Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's Disease does not kill instantly; it destroys the individual bit by bit, tearing away at their person-hood and self-identity. Most victims suffer for 9 to 15 years after onset of the illness. It is the most common type of dementia in the United States and Canada and after age 40, the risk of developing it doubles with aging every 5.1 years during adults' life. A form of dementia, the DSM-IV-R's (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria for diagnosing dementia include: impairment in short- and long-term memory, at least one of the following: impairment in abstract thinking, impaired judgement, other disturbances of higher cortical functioning, personality change, significant interference with work, social activities, or relationships, in addition, symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of delirium; and specific etiologic organic factor is evidenced or can be presumed. For an individual with this terrible disease, living with memory loss and its associated disabilities are very frightening. Alzheimer's includes behavioral characteristics that extend beyond its cognitive explanations. These behaviors require study because of the influence on both the patient and caregiver. Treatment often looks to drugs for relief of symptoms and to slow the course of progressive decline, rather than on assisting the individual with coping mechanisms. It has been termed a â€Å"family disease†, not only because of possible genetic relation between victims, but because family members provide 80 percent or more of the care giving. Chronic and progressive mental and physical deterioration decrease the victim's capacity for independence and increase the need for support from family members caring for the victim at home. The victim attempts to make sense of a seemingly new and hostile world, and this leads to dubious and uncharacteristic changes in behavior, personality, decision-making, function, and mood. Certain symptoms that are often associated with depression may be observed in patients who are cognitively impaired but not depressed. Professionals must be aware of all the symptoms the patient is experiencing, and reports from family members must also be taken into account. The patient usually reports fewer negative feelings or mood problems than are identified by caregivers. Patients often attempt to cover up their disease by modifying the behaviors of others, rather than identifying their own inevitable retrogression. Fears of the unknown, fears of abandonment, lowered frustration tolerance, and loss of impulse control may result in problematic behavior. Also, appropriate behavior may simply be forgotten, and faces of family members and friends unfamiliar. However, the victim of Alzheimer's often denies these symptoms. More obvious, even to themselves are the expression of emotions such as panic and deprivation. Experiences such as early retirement and anticipated changes in the responsibilities of daily life are never realized. The inability to drive a car is especially painful and frustrating for some. Self-esteem and sense of worth plummet. Individuals with Alzheimer's lose their capability to plan, postpone, wait, or predict the outcomes of their actions. Family members very often fail to attribute losses similar to those previously mentioned to a d isease. They tend to deny the existence of the disease. Family members may go through a period of denial in which they make excuses for the patient, attributing the problems they encounter to normal aging, stress, etc. Alzheimer's disease creates new demands on the family, who have to adopt numerous roles. The parent, once the primary caregiver to their children, is now like a child receiving care. Each family member defines the situation differently, but display common management behaviors that will be discussed further. Within these similar stages of management, reflection of individual attitudes is obvious due to unique interpretations of the stages. The spouse is usually the primary caregiver of the patient, but when unable to provide the care necessary, an adult child is the most likely candidate. These adult children fear that the disease terrorizing their family and destroying a loved one will be hereditary. Negative behavior changes that are undergone by the victim have major effects on the caregiver. Mental health and life satisfaction of the caregiver seem to decrease rapidly, but according to Lisa Gwyther (1994), the key to minimizing these effects is to strategically change responses by the human and physical environment. Changing the responses of the outside world, rather than attempting to change the responses of the individual with the disease helps to organize difficult changes. Experienced spouses and wise families learn to distract the patient rather than confront them on their shortcomings. They should learn to enrich the victims' pleasure in each moment, spurring preserved memories and skills to maintain the victims' positive feelings of competence, belonging, productivity, and self-esteem. Consistent reassurance and unconditional love are vital to peace and harmony within the family. The patient experiences degeneration of short-term memory, which often results in misplacement of objects and forgetting the names of familiar people. They have irrational or imaginary fears that make them suspicious of those closest to them, and they may accuse others of theft and/or infidelity. This is a source of increased frustration, confusion, distress, and irritability on the part of both the patient and the family. As a result, those involved may rely on alcohol and drugs to alleviate the stresses of coming to terms with the disease. Many families of victims either fail to seek, or do not receive a correct medical diagnosis. They tend to become over-involved and angry, stages necessary in the process of adjustment. The family members attempt to counterweigh the losses experienced by the patient, because the deterioration is beginning to become obvious. Their anger, not necessarily with the patient, stems from the burden, embarrassment, and frustrations caused by the patient's behavior. Burden is reported to be highest in this phase of mild dementia. When the spouse is the primary caregiver (in comparison with adult children or others), care is more complete, and less stress, conflict, and ambivalence are observed. Spouses tend to look for activities, or ways of interpreting the patients behavior, that allow for a continuing adult relationship, rather than a parent- child one, which may belittle the patient. Psychological stress results from conflict between resentment, anger, ambivalence, and guilt, self-blame, and the pain of watching a loved one deteriorate. Caregivers also report physical fatigue from providing care to their regressing loved one. Of all of these, the most difficult is performing the basic daily activities for the patient, and coping with upsetting behavior. Proactive approaches towards treatment of the disease involve the conscious decision that success is possible, both for the patient and family- unfortunately this is something that most afflicted individuals realize too late. In addition, the victims of Alzheimer's may or may not respond to certain types of intervention. A patient may react to one type of treatment one minute and not the next. Immediate, observable changes in patient and family behavior, function, and mood were noted when caregivers learned to separate the resolution of the problem from the intention of the patient. For example, rather than confronting a patient or assigning blame when an object is lost, the caregiver replaces the item the patient claimed â€Å"stolen†. In this way, unnecessary stress and tension are eliminated for both patient and caregiver. Each family member experiences a similar process of coming to terms with the changes. This process includes three stages: describing how the victim is the same, and/or different, prior to disease onset, rewriting the individuality of the victim, and redefining the relationship with the victim. During the first stage, family members look for behaviors that still represent the victims' â€Å"true† self, and those that the person with Alzheimer's no longer has. In the second stage, the disease and individual with the disease must be seen as two in one. Part of the struggle in this stage is to maintain the adult identity of the victim while managing their child-like needs. Still, in the third stage of the adapting process, major problems continue to present themselves. These may include: family and social disruptions, increased marital conflicts, and employment-related difficulties. Family members are usually not aware of one-another's viewpoints; they do not understand that they are not all seeing the victim the same way. Due to the fact that they are not all having the same type of relationship with the victim, paths towards the common goal of attaining highest level of function for the victim may be divided. As a result, the more effort individual family members put into achieving this goal, the more conflict is created. However, it individuals voice their different perspectives and encourage discussion, this may allow the family to function as a complete whole. Understanding between family members can be coupled with social support groups' ideas about the disease. A social network may be effective in protecting individuals with terminal diseases from some of the negative effects. An active organization, The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (ADRDA) established a network of individuals and families affected with dementia. The speed at which this network is growing is clear evidence of the need for more groups like it. Information sharing, encouragement, and provision of social support are among the top objectives of such groups. A committee at the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association developed Project Esteem to provide emotional intervention for people with Alzheimer's in the Forgetful phase. Its purpose is to provide opportunities to share thoughts and feelings with peers and professionals, and to have some fun. It came about as two separate groups, one being individuals with Alzheimer's and the other, caregivers. Reported feelings related to dementia from both groups include: anger, anxiety, stress, acceptance, and frustration. The number of individuals who report negative feelings greatly outweigh those of acceptance. At initial meetings, bonding is established through the sharing of early memory experiences. Gradually, comfort comes from knowing that the victims are not alone; there are others with the same limitations. The realization that the victims are ordinary people with a chronic illness, rather than an uncontrollable mental illness, is comforting. Overall, the most effective coping occurs when the individual recognizes their own mental change, realizes the diagnosis, and deals with the unexpected attitudes of others. Benefits of group support in this early stage of Alzheimer's are considerable. Individuals sharing similar situations gain insight and encouragement through verbal exchange; when real world suggestions were needed, and non- verbally; when words were simply not accessible. However, as word comprehension and creation becomes increasingly difficult, the individual enters a new stage of disease development. Short-term memory, orientation, and concentration are now severely impaired. Throughout this stage, remote memory, intellectual functioning, comprehension, and judgement decline steadily. Ability to care for one's self also declines, and sleep patterns are altered; this is a severe blow to the patient's independence and self-esteem. The patient then becomes suspicious and paranoid, even of those closest to them. Likelihood of involvement in accidents at home and abuse of medication increase. Behaviors may include night wandering, night shouting, and nocturnal micturition (night- time urination). Obviously, traditional family behaviors and interactive patterns realize drastic alteration. Family members begin to feel guilty for their impatience and intolerance of the patient, even though many of the demands of the patient are unrealistic and illogical. A major problem for those closest to the patient is readjusting expectations of the patient and themselves. Changes and problematic behavior become a source of stress during this phase, but overall limitation and conflict is reported to decrease, which may simply be the result of institutionalization of the victim. Use of drugs is found to be twice as high in care-givers as in community subjects, and care-givers often let their own health deteriorate. Particularly for the spouse's caregivers, social isolation becomes an issue of psychological well being. Lack of time, energy, and interest in social activities becomes prominent as the deterioration of the patient increases. In one study, spouses of patients exhibited higher levels of stress, in comparison to adult children caregivers; but husbands, in comparison to wives, report fewer burdens, and are more willing to admit the difficulty of the tasks at hand and seek out professional help. Adult male children are as likely as women are to assist their parents, but the men appeared to have the ability to distance themselves from the aging parent. This physical and emotional separation seemed to lower the amount of guilt felt by the men. Possibly because of these differing abilities to deal with the disease, there is often conflict between family members as to how to care for the victim. Two broad coping techniques of family members of Alzheimer victims are: (1) Distancing techniques and (2) Enmeshing techniques. Distancing techniques (as discussed earlier) involve establishing distance between the patient and caregiver both emotionally and physically. Enmeshing techniques involve the intensification of the relationship, and often the exclusion of others. This option is usually observed in cases where the spouse is the primary caregiver. Apparently, it is very difficult for spouses who use the Enmeshing technique to become involved in social support groups. Social support is a proven mediator and alleviator of family stress and patient dejection. Adult day care programs provide respite for family members, and allow the patient to interact with individuals with similar conditions. Generally, the patients see the support group as being most helpful in the areas of information sharing and peer support. This information and assistance may help determine the strength of the individual in last stages of the disease. This phase is the final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Mental deterioration is complete; many patients are completely unaware of, or unable to respond to their surroundings. The patients are totally dependent on others for all aspects of daily living. The patient will, most likely, not identify family and friends, and may not communicate at all. Paranoia, agitation, and combativeness increase significantly, if the patient is able to display these emotions at all. He/she eventually becomes extremely weak, incontinent, non-ambulatory and bedridden. It has been hypothesized that at least some of the premorbid changes in strength and weakness may be predicted from changes observed in the earlier stages. Descriptions by caregivers of premorbid personality traits of the victim are similar to symptoms of depression, hallucinations, and delusions. It is during this stage that most victims are admitted to an institution for professional care. Several behavioral problems such as aggression and wandering appear to increase as individuals are moved from the community to nursing homes. Acceptance of this disturbing disease comes very slowly to the family members. The disease's sly onset and the original appearance by the victim of retention of regular physical vigor make acceptance increasingly difficult. As the disease progresses further and further, the changes that occur for the victim become increasingly obvious and family members tend to define the situation more similarly than in previous, seemingly inconspicuous stages. The grieving process is lengthy, because the death of the person is long before the death of the physical body. Although the loved one is long gone, their shell lives on. At some point during this stage, the spouse must undergo the final challenge of marital evaluation. Because the patient does not recognize anyone, the spouse is totally alone, but not single. Obtaining a divorce often creates many difficult legal issues. Many caregivers need assistance coping with the guilt of â€Å"abandoning† their spouse when placing them in a nursing home. Thus, financial problems come into the picture. Paying for nursing home services is difficult, as all effort in previous years has been put into caring for the patient. Relatives of deceased victims can be compared to those whose family member is still living. Wives and husbands display similar feelings of burden, but the husbands report more social limitations. On the contrary, sons and daughters are different in their descriptions of burden. Sons report less social limitations than daughters do, and less affective limitation when the demented parents had died. The sons of the deceased elderly also report less conflict with others than the daughters do. The need for individual support for the caregiver and family of the deceased is important, especially at this stage of sorrow. There may also be a sense of relief and release, as the extensive suffering of a loved one has finally ended. The empty body, which once contained a loved one, can finally be put to rest. Help and support from the staff at institutions with dealing with the grief of the final loss of a loved one is valuable and most definitely appreciated. Alzheimer's Disease is a ceaseless debilitating disease without known cause or cure. Deterioration of mental and physical processes is inevitable, but varies between individuals- the cause for this variance has only been looked at hypothetically. It is a terrifying disease for the victim, who is constantly aware of the losses that are occurring, but can do nothing to prevent the disease from proceeding on its deadly course. Family members respond to the disease within certain guidelines, but the attitude towards the different stages differs for all involved. Social support systems have proven extremely effective for both the victim and caregiver in the Forgetful phase of the illness. From that point on, influence on patients decreases significantly, but personal gain for caregivers continues. There is an evident need for publicly funded support for Alzheimer's disease victims and their families. The obvious lack of information concerning the symptoms and results of the disease show the necessity for incorporation of education and support into intervention strategies for caregivers. Evaluation of a patient with possible dementia requires a complete medical history, neurologic evaluation, and physical examination. At the present time, no diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's are available in laboratories. It is simply a diagnosis based on elimination of other diseases. There is great need for a biological marker that would confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer's in a living patient. Rapid progress has been made in identifying a potential genetic marker that could be used to diagnose the disease without autopsy, biopsy, or extended evaluations. Potential disadvantages of this approach would be the reluctance of both patients and physicians to have lumbar punctures done, and the potential overlap of normal patients and Alzheimer sufferers. These potential markers are a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Metaphorically, Alzheimer's can be seen as a house that is constantly being eaten by termites, from the inside out. Although the house may look the same on the outside, the very foundation of the house, the part that makes it a home, deteriorates. Attempts to stop the decay are futile and, at best, temporary. Eventually, one will not feel comfortable at home, and will most likely leave the home- possibly for someone else to deal with. This relief is also temporary. The eating away of the house continues, until it eventually topples into an unrecognizable heap of what used to be a home. This feeling was best described by one individual in the middle stages of the disease: â€Å"†¦(J)ust a wild lost world. I'm here but I don't know where I am†. Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer's disease is one of most prevalent medical conditions that affect the older sector of society. More and more people continue to suffer from this disease, but at present, there is still no cure available. So what causes Alzheimer's disease? What are its effects, and are there any possible solutions for this condition? This essay would delve into the aforementioned details of Alzheimer's disease. Before the nature of Alzheimer's disease can be discussed, it is important to first define what dementia is.This is because Alzheimer's disease is identified as the most general cause behind the dementia not only in America but also throughout the world. Dementia refers to a syndrome which generally damages a person's daily functioning. This is because the memory is impaired, as well as other thinking capabilities, such as reasoning and thought organization. Even the capacity for language and sight is also affected. Due to the memory decline, simple activities become difficult and pa tients need assistance from others since they cannot take care of themselves anymore.Consequently, Alzheimer's disease is a medical condition which affects the brain; it is a disease that slowly develops, damaging one's memory and other mental processes. These include â€Å"reasoning, planning, language, and perception. † It is believed that the disease is caused by the overproduction or amassment of the protein called beta-amyloid; this protein is believed to result in the demise of nerve cells. The condition worsens as time goes by and can lead to death.The possibility of acquiring Alzheimer's disease increases as one ages, especially when one reaches the age of 70. Those who are beyond 85 years of age are most likely to be affected. However, it is important to point out that though memory loss is a normal part of aging, something as severe as Alzheimer's disease is not part of it. Alzheimer's disease was first discovered in 1906 by a German doctor named Alois Alzheimer; in 1910, the disease was officially named after him. Five years prior, Dr.Alzheimer had 51-year-old patient named Frau Auguste D. ; the symptoms of her condition include problems of speech, memory and understanding. She even began doubting her husband's loyalty for no reason at all. Her condition became worse and eventually, she died. When Dr. Alzheimer performed an autopsy, he found that the size of the brain had decreased. The most notable finding was that the cortex had significantly shrunk; the cortex is responsible for memory and speech, among other vital mental functions.When her brain was viewed in the microscope, Dr. Alzheimer discovered brain cells which are either dead or in the process of dying. There were also fat and other deposits found in the blood vessels and brain cells. The brain is composed of neurons, which are nerve cells. These neurons produce signals which are chemical and electrical in nature. The signals are transferred from one neuron to another, enabling the person to think and recall. The transmission between neurons is made possible by neurotransmitters.Those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease experience the demise of neurons; eventually, neurotransmitters are also affected, and the brain functions are completely interrupted. The autopsy that Dr. Alzheimer performed on Auguste D. revealed that the brain tissues were characterized by â€Å"clumps† and â€Å"knots† of brain cells. At present, the former is recognized as plaques, while the latter is now identified as tangles. Both are acknowledged markers of Alzheimer's disease. These two are also possible contributors in causing the brain disorder.On one hand, plaques are composed of the aforementioned beta-amyloid protein. There is still no determined reason for the death of neurons, but the said protein is believed to be responsible for it. There are three genetic mutations that are recognized as responsible for a small percentage of the early-onset type of the disease . These three are as follows: â€Å"amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 protein (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). † The said mutations create plaques of amyloid. All three mutations are known to cause at least ten percent of all cases of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer's Disease does not kill instantly; it destroys the individual bit by bit, tearing away at their person-hood and self-identity. Most victims suffer for 9 to 15 years after onset of the illness. It is the most common type of dementia in the United States and Canada and after age 40, the risk of developing it doubles with aging every 5.1 years during adults' life. A form of dementia, the DSM-IV-R's (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) criteria for diagnosing dementia include: impairment in short- and long-term memory, at least one of the following: impairment in abstract thinking, impaired judgement, other disturbances of higher cortical functioning, personality change, significant interference with work, social activities, or relationships, in addition, symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of delirium; and specific etiologic organic factor is evidenced or can be presumed. For an individual with this terrible disease, living with memory loss and its associated disabilities are very frightening. Alzheimer's includes behavioral characteristics that extend beyond its cognitive explanations. These behaviors require study because of the influence on both the patient and caregiver. Treatment often looks to drugs for relief of symptoms and to slow the course of progressive decline, rather than on assisting the individual with coping mechanisms. It has been termed a â€Å"family disease†, not only because of possible genetic relation between victims, but because family members provide 80 percent or more of the care giving. Chronic and progressive mental and physical deterioration decrease the victim's capacity for independence and increase the need for support from family members caring for the victim at home. The victim attempts to make sense of a seemingly new and hostile world, and this leads to dubious and uncharacteristic changes in behavior, personality, decision-making, function, and mood. Certain symptoms that are often associated with depression may be observed in patients who are cognitively impaired but not depressed. Professionals must be aware of all the symptoms the patient is experiencing, and reports from family members must also be taken into account. The patient usually reports fewer negative feelings or mood problems than are identified by caregivers. Patients often attempt to cover up their disease by modifying the behaviors of others, rather than identifying their own inevitable retrogression. Fears of the unknown, fears of abandonment, lowered frustration tolerance, and loss of impulse control may result in problematic behavior. Also, appropriate behavior may simply be forgotten, and faces of family members and friends unfamiliar. However, the victim of Alzheimer's often denies these symptoms. More obvious, even to themselves are the expression of emotions such as panic and deprivation. Experiences such as early retirement and anticipated changes in the responsibilities of daily life are never realized. The inability to drive a car is especially painful and frustrating for some. Self-esteem and sense of worth plummet. Individuals with Alzheimer's lose their capability to plan, postpone, wait, or predict the outcomes of their actions. Family members very often fail to attribute losses similar to those previously mentioned to a d isease. They tend to deny the existence of the disease. Family members may go through a period of denial in which they make excuses for the patient, attributing the problems they encounter to normal aging, stress, etc. Alzheimer's disease creates new demands on the family, who have to adopt numerous roles. The parent, once the primary caregiver to their children, is now like a child receiving care. Each family member defines the situation differently, but display common management behaviors that will be discussed further. Within these similar stages of management, reflection of individual attitudes is obvious due to unique interpretations of the stages. The spouse is usually the primary caregiver of the patient, but when unable to provide the care necessary, an adult child is the most likely candidate. These adult children fear that the disease terrorizing their family and destroying a loved one will be hereditary. Negative behavior changes that are undergone by the victim have major effects on the caregiver. Mental health and life satisfaction of the caregiver seem to decrease rapidly, but according to Lisa Gwyther (1994), the key to minimizing these effects is to strategically change responses by the human and physical environment. Changing the responses of the outside world, rather than attempting to change the responses of the individual with the disease helps to organize difficult changes. Experienced spouses and wise families learn to distract the patient rather than confront them on their shortcomings. They should learn to enrich the victims' pleasure in each moment, spurring preserved memories and skills to maintain the victims' positive feelings of competence, belonging, productivity, and self-esteem. Consistent reassurance and unconditional love are vital to peace and harmony within the family. The patient experiences degeneration of short-term memory, which often results in misplacement of objects and forgetting the names of familiar people. They have irrational or imaginary fears that make them suspicious of those closest to them, and they may accuse others of theft and/or infidelity. This is a source of increased frustration, confusion, distress, and irritability on the part of both the patient and the family. As a result, those involved may rely on alcohol and drugs to alleviate the stresses of coming to terms with the disease. Many families of victims either fail to seek, or do not receive a correct medical diagnosis. They tend to become over-involved and angry, stages necessary in the process of adjustment. The family members attempt to counterweigh the losses experienced by the patient, because the deterioration is beginning to become obvious. Their anger, not necessarily with the patient, stems from the burden, embarrassment, and frustrations caused by the patient's behavior. Burden is reported to be highest in this phase of mild dementia. When the spouse is the primary caregiver (in comparison with adult children or others), care is more complete, and less stress, conflict, and ambivalence are observed. Spouses tend to look for activities, or ways of interpreting the patients behavior, that allow for a continuing adult relationship, rather than a parent- child one, which may belittle the patient. Psychological stress results from conflict between resentment, anger, ambivalence, and guilt, self-blame, and the pain of watching a loved one deteriorate. Caregivers also report physical fatigue from providing care to their regressing loved one. Of all of these, the most difficult is performing the basic daily activities for the patient, and coping with upsetting behavior. Proactive approaches towards treatment of the disease involve the conscious decision that success is possible, both for the patient and family- unfortunately this is something that most afflicted individuals realize too late. In addition, the victims of Alzheimer's may or may not respond to certain types of intervention. A patient may react to one type of treatment one minute and not the next. Immediate, observable changes in patient and family behavior, function, and mood were noted when caregivers learned to separate the resolution of the problem from the intention of the patient. For example, rather than confronting a patient or assigning blame when an object is lost, the caregiver replaces the item the patient claimed â€Å"stolen†. In this way, unnecessary stress and tension are eliminated for both patient and caregiver. Each family member experiences a similar process of coming to terms with the changes. This process includes three stages: describing how the victim is the same, and/or different, prior to disease onset, rewriting the individuality of the victim, and redefining the relationship with the victim. During the first stage, family members look for behaviors that still represent the victims' â€Å"true† self, and those that the person with Alzheimer's no longer has. In the second stage, the disease and individual with the disease must be seen as two in one. Part of the struggle in this stage is to maintain the adult identity of the victim while managing their child-like needs. Still, in the third stage of the adapting process, major problems continue to present themselves. These may include: family and social disruptions, increased marital conflicts, and employment-related difficulties. Family members are usually not aware of one-another's viewpoints; they do not understand that they are not all seeing the victim the same way. Due to the fact that they are not all having the same type of relationship with the victim, paths towards the common goal of attaining highest level of function for the victim may be divided. As a result, the more effort individual family members put into achieving this goal, the more conflict is created. However, it individuals voice their different perspectives and encourage discussion, this may allow the family to function as a complete whole. Understanding between family members can be coupled with social support groups' ideas about the disease. A social network may be effective in protecting individuals with terminal diseases from some of the negative effects. An active organization, The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (ADRDA) established a network of individuals and families affected with dementia. The speed at which this network is growing is clear evidence of the need for more groups like it. Information sharing, encouragement, and provision of social support are among the top objectives of such groups. A committee at the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association developed Project Esteem to provide emotional intervention for people with Alzheimer's in the Forgetful phase. Its purpose is to provide opportunities to share thoughts and feelings with peers and professionals, and to have some fun. It came about as two separate groups, one being individuals with Alzheimer's and the other, caregivers. Reported feelings related to dementia from both groups include: anger, anxiety, stress, acceptance, and frustration. The number of individuals who report negative feelings greatly outweigh those of acceptance. At initial meetings, bonding is established through the sharing of early memory experiences. Gradually, comfort comes from knowing that the victims are not alone; there are others with the same limitations. The realization that the victims are ordinary people with a chronic illness, rather than an uncontrollable mental illness, is comforting. Overall, the most effective coping occurs when the individual recognizes their own mental change, realizes the diagnosis, and deals with the unexpected attitudes of others. Benefits of group support in this early stage of Alzheimer's are considerable. Individuals sharing similar situations gain insight and encouragement through verbal exchange; when real world suggestions were needed, and non- verbally; when words were simply not accessible. However, as word comprehension and creation becomes increasingly difficult, the individual enters a new stage of disease development. Short-term memory, orientation, and concentration are now severely impaired. Throughout this stage, remote memory, intellectual functioning, comprehension, and judgement decline steadily. Ability to care for one's self also declines, and sleep patterns are altered; this is a severe blow to the patient's independence and self-esteem. The patient then becomes suspicious and paranoid, even of those closest to them. Likelihood of involvement in accidents at home and abuse of medication increase. Behaviors may include night wandering, night shouting, and nocturnal micturition (night- time urination). Obviously, traditional family behaviors and interactive patterns realize drastic alteration. Family members begin to feel guilty for their impatience and intolerance of the patient, even though many of the demands of the patient are unrealistic and illogical. A major problem for those closest to the patient is readjusting expectations of the patient and themselves. Changes and problematic behavior become a source of stress during this phase, but overall limitation and conflict is reported to decrease, which may simply be the result of institutionalization of the victim. Use of drugs is found to be twice as high in care-givers as in community subjects, and care-givers often let their own health deteriorate. Particularly for the spouse's caregivers, social isolation becomes an issue of psychological well being. Lack of time, energy, and interest in social activities becomes prominent as the deterioration of the patient increases. In one study, spouses of patients exhibited higher levels of stress, in comparison to adult children caregivers; but husbands, in comparison to wives, report fewer burdens, and are more willing to admit the difficulty of the tasks at hand and seek out professional help. Adult male children are as likely as women are to assist their parents, but the men appeared to have the ability to distance themselves from the aging parent. This physical and emotional separation seemed to lower the amount of guilt felt by the men. Possibly because of these differing abilities to deal with the disease, there is often conflict between family members as to how to care for the victim. Two broad coping techniques of family members of Alzheimer victims are: (1) Distancing techniques and (2) Enmeshing techniques. Distancing techniques (as discussed earlier) involve establishing distance between the patient and caregiver both emotionally and physically. Enmeshing techniques involve the intensification of the relationship, and often the exclusion of others. This option is usually observed in cases where the spouse is the primary caregiver. Apparently, it is very difficult for spouses who use the Enmeshing technique to become involved in social support groups. Social support is a proven mediator and alleviator of family stress and patient dejection. Adult day care programs provide respite for family members, and allow the patient to interact with individuals with similar conditions. Generally, the patients see the support group as being most helpful in the areas of information sharing and peer support. This information and assistance may help determine the strength of the individual in last stages of the disease. This phase is the final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Mental deterioration is complete; many patients are completely unaware of, or unable to respond to their surroundings. The patients are totally dependent on others for all aspects of daily living. The patient will, most likely, not identify family and friends, and may not communicate at all. Paranoia, agitation, and combativeness increase significantly, if the patient is able to display these emotions at all. He/she eventually becomes extremely weak, incontinent, non-ambulatory and bedridden. It has been hypothesized that at least some of the premorbid changes in strength and weakness may be predicted from changes observed in the earlier stages. Descriptions by caregivers of premorbid personality traits of the victim are similar to symptoms of depression, hallucinations, and delusions. It is during this stage that most victims are admitted to an institution for professional care. Several behavioral problems such as aggression and wandering appear to increase as individuals are moved from the community to nursing homes. Acceptance of this disturbing disease comes very slowly to the family members. The disease's sly onset and the original appearance by the victim of retention of regular physical vigor make acceptance increasingly difficult. As the disease progresses further and further, the changes that occur for the victim become increasingly obvious and family members tend to define the situation more similarly than in previous, seemingly inconspicuous stages. The grieving process is lengthy, because the death of the person is long before the death of the physical body. Although the loved one is long gone, their shell lives on. At some point during this stage, the spouse must undergo the final challenge of marital evaluation. Because the patient does not recognize anyone, the spouse is totally alone, but not single. Obtaining a divorce often creates many difficult legal issues. Many caregivers need assistance coping with the guilt of â€Å"abandoning† their spouse when placing them in a nursing home. Thus, financial problems come into the picture. Paying for nursing home services is difficult, as all effort in previous years has been put into caring for the patient. Relatives of deceased victims can be compared to those whose family member is still living. Wives and husbands display similar feelings of burden, but the husbands report more social limitations. On the contrary, sons and daughters are different in their descriptions of burden. Sons report less social limitations than daughters do, and less affective limitation when the demented parents had died. The sons of the deceased elderly also report less conflict with others than the daughters do. The need for individual support for the caregiver and family of the deceased is important, especially at this stage of sorrow. There may also be a sense of relief and release, as the extensive suffering of a loved one has finally ended. The empty body, which once contained a loved one, can finally be put to rest. Help and support from the staff at institutions with dealing with the grief of the final loss of a loved one is valuable and most definitely appreciated. Alzheimer's Disease is a ceaseless debilitating disease without known cause or cure. Deterioration of mental and physical processes is inevitable, but varies between individuals- the cause for this variance has only been looked at hypothetically. It is a terrifying disease for the victim, who is constantly aware of the losses that are occurring, but can do nothing to prevent the disease from proceeding on its deadly course. Family members respond to the disease within certain guidelines, but the attitude towards the different stages differs for all involved. Social support systems have proven extremely effective for both the victim and caregiver in the Forgetful phase of the illness. From that point on, influence on patients decreases significantly, but personal gain for caregivers continues. There is an evident need for publicly funded support for Alzheimer's disease victims and their families. The obvious lack of information concerning the symptoms and results of the disease show the necessity for incorporation of education and support into intervention strategies for caregivers. Evaluation of a patient with possible dementia requires a complete medical history, neurologic evaluation, and physical examination. At the present time, no diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's are available in laboratories. It is simply a diagnosis based on elimination of other diseases. There is great need for a biological marker that would confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer's in a living patient. Rapid progress has been made in identifying a potential genetic marker that could be used to diagnose the disease without autopsy, biopsy, or extended evaluations. Potential disadvantages of this approach would be the reluctance of both patients and physicians to have lumbar punctures done, and the potential overlap of normal patients and Alzheimer sufferers. These potential markers are a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel. Metaphorically, Alzheimer's can be seen as a house that is constantly being eaten by termites, from the inside out. Although the house may look the same on the outside, the very foundation of the house, the part that makes it a home, deteriorates. Attempts to stop the decay are futile and, at best, temporary. Eventually, one will not feel comfortable at home, and will most likely leave the home- possibly for someone else to deal with. This relief is also temporary. The eating away of the house continues, until it eventually topples into an unrecognizable heap of what used to be a home. This feeling was best described by one individual in the middle stages of the disease: â€Å"†¦(J)ust a wild lost world. I'm here but I don't know where I am†.

Allegory of the Cave Essay

Written as a dialogue between Glaucon (Plato’s brother) and Socrates (his mentor), The Allegory of he Cave is a poem composed in approximately 1509. The source of this poem is from series on Plato called â€Å"The School of Athens† by Raphael. Socrates had a specialized teaching method (now referred to as the Socratic method) which was characterized by asking and answering questions in order to stimulate critical thinking (EH 72). The structure of this piece reflects this method because Socrates is using dialect and a series of questions to teach the lesson/metaphor. An allegory can be defined as a story, picture, or poem that, when interpreted, has a hidden meaning/lesson. This allegory has to do with a cave in which prisoners are being held captive. They are chained to the floor with their heads only facing one wall, therefore they are unable to see what is behind them. Though this is an allegory because the cave represents life and the puppeteers behind he prisoners making shadows represents reality. The hidden meaning of the allegory stems from the idea that the prisoners have a misinterpreted idea of reality. They only see the shadows and reflections that the puppeteers are making therefore they believe that is life. Once they turn around and it is revealed that those were puppeteers the whole time, they are extremely shocked. It shows us that our perception of reality and what we see around us is false. Our imperfect interpretations of reality may not always be what they seem, sometimes we are viewing what we want to view, seeing what our mind want’s us to see, rather that seeing the true reality. The theme explored in this allegory has connections tied back to the cultural themes of the Hellenic Age and ancient Classical Greek Philosophy. People viewed the enlightenment as a new coming of age in which new teachings were applied. This poem represents the teaching of morality in a time where philosophers were striving to teach of the world around them (EH 84). During the Hellenic period the ancient Greeks were undergoing great  cultural and political change. The love for art and literature rose as ancient Greeks were moving from oral to a literate culture form based on rational thought, which can be exemplified in the poem The Allegory of the Cave. During the Hellenic Age (EH 83), Greek cultural influence was high and the spreading of the arts, literature, philosophy, politics, and education was wide spreading throughout Europe. The Hellenic Age held a high value on learning. Athens held a numerous amount of libraries and philosophy during the time experienced many new and de veloped schools of thought (EH 76). This is viewed through the allegory because it is trying to teach the world a lesson through the use of philosophy. The primary form of art during this period was sculpture and the dominant form of literature was poetry, as again exemplified by the allegory. I personally found the allegory difficult to understand at first, thought after a couple of careful reads of the reading material I began to see the true meaning. I found the allegory to be very interesting and morally informative. I do agree with the ideas it expresses to the extent that it makes a person revisit how they perceive the world around them and the true meaning of reality. I do not believe it should go as far as to change your mindset to question whether you are viewing a true reality or just a mental paradox. Though overall I believe I learned a lot from his allegory and despite the difficulty, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Juvenile Justice Research Paper Essay

Abstract The juvenile Justice System has gone through many changes in America and are represented through six main periods that will be discussed in this paper. The periods are called the Puritan Era (1646–1824), the Refuge Period (1824-1899), the Juvenile Court Period (1899-1960), The Juvenile Rights Period (1960-1980), the Crime Control Period (1980-2005), and The Kids are Different Period (2005-present). Juvenile Justice has constantly changed depending on the beliefs, needs and wants of society during a certain era. There are reformers who have fought and continue to do so for the best interest of juveniles and society. They have played a major role and succeeded in many changes through the Juvenile Justice history. Youth crime has always been present in the United States dating back to the colonial period when American cities were first established in our country. The way youth crime has been handled has drastically changed over the years. Some people may feel the changes are for the better, and some may not agree with the changes. However, by taking a look at the history of the juvenile system clearly many reformers have fought for changes and laws to protect and rehabilitate juvenile offenders. Literature Review There are six main periods in the development of the United States Juvenile Justice system. The first development has early ties dating back to the 19th century. The earliest attempt to control juvenile behavior was during The Puritan Period from 1646 until 1824. The Massachusetts Stubborn Child Law was passed in 1646. The puritans during this time viewed children as evil and placed responsibility on the family to discipline and raise youths. If the parents were unsuccessful; the youth would, then be subject to the law. (Cole, Smith, DeJong page 472). During this time, children over the age of five were treated either as small adults or property. A seven-year-old child could be sentenced in criminal courts. In 1648 in Massachusetts a child who cursed his natural parents could be put to death (U.S. History). The second period is The Refuge Period from 1824 until 1899. Youth crime began to grow right alongside American cities. As a result, reformers began to develop correctional practi ces. The main focus was on urban immigrant poor, seeking to have parents declared unfit if their children roamed the streets and were out of control. Of course, not all poor immigrant children were involved in criminal acts but if the parents were viewed as not disciplining or training them to follow society’s rules, the children would end up in prison. Institutions were opened, which were half prison and half school house, and  they were occupied by orphans and children convicted of crimes. Many children were placed in these homes because of neglect or being homeless and stayed until they were adults. The houses were run by a strict program of work, study and discipline. Reform schools were also opened to provide discipline and education in a home like atmosphere. Even with the reform schools children could still be arrested. The process for arrests, trial, and imprisonments were the same for children and adults during this period. (Cole, Smith, DeJong page 472). The third period is The Juvenile Court Period from 1899 until 1960. Juvenile criminality became a focus and reformers pushed for individualized care and treatment to offenders of all kinds to include adult criminals, the mentally ill, and juvenile delinquents. They pushed for the use of probation, treatment, indeterminate sentences, and parole for adults and succeeded in similar programs for juveniles. The upper-middle class reformers were called child savers, and they fought to use the power of state to save children from a life of crime. They fought for a separate juvenile court system that could address problems by using flexible procedures. An act was passed in 1899 for children under 16, which had four main parts, they are a separate court. for juveniles, fewer adversarial procedures than the adult system, separation of children from adults in the system, and programs to assist the courts in deciding what is in the best interest of the child and the state. The philosophy came from the idea that the state would deal with a child much like a good parent would and procedures would be informal and private. Social workers and psychologists were used in the system instead of lawyers because social workers and psychologists could determine the underlying behavior problem. (Cole, Smith, DeJong page 472 – 473). According to (lawyershop) in the article The History of America’s Juvenile Justice System the Progressive Era in the United States was from 1900 until 1918 and was a time of social reform. It follows a period of discontent where American’s experienced struggles such as the women’s suffrage movement, and the fight against child labor. In 1899, the State of Illinois established the first juvenile court and within 30 years, all the states had established juvenile courts. The main difference between juvenile and adult court was that juvenile  courts were civil in nature and adult courts were criminal. (Maryland. gov). Next came the Juvenile Rights Period from 1960 until 1980. In the early 1960s lawyers and scholars began to criticize the extent of discretion given to juvenile justice officials, and the U.S. Supreme court expanded the rights of juveniles. A judge can now waive jurisdiction and pass a case to adult court. Children in a delinquency hearing were given certain procedural rights such as notice of the charges, right to counsel, right to confront and cross-examine witnesses, and protection against self- incrimination. Also, another change is the onset of status offenses, which are acts that are not illegal if committed by an adult such as skipping school or running away. (Cole, Smith, DeJong pages 473 – 475). According to (Maryland.gov): Until the late 1960s, youth in the juvenile court system did not have constitutional legal rights. That changed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1967 decision in In re Gault. In that case, the Supreme Court concluded that even though juvenile courts were civil proceedings, juveniles subject to these proceedings still faced a potential loss of liberty. For that reason, the Supreme Court required that all youth offenders involved in juvenile court proceedings and facing possible confinement have the following constitutional rights: The right to receive notice of charges The right to obtain legal counsel The right to confrontation and cross-examination The privilege against self-incrimination The right to receive a transcript of the proceedings, and The right to have an appellate court’s review the lower court’s decision. As a result of Juvenile crime, rising in the 1970’s the Crime Control Period of 1980-2005 came to surface. The public demand to crack down on crime began in 1980. The juvenile system changed in regard to greater attention being placed on repeat offenders with policy makers calling for harsher punishment on juveniles who commit crimes and juveniles could now be held in preventative detention prior to trial if considered a risk to society. Crime control policies resulted in a lot more juveniles being  tried in adult courts and seemed to go beyond the juveniles who were accused of violent crimes. (Cole, Smith, DeJong page 475). Some laws were passed that required law enforcement and the courts to automatically charge youth as adults if they were alleged to have committed violent crimes with weapons. (Maryland.gov) We are currently in the Kids Are Different Period, which began in 2005 and is still going on. This is a new era in juvenile justice brought on by the new ruling that executions are unconstitutional for crimes committed by anyone younger than 18 years. The ruling was made because juveniles are less deserving of blame than adults due to factors such as physical and emotional development that comes from emotional development that comes from growth and maturity of the brain. Maturity occurs at age 16, but controls over impulsiveness are not fully developed until age 24 or 26. Because of this recognition, new programs and laws are designed to treat juveniles differently than adults. Emotional and intellectual development plays a role in how children understand or fail to understand their rights. The process for judicial waiver to move juveniles to adult court is not used as much during this period. Lawyers are now normally present at stages in the process to include court hearings. Offenders rarely up in punitive environments such as training schools and the juvenile justice system is similar to the adult system but not as formal with the intention to keep juveniles in the community when possible. According to (U.S. History): In 2012, the Supreme Court continued its trend of holding that children cannot be automatically punished the same way as adult criminals without considering their age and other factors, by further ruling that juveniles under the age of 18 who commit murder may not receive mandatory life sentences with any chance for parole. Each case must be decided on its own merits, and the sentence imposed must take into account the child’s age and other factors. The ruling allows judges and juries to consider a juvenile’s age when they hand down sentences for some of the harshest crimes, instead of making life in prison without parole an automatic sentence. The ruling left open from the possibility that judges can sentence juveniles to life without parole in individual cases of murder, but said state and federal laws cannot automatically impose such a sentence. The court recognized  that children need additional attention and protection in the consideration of the unique status of children and their potential for change. Conclusion The Juvenile Justice System has gone through many changed since youth crime first started in America. It continues to change as reformers fight for juvenile rights and fight to keep rehabilitation programs. At the end of the day, the Juvenile System is here to protect the offender as well as the society as a whole. Juveniles are young enough to change and the rehabilitation programs are worth it, especially when some juveniles change and become a productive member of society. References DeJong, C., Cole, G. F., & Smith, C. E. (2013). Chapter 15. In Criminal Justice in America. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. History of America’s Juvenile Justice System. (n.d.). LawyerShop Site. Retrieved December 06, 2014, from http://www.lawyershop.com/practice-areas/criminal-law/juvenile-law/history History of Juvenile Justice in the United States. (n.d.). Maryland.gov Department of Juvenile Systems Retrieved December 05, 2014, from http://www.djs.state.md.us/history-us.asp U.S. History. (n.d.). State of Louisiana/Youth Services/Office of Juvenile Justice. Retrieved December 06, 2014: http://www.ojj.la.gov/index.php?page=sub&id=230

Biggest Advantage of Using Outsourcing for Data Analytics Project Assignment - 6

Biggest Advantage of Using Outsourcing for Data Analytics Project - Assignment Example The researcher states that the biggest risk around outsourcing resources for a business analytics projects is the loss of control that is associated with outsourcing data analytics projects. When an organization outsources a high stakes data analytics projects to a third party entity, there exists doubt on whether the project will be properly executed with regard to quality standards and if it will be delivered on time. This also includes security concerns; will the organization’s data be safe in the hands of third party firms? Can the analytics firm be trusted with confidential data? The researcher’s first consideration would be on the eligibility of the analytics project for outsourcing, with careful regard of the current circumstances, requirements, expectations, cost and nature of the project. Some projects may not be worth outsourcing if they can be properly executed internally, these can be done by the organization’s employees. Others may have lower returns than the value of investment if outsourced; these can also be developed internally. Lastly, the nature of the project and its requirements may necessitate the use of skills and services that can only be obtained in an outsourced environment.

Essay question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Question - Essay Example This enables them to hold objects firmly in their hands as to avoiding slipping. Most mammals have double mammary glands in their body systems, while the primates on the other hand have two mammary glands in their body system making them unique mammals in the universe. Mammals like human beings have little hairs on their skins, as opposed to primates like chimpanzees that have many hairs that cover most parts of their bodies. This enables them to feel warmth during cold weather since they spend most of their time in the wild. The primates like the chimpanzees have the capability to walk upright like human beings especially when they need to see objects that are very far away (Pika 13). Unlike other mammals, the primates like chimpanzees are able to communicate with sound and gestures with other members of their family. Primates enjoy surviving in social groups with other members of their family as they groom each other. The survival groups are also meant to build structures for self- defense in times of disasters. Most mammals are classified into only one species, but some primates like chimpanzees are categorized into two species. Locomotion In Humans and Chimpanzees Both human and animals are able to walk upright as the move from one place to another with a lot of ease. The chimpanzees are also able to move with their four limps and they limit their upright movement only in circumstances where they need to see further ahead. Human beings walk upright and cannot walk easily with four limps due to their upright body structures. Human beings have a bowl shaped pelvis that support their internal body organs and enables them to move uprights with a lot of comfort. The chimpanzees on the other hand mostly lean forward during their movements and thus do not need to support their organs with their pelvis and so they posses broader hips. Since chimpanzees have broader structural hips, they can move by both hands and legs and the process of childbirth is easy as compare d to that of human beings (Pika 14). The bowl shaped pelvis in the humans makes it hard for them to move in fours and complicated the process of childbearing since its in opposition to the birth canal. Human feet are straight with toes at the front, chimpanzees on the other hand have slightly curved feet with strong opposable thumbs to facilitate grasping (Mulcahy). The structural feet of human beings enable them to push directly ahead while walking while the chimpanzee feet are mainly meant for crawling and diagonal rotating movements. Dentition comparison with Apes Human beings and chimpanzees have the same dental structure that is composed of 32 teeth and permanent heterodyne dentition in the lifetime. They humans and chimpanzee are also similar in their dental structure in that their young ones have the milk teeth before they develop the permanent teeth. The main difference between the humans and the chimpanzees is that the former have relatively smaller canines than the latter due to the nature of their eating habits. Chimpanzees eat less meat as compared to human but the meat they eat is mostly hard hence it needs bigger canines to tear it (Mulcahy). The bigger chimpanzees’ teeth are also used for self defense since it scare away the potential its potential threats. The canines of chimpanzees are projected outwards while that of humans does not stick out.

Psychology of Personality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychology of Personality - Research Paper Example This paper compares and contrasts the theories of two psychologists who have developed theories in the subject area. Finally this paper discusses the major differences between Intrapsychic and Interpsychic processes followed by empirical applications. Albert Ellis and Carl Rogers both agreed on utilizing the psychoanalytical approach to diagnosing and describing individual personalities and emotional intelligence. The primary difference between the two is the method through which they deployed the psychoanalytical process to solve any diagnosed problems (Curtis, 2003). Specifically, Ellis believed that rational analysis and cognitive reconstruction allowed individuals to understand their self destructive attitudes by bringing their irrational beliefs to conscious evaluation. On the other hand, Rogers was more focused on the development of the concept of the self. He observed that conditional and unconditional positive regard for the self is key to productive lifestyles that solve per sonality disorders (Curtis, 2003). These conditions of worth affect the individuals’ capacity to achieve self actualization. ... The purpose of the approach is to help clients overcome self-defeating beliefs and behaviors by demonstrating how irrational, destructive, and unhealthy they are. The fundamental principle of the theory is the fact that a person is rarely affected (emotionally) by external factors. Instead, individuals are impacted by their perceptions, attitudes, and internal monologues about the external activity (Curtis, 2003). Rational Therapy provides 3 overarching Insights (Ellis, 2003). The first is that there are activating events that precede emotional disturbances. But the activating events are evaluated within a perspective that is dysfunctional or based on irrational beliefs. The second is that the timeline that individuals acquire self defeating beliefs does not affect the individuals’ propensity to change it. Activating events can occur in a series and reaffirm the irrational beliefs (Ellis, 2003). The final insight is that patients will feel better when the feel as if they know how they became disturbed. But the acceptance of insights 1 and 2 is the internal link to the patient getting better (Ellis, 2003). Carl Rogers’ theory of the self is categorized as both a humanistic and phenomenological approach. Rogers’ articulation of his theory is both extensive and nuanced. In his attempts to empirically evaluate psychotherapy, he conducted a scientific approach out of a need to be compatible with the status quo at all times (Rogers, 1959). Rogers focuses on the development of the personality where he discusses the realization of principles instead of reaching stages. Specifically he focuses on the development of a self concept and the

Marc Chagalls Blue House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marc Chagalls Blue House - Essay Example The essay "Marc Chagall’s Blue House" explores Marc Chagall’s "Blue House". One of the modernists describes the process of painting as an attempt â€Å"to make visible that there is something which can be conceived and which can neither be seen nor made visible†. This â€Å"something that can be conceived but not seen nor made visible† is often referred to as the sublime, a quality of transcendent greatness â€Å"with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation†. The presence of this sublime element, then, inspires the imagination in a specific direction based on which elements remain visible or understandable. Its significance is in the way in which it brings attention to the uncertainty of meaning inherent in the work, such that no resolution makes itself apparent. To understand how this untouchable element can be communicated through visual art, Marc Chagall’s oil painting â€Å"Blue House†, currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Liege, Belgium, will be analyzed as an example. This â€Å"something that can be conceived but not seen nor made visible† is often referred to as the sublime, a quality of transcendent greatness â€Å"with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation†. The presence of this sublime element, then, inspires the imagination in a specific direction based on which elements remain visible or understandable. It brings attention to the uncertainty.... e is also in a state of dilapidation that would make it completely unsuitable to live in as the roof does not seem structurally sound with large gaping holes in places, the boards are falling off the doorframes and windows and the very walls themselves seem be about to come disconnected. Despite its apparent abandonment, a small path remains leading down into the valley which is divided nearly down the middle by a small, concrete-grey river. This river marks the division point in the content of the painting as it helps to distinguish between the two sides of the valley floor. On the side nearest the house, the valley seems to be relatively desolate, with large dry areas and wild, new, light green grassy areas. On the other side of the river, though, there are dark green cultivated fields standing before a great city standing on the hill at the other side of the valley. The city is full of large white and red-tinged buildings, some of them long and blocky and others tall with spires. Some have red roofs and others have blue roofs, but all seem crammed together and, as a group, they block out the horizon. This city appears to have a wall around its base, separating it from the fields before it and protecting it from the unassuming opposition. All of this is depicted under a grey and somewhat threatening sky, which contributes to the dead grey of the river and gives an impression that there is smoke emerging from the top of the blue house's back chimney. With its emphasis on the long view, the painting immediately seems to be a landscape. This is mostly thanks to the concentration of the house and faraway city and view of the valley between (His, 1936: 30). There is a sense of overpowering nature involved in that the city must be protected even from its own

The Social Impact of Automobile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Social Impact of Automobile - Essay Example We are popular with possession of the right product, and, at the same time, own our individuality. The car has moved far from being just a tool of convenience or necessity, it has come to life within our minds and our culture. The intricate psychological reasoning for these insecurities is as varied as the individuals themselves. â€Å"Every adult life could be said to be defined by two great love stories. The first – the story of our quest for sexual love – is well known and well-charted. The second – the story of our quest for love from the world – is a more secret and shameful tale. And yet this second love story is no less intense than the first.† (de Botton, 2004). De Botton’s research for possible cures to â€Å"status anxiety† leads to the idea that the admission of ones mortality puts into perspective elements of status, such as careers, possessions, appearance and fame. (Jutkins, 2006). Life experiences that frustrate the fulfillment of people’s basic needs such as independence, competence and interrelationships result in feelings that lead to differing levels of materialistic pursuits. This tendency is especially heightened under the curren t atmosphere of cultural consumerism. To deal with cultural pressures and their effects, people may resort to what psychologist term as compensatory consumption. That is, consuming even more to feel better. â€Å"This is ironic because this additional consumption often stems from the culture of consumerism itself.† (Kasser, Kanner, 2004, p. 16). The market has positioned the most physical of products such as cars, in ways that provide a kind of healing to consumers. Consumers have been drawn into a self-willed daze by an assault of feel-better-about-yourself advertising. The purchase of what we perceive others believe as beautiful possessions enable us to feel significant and worthwhile, at least for a short time. (Davis, 2002). People buy for recognition from family, friends and

Roles of Mycorrhizae Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Roles of Mycorrhizae - Research Paper Example The roots provide the microorganisms a stable access to nutrition. In return, the roots benefit from the high water and mineral absorptive capacity of mycelia resulting from its relatively small size and subsequent better ability to penetrate soil. As a result, mycorrhizal plants are more resistant to lack of water. They are more capable of colonizing barren land or unfamiliar territory than plants without mycorrhizae do. In addition, mycorrhizal fungi process demineralized phosphates such that the minerals will be available for plant use. However, as is the case in all biological interactions, not all mycorrhizae are mutualistic. In cases in which nutrients are abundant in the plant’s environment, association with microorganisms, as is what happens during mycorrhizal formation, may be more parasitic than beneficial (Bucher, 2007). However, current agricultural practices prevent the formation of these mycorrhizae. The pesticides being used have a non-discriminating adverse eff ect on the microorganisms living in the plants’ ecosystem. ... Its functions, particularly in providing nutrients and protecting the plants against salt stress and drought, are then enumerated. Its relationships with various members of its ecosystem are then discussed. Finally, the importance of these knowledge in terms of what aspects should be focused on will be suggested. DEVELOPMENT Endomycorrhizae development Figure 1 illustrates the development of endomycorrhizae. The fungal species associated with endomycorrhizae reproduce asexually. They undergo an asymbiotic phase in which spores germinate and hyphal growth are limited without the nutrients supplied by the host plant. Soon after, hyphal growth begins. This presymbiotic phase is induced by the presence of plant root exudates, which fungal hyphae penetrate to (Bucher, 2007). At the root surface, the fungal hypha develops a set of penetrating cells and is now called a hyphopodium. This now enters the root epidermis, continuing to grow into the outer, and then the inner root cortex. It then spreads intercellular along the longitudinal axis of the root. This structure of the fungus is the one called an arbuscule (Gutjahr et al., 2008). The peak of fungal development is characterized by the development of an extraradical mycelium that is able to produce and exude spores for colonization of other plants (Bucher, 2007; Frey-Klett et al., 2007). However, the development of arbuscular mycorrhizae is not synchronous, in that various colonization stages are present in one plant (Gutjahr et al., 2008). Figure 1, previous page. Development of Endomycorrhizal Development. From Bucher, Marcel, 2007. Tansley review: Functional biology of plant phosphate uptake at root and mycorrhiza

Addiction and Native Americans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Addiction and Native Americans - Research Paper Example Reports by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2001 to 2005 indicate that 11.7% of Native American and Alaska Natives are alcohol-related; in the general population, only about 3.3% is credited to alcohol deaths (Associated Press, 2008). Deaths among Native Americans were mostly due to traffic accidents, alcoholic liver disease, homicide, suicide, injuries, and falls. Alcohol-abuse is also a risk factor in some of the common illnesses found among Native Americans and Alaska Natives like tuberculosis, pneumonia, and colon cancer (Associated Press, 2008). A great percentage (66%) of alcohol-abusers among the native population was below 50 years of age. Drug use and abuse is also increasing in the Native American population with methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine use rapidly increasing in the past several years. The Public Broadcasting Service (as cited by Tarzana Treatment Centers, 2009) revealed that Native Americans are five times more likely (as compared to whites) to die from alcohol-related causes with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis being among the top six leading causes of death among Native Americans. These diseases do not even belong to the top 10 causes of deaths among the whites (Tarzana Treatment Centers, 2009). This study released by the Associated Press points out the importance of culturally appropriate interventions for alcoholism and alcohol-related health problems among the Native American population. These statistical figures paint a grim picture on alcohol and drug use and abuse and the related problems that come with such abuse. They also present challenges for the health care professionals and government officials in addressing this problem. Alcohol and drug abuse among the Native Americans has to be understood and studied in their historical context. Their history has been riddled with violence, poverty, discrimination, and abuse from the dominant White population in America. As a result,

What are the Marketing-Related Problems of Apple Essay

What are the Marketing-Related Problems of Apple - Essay Example Marketing is an important tool because it helps in boosting up the sales of the brand. It also helps to create the brand image in the minds of the consumers. In case of Apple marketing holds a very great importance because it has not only helped in creating the strong brand image of Apple but has contributed immensely to bridge the gap between the customers and the products offered by Apple. Apple has strong marketing practices but it is true that there are some problems associated as well. The first problem is related to the high innovation rate at Apple. Customers expect innovative products from Apple. But the problem that lies in is that the ads made by Apple usually do not provide the relevant information about the new innovations that have taken place. The ads project the product but do not project its essence and history or information. Customers know that the company is providing with fancy and expensive products and are lost in the charm of owning such products. Most of the c ustomers are least concerned about what the product is all about. But there are customers who want to know each and every detail of the product. So this poses a challenge for Apple to come up with a marketing strategy which could satisfy both type of the consumers. It causes a problem because Apple cannot afford to lose any one segment just because of the risky marketing. Another marketing-related problem faced by Apple is again regarding the new products. Customers expect that every marketing campaign will focus on a new product because rate of innovation at Apple is high. For Apple it is very difficult to keep up with the customers’ expectation and come up with innovative products and marketing campaigns at the same time. Failing to do so can tarnish the image of the brand. The third marketing related problem faced by Apple is its undefined target market. As mentioned before, Apple first innovates and then focuses on the target market for its products. In order to so it use s its marketing practices. An inefficient marketing campaign results in a failure and creates a huge problem for the company. Marketing is not a cheap game. It requires lot of resources. Its ads need to target the desired market segment. Marketing practices at Apple are not just related to ads and online advertising. It also includes opening up of retail stores in different parts of the world. Managing this practice is in itself a problem. Apple is critical of its marketing practice because it is afraid that what if the marketed product does not meet the customers’ expectations. This means that the marketing showed a totally different side of the product but in actual the product was different. Apple’s marketing practices creates hype for its products and at times it causes a problem for the company. An example that can be quoted here is of the iPhone. When it was launched, it was heavily promoted, resulting in long customer lines and a spot shortage. iPhone was initia lly very expensive but after the first 8 weeks of its launch, the company decreased the price of iPhone by $200. Loyal customers of Apple were caught short and this damaged the customer loyalty. In order to regain its customers Apple had to apologize publically (HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 2007) The last and the most important marketing related problem faced by Apple is that of comparative advertising. Apple operates in a highly competitive industry. Since the very beginning Microsoft has been the largest competitor

The French support Essay Example for Free

The French support Essay The French support of the colonials during the American Revolution was essential to their ultimate success in defeating the British troops and securing their future as an independent nation. The cause of the American patriots was not seeing much success against the British for a good long while after the start of the war. This was caused, mainly, but the lack of trained troops, which the British had abundantly, and the British naval fleets and arms. On the other hand, the colonists had to recruit minutemen and establish militias in hopes of being able to defeat the British. One of the only hopes of the colonists was to seek support from the French government and military, who could then back them financially, and in terms of supplies and men, thus securing them a victory. The bad blood between the French and the English went back a long time. These two powerful countries were always in conflict and even from the beginning of the rush to claim land in the New World, they were in competition, each claiming parts of the lands that would now be Canada and the United States of America. When the French saw an opportunity to get back at the British and help defeat them, thus effectively kicking them out of the New World, they took it. They especially did so because they were impressed with Benjamin Franklin, who spent a great deal of time in Paris trying to drum up support for the colonists and their cause. The French saw the benefit of finally defeating their greatest enemy, and eliminating them from any future developments in America. The war would not have been won by the colonists if it were not for the French. The French provided financial backing, arms, supplies, and troops to help their efforts, and the French were essential to the victory of the Continental Army at Yorktown. Without France, the outcome of the Revolutionary War would have been very different, changing the course of history forever.

Significance Of Recruitment And Selection Business Essay

Significance Of Recruitment And Selection Business Essay Recruitment and selection process in an organization is important in order to attract an effective workforce. This is important because it would determine the business success and would affect the whole organization operation. One of the most valuable assets in an organization is the employees. Recruitment is defined as the process of attracting individuals on a timely basis, in sufficient numbers, and with appropriate qualifications, and encouraging them to apply for jobs with an organization (Mondy Noe, 2008). There are two main stages of recruitment. Firstly, strategic planning is needed to define the objectives and goals of the organization. Next, human resource planning is needed to identify the whether there are surplus or shortage of workers or just enough workers to achieve the organizational goals. The objective of recruitment is to attain the number and quality of employees that can be chosen to help the organisation achieve its objectives and goals. It also helps to create a pool of potential employees for the organisation in order for the management to select the right applicant for the right job. Selection is the process of choosing from a group of applicants the individual best suited for a particular position and organization (Mondy Noe, 2008). The vital goal of selection is to hire the candidate who is most suitable for the job duties and the culture of the organization. Using the right selection methods and delivering them effectively is important. Human resource managers can determine effective selection tools with the job when job analysis is carefully done.( Neil Kokemuller) Proper selection of candidates can reduce the cost of training because qualified candidate can perform well and achieve organizational goals. Selection can also reduce employee problems in the organization such as labour turnover and absenteeism. 2. Content Since recruitment and selection cost are significant, there are some alternatives to solve shortage of employees. The alternatives to recruitment are outsourcing, contingent workers, professional employer organization and overtime. Outsourcing is when the organization uses an external company to perform task and function of the organisation. Contingent workers are also known as temporary workers, part-time workers and just-in-time workers. When there is not enough full-time employees to complete some task, using contingent workers is a good choice. Professional employer organisation is companies that lease out their employees to organisations for a certain period. Overtime is when employees work for extra hours to deal with a large workload that is temporary. This way organisations save money on recruiting, selecting and training new employees. 2.1 Recruiting methods Recruitment source is the place where qualified individuals are found (Mondy Noe, 2008). Recruitment method is defined as the ways in which potential employees are attracted to an organisation (Kleynhans, 2006). Internal recruiting methods are employee database, employee referrals, job posting and job bidding. Employee database is able to show the organisation whether current employees have the required qualifications for filling the vacancies. Furthermore, an employee referral is when employees mention someone who is capable and suitable for the job opening to the recruiter. Job posting is a procedure of letting employees know there is a job vacancy whereas job bidding is a procedure that employees who believe that they possess the required qualifications to apply for the vacant position. There are several external recruiting methods. The methods commonly used are media advertising, job fairs, internships and employee agencies. Media advertising is a popular method. The organisation can put up its employment needs through various advertising means such as newspaper, internet, radio and television. Other than that, job fair is a recruiting method used by employers to attract large number of applicants to one location for interviews. Internship is where students are hired by an employer for a period of time into professional or technical position that relates to their area of study and prepare them for the workforce (Internship Definition, 2008). Employee agencies are organisation that aids to recruit employees and also help individuals to find for jobs. 2.2 Selection process The first step of selection process is preliminary interview. This step is to eliminate obviously unqualified candidates. The HR manager can conduct this step via telephone, video or virtual job interview. Telephone interview is commonly used as it saves time. The next step in selection process is review of applications and r à ©sumà ©. Evaluation of the applications of employment is done by the employer to determine whether the applicant is suitable for the position. Subsequently, the organization will administer some test such as work sample, job knowledge, psychomotor abilities test, vocational interest, and personality. Work sample test is used to test the ability of an individual to perform task that represent the job itself. Job knowledge test are used to test the applicants knowledge on duties of the job applied. Psychomotor abilities test assess the strength, coordination and agility of the applicant. Vocational interest test are used to test ones satisfaction or interest on the occupation. Personality test measures trait, temperaments and characters of the applicants. Employment interview is the oral examination of candidates for employment. The employer will exchange conversation with the applicants to evaluate them. There are two types of interview; structured and unstructured. Structured interview ask about questions related to the job whereas unstructured interview ask open-ended question. There are also four methods of interviewing which are one-on-one, group, broad and multiple interviews. Following the employment interview, investigation of the applicants background and reference are done to determine the truth of information stated. Previous employment, education verification, criminal history and personal reference check are some elements to verify. Next, selection decision is conducted. This is the most crucial step in the process. Candidate with the best qualification would be recruited by the organization. Lastly, medical examination is administered to see whether the candidate is physically capable to execute the job functions. If the applicants pass the whole process successfully, they will be notified to commence work as soon as possible. 2.3 Significance of Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selection process is important for an organization to achieve its goals. When the right people are selected, the employee will produce productive results and stay with the organisation longer hence having a low employee turnover. If selection is not carefully done, the employee may make mistake which leads to a financial loss. It also wastes the time of human resource managers to go through the recruitment and selection process again. 3. Case development 3.1 Company description The company that we have chosen for our assignment is Public Bank Bhd. This company was start up in August 1966 by its Founder and Chairman, Tan Sri Dato Sri Dr. Teh Hong Piow. Public Bank is a top-tier bank in Malaysia. Public Bank Berhad is engaged in investment holding, stock-broking, provision of related financial services, management of unit trust funds and sale of trust units, underwriting of insurance. Furthermore, Public Bank also emphasises on a wide range of banking services such as commercial banking, investment banking, financing Islamic banking business and card businesses. In the market of banking services, Public Bank is the market leader in consumers banking and retail commercial lending to SMEs in Malaysia. Besides, Public Bank has about 250 branches throughout Malaysia .The company employs 90% in Malaysia which mean more than 14,000 people are employed by the company and the services that provides in each of the branches include deposit accounts, insurance plans, loans, insurance plan and as well as credit cards. In addition, it has more than 100 overseas branches in countries including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The Public Bank Group has demonstrated powerful capacity of transporting exceptionally high rates of organic growth in its core businesses. In other hand, this company perform six segments. Retail operations which concerning on transferring the products and services to all small and medium-size businesses. Second, hire purchase operations, the provision of passenger vehicle financing to all levels of customers are being concerned by hire purchase operations. Furthermore, corporate lending operations provide the financing needs of corporate customers. In addition, trading treasury related products and services is engaged in the treasury and capital market operations. Investment banking operations which provide the business needs of business customers. Last but not least, fund management operations which consist of sale of trust units and the management of unit trust funds. Besides, Public Bank`s banking and management excellence has continued to be accorded prestigious domestic and international recognition. Furthermore, its excellence performance has received several awards granted by highly reliable institution and magazines. These awards included the Best Domestic Commercial Bank in Malaysia by Asiamoney and The Asset, Best Local bank in Malaysia by FinanceAsia and Euromoney, Best Bank in Malaysia by Global Finance and the Most outstanding Annual Report Award. In other hand, Between the 40 mainly well regarded Malaysian companies, Public Bank was ranked at 2 in year 2003. The bank also won the KLSE Corporate Excellence Award for the fourth consecutive year and the inaugural Malaysian Business Corporate Governance Award in year 2003, becoming the standard bearer of good corporate governance practices in Malaysia. Human capital is the most valuable assets for Public Bank Group. The Public Bank Group is committed in generating its human capital and determine the need for a powerful performance reward system to encourage their employees to perform better by rewarding their employees. Previously, Public Bank Group still stands out as one of the strongest and successful financial services group during the global recessionary economic conditions. Besides, Public Bank Group reward the staff with higher bonus as a result of their excellent performance. The compensation make up of a basic salary of RM 2,800 per month for entry level, other benefits and caring environment for the right applicants. With increasing online purchasing, Public Bank is now providing internet banking services, PBeBank.com .The security of the internet banking was improved with an alert mechanism that is well-qualified to identifying and diminishing doubtful account activities and preventing unauthorised access. Besides, this internet banking system allows customers to make payment for regular bills. In branches, every customer service delivery is improved with special care counters for senior citizens, expectant mothers and the disabled. Moreover, in each of the branches it provide convenient one-stop assistance for customer enquiries on loans. 3.2 Company recruitment practices and implementation There are two recruitment methods; internal and external. Public Bank uses both methods but mainly on external. Internal recruitment method Promotion from within The internal recruitment source that used by Public Bank is promotion from within. In general it is a procedure that the manager has stated a promise to consider promoting current employees for an opportunity before employing applicants from outside the organization. One of the employees, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Utama Thong Yaw Hong who was the Director in June 1986 and made Chairman in October 1986, now serves as Independent Non-Executive Co-Chairman of the Board at Public Bank Bhd (Reuters). External recruitment method Online Recruiting Method Public Bank is using external recruitment sources to find qualified individuals. One of the external recruitment source that usually used by Public Bank is online recruiting. Public Bank post their job vacancy on their company website and job search engine such as jobstreet.com. Media Advertising Besides, external recruitment method that used by Public Bank to attract potential employees is media advertising. The most common media advertising that used by Public Bank to convey their employment needs is through newspaper namely in The Star Jobs section. Job fair Moreover, Public Bank also used Job fair as one of the external recruitment method. Job fair is a exposition or fair that organized by an organization for the purpose of matching job seekers and people who seek for a job. One of the job fair that Public Bank has involved is the MCTF 12( Malaysia Career and Training Fair 2012). Before the Job fair Public Bank may posted their vacancy job detail on their website. The detail included minimum qualification, previous employment, communication skill and so on. Public Bank usually will transfer their employees from one department to another department. And this could bring the benefit of providing a excellent candidates for Public Bank to fill a vacancy. 3.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Recruiting Methods Promotion from within . Because the current employees had gone through the training that provide by company and it take the current employee much less time to become efficiency and effective to the new job because current employee is already familiar with their job, so the current employees is someone who is capable for the empty job in the company. Besides, it is economical. By using the internal recruitment source, Public Bank has eliminated the cost of advertising, interviewing, training and development since the current employee has familiar with their works. In other hand, current employees have worked for the company for a period of time. So they are able to fit in with the company culture. It is very important because it could help to achieve organization efficiency. For example, employees who can work well with their colleague improve the efficiency in productivity of the organization because a person work in a warm and good culture environment could improve the productivity of the organization. Besides, this internal recruitment practices could motivate the employees. It encourages the employees to work hard and get promoted. One of the disadvantages of promotion from within is limited choice for the company. The selection of applicants is forced to be done from a limited pool. Due to this, the quality of applicant may need to be sacrificed and resolved in applicants that have less qualification. Other than that, candidates from within do not have a new ideas. Employees from within could not bring in outside talents and skills to maintain new ideas and plans to come in. And this will not make the company grow and improve. Moreover, promotion also can be resulted in inefficiency as it only focus on the services length rather than value, and it may be a good thing for inefficient candidates as they will not need to work hard in order to prove that they are worth to stay in the organisation. Online Recruiting The advantage of e-recruiting is that it saves cost on promoting company vacancy because it is free for Public Bank since it is placed on their website. Secondly, it is also easy to place an online advertisement. HR Managers dont need an in-depth knowledge on IT since most job sites and CV database are user-friendly. By using the external recruitment source of online recruiting, it is also time-consuming because it will generate many unqualified candidates. The human resource managers will waste time trying to filter and sift out all of the unqualified candidates. When they are choosing candidates, they will become confused because there are too many candidates. Media advertising The reason that Public Bank using this method is newspaper advertising can appeal to a wider audience. Those audiences have different backgrounds, specialized knowledge and experience. Public Bank can refer to their viewpoint and try to apply in their business. It can also help to fill the vacancies fast. However, there are many disadvantages for advertising too. Advertising will waste a lot of money. It will not be cost-effective. It is also time-consuming because it will generate many unqualified candidates. The human resource managers will waste time trying to filter and sift out all of the candidates. When they are choosing candidates, they will become confused because there are too many candidates. Career Fair Through this career fair Public Bank had the chance to meet up large number of applicant in a short time. Besides, this fair allow the employers to meet their potential employee face to face, exchange information and impress them. However there are some cons on job fair too. One of the cons is during the job fair the environment may be very noisy and overcrowded. This could affect the recruiting process. Besides, it is time consuming, the employers may meet a lot of unqualified employees and it may take some time to filter the unqualified employees. 3.4 Selection Process After the recruitment process, Public Bank will undergo selection process. Selection means choosing the best individual best suited the particular position in Public Bank from a group of qualified applicants. Public Bank want to make sure that the applicants is properly matched with jobs and organization by selection process. The selection process in Public Bank is done step by step after Public bank recruited qualified people throughout the selection methods. The first process is preliminary interview. The main objective Public bank do this process is to eliminate the obviously unqualified individuals. Public bank will phone the candidates recruited to have a telephone conversation. In the conversation, the applicants will be eliminate once they are found not fulfill the qualification. Second process is review application and resumes. Qualified applicants will send their resume according to the jobs they apply. Summary of experience, education, training development must include in the resume for the process of selection. Public Bank will check for the validity and reliability of the resume in different ways such as make a phone call to the university he or she graduated, make a phone call to his or her last company to check for his or her experience and personality. The third process is having a selection test. In Public Bank, they basically will have cognitive test, job knowledge test and work sample test. Public Bank will give the applicants an IQ test form to fill up, to make sure the ability of applicants and how well he or she can perform a job. After that, Public Bank will give them job knowledge tests to measure how deep their knowledge about the position. After that, Public Bank will create a situation and require applicant to solve it based on their experience. This is the best way to test the ability of the applicant, to find out how applicants deal with the uncertainty and solve the problem with best solution. Fourth process is employment interview. Public Bank will ask the applicants come to branch to have a face-to-face interview. Basically, the interviewer will ask about occupational experience, academic achievement, interpersonal skills and how well applicants try to fit into the organization. Public Bank will uses both structured and unstructured interview. First ask applicants to introduce themselves, lists out their strength and weaknesses. After that, the interviewer will ask about the job related question. Public bank usually uses one-on-one interview method. Fifth process is pre-employment screening. Public Bank wants to determine the accuracy of information submitted by applicants. Public bank will checks applicants previous employment, education, criminal history, compensation history and credit history. The validity of information is very important; this is to make sure they hire the best workers among the applicants. Sixth process is selection decision, the most important and critical step. Interviewer will discuss with their head of department and head of human resource management to choose the person most closely conform to the open position and organization. Final process is to notify the applicant who being chosen. Public Bank will inform them as soon as possible by email and formal letter. 3.5 Advantages of the practice of Selection methods in H.R management Save time and cost When Public Bank does the preliminary interview, it helps to reduce time and effort. This method can eliminates weak candidates and send the high quality applicants for the second interview. Phone call will not cost Public Bank as much as compare to face-to-face interview and effort of interviewer. It is also a way to test for the verbal skills by having tele-conversation. If the applicants cannot perform well in tele-conversation, for sure they will also not perfom well during face-to-face interview which require higher verbal skills include body language, eye contact and movement. Increase efficiency Applicants will be given a selection tests. All the results obtain from the selection test will be standardize and uniform. Hence, it will be faster during make comparison between applicants, directly increase the efficiency of selection process. Other that, structure interview also will increase the efficiency of selection process because the question is similar for the entire applicant such as introduce yourself. By this, interviewer will have a best formal answer and determine which applicant will give the answer most close to the formal answer. Increase reliability and accuracy Public Bank will have a background and references checks after face-to-face interview with the applicants. They want to make sure that information given by applicants is not fraud and certificates and documents submitted are recognized by the issuing units. Once the issuing units confirmed the certificates and documents thus prove the applicants have the qualification with proper education background. If records are not found when refer to the issuing units, thus can eliminate the applicant to prevent organization hire the unqualified worker. Disadvantages of the practice of Selection methods in H.R management Interviewer may have bias to certain group of people Public Bank is using one-on-one interview method. This method is quite inappropriate when the interviewer is biased to certain group of people. The performance of applicants is very subjective due to the perspective of the interviewer. For example, when the interviewer believe that man will perform better in banking industry compare to woman, no matter how well the women performance during the interview or having higher education of that area, having more experience, she will still not been selected because of the point of view of the interviewer. This may cause Public Bank lose a better worker thus directly reduce competitive advantage. Time consuming Public Bank want to increase reliability and accuracy but in another hand waste time. To check for the validity of certificates and documents, the issuing units need time to proceed. While waiting for the feedback from issuing unit, applicants may search for other jobs. Once they found the information given by selected applicant is fraud, they need to select another applicant and go through this process again. Besides that, by having one-one-one interview method, it takes times to review all the applicants. As we know time is crucial because when the applicants wait for a long time and do not receive any feedback, they may search for other job opportunity.