Suboxone: Neuron and Post-synaptic Potentials

Suboxone Biological Psychology Suboxone | Addiction psychology has made a great impact on the field of biological psychology, especially when it comes to subjects such as | |psycho-pharmacology. The abuse of prescription pain medicine has risen to an estimated 9 million in America alone who take the medication for | |non-medical reasons. The psychology field has had a new revolution in addiction control called Suboxone. In order for psychiatric doctors or other| |doctors to prescribe this medicine they are required to complete a training course on the substance. Rapidly replacing Methadone, a more | |traditional detox and maintenance drug used for many years, Suboxone seems to have many treatment advantages over it. | |Buprenophine | |Buprenophine, the chemical compound found in Suboxone has stated that it is suitable for people who still have social ties to their families and | |employers whereas Methadone is suited best for those who need additional structure in their treatment with more supervision. While it is nearly | |impossible to overdose on Suboxone due to its ceiling effect, Methadone is easily abused as it is a full-agonist opiate. Another advantage that | |Suboxone has over Methadone is it readability. Where patients must go to Methadone clinics for dosing, doctors can prescribe Suboxone for a month | |at a time, allowing patients to detox and maintain their treatment. Buprenophine is available in two pill forms, one without Naloxone-called | |Subutex, or one with Naloxone-called Suboxone. Naloxone is a well known opiate antagonist, that when injected, causes instant withdraw in the | |patient. Putting this ingredient as an additive with Buprenophine keeps the drug from being abused. Buprenophine is usually prescribed for just a | |few weeks, but some patients may need maintenance doses depending on their opiate usage and/or dependency. In order to better understand the way | |Suboxone and other opiates work within the central nervous system individuals should understand post-synaptic potentials, synaptic ransmission, the| |receptors that produce and regulate behavior (including abusing opiates), as well as understanding and knowing the primary neurotransmitters and | |their role in brain function and behavior. | |Excitatory and Inhibitory Post-synaptic Potentials | |The role of excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic potentials is summed up by NCBI Bookshelf (n. d. ; | |â€Å"Postsynaptic conductance changes and the potential changes that accompany them alter the pro bability that an action potential will be produced in | |the postsynaptic cell. Post-synaptic Potentials decrease the probability that the post synaptic cell will generate an action potential. PSPs are | |called excitatory (or EPSPs) if they increase the likelihood of a postsynaptic action potential occurring, and inhibitory (or IPSPs) if they | |decrease this likelihood. Given that most neurons receive inputs from both excitatory and inhibitory synapses, it is important to understand more | |precisely the mechanisms that determine whether a particular synapse excites or inhibits its postsynaptic partner. â€Å" | |Synaptic Transmission and Receptors Producing and Regulating Behavior | |Neurons communicate through synaptic transmission. The synapse can be found as a tiny gap found in the middle of the axon terminal and the neuron | |next to it. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that are located in synaptic vesicles are responsible for delivering messages across the | |synapse and bind to the receptor sites. When a molecule of a neurotransmitter binds to the receptor it then continues to activate or inhibit the | |neuron until the deactivation occurs. A method of deactivation is called re-uptake, allowing the neurotransmitter molecules to be delivered back to| |the presynaptic neuron. Various drugs, including opiates such as hydrocodone or methadone function as agonists because they increase the activity | |of the neurotransmitter while others such as Naloxone act as antagonists decreasing the activity of the neurotransmitter. | |Primary Neurotransmitters | |The three major neurons located in the nervous system are the sensory, motor, and inter-neurons. Sensory neurons are responsible to input messages | |from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain. Motor neurons carry impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and organs. | |Interneurons perform connective or associative functions within the nervous system. The brain and spinal cord are called the central nervous system | |while all neurons that connect the CNS to the muscles, glands, and sensory receptors are located in the peripheral nervous system. In this regard, | |the PNS is divided into two systems:the somatic nervous system that includes sensory and motor neurons, and the autonomic nervous system required to| |regulate glands as well as other involuntary functions such as circulation, breathing, and digestion. The autonomic nervous system consists of two | |branches as well. The sympathetic branch activates or arouses bodily organs while the parasympathetic branch does the complete opposite. Most | |nerves enter and leave the CNS via the spinal cord. | | |

Evaluating the Research Process Essay

* The most important steps in a research project or study is accomplishing a literature review. A literature review is the process of gathering information from other sources and documenting it. This is not a report or a statement verbatim according to Creative Research Systems (2010). A literature review is a significant and a detailed evaluation of earlier research. It is a summation and abstract of a particular aspect of research, allowing the individuals evaluating the paper to understand why one is tracking a particular research study. It is not an assortment of quotes and rephrase from additional sources. A good literature review should have selected evaluations of the quality of the study, and conclusions of the research study. While reviewing Commendador, 2010, Parental influences on adolescent decision- making and contraceptive use. Published in the Pediatric Nursing May-June 2010, The study hypothesis stated in the article according to Commendador, 2010 â€Å"the United States and the health care industry are researching various ways to lower the adolescent pregnancy rate, thus identifying paternal communication, specifically maternal communication with their adolescent is showing to be a major factor of adolescent delay in sexual intercourse, and a major factor of contraceptive decision making. However, the study also revealed the effects of paternal communication was not readily available, therefore the research statistics are not equalized, and supporting the determination of furthering the research of this subject. * Ethical considerations for data collection * Ethical issues are present in any kind of research. Research procedures may produce some * apprehension between the purpose of research to make generalized statements for the benefit * of others, and the rights of the research subjects in preserving privacy. Ethics, in research * relates to doing what is morally correct and evading any harm. The damage or harm can be * alleviated or decreased through the use of appropriate ethical principles. Thus, the * security of human subject matter or contributors in any research study is essential. Qualitative * research studies center the research on investigating, probing, and describing individuals and * their ordinary surroundings. Fixed in the qualitative research studies are the perception of * associations between researchers and the research participants. The study subject’s * anticipation to partake in a research study solely rests upon a research subjects compliance to * share his or her encounters. Nurse researchers are obligated to sustain equilibrium research * ethics in addition to the security of the research subjects. Qualitative research is * attentive of the events of individuals in relation to the subject which is studied. Still nurse * researchers may discover that their position as researchers may perhaps be in conflict. * Qualitative studies are normally performed in surroundings relating to the involvement of * ndividuals in their daily setting. As a result, any research that consist of individuals commands * an understanding of the ethical concerns that may be resulting from the exchange of * communications. Ethics in research includes the relevance of the research purpose, and the * procedural strategy, in addition to the manner in which information is reported. * The nurse researcher conducting the study relies mainly on previous research studies conducted by several other research entities, which demonstrates ethical collection and reporting. The research study’s primary focus is on adolescent sexual behavior. This subject dealing with under-age children has to be handled with the utmost of confidentiality. The researcher as well as the data reported does not identify the individual minor participant, nor are family member participants indentified in any way. The integrity of the participants and the research study, in the observers opinion was without biasness and completely anonymous. * * What data tells us in terms of statistical analysis Largely, the definitive objective of every research study is to find the relationship between the unpredictable, according to Statsoft Electronic Statistics Textbook (2012). The viewpoint of research states† that there is no other way of representing meaning except in terms of relations between some quantities or qualities† both ways involve a relationship between changeable matter. The statistics gathered and reported in this study in the reviewers opinion, is statistically significant. Statistic significance is defined in research as probable, probably true not due to chance according to Creative Research Systems (2010). However, the statistics reported are focused on the maternal communication with adolescents and does not represent the paternal communication with the adolescent due to the lack of research subject interviews with the fathers. In addition, the interviews conducted did not include those adolescents that had sexual contact and were actively pregnant. The researcher, to better understand the decisions regarding sexual contact and the lack of using birth control methods, should have interviewed this group of adolescents as this group could have communicated more information based on the decisions that were made which resulted in a pregnancy. Also interviewing the parents of this group of adolescents could have also given more insight on the maternal communication. Conclusion Although the statistics possibly could have been more precise and reported in more detail had the research subject sample size been larger, if the fathers had been surveyed, and if the group of adolescents that were presently pregnant had been surveyed. Even though the statistics were not balanced, the conclusion matched the results of the research study. The research question asked in this study, does the parental communication with the adolescent influence the contraceptive decisions that are made by the adolescent? The research study states that the maternal communication with the adolescent daughter increases positive decision making on behalf of the adolescent regarding contraceptive decisions. The positive effects that maternal interaction is influencing is associated with lowering the teenage pregnancy rate and has increased the use of contraceptives. The conclusion drawn answers the research question posed in this study. The conclusion states the results of this text review indicate an connection between parent communication and parenting style, and adolescent sexual interest and making birth control decision. The parental exchange of ideas with the adolescent is as significant now as it was 25 years ago. Maternal communication and contact has an abundance of potential as an intercession to enhance optimistic adolescent decision making and regarding contraception and premature sexual contact. Maternal interaction is possibly influential in lowering adolescent pregnancy and is successful in promoting sexually active teenage girls to make use of birth control methods. The conclusions are appropriate according to the information collected. Again, one must consider the differences in the outcome of this study had the omitted groups been surveyed . According to the conclusion of this study â€Å"More research is needed in the area of parenting style, maternal influence, and adolescent contraceptive behavior. The potential relevance for practice is that mother-daughter dyads should be included in any health promotion around female adolescent sexuality, (Commendador, 2010), the author of this paper decided the study is somewhat effective. The statistics supported the objectives that were measured, however there were other aspects that the researcher should have surveyed which would have made this study much more relevant. The purpose of research is to either generate or test a hypothesis. Research is the device used to investigate to discover if a hypothesis is acceptable or not. It is the process by that data is collected to create an assumption or to test an assumption. Therefore, based on what research is defined as, the researcher attained and supported the purpose of the research study. While the researcher’s theory was supported with the information compiled from the study, the data also supported the necessity and importance of continuing further research regarding adolescent sexual behavior and contraceptive decision making. The nurse researcher also recommends various options to address this very serious issue that plagues the United States. Suggested discussions of sexuality and the process of making choices regarding contraceptive methods would be beneficial if included in the educational curriculum of the school system, as well as be an aspect of the pediatric providers’ educational routine in pediatric health centers providing care to older children. Discussions among nurse practitioners, mothers, and daughters might promote conversation about sexuality, such as teen maturity, the changing body, the processes of decision making regarding sexual activity, and contraception. The researcher thoroughly covered the research topic in an effective manner, and through the analysis of the data collected made relevant recommendations, showing research evoking action plans.

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis

Many literary critics were both awed and puzzled with Franz Kafka’s brilliantly written yet absurd, and often, grossly surreal form of writing. Die Verwandlung or The Metamorphosis is Kafka’s longest work, almost resembling a novel, and is also one of the most acclaimed. From the story of Gregor, who woke up one morning to find himself transformed into an insect (beetle), the readers can slowly see the exploration of an individual’s existence and the pain he experiences due to physical isolation and other people’s indifference.Using a purely psychological outlook, it is easy to view The Metamorphosis as a mirror of Kafka’s own demons–for every artist is said to impart a portion of his self into his works. Thus, The Metamorphosis may be Kafka’s own struggle with his past and present, a personal process that gradually made its way to the writer’s conscious writings and developed into a nightmarish plot about the life of Gregor Sam za who curiously transmuted into a physically hideous creature. This is why Kafka stands to gain the empathy and compassion of viewers when the story is told from the standpoint of Gregor.First, Kafka is a struggling writer early on in his life. He lived his life in emotional dependence on his parents. There were mixed feelings of love and hate   and though he longed to marry, he considered   sex as dirty. By choosing Gregor as the main character who experiences the transformation, he elicits the empathy of readers even as he performs a lackluster life.(Franz Kafka. 1883-1924). In the story, Gregor Samza is the pillar that supports his family. He is a fairly successful salesman and earns enough to pay off his father’s debt and bring food on the table. He is the one who strives hard for the family’s upkeep.When the tragedy happens to him and not to any member of the family, then, the repercussions are greater. The pillar of their family is suddenly gone and they hav e to strive to go about their daily lives without his help. In fact, they have to bear the burden of seeing a horrible creature in their house and then to think that the creature is Gregor, back to pretending that their lives are normal, nevertheless.Second, Kafka had no intention of publishing any of his works.   He actually wanted it destroyed. It was his friend Max Brod who pursued its publication. Thus, Kafka, actually had all the liberty to create Gregor as the target of all his frustrations and dependency feelings. He gained all the outlet to release these emotions and then destroy it in the end. It gave a vicarious feeling of relief to him. (Franz Kafka. 1883-1924).Lastly, Kafka felt a certain kind of weakness despite the rebellion he showed. Creating Gregor as the brunt of all his impotence gave an apt target for the same kind of impotence that Gregor had to be imbued with. .(Franz Kafka. 1883-1924).We find reasons for Kafka’s way of telling the story because Kafka never worked as a traveling salesman nor even experienced acting as a primary financier for his family. Yet a parallelism can be seen between the two men, both before and after Gregor’s transformation. Gregor knows his father’s ruthless temper, and with respect for the old man intermingles fear. There are scenes in the story where the older Samsa demonstrates this merciless attitude towards his son because of the latter’s repugnant appearance.Mr. Samsa cruelly shoves Gregor into his room using a walking cane, and during a stressful encounter, pelts him with apples wherein an apple lodges into his insect back and begins to rot (Kafka 37-38). Nevertheless, it was through Gregor that Kafka was able to show how goodness permeates in everyone, but only when instances are happy and perfect. When things turn to worst, individuals resort to a coping strategy that alienates the ugly and the useless.Putting Gregor as the member of the family that is transformed into an in sect gives us a glimpse of how Kafka may have felt at times in his life. Apart from the refined and healthy appearance, Kafka was depressed most of the time. It was known that he suffered from migraine, constipation, and boils, which are all products of pent-up stress and unhealthy emotions common to those with troubled pasts   (â€Å"Franz Kafka†).No wonder that the bizarre dominated his form of expression, probably as a form of a release from the rigid normality that imprisons individuals into normalness. In fact, there is no other way of invoking from the readers such strong feelings akin to the emotions of the writer than by using frightful and graphic images resembling man’s outlandish nightmares.   Then again, Kafka never wanted some of his works published for the entire world to read. Writing is sacred for Kafka, and a refuge from a seemingly menacing and indifferent world (Franz Kafka. Books and Writers).Gregor’s transformation into a beetle is paral lel to Kafka’s acquiring of tuberculosis. The physical degradation means the collapse of a person’s once important status and the revulsion of others. At first, loved ones react with grief whilst trying to be considerate to the afflicted one. In the long run, however, those with debilitating weaknesses are soon scorned. This long-time fear of being weak and being segregated translated into writing, while Kafka tried his best to look normal even when recuperating.Kafka’s tuberculosis purportedly affected his writings in such a way that his stories show â€Å"fear of physical and mental collapse,† which was of course also seen in The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka). Further, the nightmarish plots pertain to â€Å"dehumanization† as exemplified with Samsa’s metamorphosis into an insect. Even more frightening is the effect of this dehumanization, wherein everything beautiful, even Grete’s kind-heartedness, comes to its fearful end.For some re aders, The Metamorphosis is allegorical. Reading the story makes one constantly hope for a totally different conclusion, or if not, for some figurative message hidden behind the lines. Yet what happened in the story is totally literal and blunt: Gregor died as a beetle, his death comes silently in the night. It is devoid of any melodrama or of any dramatic revelations, so that the whole meaning or essence of the story is left for the readers to figure out. Kafka’s literature, The Metamorphosis included, have since served as windows into the late writer’s own life and soul: his experiences, fears and tribulations. His works are full of the complexities that are deemed as representative of the human existence, and most importantly, complexities that endlessly haunted the author until his end.Kafka stands to be redeemed of his supposedly ordinary existence, even if temporary, in the way he depicted Gregor. All the angst that Kafka experienced in his life poured out on Gre gor who had to bear the brunt of his disappointments. He made Gregor useless by transforming him into a hideous insect in order to assuage his own uselessness.   It had to be Gregor because he was the breadwinner. When Gregor dies in the end, the impact is great because as Kafka writes it, that there is a heavy weight lifted from the spirit of the family and their mourning is short.The story ends with the whole family driving into the countryside and their parents’ thoughts wondering about how to find a husband for Grete. There is a great sadness in the way Kafka decides to end his story because Gregor is not missed at all, but instead, his parents just try to find ways of looking for a possible husband for Grete—a replacement for Gregor who was their breadwinner. In the final analysis, Kafka succeeds in getting the sympathy of readers as he wove his story until Gregor’s death.Works CitedKafka, Franz. Appelbaum, Stanley (trans.). The Metamorphosis and Other St ories. New York: Dover. 1996.â€Å"Franz Kafka.† In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 7 Dec 2006. Retrieved Feb. 1, 2007 at:https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franz_Kafka&oldid=92749510â€Å"Franz Kafka.† Books and Writers. 2002. Retrieved Feb. 1, 2007 at:â€Å"Franz Kafka. (1883-1924).† Retrieved Feb. 1, 2007 at:http://www.levity.com/corduroy/kafka.htm

The civil war in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The civil war in America - Essay Example Though agriculture flourished in south, farmers did not focus on generating enough food to nourish southern residents rather they focused more on cash crops such as tobacco and cotton. The North conversely had ample food for their citizens and sufficient industries to produce arsenal for their armed forces. Indeed, the northern industries were buying the unrefined cotton and converting it into finished merchandise. In addition it had a widespread railway network that could transfer men and military hardware swiftly and economically. This inequality between the two created a great divergence in economic outlooks. Primarily, this pre-eminence of the North didn't appear to make much discrepancy; like many battles in the past, those concerned thought it would be finished rapidly. But northern compensation would prove vital as the war commences. It was astonishment for the whole world that in spite of so weighty discrepancies in manpower and industrial competence, south nearly succeed in the war. There was no means that the South could probably have got up to the North, which had all of the stuff and monetary rewards, and which did an outstanding job of closing off the only benefit the South had: cotton. Because most of the South’s economy generated by exporting cotton, the North planned to put up the shutters of this trade. In order to shut up this trade the Union Government obstructed the southern ports, as a result of which the quantity of southern cotton supplied to England crashed down. And then the only reliable form of South’s income set off, which was frantically needed by South to beat the North. From the time of rebellion, two groups appeared: those quarrelling for better states rights and those quarrelling that the federal government required having more power. The first structured government of America was under the Articles of Confederation. And there was a slack confederation among the thirteen states with a very fragile federal governmen t. Nevertheless when the troubles became more annoying, the fragility of this government awakened the leaders to unite and create clandestinely the US Constitution. However the strong supporters of the nation i.e. Thomas Jefferson  and Patrick Henry were absent at this unification. Many people were of the idea that the new constitution did not give importance to the rights of the nation to carry on to operate autonomously. They believed that the states must have the right to fix on if they were ready to accept certain federal acts. This gave birth to the thought of nullification, where the states would have the right to regulate the federal acts as unauthorized. But the federal government disagreed upon giving this right to the states. However John C. Calhoun fought passionately for giving this right to the states. Even then nullification did not work and states sensed that they were not given reverence, they moved to secession. A question was also one of the reasons of occurrence of civil war in America. The question was about being slave or free of the states which were acquired by America from the Louisiana Purchase and Mexican war. The rule made by Missouri Compromise suggested that there would be prohibition on the slavery in states acquired from Louisiana Purchase. The clashes aroused during the Mexican war about the happening with new areas that are expected to be acquired by America on victory. David Wilmot suggested that slavery would be forbidden in the new lands. To treat the free and slave states, southern and northern welfare evenly a Compromise was prepared by Henry Clay and many others in 1850. Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 further

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Problem question in contract law - Essay Example 14). The acceptance of an offer results in a valid contract. The offeree makes the acceptance in response to the offer made by the offeror. Acceptance must be unqualified, and unambiguous (Barry, 1992, p. 14). The offer made by the offeror to the offeree has to be accepted by the latter, if a binding contract is to ensue. The offeror has the choice of specifying the manner in which the offeree has communicate acceptance of the offer. This makes it incumbent upon the offeree to communicate acceptance without any deviation (Kelly, et al., 2011, p. 234). As such, in certain contracts, one of the parties promises to perform some action, if the other party does some specific act, even though the other party does not promise to perform that act. Such contracts are termed as unilateral contracts. As such, acceptance may be construed from conduct and there is no necessity for it to be communicated (Marson, 2010, p. 16). The readiness to accept offers or to enter into negotiations constitutes an invitation to treat. The main issues to be considered for solving the problem are: Whether there is a valid contract between Julia and O’Brien. Whether the telephonic acceptance by O’Brien concludes a contract between Parsons and O’Brien. ... This enraged Julia, who left the shop. An offer must be unambiguous and can be express or implied. The display of goods in a shop does not constitute an offer. It is merely, an invitation to treat. The offer comes into being when the customer selects some goods and expresses his willingness to purchase them (Barry, 1992, p. 14). Thus, it is the customer who makes the offer, in such instances. In Fisher v Bell, it was held that the display of items with a price tag in shop windows was an invitation to treat (Young, 2010, p. 13). In Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company, the defendants were the producers of a medicinal product called the carbolic smoke ball. This company gave an advertisement in the local newspapers, wherein it promised a reward of ?100 to anyone who contacted influenza or any other disease resulting from catching a cold, after having used their product. It also prescribed the dosage of the carbolic ball to be used, in its advertisement. The company also declared that one ball would last a family for several months (O'Sullivan & Hilliard, 2010, p. 15). The plaintiff Mrs. Carlill bought a smoke ball duly believing the contents of the advertisement, and used the medicine as directed by the company. However, she was infected by influenza, despite using the smoke ball for the required period and in the prescribed manner (O'Sullivan & Hilliard, 2010, p. 16). The Court held that the newspaper advertisement, in this case constituted an offer. In addition, it was held in Grainger Son v Gough that the circulation of a catalogue by a seller of goods does not constitute an offer and that it was merely an invitation to treat. This reiterated in Fisher v Bell, wherein the display of goods in a shop window, was deemed an invitation to treat and not

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Distribution Strategy - Assignment Example The distribution strategy will be exclusive to the wealthy oil and gas field owners (Chand, p2). In a video by Netjet Dubbed the promise, it promises to keep upholding its values and being the best private jet service offer. To achieve this and be able to deliver to the consumer in Brunei, the company intends to increase its network of jets. This is in line with the notion that the Netjet customer is the intelligent, affluent king, which is typically the case in Brunei. Netjet also plans to accommodate its customers through offering a promise of accommodation regardless of the pickup location or destination or the date (McCarthy, p1). Netjet is undertaking design specification of the cabin interiors of the jets and is interested in offering a highly personalized product. Together with safety improvement, it will give it a lead to its competitors. In terms of accessing the customer in Brunei offering of safety, comfort and personalized experience will go a long way in achieving this ( Alcock,

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Early Warning System Water - Essay Example Collignon(2007) points out that the protection of drinking water is achieved not only by chlorination, flocculation and other protective measures but also by the protection of water catchment areas through minimizing the entry of any kind of waste matter. Therefore if these catchment areas are infiltrated, there could be a collective risk posed through contamination of drinking water supplies. Crockett (2007) recently estimated that there is an endemic risk posed from drinking water, with the potential for 2 to 20 ML/d of waste water discharge containing pathogens to reach water supply intakes at significant concentrations that may exceed regulatory limits. Hence, normal procedures that are used for treatment of waste water may also be inadequate in some instances to provide an adequate level of protection against contamination of the water to an unacceptable level that could be dangerous to humans – to health and to lives. This highlights the importance of installing early warning systems for infiltration by biological agents, so that water supplies and distribution systems may be protected. The danger of the terrorist threat is especially potent, because vast areas of unprotected water system could form an easy target for the terrorists and it would result in large scale damages caused to numerous people who drink the water. It is a particularly dangerous form of terrorist biological warfare, which cannot be easily combated, except through adopting preventive measures. Hence, the incorporation of early warning systems into water systems could be of inestimable benefit, because they will provide a warning that contamination exists, sufficiently in time to enable the local authorities or responsible people in charge to alert citizens, so that the water suspected of being contaminated can be diverted and closed off, before it

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Answer questions - Essay Example d. Coffee prices are expected to rise rapidly in the next few months. Indicate the immediate Effect. e. Workers in the coffee industry form a trade union and succeed with claims for higher Wages. Answers: a) When a severe frost destroys much of the Brazilian crop the supply curve of coffee will shift to the left. It is assumed that the demand will remain the same. Therefore the market equilibrium will shift to the left. b) If coffee is shown to cause cancer in laboratory experiments on mice it is expected that the demand for coffee will fall down sharply. The supply for coffee is assumed to remain the same. The demand curve will shift to the right and the new market equilibrium will also shift to the right. c) If the price of tea declines sharply the demand for coffee is expected to fall. The demand curve will shift to the left and the equilibrium point will shift to the left. d) If the price of coffee is expected to rise in the next month, the demand for coffee will rise immediately . Therefore the demand curve will shift rightwards and the market equilibrium point will shift to the right. The other conditions are assumed to remain unchanged. e) If the workers in the coffee industry form a trade union and succeed with claims for higher Wages, then the price of coffee will rise. ... In your explanation you must refer to aspects such as: Demand, wants, needs and desires Determinants of demand and supply Demand versus quantity demanded Movement along versus shifts of the curves Equilibrium Price and Quantity Surplus vs. Shortage. Answer: A market is a place where buyers meet sellers. The households purchase the products of their needs from the sellers in the market and the sellers charge their price. The determinants of demand and supply are the price of the good, the price of the substitutes, the income of the consumers, and the anticipated price level of the future and tastes of the consumers. An increase of demand can take place if the income of the consumers rise, the price of the product itself falls. The following diagram shows the demand supply analysis of the chosen product. In this case it is assumed that the market is competitive and so the demand curve is horizontal. In this case a parallel shift in the supply schedule leads to lower demand (Michigan St ate University, n.d. p. 1). The quantity demanded has fallen to Q1from Q0. The price is remaining the same in the market. A leftward shift of the supply schedule lead to fall in quantity demanded. The following diagram provides a clearer picture. In this case the supply curve shifted to the left while the demand curve remained unchanged. The initial equilibrium in the market has fallen as a result. The new equilibrium quantity is at a higher level than the initial one while the new equilibrium price is at a lower level than the initial one (University of Pittsburg, 2012, p. 2). The point where the demand by the consumers is matched by the supplies of the producers is regarded as the equilibrium point. The following

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - Research Paper Example Creutzfeld-Jakob disease is caused by infectious agents known as prions. Prions are a form of proteins which are common in the human body and usually harmless. But, when prion proteins are misshaped or folded they become infectious causing nearby healthy cells to replicate the abnormal shape. While the contaminated cells quickly deteriorate tissue, the brain forms holes leaving the texture so drastically altered it resembles that of a sponge. The rare disease can be transmitted a multitude of ways such as by contamination, sporadically or through inheritance. Transmission through contamination is classified as those which contract the disease after being exposed to infected tissue during surgeries, such as cornea transplants. Consisting of less than 10% of all cases, risk of exposure is low, yet still possible due to the ability of infectious agents to withstand typical sterilization practices of medical equipment. The majority of cases, approximately 85%, are attributed to the sporadic occurrence of CDJ where the disease presents spontaneously and not attributed to another form of transmission. Some cases are deemed inherited when found in patients testing positive for certain mutated genes or with a family history of CDJ. This category includes the majority of cases seen in younger patients, some being in their late twenties. Symptoms Accurate diagnosis of Creutzfekd-Jakob disease is only possible by brain biopsy or autopsy. Few biopsies are performed due to danger to the patient, inability to ensure the section removed is from a currently infected area and the chance of others contracting the disease through exposure to the infected brain tissue.

Does High Perception of School Environment Correlate with Teacher Essay

Does High Perception of School Environment Correlate with Teacher Performance - Essay Example coming in, many educators have approached this researcher on concerns pertaining to administration support, discipline, and overall knowledge to serve their students. Some expressed concerns of not being equipped or trained properly to perform their job expectations. As the â€Å"new person† to the school, I have faced with some of the same issues. In this study, the researcher will use stratified random sampling to find his data. Stratified random sampling involves looking at distinct subgroups while obtaining data (CustomInsight, n.d.). For the research question, â€Å"Does High Perception of School Environment Correlate with Teacher Performance,† this researcher will be looking at two groups: regular education teachers and special education teachers. Atha Elementary has 9 special education teachers and 34 regular education teachers. The objective is to get a clear view on how educators perceive their environment. Therefore, a likert-scale must be utilized (Super Survey, 2007). This research after attitudinal information: describes how a person thinks or feels about something. Educators will be able to rate their feelings on a scale of 1 to 5 as shown below. In order to select the appropriate method of data recording one must first understand variables. Variables are used in the study of statistics. A variable is a characteristic that can take more than one set of values that numerical measures can be assigned to: height, age, income, country, grades, and housing type (Statistics Canada, 2011). Quantitatively, this writer will give a survey to collect initial perception of the school before professional developments are provided or major concerns are addressed. Surveys will be given to two mixed groups of elementary school educators (both groups will contain an equal amount of special and regular education teachers). Group A labeled (control group) will not be provided with options on professional development, will only meet with assistant principals at their

Courage Mother and her Children critique Essay Example for Free

Courage Mother and her Children critique Essay â€Å"Mother Courage and Her Children† by Bertolt Brecht took place during the 30 Years’ War in Europe. The whole play revolved around the survival of a lower class family, trying to live through the harsh war with their canteen wagon business. Each scene in the play contained the factors of religious, honesty, war, loyalty, and family. The theme of â€Å"Mother Courage and Her Children† was maternity, due to the fact that Mother Courage’s sense of coldhearted business caused her become unable to protect her children, which led to their deaths, leaving her all alone in the end. Mother Courage was always doing business while each of her children died during the play. This shows that she was more interested in her business and money than her own children, and an example of this can be seen when her thirst for money had caused Swiss to die because she took too long to decide whether or not to trade her money in for her son’s life. Mother Courage was the protagonist in the play, while the war was the antagonist. The war caused Mother Courage to base her living on it. Due to the fact that they were living during a war, this caused Mother Courage to be so focused on making money, that she ended up neglecting her children. It also caused her to be unable to watch her daughter get married, since Kattrin could only get married when peace returned and the war ended. War is also the antagonist, due to the fact that is also caused Mother Courage to lose her sons as well. The play was a tragedy because in it, Mother Courage’s children all perished, and she was left all alone in the end. In the play, Bretch assigned each of Mother Courage’s children with a â€Å"tragic flaw† as a result of her failure to learn to choose family over business. The tragedies that Mother Courage’s children suffered throughout the play were Swiss, with honesty, Eilif, with arrogance, and Kattrin, with pity. Mother Courage had to go through suffering of the death of each of her children one by one and was unable to do anything about it. The set of the play was a major contribution to the play. The use of a proscenium stage was the best fit for this type of play since it allowed the audiences to focus on the center of the stage where Mother Courage’s wagon was. Mother Courage’s family always moved around. However, their wagon was still placed at nearly the same spot on the stage, which tells the audience that they were not moving anywhere because no matter where they moved to, they still faced the same struggles and hardships. Even though the setting mostly remained the same from scene to  scene, backgrounds changed from one scene to another, which allowed the audience to know that the scene was taking place in a different location. There was almost always the same lighting throughout the whole play. The only thing that changed about the lights was the brightness; the lights were brighter during the day and dimmer at night. There were some spotlights. However, it only appeared upon the actors who came before each scene, in order to tell the audience what will happen in the upcoming scene. The lighting of â€Å"Mother Courage Mother and Her Children,† was different from the other play that I went to. Usually lights would go off when changing from one scene to another, so that characters were able to get on and off stage, in order to prepare the set for the scene. However, in this play, the lights were still on during scene transitions. Bretch made pulling the wagon in and out of the stage as an exit and enter for each scene, which didn’t require the actors to quickly change settings for different scenes. The background sound of gunshots and bombs that were playing throughout the play allowed the audience to feel as if the war was actually taking place during the play. The gunshots sounded very loud, making the audience feel as if it was nearby. Without the sounds, the audience would not have been able to feel the mood of the war. Sounds of gunshots added more effects to the mood of war, giving the audience an the image of how deadly the war was. The play was a musical play, since there were many parts where Mother Courage and some singers in the background sang and played instruments. The entrance to the play was also a song that expressed the mood and feeling of the war. Mother courage sang in almost every scene, to express her feelings. She also sang in the last part of the play when Kattrin died. The costumes of the play reflected the life of the characters in the play. The costumes did not really tell the time period in which the play took place because the characters were just wearing normal types of rural clothes that had many layers, and were attached with many pieces of fabric. The characters in the play had the same outfit throughout the whole play, and this outfit not only showed their poverty, but also the condition of life during the war, due to the fact that they were unable to have clothes to change into. The many layers of clothes worn were everything that the characters owned, and this showed their struggles, due to the fact that they are unable to buy any new clothes. Overall, the play was easy to understand because it was in modern  English and there were no accent in the characters’ pronunciation, which allowed the audience to understand what the characters were saying. Mother Courage struggled throughout her life with her business and children, but ended up with nothing due to the war, in which she was favoring. The war had brought Mother Courage the business she needed, but took away her children one by one.

The Korean conflict of 1950 to 1953 Essay Example for Free

The Korean conflict of 1950 to 1953 Essay To what extent was the Korean conflict of 1950 to 1953 a turning point in the Cold War? The beginnings of the Cold War, the period between 1945 and 1949, were fraught with a mutual tension and distrust sustained chiefly by the bold, economically expansionist policies of the USA and the defensive, albeit retaliatory, responses of the Soviet Union. Until 1950, America had relied upon her own currency in curtailing what she perceived as the spread of communist influence. The start of the Korean War, however, saw the revampment of American policy and the globalisation, as well as the exacerbation, of the existing superpower tension. As such, to a large extent, the Korean conflict was a departure from previous trends in the American-Soviet conflict. In reaffirmation of my stand is the fact that the battlefield had expanded beyond the borders of continental Europe into the environmentally hostile regions of Korea, and that the participants of this new Cold War were no longer confined to the superpowers themselves. At the same time, though only to a slight degree, the Korean War was still reminiscent of the old, European Cold War, as manifested by Trumans citing of the Domino Theory in the face of an invasion of South Korea by the communist North, a typical instance of American failure to fully grasp the situation with which they are dealing. Of foremost importance to the turning point of the superpower enmity is the implementation of NSC 68. As aforementioned, before the conflict extended to Asia, the USA had capitalised upon its financial power by channelling economic aid to client states in combating Soviet communism. This policy of economic expansion was no longer adhered to in Korea, as demonstrated by the NSC 68 which marked the militarisation of the Cold War in essence. Under internal pressure, the Truman administration propounded an expansion of American military forces and atomic stockpile, as well as the hastened development of a thermonuclear bomb to remain a step ahead of the Soviets in the nuclear field. This new policy of rollback is evident from the period of 1950 to 1953, during which the USA had increased its military output sevenfold and was in a state of preparedness for war. Believing in the necessity for the US military to outnumber or be on par with the large Soviet army in terms of number, Truman advocated an increase in military spending and managed to extract billions of dollars from Congress to be spent on the expansion of American armed forces, the rendering of military succour to potential allies, and the development of the hydrogen bomb. The presidents belief in the importance of armed and nuclear supremacy also resonated with Washington as a whole. In addition, in response to North Korean invasion of the democratic South, Truman had called for international involvement in the regional conflict in forming an attack force consisting of the South Korean army, as well as contingents from fifteen other countries not including America herself. The expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was also a deviation from American action in post-war Europe. NATO was immediately given a larger secretariat and a more unified command structure. A total of four US divisions were sent to Europe to act as reinforcements and, in 1951, the organisation was enlarged to accommodate new members, namely Turkey and Greece. Acting opportunistically to threaten the USSR, the USA had made use of Turkey, which lay in close proximity with Soviet Russia, as a military base on which American Jupiter missiles could be established. Due to the excellent geographical location of Turkey, these missiles could be aimed and fired at the Soviet Union, and acted as a deterrence against the Soviet invasion of Middle Eastern oilfields. To strengthen NATO and assist its member allies, the USA had been in favour of an increase in military spending and had channelled economic aid to its allies. Previously, in 1949, before the superpower conflict expanded beyond its regional borders, the organisation was set up with only the intention of acting as a disincentive against a communist attack on the capitalist West. While it was still meant to deter potential communist aggression, the new, expanded NATO had also posed a direct military threat to the Soviets, as demonstrated by the placing of US Jupiter Missiles in Turkey and American exhortation of increasing military spending, and had thus contributed to the militarisation of the conflict as a whole. American advocacy for West German rearmament and sovereignty differed significantly from earlier policy as well. In the past, after German defeat in World War II, the USA had feared the recrudescence of German aggression. With the outbreak of the Korean War, however, the fear of a revived Germany was transcended by an intense paranoia of communist expansion. The rearmament and procurement of full-fledged independence of West Germany was deemed a necessity as a result; the resurrection of Russias former wartime adversary would rekindle old fears of German expansion and deter Soviet aggression. After the occurrence of war in Korea, in hopes of putting up a stronger attack front against the Soviets, the USA had begun to favour the idea of West German rearmament, which the French strongly opposed. Ultimately, to dispell French fears, the USA agreed to the French Pleven Plan to allow West Germany to be part of a European Defence Community. This, however, was met with disapproval from the Germans, most of whom were opposed to the idea of military rearmament and preferred instead to be independent of foreign control. Seeing as how the political and economic reconstruction of West Germany was a long-term goal, the USA agreed to remove all occupation controls and grant Germany full statehood. The Korean War was indubitably a turning point in the Cold War, as seen in the fact that its occurrence galvanised the Americans to rearm and grant independence to Germany, something that would previously have been regarded with doubt and apprehension. American signing of the ANZUS pact and recognition of Japan as a post-war ally varied from previous policy too. Like in the case of Germany, the USA had erstwhile been wary of future Japanese expansion and was not likely to grant Japan freedom from foreign supervision. The Korean War had changed American attitude entirely and had accelerated the political and economic recovery of Japan, which was confirmed in the signing of the San Francisco peace treaty in 1951. The treaty restored Japanese sovereignty and ended American occupation in Japan in the following year. In exchange for independence, Japan had to sign a Mutual Security Agreement, under which the Japanese islands were to act as a breakwater against the currents of communist expansion. The USA had also signed the ANZUS pact with New Zealand and Australia and, in so doing, agreed to defend Asia and Australia from Japanese aggression. In return, the two countries would assist in the deterrence of communist expansion in the Pacific. Similarly in the case of Germany, Japan would not have received its sovereignty if it were not for the Korean War, especially since the granting of Japanese independence might have been at the expense of the security of Australasia. American policy in Southeast Asia revealed the sudden central importance of the continent to the USA and this, in itself, was another departure from existing Cold War trends. In the early years prior to the start of war in Korea, the scope to which American policy functioned was limited only to continental Europe and parts of the Middle East. However, with the globalisation of the conflict, American operations in favour of confining the spectre of communist influence within the sphere from which it originated spanned from Europe to Asia. The USA provided relentless economic and military support to the French in their war with the Vietminh led by communist Ho, whom the Americans viewed as an agent of the Kremlin. In American eyes, both the non-communist countries of Southeast Asia and Japan were of pivotal significance in guaranteeing prosperity and hence freedom from communist influence. Before 1950, American intervention in communist acivities were confined only to Europe. However, with the outbreak of war in Korea, the scope of its policy had extended across the oceans to a foreign continent. This is revelatory of the far-reaching impacts of the Korean War on the superpower conflict. To an extent of lesser significance, however, the Korean War was an affirmation of the trends of the European Cold War. For instance, the USA had intervened in the regional conflict thinking that North Korean crossing of the 38th parallel was premeditated by Stalin. Such misrepresentations of global communist activities as being a result of the sole manipulation of the Soviet leader, and not the local leaders themselves, are a quintessence of American paranoia and oversight. Truman had also misread the situations in Greece and Turkey, unwavering in his erroneous view of communism as inherently monolithic. Trumans misunderstanding of the situation in Korea was further reinforced by his citing of the Domino theory in response to the North Korean invasion. The president stated that Asia would fall to Soviet communism should there be no action taken by America. As can be seen from this misinterpretation that was so typical of the irrational fear of the USA, the conflict in Korea does prove to be a confirmation of Cold War trends that were already in existence in post-war Europe. American response to the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China was another typical instance of the trends of the Cold War before 1953. On a basis of reasoning that was largely gratuitous by nature, Truman surmised that the Chinese communists were agents of Moscow sent by Stalin to communise the Asian periphery, referring to the communist takeover as the fall of China. America had responded ambivalently to the formation of the Chinese Communist Party, outwardly declaring the formation of diplomatic relations with the new regime, yet ordering the cessation of economic aid to Chiang Kai Shek. Hence it would seem that Truman had not only inherited Roosevelts title as president of America but also his intrinsic uncertainty and diplomatic ambiguity displayed at Yalta in 1945. Trumans ambiguous response to the fall of China reflected an inconsistency in American policy that was already exhibited earlier in the days when the Cold War was confined only to continental Europe. Even so, the events in Korea from 1950 to 1953 largely marked a turning point in the Cold War. This is seen in the extent of change in American policy thereafter, as well as the fact of international involvement in the conflict. Though only regional by nature, the Korean War had had far-reaching effects on foreign politics, like those of Japan and Germany, playing a major role in influencing American decision to grant full-fledged independence to these countries. Also, the Korean War marked the globalisation of what was once a regional conflict, as well as a departure from earlier American policy, from the provision of economic succour to the building up of armed forces and military and nuclear arsenal. As such, to a large extent, the Korean War was a turning point for the superpower enmity.

The Frugal Innovation In Africa Economics Essay

The Frugal Innovation In Africa Economics Essay Failure by conventional theories such as the product life cycle and closed innovation to explain recent trends in innovation, have laid a foundation for the emergence of different approaches to innovation management. One such approach is frugal innovation which has, in the recent past, been given recognition both by practitioners and academics. Frugal innovation aims at offering goods and services that are affordable, robust and of acceptable quality in a volume-driven market. So far academic attention on frugal innovation has been paid to countries outside Africa. The review of extant literature found only one academic paper on frugal innovation in Africa. This paper was based on a single case study and just focused on the service industry. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify examples of successful frugal innovation in Africa and categorize them based on local conditions. Using an analogical method, six successful cases of frugal innovation were identified in differ ent countries. Frugal innovations were categorized into basic needs and luxury frugal solutions respectively. Further from the six cases, five success factors were identified. These are; needs conceptualization, passion, local networks, investing in local RD and a flexible and well defined rolling out process. These cases suggest that companies wishing to develop frugal solutions aimed at specifically addressing the needs of customers in Africa must be receptive to the above factors. This study highlights the existence of frugal innovation in Africa and the critical factors vital for creating new, affordable and robust products and services for what we call unthawed markets in Africa. The study has also shown that despite frugal innovation attracting academic attention in the last decade, it has existed in Africa for a considerable period of time. For the future, studies should be focused on identifying more cases of frugal innovation in Africa. In addition, such cases should be sub jected to in-depth analysis. We also encourage comprehensive studies aimed at developing new theories and testing the proposed ones. Keywords: Frugal Innovation, Africa, product life cycle, unthawed markets, success factors 1. INTRODUCTION The ongoing shift in the global innovation landscape has presented numerous challenges (Magnusson 2000; Chesbrough 2003). These challenges have brought conventional theories such as the product life cycle and closed innovation into the spot light. As a result many countries and firms are developing new ways and means of conducting business. For example, multinationals from developed countries are increasingly globalizing their RD activities. Firms from emerging economies such as India and Brazil, which traditionally played a secondary role in global innovation, have now begun to catch up with developing their own innovative capabilities (Mathews, 2002). Some of these firms have emerged as major players in certain sectors like information technology and mobile communications. In this shift, particular attention has been paid to emerging concepts of innovation. Recent research has identified five distinctive but interrelated innovation concepts for the years ahead (Eagar et al., 2011). These concepts are: customer-based innovation; proactive business model innovation; integrated innovation; high speed/low risk innovation and frugal innovation. The literature on all the five concepts is scant because they are in their infancy phase. Frugal innovation also known as reverse innovation is about minimizing the use of material and financial resources in the complete value chain with the objective of reducing the cost of ownership while fulfilling even exceeding certain predefined criteria of acceptable quality standards (Tiwari and Herstatt, 2012). From the organizations point of view, a frugal solution is designed, produced, delivered and maintained to achieve the needs of underserved consumers in constrained environments (Bhatti, 2012). For the consumers, frugal products and services extend from simply costs to functioning with few resources, and lack of necessary infrastructure. Examples of successful frugal innovation include the Tata Nano car in India that costs less than US$3000, a low-cost battery powered refrigerator in India (called Chotukool) created by Godrej Company and a mini-handheld electrocardiogram (ECG) machine called Mac 400 created by GE at its Bangalore laboratory (Howard, 2011). Based on evidence from frugal solutions in and outside Asia, it is clear that frugal innovation is a cutting edge initiative that has challenged conventional ways of innovation management. It is destined to address the needs of both the lower and middle income groups all over the world. Despite these impressive strides, the initiative has received little academic attention particularly in Africa. Scholarly works that have attempted to deal with this subject have mainly concentrated on emerging economies in Asia (Tiwari and Herstatt 2011, 2012; SAGPA 2011; Tood and Lawson 2003; Fukuda and Watanabe 2011; Kohlbacher and Hang 2011; Pinelli 2011; Eagar et al., 2011). Africa is in desparate need of frugal innovation given the higher levels of poverty in comparison to other continents. For instance in 2011, 35 out of 45 nations identified as having Low Human Development on the United Nations Human Development Index were located in Africa (UNDP, 2011). The implications of these facts are tha t the gap between the rich and the poor in most African countries is quite high and the population of the lower and middle income groups is higher than those in the high income group. This means that there are fewer people who are able to enjoy certain things in life because of the low purchasing power. More often than note, people in the lower income group would like to enjoy the same goods and services as those at the top of the economic pyramid but are not able to. Therefore there is a seemingly dormant and non-consuming market for which frugal products can take advantage. We call this market unthawed market because it is not fully exploited and seems frozen. The limited research so far carried out on frugal innovation has not addressed emerging issues in this field in Africa. To our knowledge there has only been one study conducted on frugal innovation in Africa. It was a single case study that focused on service innovation in Kenya (Wooder and Baker, 2012). There is need to cas t the net wide and look at Africa as a whole in order to identify other cases of frugal innovation. This will give us a clearer picture of both product and service innovations for mass markets in Africa. As populations in Africa grow and demand for unique and reasonably cheap goods and services go up, frugal innovation is a must for this continent. Given the foregoing, it is imperative that a preliminary study to find examples of frugal innovation in Africa is conducted. Hence the purpose of this study is to address this gap. More specifically our study aims to identify cases of frugal innovation in African, categorize them and bring out success factors of such innovations. Identifying cases of frugal innovation will provide important insights that will stimulate further research not only in Africa but in other parts of the world. 2. FRUGAL INNOVATION: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In this era that is increasingly being defined by the globalization of competition as well as major fiscal and demographic challenges, the task of managing innovation is vital for companies of every size in every industry (Tidd, 2006). Although innovation is a very difficult process to manage, it is critical in sustaining businesses and ensures competitive advantage. The way organizations bring out new ideas and take them to the market has undergone fundamental change. There is a paradigm shift in how companies commercialize industrial knowledge. In the following we have shown how two conventional theories of innovation and product development are no longer sustainable. Subsequently, frugal innovation is becoming relevant. 2.1 The Product Life Cycle cannot explain recent trends in innovation Historically there were attempts and initiatives to understand product and service innovation. One such initiative was the product life cycle (PLC) theory developed by Raymond Vernon. The PLC is an economic theory that attempted to explain the observed pattern of international trade. Vernon (1966) argued that many products experience cycles. The theoretical rationale behind the PLC theory emanates from the concepts of diffusion and adoption of innovations (Everett, 1962). Schematically, the PLC may be approximated by a bell-shaped curve that is divided into different stages (see Figure 1). Although the number of phases suggested by different scholars varies from four to six, for the purpose of this paper we have adopted a four-phase cycle as proposed by Polli and Cook (1969). The four-phase cycle is realistic. Some cycles, which include a saturation stage, have proved to be unrealistic and questionable. For example, a clear distinction could not be drawn between the mature and satura tion stage (Gardner, 1987). Pollit and Cook (1969) stated that sales follow a sequence of stages, starting with product introduction and proceeds with growth, through maturity and eventually decline. Figure 1. Product Life Cycle Source: Polli and Cook (1969) Below is the summary of the four stages in a products life cycle: Introduction New products are introduced to meet local and national needs. Profits are often low because customers are few. This stage is characterized by significant uncertainty regarding the market size, consumer tastes and technological constraints. Growth Products become more widely known and accepted. Profits begin to be earned as the image of the product is developed. Maturity Products may be extended by adding both width and depth. Sales are at their peak and profits are high. There is production of standard products through standardized production processes. Decline Sales fall very fast and profit go down. Prices are also likely to fall. Vernon (1966) posited that products are initially discovered and produced in developed countries (north) and exported to the less developed countries (south). The emphasis was on the role of innovation, scale ignorance and uncertainty. Vernon discarded the classical assumption that knowledge is a free good. He claimed that developed countries spend more on product development and innovation than developing countries. Hence they tend to develop high end products. Initially, the manufacture of a new product tends to be located in the country that developed it. This is largely on account of large markets in the developed nations therefore early stages of a products life production need to be located close to the market. Vernon further argued that when products become mature their degree of standardization and consequently of price elasticity of demand increases, cost considerations become more important and production will often move to less developed countries. Concerns about productio ns costs and possibilities of economies of scale results in shift of location of production from the north to the south. Hence the north produces only new goods while the south produces only old goods (Funk, 2004). The cycle arises because what is a new good in one period eventually becomes an old good in another period. The PLC theory is a conventional concept which has stood the test of time. It has represented central elements of innovation and marketing for four decades (Mercer, 1993). Following its development in the 1960s and subsequent popularization in the 1970s, the theory has remained a stable feature in international trade. A great deal has been written on the subject and several empirical studies have validated its existence (Polli Cook 1969; Meenaghan Turnbull 1978; Klepper 1992; Mercer 1993; Funk 2004). The PLC has been used for strategic planning, product development, financial management and has been considered to be an influential concept (Moon, 2005) and an enduring marketing framework (Golder Tellis 2004). The concept has been used for specific technologies (Abernathy and Utterback, 1978); for dominant designs (Tushman and Anderson, 1990), for customer adaptations of new technologies (Rodgers, 1962) and for specific industries and clusters (Audretsch and Feldman, 1996). Indeed the evidence supporting the PLC theory and the amount of attention bestowed upon the theory in the academic literature over the years have been impressive. However, in the recent past the PLC concept has begun to appear unsustainable. There is a serious deficiency in the assertion that new products and innovations happen in developed countries and later get adopted in developing nations. Recent scholarly work has brought out evidence showing an increasing trend of product development and innovations originating from developing nations such as India and China (Tiwari Herstatt 2012; Prahaland 2005; Economist 2010b). These countries are no longer just borrowing innovations from developed countries; but from time to time are contributing innovations to the rest of the world including advanced economies (Govindarajan Ramamurti, 2011). Recent research has suggested that enterprises are increasingly using fast-growing developing economies as lead markets for innovating specific pro ducts, services and technologies (Tiwari Herstatt, 2012). An example of such innovations is a washing machine called Mini Magical Child introduced by Haier, a Chinese home appliances firm. This washing machine is being sold in the US and Europe. These innovations have been termed frugal innovation because they meet the needs of low end customers at affordable prices and have acceptable quality (Zeschky et al. 2011). This trend cannot be sufficiently explained by the PLC theory and by factors such as degree of standardization and price elasticity of demand. To the contrary, the trend has challenged the core assumptions of the PLC theory and proves, in the interim, that innovation and new products can emerge from anywhere and not just in advanced countries. The assertion, by Vernon, that discarded the notion that knowledge in a free good therefore cannot stand. 2.2. The Closed Innovation approach has been eroded The old paradigm was called closed innovation which was based on the strict control of successful innovation (Chesbrough, 2003). Under this view, organizations generate their own ideas, develop them, finance them and support them on their own. In short, companies maintain complete control of all aspects of the innovation process and inventions are kept highly secretive. Traditionally many organizations followed this model and it worked well for most of the twentieth century (OVO, 2008). However, over the years a number of factors have led to the erosion of the closed innovation approach (Chesbrough, 2003). First, due to an increase in the mobility and availability of highly educated people, large amounts of knowledge leave the research laboratories of many companies. Second, the availability of venture capital has increased significantly in the recent past making it possible for promising ideas and technologies to be further developed outside the organization. Third, other firms in the supply chain began to play an increasingly pivotal role in the innovation process. Finally, today there is an abundance of knowledge in virtually every field. The proliferation of public scientific databases, online journals, low-cost internet access have given firms access to a wealth of knowledge that was far more expensive and time-consuming to reach as recently as the early 1990s. The above factors have rendered the closed innovation model unsustainable. Consequently, some mature firms got stuck in a narrow search for efficiency, displaying short sightedness and an inability to innovate to the extent needed to sustain their competitiveness (March, 1991; Dougherty and Hardy, 1996). Hence, many organizations started looking for other ways of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their innovation processes. On the other hand, these conditions have led to the globalization of innovation and emergence of what Chresbrough (2003) has called open innovation. Under this paradigm, firms can and should use both internal and external ideas to develop and commercialize products and services. Open innovation provides means to benefit from a much broader base of individuals and organizations. Ideas coming from customers and business partners may identify gaps and needs that internal team may have been ignoring or unable to identify. Firms are tapping into internal a nd external sources of knowledge to review development cycles, re-think development costs and develop products for particular markets with differing customer tastes, geographic conditions or regulatory requirements (Buse et al. 2010; Cantwell, 1995; OECD, 2008). Internationalization of RD which was thought to be phenomena of the developed countries such as Japan and Germany has now shifted to developing countries (Carlsson, 2006). There is a remarkable trend of multinational enterprises selecting locations in emerging economies such as India and China to conduct innovation activities (Tiwari, 2007; OECD; 2008). 2.3 The emergence of frugal innovation The open innovation approach and the failure by traditional theories such as the PLC to elucidate the current innovation trends, have laid a basis for the emergence of different approaches to innovation management. One such approach is frugal innovation which targets middle and lower-income customers in rapid growth markets (Pinelli, 2011). Frugal innovation is also called reverse innovation (Govindarajan and Ramamurti, 2011) constraint-based innovation, meaning sparse in the use of raw materials and their impact on the environment (Innovation Post, 2011). It is driven by resource constraints imposed by infrastructural and business environment (Sehgal et al. 2010). Practitioners have referred to frugal innovation as a holistic rethinking of products and services offered to the customers and underlying processes and business models so that companies can squeeze costs and expand the customer base, business and profit (Jagati, 2011). These customers are enjoying their first taste of mod ern prosperity and are buying for the basics not for fancy features (Prahalad, 2005). They have unique needs that are not usually addressed by mature market products, mainly due to prohibitive cost base of developed world products. To produce frugal goods, complex and concerted RD efforts are required (Jagati, 2011). In this regard, the field of engineering has also undergone some changes in order to face these challenges. In 2006, the Chairman and CEO of Renault-Nissan Alliance, Carlos Ghosn came up with the term frugal engineering to describe the competency and aptness of Indian engineers in developing products like Tata Motors Nano. Frugal engineering is an overarching philosophy that enables a true clean sheet approach to product development (Sehgal et. al. 2010). It avoids needless costs and addresses millions of consumers at the bottom of the pyramid who are moving out of poverty in developing nations. Kumar and Puranam (2012) in their recent research identified the following underlying principles on which frugal engineering efforts seem to rest: Robustness The characteristic of being physically strong and inured to endurance. Most of the developing nations have harsh environments such as extreme temperatures. Portability Poor roads and transportation in the emerging economies call for the importance of goods that are easily portable. Small and lightweight products become highly desirable. Defeaturing This refers to feature rationalization. Usually features accumulate in products over time. Therefore there is need to remove some of them that do little to enhance the actual product. Leapfrog technology Leapfrogging is a process of making progress by large jumps as opposed to small increments. This may seem contradictory for developing nations. However, engineers in India and China have adopted technologies that make dependence on existing infrastructure irrelevant. Mega-scale production It is estimated that the middle class in Asia alone is 525 million people, greater than the entire population of the European Union (Pinelli, 2011). This massive population can help firms produce on a massive scale and drive costs down. Service Ecosystems By using efficient service ecosystems, firms utilizing frugal engineering have been selling large volumes to multiple segments, each with slightly different needs. With ecosystems low costs have been achieved. In India, frugal innovation is known as Jugaad innovation which means doing the best with what one possesses (Innovation Post 2011). Jugaad is a colloquial Hindi word which roughly translates as an innovative fix; an improvised solution born from ingenuity and cleverness (Radjou et. al., 2012). The term refers to a unique way of thinking and acting in response to challenges. Juggad is, quite simply, achieving more with less. India is becoming a leader in frugal innovation (Tiwari and Herstatt, 2012). In fact it is rapidly emerging as one of the hotspots for the development of innovations tailored to the needs of lower income groups (Kubzansky and Karamchandani, 2009). As mentioned earlier, the best known example of a frugal product is probably the Tata Nano car, which has become so popular in India and dubbed the peoples car (Howard, 2011). At the end of 2010, 70,000 units had been sold. Tatas aim was to develop and produce a car that would be much cheaper than any other car in the w orld. To achieve this, the company reengineered parts to save weight, reconfigured assembly methods and developed a complex network of third party suppliers to increase efficiency (Pinelli, 2011). In view of this ground breaking technology, some established car manufactures from advanced economies have seen a reduction in their sales. According to the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers, in 2011 Suzukis car sales in India dropped by 11.9 percent for the first time in 9 years (Nagata, 2012). Suzukis market share in India which was 50 percent in 2009 dropped to under 40 percent in 2011. Another example of frugal innovation is Indias technologically sophisticated solutions. The country is providing satellite launch services at the India Space Research Organization (ISRO). This organization is offering commercial services to space agencies and research institutions all over the world for costs that are significantly lower than those of its competitors in the developed world (Chand rashekar, 2011). In the medical field, a unique and interesting trend has emerged. Sometime back people seeking specialized medical treatment from developing nations would travel to developed nations for treatment. However, because of new and affordable medical services in India, patients from wealthy countries are going there for specialized treatment (Moriyasu, 2012). The comparably decent treatment is much cheaper and waiting time is short. For instance, the heart bypass surgery which costs US$144,000 in the US is available for US$8,600 in India (Moryyasu, 2012). In this regard, the number of medical tourists received by India has grown to 4.6 times the number received five years ago. At Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, patients from the US, the UK and the Persian Gulf States have been treated. Another country with successful cases of frugal innovation is China. For example, BYD in that country has developed a very low-cost method of producing lithium-ion batteries whose cost has been reduced from US$40 to less than US$5 per unit (Kharas, 2010). Other frugal products in China include a washing machine called Mini Magical Child developed by Haier, a home appliance company in 1996 (Hang et. al., 2010). The product was designed for small daily loads and offered an alternative to large expensive washing machines. These are all examples of good enough products designed to fulfill the basic needs at low cost thereby providing high value. From the scarce literature, three studies that attempted to address frugal innovation theoretical issues were identified. The first one proposed a frugal theoretical model on the basis of resource constraints, institutional innovation and social innovation (Bhatti, 2012). According to this model, the intersections among these three innovation streams present a fertile space where frugal innovation can be located. If each stream is taken separately, it cannot deal with the challenges of innovating for the underserved in emerging markets. The second study presented a conceptual framework for product innovation (Ray and Ray, 2011). As shown in Figure 2, they contended that to serve the markets at the bottom of the pyramid three concepts need to be harnessed; architectural innovation, modularity and collaborative partnerships. When performance of existing product technologies far exceeds what customers in mass markets are able to utilize or pay for; innovators need to develop simpler and cheaper products. They likened this to Christensens model of disruptive technologies. In this context, architectural innovation becomes the logical low cost choice, since it recombines existing component technologies in new ways, to create and alter price-performance packages without further investments in developing new core technologies. Modularity incorporated in such products enables firms to improve performance overtime to appeal to more discerning mainstream customers, eventually facilitating a technology to emerge. In short modularity is for customization and improvements. Furthermore, given that developing disruptive technologies is prone to high uncertainties and unforeseen costs, which maybe further exacerbated by institutional weaknesses in emerging economies, the authors drew on the concept of collaborative partnerships. Such firm practices will lower the costs and risks associated with innovation. The third study focused on frugal service innovation in Kenya, Africa. T he aim of the study was to explore how the MPESA solution (which will be discussed later in this paper) was conceived, designed and delivered to the customers (Wooder and Baker, 2012). The study proposed a service innovation framework comprising how to; create, deliver, capture, defend and sustain value. Unlike the model proposed by Bhatti, the last two conceptual frameworks have been subjected to some testing. While the three models are in tandem on affordability, resource constraints and internal capacities of firms, the Bhatti model appears complicated and difficult to implement. To test the intersection of social innovation, institutional innovation and resource constraints is such a mammoth task. BOP DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY simpler, cheaper than mainstream products Architectural Innovation Modularity Collaborative Partnerships Figure 2: A Conceptual Framework for product innovation for mass markets in emerging economies Source: Ray and Ray (2011) In order to understand how MNCs are organizing frugal innovation efforts in emerging markets, an in-depth study of five firms was carried out (Zeschky et al., 2011). Initially 13 firms, representing a variety of industries, were identified. The firms were sieved and eight dropped due to insufficient available data. The remaining five were found suitable case studies. Analysis was based on three criteria; product characteristics, motivation for developing products and implementation of product development. The study found that besides having similar structures regarding organization of RD, all of the five firms had a successful history of frugal innovation. Based on the above criteria it was established that successful frugal innovation: Should be grounded in the drive to meet the needs of resource-constrained customers at the lowest possible cost. Require local organizational structures and resources. Should result in products and services that are easy to use, robust and reliable. The above and other previous studies provide empirical evidence and a yardstick upon which future studies can be benchmarked. First, primary data was used; second the sample was reasonable and third firms represented different industries. 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This research focuses on identifying examples of frugal innovation in Africa. Being the first study of this kind in Africa, we used analogical thinking to identify of frugal innovation. The use of analogies in research involves the transfer of knowledge gained from one area (source domain) to another area or field (target domain) (Kalogerakis et al. 2010; Keane 1988). The knowledge and evidence of frugal innovation in some emerging economies (source domain) presented in this paper was used to identify examples of frugal innovation in Africa (target domain). As shown in this paper, there are successful examples of frugal innovation in India and China and these will be the yardstick against which cases in Africa will be identified.. Specifically the Zeschky et al. (2011) selection criterion was used to locate exceptional cases of frugal innovation in Africa. We scanned research databases and reviewed reports, articles and papers from previous studies and projects. Sources of such data included the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, reputable journals, African Union (AU) and New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD). This methodology was appropriate at this stage of the research. For the future, there will be need to carry out comprehensive in-depth case studies of the identified cases. Such studies will provide us with detailed insights of the firms design, and production processes and commercialization of products. 4. EXAMPLES OF FRUGAL INNOVATION IN AFRICA Drawing from the literature, we present six examples of successful frugal innovation in Africa. These cases are drawn from a range of broad areas ranging from housing construction to electronic money transfer technologies. 4.1 Moladi: Affordable houses in South Africa In many African countries, housing is one of the most sensitive issues affecting the lower income groups. In South Africa for example, close to 13% of the 14.3 million households are informal dwellings (Statistics South Africa, 2011). The term informal dwelling is often used in South Africa to designate shacks, corrugated-iron structures and other makeshift shelters. The above statistics represents about 1.8 million households (between 7.2 and 10.8 million people). Informal structures are often made of highly combustible materials such as wood and cardboard which pose serious safety and environmental concerns. The structures are easily damaged and exposed to the external elements meaning that people often live in damp, very hot or very cold conditions. The other concern is inadequate or lack of sanitation and running water which constitute a serious health hazard for the population. Similar conditions are present in many parts of Africa. In order to address this problem and as part of public policy, the South African government took a number of initiatives. It became one of the few countries in the world where the right to adequate housing of all citizens is enshrined in the constitution. According to section 26 of the constitution, the state has an obligation to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realization of this right [to housing]. (Republic of South Africa, 1996). In order to translate this commitment into results, the first fully democratic South African government, immediately upon taking office in 1994, embarked on a far-reaching economic policy framework called the Reconstruction and De

Monets Green Reflections :: essays research papers fc

Since the dawn of time, man has been inspired by the beauty of art. The Macquarie Concise Dictionary describes art as â€Å"the production or expression of what is beautiful, appealing or of more than ordinary significance†. I interpret the word art to refer to the physical reproduction of the artists own perception of the world around them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A masterpiece is defined as â€Å"a consummate example of skill or excellence†. Therefore, when in search of a masterpiece of the artistic category, we must take into account the proficiency and dexterity displayed by the artist. With these basic principles in mind, it is my belief that one cannot surpass Monet’s series entitled â€Å"Waterlilies† and more specifically the painting â€Å"Green Reflections†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have adored the â€Å"Waterlilies† series for a number of years. It was its originality that first appealed to me. â€Å"Green Reflections† is my favourite due mainly to the use of the green colour to indicate darkness of the water. The painting seems busy, yet not overpoweringly so. There is much for the eye, while allowing room for personal interpretation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Visually appealing, â€Å"Green Reflections† is a classic example of Monet’s personal style, being both scientific and painterly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This particular painting has captivated many admirers with its pretty pastel colours, prevalent in many of Monet’s works. The yellows and pinks of the lilies are in strong contrast to the deep blues and jungle greens of the water.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monet brought the study of the transient effects of natural light to its most refined expression, through the â€Å"Waterlilies† series. Therefore tone is an important aspect of the painting. It is used with great success, giving the appearance of shade on the right hand side. The tone also gives the impression of water reflections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"Waterlilies† series was a number of paintings of the same lily pond. The defining characteristic of â€Å"Green Reflections† is that it was the only one of the group painted at night. Monet’s fascination with light and colour was the fuel behind this concept.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being an impressionist painter, very little of his works used line and shape. â€Å"Green Reflections† is no exception. Irregular patterns are prominent with little regard for structure and realism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only way Monet could capture his version of â€Å"the truth of the moment† was through ‘lying’. Monet’s method made accommodations to his underlying philosophy of instantaneity and attention to decorative elements. Monet attempted to reconcile the idea of capturing a moment and his supposition that all moments must contain absolute truth through the use of a harmony of colours.

The Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad Essay -- Iliad essays

The Immortal Heroes of Homer’s Iliad In Homer’s Iliad, a warrior can only attain heroism and immortality by embracing an early death. Jean-Pierre Vernant describes this paradox in his essay, â€Å"A ‘Beautiful Death’ and the Disfigured Corpse in Homeric Epic.† According to Vernant, heroes accept the fact that life is short and â€Å"devote themselves completely and single-mindedly to war, adventure, glory, and death† (53). 1 Curiously, this is because heroes overcome death only when they embrace it (57). The importance of death stems from the fact that the individual is defined by his reputation and esteem among others, as Vernant points out when he argues that . . . real death lies in amnesia, silence, demeaning obscurity, the absence of fame. By contrast, real existence—for the living or the dead—comes from being recognized, valued, and honored. Above all, it comes from being glorified as the central figure in a song of praise, a story that endlessly tells and retells a destiny admired by all. (57) He made on it a great vineyard heavy with clusters, lovely and in gold, but the grapes upon it were darkened and the vines themselves stood out through poles of silver. About them he made a field-ditch of dark metal, and drove all around this a fence of tin; and there was only one path to the vineyard, and along it ran the grape-bearers for the vineyard’s stripping. Young girls and young men, in all their light-hearted innocence, carried the kind, sweet fruit away in their woven baskets, and in their midst a youth with a singing lyre played charmingly upon it for them, and sang the beautiful song for Linos in a light voice, and they followed him, and with singing and whistling and light dance-steps of their f... ...g death —and this is what makes a hero. Perhaps the final proof of this heroic immortality lies in the fact that the exploits of Achilleus and the other heroes of the Trojan War remain to this day the subject of passion and controversy. In this way, they have purchased a measure of fame and glory beyond anything they could have imagined. Truly, these heroes are immortal. NOTES 1 Jean-Pierre Vernant, â€Å"A ‘Beautiful Death’ and the Disfigured Corpse in Homeric Epic,† in Mortals and Immortals: Collected Essays (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991). 2 Homer, Iliad, trans. Richmond Lattimore (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1951), . 3 Homer, Odyssey, trans. Richard Lattimore (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1965). 4 Homer, Iliad. 5 Edith Hamilton, Mythology (New York: Mentor, 1969), 294. 6 Homer, Iliad. 7 Vernant, 60. 8 Homer, Iliad.

Sherman Alexie: What it means to be an Indian in America Essay

Sherman Alexie: What it means to be an Indian in America â€Å"Dr. Mather, if the Ghost Dance worked, there would be no exceptions. All you white people would disappear. All of you. If those dead Indians came back to life, they wouldn’t crawl into a sweathouse with you. They wouldn‘t smoke the pipe with you. They’d kill you. They’d gut you and eat your heart.† -Marie, Indian Killer, 314 The identity of the modern Native American is not found in simple language or description. Neither does a badge or collection of eagle feathers determine Native American identity. As Alexie demonstrates through the character of Dr. Mather and Wilson, pony-tails and store bought drums are mere materialistic symbols and stereotypes: they have no real value or respect for the history behind a person’s cultural heritage. Hanging out in Indian bars is insufficient. The identity of the Native American is formed in a context of opposition and resistance, of irreversible historical travesty, and of inescapable conflict. Given the complex and lengthy history of U.S. atrocities against the Indians, and the equally violent aggressions of Indians against whites, bloodshed and animosity were the basis original Indian- U.S. relations. The original brutality these relations cannot be underestimated; nor the intricate series of laws and Acts passed throughout the ninteeth and twentieth centur ies for the destruction of Indian culture and heritage. Yet, as Alexie argues, the forces of hatred cannot be exclusively emphasized in determining the identity of the Native American. Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie is a work of humor, an investigation of community identity and family love, as well as a discussion of race and hate. Marie’s speech to the hapless Dr. Mat... ...efers back to Marie’s hostile statement. Although not every Indian feels as Marie and Reggie do, certainly not John Smith in his dream, the ominous metaphor of the owls marks Alexie’s prediction for the future: unless hate can be reconciled, the spirit of murder and blood shed will continue to plague man kind. While the title of the work serves to encompass victims of both white and Indian cultural backgrounds and closes on the image of the ambiguous killer, (could it be Wilson dancing wildly with his store bought cassette tape? Or could it be Reggie living large in his bloody victories?), the content of the novel is a living account of human actions to historical contexts. Alexies’ work is exaggerated beyond reality, to be sure, yet his assessment of Native American identity is intriguing and universal in the story of recovery from human inflicted violence and hate.

Limitations From Suffering Chronic Asthma

One of the major public health problems facing Australia today is Asthma. It is disturbing that there has been an apparent increase in its prevalence and severity, and increased rates of hospital admissions. (E.J.Comino, 1996) For the diagnosed patient, the degree to which he or she suffers is related to severity of the condition, compliance with recommendations by medical experts, the immediate environment and the effectiveness of education programs. Like other major health problems, asthma has varying degrees of symptoms. As such, the degree and frequency of the symptoms limits many aspects of the asthmatics life. To describe the main limitations suffered by those with chronic asthma, asthma must be defined. Asthma is a condition whereby the sufferer has difficulty breathing due to widespread narrowing of the airways of the lungs. This narrowing can be caused by a local inflammation of the air-ways, muscle contraction or the production of excess mucus with in bronchi. (R.Roberts, 1996) Most common is bronchial asthma. Medical definitions of asthma suggest that environmental triggers can substantially contribute to the occurrence of an asthma attack. The review of asthma in Victoria (1988) by the Asthma Foundation of Victoria outlined infection, exercise, climatic conditions, exposure to airborne irritants and emotional upsets as the main trigger factors. However, doctors use a general classification to identify a patients pattern of asthma†¦classifying people who experience some symptoms of asthma on most days as having a chronic asthma condition. The classification system also extends to the categories of children, occupational asthma and asthma in later life. Usually regular medication is required to keep the lungs functioning as normally as possible. Some chronic asthmatics have severe symptoms over a long period of time and may require long term or indefinite medication to be able to lead a normal life. (Lane, 1996) The most obvious limitations suffered relate to the asthmatics physiological dysfunction. However, physiological dysfunction can in turn contribute to greater social and psychological limitations. This area is related more specifically to quality of life and morbidity and will be discussed further on. The main physiological limitation is related to the presence of the bronchial narrowing slowing the movement of air into and out of the lungs. Thus, there is difficulty both breathing in and out. Asthmatics commonly describe the feeling – tightness of the chest, congestion and wheezing. Although these symptoms can commonly occur in other chest diseases, in asthma it is a characteristic that can occur in an aggravated attack. This may be either brief episodes of chest tightness lasting a matter of minutes or a prolonged episode of wheezing lasting up to and hour, which can merge into a full blown attack of asthma. (D.J.Lane, 1996) Other physiological limitations relate to the sufferers sensitivity to known triggers factors and the consequential effect on their daily functioning. The Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (1995) states that triggers are risk factors that cause asthma exacerbation†s by inducing inflammation or provoking bronchio-constriction. This report also describes the main triggers as allergens, air pollutants, respiratory infections, exercise and hyperventilation, weather changes, allergies to foods, additives and drugs, and emotional stress. For example it is well established that viral respiratory infections can exacerbate asthma, especially in children under the age of 10. (Busse, 1993) Because the triggers may vary from person to person and from time to time, it is important to take the sufferers natural history into account and identify each individuals triggers. Therefore, an individuals identified trigger can restrict the sufferers ability to function normally. For example – an asthmatic child may try to avoid exercise for fear that it may trigger an asthmatic attack. This may in turn limit the sufferers physiological development over the long term and hence further contribute to the problem. (Global Strategy, 1995) Some psychological and social problems can also be considered as a consequence of the interaction with physiological limitations. The Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (1995) states that â€Å"asthma is a chronic disorder that can place considerable restrictions on the physical, emotional, and social aspects of the lives of patients and may have an impact on their careers†. Chronic asthma sufferers have to live with the need for treatment and with the limitations that having asthma places on their everyday lives. It is in this context that the asthmatics life area†s are most likely to be handicapped. In general, the chronic asthmatics activity choices are particularly handicapped. †¦. especially physical education. Exercise incites airflow limitation in most children and young adults who have asthma. Exercise appears to be a specific stimulus for people with asthma because it seldom leads to airflow limitation in people without asthma. (Global Strategy, 1995) More specifically sports where sustained effort is needed over a considerable period (eg long distance running) are not recommended. From a psychological point of view, the development of a positive sense of self (ie self-esteem) can be adversely affected by asthma. In one study, nearly 41 percent of parents of children with asthma said that asthma caused their children to feel self-pity. These children also were found to have low self-esteem as well as poor relationships with their peers. (Charmaz, 1983) For an adult, occupation and social life may be handicapped. A comparative study from Edinburgh (1996) between asthmatics and people with other forms of physical disability were found to have similar levels of anxiety or neuroticism. It was found most asthmatics exhibited varying levels of anxiety in relation to their beliefs and, in particular, their constant fear of another attack and anxiety over school and work prospects. (Lane, 1996). Similarly, fear also plays a predominant role in children who suffer from asthma†¦. with one in four Victorian children fearing not being able to breathe as a result of asthma (King, 1988). Furthermore, the relationship between asthma and emotional andor severe behavior problems is documented in a 1995 study by R,Bussing et al. In particular they tend to suffer from limited school functioning, inability to attend school and need for special school or special classes. In Australia, school loss caused by asthma accounted for approximately 965,000 days annually. (Aust Bureau Statistics, 1991) In particular poor academic performance and greater risk to learning difficulties were found to be the greatest negative consequences. (Fowler, 1992) The asthma sufferer can have a limited choice of occupations, because they are exposed to an increasingly large number of potential irritants in their working lives. In particular if specific allergies are known to exist then an occupation that exposes them to the allergens must be avoided. For instance, those sensitive to pollen should not become gardeners or those who have recurrent shortness of breath, should not become marine biologists. (Lane, 1996) 3. What can an individual do to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary as asthma attacks, or to minimize the seriousness of those that do occur? In 1989 an Australian Asthma management (AMP) plan was set up as a guideline for health professionals. The guideline was set up as a common consensus among health experts to help tackle the irregular diagnosis and treatment of asthma. More particularly, to help combat the increase of asthma induced admissions to hospitals due the occurrence of unnecessary asthma attacks. This report outlined 6 important steps to aid the doctor and the sufferer as to the basis of good asthma management. They include (1) Assess the severity of asthma; (2) achieve best lung function (3) maintain best lung function by identifying and avoiding triggers; (4) maintain best lung function with optimal medication; (5) develop an action plan; and (6) educate and review regularly. (Woolcock, 1989) Current research by Beilby (1997) highlighted that having an action plan can play a vital role in preventing hospital admissions and death from asthma. An asthma action plan is a co-ordinated method of management that covers all aspects a persons asthma – medication, triggers factors, lung function measurements, etc. To ensure greater adherence, both the patient and the doctor should fill out an asthma management chart together. It encourages self management and focuses on the importance of identifying the main trigger factors and monitoring the warning signs of an asthma attack. Essentially this involves a regular check on airway function by the use of a peak flow meter and the additional measurement of lung capacity twice a day those with severe asthma. Use of symptomatic (quick working) medication such the bronchodilator ventolin aerosol type to maintain best lung function, is recommended to reduce the seriousness of an acute attack. Doctors prescribe preventative medication such as Intal (sodium cromogylcate), anti-allergy injections and inhaled steroids for people who have severe asthma. Long term use of preventative medicine is used in conjunction with bronchodilators. After several months on preventative medicine, asthmatics find they are able to reduce their use of bronchodilators dramati cally. (Prendergast, 1991) Identifying trigger factors such as allergens, infection, exercise, weather changes and emotional stress is also important. The use of a bronchodilator or Intal, before being exposed to an identified trigger factor, can reduce the likelihood of an asthmatic reaction. The asthma management chart also describes what to do if following warning signs are observed : (1) the bronchodilator doesn†t bring expected relief, (2) a decrease in the peak expiratory flow, (3) Increased breathlessness and variation in peak flow rates during the day, (4) more frequent wheezing and a persistent dry cough and (4) disturbed sleep. (Prendergast, 1991) Asthmatics who live in highly polluted areas and are surrounded by electrical appliances, high tech equipment and power lines can benefit from air ionisers and a purifiers. Individuals can also prescribe to alternative treatment (for instance the Buteyko method), various breathing exercises, physical exercise (such as swimming), a healthy diet, and natural remedies such a homeopathic and acupuncture. It has been found that these treatments should complement orthodox medication and also help reduce the reliance on it. Roberts (1996) suggest that there is evidence that the Buteyko method is effective in treating chronic asthma. Devised by professor Beteyko of Siberia, this program consists of specific relaxation techniques and shallow breathing to correct breathlessness and wheezing. For those who are prone to exercise induced asthma choosing the right type of exercise is important †¦ particularly choosing a sport that requires longer and slower breathing and/or short bursts of effort. Examples include gymnastics, cricket and basketball. Swimming with its controlled breathing pattern is also recommended as it promotes chest development, flexibility and, therefore better breathing. (Roberts, 1996) There has been extensive research into new drug treatments of asthma by pharmaceutical companies and universities over the last 20 years. One such new effective drug to emerge is a Leukotiene receptor antagonists (LTRA). It was recently introduced into Australia this year and the USA 3 years ago. In people with asthma, leukotrienes play a key role in causing the inflammation, bronchoconstriction, and mucous production that lead to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. LTRA†s prevent leukotrienes from attaching to the proinflammatory receptors on circulating and lung cells, which contribute to asthma symptoms. Leukotriene research is the direct result of a Nobel Prize-winning discovery made by scientist Beng Samuelsson in 1979. (Lipworth, 1999) However, there needs to be further research into the efficacy and its side effects. 4. How effective are the educational programs undertaken by organizations such as Asthma Victoria? Current statistics indicate that there has been a reduction of asthma mortality and morbidity in Australia over the past 10 years. The fall in deaths from 964 in 1989 to 715 in 1997 may indicate that some of Australia†s strategies for asthma management have been successful. (NAC, 1998) The Australian Asthma Management Program provides a systematic and methodical approach to asthma care. Nevertheless, it was not formulated as an evidence based document. This means that its recommendations (devised in 1989) were not based on systematic reviews or had been ranked according to the strength supporting them. However, today there have been a number of studies reviewing the effectiveness of the AMP. One such report by the National Asthma Campaign (1999), commented on the crucial role of education in improving the management of asthma rather than the token gesture of handing over a leaflet at the end of a patient consultation. This was in relation to the 6th step – educate and review regularly and highlights the importance of education programs undertaken by organizations such as the Australian National Asthma Campaign, Asthma Victoria, the Thoracic society of Australia and New Zealand and other relevant educators. The 1990 and 1993 national surveys of 22,000 adults and 16,000 children conducted by the National Asthma Campaign (NAC) showed improved asthma management practices in the three year period. Although the changes are not necessary the direct result of the National Asthma Campaign, it is considered to be consistent with the campaign and other agencies having been successful in promoting awareness and optimal management of asthma. (Comino, 1996) One of the goals of the NAC was to reduce the reliance on daily medication and hence increase the use of preventative therapy (such as inhaled corcosteroids) for patients with moderate or severe asthma; together with written action plans based on symptom severity and measurements of lung function. Use of preventative medication was found to have increased among both children and adults. The study highlighted also that there was a significant decline in the use of daily inhaled bronchodilator drugs among children and also inappropriate medications such as antibiotics and oral prescriptions. In addition this study also showed that in 1993 survey, doctors measured lung function significantly more often than in 1990; with similar increases observed in the use of peak flow meters and written action plans. (Comino, 1996) These results suggest that the Australian Asthma Management Programs are relatively effective. However, the study also points to the fact that limitations still exist. In particular there is a lack of communication and joint management strategies between specialists and GP†s, hospitals and the community; whilst the use of action plans still has considerable room for further improvement. Nonetheless, not all studies on education programs show positive conclusions. A British research paper ‘Greenwich Asthma Study† of 1291 asthmatics conducted in 1993 and 1996 found that their model of service delivery was not effective in improving the outcome of asthma in the community. The intervention program used was based on the British Thoracic Society†s guidelines and was conducted by specialist nurses in community based settings. There were similarities in the methodology and intervention measurement. However, they concluded that no evidence was found for an improvement in asthma related quality of life among newly surveyed patients in intervention practices compared with control practices. (Premaratne, 1999) Altogether this highlights that the variability of the asthma educational programs undertaken by various major organisations make it difficult to comparatively evaluate. A comprehensive world wide study, ‘Objectives, methods and content of patient education programs for adults with asthma: systematic review of studies published between 1979 and 1998†³ found that there was great difficulty in identifying the most effective components of asthma educational programs. The main reason cited was that education programs for adults with asthma vary widely. Most reports did not specify the general (56%) and educational objectives (60%) of the intervention. Important training characteristics were often not available: duration of education (45%) and number of sessions (22%), who delivered education (15%), whether training was conducted in groups or was individualised (28%). (Sudre, 1999) Such variability suggests a lack of consensus on what educational components actually work. With insufficient documentation of asthma education programs for adults, replication is limited. In conclusion there is some evidence to suggest that written treatment management plans are most effective in improving the quality of life for people with asthma. In the Australian context the National Asthma Campaign has clearly documented program goals. However, the limitations lie in its lack of empirical evidence. In addition the reliability of the research documents in general has been brought into question by the Sudre (1999) study. Therefore it is difficult to demonstrate the most effective management plan for asthma sufferers. This issue is currently being addressed by the National Asthma Campaign and the Asthma Foundation of Victoria. The Asthma foundation is currently conducting a study into the effectiveness of their schools based program. Hopefully, this and other studies will help fill the gap associated with the effectiveness of asthma education programs. And hence secure the continuation and development of asthma education in the community. Limitations From Suffering Chronic Asthma One of the major public health problems facing Australia today is Asthma. It is disturbing that there has been an apparent increase in its prevalence and severity, and increased rates of hospital admissions. (E.J.Comino, 1996) For the diagnosed patient, the degree to which he or she suffers is related to severity of the condition, compliance with recommendations by medical experts, the immediate environment and the effectiveness of education programs. Like other major health problems, asthma has varying degrees of symptoms. As such, the degree and frequency of the symptoms limits many aspects of the asthmatics life. To describe the main limitations suffered by those with chronic asthma, asthma must be defined. Asthma is a condition whereby the sufferer has difficulty breathing due to widespread narrowing of the airways of the lungs. This narrowing can be caused by a local inflammation of the air-ways, muscle contraction or the production of excess mucus with in bronchi. (R.Roberts, 1996) Most common is bronchial asthma. Medical definitions of asthma suggest that environmental triggers can substantially contribute to the occurrence of an asthma attack. The review of asthma in Victoria (1988) by the Asthma Foundation of Victoria outlined infection, exercise, climatic conditions, exposure to airborne irritants and emotional upsets as the main trigger factors. However, doctors use a general classification to identify a patients pattern of asthma†¦classifying people who experience some symptoms of asthma on most days as having a chronic asthma condition. The classification system also extends to the categories of children, occupational asthma and asthma in later life. Usually regular medication is required to keep the lungs functioning as normally as possible. Some chronic asthmatics have severe symptoms over a long period of time and may require long term or indefinite medication to be able to lead a normal life. (Lane, 1996) The most obvious limitations suffered relate to the asthmatics physiological dysfunction. However, physiological dysfunction can in turn contribute to greater social and psychological limitations. This area is related more specifically to quality of life and morbidity and will be discussed further on. The main physiological limitation is related to the presence of the bronchial narrowing slowing the movement of air into and out of the lungs. Thus, there is difficulty both breathing in and out. Asthmatics commonly describe the feeling – tightness of the chest, congestion and wheezing. Although these symptoms can commonly occur in other chest diseases, in asthma it is a characteristic that can occur in an aggravated attack. This may be either brief episodes of chest tightness lasting a matter of minutes or a prolonged episode of wheezing lasting up to and hour, which can merge into a full blown attack of asthma. (D.J.Lane, 1996) Other physiological limitations relate to the sufferers sensitivity to known triggers factors and the consequential effect on their daily functioning. The Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (1995) states that triggers are risk factors that cause asthma exacerbation†s by inducing inflammation or provoking bronchio-constriction. This report also describes the main triggers as allergens, air pollutants, respiratory infections, exercise and hyperventilation, weather changes, allergies to foods, additives and drugs, and emotional stress. For example it is well established that viral respiratory infections can exacerbate asthma, especially in children under the age of 10. (Busse, 1993) Because the triggers may vary from person to person and from time to time, it is important to take the sufferers natural history into account and identify each individuals triggers. Therefore, an individuals identified trigger can restrict the sufferers ability to function normally. For example – an asthmatic child may try to avoid exercise for fear that it may trigger an asthmatic attack. This may in turn limit the sufferers physiological development over the long term and hence further contribute to the problem. (Global Strategy, 1995) Some psychological and social problems can also be considered as a consequence of the interaction with physiological limitations. The Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (1995) states that â€Å"asthma is a chronic disorder that can place considerable restrictions on the physical, emotional, and social aspects of the lives of patients and may have an impact on their careers†. Chronic asthma sufferers have to live with the need for treatment and with the limitations that having asthma places on their everyday lives. It is in this context that the asthmatics life area†s are most likely to be handicapped. In general, the chronic asthmatics activity choices are particularly handicapped. †¦. especially physical education. Exercise incites airflow limitation in most children and young adults who have asthma. Exercise appears to be a specific stimulus for people with asthma because it seldom leads to airflow limitation in people without asthma. (Global Strategy, 1995) More specifically sports where sustained effort is needed over a considerable period (eg long distance running) are not recommended. From a psychological point of view, the development of a positive sense of self (ie self-esteem) can be adversely affected by asthma. In one study, nearly 41 percent of parents of children with asthma said that asthma caused their children to feel self-pity. These children also were found to have low self-esteem as well as poor relationships with their peers. (Charmaz, 1983) For an adult, occupation and social life may be handicapped. A comparative study from Edinburgh (1996) between asthmatics and people with other forms of physical disability were found to have similar levels of anxiety or neuroticism. It was found most asthmatics exhibited varying levels of anxiety in relation to their beliefs and, in particular, their constant fear of another attack and anxiety over school and work prospects. (Lane, 1996). Similarly, fear also plays a predominant role in children who suffer from asthma†¦. with one in four Victorian children fearing not being able to breathe as a result of asthma (King, 1988). Furthermore, the relationship between asthma and emotional andor severe behavior problems is documented in a 1995 study by R,Bussing et al. In particular they tend to suffer from limited school functioning, inability to attend school and need for special school or special classes. In Australia, school loss caused by asthma accounted for approximately 965,000 days annually. (Aust Bureau Statistics, 1991) In particular poor academic performance and greater risk to learning difficulties were found to be the greatest negative consequences. (Fowler, 1992) The asthma sufferer can have a limited choice of occupations, because they are exposed to an increasingly large number of potential irritants in their working lives. In particular if specific allergies are known to exist then an occupation that exposes them to the allergens must be avoided. For instance, those sensitive to pollen should not become gardeners or those who have recurrent shortness of breath, should not become marine biologists. (Lane, 1996) 3. What can an individual do to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary as asthma attacks, or to minimize the seriousness of those that do occur? In 1989 an Australian Asthma management (AMP) plan was set up as a guideline for health professionals. The guideline was set up as a common consensus among health experts to help tackle the irregular diagnosis and treatment of asthma. More particularly, to help combat the increase of asthma induced admissions to hospitals due the occurrence of unnecessary asthma attacks. This report outlined 6 important steps to aid the doctor and the sufferer as to the basis of good asthma management. They include (1) Assess the severity of asthma; (2) achieve best lung function (3) maintain best lung function by identifying and avoiding triggers; (4) maintain best lung function with optimal medication; (5) develop an action plan; and (6) educate and review regularly. (Woolcock, 1989) Current research by Beilby (1997) highlighted that having an action plan can play a vital role in preventing hospital admissions and death from asthma. An asthma action plan is a co-ordinated method of management that covers all aspects a persons asthma – medication, triggers factors, lung function measurements, etc. To ensure greater adherence, both the patient and the doctor should fill out an asthma management chart together. It encourages self management and focuses on the importance of identifying the main trigger factors and monitoring the warning signs of an asthma attack. Essentially this involves a regular check on airway function by the use of a peak flow meter and the additional measurement of lung capacity twice a day those with severe asthma. Use of symptomatic (quick working) medication such the bronchodilator ventolin aerosol type to maintain best lung function, is recommended to reduce the seriousness of an acute attack. Doctors prescribe preventative medication such as Intal (sodium cromogylcate), anti-allergy injections and inhaled steroids for people who have severe asthma. Long term use of preventative medicine is used in conjunction with bronchodilators. After several months on preventative medicine, asthmatics find they are able to reduce their use of bronchodilators dramati cally. (Prendergast, 1991) Identifying trigger factors such as allergens, infection, exercise, weather changes and emotional stress is also important. The use of a bronchodilator or Intal, before being exposed to an identified trigger factor, can reduce the likelihood of an asthmatic reaction. The asthma management chart also describes what to do if following warning signs are observed : (1) the bronchodilator doesn†t bring expected relief, (2) a decrease in the peak expiratory flow, (3) Increased breathlessness and variation in peak flow rates during the day, (4) more frequent wheezing and a persistent dry cough and (4) disturbed sleep. (Prendergast, 1991) Asthmatics who live in highly polluted areas and are surrounded by electrical appliances, high tech equipment and power lines can benefit from air ionisers and a purifiers. Individuals can also prescribe to alternative treatment (for instance the Buteyko method), various breathing exercises, physical exercise (such as swimming), a healthy diet, and natural remedies such a homeopathic and acupuncture. It has been found that these treatments should complement orthodox medication and also help reduce the reliance on it. Roberts (1996) suggest that there is evidence that the Buteyko method is effective in treating chronic asthma. Devised by professor Beteyko of Siberia, this program consists of specific relaxation techniques and shallow breathing to correct breathlessness and wheezing. For those who are prone to exercise induced asthma choosing the right type of exercise is important †¦ particularly choosing a sport that requires longer and slower breathing and/or short bursts of effort. Examples include gymnastics, cricket and basketball. Swimming with its controlled breathing pattern is also recommended as it promotes chest development, flexibility and, therefore better breathing. (Roberts, 1996) There has been extensive research into new drug treatments of asthma by pharmaceutical companies and universities over the last 20 years. One such new effective drug to emerge is a Leukotiene receptor antagonists (LTRA). It was recently introduced into Australia this year and the USA 3 years ago. In people with asthma, leukotrienes play a key role in causing the inflammation, bronchoconstriction, and mucous production that lead to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. LTRA†s prevent leukotrienes from attaching to the proinflammatory receptors on circulating and lung cells, which contribute to asthma symptoms. Leukotriene research is the direct result of a Nobel Prize-winning discovery made by scientist Beng Samuelsson in 1979. (Lipworth, 1999) However, there needs to be further research into the efficacy and its side effects. 4. How effective are the educational programs undertaken by organizations such as Asthma Victoria? Current statistics indicate that there has been a reduction of asthma mortality and morbidity in Australia over the past 10 years. The fall in deaths from 964 in 1989 to 715 in 1997 may indicate that some of Australia†s strategies for asthma management have been successful. (NAC, 1998) The Australian Asthma Management Program provides a systematic and methodical approach to asthma care. Nevertheless, it was not formulated as an evidence based document. This means that its recommendations (devised in 1989) were not based on systematic reviews or had been ranked according to the strength supporting them. However, today there have been a number of studies reviewing the effectiveness of the AMP. One such report by the National Asthma Campaign (1999), commented on the crucial role of education in improving the management of asthma rather than the token gesture of handing over a leaflet at the end of a patient consultation. This was in relation to the 6th step – educate and review regularly and highlights the importance of education programs undertaken by organizations such as the Australian National Asthma Campaign, Asthma Victoria, the Thoracic society of Australia and New Zealand and other relevant educators. The 1990 and 1993 national surveys of 22,000 adults and 16,000 children conducted by the National Asthma Campaign (NAC) showed improved asthma management practices in the three year period. Although the changes are not necessary the direct result of the National Asthma Campaign, it is considered to be consistent with the campaign and other agencies having been successful in promoting awareness and optimal management of asthma. (Comino, 1996) One of the goals of the NAC was to reduce the reliance on daily medication and hence increase the use of preventative therapy (such as inhaled corcosteroids) for patients with moderate or severe asthma; together with written action plans based on symptom severity and measurements of lung function. Use of preventative medication was found to have increased among both children and adults. The study highlighted also that there was a significant decline in the use of daily inhaled bronchodilator drugs among children and also inappropriate medications such as antibiotics and oral prescriptions. In addition this study also showed that in 1993 survey, doctors measured lung function significantly more often than in 1990; with similar increases observed in the use of peak flow meters and written action plans. (Comino, 1996) These results suggest that the Australian Asthma Management Programs are relatively effective. However, the study also points to the fact that limitations still exist. In particular there is a lack of communication and joint management strategies between specialists and GP†s, hospitals and the community; whilst the use of action plans still has considerable room for further improvement. Nonetheless, not all studies on education programs show positive conclusions. A British research paper ‘Greenwich Asthma Study† of 1291 asthmatics conducted in 1993 and 1996 found that their model of service delivery was not effective in improving the outcome of asthma in the community. The intervention program used was based on the British Thoracic Society†s guidelines and was conducted by specialist nurses in community based settings. There were similarities in the methodology and intervention measurement. However, they concluded that no evidence was found for an improvement in asthma related quality of life among newly surveyed patients in intervention practices compared with control practices. (Premaratne, 1999) Altogether this highlights that the variability of the asthma educational programs undertaken by various major organisations make it difficult to comparatively evaluate. A comprehensive world wide study, ‘Objectives, methods and content of patient education programs for adults with asthma: systematic review of studies published between 1979 and 1998†³ found that there was great difficulty in identifying the most effective components of asthma educational programs. The main reason cited was that education programs for adults with asthma vary widely. Most reports did not specify the general (56%) and educational objectives (60%) of the intervention. Important training characteristics were often not available: duration of education (45%) and number of sessions (22%), who delivered education (15%), whether training was conducted in groups or was individualised (28%). (Sudre, 1999) Such variability suggests a lack of consensus on what educational components actually work. With insufficient documentation of asthma education programs for adults, replication is limited. In conclusion there is some evidence to suggest that written treatment management plans are most effective in improving the quality of life for people with asthma. In the Australian context the National Asthma Campaign has clearly documented program goals. However, the limitations lie in its lack of empirical evidence. In addition the reliability of the research documents in general has been brought into question by the Sudre (1999) study. Therefore it is difficult to demonstrate the most effective management plan for asthma sufferers. This issue is currently being addressed by the National Asthma Campaign and the Asthma Foundation of Victoria. The Asthma foundation is currently conducting a study into the effectiveness of their schools based program. Hopefully, this and other studies will help fill the gap associated with the effectiveness of asthma education programs. And hence secure the continuation and development of asthma education in the community.