Thursday, November 14, 2019

Great Powers In The 17th And 1 :: essays research papers

Great Powers in the 17th and 18th Centuries In the 17th and 18th centuries, Great Britain, France, and the Hapsburg Empire were all competing for the fate of Europe. France, in particular, was caught between being a continental power or a world power; taking control of the Rhine and most of Central Europe, or taking control of The New World. France’s primary goal at the time was for control of the Rhine, but this goal was not without obstacles. Great Britain’s main concern was to keep the balance of power in Europe on their side, while expanding overseas. The Hapsburg Empire’s goals were dealing with conquering the Holy Roman Empire and the Germanic states, in turn taking over the entire continent from the inside out. All 3 of these great powers were being opposed from their pursuits, and survival was always the top concern. Also, after 1660, a growing multipolar system of European states made decisions within each state based more on national interest than before, when most conflicts and militaristic deci sions were based on religion. Louis XIV(1661-1715) is responsible for a considerable gain in the power of France. He had huge armies, (at some points reaching up to half a million troops), that were organized with barracks, hospitals, parade grounds, and depots to support them. Along with an organized enormous fleet at sea, France became a true hybrid power. Its energies were diverted between continental aims and maritime and colonial ambitions. For two decades with no real competition, France was successful, but other powers soon built up enough recourses and power to challenge it. By 1713, and the Treaty of Utrecht, France’s boundaries were established covering the Saint Lawrence River valley, the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys, the West Indian islands of Saint Domingue, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Constantly defending these territories with the navy, and wars on land with Italy and other states, split French energy into the navy and military. Never putting enough effort into just one of these two di visions, French strategy was described as a constant â€Å"falling between stools†, with no direction. If one of the two divisions were solely concentrated on, French success within that division would have been much more successful. Also, France’s economy was not strong. France was much wealthier than countries such as England, but the weak economical structure, tax strategy, interest policies, and lack of a proper system of public finance in France made less money per capita than in than most states.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Case Manager Interview Essay

The interview with a case manager took place in Kevin on October 25, 2013 at 11:00am and it was done approximately at 12:15pm. What we will be evaluating in this interview using the questionnaire as a guide to better understand case management. The questionnaire or survey used for this interview has twenty-four question related to case management, which we will explore one question at a time. The first part of the survey address different function of case management. Kevin was ask based on his own experience in the department of Mental Health, would he eliminate any functions from the list given that included: Client identification and outreach, Intake, Psychosocial assessment, Goal setting, Resource identification and indexing, Getting general agreement by community agencies, Direct treatment (Therapy), Service planning, Counseling, Linking clients to needed services and supports, Monitoring service delivery, Reassessment, Advocacy, and Client evaluation? Kevin said, â€Å"He said that this is a sum of what they do but they go even further by engagement with the community, partnering with different non-profit and faith base organizations and integrating different resources to create a more comprehensive services for their clients.† According to Kevin the engagement with the community, different non-profit and faith base organization is what needed to be added to the function list for assisting clients with his or her needs. Also Kevin stated, â€Å"I would not change the chronological order because this is just a format† but he clarified by saying, â€Å"The way the chronological order is makes a guide but each client has unique needs, which can cause a change of the chronological order given to meet the most pressing needs at a time. The second question Kevin was asked, â€Å"Do You preform this function as part of your case management role?† Kevin response to the question, â€Å"Yes, let me explain to you how we do our process.’ ‘I have twenty-seven staff working for me and each staff has his  or her own expertise.’ ‘The different staff, which includes ten case managers, psychologist, house specialist, therapist, psychoactive nurses, all has goals in assisting indiv idual clients; making it a team effort.’ ‘So the functions for each client is done through shared responsibility.† He also explained that the staff have regular meeting to determine if goals of clients is being properly carried out and if not what can be done to achieve his or her clients plan. Kevin also said the only one thing that hinders his team from performing his or her function is lack of resources and policies can restrict how he can serve his clients. In addition, Kevin told me that in order to be refer to his department there has to be some kind of psychological problem but with the psychological problem there can be other condition present such as: drugs use, homelessness and criminal activities; making serving these individual more complex. The time spent of each function during a typical week depends on the individual and different people and as stated before these function are achieve with many different professional with his or her own expertise working together to serve his or her client. The next question asked Kevin was, â€Å"Where he would like to devote more time to a given function and why?† He stated, â€Å"As a agency he feels they are always on a consistent bases putting out fires and he would like to spend more time in engagement and worki ng with individual with long term goals.† Kevin also said that different crisis, which needed immediate attention is what keeps his organization from devoting more time to engagement and working with individual with long term goals. Kevin told me he works full time and that his case manager spends about eighty percent of his or her time doing case management. When ask if the work done at the agency was his own or a team or group basis he restated what he said earlier about team effort but also added it was also one his own because each team member has a part in the process where he or she focuses on; so to answer the question he said both individual and team effort. The next question for Kevin was, â€Å"What does he think is required for effective case management to occur?† Kevin says that empathy is important when working effectively as a case manager, resources and communication. He also said the way they determine family involvement in a clients is by first assessin g the clinical risk, is this relationship with family a healthy one that will assist his clients to achieve his or her personal goals. The question that followed  the last question asked was, â€Å"What has been the most successful part of your experience as a case manager?† He shared a story how when he first started working for the agency that he would see patients who had psychotic episodes during his or her intake and it was rewarding when he saw these patients at the end of his or her treatment functioning relatively normal, which demonstrated progression. He went on to explain to me that the ultimate goal of a case manager is to help improve lives and that this type of field is investing in the betterment of others. Moreover, Kevin said the attribute to his success is a collaboration of clients, agency team effort, families and the community. The next question in the interview was, â€Å"Is there something distinctive about Stanislaus County that gives case management a unique form here?† Kevin response was base on what he stated earlier about how his organization engagement makes his agency un ique. He stress by working with different non-profit and faith base organization the agency was working outside the box. He also told me that his agency has also works with other city such as: San Francisco, San Jose, Bakersfield and as far as Redding to provide service for his clients collaborating with different organization throughout Northern California. Kevin told me my working with different organization has broadened the agency resources causing them not to be limited to a geographical area making their approach different and unique. The next question in the interview was, â€Å"What are some of the main problems you face in doing case management?† Kevin stated resources is the main problem as a practitioner; not enough resources to assist all of his clients. Also Kevin said motivation of his clients is an issue to even recognize he or she has a problem, which needs to be address. Kevin also told me that with some clients basic needs are not being met and his clients cannot focus on assistance because of this problem. He went on to state the lack of understanding of both family and community is a problem, which his agency is trying to address through educating both family and community. He told me these have specific programs for family member to help educate them and they are actively involved with many events in the community. Also according to Mr. Panyanovong service gaps he encounters can be either lack of resources or policy issue where an individual cannot meet requirement to qualify for a certain pr ogram. He also told me that lack of insurance and state funding can be a problem in service gaps or lack of  space where the program and facility is overcrowded. The next question I asked Kevin was, â€Å"When there is a service gap, are there any things as an organization they can do?† He said that as an organization they work hard to remove barriers, discover new resources, change policies and try to determine how to get from point â€Å"A† to point â€Å"B†. He said with his team they work together talking about how can we expedite the process and continue to say his organization does not see it as just them but working with other resources. Then Kevin was asked, â€Å"What problems do you have with service providers, particularly agencies in the community that are essential to your clients?† He said he was not sure if he had a problem with a particular provider but with the physical he stated there could be disconnect because many of clients have Medicare a nd Medicaid, which has limitations. According to Kevin many of his clients have health issue, which can be a major problem in the care of his clients. The interviewer went on to ask, â€Å"What administrative problems do you encounter in your daily work?† He said that Medicaid has been a problem and there are many regulations that the organization needs to follow, which can make it difficult in servicing his clients. However, as a program Kevin explain to me they do what they can to serve their client despite Medicaid regulations and many times it has resulted in loss in revenue. The next question in the interview was, â€Å"What are some crisis situations you typically face with clients?† Kevin responded by saying, â€Å"Medication emergencies, client becomes suicidal, homicidal†, he goes on to say we do crisis assessments, evaluation and place clients in the hospital all the time, which answered the next question, â€Å"What are some things you typically do when these crises arise?† The question in the interview that followed that last question is a close end question where the interviewer asked Kevin, â€Å"Can you generally handle these situations in an adequate way?† Kevin answered the question by saying, â€Å"Yes†. As the interview continues the interviewer ask Kevin, â€Å"How could you be enabled to deal with crisis situations more adequately?† Kevin answered was again resources and working with different organizations. The next question is base on a scenario and it is, â€Å"A board-and-care home calls you to state a client of yours in this category is having hallucinations that are causing behaviors threatening to other clients. What do you consider your most therapeutic intervention, given no limitation on  resources?† The first thing Kevin said, â€Å"Is that he needs to assess is this an immediate crisis, which it sounds like it is?† He asses if this particular person is a risk to self or the community and if so he has the authority to put this client on a seventy two hours hold, placing them in a hospital for the individual safety and the safety of the community. The other thing Kevin mention is by assessing he can determine if this is an ongoing issue and nothing ever happens; than he may set up a meeting with this client. Kevin said because it is their client it is important to look into the history, which can shed light to what is causing him or her to act this way. The second part of the question for this scenario, â€Å"If the patient were living at home with family would you do anything differently?† Kevin said yes they would involve the family members more, which is ideal because now the client has support that he feel could be a benefit to the client. Also the family member could help with administration of medication and to determine if something is not right in their family member who needs special assistance. He went on to say the majority of his clients do not have that family support. The question the interviewer asked Kevin next was, â€Å"What can case managers do to optimize maintaining hard to handle patients in board -and-care facilities or with their families?† Meeting with client and working with him or her to remain medication compliant, forming good partnership with board-and-care facilities or family members. Kevin went on to say it would be better to treat the individual early before it becomes a crisis. The following question Kevin is asked is, â€Å"What recommendations would you make to strengthen the case management process and program in the Department?† Kevin states resources and also changing policies of organizations, which creates barriers in his clients being place in their respect program. Kevin continue on and said, that practitioners need to set healthy boundaries but at the same time have empathy for their clients and being able to connect with a client at a human level. He also stated that strengthen the commitment of clients to the goals that has been set and for the clients to acknowledge that there is an issue. When it comes to families and informal support networks, Kevin said, communication is key when working with them and education to assist them in helping the needs of the individual client. The interviewer than asked, â€Å"Since you started working in this program, have you initiated any major changes in the  way you do things or in the procedures?† Kevin says, â€Å"Yes† and that he has been in this program for over seventeen years and that the biggest shift according to Kevin is community oriente d, which is forming different partnership that the organization did not use in the past. This forming of partnership is done to increase the natural support system for clients in working with outside agencies. He went on to explain to me that when he first started the mentality was in the organization that they were the only agency. Also as a case manager they as an organization has heighten the awareness that the problem with mental health is a community issue; that everyone needs to be involve in supporting these type of individuals. Kevin continue by saying that they invited community partnerships, they invited faith base, invited community leaders to come to the table and have a conversation of how they could work together to make the problem of mental health better in their city. Kevin said this is accomplished through a town hall meeting to address all these concerns. Also Kevin said this change is adopted by his organization because it is a team effort and they have to work together for the benefit of their clients. The next question interviewer presented to Kevin was, â€Å"If you could design a case management program from scratch, based on your experience here, what changes would you make?† Kevin said many of the things they are currently doing is a direction that is offering more assistance for their clients by adding resources through many different organizations. The last question the interviewer asked, Kevin was, â€Å"What advice would you give to a new case manager coming into this agency?† Kevin said he would tell them to know their resources and that they are in the business of helping people, which requires them to have empathy towards their clients and to work as a team with colleague to give the best situation for his or her clients needs. The interview came to a conclusion and the interviewer thank Kevin for taking the time out of schedule to meet with him. The interviewer also ask if in the future if he has similar projects would it be alright for him to contact him again, which he said if his schedule permits he does not mind and he told me he tries to make time for these type of interviews because he feels it is part of educating the community and that he has not only met with college student but high school students to do similar interviews. Than, the interviewer said his final thank you and told Kevin to have a good weeke nd.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Mint Lube Case Study

Banin Akif MBA – I Seat # 7049 Operations Management CASE STUDY (MINIT-LUBE INC. ) Q. 1What constitutes the mission of Minit-Lube? Ans:The mission statement for Minit-Lube can be derived as followed: Our Mission: To provide fast, reliable and superior services in a customer friendly environment while ensuring lowest possible fares. Q. 2How does the Minit-Lube operation strategy provide competitive advantage? Ans:Minit-Lube operations strategy provides the organization advantage over its competitors in the following ways: Services Design: Minit-Lube has a superior service design as it provides fast oil-change, interior cleaning and lubrications services to 3 cars at a time. – Quality management: Quality exceeds normal standards as all employees are neatly dressed and fully trained from minit-lube school. – Process: Efficient use of human resource enables fast service provision as three workers simultaneously work on a car to provide oil-change services. – L ocation: Spotless environment provides customer a refreshing feeling. – Layout design: Minit-Lube layout supports process focused ‘job shop’ practice which maximizes the efficiency and quality. – Human Resource: Well trained staff graduated from minit-lube school, ensuring cost effectiveness by building good customer relationships and providing speedy and accurate service. Each individual specializes in its own work enabling the maximum level of service. – Scheduling: Service providedin least possible time frame with use of efficient human resource in order to meet customer schedules. – Maintenance: Minit-Lube provides reliable maintenance solutions because of their trained staff and superior operations management. Q. 3 Is it likely that Minit-Lube has increased productivity over its more traditional competitors? Why? How would we measure productivity in this industry? Ans:Minit-Lube increased productivity over its traditional competitors in the following ways: – Well trained/educated labor: labor plays a vital role in productivity and as employees of minit-lube are both well educated and trained, they increase the productivity of the organization. More Output in lesser time: As compared to its competitors, at minit-lube the car comes in and goes out in only 10 mins which significantly increases the output and therefore, productivity. Also, providing service to 3 cars simultaneously also enhances the productivity if the competitors are servicing less than 3 cars keeping all other factors constant. Productivity= Output____ Input = No. of cars serviced in an hour____ Labor hours put in by the team

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Geography of the Country of Belize - World Atlas

Geography of the Country of Belize - World Atlas Population: 314,522 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: BelmopanBordering Countries: Guatemala and MexicoLand Area: 8,867 square miles (22,966 sq km)Coastline: 320 miles (516 km)Highest Point: Doyles Delight at 3,805 feet (1,160 m)Belize is a country located in Central America and it is bordered to the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. It is a diverse country with various cultures and languages. Belize also has the lowest population density in Central America with 35 people per square mile or 14 people per square kilometer. Belize is also known for its extreme biodiversity and distinctive ecosystems.History of BelizeThe first people to develop Belize were the Maya around 1500 B.C.E. As shown in archeological records, they established a number of settlements there. These include Caracol, Lamanai and Lubaantun. The first European contact with Belize occurred in 1502 when Christopher Columbus reached the areas coast. In 1638, the first Eu ropean settlement was established by England and for 150 years, many more English settlements were set up. In 1840, Belize became a Colony of British Honduras and in 1862, it became a crown colony. For one hundred years after that, Belize was a representative government of England but in January 1964, full self government with a ministerial system was granted. In 1973, the regions name was changed from British Honduras to Belize and on September 21, 1981, full independence was achieved.Government of BelizeToday, Belize is a parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth. It has an executive branch filled by Queen Elizabeth II as chief of state and a local head of government. Belize also has a bicameral National Assembly that is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate members are selected by appointment while the members of the House of Representatives are elected by direct popular votes every five years. Belizes judicial branch is comprised of the Summary Jurisdiction Courts, District Courts, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the Privy Council in the U.K. and the Caribbean Court of Justice. Belize is divided into six districts (Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek and Toledo) for local administration.Economics and Land Use in BelizeTourism is the largest international revenue generator in Belize as its economy is very small and consists mainly of small private enterprises. Belize does export some agricultural products though - the largest of these include bananas, cacao, citrus, sugar, fish, cultured shrimp and lumber. The main industries in Belize are garment production, food processing, tourism, construction and oil. Tourism is large in Belize because it is a tropical, mainly undeveloped area with abundant recreation and Mayan historical sites. In addition, ecotourism is increasing in the country today.Geography, Climate and Biodiversity of BelizeBelize is a relatively small country with mainly flat terrain. On the coast it has a swampy coastal plain that is dominated by mangrove swamps and in the south and the interior there are hills and low mountains. Most of Belize is undeveloped and is forested with hardwoods. Belize is a part if the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot and it has many jungles, wildlife reserves, a large variety of different species of flora and fauna and the largest cave system in Central America. Some species of Belize include the black orchid, the mahogany tree, the toucan and tapirs.The climate of Belize is tropical and is therefore very hot and humid. It has a rainy season which lasts from May to November and a dry season lasting from February to May.More Facts about Belize Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language Regional languages of Belize are Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna, Maya and Plautdietsch Belize has one of the lowest population densities in the world The main religions in Belize are Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Mennonite, other Protestant, Muslim, Hindu and BuddhistTo learn more about Belize, visit the Belize section in Geography and Maps on this websit e. ReferencesCentral Intelligence Agency. (27 May 2010). CIA - The World Factbook - Belize. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bh.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Belize: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107333.htmlUnited States Department of State. (9 April 2010). Belize. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1955.htmWikipedia.com. (30 June 2010). Belize - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Word Choice Hear vs. Here - Writing Tips from Proofed

Word Choice Hear vs. Here - Writing Tips from Proofed Word Choice: Hear vs. Here Spoken out loud the words â€Å"hear† and â€Å"here† sound identical, which may be why they’re often confused in writing. Unfortunately, on paper the difference is a bit more obvious! In this post, then, we’re looking at the differences between these words and how to tell them apart. Hear (Listen To) To â€Å"hear† something is to sense a sound (this is why we talk about having a sense of â€Å"hearing†): I was in the forest, so I could hear the tree fall. It can also mean â€Å"listen to† or â€Å"learn by being told,† such as when we receive news second hand: I hear that trees fall silently if there’s nobody around. We also see this word used in â€Å"Hear! Hear!† This is an old-fashioned phrase used to express approval of what someone is saying (as if you’re literally saying â€Å"Listen to this person!†). Here (In This Place) The word â€Å"here† can be a noun, an adverb, or even an adjective, but it always means â€Å"this place.† Typically, this is the location occupied by the speaker: Why are we here in this forest anyway? The tree will land here when it falls. In both cases above, â€Å"here† is used to point to the immediate surroundings or a point nearby. Closeness is important for this word; if we were referring to something further away, we’d say â€Å"there.† In addition, â€Å"here† can indicate a point in time or within a process: We’ll end the lesson here for today. It can also be used to refer to the previous sentence or passage in writing: Berkeley wrote that sense objects exist only when they are perceived. Here, we can see how he would have been interested in whether unobserved falling trees make a sound. This makes â€Å"here† a useful word for linking sentences in a paragraph. Hear or Here? An ear. Mixing up these words in your writing can look bad. However, there’s an easy way to tell them apart: The one about listening contains the word â€Å"ear† (i.e., the thing we listen with). So, if you’re writing about sensing a sound or listening to someone, the correct word is â€Å"hear.† On the other hand, if you’re writing about a place or position, the word you need will be â€Å"here.† Remember: Hear = Sense a sound or listen to Here = This place or point

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Use of DNA in Crime Investigations Research Paper

The Use of DNA in Crime Investigations - Research Paper Example It also depends to a great extent on the far-sightedness of a person in looking at the long-term effects of the changes incorporated into the lives of people due to technological changes. There may be many negatives that can be found in the introduction of these changes. However, that does not justify a rejection of those changes without an analysis of the positive effects that they may have. The use of DNA in the analysis of crime and the investigations of this issue is one such area. In the United States of America, only twenty five states follow a system whereby the use of DNA is done in an efficient manner. This involves the collection of DNA samples right at the time of the arrest of a criminal. In the other states, collection of these samples is conducted following the conviction of a criminal, and this causes a lot of delay. These delays may result in a change in the very outcome of the cases where the said changes are made. This paper will discuss these delays and the changes that can be made in the legislative structures that govern crime investigation in the United States of America. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has the makeup of a person encoded within it. It is a unique code that helps identify a person. It can be used to distinguish between persons. Samples of DNA can be collected from a person’s saliva, hair and other parts of that person’s body. Such information can be later used to verify the identity of the criminal and can be used for matching with the samples that are collected from him or her (â€Å"Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations†, n.d.). While these can be collected from the suspects later on during the time of the conviction, the samples that are to be collected from the crime scene need to be collected at the time of the arrest itself. If this is not done, there may be difficulties in locating the position of the body fluids in question and it may also be difficult to isolate them so that the matching of the DNA may be conducted. In the context of the legislations that currently exist, stress is laid on the use of DNA samples for the solving of crimes; however, as mentioned earlier in this paper, only twenty five states in America have a provision for the collection of DNA samples at the time of the arrest of a suspect. Various arguments have been advanced in favour of collecting the DNA samples at the time of the arrest. One of these is the quick analysis possible as a result of the quick collection of the data. This prevents many problems that would otherwise be present in the process of the investigation of the crime. To understand this fully, one needs to also understand the benefits of DNA analysis in the process. This would help one locate the areas where the problems are present. One of the major advantages of the use of DNA samples in crime investigations is the creation of databases that can be then used to track the activities of people who are known to be offenders. While allowi ng every person who has committed an offence a chance to improve their own characters and lots in life, this system ensures the safety of the society where such convicts are present. Having such a database would mean that people who have committed an offence may be caught in an easier fashion. This would also mean that people who are innocent may have a better chance to stay free and engage in activities that are useful for the society in which they live and are a part of. Statistics

Friday, November 1, 2019

Econ. 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econ. 2010 - Essay Example A higher price, however, will put them at a disadvantage because it will lessen their purchasing power, as a result they will demand less of that good. This decision will cause a change in demand as they will try to look for some alternatives or substitutes for that product. This is also known as the substitution effect. A seller may see the situation differently. A lower price is not as encouraging as a higher price. This means that the sellers are more willing to make their goods available in the market at higher prices because this means more profit. The shortage in the supply of grain had caused the prices to go up and the additional supply due to the better weather caused the prices to fall. This is a pricing mechanism in a purely competitive product market. Shortage is when the quantity demanded is greater than quantity supplied resulting to a higher selling price while surplus happens because quantity supplied exceeded what the market demanded. When neither shortage nor surplu s exists, the price and quantity supplied and demanded are at equilibrium. The equilibrium price and quantity is where selling and buying decision are synchronized or coordinated as a rationing function of prices (McConnell and Brue, p.58).