factors This paper will further explore unemployment as a risk factor for human trafficking and the reasons that unemployment makes human beings so vulnerable to being trafficked and taken against their will. This paper will also explain that there is a difference in human trafficking and human smuggling (Jac-Kucharski, 2012). An estimation in 2008 estimated that almost if not more than 800,000 humans were trafficked within the borders of the United States as well as across United States borders into other countries (Jac-Kucharski, 2012). The United States unemployment average was 5.8%, the highest average the country had ever seen up until that year. Since 2008, the unemployment rate on a month to month basis has not been lower than 6.7% (Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2014). That is a lot of people to be unemployed and looking for work. Many human traffickers prey on people who are looking for a way to provide for their families. They promise a job and plenty of work for a person to do. Before the person can realize what is happening, they have been taken against their will to work in a factory for no pay, or they are being forced to commit sexual acts for no pay. This paper will explore reports made by survivors of human trafficking. Different people experienced different situations, but they all experienced one like  factor: they were not able to leave or communicate with their family. They all also experienced the thought process of thinking they would die before they were released. This leads to the research being done on the traumatic experience of being victim of human trafficking, and the impact it has on the lives of people who survive (Cross, 2013). Traveling Alone Factors As the research continues about the different factors of human trafficking, traveling alone as a minor has become one of the concerns in human trafficking. There are different reasons why minors travel unaccompanied. In the research of (Derluyn, et al. 2010), states some of the reasons may consist of holiday traveling and traveling with migration motives. Traveling unaccompanied makes easy pray for the criminals of human trafficking. The average traveling age for unaccompanied by an adult, caregiver, parents or legal guardian is five through twelve years of age (Derluyn, et al., 2010). Approximate one-third of the children that travel under the age of 18 years old are traveling unaccompanied. When the minors are traveling alone without any guardian, makes them at risk for traffickers. The traffickers will see them as vulnerable and unprotected making it easier for the traffickers to allure the victims. The traffickers will try to allure the minors with false papers and obtaining acce ss into the country. The children not being knowledgeable and not guided by an adult protector they will believe the traffickers. The minors will be in fear of getting into trouble or not getting through into the country. Resulting in the trafficker making false promises and the victim becoming prey (Derluyn, et al., 2010). After the traffickers have allured the minors and they entered the country it is more often than none they disappear. The study of research by (Derluyn, et al., 2010) shows out of less than 2,000 minors traveling by themselves and flying into the London area, there were a fourth of the minors that stayed at a higher risk to encounter smugglers and traffickers. Following (Derluyn, et al.’s, 2010) a special team designed to assist in the lost minors found that out of 25 of the forth of the children ended up finding no single trace of them. Teenage girls that came from West Africa were the primary interest of the traffickers. Because these children were never found it is a strong possibility they became targets of mistreatment and cruelty (Derluyn, et al., 2010). With the small amount of research that has happened with the  factor of children traveling alone there have been significant results to conclude it is safer for the minor to tour with an appropriate adult. Sexual Abuse Factors â€Å"Sexual abuse is defined as the involvement of a child younger than the age of consent by means of force, threat, cheat or deception in every kind of act resulting in the sexual satisfaction of a sexually adult person in the absence of consent and equality or conniving at its occurrence† (Bilginer & et. al,. 2013 p.56) There are several factors that put people at risk to become targets for those in the human trafficking trade, the risk factor discussed here is sexual abuse and how it can lead to prostitution and the sex trade side of human trafficking (A Review of the literature, n.d., para. 4.1 p.7). Sexual abuse affects females and influences their transition into prostitution and the sex trade. An introduction to sex at an early age is one of the ways that children can be led into prostitution as it skews their sense of self; the place sex has in their lives, and the role of the person who abused them. Children are introduced to sex through abuse at increasingly younge r ages anywhere from 13 to 15 years old or younger (Wilson & Windom, 2010). The girl’s age range is between 7 and 14 (Bilginer & et. al., 2013). This abuse can also lead the victims to act out utilizing other risky behaviors that put these children at even more risk such as doing poorly in school or juvenile criminal activity (Wilson & Windom, 2010). These females, who have no coping skills or life experience to deal with the abuse, especially when it comes from those they are supposed to be able to trust, end up either distancing themselves from sex, or using it to gain a false sense of intimacy. Such behaviors’ put them at risk as candidates for prostitution (Wilson & Windom, 2010). Second discussed is how sexual abuse affects males and how it influences their transition into prostitution and the sex trade. Many of the same factors stated for the females also apply to males. The boy’s age range for when abuse occurs is marginally higher, approximately between 9 and 12 year old (Bilginer & et. al., 2013). Boys who were abused are more also likely to become prostitutes and have high-risk sexual encounters that p ut them at risk; however they do not have the same dysfunctional issues that females deal with when it comes to their view of sex after abuse. Dysfunction in males arises more often in  conjunction with neglect from their family not abuse alone (Aron, 2012). References Aaron, M. (2012). The pathways of problematic sexual behavior: A literature review of factors affecting adult sexual behavior in survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 19(3), 199-218. doi:10.1080/10720162.2012.690678 Bilginer, C., HesapcÄ ±oglu, S., & Kandil, S. (2013). Sexual abuse in childhood: A multi-dimentional look from the view point of victims and perpetrators. Journal of Psychiatry & Neurological Sciences, 26(1), 55-64. doi:10.5350/DAJPN2013260106 Bureau of Labor and Statistics. (2014, January 27). Labor force statistics from the current population survey. Retrieved from http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 Cross, A. L. (2013). Slipping through the cracks: The dual victimization of human-trafficking survivors. McGeorge Law Review, 395-422. Derluyn, I., Lippens, V., Verachtert, T., Bruggeman, W., & Broekaert, E. (2010). Minors Travelling Alone: A Risk Group for Human Trafficking?. International Migration, 48(4), 164-185. doi:10.1111/j.146 8-2435.2009.00548.x Human trafficking into and within the United States: A review of the literature. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/humantrafficking/litrev/index.pdf(American Psychological Assoc.) Hodge, D. (2008). Sexual trafficking in the United States: A domestic problem with transnational dimensions. Social Work, 53(2), 143-152. doi:10.1093/sw/53.2.143 Jac-Kucharski, A. (2012). The determinants of human trafficking: A US case study. International Migration, 50(6), 150-165. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.2012.00777.x Jones, S. (2010). The invisible man: The conscious neglect of men and boys in the war on human trafficking. Utah Law Review, 2010(4), 1143-1188. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy194.nclive.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer KIM, J. (2010). Trafficked: Domestic violence, exploitation in marriage, and the foreign-bride industry. Virginia Journal of International Law, 51(2), 443-505. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy194.nclive.org/eds/pdfv iewer/pdfviewer Merriam-Webster. (2012). An american dictionary of the english language. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, Inc. United States Census Bureau. (2013, February). Poverty. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/methods/definitions.html U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2007). Human trafficking into and within the United States: A review of the literature. Washington, DC: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Wilson, H. W., & Widom, C. (2010). The role of youth problem behaviors in the path from child abuse and neglect to prostitution: A Prospective examination. Journal of Research on APA.

buy custom First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America essay

buy custom First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America essay The 1st Amendment refers to the adjustments and reviews that were first done to the Constitution of the United States of America. The most conspicuous and outstanding aspect of the 1st Amendment was the enormous power, rights and freedoms that it vested on the citizens of the United States of America. Commonly known as the Bill of Rights, this 1st adjustment is recognized as one of the best document especially because of the extent to which its legislation resulted into individual entitlement to human and civil rights in the United States of America. The 1st Amendment to the Constitution of United States of America has been used as a reference material by many countries across the globe which is at the verge of realizing internal democracy and institutional reforms. The most intriguing aspect of the 1st Amendment is thus the fact that it enhanced entitlement of freedom of speech and expression and freedom to assemble in the Supreme document of the land. Before the amendment, the citizens of the United States of America suffered human rights violations in industries, and institutional structures such as the Criminal Justice System. With its passage, the 1st Amendment empowered the citizens to petition the state on issues revolving around human rights, freedoms and dignity. This included the rights of the citizens of the United States of America to petition the government to uphold the rule of law and to genuinely address the grievances of the people. The Bill of Rights as provided for in the 1st Amendment interestingly gave the American people significant level of power including that of petitioning the government to ensure provision and protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people. With its passage, the 1st Amendment marked the beginning of political, economic and socio-cultural emancipation of the American people from repressive forces in the governance structures of the United States. In conclusion, the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was peculiar in the manner in which it provided Constitutional insulation against violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the American people. Buy custom First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America essay

Battle of Lake George in the French and Indian War

Battle of Lake George in the French and Indian War The Battle of Lake George took place September 8, 1755, during the French Indian War (1754-1763). One of the first major engagements in the northern theater of the conflict, the fighting was the result of British efforts to capture Fort St. Frà ©dà ©ric on Lake Champlain. Moving to block the enemy, the French initially ambushed the British column near Lake George. When the British withdrew back to their fortified camp, the French followed. Subsequent assaults on the British failed and the French were ultimately driven from the field with the loss of their commander Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau. The victory help the British secure the Hudson River Valley and provided a needed boost for American morale after the disaster at the Battle of the Monongahela that July. To aid in holding the area, the British commenced building Fort William Henry. Background With the outbreak of the French Indian War, the governors of the British colonies in North America convened in April 1755, to discuss strategies for defeating the French. Meeting in Virginia, they decided to launch three campaigns that year against the enemy. In the north, the British effort would be led by Sir William Johnson who was ordered to move north through Lakes George and Champlain. Departing Fort Lyman (re-named Fort Edward in 1756) with 1,500 men and 200 Mohawks in August 1755, Johnson moved north and reached Lac Saint Sacrement on the 28th. Renaming the lake after King George II, Johnson pushed on with the goal of capturing Fort St. Frà ©dà ©ric. Located on Crown Point, the fort controlled part of Lake Champlain. To the north, the French commander, Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau, learned of Johnsons intention and assembled a force of 2,800 men and 700 allied Native Americans. Moving south to Carillon (Ticonderoga), Dieskau made camp and planned an attack on Johnsons supply lines and Fort Lyman. Leaving half of his men at Carillon as a blocking force, Dieskau moved down Lake Champlain to South Bay and marched to within four miles of Fort Lyman. Change of Plans Scouting the fort on September 7, Dieskau found it heavily defended and elected not to attack. As a result, he began moving back towards South Bay. Fourteen miles to the north, Johnson received word from his scouts that the French were operating in his rear. Halting his advance, Johnson began fortifying his camp and dispatched 800 Massachusetts and New Hampshire militia, under Colonel Ephraim Williams, and 200 Mohawks, under King Hendrick, south to reinforce Fort Lyman. Departing at 9:00 a.m. on September 8, they moved down the Lake George-Fort Lyman Road. Battle of Lake George Conflict: French and Indian War (1754-1763)Dates: September 8, 1755Armies Commanders:BritishSir William Johnson1,500 men, 200 Mohawk IndiansFrenchJean Erdman, Baron Dieskau1,500 menCasualties:British: 331 (disputed)French: 339 (disputed) Setting an Ambush While moving his men back towards South Bay, Dieskau was alerted to Williams movement. Seeing an opportunity, he reversed his march and set an ambush along the road about three miles south of Lake George. Placing his grenadiers across the road, he aligned his militia and Indians in cover along the sides of the road. Unaware of the danger, Williams men marched directly into the French trap. In an action later referred to as the Bloody Morning Scout, the French caught the British by surprise and inflicted heavy casualties. Among those killed were King Hendrick and Williams who was shot in the head. With Williams dead, Colonel Nathan Whiting assumed command. Trapped in a crossfire, the majority of the British began fleeing back towards Johnsons camp. Their retreat was covered by around 100 men led by Whiting and Lieutenant Colonel Seth Pomeroy. Fighting a determined rearguard action, Whiting was able to inflict substantial casualties on their pursuers, including killing the leader of the French Native Americans, Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre. Pleased with his victory, Dieskau followed the fleeing British back to their camp. Sir William Johnson. Public Domain The Grenadiers Attack Arriving, he found Johnsons command fortified behind a barrier of trees, wagons, and boats. Immediately ordering an attack, he found that his Native Americans refused to go forward. Shaken by the loss of Saint-Pierre, they did not wish to assault a fortified position. In an effort to shame his allies into attacking, Dieskau formed his 222 grenadiers into an attack column and personally led them forward around noon. Charging into heavy musket fire and grape shot from Johnsons three cannon, Dieskaus attack bogged down. In the fighting, Johnson was shot in the leg and command devolved to Colonel Phineas Lyman. By late afternoon, the French broke off the attack after Dieskau was badly wounded. Storming over the barricade, the British drove the French from the field, capturing the wounded French commander. To the south, Colonel Joseph Blanchard, commanding Fort Lyman, saw the smoke from the battle and dispatched 120 men under Captain Nathaniel Folsom to investigate. Moving north, they encountered the French baggage train approximately two miles south of Lake George. Taking a position in the trees, they were able to ambush around 300 French soldiers near Bloody Pond and succeeded in driving them from the area. After recovering his wounded and taking several prisoners, Folsom returned to Fort Lyman. A second force was sent out the next day to recover the French baggage train. Lacking supplies and with their leader gone, the French retreated north. Aftermath Precise casualties for the Battle of Lake George are not known. Sources indicate that the British suffered between 262 and 331 killed, wounded, and missing, while the French incurred between 228 and 600. The victory at the Battle of Lake George marked one the first victories for American provincial troops over the French and their allies. In addition, though fighting around Lake Champlain would continue to rage, the battle effectively secured the Hudson Valley for the British. To better secure the area, Johnson ordered the construction of Fort William Henry near Lake George.

Pond Water Essays

Pond Water Essays Pond Water Essay Pond Water Essay Pond Water TITLE: By: Jacob O’Connor November 21, 2011 Jennifer Mertz BIO 101 SEC 3A Mid Michigan Community College HYPOTHESIS: If the pond water is not treated and is good quality water then there will be new organisms and plant life in the pond water ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to observe and understand what occurs in a sample of pond water over the course of six weeks. Over the six weeks there were qualitative and quantitative data found and recorded. The qualitative data recorded entailed: Water color and smell as well as suspended solids ranging from clear, opaque, and turbid. The quantitative data that was recorded regarded: Temperature, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, Chlorine, as well as, Nitrate, and Nitrite. There were also two views of microscope observations. This report will explain and go into detail regarding the results of the observation of the pond water. INTRODUCTION: MATERIALS: 1. Water 9. Slide covers 2. Soil/Grass 10. Plant grow lights 3. Jar 11. Lab Manuel Books 4. Microscope 12. Nail 5. Thermometer 13. Hammer 6. Water quality test strips 14. Tape 7. Pipette 15. Nitrate/Nitrite strips 8. Slides 16. Lab Manual METHODS: Located in a 16 oz clear glass or plastic jar. Took the lid of the jar off and punctured holes in it metal lids are usually est, because you can use a hammer and a larger nail to puncture holes; where as a plastic lid tends to crack with a hammer and nail. Found a pond that contained water year round. Filled the jar 3/4 full with pond water. Added a 1/2 inch of sediment from the bottom of the pond. Also, added a small amount of dead grass or leaves to the jar. Prevented spillage while traveling, by placing a paper towel or plastic wrap between the top of the jar and then gently screwed the lid on over the plastic. Once in the lab, label the pond water using a stick on label with your name, instructor’s name, class section, and the date of when the pond water was collected which was on 10/05/11. Then each week for 6 weeks this data was recorded, the water color, the smell, suspended solids such as clear opaque, and turbid, the temperature was recorded each week using Celsius, the pH level, total alkalinity, total hardness, total chlorine, and free chlorine.

Classroom Management and Gender Differences Essay

Classroom Management and Gender Differences - Essay Example The management of classrooms is therefore a dynamic task and it is affected by several factors, prominent among them being the gender of the teacher as well as of the students. Several studies have focused on assessing effective management of classroom and its relationship with gender. There are several factors that lead to the influence of gender in dynamics of the classroom and in the management of the classrooms. The role of gender is prominently seen to be active in two ways. One is the perception of   the students about the difference in teaching and managing ability of teachers of different genders. Conversely, it is also noteworthy to discuss if teachers belonging to different genders, indeed manage the classroom differently. Secondly, and more acutely, it is the different in the perception with which the teachers view and apprise their students based on the student’s gender. As a result of these gender related perceptions, the teachers, at times, adopt discriminating attitudes towards their girl and boy students. This invariably result in the manifestation of behavior on the part of the teachers that might be debilitating to some sections of the class. As a classroom setting is extremely crucial for the development of a student, any problems that result due to the partial attitude of teachers should be avoided.The impact of gender related issues on classroom management and studies, that arise due to the gender of teachers or of students,   is being increasingly recognized by educators world over.

Sound Artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sound Artist - Essay Example This process is just like writing a poem1. Architects completely keep in mind the visual dimensions of a structure for communicating the historical, emotional, artistic and social background of the space. However, they neglect, usually, the acoustic dimensions. To feel space through listening has never been identified as native ability of humans. However, dolphins and bats are classified in this category. Nonetheless, no specific qualities are required to sense spatial qualities. The hardwired segment of human beings is rudimentary spatial ability and it is a genetic part of human body. For instance, the utilization of headphones for listening music has its own affect; however, if the headphones are removed after listening music then walking in the room makes a different impact; the sounds of walking are clearer now. Even if a person walk blind fold in his/her room he/she would be able to recognize paths through its resonances2. Maryanne Amacher These are called acoustic spatial dime nsions of sound. Several composers utilized this feature in their compositions; however, the work of Maryanne Amacher is unforgettable and commendable. She was born in Kane Pennsylvania. Her father was a Swiss freight train worker while her mother was a nurse. She was the only child in the family. At very early age, she learned to play piano. She graduated in computer and acoustics science. From the beginning of her musical and composition career, she was interested in different variations of sound. In this respect, she implemented different kind of microphones and she got the help of many loudspeakers to create her so-called airborne sound. She experimented her techniques at all levels and achieved great success3. Her famous catalogue â€Å"Sound Character† is a masterpiece. The catalogue has seven compositions. 1."Head Rhythm 1" and "Plaything 2" 2. Tower 3. Synaptic Island (excerpt "VM2 from the Levi-Montalcini Variations") 4. Synaptic Island (excerpt "Tower Meta1s", "Feed 2", "Muse Orchestra 1") 5. Dense Boogie 1 6. Choral 1 The analysis of Maryanne Amacher’s Compositions The American composer and installation performer Maryanne Amacher had completely a different method. She composed CD Sound Character to vibrate the hidden ear â€Å"Third Ear†. Her theory was very different from all of his contemporary artists. The CD Sound Character has seven tracks and many of them are related to ‘third-ear music’. The music resounds in the head and it seems different from the music that originates through loudspeakers. In addition, the CD is comprised of atmospheric sound installations, multi-channel re-mastered excerpts. These re-mastered excerpts originate sound, which is not only hears but also feels in the whole body and the room becomes speaker itself. However, to compose for the body is a unique issue. It needs fresh models of aural analysis and treatment because the listening point is shifted from the ears to the tissues of the b ody, which provokes memories, psychic and physical association and intertwine of information. Can the body is able to work out a plan for sound stage? Can these worked out plans free different bodies and association among spaces and bodies? The concept of embodied listening and disrupt traditional models of describing and hearing sound are similar to Donna Haraway’s (1991) ‘embodied objectivity’4. The tracks 3, 4, and 7, which she started to originate in 1980 are multi-room, multi-channel large-scale pieces and these tracks

Alcohol and Tobacco Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Alcohol and Tobacco Control - Essay Example Drinking alcohol and smoking are not good for health. Both expose an individual to numerous kinds of health risks. Health risks associated with drinking alcohol include but are not limited to cirrhosis, pancreatitis, hypertension, osteoporosis, and wernicke-korsakoff syndrome. Cirrhosis is a disease in which the liver is scarred and its healthy tissue is replaced with the scarred tissue. Malfunctioning of the liver caused by this causes the build-up of bile in the blood. Pancreatitis is another disease caused by drinking alcohol that causes the inflammation of pancreas. This affects insulin production, thus causing intense abdominal pain along with nausea and fever. Hypertension is a condition in which the passage of blood through the arteries can cause the arteries’ walls to rupture, thus causing stroke or heart attack. Alcohol consumption causes loss of the bone mass, a condition known as osteoporosis, thus increasing the risk of bone fracture. Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder, which causes memory loss and blurred vision in the patient. Diseases caused by smoking include lungs’ cancer, oral cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The tar contained in the tobacco deposits in the mouth, throat and lungs thus increasing the smoker’s tendency to acquire cancer. ... Drinking and smoking are addictive habits. An individual who starts drinking and smoking goes a long way to reach the stage where he/she becomes a drug addict. Particularly, smoking often happens to be the first stage in the way of becoming a drug addict for many teenagers. It leads to the consumption of cocaine, marijuana and heroine in the later stages. Smoking all these drugs has potential negative implications on both the individual’s health and social life. The risks to health include all of the diseases that have been discussed before. Risks to the social life of the individual include poor academic performance, declined efficiency in work, laziness, and social exclusion. Teenagers that become drug addicts lose interest in studies. Consequentially, there academic grades start to decline. The poor academic performance has negative repercussions on the professional career of the individual as the eligibility of a candidate for a good job is directly governed by his/her pas t academic performance. This increases the drug addict’s risk of unemployment. In addition to that drug addicts are stigmatized and are subject to humiliation and social exclusion in the long run. Since the society does not accept them, they tend to be alone and are gradually pushed into social exclusion, in which they become depressed and may end up committing suicide. Owing to the myriad of negative effects of addiction caused by drinking and smoking, they should be prohibited. Control of alcohol and tobacco is compulsory in order to keep them out of the reach of children. Children are immature and generally unaware of the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco on their health. Even if they do know the effects, they tend to underestimate them owing to their immaturity. If alcohol

Technology and economic growth in the pre-civil war period Essay

Technology and economic growth in the pre-civil war period - Essay Example New irrigation techniques also provided more arable land. An additional technological change that had a big impact was the rise of railroads (Boyer, et al, 240). Rail coverage expanded nearly ten times over a twenty year period. Americans of all classes were able to travel freely and comfortably. Perhaps more than anything this helped to open up the West during this period. Culture was rapidly increasing during this period too, as American writers looked inward to their soul and outward to their growing country. Writers like Dickinson, Thoreau and Emerson published works that began the process of defining what it meant to be American. A definition that would be sorely tested during the Civil War. The twenty year period before the American Civil War was a period of great development and change. Agriculture improved and railways became more prominent. American artists and writers won new respect. It is deeply unfortunate much of this growth was lost in the slaughter of the Civil

The Effects The Media Has On American Society Term Paper

The Effects The Media Has On American Society - Term Paper Example Media is considered to be a critical tool of communication between the government and the public, a fact which is reflected in the use of the media every time an important governmental plans needs to be promoted. The effects of media on American society are critically discussed in this paper. It is noted that the relationship between the media and the particular society is of similar form as in other countries worldwide – referring to the relationship between the media and the local population. However, in USA this relationship is highly developed; the media is considered as the unique tool for identifying the consent of the public to particular political decisions. It should be noted that through the decades the power of the media to affect the American society seems to be weakened – probably under the influence of the failures of media to represent the actual status/ quality of political and economic plans as promoted by the government, the local authorities but also the private sector – the case of Enron which was considered to be a quite powerful corporation, as presented through the media, is an indicative example of the failure of media to check the validity of the social and economic messages promoted through the particular means of communication. Traditionally, the American society has been strongly affected by media. As a result, every time that a critical political decision had to be supported the media was used, more or less, to ensure the consent of the public to the attempted changes. In order to understand the effects of media on American Society, it would be necessary to refer primarily to the characteristics of this society. Then, the potentials of media to affect the particular society would be made clear. The American society is based on specific principles/ ethics. Trust is of key importance for getting the approval of the public. In terms of decisions related to the management of the country’s issues, the particip ation of the public has been of critical importance. The term participation refers to the awareness of the public of the basic rules of the attempted plans, i.e. the direct involvement of the public in the realization of these plans is not necessary. In other words, in the context of the trust, as existing between the politicians and the public the provision of information to the public on the main principles/ parts of governmental decisions is considered as having the sense of involvement of the public in the relevant initiatives. The power of the media to influence the view of the public on critical social, political and economic issues is reflected in the literature published in the particular field. At a first level, the ability of the media to influence each individual has been assessed. The theories developed in this area have been rather contradictory. In the study of Shirley (256) reference is made to the hypodermic needle theory, which is based on the view that media cannot affect equally all people; rather, the media affects each individual at a different level in accordance with his background and perceptions. In the context of this theory it is believed that the behavior of the individual is of critical importance in order to understand his exposure to the media, meaning the level at which the media can influence the views/ decisions of the particular person. On the other hand, there is the magic bullet theory, which considers the potentials of the media to influence the public as being of a standardized form. In the context of this theory, the media is able to influence all people the same even if the message transmitted through the media has not been checked as of its validity (Shirley 256). The above theory

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Extra Credit - Essay Example Similarly, the FDA changed terms like â€Å"irradiation† to â€Å"cold pasteurization† to improve sales, as consumers shy away from terms that involve radiation (Unit Six page 5). In these cases the organizations took no action to change processes or procedures, but merely took action to change a products placement in the market. It is surprising to consider the enormous impact these organization must therefore play in product sales, and even which companies are able to succeed in national markets. From this example, I learned that food safety may sometimes not play as large of a role as economics in the food we, as consumers, are led to believe is safe—or even more shockingly the medicines that we take for sicknesses and disabilities. In the future, knowledge of these pressures have convinced me to take a more proactive approach to my health by more closely inspecting health labels and researching processing techniques that may appear as ambiguous statements, su ch as the â€Å"cold pasteurization† example above. By taking a proactive approach, consumers, like myself, can make better, more informed decisions about their health and well-being. The can also act to be more involved in policy making on food and drugs and encourage truth in labeling and advertising. Works Cited Unit Six†¦.

Technology and economic growth in the pre-civil war period Essay

Technology and economic growth in the pre-civil war period - Essay Example New irrigation techniques also provided more arable land. An additional technological change that had a big impact was the rise of railroads (Boyer, et al, 240). Rail coverage expanded nearly ten times over a twenty year period. Americans of all classes were able to travel freely and comfortably. Perhaps more than anything this helped to open up the West during this period. Culture was rapidly increasing during this period too, as American writers looked inward to their soul and outward to their growing country. Writers like Dickinson, Thoreau and Emerson published works that began the process of defining what it meant to be American. A definition that would be sorely tested during the Civil War. The twenty year period before the American Civil War was a period of great development and change. Agriculture improved and railways became more prominent. American artists and writers won new respect. It is deeply unfortunate much of this growth was lost in the slaughter of the Civil

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Extra Credit - Essay Example Similarly, the FDA changed terms like â€Å"irradiation† to â€Å"cold pasteurization† to improve sales, as consumers shy away from terms that involve radiation (Unit Six page 5). In these cases the organizations took no action to change processes or procedures, but merely took action to change a products placement in the market. It is surprising to consider the enormous impact these organization must therefore play in product sales, and even which companies are able to succeed in national markets. From this example, I learned that food safety may sometimes not play as large of a role as economics in the food we, as consumers, are led to believe is safe—or even more shockingly the medicines that we take for sicknesses and disabilities. In the future, knowledge of these pressures have convinced me to take a more proactive approach to my health by more closely inspecting health labels and researching processing techniques that may appear as ambiguous statements, su ch as the â€Å"cold pasteurization† example above. By taking a proactive approach, consumers, like myself, can make better, more informed decisions about their health and well-being. The can also act to be more involved in policy making on food and drugs and encourage truth in labeling and advertising. Works Cited Unit Six†¦.

Chemical reaction Essay Example for Free

Chemical reaction Essay 1.Determine the enthalpy change for NaOH (s) + HCl (aq) → NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) using Hesss Law. a. Write the balanced chemical reaction and enthalpy change for Part I (1pt) b. Write the balanced chemical reaction and enthalpy change for Part II (1pt) c. Calculate the enthalpy change using Hesss Law. Refer to the lesson for an example of Hesss Law. (2pt) 2.If the accepted enthalpy change value for the dissolving of sodium hydroxide in water is −44.2 kilojoules per mole, determine the percent error of the experimental value that you calculated in Part I. Show your work. (experimental actual value) / actual value Ãâ€" 100 % 3.If the accepted heat of reaction for the neutralization of hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide is −56.0 kilojoules per mole, determine the percent error of the experimental value that you calculated in Part II. Show your work. (experimental actual value) / actual value Ãâ€" 100 % 4.Using the accepted values of the processes youve examined, would your estimation of the enthalpy change for the reaction of solid sodium hydroxide in aqueous hydrochloric acid change from the prediction you made in question one? Explain your answer in complete sentences. 5.Give a detailed explanation, using what you know about bonds and forces of attraction, for the enthalpy changes you observed in parts I and II of this lab. Explain your answer in complete sentences.

Vortioxetine: Long and Short Term Effectiveness

Vortioxetine: Long and Short Term Effectiveness Clinical Efficacy and Tolerability Studies:  Effectiveness in short term therapy Thase M et al. performed meta-analysis on 10 short term placebo-controlled clinical trials [studies analyzed were with Clinical trial registry no:NCT00839423, NCT00635219, NCT00735709, NCT01140906, NCT01153009, NCT01163266, NCT00672958, NCT00672620, NCT01179516, NCT00811252]outcome submitted to USFDA for vortioxetine approval purpose and demonstrate the efficacy of the compound in treatment of MDD. They observed existence of dose response correlation across the dosage strength (5-20mg/day) of vortioxetine on the basis of MADRS as efficacy measurement scale. The analysis reported clinically meaningful efficacy of vortioxetine through mean difference in change from baseline MADRS total score (32.4 ±4.1 for vortioxetine(n=2416) and 32.1 ±4.0 for placebo(n=1439)) observed for 5mg strength(difference of change in score: -2.6; p=0.008), 10 mg strength (-3.5; p The very first study to identify efficacy, safety and tolerability of vortioxetine 5mg and 10 mg/day dosage vs. placebo was carried out for 6 weeks with participation of 429 patients with baseline Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score 30. Venlafaxine XR 225mg/day was used as an active reference in this multi-site study. The study exhibited superior treatment by vortioxetine in comparison of placebo as evident by significant difference (p Impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a chronic illness directly related to depression. Improvement in HRQoL in patient suffering of MDD reflects therapeutic effectiveness and enhance patient adherence to the drug. Florea I et al. performed random effect meta-analysis on 9 placebo controlled short term studies [Studies included are Clinical trial registry no.: NCT 00839423; NCT00635219; NCT01323478; NCT00672958; NCT00672620; NCT00735709; NCT01153009; NCT01163266] of patients with MDD receiving vortioxetine using a variety of quality-of-life assessment tools. The meta-analysis (FAS, MMRM) showed a statistically significant difference from placebo in favor of vortioxetine (p Effectiveness on Cognitive function: Efficacy of vortioxetine on cognitive function in depressed adults Memory impairment as a Neurocognitive mutilation is prominent in patients with MDD and the same is considered s a marker of brain dysfunctinality (Burt D). Antidepresant drugs with positive effect on reversal of cognitive dysfunction are differenciated from the antidepressants with no cognitive effect to facilitate good prescription in general. In a preclinical study, Vortioxetine enhanced memory in rat as evident by novel object recognition test and alleviated extracellular level of acetylcholine and histamine when 1-10 mg/kg drug is administered subcutaneously to experimental animals (Mork A, 2013). The chronic dietary administration of drug also found to be effective in alleviation of stress-induced impairment in reversal learning when adult male rats were exposed to chronic intermittent cold (CIC) stress and 4-chloro-DL-phenylalanine methyl ester hydrochloride (PCPA), a 5-HT depleting agent (Wallace A, 2014). Restoration of 5-HT depletion impaired memory by Vortioxetine was also demonstrated by Jardin KG and Jansen JB through PCPA induced 5-HT depletion model and behavioural tests including object recognition (OR) and Y-maze spontaneous alternation (SA) tests respectively. SERT (Serotonin transporters) occupancy (>90%) by vortioxetine was established in their preclinical work, with reports of dose-dependently reversed recognition memory and spatial working memory in rats. Effectiveness in MDD relapse prevention (Long term therapy) Major depressive disorder (MDD) patients have to maintain therapy even after remission by acute treatment to prevent relapse especially when residual symptom and comorbid illnesses (E.g: MDD with generalized anxiety disorder) are present at the remission point (Keller M, 2007). The long term efficacy of antidepressants is also be established by study of its role in maintenance treatment in preventing depression recurrence in patients who responded to acute therapy (Kornstein 2006)(Steinert C 2014). Alam M et al (NCT 00707980) carried out an open-label, 52-weeks, long term study to identify efficacy of vortioxetine along with monitoring of adverse effects. This was the extension of two double blind, placebo controlled short term (8weeks) lead in studies involving participants suffering of MDD. Total 834 patients were treated with 5 mg/day dose of vortioxetine for first week followed by dose titration from 2.5 mg/day to 10 mg/day depending on intensity of response till 52 weeks. The study concluded with absence of potential adverse effect reports and proved efficacy of vortioxetine by maintenance of remission observed by Change From Baseline score of MADRS Total Score (Observation: -7.4  ±9.81 units Change from baseline score as end point result) and 24-item Hamilton Depression total score (Observation: -7.9  ±9.66 units change from baseline score as end point result). Furthermore, Baldwin DS et al reported safety and efficacy of vortioxetine in prevention of relapse of MDD o n the basis of 52 weeks of remission maintenance therapy in patients who previously completed acute therapy of vortioxetine for 8 weeks with evidence of remission. Patients reported approximately 8 points reduction from 13.5 ±8.7 base line MADRS score after 52 weeks of treatment indicated favorable profile of vortioxetine (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/day) in relapse prevention during long term remission maintenance therapy of MDD. At the end of 52 week treatment, approximately 2% patients have shown sign of relapse (MDRS score ≠¥ 22) as per Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. For vortioxetine, a MDD relapse prevention study was carried out with participation of 639 MDD patients aged between 18-75 years and diagnosed with a current major depressive episode (MDE) within four weeks duration. In this investigation, against baseline score in MADRS scale ≠¥26, a remission point was considered as MADRS total score ≠¤10 for vortioxetine (5 or 10 mg/day) treated patients to enter in double-blind, 24 weeks phase of treatment with either placebo (n=192) or vortioxetine (n=204) for relapse time analysis. At the end of the study, relapse rate was 13% and 26% for vortioxetine and placebo treated groups respectively as an evidence of efficacy of vortioxetine in prevention of relapse in 396 patients participated in 24 week phase (Boulenger JP 2012). COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY Treatment with vortioxetine (2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg) failed to make differentiation from placebo when Change From Baseline in MADRS Total Score was considered as a primary efficacy analysis tool in a 8 Week randomized, double blind clinical study. In the same investigation, Duloxetine (60 mg), a reference drug used to find efficacy of vortioxetine, also failed to make differentiation against placebo in primary efficacy analysis. Secondary efficacy outcome analysis and tolerability analysis suggested efficacy of vortioxetine with 5mg and 10 mg strength through MMRM (Mixed-Effect Model Repeated Measure) model (Badwin DS, 2012). In a randomized, double blind study involving comparison of vortioxetine (n= 252) and agomelatine (n=241), superiority of treatment with vortioxetine (p Katona C et al reported significantly (P = 0.0011) higher efficacy of vortioxetine (5 mg/day) in comparison of placebo by 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D (24)) total score () as the primary measure. 29.2 vs. 19.3% remission rate were observed at the endpoint for vortioxetine and placebo controlled population respectively during the study which also involved duloxetine as active reference. The patient adherence rate was 94.2% in case of vortioxetine and 90.1% in case of duloxetine demonstrated tolerability of vortioxetine in their study. Comparative Safety of vortioxetine (10mg per day) in MDD treatment was established on the basis of 15 days study demonstrating its effect on psychomotor performance in 24 healthy subjects. The drug didn’t show alteration in psychomotor functioning withing and at the end point of te study. The investigation also involved use of Mirtazapine as an active reference which was found to be inferior through strandardized driving test due to cognitive impairment obsrved by it. (Theunissen). EFFECTIVENESS ON ETHNIC POPULATION Majority of the clinical investigations listed in table 3 were carried out at multi sites involving global population and diverse demographic distribution. The drug was found to be equally effective on participants from different countries. Recently H.Lundbeck announced head-to-head study results comparing efficacy and tolerability of vortioxetine 10mg/day and venlafaxine XR 150mg/day in treatment of MDD in 437 adult participants (Inclusion criteria: MADRS total score ≠¥26) from four Asian countries, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The end point outcome established slightly more effectiveness of vortioxetine compared to venlafaxine with mean difference of -1.20 points in change observed in baseline MADRS total score(with 95% CI: -3.03 to -0.63). The superiority of vortioxetine was strongly supported by its tolerability data observed as lesser incidences of adverse events (6.6% vs. 13.7%) and lesser drop out ratio of participants (18% vs. 27.4%) in case of vortioxetine treatment compared to active reference. Efficacy of vortioxetine in Asian population was established by substantial improvement in MDD as evident by change in baseline score i.e.: -19.4 points on MADRS total score. SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY Efficacy and safety for Sexual function maintenance Sexual dysfunction is one of the major risks of antidepressant therapy particularly with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)(Strohmaier J 2011). Therapy discontinuation is reported frequently in clinical studies involving various antidepressants due to adverse effects associated with sexual problems which includes including anorgasmia, problems in ejaculation, absence of libido and impotence but still sexual dysfunction is one of the most under-rated AEs (Serretti A). at the same time symptoms and illness of depression is also known to be associated with sexual dysfunctions(Baldwin D, 2013 AND Foong T; Reichenpfader U,). In this dilemma, the data generated through efficacy and safety studies of vortioxetine are supporting the selection of vortioxetine as an antidepressant with the minimum side effects as far as sexual health impairment is concerned. A study involving MDD patients suffering of SSRI monotherapy (Treatment with citalopram, paroxetine or sertraline) induced sexual dysfunction indicated effectiveness of vortioxetine in clinically meaningful improvement in sexual functioning compared to escitalopram. This multicentre, randomized, double-blind, active controlled clinical trial was carried out on SSRI treated 447 participants who were already in partial or full remission state from MDD as measured by the MADRS and CGI-S/I(Clinical global impression severity and improvement scales). The participants were switched 10 mg/day fixed dose of vortioxetine or escitalopram for the first week of study. Further, the dose was increased to 20 mg/day in second week followed by flexible dose (10-20 mg/day) till the end of 8th week. The dose was taped down to 10 mg/day for escitalopram control group whereas vortioxetine treated group was switched to placebo control for another 1 week. Treatment with vortioxetine(n=169) concluded in a s tatistically significant treatment effect by change from baseline CSFQ-14(Changes in sexual functioning Questionnaire) total score at the end of 8th week of study in comparison of escitalopram(n=179). A mean treatment difference of 2.2 points for vortioxetine vs escitalopram groups(95% CI: 0.48—4.02; p=0.013, MMRM) proved efficacy of vortioxetine in sexual function restoration and MDD remission mintenance in patients treated with other antidepressant previously. Previously, during the proof-of-concept, short term efficacy study for vortioxetine (5mg/day and 10 mg/day) with placebo control and active reference control has demonstrated statistically higher safety of vortioxetine in comparison of active reference (12.4% incidences for venlafaxine vs. 1.9% incidences for 5 mg/day vortioxetine and placebo, p=0.0033, Fishers exact test) and equivalent safety in comparison to placebo group for the incidences of sexual dysfunction related adverse effects. In contrast, Mahbaleshwarkar 2013 (NCT00672620) reported high incidences (51% for and 37.5% for vortioxetine 2.5 mg and 5 mg versus 26.9% duloxetine and 33.3% placebo group) of treatment-emergent sexual function impairment by treatment with vortioxetine. They monitored sexual dysfunction as a adverse effect using the ASEX (Arizona sexual experience) scale. The study involving a total 9f 611 participants also concluded with observation of non-significant difference in changes from baseline of HAM-D2 4 total score between 5mg, 10 mg vortioxetine and placebo. The above studies indicate that sexual function related AEs is not a concern for long term use of vortioxetine as a remission maintenance therapy unlike other antidepressants whereas patients may suffer by adverse effects related with sexual dysfunction when the therapy for remission with 5mg or 10 mg dose is started in patients suffering of MDD. Adverse Effects Frequency and severity of adverse effect and change in selected vital body parameters, ECG, weight change due to vortioxetine (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0mg/day) administration were observed during a 52 week open labeled study by during a open label long term study by Baldwin DS. They also considered physical examination and clinical safety laboratory tests to make thorough investigation. Out of 535 participants, only 2% of individuals have shown sign of severe adverse effects but none of the adverse effect was prevalent in more than 0.56% individuals among total participants. Apart from this, majority of the patients reported the non-serious adverse effects have shown sign of nausea (19.81%) and headache (15.33%). Sexual dysfunction related adverse effects were reported in six patients at the end of the study. This study was also concluded with effectiveness of vortioxetine in long term treatment as mentioned previously in this article. The study was concluded with positive outcome in terms o f tolerability of vortioxetine for long term maintenance therapy in patients with MDD remission. Drug Interactions Vortioxetine dose adjustment is not required based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, renal or hepatic impairment but due to serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, the drug is contraindicated in concomitant administration with irreversible non selective MAOIs(Monoamino oxidase inhibitors). Chen G et al reported drug interaction cases affecting pharmacokinetic profile of vortioxetine in healthy subjects. They observed need of dosage adjustment of vortioxetin when it is concomminately administered with bupropion, rifampicin as steady state AUC and Cmax of of vorteoxetine enhanced by 128 and 114% in case of bupropion co-administration and suppressed by 72% and 51% in case of rifampicin co-administration. At the same time, tolerability of simultaneous therapy was evident by absence of any severe adverse effects. They also reported safety of vorteoxetine in concomminent administration of popular contraceptive, Estradiol. Vortioxetine is mainly metabolized in liver by CYP2D6 and up to some extent by CYP2C9 and CYP34/5. This makes vortioxetine sensitive to other drugs which are CYP2D6 inhibitors, CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 inhibitors and Cytochrome P450 inducers. Other than these, reversible and non-selective MAOI and serotonergic medicinal products are also potential drug substances affecting efficacy and safety of vortioxetine.