Airlines Customer Relationship Management Crm Systems Computer Science Essay

Airlines Customer Relationship Management Crm Systems Computer Science Essay During the early 1920s, several small scale airline companies had come up in different parts of Europe but only two of them made it to the top. They were-The Deutscher Aero Llyod and Junkers Luftverkehr. On January 6, 1926, they merged and founded Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Since then Lufthansa has been continuously transforming itself into a competitive corporation with maximum customer satisfaction and modern organizational structure. Deutsche Lufthansa is divided into 2 main divisions: Lufthansa Airlines Lufthansa Systems Airlines comprise of the different passenger airline services like Swiss airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, German Wings, JetBlue and SunExpress. Systems comprise of various MIS and Software system divisions like Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa cargo, Lufthansa Technik and Financial Services. (Refer figure 1.) Lufthansa Systems is the major player in the Software systems and provides consulting and IT services to various companies. Companies from different sectors like transport, logistics and industry rely on the expertise of Lufthansa Systems. Apart from developing individual applications, it also provides airlines with integrated platform solutions that help them to optimize their core processes. Its Platform solutions include: The Integrated Operations Control Center (IOCC) Platform for airline operations The Integrated Commercial Platform (ICP) for network management and revenue control The Sirax AirFinance Platform for revenue management The Operations Platform for flight planning and execution The GroundSolutions Platform for check-in and boarding The AdvancedCargo Platform for all cargo processes Customer Relationship Management systems: Any airlines success basically depends on its capability to manage sales, marketing, and to maximize advantages for both from a better understanding of its customers. To achieve this, airline e-CRM models not only provide a comprehensive solution but also contribute towards improving the relationship of the airlines with its customers. An airline e-CRM model is a system made up of various components, different linkages amongst these components, and the dynamics- that can take advantage of the Internet to generate revenue. This is accomplished by building each of the components-value, revenue sources, rates and pricing, scope, capabilities and sustainability-and crafting linkages amongst these components. Hence it enables an airline to achieve an advantage over its competitors. Various softwares and MIS systems not only reduce the manual labour but also cater to the needs of the customers better. A broad classification of all the CRM services provided by Lufthansa includes: Passenger core systems Value added services Passenger Airline Competence Centre (PACC) MultiHost Sales, MultiHost DCS, e-ticketing interlining GroundSolutions Platform, NetLIne, Revenue Integrity. Strategy Vendor, Selection, Migration and Integration, Process Engineering. GrandSolutions GroundSolutions/ Mobile uses SMS dialogues or a mobile website to guide passengers conveniently throughout the entire check-in process. Passengers can use any PC and choose the seats, of their wish from an aircraft-specific seating plan, online. Further they can also print their boarding pass or can send it to a mobile device like a PDA or cell phone. Special check-ins like group check-in or employee standby flights are also integrated in this system. Charter passengers flying with a voucher instead of a ticket can avail this service as well. The system requires the customer to place his ID card or passport on the Check-in machines scanner. Then the flight number and destination for the flight is to be entered. The touch screen helps in entering the personal details. Once the booking is done, it can be confirmed online on lufthansa.com under my bookings. The payment is done via a credit card. GroundSolutions offers other services such as: Up gradation to a higher class Lounge access Reservation of special seats including window seats or exit route seats. This shows that the airline is in complete control of its various ancillary revenue channels. As soon as some change is made in the administrative department, this information is available to the passengers. This includes offering an upgrade to the next class or even a change in the advertisement on the boarding pass depending on the time, location or even the flight number. This has not only reduced the cost and time many folds but has also provided better customer satisfaction by addressing the needs of various customer groups differently. Furthermore, because of the flexibility in the system, the customers can be informed about any kind of changes easily. Key features: On to and return check-ins both possible Selection of the seats by the passengers on an interactive seating plan The e-boarding pass available on the cell phone Key benefits: Passengers have a better control over various processes This satisfies customer needs and increases compliance Paperless check-in proves to be more convenient and time saving Altea Customer Management System by Amadeus: Altea MIS is owned by Amadeus IT Group, the largest GDS (Global Distribution System) provider in the world with an estimated market share of 37% in 2009. Spread over 195 countries, its customers include airlines, hotels, travel agencies, rail and road transport companies. In 2009, 238 million passengers boarded different airlines using Amadeus Altà ©a. Air France and Lufthansa are its major customers. Altea is a new-generation CRM system which addresses airlines key functions like sales and reservations, arrival and departure control and inventory management. Altea reservations Altea inventory Altea DCS Availability, Booking, Fares and pricing, Customer profiles, e-ticketing Schedules management, Inventory control, Seat map management. Check-in, Boarding pass issuance, Baggage management, Flight boarding. Altea enables the customers to manage their booking and ticketing conveniently.it also helps airlines to manage their schedules, seating capacity and the associated fares. The user-interface is further simplified by the preferential use of XML over HTML or SOAP. This minimizes the implementation time and enables seamless connection with any ERP system. The Amadeus Altà ©a service unifies end-to-end IP network using highly reliable components supplying a fully managed business class of service. This allows Airlines and Ground Handlers to access the Amadeus Altà ©a DCS services from airports. The system enables the airlines to share network connectivity at airports to reduce operating costs and to provide a simpler solution. It guarantees access to Amadeus applications with better services and response times than what other airports can offer today. It provides access to best speeds available and is a very flexible system for the entire community of users. It provides different Class of Service (CoS) functionality for assigning higher priority to business critical traffic (e.g. Check-in) and lower priority to non-critical traffic (e.g. back office). The Amadeus Altà ©a CRM System is designed around the following core concepts: Single data source- this eliminates inconsistency of data. Customer centricity- entire information about the customers journey made available Automation and flexibility- Intuitive graphical user interfaces facilitate efficient service Common platform- offers benefit due to the combined input of all the world-leading airlines. Key features: Fully automated ticket availability and booking Higher customer satisfaction Increased staff productivity Faster and more efficient ticketing Enhanced self service options via web or kiosk Reduced cost and higher reliability NiceView : NiceView is an in-flight infotainment system which has been recently introduced by the airlines to make each passengers journey a memorable one. It enables the passengers to experience all the beautiful and mesmerizing scenes as though seeing them directly from the pilots cockpit. The NiceView is a moving map system which provides high-resolution 3-D maps and hence provides information and entertainment at the same time. It further provides an impressing 3-D view of the aircraft at its current geographical location as well as the flight path. On zooming in, high-resolution maps of 1 meter per pixel can be configured which display the entire flight route. The view of the entire route, flight track line, destination airport and the arrival time can be seen in 2-D or 3-D. Current flight data can be obtained from airborne communication links via ARINC-429 (ACARS) or Ethernet (Sat-Com/Broadband) . Virtual flights are also possible between the starting and the ending destinations by typing in their names. Lufthansa Airlines has implemented this software in majority of its international flights. It has also customized the software by including several other options like playing audio or video clips including movies or pre-recorded TV series, sports or political news, information regarding the estimated time of arrival, airport or boarding information or other safety briefings. It further gives environmental information like the estimated temperature outside, weather conditions, time change etc. The system also facilitates language translations as well as feeding and editing of geopolitical data. Working: At the time of take-off, NiceView automatically displays a welcome note on the touch-screen. Out of the several options including route map, movies, audio clips, weather information, news, flight related information and others, the passengers are free to select any one of their choice. High definition video output (HDTV) is also available apart from the standard definition video signals (NTSC/PAL). To support multi-channel and multi-language content around 4 mono audio channels are provided. With the help of touch screen, the passengers can surf various components of the system and can go back to the main or previous menu whenever desired. Further the alignment of the maps can be changed as per convenience and the entire time and route of the flight can be displayed. Any kind of selection of an item can be done via the touch-screen followed by a similar exit. Key benefits: Virtual camera views in 2D and 3D from around the aircraft A virtual flight route Display of movies and audio clips Various geopolitical, graphical and information overlays News and information 2-D and 3-D locations relative to the aircraft Illustrations of oceanographic data Thus all in all NiceView is truly an infotainment as it serves the purpose of providing sufficient information as well as entertainment during the flight. Appendix: Fig 1- Organizational structure of Lufthansa Group Fig 2- Display of Amadeus Altea Fig 3- Route of the flight illustrated in 2-D

Introduction To Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Nursing Essay

Introduction To Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Nursing Essay In order to fully understand and grasp the meaning of the term juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), one needs to look into its componential words and see what each of them mean. The term juvenile refers to the state of being young, childish or infantile. Rheumatism describes any painful condition related to the motor system of the body. This pertains to joints, muscles, soft and connecting tissues. As discussed to this point, the prefix rheuma- originates from a Greek word rheuma  [1]  which pertains to the flowing of a river or stream. Arthritis on the other hand is a term concerned just with joint disorders. The term again originates from the Greeks. Artho- means joint and -itis means inflammation. A joint is where bones meet such as the shoulder joint, knee joint, hip joint and the small joints in the hands and feet. Joining the terms to fully comprehend the phrase juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, one can conclude that it is a joint disorder found in youth. Indeed, arthritis is not a disorder exclusive to the elderly population. Introduction to Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Children at the age of sixteen and below who experience joint disorders fall in the category of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Children can complain about aches in their joints which can be caused by multiple reasons. However, if the pain persists for six weeks  [2]  or more or there is swelling on or around the joints, the child might be suffering from JRA. Arthritis is a chronic condition and lasts a long time. It causes inflammation of one or more joints, sometimes retarding bone development and growth. Important questions that arise from the discussion so far are: 1) Why categorize juvenile arthritis as a disease separate from that experienced by the adults?, and 2) Why can the two not be considered the same and treated as such when it is joint disorder that is the core problem? To answer these questions, some major differences between adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are provided as follows:  [3]   Quick Facts and Statistics The majority of the patients suffering from JRA outgrow the disease, a finding that is very rare in the adult forms of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis in adults is a single disease with different manifestations, while JRA has distinct subtypes and is much rarer than arthritis in adults. JRA patients, more often than not, have negative rheumatoid factor (RF) in blood while seventy to eighty percent of the adults with rheumatoid arthritis have positive rheumatoid factor in circulation. JRA interferes with proper growth of the bones while that is not the case in adult in whom bones have already fully grown and developed. Due to these and other age-related factors, juvenile arthritis is termed a separate disease and dealt with accordingly. There are three major subtypes of JRA which can be determined by following the pattern of the disease in its first six months, considering how many joints are involved and whether certain types of antibodies are present in the blood. These include the following.  [4]   Oligoarticular JRA In this kind of JRA, only a few joints are affected. It usually affects large joints such as knee, shoulder and elbow. Oligo means short or few. When only one joint is affected, it is called monoarticular arthritis. This type is not very severe. Polyarticular JRA This form of JRA affects five or more joints, usually in hands and feet. A typical symptom is the swelling of fingers and toes. This type of JRA is often symmetrical, which means that if one joint is affected on one side of the body, the same joint is affected on the other side as well. Systemic JRA This type of JRA causes swelling, pain and limited motion in one or more joints. It also causes inflammation of internal organs such as the heart, spleen or liver. Typically, it causes fever and a pink rash. Fever comes at the same time every day. It is sometimes referred to as the Stills disease. The oligoarticular and polyarticular types of JRA are found to be more common among girls than among boys. However, systemic JRA equally affects girls and boys. Approximately fifty percent of the children suffering from JRA have the oligoarticular type, thirty percent have polyarticular type, and twenty percent suffer from the systemic type. Some important statistics, (from the same source) about the prevalence of JRA are listed below. These statistics give an insight about the magnitude of the problem and the number of people suffering from it.  [5]   One out of every 1000 children is affected by JRA worldwide. Young girls are more susceptible to the disease than boys are. The disease is more common among Caucasians than any other race. It is one of the most common childhood diseases found in the U.S. Approximately 294,000 children are affected by JRA in the U.S. Ambulatory care visits for JRA and other pediatric arthritis conditions are on average 827,000 annually. A new term for JRA has recently gained popularityjuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Idiopathic is a medical adjective which means when something happens spontaneously or without known cause. Since there are not many known causes of juvenile arthritis, thus the term JIA came into existence. Research suggests that JIA patients have a condition called autoimmune process.  [6]  This is when the immune system of the body becomes overly active and inappropriately starts attacking joint tissues as if they were harmful foreign bodies. Autoimmune processes are speculated to be triggered by a variety of reasons. On the top of the list are certain bacteria and viruses. Against popular belief, there is scarce evidence of children with food and other allergies developing arthritis. However, some research suggests genetic roots of the disease. If one family member has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, it is very much likely that others, especially siblings, may have it too. Diagnosi ng JIA is not an easy task. Most doctors use a combination of blood tests, X-rays (to rule out fractures or cancer) and physical examination. Physical examination of the child is considered to be the most important of the three. This will be discussed in detail later on in the chapter. Distinction Since there are more than a hundred different forms of arthritis known and treated, it is important to know what major factors distinguish one form from the other and how they affect the patient so that the problem is diagnosed properly and taken care of accordingly. Symptoms and features  [7]  typically related to JRA are as follows. Persistent joint pain, inflammation and swelling can occur. Joint inflammation over a long period of time can causes permanent and irreversible damages to cartilage and bone. Morning stiffness of joints or stiffness after a nap has been observed, but the morning stiffness gradually improves after the patient awakens. A child with JRA might exhibit irritability and refusal to walk or even use a specific joint. The patient might also suffer from recurrent fever with temperatures exceeding a hundred degrees. Fever usually occurs at the same time daily. Pale red or pink rash in the form of spots are typical in systemic JRA and usually appear on the chest and thighs and sometimes on other parts of the body. The rash usually accompanies fever spikes. Bone Characteristics Joints affected by JRA are mostly the knee and the joints in the hands and feet. Anemia, a lack of enough red blood cells is a common feature of polyarticular JRA. Remissions and flare ups are a common feature of standard JRA. There may be periods when no symptoms appear (remissions) and then there are periods when the severity of the symptoms reaches its peak (flare ups). Bone growth can be adversely affected. Growth can either become too fast or too slow causing one limb to become longer than the other, joints may grow unevenly, budding out to a single side. Overall bone development and growth might be slowed down to a considerable extent. Soft Tissues Muscles and other soft tissues around the affected joints may weaken. Weight loss and loss of appetite in children that suffer from JRA is very common. Irritation and disease of the eye, which is composed to soft tissue, is a typical feature of JRA. Symptoms include blurred vision or even complete loss of vision in extreme cases, excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and redness in the eyes. Uveitis is the term for eye inflammation which affects the uvea of the eye. Another serious form of eye inflammation caused by JRA is iridocyclitis, a form of anterior uveitis. This is a serious problem and can lead to scarring of the eye and vision loss. Initially, there may be no visible symptoms of an eye problem. Resultant sleep disturbances are frequent among JRA patients. Children often face difficulty falling asleep and awaken several times during the night. Daytime sleepiness, mood swings and fatigue is also common. A child suffering from JRA should have regular eye checkups to detect any early changes in the eye in order to stop possible serious damage. Solid Outgrowths In some subtypes of JRA nodules develop on some parts of the body such as elbows. Nodules are small bumps which receive a lot of pressure and become extremely uncomfortable or painful for the patient. Swollen lymph nodes are also an outcome of JRA especially in the neck, under the jaw or on the groin. Patients may feel heat or a burning sensation in the joints as a result. Significance of Knowing the Distinguishing Features Symptomology The characteristic symptoms and features explained above are only possible outcomes of JRA and stand for a major part of why it is important to know the distinguishing features of JRA. Not all patients of this disease experience all the symptoms, and not all face the same intensity. Symptoms differ from child to child, and from subtype to subtype. Some patients may have longer remissions and fewer and shorter flare ups while others may have the opposite. Patients and caregivers must also realize that persistent joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness are common to all types of JRA and are mostly present in all patients and are typical signs of arthritis among children below the age of sixteen. Sensitivity to any changes that may occur in the childs gait, mood, sleeping habits can be very beneficial in a timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Children may not complain about the pain as one would have thought; they may learn rapidly to live with the pain. The Overlooked Burden JRA may affect the physical presentation of the young patient and can impact his or his emotional and social projection. This is another reason why it important to understand the distinguishing features of a JRA victim. Slower or faster bone growth can cause a limp or cause one arm or leg to be longer than the other and uneven joint growth provides for a different shape of the joints, especially elbows and knees. If joints of the hands and feet are affected, fingers and toes can become malformed and hands and feet can swell. Some medicines used in the treatment of JRA can cause weight gain due to water retention and make the face rounder. These changes in the physical appearance and the inability of the child to participate in some physical activities can create an emotional burden for him or her and cause extreme depression and stress. Others find it hard to accept the patients different physical appearances and more often than not are found to stare at the patients, thus making the m feel uncomfortable. Children with JRA feel left out and alienated. This stress is thought to further increase inflammation and joint pain. That is why proper emotional support from family as well as from school and an understanding of the childs feelings and limitations can help the JRA patient cope better with the disease. It has been observed that children at a very young age with rheumatoid arthritis find it relatively easier to adjust than those in their teens. Growing up during the teens can be a challenging experience in itself without having to cope with a chronic, crippling and a life-altered disease. School life is affected as does the social environment. JRA can leave children as loners with not many friends around just as adults with arthritis suffer from depression and insomnia. Adults are however better able to express and share their feelings with their doctor. Children tend to internalize their feeling of despair, which makes the situation worse. Teenagers are known to be worse at handling their emotions as they are frequently depressed and disturbed. Parents must make sure that they join a local support group, have understanding teachers in school and can continue some form of physical activity during remissions. Different studies suggest that authoritative parents of teenage juvenile ar thritis patients can worsen the situation. Giving enough autonomy in tasks such as socializing and physical activity can improve quality of life for these children, and hence provides another reason why knowing the distinguishing features of JRA is important. Techniques Initial Approaches There is no single test which can declare a child as having or not having juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The first and the foremost factor that the doctor would consider is the length of time that the symptoms including joint pain, stiffness and/or inflammation have lasted. If the symptoms have lasted for more than six weeks, only then a doctor can consider further investigating for JRA. This is because these symptoms can arise from a variety of reasons such as injury and fractures. To rule out other causes of joint pain or inflammation, certain laboratory tests are run. X-rays are done to check for fractures or tumors that may be causing the inflammation. Imaging exam is also done to exclude diseases such as viral infections, bacterial infections, inflammatory bowel diseases and some forms of cancer that produce symptoms similar to that of JRA. A complete blood count (CBC) test is also done to rule out disorders such as leukemia and malaria. Medical History A detailed medical history and physical examination  [8]  can help in the detection of JRA immensely. A doctor can ask several questions to the child or to the parents that will help diagnose the problem. These questions may include the following: When exactly did the symptoms first begin to appear? Which joints are affected? Do the joints feel stiffer in the morning? Is the child limping? Has there been weight loss? Has there been a loss of appetite? Can the child bear weight on the affected joints? Is there a family history of arthritis? The above inquiries provide very useful revelations for the doctor and will make diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis much easier. Physical Examination The components of the physical examination of JRA are listed below. Careful inspection of the affected joints Evaluation of body temperature to record fever Examination of the skin to look for rashes Observation of the lymph nodes to look for any swellings During such an examination the doctor takes notes of the kind of joint inflammation, other symptoms like fever or rash and the number and location of affected joints. This information is deterministic in the diagnosis of JRA. At the Lab Some laboratory screening tests  [9]  for JRA are listed below. The Antinuclear Antibody Test This test is used for seeking certain antibodies present in the child suspected of having JRA. The presence of such antibodies increases the likelihood of the young patient to develop iritis, an eye inflammation thought to cause permanent damage to the eye. Some children with JRA have an increased risk of developing iritis. By helping to determine the likelihood of iritis, this test allows the doctor to regularly check the eyes of JRA victims who are more susceptible to develop iritis and prevent permanent damage. Rheumatoid FactorAnother blood test is done to see if rheumatoid factor is present in the blood of the child. The rheumatoid factor is an antibody that determines whether the child is likely to carry the disease into the adulthood or not. This antibody attacks healthy body tissues and causes damage. Presence of RF in blood in a child is a surefire indication of JRA. Other Tests Known as ESR or SED, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test is used to determine the degree of inflammation and assists in figuring out the subtype of JRA present. Complement is a term that scientifically refers to a group of proteins in the blood. A complement test is simply done to measure the level of complement in blood. Low levels of complement are associated with immune system disorders such as JRA. Sometimes, urine analysis of the child can indicate kidney disorders that are again associated with immune system issues. White blood cell count in the blood is another screening technique for JRA. Increased number of these specialized cells indicates possible infections while a decreased amount suggests possible rheumatoid disease in the child. Arthrocentesis is a process whereby fluid is extracted from around the affected joint with the help of a syringe and then analyzed for diagnosis. Hematocrit is a test to measure the level of red blood cells in the blood. Decreas ed levels of red blood cells, also known as anemia, are associated with rheumatoid diseases in children. Treatment as a Technique Once JRA has been detected, treatment is immediately started. The treatment approach is twofold: 1) to reduce the childs pain and enable him or her to lead a life as normal as possible and; 2) secondly, to prevent any permanent and irreversible damage. Treatment for JRA includes physical therapy as well as medicine. Physical therapy is used to keep the joints flexible, which makes them less stiff and painful. Swimming, certain form of aerobics, stretching exercises and other physical activities that a therapist suggests can be a major help in the fight against JRA. Doctors and therapists may also suggest splints and other devices to ensure proper bone growth, a major concern in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Shoe lifts or inserts may be advised for children with unequal legs. Increased intake of vitamin D and calcium is also advised to the patients. Massages, hot bathes and acupuncture are thought to temporarily relieve the pain and provide some comfort to the youngsters. Medication is prescribed according to the intensity of the disease and the sub type. Research JRA research is being focused on the causes, prevention and treatment of the disease. While research so far has not been able to specify any particular causes of JRA, new advances in research show both genetic and environmental factors such as viruses and bacteria are responsible for causing the disease. Recent research suggests that JRA is associated with a virus called human intracisternal A-type particle, or HIAP.  [10]  Antibodies against this virus have been found in a high percentage among patients of JRA. HIAP technology is now being used to develop diagnostic tests and treatment for the disease. For the genetic part of the possible causes, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype gene is thought to determine the sub type of JRA in the patient. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has set up a research registry for families with two or more siblings with JRA.  [11]  The purpose of this registry is to study sibling pairs a nd focus on the genes that seem susceptible to the disease. The aim is to eventually use gene therapy and other gene treatment to treat such disorders. The Current Situation For quite some time now JRA has been considered to be an autoimmune disease which means that the bodys immune system starts producing such antibodies which attack healthy tissues of the body resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. Recent research has now shown that not all cases of JRA are autoimmune, some are caused by auto-inflammatory disorders. In such a disorder antibodies are not involved, rather white blood cells, that attack harmful substances in the body malfunction and cause inflammation for unknown reasons. Auto-inflammatory disorders cause fever and rash. There are still no known ways of preventing JRA. Scientists and doctors are always searching for new and better treatments for JRA-affected children which are more effective and have fewer side effects. In addition to research, clinical trials and controlled environment case studies can help understand many new aspects of the disease and the treatment. Anyone suffering from JRA can voluntarily become a part of such clinical trials and case studies. Areas of current research for JRA include the following:  [12]   Long-term effects of the use of the drugs methotrexate and corticosteroid. Causes of sleep problems among the children suffering from JRA. Causes and treatment of potential anemia in the patients. Effectiveness of calcium supplementation in increasing bone density of the patients. Long-term impacts of the recurrent pain in children. How exactly interleukin, a chemical involved in inflammation, affects the growth of new blood vessels in the joint tissues and causes the said tissues to overgrow. Comparison of: 1) the effects of intravenous methylprednisolone, a corticosteroid medicine and intravenous cyclophosphamide that suppresses the immune system, and 2) the effects of using intravenous methylprednisolone alone. Analysis This chapter covered the distinguishing characteristics, techniques in detection, and advances in research for JRA. It is important to know that joint pain and stiffness is evidently not just a problem characteristic of grandparents. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a joint disorder that affects children below the age of sixteen. It is a chronic disease and lasts for a long period of time with remissions and flare ups. There are three major subtypes of JRA: 1) oligoarticular JRA, which involves only a few joints, 2) polyarticular JRA involving five or more joints, and 3) systemic JRA in addition to arthritis symptoms also typically causes a fever and a rash and in extreme cases affects internal organs like heart, lungs and kidneys. More young girls than boys are affected by the first two subtypes while boys and girls are equally likely to develop the third, the rarest kind. Polyarticular JRA is the most common subtype but also the least severe. Clear-cut evidence on what exactly causes JRA is nonexistent. However, JRA is known to be an autoimmune disorder which means that the bodys immune system starts attacking healthy body tissues of children. The disease is thought to have both genetic and environmental factors as the root causes. Symptoms differ from patient to patient and from subtype to subtype. For adults, rheumatoid arthritis is usually a lifetime disease, but more than half of the JRA affected children grow out of it. Presence of rheumatoid factor in the blood of the child determines the likelihood of the child to carry the disease into adulthood. JRA can affect the physical appearance of a child and the course of his or her daily life. This can lead to an emotional burden and stress which if not handled properly can further aggravate the problem. Different screening techniques are used to diagnose the disease. First, the doctor notes the medical history from the patient and the parents. This is usually followed by a detailed physical examination of the child, which is considered a very crucial step of the diagnosis process. Some laboratory tests are run to rule out other possible diseases with similar symptoms such as viral and bacterial infections, cancer, fractures and injuries. These tests include complete blood count, X-rays, imaging tests, and bone scans. Some laboratory tests done to determine the level of inflammation and the possible complications of the disease include the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test, the antinuclear antibody test, urine analysis, arthrocentesis, hematocrit and white blood cell count. After the disease has been diagnosed, the treatment begins. There is no permanent cure of the disease. The treatment focuses on controlling the symptoms and preventing permanent damage. Recent research is focusi ng on discovering the genes which seem to determine JRA or its sub types so that they can be used in gene therapy and treatment. Sibling-pairs are being studies to discover patterns. Technology is being used to fight human intracisternal A-type particle HIAP, a virus antibodies against which have been found present in majority of the JRA patients under study. It has been found that many cases of JRA are not because of autoimmune disorders, but rather they are caused by auto-inflammatory disorders. This is when the white blood cells malfunction and cause inflammation. More recent research facets include the study of long-term effects of certain drugs on children, causes and treatments of sleep disorders and anemia and effectiveness of calcium supplementation on bone density. The aim of research and available treatments remain to make the quality of life of patients and caregivers better and to enable them to lead a life as normal as possible.

Jane Austens Works :: essays research papers

First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has consistently been Jane Austen's most popular novel. It portrays life in the genteel rural society of the day, and tells of the initial misunderstandings and later mutual enlightenment between Elizabeth Bennet (whose liveliness and quick wit have often attracted readers) and the haughty Darcy. The title Pride and Prejudice refers (among other things) to the ways in which Elizabeth and Darcy first view each other. The original version of the novel was written in 1796-1797 under the title First Impressions, and was probably in the form of an exchange of letters.Jane Austen's own tongue-in-cheek opinion of her work, in a letter to her sister Cassandra immediately after its publication, was: "Upon the whole... I am well satisfied enough. The work is rather too light, and bright, and sparkling; it wants [i.e. needs] shade; it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense, if it could be had; if not, of solemn specious nonsense, about something unconnected with the story: an essay on writing, a critique on Walter Scott, or the history of Buonapartà ©, or anything that would form a contrast and bring the reader with increased delight to the playfulness and general epigrammatism of the general style". In 1809 Jane Austen, her mother, sister Cassandra, and Martha Lloyd moved to Chawton, near Alton and Winchester, where her brother Edward provided a small house on one of his estates. This was in Hampshire, not far from her childhood home of Steventon. Before leaving Southampton, she corresponded with the dilatory publisher to whom she had sold Susan (i.e. Northanger Abbey), but without receiving any satisfaction.She resumed her literary activities soon after returning into Hampshire, and revised Sense and Sensibility, which was accepted in late 1810 or early 1811 by a publisher, for publication at her own risk. It appeared anonymously ("By a Lady") in October 1811, and at first only her immediate family knew of her authorship: Fanny Knight's diary for September 28, 1811 records a "Letter from Aunt Cass. to beg we would not mention that Aunt Jane wrote Sense and Sensibility"; and one day in 1812 when Jane Austen and Cassandra and their niece Anna were in a "circulating library" at Alton, Anna threw down a copy of Sense and Sensibility on offer there, "exclaiming to the great amusement of her Aunts who stood by, "Oh that must be rubbish, I am sure from the title.

Explain :: English Literature

Explain Explain what is happening in each of the following poems and compare and contrast the different ways in which they deal with the theme of sorrow. The first poem ‘Remember’ by Christina Rossetti is a late romantic, early Victorian sonnet, which is about someone who has passed away. ‘The chimney sweeper’ by William Blake, is written in 1740’s and is about a young child chimney sweep and his plight. ‘Remember’ is written in the narrative voice so that it seems as if the person who passed away is speaking. The poem talks about how the deceased person has gone to a calmer, more peaceful place and how you will no longer be able to touch or feel them again. ‘Gone far away†¦ hand.’ The first part of the poem is dark and mournful but because it is a sonnet it allows for a more optimistic and comforting turn after line eight. It tells people that there is a time for grief and a time to move on but that they should not feel any guilt. Christina Rossetti has written the poem so that it flows and sounds rather like a song. The mood of the poem is sombre and she repeats the word ‘remember’ throughout the sonnet. This reminds the reader what the focus of the poem is and gives it structure throughout it. It also emphasises the meaning of the poem. The poem deals with the theme of sorrow in the form of death. However it is not a dark poem and makes death not seem that bad. She uses the sonnet form so that in line 9 there is a shift. This creates a break in the poem. Up to line 9 the poem is about grief and sadness but then it shifts and becomes more philosophical. Christina Rossetti uses euphemistic language such as ‘darkness’ and ‘corruption’ to represent death. This creates depth and makes you think about the poem. She also uses metaphors in her euphemistic language such as ‘silent-land’, which represents Heaven. This poem would be used at funerals because it is written in a way that suggests the deceased person is talking. ‘The chimney sweeper’ is about a young boy who is sold as a chimney sweep. The poem tells of his sad story. William Blake uses narrative voice of a child so that it engages the reader. The rhyming in the poem makes it sound like a child is talking. Blake is trying to show the children as victims by showing how vulnerable and pathetic their cries are. ‘Cry weep, weep, weep’ He uses couplets and verses to

For What Reasons Did the Coalition Government Abolish Police?

For what reasons did the Coalition Government abolish police authorities in 2012? What problems do you think are raised by the introduction of elected Police and Crime Commissioners? This essays objective is to take into consideration the rationale of the Coalition governments’ decision to replace police authorities with elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC). A critique and a background of the police authorities operations will be discussed and evaluated. A brief history of policing before police authorities were established will also be explored.Furthermore, the reasons why there was a radical reform to PCC’s will be debated and the problems that may arise. Policing has always been a challenging issue and it most likely will always be challenging. Sir Robert Peel’s first principle of policing stated: â€Å"The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder† (Cited in Theresa, M 2010). There has been an attempt to always c ling onto this. The only difference is how certain authorities or political groups approach it. In the nineteenth century, autonomy and power were located within boroughs, locally.After a few attempts to try to centralise the police force and a few police corruption scandals which occurred in the 1950s, it was finally the time for the government to produce a centralised, professionalised group of senior police officers. In 1964, under the Police Act, these smaller, more manageable forces were to be known as â€Å"police authorities†. Their role was to ‘‘secure the maintenance and of an adequate and efficient police force for their area’’. (Citied in Williams, C 2003). However, the police authorities are now being replaced by elected PCCs.The main purpose of this reform is to restore the drive for local policing priorities and the public by leading engagement with local policing partners. This will boost the empowerment of local communities in crimina l justice affairs. Beginning with a little history of how and why police authorities were introduced. Throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, police power was largely seen as a responsibility of local government, and police were controlled by the appropriate local institution.The policing were in the hands of the local government and the boroughs of England and Wales, by whom fiercely protected the police powers exercised by their elected watch committees. These powers were symbolic of the city's independence, and police forces were crucial exercisers of executive power locally, concerning poor relief, licensing laws, the regulation of the streets, and the imposition of morality on the community. The 1835 Municipal Corporations Act introduced democracy to the self-governing towns of England and Wales.The only compulsory statutory duty was to select a watch committee to run the police force. The self-governing towns can be described as self-confident, prosperou s and autonomous. . The committees had complete power over the activities and composition of their forces. (Citied in Brogden, M 1982). The government aimed at increasing centralisation within the police force but after a few attempts to intervene, they failed. The first attempt by the state to reduce the autonomy of the towns and cities came after the 1853 Select Committee on Police, which recommended extending compulsory police provision to all areas.The Home Office were under no doubt that, the most efficient way to run each force would be to put it ‘under the orders of Government. However, these recommendations from the Home Office had to be consulted with the opposition of the local government. In 1854 and 1856, the Home Office's attempts to pass police bills that limited the rights of boroughs to control their own police forces were defeated by the borough. The boroughs also had total autonomy and democratic control over operational decisions.The watch committees, meetin g weekly, had the power to hire and fire members of their forces and were prepared to exercise it. (Citied in Emsley, C 1996). Further action was done by the Labour representatives in the 1920s to gain centralisation. By 1939, Labour controlled 18 out of 83 county boroughs. The Home Office took increasing responsibility for producing a class of leaders for police forces, and thus intervened increasingly in matters of training, promotion and appointment. The Home Office also began to intervene more in the appointment of Chief Constables.The 1950s Whitehall introduced a policy of refusing to appoint any Chief Constable who had no experience in a different force: this was clearly designed to create a more nationally homogenous and professionalised group of senior police officers. Since the increased effort for involvement with the boroughs and watch committees, there was a growing demand of professionalism within the police. The boroughs had co-operated fully in modernising and homogen ising the police forces, through co-operative training and communication. Citied in Loveday, B 1994) Between 1919 and 1964, the state tried using ‘efficiency', ‘economy', and ‘national security' as reasons to centralise control, before successfully employing ‘corruption' to achieve this. The 1960 Royal Commission was actively steered by the Home Office along its own centralist agenda, resulting in the 1964 Police Act, subsuming city forces into counties. These were influenced by the nature of two policing scandals of the late 1950s, which gave the Home Office a convenient point of entry with which to attack the status quo. (Citied in (Ludtgarten, L 1986).Both scandals were cases of corruption within the boroughs, the Brighton Borough police force in 1957, where the chief constable and two officers were arrested and charged with a variety of corrupt practises, and in Labour- controlled Nottingham in 1958, where there was an investigation launched on Labour cou ncillors and succeeded to prove that two labour councillors and the Secretary of the District Labour Party had been bribed on a visit to East Germany. Events such as mentioned above involving corruption led to the boroughs finally losing their police powers completely.A royal commission on the police had been appointed in 1960 to review the constitutional position of the police throughout Great Britain, and in 1964, the Police Act was introduced. (Citied in Willams, C 2003). Returning to answering the question more directly now, the Police Act of 1946 mirrored the interests of greater efficiency and greater central control over policing. It allowed for the amalgamation of existing forces into more efficient units, merging them into a more manageable number of 43 forces in England and Wales.The watch committees were replaced with police authorities. This new system was characterized as â€Å"the tripartite structure† of police accountability. The tripartite system distributes responsibilities between the Home Office, the local police authority, and the chief constable of the force. (Citied in Williams, C 2003). This tripartite system provides accountability to Parliament through the Home Secretary (who has responsibility for policing policy including centrally setting key priorities that are formalised within a National Policing Plan).Police Authorities were composed of councillors (two-thirds) and magistrates (one-third) and their role was to ‘‘secure the maintenance and of an adequate and efficient police force for their area’’. (Citied in Williams, C 2003). To liberate this duty they were provided with a number of specific and statutory responsibilities which included appointing and dismissing its senior officers, making sure arrangements are in place to consult the local community about the policing of their area and heir priorities, publish an annual local policing plan and a best value performance plan, setting out the pol icing priorities, performance targets, and the allocation of resources, to publish a three-year strategy plan, which must be approved by the Home Secretary and monitor the performance of the force in delivering the policing plan. (Joyce, P 2011: 118, 127). Although there have been issues raised about police authorities and these concerns will be brought to the surface, it can also be argued that police authorities have constituently tried to provide â€Å"an efficient and effective† police force.This can be shown by all the legislation that has been introduced. The 1994 Police and Magistrates Act, Courts Act (PMCA) 1995, the Police Act 1996, and the Police Reform Act 2002, have all endorsed the tripartite arrangements and aimed to fundamentally ensure and provide an adequate, efficient and effective police force. ( Citied in Williams, C 2003). The introduction of the policing pledge in 2008 by the Labour party, although it has been scrapped by the Coalition government, aimed at restoring public faith and to ensure the services being provided locally were adequate.Promises such as providing monthly local crime rates, answering all non-emergency calls promptly, providing information to the community on their Neighbourhood Policing Team i. e. where they are based, how to contact them and how to work with them were stated on this document, to increase community engagement and involvement. (Citied in The Policing Pledge, 2008). There has been placed a great deal of importance on empowerment, localisation, decentralisation of power and community involvement. There has been many green and white papers published to support this.David Blunkett’s â€Å"Civil Renewal† Agenda (2003) and David Cameron’s â€Å"Big Society† Agenda (2010) has influenced trends towards â€Å"community engagement, confident and cooperation† within their respective policing reform programmes continues. The agendas extensively focus on the responsibility of the government and every citizen’s efforts to strengthen communities, to revitalise our democracy and to provide more power and opportunity into people’s hands and security for all. It is believed that the engagement of everyone is necessary to make that happen; the government alone cannot fix every problem.Furthermore, Sir Ronnie Flanagan conducted the report of â€Å"The Review of Policing† in 2008. Flanagan stated that involving local communities in political decision-making processes is crucial and delivering in partnerships, developing the workforce and improving performance at force levels. (Flanagan, 2008). As mentioned above, there were concerns regarding the police authorities. One of the main issues was that central control undermined local police affairs power and authority. In the early 1980’s, there were clashes between police authorities and chief constables relating to who would have the final say in particular activity.The reliance of t he Home Office by chief constables tended to increase the power of the central government over local police arrangements. In addition, the introduction of the 1994 Police and Magistrates Courts Act enabled the Home Secretary to determine and set national objectives or priorties. This task was previously done by chief constables. Furthermore, the police areas would be assessed on their attainment by comparing to a set of performance targets. Empowerment, localisation, and decentralisation are clearly not desired. ( Citied in Williams, C 2003).Additionally, the situation continued to be aggravating as further developments such as the targets imposed by central government were extended and became the key tool of performance management. Police forces had to deliver on activities, which were determined centrally. Public Service Agreements (PSAs) were introduced in 1998 to promote clarity in service delivery, again centrally. This target regime led to the bulk of police work focusing on a chieving the targets imposed on them, this made it impossible to concentrate on local concerns. This again suggests the central power undermining powers and authority locally.Also, it was suggested that centrally determined targets â€Å"tend to distort priorties, tempting officers into using their tine in unproductive ways into directly fiddling performance figures† (Loveday and Reid, 2003: 19). Similarly, they created a â€Å"counting culture† within the police service whereby â€Å"only what got measured got done† (Loveday and Reid, 2003: 22). Additional research was undertaken in 2003 investigating the role of police authorities in public engagement. Participants that were interviewed saw police authorities’ independence from the police force as very important.This was because of the risk of corruption or abuse of power. â€Å"If it was 100 per cent fully independent, then I think that would make a lot of difference to people, and I think they would feel a lot happier knowing that it was being†¦kept an eye on. † (Home Office 2003: 19). However, many participants thought that police authorities did not appear to be independent enough, and this could undermine the community’s confidence and trust in them. There was a feeling in many groups that the number of independent members should increase or even that authorities should be composed completely of independent members.There were worries that the independent members might not have a fair say, as councillors and magistrates have an overall majority on the authority. (Citied in Home Office, 2003). â€Å"â€Å"You’re paying†¦.. it’s your community, you live there, so you should have a say in how it’s policed. † (Home Office 2003: 17). The community does seem to desire to get involved in the decision making, however when asked who made decisions about spending and who was responsible for the monitoring of police performance, there was very little spontaneous mention of police authorities. (Citied in Home Office, 2003).These findings suggest that police authorities are not adequate or efficient enough, people living in the communities have very little knowledge of police authorities and the question is why? More should be done to advertise and involve the community in the decision making process of what happens in their communities. Their involvement would increase the confidence in the police and create a more coherent community. Conversely, as the Coalition government scrapped the policing pledge, they also disposed police authorities in 2o12 and replaced them with elected police and crime commissioners (PCC).The Coalition government strongly believed that it was vital to replace bureaucratic accountability from central government to democratic accountability to the public. PCCs will make forces truly accountable to the communities they serve, ensuring that resources are properly targeted to where they are n eeded and giving the public a greater say in measures to reduce crime and improve community safety. The main aim of PCC was to â€Å"put power directly in the hands of the public†. (Home Affairs Committee, 2o1o:10). The key powers of PCCs are to set the police force budget and to hire and fire chief constables. Citied in Home Affairs Committee, 2010). The Elected PCC’s have overcome issues that the police authorities did not: the community involvement, empowerment and local governance is greater. The community elects their own PCC’s locally and it represents the drive for local policing priorities and the public by leading engagement with local policing partners. This new approach to policing is boosting the empowerment of local communities in criminal justice affairs. They will hold the elected chief constable to account; making sure that policing is responsive to the communities’ needs.There is an increased democratic accountability. (Citied in Home Aff airs Committee, 2010). However, this new reform also faces a few critiques. Lord Blair referred to this proposal as â€Å"the most lamentable provision about policing I have ever encountered† (Blair, 2011). Firstly, the PCC will replace the 17 or 19 members who currently represent a police authority. It is impossible to imagine how one person can adequately represent the diverse demands of the vast range of communities found in the areas covered by police forces, whether they are heavily populated urban ones or cover geographically large rural areas. Joyce, P 2011). As the policing needs and concerns of neighbourhoods are usually vastly different and are often in direct competition for finite police resources, it is a concern that a PCC will seek to direct policing to address the localised, sectionalised or political interests of those who elected him or her into office thus serving to politicise policing and opening the door to the possibility of corruption. (Joyce, P 2011). Before the 1964 Police Act, there were claims and investigations into policing corruption scandals: the Borough police force in 1957 and in Nottingham in 1958. Citied in Willams, C 2003). Its due to these concerns about policing corruption, the police force became centralised. This is a major concern and strict safeguards and monitoring will have to be established to avoid it from happening again. Secondly, there is the question as to whether this reform was needed. It is fair to suggest that it is intensely politicized and a populist measure. Valid criticisms can be made concerning the operations of police authorities, however this did not mean they were performing a poor job and providing a poor police service.Party politics were not injected onto the agenda. In fact, there was a good working relationship between the police authorities and the chief constables in many areas and the communities and local policing benefited from this. (Joyce, P 2011). Ian Loader (2008) stated that the â€Å"government is urged to take another ride on the law and order merry-go-round, to issue a fresh batch of crowd-pleasing-measures that can appease its apparently angry and anxious consumers†. Many will harmonize with this.The government is in need of public support, confidence and trust and the best way to get the local communities or â€Å"customers† support is to respond to our demands. As was mentioned above, the community would like more opportunities to get involved in the way their communities are being policed and the new reform of elected PCC’s can be perceived as a crowd-pleasing-measure. (Citied in Loader, I 2008). Garland again has famously said that the policy-making has become profoundly politicized and populist.Policy measures are constructed in ways that value public opinion over the views of experts and the evidence of research. â€Å"The dominant voice of crime policy is no longer the expert or even the practitioner but that of the long -suffering, ill served people- especially the victim and the fearful, anxious members of the public†. (Stated in The Culture of Control, 2001). Furthermore, a range of views were put forward on the role of PCCs from the consultation feedback and it was not all positive.Concerns have been expressed that a PCC, as a single individual, may not be effective across a whole force area and find it difficult to engage with communities sufficiently. Moreover, there was concerns received about the checks and balances proposed in the consultation. Some members believed that the arrangements might prove overly bureaucratic or create confusing lines of accountability for chief constables and the public. Others felt that they were too weak, or sought more detail on how the Police and Crime Panels (PCPs) would provide a real challenge and scrutiny. Citied in Theresa, M 2010). Many also expressed concerns about the political nature of the role of the PCC and in particular the involvement of c andidates supported by the main political parties. They believe this would risk cutting across the operational decisions made by chief constables and other police officers, and this would most definitely inject party politics, whereby police authorities did not. Additionally, there needs to be appropriate and respectable safeguards to be put in place regarding to circumstances under which a PCC could dismiss or suspend a chief constable.These issues, if they were to ever occur, could create tension between PCCs and chief constables. The community will have a knock-on effect from this, as they would be the ones feeling the consequences. There would not be an adequate and efficient service provided to the community. That was the aim of PCCs and if it does not meet its own aims, it would fail dramatically. (Citied in Theresa, M 2010). It is fair to say police authorities and PCCs have issues to be concerned about but also have positive points.Police authorities and the 1964 Police Act did structure the police force and it did aim at providing â€Å"an efficient and effective† police force. This is consistently shown by the constant need to improve and advance the services being provided to the public . The 1994 Police and Magistrates Act, Courts Act (PMCA) 1995, the Police Act 1996, and the Police Reform Act 2002, the Policing Pledge 2008, have all endorsed the tripartite arrangements and aimed to fundamentally ensure and provide an adequate, efficient and effective police force.However, the demand for empowerment, localisation, decentralisation of power and community involvement perpetually grew stronger too and the police authorities did set priorities and standards nationally, and not locally. Research was undertaken in 2003 investigating the role of police authorities in public engagement. participants that were interviewed saw police authorities’ independence from the police force as very important. This was because of the risk of corruption or abuse of power. You’re paying†¦.. it’s your community, you live there, so you should have a say in how it’s policed. (Home Office 2003: 17). The community does desire to get involved in the decision making, however the lack of knowledge of police authorities and how you can get involved or the lack of liberation of empowerment and localisation should be questioned. (Citied in Home Office, 2003). The Coalition government 2012 decided to introduce PCCs. The ain of this reform was to to democratic accountability to the public and to â€Å"put power directly in the hands of the public†. (Home Affairs Committee, 2o1o:10). In this case, the input from the public is greater and have greater local empowerment.However, PCC faces its problems too. It does face greater likelihood of policing corruption, a PCC, as a single individual, may not be effective across a whole force area and find it difficult to engage with communities sufficiently. 17 to 19 members a re being replaced by one PCC. It is impossible imagine how one person can adequately represent the diverse demands of the vast range of communities and activities. In conclusion, the question still remains as to whether this reform was needed, the police authorities were not proving a poor service or doing a poor job.Garland (2001) would suggest that the policy-making has become profoundly politicized and populist. The introduction of PCC was just a populist measure. However, the local communities may benefit from the empowerment and local prioritisation and if they do, PCCs have succeeded their aims. References †¢Blair, L. (2011), ‘‘Speech in the House of Lords 27 April’’, HL Debs Session 2010-11, Vol 727, Col 137 †¢Blunkett, David (2003) ‘Civil Renewal: A New Agenda’ , London: Home Office †¢Brogden, M (1982), â€Å"The Police: Autonomy and Consent†, London: Academic Press. Emsley, C (1996), â€Å"The English Police: a P olitical and Social History†, Harlow: Longman. †¢Flanagan, Sir Ronnie (Feb 2008) The Review of Policing: Final Report. London: Home Office †¢Garland, D (2001), â€Å"The Culture of Control. † Oxford: Oxford University Press. †¢Home Affairs Committee, (2008). ‘‘Policing in the twenty-first century’’, Seventh Report, Session 2007/08, House of Commons Paper 364, TSO, London. †¢Joyce, P. (2011). Police reform: from police authorities to police and crime commissioners. Sage, London. †¢Loveday, B. (1994), â€Å"The Police and Magistrates Courts Act†.Policing 10(4), pp 221-233 †¢Lustgarten, L. (1986), â€Å"The Governance of the Police†, London: Sweet & Maxwell. †¢The Coalition Manifesto: â€Å"Our Programme for Government† (May 2010) †¢Theresa, M (2010). â€Å"Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting police and the people†. Home Office †¢Home Affairs Committee (2010), ‘à ¢â‚¬ËœPolicing: police and crime commissioners’’, Second Report, Sessions 2010/11, House of Commons Paper 511, TSO, London. Bibliography †¢David Cameron speech (19 July 2010) â€Å"Our Big Society Agenda†. London: Home Office Date accessed: 25 November 2012 http://www. conservatives. om/News/Speeches/2010/07/David_Cameron_Our_Big_Society_Agenda. aspx †¢Home Office (2003), â€Å"The role of police authorities in public engagement† Date Accessed: 3 December 2012 http://library. npia. police. uk/docs/hordsolr/rdsolr3703. pdf †¢Loader, I (2008). â€Å"The great victim of this get-tough hyperactivity is Labour†. The Guardian Date accessed: 28 November 2012 http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/19/justice. ukcrime †¢The Policing Pledge (2008). London: Home Office Date Accessed: 1 December 2012 http://www. met. police. uk/pledge/our_pledge_leaflet. pdf

Hitler Slept Late: And Other Blunders That Cost Him the War

For those who subscribe to the theory that Hitler quite literally lost World War II through his own actions, or even inactions, will discover from the beginning some substantial flaws in the very composition of Hitler’s plan of the domination of other nations.While many sources- including the introduction of this research- glibly state that Hitler was seeking to take over the world, the practical reality of such a goal is that it could not happen at the hands of any army that has ever picked up a weapon.With this simple, indisputable fact in mind, the point comes to the forefront that Hitler lacked a strategic focus in his plans of domination.   Hitler himself surely envisioned a scenario whereby he controlled the entire planet and placed everyone under Nazi rule, but realistically, beyond the nations of Europe which Hitler occupied, he simply could not have maintained any sense of control over, for example, Asia, the British Empire, and the like, not to mention North Americ a.Any type of hold that he would have on these additional territories would likely be short-lived, for Germany itself was a nation that was recovering from the brink of economic, military and political disaster when Hitler came to power and began his quest to overtake the rest of â€Å"the world†.Another key factor that supports the sheer impossibility of Hitler’s occupation and domination of the world, at the time of World War II, lay in the form of the Empire of Japan.  It cannot be forgotten that one of the key reasons that Japan attacked the United States military installations at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which was not part of the US at that time, was in retaliation for increased American involvement in the Philippines and other lands which Japan considered as their own.Judging from the challenge that Japan threw at what was then the most powerful military machine in the world- the American military machine- it is highly probable, if not definite, that Japan eventua lly would have gone to war with Germany if Hitler had enjoyed any substantial level of success in World War II, for Hitler most certainly would have turned against Japan in a quest for total control of every nation of the world.Perhaps, World War III would have come out of such a conflict, or perhaps the two powers would have literally destroyed each other, creating yet another power vacuum in the world stage.   While all of this is theoretical, an important point is to be derived from the theory- Hitler’s grand plan, because of its lack of focus and resources, in hindsight appears to have been doomed from the start.Hitler as His Own Worst EnemyIn April of 1945, as Hitler cowered in his underground bunker, occasionally enveloped in darkness as the bombs of his enemies knocked out the artificial power generators which gave Hitler a lifeline to the outside world, the thought surely must have occurred to him that he was to blame for much of what had come to pass.  The theory that Hitler may have been his own worst enemy is actually a fact, based upon research into writings that look into the psyche and personality of Hitler, as well as his leadership skills.A fact that cannot be ignored is that by the mid 1930s, Hitler had already begun to lose some grip on the power that he held over the German people; this is proven by his defeats in the mid 1930s at the hands of the Poles and Czechs when he attempted to occupy the Rhineland (Duffy).   It would not be until 1939 that Hitler would occupy Poland, and even in that, the seeds of his eventual demise were planted.The reason for this can be found in a treaty which Hitler signed with Stalin of Russia, agreeing to share control of Poland with the Russians.   Once Hitler took over Poland in 1939, he essentially pushed the Russians out of the picture, claimed all of Poland for Germany, and basically lit the fuse that began the process leading to a total European war some 2 years later (Duffy).The negligence of the treaty with Russia on the part of Hitler not only makes the point that he was in fact his own worst enemy, but also presents another fascinating â€Å"what if†, which have become so popular among historians of late.The â€Å"what if† concerns a possible outcome if Hitler had chosen to listen to others who counseled him to honor the treaty with Russia and share occupation of Poland.   For the cost of a relatively small nation like Poland, Hitler would have gained, or retained to be more precise, the favor of Stalin and the Russian army, also a major military force to be reckoned with in the 1940s.Therefore, if Russia were on the side of Germany once World War II came into full swing, it is a strong possibility that Hitler would have had the powerful ally that he so desperately needed in order to swing the outcome of the war to his favor.   At the very least, it can be theorized; Hitler would not have found himself hiding underground from the explosions of Ru ssian bombs and the bullets fired by Russian soldiers.Earlier, it was eluded that Hitler, as part of being his own worst enemy, neglected in many cases to heed the advice of his staff, such as in the case of the occupation of Poland and the subsequent entanglements with Russia.Hitler in fact had a second chance to avert war after his occupation of Poland, when he was given a deadline by Britain and the United States to vacate Poland or face possible military intervention.   Hitler was counseled on the advantages of less involvement in Poland, yet even in the face of many consequences and few tangible benefits to be gained, he still stood on the insistence that he was right and that his approach to the issue of Poland was in fact the best course of action.What can be said of a man who has a great deal of responsibility, the potential to change the course of world history, and will not seek the advice, or heed the advice, of others?This is indicative, many would argue, of serious pe rsonality flaws, and this is something that is hard to argue.   Perhaps one of the most shocking, almost to the point of being funny reasons that Hitler likely defeated himself is the fact that during the most pivotal moments of World War II, he slept- literally.Hitler Slept LateThe title of the book which formed the thesis for this research actually has its basis in fact-Hitler did sleep late.   While this in itself does not sound like much to discuss, it is when the fact that Hitler slept late is placed in the context of some of the most important, pivotal moments in the German war effort.The most glaring of these exists in the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of the beaches of Normandy- D-Day, as it has come to be known.   On that day, as the German war machine sustained major damage, Hitler was nowhere to be found, as he had given explicit orders that he needed sleep and not to disturb him.Additionally, once Hitler awoke and was told of the situation, accounts say that he was more concerned with entertaining visiting dignitaries than he was in responding to the attack; all of this occurred in the midst of additional information which indicates that Hitler knew the attacks were coming, and did very little to prepare for them or to respond once they came (Duffy).ConclusionThe analysis of Hitler’s actions, inactions, attitude and skills make a compelling case for the defeat of Hitler by no other than Hitler himself.   The old adage of those who do not learn from history being condemned to repeat it is highly fitting when one looks at Adolf Hitler; for he had at his disposal experienced leaders and resources, but he chose to, ultimately, defeat him.While it is impossible to know what would have happened if Hitler triumphed, we now know, in conclusion, what happened because he did not.Works CitedDuffy, James P. Hitler Slept Late: And Other Blunders That Cost Him the War. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991.

Factors Affecting Adolescent Development Essay

  Adolescence is a transitory stage from childhood to adulthood, characterized by significant physical, emotional and social changes. Developmentalists used to view adolescence as a tumultuous stage due to stress of individuals who want to become an adult long before becoming one. But now, a changing perspective is taking place. Adolescence is no longer a stage in life that is full of conflict but one that is full of opportunities to become a better person. Hereditary and environmental factors play an important role in making sure such opportunities are maximized. These factors are crucial in determining how an individual goes through adolescence. Physical Development Puberty is noted with a surge in hormone production and the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics, causing a number of physical changes (Aacap & Pruitt, 1999). For example, girls begin to develop breast buds, grow hairs on pubic area, legs and armpits, start to menstruate, develop wider hips and grow in height. Boys, on the other hand, may begin to experience enlargement of the adam’s apple, testicles and scrotum, develop facial hairs as well as on the pubic area, armpits, legs and chest, develop deeper voice and also grow in height. Puberty timetable, as well as the characteristics developed during this stage is influenced primarily by heredity, although environmental factors also contribute such as diet and exercise. The aforesaid physical changes are triggered by the pituitary gland, as the hormonal balance leans towards an adult state. The pituitary glands secrete hormones, such as testosterone for the boys or estrogen and progesterone for the girls. Read more:  Factors that influence child develop The major landmark of puberty for the boys is the first ejaculation and menarche for the girls. The age of menarche depends on heredity though the girl’s diet and lifestyle are determinants, as well. To experience menarche, a girl must attain a certain level of body fat. So a girl with a high-fat diet and lives a sedentary lifestyle menstruates earlier relative to a girl with low-fat diet and exercise regularly. Girls who have poor nutrition or experience physical labor at an early age are expected to begin menstruating at later years. Cognitive Development During adolescence, cognitive development is characterized by the ability to think methodically in analyzing all the relationships in a given problem (McCormick, & Pressley, 2007). However, this development takes time and varies from one adolescent to the other. Some may apply logical thinking in school work before they can analyze their personal lives in the same manner. Adolescents begin to see their world in more complex ways which can influence their decision making either in a negative or a positive way. Adolescents should be at what Jean Piaget called â€Å"formal operations† stage where they experience the need to think independently and efficiently, more advance and complex. There are five ways that this ability manifests: (1) to think of possibilities not limited to what is real; (2) to think about abstract ideas; (3) to think about the process of thinking itself; (4) to think at multidimensionality of things rather than to focus at a single issue; and (5) to see things as relative rather than absolute. It is widely accepted that the intellectual capacity is determined by heredity and environment. Studies about intellectual development during adolescence in the field of developmental neuroscience show that â€Å"significant growth and significant change in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex throughout the course of adolescence, especially with respect to process to myelination and synaptic pruning (both of which increase the efficiency of information processing),† (Steinberg, 2005) To make the most out of these changes, they must be complemented by a positive environment for healthy cognitive development. Adolescents should be encouraged to join discussion about a variety of topics, issues and current events. They should be allowed to think on their own and to share their ideas with others. Stimulating them to think about future possibilities and guiding them towards their goal allow them to even out the wrong decisions they make. Social, Moral and Personality Development Individuals suffer from identity crisis during adolescence. According to Erik Erikson’s Theory of Identity Development, identity crisis is the most important characteristic of adolescents (Erikson, 1968). Although cultures define a person’s identity and thus varies from one culture to another, the accomplishment of this development task has a common denominator for all cultures. Core to his theory is for the adolescent to establish an â€Å"ego-identity† and to avoid â€Å"role confusion† and â€Å"identity confusion†. A sense of identity in occupation, sex roles, politics and religion must be developed during adolescence. The ego-identity changes constantly as an individual acquires new experience and information through social interaction. According to Erikson, adolescents have to make an account of his/her assets and liabilities and what to make out of them. Adolescents have to find their own identity by examining their past, present and future linked together. However, this is difficult as the past has lost the attachment of family and community tradition, the present is occupied by social change and the future has become more unpredictable. The role of peers during this period is highlighted as they give the sense of acceptance to the adolescent seeking for social approval. Those who are able to receive positive feedback and encouragement turn out to have a strong sense of who he/she is and a feeling of independence and control. Those who fail to find his/her identity are likely to be insecure and confused about themselves and the future. For Robert Havighurst, individuals have to acquire developmental tasks defined as skills, knowledge, functions and attitudes (Turner, 1996). They are acquired through physical maturation, social expectations and personal efforts. Achieving these development tasks lead to happiness and success with later harder tasks while failure in a given developmental task result to lack of adjustment, increase anxiety, social disapproval and helplessness to manage more difficult tasks to come. Some of the developmental tasks are need to be achieved within a time limit which Havighurst called â€Å"teachable moment.† If the task is not mastered during this time, it becomes harder, if not impossible to accomplish. Society plays an important role by providing the socializing agents, as well as the method of reinforcement and punishment, to allow the individual to learn the developmental tasks according to their proper age levels. According to Havighurst, for adolescents aged 12 to 20 years old, their development tasks include: (1) accepting one’s physique and accepting a masculine or feminine role; (2) new relations with age-mates of both sexes; (3) emotional independence of parents and other adults; (4) achieving assurance of economic independence; (5) selecting and preparing for an occupation; (6) developing intellectual skills and concepts necessary for civic competence; (7) desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior; (8) preparing for marriage and family life; and (9) building conscious values in harmony with an adequate scientific world-picture. References Aacap & Pruitt, David. (1999). You Adolescent: Emotional, Behavioral and Cognitive Development from Early Adolescence Through the Teen Years. NY: Harper Collins Publishers. Erikson, Erik. (1968) Identity: Youth and Crisis. NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. McCormick, Christine & Pressley, Michael. (2007). Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. NY: The Guilford Press. Steinberg, Laurence. Cognitive and Affective Development in Adolescence. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Vol.9, No.2 February 2005. Turner, Jeffrey. (1996). Encyclopedia of Relationships Across the Lifespan. NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.