Essay about Comparison of Urban Sociological Theories

Comparison of Urban Sociological Theories In order for an urban sociologist to discover â€Å"How urban societies work,† theories of â€Å"urban ecology† or â€Å"political economy† are used as a guide in their research. Urban ecology refers to the importance of social structure and social organization as shaping social life in the city. Urban ecologist concerns for social order, social cohesion, community ties and social differentiation offer key insight to how societies work (Kleniewski, 2001). Alternatively political economy stresses the use of power, domination and resources in the shaping of cities (Kleniewski, 2001). Urban sociologists’ theoretical approach to research questions is based on fundamental assumptions that they find most useful for†¦show more content†¦He believed that social interactions in modern industrial cities were impersonal and fragmented. He believed that factors such as size, density, and heterogeneity were responsible for social relations found in cities (Kl eniewski, 2001). This theory of human ecology was used to study human behavior such as, lives of gang members, homeless people and immigrants and to study changing land uses over time in order to show how the different populations of the city adapt to and compete for territories (Kleniewski, 2001. In comparison to urban ecology, political economy is concerned with how urban societies work. Although, political economist developed different understandings and interpretations of how urban societies actually work. In the 1970’s the city had many social problems which included welfare, unemployment and tax inflations. Theorist of political economy, Marx, Engels and Weber viewed the city as a site of struggle due to unequal distribution of resources (Kleniewski, 2001). Therefore in contrast to the urban ecology theory of humans being immediately dependent on their environment, the theory of political economy stresses that the city relies not only on its environment but its social arrangement, economic and political functions. Also in contrast to urban ecology, residential patterns are not only influenced by humans just adapting to their natural environment butShow MoreRelatedChoosing Selves : The Salience Of Parental Identity811 Words   |  4 Pagesselecting a college is co mplicated than policy making, this study bridged the gap by relying on ethnographic data from middle-class parents in a large city who were considering sending their children to a diverse neighborhood public school. From a sociological perspective, the authors examined parents’ choice of a particular, based on consumption (as a social and cultural process) and their own identity construction. This selection process, the author believe, involve parents gathering information aboutRead MoreThe Development of the Chicago Schools1684 Words   |  7 Pagesfindings have shaped our understanding of crime in the 21st century. Firstly by introducing the Chicago School theory, also known as the, Theory of Social Disorganisation and the Ecological School Theory. The University of Chicago formed a department of Sociology in 1892 its focus related to issues in Criminology and Sociology, with interests in and towards Social Psychology along with Urban Sociology. The main focus of the Chicago school was that human behaviour was both formed and shaped by theRead MoreThe Theory Of Social Control Theory1668 Words   |  7 Pagessocialization leads to nonconformity. Both theories are traced from the Sociological Criminology. Sociological Criminology was developed by Emile Durkheim in which he thought crime had a relation to social and environmental factors. According to Siegel (2105), â€Å"Durkheim thought that crime was normal because it is virtually impossible to imagine a society in which criminal behavior is absent† (p.11). Social control is a sub theory of Social process theory. Social process theory focuses its attention on socializationRead MoreSuicide Among Women : China s Suicide Rate1354 Words   |  6 Pagesaround 3:1. Law and Pozi also found this ration to be the same for rural to urban suicides. Young females suicides in rural areas of China were a major contribution to suicide rates of China during 1990s. This may be due to the cultural-socioeconomic disadvantages that Chinese rural females hold. In this essay, the possible causes for such high rates in young females suicides in rural China will be explored and comparison as well as connections will be made to Sociologist and Philosopher Emile Durkheim’sRead MoreAnalysis of Marx, Weber, and Durkheims Views Essay1223 Words   |  5 PagesThe sociological views of  the three founding fathers; Karl Marx,  Max Weber, and  Emile Durkheim  all assert that various aspects of our lifestyle are fully a product of the society in which we live. Each theorist views the impact of society and its manifestation of our identity in a different way. All three of these men used the Industrial Revolution  and capitalism to shape their theories of social identity, especially the identity created by capitalisms division of labor; the owners of the meansRead MoreSocial Structure And The Occurrence Of Family Homicides1663 Words   |  7 Pages The Significance of Social Structure Theories in the Occurrence of Family Homicides. Colleen M. Mohsinger NCCU CRJU – 3000 WT1 SP’2015 In 2010, Chelsea Diem and Jesenia M. Pizarro set out to determine whether social structure had an influence on the occurrence of familial homicide in any significant fashion. They wanted to analyze the relationships between social disorganization, economic deficiency, and different types of family homicide. Diem and Pizarro (2010) stated in theirRead MoreStudent Vulnerabilities : An Analysis Of College Choice And Access Gaps Faced By Low Income Students Essay2184 Words   |  9 Pagesstudents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds apply, enroll, and complete postsecondary education at lower rates than students from higher income quartiles. Lower income students also apply to and attend less selective and competitive institutions in comparison to higher income students, a phenomenon known as undermatching. Undermatching is more prevalent among low income students whose parents did not attend postsecondary education, are from rural communities, who lack access to college counselling ,Read MoreFalling Back By Jamie Fader1585 Words   |  7 Pageswithin their suburban communities and were now in the process of behavioral change in order to help them reflect and be able to make better decisions which would lead them to a better life. Fader observed these juveniles as they transitioned back to urban Philadelphia where they would resume their daily lives and also struggle to adopt adult masculine roles: â€Å"After these young men demonstrated sufficient change to earn their release or, more typically staff members determined that they had changed asRead MoreCollective Behavior Theories1765 Words   |  8 Pagesbehavior has shaped our everyday lives in more ways than most of us care to think about. Collective behavior is defined as any event in which a group of people engages in unusual behavior. Unusual may have a negative connotation for some, but from a sociological standpoint, as discussed in class, it simply means against the norm. Even more explanatory than that; behavior that falls outside of the normative expectations for a situation and/or participants. In a normal setting, people wouldn’t behave thisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Cracking The Cornfields : Recruiting Illicit Stimulant Drug User s1300 Words   |  6 PagesSome researchers have explained that the focus in urban areas has led to rural felonies being overlooked (Forsyth Copes, 2014). Studies of crime frequently focus on comparisons among urban areas but rarely examine differences in rural areas. I will summarize and critically review the article â€Å"Cracking the cornfields: Recruiting Illicit Stimulant Drug Users in Rural Ohio by Draus et al (2005). The past researches done on illicit drug use in the urban settings and their fairly-effective recruiting techniques

A Christmas Carol Drama And Movie Comparison - 1018 Words

A Christmas Carol Drama and Movie Comparison â€Å"Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.†( Erich Fromm) In the story, A Christmas Carol, By Charles Dickens. The main character is a greedy man named Ebenezer Scrooge who has no Christmas spirit. Scrooge starts off in the story with no joy in his life. He is then visited by the ghost of his former coworker, who says that the Scrooge will be visited by three spirits who show him the past, present, and the future. There are many similarities between the drama and the movie. In the movie,(video 1984)Scrooge is taken to the past to see his childhood, and his young adulthood. As a child, he is ignored and hated by his father because he believes that Scrooge killed his wife because she died in childbirth. Past also takes him to see his girlfriend. He sees them at a dance, and he sees them break up, because his girlfriend thinks he cares too muc h about money. Scrooge is them taken to see his girlfriend and her husband and children. That is the life Scrooge would have had if he had stayed with her. The character Past is also a girl in the movie, and Scrooge wakes up from the dream wrestling with the floor rug. Scrooge is taken to the present, he sees the Cratchit feast on there small dinner, but when Mr Cratchit makes a toast to Mr. Scrooge, Mrs. Cratchit doesn t want to toast Mr Scrooge. Present takes Scrooge to see the places where theShow MoreRelatedEssay On Star Wars1985 Words   |  8 Pagesanytime soon. As a result, marketing campaigns must use all mediums available to them to bring their film to the attention of the public. This essay will highlight the marketing strategies used by two films from 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Carol. To what extent was the marketing of these films successful and were they able to draw viewers to the cinema, focusing primary on the trailers, stars and merchandising. Before going into how the two films mentioned above drew viewers to the cinemaRead MoreAnalysis on Conversation Features. Differenfes Between British and American English16034 Words   |  65 Pagesdates, between 2001 and 2002. Six Feet Under is a black comedy-drama of a group of people, who work in a mortuary, dealing with issues such as relationships, infidelity, and religion. In the episode we have chosen, called Familia, Fisher Sons (the mortuary) arranges a funeral for a gang member (Paco), while Nate (Ruth’s son) is a suspect in an arson and Ruth holds a welcoming dinner for Brenda (Nate’s girlfriend). Teachers is a comedy-drama which is situated mostly in and around a fictional school andRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesbid up its stock market price to make the company more valuable than such long-established firms as Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Time Warner, ATT, Boeing, Disney, McDonald’s, and General Motors and Ford. INFORMATION BOX COMPARISON OF MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE Table 2.1 Comparison of Microsoft and Google Growth in Revenues from Their Beginnings Microsoft Beginning Went Public Years from Beginning 1975 1986 11 years Revenues (millions) 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Google Read More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 PagesNumber: 2006933904 Student Edition: ISBN-13: 978-0-495-11873-2 ISBN-10: 0-495-11873-7 ââ€"   To my nephews, Jesse and Luke Smidt, who bet I wouldn’t put their names in this book. R. P. ââ€"   To my wife, Sally, and my daughter, Anna C. O. ââ€"   To Carol, Allie, and Teri. J. D. ââ€"   About the Authors puter Teacher of the Year award in 1988 and received the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement in mathematics in 1999. Chris is a frequent contributor to the AP Statistics Electronic Discussion GroupRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesSUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 24 Diagnostic Survey and Exercises 24 Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) 24 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 28 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 30 SCORING KEY AND COMPARISON DATA 42 Personal Assessment of Management Skills 42 Scoring Key 42 Comparison Data 42 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 43 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 43 PART I 1 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 45 DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS SKILL ASSESSMENT 46 Diagnostic Surveys forRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesQuestions for Review 51 Key Terms 51 52 HRM Workshop 49 Guarding Against Discrimination Practices 65 DID YOU KNOW?: Is a Problem Brewing? 66 Determining Potential Discriminatory Practices 66 The 4/5ths Rule 66 Restricted Policy 66 Geographical Comparisons 67 McDonnell-Douglas Test 67 Responding to an EEO Charge 67 Business Necessity 68 Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications 68 Seniority Systems 68 Selected Relevant Supreme Court Cases 69 Cases Concerning Discrimination 69 Cases Concerning Reverse

Transition Metals Free Essays

Transition Metals 1a) The d-orbitals of a free transition metal atom or ion are degenerate (all have the same energy. ) However, when  transition metals  form  coordination complexes, the d-orbitals of the metal interact with the electron cloud of the ligands  in such a manner that the d-orbitals become non-degenerate (not all having the same energy. ) The way in which the orbitals are split into different energy levels is dependent on the geometry of the complex. We will write a custom essay sample on Transition Metals or any similar topic only for you Order Now Crystal field theory  can be used to predict the energies of the different d-orbitals, and how the  d-electrons  of a transition metal are distributed among them. When the d-level is not completely filled, it is possible to promote and electron from a lower energy d-orbital to a higher energy d-orbital by absorption of a photon of electromagnetic radiation having an appropriate energy. Electromagnetic radiations in the visible region of the spectrum often possess the appropriate energy for such transitions. The magnitude of the splitting of the d-orbitals in a transition metal complex depends on three things: * the geometry of the complex * the oxidation state of the metal * the nature of the ligands(Kotz, J. C 1987) Kotz, J. C. ; Purcell, K. F. Chemical and Chemical ReactivitySaunders: New York, 1987, Chapter 25. Rodgers, G. E. Introduction to Coordination, Solid State, and Descriptive Inorganic ChemistryMcGraw -Hill: New York, 1994, Chapter 4. b. The origin of colour in complex ions containing transition metals Complex ions containing transition metals are usually coloured, whereas the similar ions from non-transition metals aren’t. That suggests that the partly filled d orbitals must be involved in generating the colour in some way. Remember that transition metals are defined as having partly filled d orbitals. Octahedral complexes For simplicity we are going to look at the octahedral complexes which have six simple ligands arranged around the central metal ion. The argument isn’t really any different if you have multidentate ligands – it’s just slightly more difficult to imagine! | When the ligands bond with the transition metal ion, there is repulsion between the electrons in the ligands and the electrons in the d orbitals of the metal ion. That raises the energy of the d orbitals. However, because of the way the d orbitals are arranged in space, it doesn’t raise all their energies by the same amount. Instead, it splits them into two groups. The diagram shows the arrangement of the d electrons in a Cu2+ion before and after six water molecules bond with it. Whenever 6 ligands are arranged around a transition metal ion, the d orbitals are always split into 2 groups in this way – 2 with a higher energy than the other 3. The size of the energy gap between them (shown by the blue arrows on the diagram) varies with the nature of the transition metal ion, its oxidation state (whether it is 3+ or 2+, for example), and the nature of the ligands. When white light is passed through a solution of this ion, some of the energy in the light is used to promote an electron from the lower set of orbitals into a space in the upper set. Each wavelength of light has a particular energy associated with it. Red light has the lowest energy in the visible region. Violet light has the greatest energy. Suppose that the energy gap in the d orbitals of the complex ion corresponded to the energy of yellow light. The yellow light would be absorbed because its energy would be used in promoting the electron. That leaves the other colours. Your eye would see the light passing through as a dark blue, because blue is the complementary colour of yellow. | | | Examples: http://www. chemguide. co. uk/inorganic/complexions/colour. html#top 2. Transition metal compounds are  paramagnetic  when they have one or more unpaired  d  electrons. 15]  In octahedral complexes with between four and seven  d  electrons both  high spin  and  low spin  states are possible. Tetrahedral transition metal complexes such as  [FeCl4]2? are  high spin  because the crystal field splitting is small so that the energy to be gained by virtue of the electrons being in lower energy orbitals is always less than the energy needed to pair up the spins. Some c ompounds are  diamagnetic. These include octahedral, low-spin,  d6  and square-planar  d8  complexes. In these cases,crystal field  splitting is such that all the electrons are paired up. Ferromagnetism  occurs when individual atoms are paramagnetic and the spin vectors are aligned parallel to each other in a crystalline material. Metallic iron and the alloy  alnico  are examples of ferromagnetic materials involving transition metals. Anti-ferromagnetism  is another example of a magnetic property arising from a particular alignment of individual spins in the solid state (. adapted from ‘’Transition Metalsa,’’ 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Transition_metal#Coloured_compounds) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Transition_metal#Coloured_compounds) 3. Catalytic properties The transition metals and their compounds are known for their homogeneous and heterogeneous  catalytic  activity. This activity is ascribed to their ability to adopt multiple oxidation states and to form complexes. Vanadium(V) oxide (in the  contact process), finely divided  iron  (in the  Haber process), and  nickel  (in  Catalytic hydrogenation) are some of the examples. Catalysts at a solid surface involve the formation of bonds between reactant molecules and atoms of the surface of the catalyst (first row transition metals utilize 3d and 4s electrons for bonding). This has the effect of increasing the concentration of the reactants at the catalyst surface and also weakening of the bonds in the reacting molecules (the activation energy is lowering). (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Transition_metal#Coloured_compounds). The d orbitals are what give transition metals their special properties. In transition metal ions the outermost d orbitals are incompletely filled with electrons so they can easily give and take electrons. This makes transition metals prime candidates for catalysis. Transition metal catalysts can be very useful for oxidation/reduction reactions because their outer electrons are especially susceptible to oxidation and reduction. If an oxidized transition metal runs into a molecule it can take electrons from that molecule, thereby oxidizing the molecule. If a reduced transition metal runs into a molecule it can give the molecule electrons and reduce it. Because transition metals are easier to oxidize and reduce than other elements, this process goes faster! Transition metals can both lend electrons to and take electrons from other molecules. By giving and taking electrons so easily, transition metal catalysts speed up reactions. (http://www. chemeddl. org/resources/TSTS/Stahl/Stahl9-12/Transitionorbitals9to12. html) Transition metals as catalysts Iron in the Haber Process The Haber Process combines hydrogen and nitrogen to make ammonia using an iron catalyst. Nickel in the hydrogenation of C=C bonds This reaction is at the heart of the manufacture of margarine from vegetable oils. However, the simplest example is the reaction between ethene and hydrogen in the presence of a nickel catalyst. Transition metal compounds as catalysts Vanadium(V) oxide in the Contact Process At the heart of the Contact Process is a reaction which converts sulphur dioxide into sulphur trioxide. Sulphur dioxide gas is passed together with air (as a source of oxygen) over a solid vanadium(V) oxide catalyst. Iron ions in the reaction between persulphate ions and iodide ions Persulphate ions (peroxodisulphate ions), S2O82-, are very powerful oxidising agents. Iodide ions are very easily oxidised to iodine. And yet the reaction between them in solution in water is very slow. The reaction is catalysed by the presence of either iron(II) or iron(III) ions. * http://www. chemguide. co. uk/inorganic/transition/features. html#top 4. Test For Gases Ions : http://www. pearsonschoolsandfecolleges. co. uk/Secondary/Science/14-16forEdexcel/EdexcelIGCSEBiologyChemistryPhysics/Samples/ChemistryRevisionGuide/ChemistryRevisionGuideChapter16. pdf Also Refer to Slide ! How to cite Transition Metals, Essay examples

Asset Maintenance Management

Question: Discuss about the Asset Maintenance Management. Answer: Introduction Most of the milling machines are very versatile as a result of the fact that majority are used while on a flat surface. Therefore, the users should apply a diversified mechanism of ensuring that they are well maintained so as to uphold their ability to perform numerous activities. This document applies to all students, staff and the faculty of engineering and also other people who wish to use Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine. Figure 1.1 shows the vertical image of a Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine. Figure 1.1 It is made up of on and off switch whose primary function is putting on and off the machine. However, its usage can also be applied in changing the direction of the spindle. It is also fitted with brakes whose work is stopping rotating rod immediately after turning off the machine. Another component is the quill knob whose function is locking quill at its prescribed height. Additionally, it has a power drawbar used for removing or inserting of the collet from the spindle of the machine. Besides, it has a vice which is used for clamping pieces of work onto the milling machine table. Apart from the functional parts, it has x-axis alarms used in indicating for course of work being performed by the milling machine. Such indicators change color depending on the message in which it entails to pass to the operator (Boglietti et al., 2016). The parts named and their functions synchronized together forms the basis through which this type of milling machine works. This device is made in such a way that immediately the on and off switch is directed on the course of action; it ignites the entire system to run or stop as long as everything else is in place. During work, one should ensure that all the guards exist to avoid the accidents since working using this device is fatal. It has to be operated by one person at ago so as to prevent confusion since this may lead to perils if not well planned and it should perform a small task at ago. Safety procedures In any working environment, one should ensure that security is paramount. Working using Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine is quite hazardous in that it has some sharp cutters which can cause massive damage to the user. Moreover, this machine has numerous moving components, and the majority of them are in a metallic state. Therefore, it is incumbent to outline that one should be very carefully working and walking around to minimize damages (Vlez-Reyes, Verghese Fliess, 2016). More so, Metals being grounded can cause eye injury since some may release some small form of metals which may lead to partial or even permanent loss of eyesight. The chemical used in cleaning and removing of corrosions from metals can irritate the skin, and thus one should wear protective clothes at the workplace to counter this menace. The hair and the clothes should be held tight so as to avoid conduct with the metals and the reagents used since this can be fatal (Blasen Lane, 2016). A lot of emphases should be put on personal safety since this is the primary level of care in the industry. One should always wear protective classes so as to avoid coming into conduct with uncertainties in the premise. Additionally, the required footwear must be worn at all the time to prevent piercing from objects. Likewise, one should avoid wearing of rings and the jeweler since they can easily lead to problems since they are metallic hence good conductors of heat. Furthermore, long hair and loose clothes should be avoided (O'neal, Meiss, Caterpillar, 2016). Raw material and wastes product is another area in which the traders should factor while using milling machines. Since the majority of the milling companies deal with metals, it is important for them to collect waste products from residential resulting from tear and wear of households such has cups and plates. They can use to make other valuable material by melting them and thus minimizing of the environmental degradation. This raw material s hould be handled with care by people with technical know-how since they are quite dangerous. The equipment should be lubricated from now and then so as to ensure smooth flow of work at the same time ensuring that the prevention of tools from rust. Grease and oil should be applied from time so as to achieve longevity of the system. Identification of critical machine parameters Parameters to be implemented in this form of milling machine has to work hand in hand with the intended subject matter of coming up with quality output. Therefore, the considerations factored have all the ingredients for an exceptional result. The machine should be fitted with precision KURT model 675. It has been established that this type is easy to set apart and thus one can constantly check what is taking place during grinding (Ahmad Plapper, 2015). Moreover, it is made up of chips which do not fall on top or underneath the parallels easily. Consequently, its management becomes a symbol task in that one cannot concentrate too much on checking for their functionality from time to time. The parts produced as a result of the working standard of this machine are thus perfected leading to accuracy and quality output. Additionally, the squaring stock and face milling of Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine should be created a way that its base is flat (Rasouli Lagoa, 2017). This p roperty is crucial since it enables one to produce the parts which are standard in both quality and shape. They usually work for end mills up to 750mm in diameter. Besides, this parameter enables one to grind any material in different forms, and thus cases of having to buy a different milling machine whenever one wants to make several shapes are eradicated. In a nutshell, it is viewed has very economical and quality and thus one has to observe this feature before making purchases entailing milling machines. Apart from that, an excellent milling machine has to apply the usage of clean cutting fluids. Different fluids are designed to provide the correct amount of lubricity, increased tool lifespan, cooling and better surface finish. To obtain the prescribed qualities, one has to ensure that all fluids are thoroughly washed, and when removing the machine from the lubricant, it must be dry so as to prevent corrosion (Mannodi-Kanakkithodi, Pilania Ramprasad, 2016). For instance, A9 cutt ing fluids are used in the cleaning of the aluminum and other soft metals so as to reduce the chances of making them rough. Likewise, accurate cutting should be employed in Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine. It is prudent to underscore that collet or drill chuck should be utilized in milling tools since they are sharp and they do not leave marks on the products. R8 mill collet can hold end mills, fly cutters, boring hearing, shell mills and the counter bores giving them added the advantage of being a major constituent of Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine since it improves its efficiency (Zhang et al. 2016). What's more, a device should be equipped with a long lasting Digital Read Out (DROs) since they play an integral part for accuracy positioning. It is made up of X and Y axis both having an accuracy index of 0.0001. The closeness to zero range is to enhance the quality of the metals produced during the milling work. maintenance producers Like any other machine, Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine requires a routine maintenance to upload a sound output and also a have the capability to last for long duration. Moreover, the support applied helps the company or the owner in reducing costs incurred during the breakdown. Primarily, Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine should be isolated from the electric gadgets before the technician carries out the maintenance function (Doi, Uhlmann Marinescu, 2015). The reason is that most of the metals are good conductors of heat and thus in case one carries on with the work before switching or disconnecting the machine from the electricity, one might be electrocuted. Secondly, Rodrguez et al., (2017) states that, the backlash adjustment should take place. The Endeavour should be done by a specialist since it is quite technical for someone without the knowledge of machines. In this stage, one should crack the fable to the left withdrawing of screw A' a turn. This technique wil l ensure that the machine opens smoothly preventing any undue breakage of other parts of the component (Soori, Arezoo Habibi, 2016). After that, one should tighten screw B' so as to hold the entire system well in place and avoid collapsing of other parts which are intact. After that, one should lock screw A' to B' to avoid losing of the bolts. It should be done weekly. The second procedure is the replacement of Vee and Timing Belt. This area is achieved by isolating of the machine and removing of the belt guards, motor and the drawbar followed by lowering of the quill and removal of the six screw type A' (zceylan, Kabak Da?deviren, 2016). The belts may or not be changed depending on their condition. After that, one refits the belt guards and closes the machine. It should be done weekly by an expert. The third procedure entails brake shoe replacement. One should begin by removing of two screws A' and two screws B' and pushing of the bearing hub to twist C' for efficiency purposes during the task. Afterwards, one should remove three screws from D' and replace the brake shoe to ensure friction of the device is maintained accordingly (Tai et al., 2014). Finally lock pin D' tightly by using of washers and the nuts. This step should be carried by a technician after every one month thus should be planned accordingly. Fourthly, a technician should balance spring replacement in the device. One can achieve this by applying a lock on the quill at the top to counter movement. It is followed by the removal of key C', hub B' and screws A' and D' which will provide room for free housing rotation thus releasing spring tension. Housing B' should be rotated anti-clockwise from the head casting position and refitting of the spring to the main house. This part is quite time-consuming and technical thus services of a machine operator should be employed. It has to be planned after every two months (Ostadi Saifpanahi, 2017). The fifth procedure entails feet trip adjustment which involves releasing of the lock nut A' and engaging of trip handle C'. The nuts should be on the top of the quill and adjusting of screw D' until C' trips. This routine should be done anytime by the operator thus predictive task. The sixth step entails collecting of the aligning screws. It is done by removing of screws A', C' and collect ing alignment D'. Later on, one should replace these bolts with a set of new ones. One should avoid over tightening since it can lead to breakage. It can be done monthly by the milling operator and should not be planned as such. Quill removal is the seventh procedure and entails isolation of the machine, removal of belt guards, motor, drawbar, fully extended quill, three nuts A', one screw B' from the top of the quill, dock spring housing C' and refitting of the belt guards. After that, one should clean the entire system and reassemble it before checking if the machine works properly. This operation should be planned and done by a professional after every six months (Pavlovic Fragassa, 2016). The final course of action is the changing of the gear case oil by draining and refilling it after the first two months of operations and after that twice yearly. The plugs have to be replaced with proper oils so as to ensure its flow is well. It should be a planned task and has to be done by a mechanic. Troubleshooting procedures One of the major problems which occur during the operations Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine is the Positioning accuracy. It occurs has a result of the failure in the integration of the x and y axis by having an accuracy level between 0.0003 and 0.0005 causing the output produced to have a significant large deficiency index. It usually occurs at the Digital Read Out (DROs). This problem can be solved by making x and y-axis to have an accuracy level of 0.0001 for the two axis. Therefore, troubleshooting this stress is a must since for any output realized to be quality it must have an accuracy index of 0.0001. It is achieved by the fitting of the equipment with an electronic display which is easily monitored and can detect problems as soon as it occurs because they are computerized. Besides, improper tools are also one of the faults experienced in running of the milling machine. The operator observes burn marks on the edges of the material. It can be deduced from the point of view that it resulted from a blunt object or a cutting lube. The output could be seen with raised marks and rough edges. It takes place in the feed speeds. Novak et al. (2017) reiterates that, increasing feed speed can solve this problem through applying of the lubrications on them. This will lead to an increased speed at which the machine operates and thus reducing the productivity of the milling system. Moreover, the parts can be sharpened since it takes time for a blunt object to complete a task and by the date of completing it, a lot of unsightly marks are left on the edges of the materials. Besides, improper programming has also been indicated as one of the major faults in the milling machine. This issue in most cases arises when new employees are left on their own to perform the tasks (Hamzadayi Yildiz, 2016). The matter arises because most of them are not aware of the cutting errors involved. It occurs in the face milling and the squaring stock of the machine. The menace can be solved by ensuring that the new employees are knowledgeable on the matters to do with the proper setting of the squaring stock and the face milling parameters. Moreover, the calibration data, offset information captured by the DROs is correct, and compensation data within the milling machine is in line with the functionalism of the Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine. The drive belt multifunction is also another fault experienced by the owners of the Bridgeport Interact 412 Milling Machine. It is detected by the slow moving of different components making up of the grinding machine. The matter can result from reduced output received since the material obtained of various shapes from the usual ones. It normally takes place in drive belt area. It is important for the operator to change the belt since it might be worn out. Besides, one can also check on the screws because they might be loose or too tight thus inhibiting the functionalism of the machine. References Ahmad, R. and Plapper, P., 2015. Generation of safe tool-path for 2.5 D milling/drilling machine-tool using 3D ToF sensor. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 10, pp.84-91. Blasen, B.M. and Lane, N.R., 2016. Small Access Machine (SAM): High Quality, Safe, and Environmentally Friendly Submarine Hull Cuts. Naval Engineers Journal, 128(4), pp.107-111. Boglietti, A., Cossale, M., Vaschetto, S. and Dutra, T., 2016, September. Thermal parameters evaluation of a fractional-slot concentrated winding machine for home appliance applications. In Electrical Machines (ICEM), 2016 XXII International Conference on (pp. 2106-2111). IEEE. Doi, T., Uhlmann, E. and Marinescu, I.D. eds., 2015. Handbook of ceramics grinding and polishing. William Andrew. Hamzadayi, A. and Yildiz, G., 2016. Event driven strategy based complete rescheduling approaches for dynamic m identical parallel machines scheduling problem with a common server. Computers Industrial Engineering, 91, pp. 66-84. Mannodi-Kanakkithodi, A., Pilania, G. and Ramprasad, R., 2016. Critical assessment of regression-based machine learning methods for polymer dielectrics. Computational Materials Science, 125, pp.123-135. Novak, J., Farr-Wharton, B., Brunetto, Y., Shacklock, K. and Brown, K., 2017. Safety outcomes for engineering asset management organizations: Old problem with new solutions? Reliability Engineering System Safety, 160, pp. 67-73. O'neal, S.W., and Meiss, T.R., Caterpillar Inc., 2016. System and method for adjusting machine parameters. U.S. Patent 9,299,247. Ostadi, B. and Saifpanahi, H., 2017. A Practical Self-Assessment Framework for Evaluation of Maintenance Management System based on RAMS Model and Maintenance Standards. Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 10, pp.0-0. zceylan, E., Kabak, M. and Da?deviren, M., 2016. A fuzzy-based decision making procedure for machine selection problem. Journal of Intelligent Fuzzy Systems, 30(3), pp.1841-1856. Pavlovic, A. and Fragassa, C., 2016. Analysis of flexible barriers used as safety protection in woodworking. Int J Qual Res, 10(1), pp.71-88. Rasouli, M. and Lagoa, C., 2017. A nonlinear term selection method for improving synchronous machine parameters estimation. International Journal of Electrical Power Energy Systems, 85, pp.77-86. Rodrguez, G.G., e Silva, A.S. and Zeni, N., 2017. Identification of synchronous machine parameters from field flashing and load rejection tests with field voltage variations. Electric Power Systems Research, 143, pp.813-824. Roulland, F., Castellani, S., Guillot, F. and Hoppenot, Y., Xerox Corporation, 2016. System and method for semi-automatic generation of operating procedures from recorded troubleshooting sessions. U.S. Patent 9,467,583. Soori, M., Arezoo, B. and Habibi, M., 2016. Tool Deflection Error of Three-Axis Computer Numerical Control Milling Machines, Monitoring and Minimizing by a Virtual Machining System. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 138(8), p.081005. Tai, B.L., Stephenson, D.A., Furness, R.J. and Shih, A.J., 2014. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) in automotive powertrain machining. Procedia CIRP, 14, pp.523-528. Vlez-Reyes, M., Verghese, G. and Fliess, M., 2016, July. Decomposed algorithms for speed and parameter estimation in induction machines. In Nonlinear Control Systems Design 1992: Selected papers from the 2nd IFAC Symposium, Bordeaux, France, 24-26 June 1992 (p. 77). Elsevier. Zhang, Z., Tang, R., Peng, T., Tao, L. and Jia, S., 2016. A method for minimizing the energy consumption of machining system: integration of process planning and scheduling. Journal of Cleaner Production, 137, pp.1647-1662.

Kelly Johnston Essays (260 words) - American Literature,

Kelly Johnston Nicola Thomas ENG3UE-26 August 2, 2018 Person Versus Society I feel that the biggest conflict in the novel A Lesson Before Dying is person versus society. From the start to the end of the novel, Ernest J. Gaines shows us how racism and discrimination effects the everyday lives of African-Americans. In the state of Louisiana African Americans were not treated as equal's. In A lesson before Dying houses were made with back doors for the blacks to enter through. African-Americans were made to feel ashamed and humiliated simply by having to enter through the back door. Though slavery had ended, African-Americans were still being treated with little respect. In the novel Grant says "Since emancipation, almost a hundred years ago, they would do any kind of work they could find to keep from working side by side in the field with the niggers. (Chapter 25)". This quote shows that even biracial people with half black in their blood did not want to be black because of the way they were treated. These people were stuck in the middle because they did not t hink of themselves as black, yet the whites did not consider the biracial people as part of their community. In conclusion the writer shows obvious and subtle points about racism and discrimination in the community of Louisiana in the 1940's, making me feel that the most important conflict in the novel is Person versus Society. Works Cited Gains Ernest J - A Lesson Before Dying HYPERLINK "https://tdsb.elearningontario.ca/d2l/le/content/12379002/viewContent/100286751/View" https://tdsb.elearningontario.ca/d2l/le/content/12379002/viewContent/100286751/View

Working Conditions at Wal

Working Conditions at Wal Wal-Mart Stores is a leading American multinational company. The corporation operates numerous chain stores and warehouses in different parts of the world.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Working Conditions at Wal-Mart Stores specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company competes with different retailers across the globe such as Nordstrom. Wal-Mart â€Å"markets different products such as electronics, house appliances, food materials, jewelries, clothes, shoes, beauty products, and mobile devices† (Gandel, 2013, p. 1). This successful firm has also faced numerous criticisms from different labor unions and community groups. This essay summarizes three articles in order to understand the working conditions encountered by Wal-Mart’s employees. These summaries will give a clear picture of the challenges affecting many employees at Wal-Mart. Article One The article â€Å"Wal-Mart Accused of Violating Worke rs Rights† identifies the major challenges encountered by different workers at this multinational company. According to the article, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had accused the company of mistreating and abusing its employees. The company was discouraging its workers from participating in various protests. Wal-Mart had â€Å"fired nineteen employees for engaging in various demonstrations† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1). However, â€Å"the managers at Wal-Mart stated clearly stated that they were addressing all the issues affecting their workers† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1). The article goes further to describe how Wal-Mart Stores has been violating various labor laws. The company was also threatening its employees after participating in various strikes. The NLRB stated that such strikes were legal and constitutional. The â€Å"company had also threatened its employees with reprisal if they participated in any protest† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1).Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the managers and leaders at the corporation were against such claims. Wal-Mart Stores â€Å"dismissed Barbara Andridge-Collins after participating in a strike† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 1). The authors also explain why â€Å"many workers at the company were complaining of reduced schedules, poor working conditions, and low wages† (Trottman Banjo, 2014, p. 2). It is agreeable that the company has failed to support their employees. This situation has affected Wal-Mart’s business performance. Article Two The article â€Å"Wal-Mart Challenges Labor Boards Complaint† describes the responses offered by Wal-Mart after firing its employees. This article explores the actions undertaken by Wal-Mart after its employees engage in various strikes. According to the authors, Wal-Mart has failed to su pport its workers using the best remunerations and working conditions. The company â€Å"was also defending itself after dismissing its employee for participating in different strikes† (Banjo Trottman, 2014, p. 1). According to the company, it was appropriate to set the right examples in order to discourage its employees from participating in such strikes. This situation â€Å"was forcing the company to fire every employee who did not report to work† (Banjo Trottman, 2014, p. 2). The article identifies poor working conditions and low wages as the leading catalysts of these strikes. However, majority of these workers were losing their legal support after participating in such strikes. Many workers â€Å"had lost their jobs during Christmas and Thanksgiving Holidays† (Banjo Trottman, 2014, p. 2). This fact explains why it has been impossible for many workers at Wal-Mart to achieve their goals. The company has always treated strikes as forms of disruption. Such disruptions tend to affect the quality of services availed to different customers.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Working Conditions at Wal-Mart Stores specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the article, the NLRB is currently examining the challenges affecting many workers at the company. The approach will be critical towards supporting the demands of every employee at the firm. The practice will also ensure the company offers the best working conditions to its workers. Article Three The article â€Å"Why Wal-Mart Can Afford to Give its Workers a 50% Raise† explains why the retailer should reconsider the needs and expectations of its employees. The article begins by highlighting the major challenges encountered by many employees at Wal-Mart Stores. For instance, the employees encounter pathetic working environments. This malpractice has forced the workers to look for better jobs elsewhere. Wal-Mart is currently a leading retailer in the globe. The company has faced numerous criticisms from different agencies and labor unions for offering low wages to its employees. However, statistics show that the company can offer better salaries to its workers without affecting its performance. The â€Å"company is currently in a position of increasing its wage bill because it makes over $17 billion in profits† (Gandel, 2013, p. 1). The author of the article expects the company to split its profits in a proper manner. This practice will ensure every employee gets the best salary. This practice will ensure the workers achieve their objectives and goals. The strategy will also ensure the workers support the company’s goals. Wal-Mart â€Å"has also been reinvesting its profits in the company’s operations† (Gandel, 2013, p. 2). This practice explains why the company has been opening more stores every year. Many investors and analysts believe strongly that Wal-Mart sh ould be ready to pay its workers better remunerations. According to Gandel (2013, p. 1), â€Å"a 50 percent pay rise can support the company’s goals and eventually make its successful†. This article examines why Wal-Mart continues to face numerous criticisms from different labor unions and government agencies.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The suggestions presented in this article will ensure the company improves the working conditions of its employees. Reference List Banjo, S., Trottman, M. (2014, February 2). Wal-Mart Challenges Labor Boards Complaint. The Wall Street Journal. Web. Gandel, S. Why Wal-Mart Can Afford to Give its Workers a 50% Raise. Fortune. Web. Trottman, M., Banjo, S. (2014, January 15). Wal-Mart Accused of Violating Workers Rights. The Wall Street Journal. Web.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Hoffman meets this challenge by showing Titania being carried around by slaves. This is not common in the mortal world so we instantly think we are somewhere different. Also, the lightening creates a feeling of fear. This makes us feel like this is somewhere we dont know much about and we shouldnt be here. During the play, Shakespeare implies that such is the power of dreams, anything can happen. This is shown as six characters sleep throughout the whole play. This is where a lot of the confusion is caused. First of all, the confusion is caused when Puck applies love potion to the lovers eyes. He first does this to Lysander. This is a mistake by Puck as he is supposed to put it on to Demetrius eyes. This first of all causes confusion for Helena, as she cannot understand why Lysander has suddenly fallen in love with her, as he had run away with Hermia because he loved her so much. Hermia is then confused about Lysanders whereabouts when she wakes up. She looks for Lysander and bumps into Demetrius. She is then confused because she thinks that Demetrius has killed Lysander. Demetrius does not have a clue what she is talking about and decides to try it on with Hermia. Oberon informs Puck of his mistake and his task is now to correct his mistake. He must first of all put the love potion on Demetrius eyes. Whilst Puck does this, Oberon applies the potion to Titanias eyes and tells her to wake when some vile creature is near. This is in order to be able to get the small Indian boy. Mischievous Puck, on his way to correct his mistake decides to put an asss head on Bottom. Titania then wakes when Bottom is singing and falls in love with him. Bottom is then confused, as he cannot understand how someone so beautiful has fallen in love with him. Puck adds the love potion to Demetrius eyes. He then wakes up when Helena is near and falls in love with her. Lysander is also at this point in love with Helena. A battle commences between Lysander and Demetrius for Helenas love. Hermia finds Lysander, who is seeking Helenas love. Hermia cannot understand why Helena has done this to her and begins an argument full of jealousy and envy. At this point in the Hoffman version of the film, I noticed that as the argument got worse, Helena and Hermias state of mind became worse. As this happened, so did their clothes. The clothing in the Hoffman version also seems to be metaphorical of the persons state of mind. For example, at this stage in the play, Hermia is very worked up and confused. Her clothing becomes torn and ripped before she finally ends up falling in a big pool of mud whilst fighting with Helena. Helena cant understand why one person who hated her and someone who loved someone else, has suddenly fallen in love with her. She believes it to be mockery. She then turns around the situation and boasts to Hermia about how it is her turn to sit and watch while Helena attracts the opposite sex. The RSC (Adrian Noble) version of the film can be seen to take the film to another level in a way by adding the extra character, which is the small boy. It adds another story. For example, nowhere in the book does it say that after Lysander and Hermia tell Helena of their plan to run away, a small boy runs after them and falls trough a door into space. This is added by the director for effect. Adrian Noble had obviously researched dreaming and what things in dreams signify. To fall in a dream means that trouble is to follow. READ: What Caused The Civil War EssayThis means in the boys real life but trouble does follow in the rest of the play. The last speech of the play, by Puck suggests that we all may have dreamed what we have just seen. The Adrian Noble focuses on this as he makes the play into a dream. By making the film a boys dream with dreamy props used, the audience also feel like they are in a dream. I like both of the two versions in different ways. Some parts of the Noble version of the film are better than the Hoffman version and visa-versa. I do prefer the Adrian Noble version to the Hoffman version, as it appeals to me as a younger audience. I think the Noble version is more magical, as it uses substitutions for realistic things taking the audience to a different place. I did not find it hard to willingly suspend my disbelief and this is probably because the magical element to the play whisks the audience away. It allows you to get wrapped up in a false play. This must be done or the film wouldnt work. The play is all about surreal goings on and I believe that the Hoffman version is too formal for this theme. Some of the scenes are too real and calm. I do prefer the calmness of the first scene in the Hoffman version, to the chaos in the opening scene of the Noble version, as it is a romantic love scene. I believe that the Noble version of the film is aimed at teenagers and young adults because of its humour. It is surreal and is easy for younger people to imagine. The Noble version is also more energetic and upbeat. Because of it being a stage version, a lot of movement is used to help the play flow. The Hoffman version, however, is much more laid back and professional. Because of the huge budget of the film, real props and costumes are being used, which in some cases make the film boring. For example, Pucks costume in the Hoffman version is quite boring compared to the costume in the Noble version. Also, in the Hoffman version, Puck is not active enough and appears slightly lazy in some instances. I find the Noble version more humorous than the Hoffman version in a lot of places. Because of it appealing to a younger audience, the Noble version has to be funny or the audience will lose interest in the film and the willingness to suspend disbelief will be lost. The funniest part of the Noble version has to be where Titania and Bottom share a moment Titanias umbrella, with Bottom making ass sounds. Bottom is the most humorous character in the Noble version and I prefer the Bottom in the Noble version rather than the Hoffman version. The Hoffman version is also humorous in some instances. For example, when Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia are found naked in the woods by Egeus. The Noble version is definitely more of a fantasy. It emphasises the fact that the play called A Midsummer Nights Dream and concentrates on the dreaming theme. All real objects are substituted. For example, stars are substituted with light bulbs. The Noble version implants real life objects into dreamy objects. This creates a fantasy rather than something literal. The only fantasy in the Hoffman version is the fairy world, which is well created by the producer. I think that the Hoffman version is more romantic and sensual than the Noble version because of its calmness. The Noble version is too active and humorous to be as romantic as the Noble version. For example, the first scene of the Hoffman version is calm and sadistic. There is a fountain flowing in the courtyard whilst Theseus and Hippolyta express their feelings to each other. The Noble version, however, has thins in a room full of bright colours and everything larger than life, which I do not like. For me, the Noble version overpowers the Hoffman version. It beats the Hoffman version in almost every area and as a younger audience I prefer the Adrian Noble film version rather than the Michael Hoffman film version of the play A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Discuss the multiple theories of reading that are presented in Essay

Discuss the multiple theories of reading that are presented in Northanger Abbey. How might they lead us to create a theory of reading for real readers, and why might this theory be important - Essay Example The novel encompasses a strong morale, guidance for the choice for true companion and shows how other considerations are mere shallow. ‘Northanger Abbey’ can be treated as a torch bearer of the Austen canon. Very rightly, it upholds or clearly indicates the theme of Jane’s forthcoming novels. As a literary piece, the novel has a great value. ‘Northanger Abbey’ encompasses within its plot, few frivolities of the Eighteenth century literature and encapsulates many of the contemporary fiction and their genre. The novel, ‘Northanger Abbey’ is often claimed by critics as â€Å"earliest and least perfect†. It is also criticized that ‘Northanger Abbey’, â€Å"lacks the narrative sophistication of the later works†. But the main fact is quite different from all these criticism. Within its limited scope, Austen tried to portray a discursive description of what a fiction might be. He precisely shows the way that how a novel should be written and most importantly, read. The heroine of ‘Northanger Abbey’ Catherine is deliberately portrayed as a complete deviation from the conventional heroines of Eighteenth century fictions. Catherine is simple and notably undistinguished. She is a girl from a middle-class family and she falls in love with her hero, much before the hero of Austen’s ‘Northanger Abbey’ put any of his serious thoughts on the girl. All these deviations prove that Austen desperately wanted to re-shape and re-evalu ate Eighteenth century fiction and its reading pattern along with the writing style. This is also a vital reason for manifesting the plot of ‘Northanger Abbey’ in a fashion of a parody for Gothic Fiction. ‘Northanger Abbey’ is indeed an important literary document; purely concomitant to the Radcliffeian popularity, and is truly a literary landmark. It is more than a mere debunking sentimental Gothic novel. It is a serious attempt to depose a narrative technique that challenges the stress on characters by Richardson and

Management Science & System Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Management Science & System - Coursework Example The cost of the rooms was  £120 per room per night. They would book the accommodation but if they found out a week in advance that they were not going to make the trip, they would cancel at a cost of 10% of the total value. If they cancelled one (1) to three (3) days in advance then the charge would be 50% and on the day 100%. The Reservations manager who was pretty new did not know how to handle situations like these and so he flatly refused to accept the booking or to give it any further thought. The hotel was already 60% booked for two of the days when the group wanted to stay. All the other days were below 50%. The group required 42% of the rooms which meant that there would have been an excess demand of a mere 2%. This case is considered of major importance because in a few months the Olympic Games will be in London and similar situations may arise during that period. Managers are required to make decisions everyday. It is important that when matters arise that they are analysed properly before actions are taken. Pearce and Robinson (1997) states that one of the critical tasks of strategic management is to: â€Å"identify the most desirable options by evaluating each option in light of the company’s mission.† One of the roles of management is to make decisions and there are a number of models that are available to assist in this process. One such method is decision analysis which uses a construct called a decision tree to analyse situations. According to Lucey (1992, p27) a decision tree is: â€Å"A pictorial method of showing a sequence of inter-related decisions and outcomes. All the possible choices are shown on the tree as branches and the possible outcomes are subsidiary b ranches.† Another model of major significance is linear programming – a mathematical technique. â€Å"Linear Programming has helped to bridge the gap between abstract economic theory and managerial decision making in practice† (Koutsoyiannis, 1979). It is normally used in

Transit Point Essay Example for Free

Transit Point Essay Should Merloni replace its network of regional warehouses with Transit-points? In order to be able to answer to this question, we first have to calculate the costs of operating, inventory and transportation from both alternatives (the current system and the transit point) and then compare them. However, as the case doesn’t have complete information to compute these costs, we have to do some assumptions. First, we have to separate the 17 regions in two groups: the Urban regions and the Rural ones. To former this groups we used the criteria of the average daily demand. So, if the region has a daily demand bigger than the average of the 17 regions (99,21= 1686,6/17), it will be included in the Urban regions. Otherwise, it will incorporate the Rural group. After doing this, we will assume that the operating, inventory and Short-Haul Transportation Costs per piece and per month will be the same for each group and will be equal to the ones of the exhibit 10 of the case. Second, in order to calculate the transportation costs between the central warehouse and the retailers, we have to assume that the transit point will be near the location of the Region Warehouses. If so, the costs of transportation until the Transit point will be the same of the long-haul transportation and the costs between the transit point and the retailers would be the same of the Short-Haul transportation Costs. We also have to determine the distances between Fabriano and the Regional Warehouses. In order to do this, we use the map of the exhibit 7 from the case. We know that this distances can not be exactly the real ones (because the roads are not in a straight line), but as we don’t have more information about this on the case, we decide to use the map. Analyzing the exhibits 1, 2 and 3 and assuming that the goal of Merloni is just maximize his value (minimizing its costs) we conclude that there is not only one good system. So, Merloni should use a combination of the two systems. The current system should be used for 6 regions: Bari, Bolzano, Cagliari, Catanzaro, Genova and Udine. In fact, although the operating and inventory costs decrease a lot in the Transit-Point system, the transportation costs increase much more in these regions. This happens because in the Trial-Point system the products should be transported to the regions every day, and sometimes with the trucks almost empty. The Transit Point should be used on the other 11 regions: Angona, Bologna, Catania, Firenze, Milano, Napoli, Padova, Palermo, Pescara, Roma and Torino where the elimination of inventory compensates the increase on the transportation costs. In conclusion, pursuing the goal of minimizing the costs, Merloni should use a mixed distribution system. We will have to consider that the distances between Fabriano Rome and Fabriano Catanzano are, respectively, 210 and 710 km (according to the map’s scale – it is not a real life situation given that roads are not in a straight line).

Global Warming and Climate Change Essay -- The Greenhouse Effect

Global warming and the greenhouse effect are issues discussed by scientists all the time. A natural process that keeps earths temperature at a livable rate is called the greenhouse effect. The energy from the sun warms up the earth when the rays from the sun are absorbed by greenhouse gasses. The gasses then become trapped in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide are the most common greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gases cause the radiant heat of the sun to be trapped in the Earths lower atmosphere which causes global warming. If there weren’t any greenhouse gasses, the earth would be really cold due to very little sun rays being absorbed on the earth. Global warming can and will lead to several problems that affect the environment in which we humans live in. These problems can lead to warmer temperatures all around the world, it can endanger animals and the wildlife, and it can lead to widespread flooding from the glaciers melting. Here are a few more future effects that I will discuss in more detail about. Damage to human health, Severe stress on forests, wetlands, and other natural habitats, how fish will be affected. Global warming is a serious problem that will affect our generation when we are older. In talking about global warming, we need to learn what causes the greenhouse effect. Rays from the sun are taken up and absorbed by water vapor that is natural in the atmosphere. The United States emits the largest man made greenhouse gases in the world. As Americans we must realize the responsibility to reduce the emissions. (Gore, Albert) Water Vapor is eighty percent of greenhouse warming. The last twenty percent results from other gases that are in very little amounts. A huge absorber of the sun’s heat rays is carbon dioxide. Us as humans release a lot of carbon dioxide. When fossil fuels are burned, they release big amounts of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is on the increase in our atmosphere due to car emissions. Approximately eighty percent of CO2 increases because of man’s use of fossil fuels. When there is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere the more sun rays are absorbed. In result to this happening this will cause the earth and the earths atmosphere to war m. When the earth is warming, water temperatures will start to get warmer. Oceans and lakes will get warmer in result f... ... areas will get more precipitation and storms while others will get nothing and have serious droughts. The warming of a few degrees will cause glaciers to melt and sea ice to melt leading to a lot of damage. This damage would lead the levels of the oceans to rise and would cause damage to coastal cities and islands. This would cause serious problems for the different species living in the oceans and could some disease. Especially diseases caused by mosquitoes which love warm and humid climates. There are many ideas and solutions to stop global warming. It is very difficult to reverse this process once it is started. If we want to live like we are now and have been we have to stop this process. Emissions of fossil fuels by humans is a big factor of global warming. The reason being is because of the amount of carbon dioxide released from the fossil fuels. Controlling these emissions is one huge step of many steps required to slow down and stop global warming. If global warming is n ot controlled, all the problems that have been mentioned, along with other problems will disrupt the living patterns in which we live.

Management History Essay

Managers can look at past managerial methods in order to make decisions that will best suit themselves and help their organisations, as well as giving their organisation a competitive advantage (Boddy D. , 2005). In this essay I will be arguing against the proposition that knowledge of management history is irrelevant to modern practice. To show that management history is important for modern managers, I am going to discuss and focus on a number of historical management techniques and theories and how they can be useful. I will talk about how these management techniques and theories are relevant with modern management. The first approach I will look at is the classical approach. Too elaborate on this theory I will split it in to two areas; the scientific management theory and the administrative principals. Firstly I will discuss the scientific approach; where I will talk about Frederick Winslow Taylor and his theory on the importance of workers being trained and the importance of the selection process (Bartol & Martin, 1994). The next branch is the administrative approach involving theorist Henri Fayol and how his theories have been well respected and become a big part of modern management today. To finish off my argument I will be talking about the behavioural side of management by relating to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Through looking into these methods I hope to give the reader a good understanding as to why I believe historical management has had a big impact on modern management today and will continue to do so in the future. The first discussion will be based around the classical approach, an approach to management that is seen as a way of managers making decisions based around economic concern. There are three main areas within the classical approach, these being scientific management, administrative principles and bureaucratic organisation. However, throughout my argument I will be focusing only on two of these approaches, thus being the scientific approach and the administrative principals. The two main theorists who are heavily involved in these consist of Frederick Winslow Taylor, whom was the founder of scientific management and Henri Fayol whom has had a big influence on the administrative principals. I will also mention Mary Parker Follet whom has also had a big impact on the administrative principals. (Schermerhorn, Davidson, Poole, Simon, Woods, & Chau, 2011). I have chosen to focus only on these two areas of classical management as they are well related to my argument that historical management is relevant to modern management. The  first approach I will be discussing is the classical approach, where we will first be talking about scientific management. The man behind the scientific management theory is known as Frederick Winslow Taylor. Taylor’s main contributions to management thought and practice ha ve come through his idea of the scientific management theory and approach. In 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor published his work, ‘the principles of scientific management.’ These principles described how applying the scientific method to the management of workers could greatly improve productivity through the analysis and synthesis of workflows. It is a theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflows, improving work productivity (Schermerhorn, Davidson, Poole, Simon, Woods, & Chau, 2011). To back my argument that management history is important for modern managers we see Henry Ford come into the picture. The ideas of Taylor were continued through well-known car manufacturer Henry Ford who went on to replace his workers with machinery, generally when it came to doing things such as heavy lifting (Daft, 2005). Scientific management has four guiding action principles, these being; to develop a ‘science’ for every job that includes rules of motion, standardize work processes and appropriate working conditions. Also to carefully select workers with the right abilities for the job, to carefully train them and give them proper incentives to cooperate with the job ‘science’ (Schermerhorn, Davidson, Poole, Simon, Woods, & Chau, 2011). Frank Gilbreth whom worked as a bricklayer put Taylors ideas into place and created a method that allowed the number of movements to lay a brick reduce from 18 to 2 therefore going on to increase the rate from 120-350 bricks (Hatch & Cunliffe, 2006). Taylors work is still being used in modern day and his concepts are well thought of, his ideas are clearly seen at the roots of management today. Scientific management has proven to be a very beneficial way for companies to develop and improve their approach towards business (Helms & Cengage, 2 006). The next part of the classical approach I will be talking about is the administrative principals. The administrative principal’s approach to management came about from a man named Henri Fayol. Most management textbooks published today acknowledge Fayol to be the father of the administrative theory (Daft, 2005). Fayol was a French mining engineer, whom gradually worked his way up the ranks until he was manager of up to 10000 employees for over 30 years. The administrative principles  involved issues such as departmentalization, span of control, exceptions to routine, and hierarchy. An example of the administrative principals being used in modern management can be seen through major fast food franchise McDonalds. The efficient production of their fast food is crucial towards customer satisfaction and organisation success therefore Fayol’s principles come in use for this systematic type of organisational structure. Here we see another part of historical management being used in a very successful franchise within the modern era. Mary Parker Follet was also a contributor to administrative principles. Follet believed that growth and success would come from the direct interaction between members of the organisational groups achieving common goals and objectives. She also displayed a general understanding of groups and showed commitment to human co-operation, creating ideas that are still relevant today (Schermerhorn, Davidson, Poole, Simon, Woods, & Chau, 2011). The next part of my argument belongs to that of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow has identified 5 important needs that individuals should aim to require in order to positively influence their contribution within the workplace. Maslow’s theory is often represented as a pyramid, with the larger, lower levels representing the essential needs, and the upper levels representing the need for self-actualization. The first need starts from the bottom of the table, this being psychological. Psychological needs are our basic needs, needs such as food and water. Safety needs are next, expressing an emphasis on the need for security and protection. Self-belongingness is the next need and falls under the category of social needs and feeling as though you are a part of something, a community, or group of some type. This is then followed by self-esteem needs which will mean you are given respect and recognition for your work, leaves the employee with a sense of competency. The last need of all and the highest need in Maslow’s theory is self-actualisation. This need looks at employees achieving self-fulfilments and goals, on the completion of certain tasks employees allow themselves to grow in confidence by using their abilities to their full extent (Davidson, Griffin, Simon, & Woods, 2009). Maslow believes that the only reason that people would not move well in direction of self-actualization is because of hindrances placed in their way. These days we are beginning to see Maslow’s theory in many businesses as a way of motivating employees. Managers are using Maslow’s  theory within the work place to help give their employees motivation and something to work towards and achieve, it is a tool managers use to help point employees in the right direction (Davidson, Griffin, Simon, & Woods, 2009). A prime example of this is volunteers working for non for profit organisations. With the fact that there is no money involved in volunteer works it is important for these volunteers to have the Maslow’s theory approach merged into their business setting as well as a part of their work ethic. This is vital in order to feel as though they are reaping rewards from the hard work they are putting in, as in volunteer work, money is non-existent. Managers also now tend to change and mix up the way they are motivating employees by giving different rewards and motivation stimuli in order to keep volunteers and employees happy to stay with the organisation (Hatch & Cunliffe, 2006). As I have stated, it is clear too see that the two types of classical approaches discussed both have an impact on modern management. With Frederick Winslow Taylor and his theory of scientific management we can see that an important aspect is to obtain maximum wealth for both the employee and the employer. The example of Frank Gilbreth and his techniques used with bricklaying help us understand that positive outcomes come from Taylors theory and we are able too see that his theory has not gone un noticed and is infact a part of modern management. The same goes with the next part to classical management, this being the administrative principals. We again see administrative principles being applied to modern management. Our example based around this theory being major fast food franchise McDonalds. ‘The efficient production of their fast food is crucial towards customer satisfaction and organisation success.’ McDonalds is one of the largest franchises in the world today and will continue to be for years to come, and it is worthy proof showing the administrative principals involvement within such a successful franchise within modern management. The last theory I discussed was that thought by Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. This theory is a vital part of one’s mind and can help achieve a certain degree of self-belief within an employee as well as a manager or employer. It is a useful tool for managers to keep employees motivated and feel as though they are achieving. Throughout this essay I believe I have been able to support my argument as to why I believe that historical management is relevant to modern management. References Bartol, K. M., & Martin, D. C. (1994). Management. Michigan: McGraw-Hill series in management. Blake, A, M. (2010) One hundred years after The principles of Scientific Management. One Hundred Years after The Principles of Scientific Management, 1-9 Boddy, D. (2005). Management an introduction 3rd edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Daft, R, S. (2005). Management second pacific rim edition. Florida: Dryden press. Davidson, P., Griffin, R. W., Simon, A., & Woods, P. (2009). Management 4th Australasian Edition. Milton: John Wiley & Sons Australia. Hatch, M. J., & Cunliffe, A. L. (2006). Organization Theory. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Helms, M. M., & Cengage, G. (2006). Chain of Command Principle Retrieved 22 August, 2011, from http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/chain-command-principle Schermerhorn, J. R., Davidson, P., Poole, D., Simon, A., Woods, P., & Chau, S. L. (2011). Management (4th Asia-Pacific ed.). Milton, Queensland: John Wiley and Sons.

Jeremy Bentham Biography Essay

â€Å"Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher† that â€Å"is primarily known† for his philosophical contribution, the ethical theory of utilitarianism (Sweet). Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that brings about the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people (DeGeorge 44). Specifically, Bentham was a hedonistic utilitarian arguing that â€Å"what ultimately motivates us is pleasure and pain† (Sweet). Bentham over the course of his life gave a lot to the field, whose influence is still seen today. Jeremy Bentham was born into a line of attorneys on February 15, 1748, in the town of Houndsditch, London (Sweet). Bentham studied so intensely, â€Å"often eight to twelve hours a day†, that when he reached the age of sixteen he had already graduated from Queen’s College at Oxford and was continuing in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps to becoming an attorney by studying law at Lincoln’s Inn (Sweet). Although Bentham was qualified, he never practiced law, but instead chose to write on the philosophy of law and focused on â€Å"critiquing the existing law† and was a strong advocate for legal reform (Sweet). In 1785, Bentham along with his brother worked on a project called ‘Panopticon’, that he hoped would garner the attention of the Czarina Catherine the Great (Sweet). Unfortunately, the project, which Bentham hoped would be â€Å"a model prison where all of the prisoners would be observable by (unseen) guards at all times†, was not a great success (Sweet). Even though Bentham was not largely appreciated, he was still able to continue his writings and work with the financial stability afforded to him from an inheritance. Bentham’s most notable writing seems to be, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Three of the biggest principals that run throughout the book, as well as most of Bentham’s works are: â€Å"the greatest happiness principle, universal egoism, and the artificial identification of one’s interests with those of others† (Sweet). Bentham’s fundamental principle, the greatest happiness principle, says that human beings motivated by pleasure and deterred by pain is what determines the degree of happiness, which Bentham also calls â€Å"the principle of utility† (Sweet). This principle adds a level of objectivity to a very subjective discipline, allowing it to be clearer, more observable, and measurable (Sweet). Bentham also had strong views on the concept of natural rights. According to Bentham, rights or a lack thereof are formed through the law or â€Å"within a legal system where the law is silent† and therefore â€Å"the term ‘natural right’ is a ‘perversion of language† (Sweet). Jeremy Bentham has made a large contribution to the field of ethics through his lifelong dedication to his theory and principles. Bentham coming from a back ground of law was able to quantify ethics in a way that others did not do, allowing it take into consideration the greatest number of people. Works Cited De George, Richard T. Business Ethics. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Sweet, William. â€Å"Jeremy Bentham (1748—1832).† Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 11 Apr. 2001. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. .

Free Essays on Giotto

When one takes a look at art and how it has developed it’s hard to not recognize the important movements in art. Just a few examples of these movements start with the Byzantine movement, the Renaissance, Cubism, and Dadaism. If you look at art and think of it as a person you can look at each movement as a stage in that person’s life. The renaissance could in turn be thought of as adolescence. There are so many important things that occurred during this time that it’s hard to sum it up in one sentence. However, I would say that Renaissance means "rebirth"(c.1400-1550) it began in Italy, and stressed the forms of classical antiquity, a realistic symbol of space based on perspective, and worldly subjects. The works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael illustrate the balance and harmony of the High Renaissance (c. 1495-1520). Although many great artists came up out of the Renaissance there were those that were pre-renaissance such as Giotto (c.1267-1337) who ins pired and sparked the start of the renaissance. The aftermath of the renaissance brought in a whole new meaning and a way to look at art. One of the most influential periods directly following the renaissance was the mannerist movement that introduced great artists such as Parmigianino. The name Giotto and his works represent a time when the thought of â€Å"paint what you see† was not only hard to comprehend but completely new. Art no longer worked on the traditional abstract ideas, its models were to be the actuality of nature. Representation of real life was to become the object of all painting. From this time forth there must always be a likeness between the painting and the object painted. For so long painting to represent as means of symbolism was all that art was. The name Giotto is representational of a time when all of Europe was craving a change. Giotto came along and blew the minds of all involved in the art world he was said by Boccaccio to have â€Å"Brought th... Free Essays on Giotto Free Essays on Giotto When one takes a look at art and how it has developed it’s hard to not recognize the important movements in art. Just a few examples of these movements start with the Byzantine movement, the Renaissance, Cubism, and Dadaism. If you look at art and think of it as a person you can look at each movement as a stage in that person’s life. The renaissance could in turn be thought of as adolescence. There are so many important things that occurred during this time that it’s hard to sum it up in one sentence. However, I would say that Renaissance means "rebirth"(c.1400-1550) it began in Italy, and stressed the forms of classical antiquity, a realistic symbol of space based on perspective, and worldly subjects. The works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael illustrate the balance and harmony of the High Renaissance (c. 1495-1520). Although many great artists came up out of the Renaissance there were those that were pre-renaissance such as Giotto (c.1267-1337) who ins pired and sparked the start of the renaissance. The aftermath of the renaissance brought in a whole new meaning and a way to look at art. One of the most influential periods directly following the renaissance was the mannerist movement that introduced great artists such as Parmigianino. The name Giotto and his works represent a time when the thought of â€Å"paint what you see† was not only hard to comprehend but completely new. Art no longer worked on the traditional abstract ideas, its models were to be the actuality of nature. Representation of real life was to become the object of all painting. From this time forth there must always be a likeness between the painting and the object painted. For so long painting to represent as means of symbolism was all that art was. The name Giotto is representational of a time when all of Europe was craving a change. Giotto came along and blew the minds of all involved in the art world he was said by Boccaccio to have â€Å"Brought th...

Supply chain Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supply chain - Term Paper Example housing allows for transport optimization in the supply chain and equips companies with the ability of working with optimal inventory based on economic order quantity and improved service quality. For instance, transport systems’ terminal points involve stockpiling activities aimed at producing full loads for further transportation. Warehousing a subset of supply chain and is used in storing unloaded goods within the major vessels (Shah 67). Industries that produce goods requiring longer periods of maturation between retail and production, warehousing is used in storing the goods based on the larger quantities. Products within modern todays markets have contributed to better product designs with diverse impacts of globalization coupled with ease in accessing alternative. The concept also generates demand through significant efficiency and effectiveness principles. There is increased demand and strategic pricing as supply and competition among firms increases on limited markets (Khan and Zsidisin 98). The impacts of globalization on supply chains are felt even in marketing as products have lesser distinguishing factors, and product design plays different roles in providing attractive features to markets. Demand generation can be used in defining interesting product designs in terms of demand creation. It involves the ability of product designs in generating demand through satisfaction of customer expectations. On the other hand, product design impacts demand generation and manufacturing quality, processes, lead time, and cost (Shah 23). Product design influences performance of associated supply chain as well as direct requirements. Supply chain management addresses issues such as production schedule, manufacturing, quantity, transportation, production policies, regulations, production technologies, quality, material selection, and laws. The supply chain success is dependent on product designs and supply chain capabilities. Efficiency in supply chain management

Critically consider whether the current law on spousal compellability Essay

Critically consider whether the current law on spousal compellability is justifiable - Essay Example law and statute and has created controversy with regard whether it remains justifiable in the contemporary societal framework, particularly in light of the complex nature of familial relationships. For example, in cases involving violence it doesn’t always follow that a spouse will be willing witness and if children are involved in the family set up, the compellability principles could create negative repercussions for the witness in the long term3. The focus of this paper is to critically evaluate whether the current law on spousal compellability is justifiable. To this end, this paper will firstly consider the common law and statutory rules, followed by a discussion of proposals for reform on the spousal compellability rule with specific reference to the Scottish recommendations to amend the law on the compellability of spousal witnesses by analogy to the position in England and Wales. With regard to the definition of spouse under the compellability rules, under section 84(1) of the Civil Partnership Act 20044, the provisions relating to spousal compellability under section 80 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 19845 (PACE) apply equally to a civil partner of the defendant in addition to a spouse. Therefore both civil partners and spouse are covered by the compellability provisions. Additionally, the law distinguishes between civil and criminal cases6. For example, in civil cases spouses must be competent and compellable7however different considerations apply in criminal cases8. However, the common law position has often been criticised for being unsatisfactory and Murphy comments that â€Å"there had always been felt a slight natural repugnance at the thought of spouses giving evidenced against each other†9 on grounds of risks of perjury and the risks to the validity and credibility of any such evidence given10. This sentiment is further reflected by the dissenting speech of Lord Edmund Davies in Hoskyn v Commissioner of the Police for the

An Approach to Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Approach to Morality - Essay Example They are self-conscious, reflecting on their past and future, on life and death. Before discussing them as good or bad it is essential to describe what do we mean by being "good" or "bad". (Gmez-Lobo, p. 1-3) I believe being good means to fulfill the criteria of morality, that is, the customs, habits, aims, and values adopted by a given society, or, stated differently, the quality of rightness or wrongness the society attributes to the acts and attitudes of an individual as these conform or fail to conform to prevailing custom. In a moral sense "Bad" is contrasted with "Good". If an orderly, rational universe is postulated, and particularly if it is assumed that there is an omnipotent and beneficent creator, the bad or evil disrupts the order and results in sorrow, distress, or calamity. In a derived sense, being bad is equated with any suffering or other misfortune. Its cause and what can be done about it are perennial philosophical and theological problems. (Cooley, p. 61-63) Observing the above criteria I believe that nature has created human beings with both negative and positive potentials. He is provided with all awareness of ethics and morality but, somehow, possesses a natural inclination towards bad deeds also. This tug-of-war between good and bad constitutes his life pattern and the ultimate end. Moreover, I have observed that these potentials of goodness and badness may be augmented or mitigated, unknowingly, due to the type of environment and brought up an individual comes across. No child is a born criminal or saint, but most definitely it's his type of environment and the kind of brought up given to him or her by the parents determine his negative or positive responds towards the society. David T. Lykken, a professor of psychology considers the psychopath as a hero and believes that "The psychopath and the hero are the twigs of same branch." He thinks so as both are comparatively daring. He believes such behaviors develop as a result of the t ype of brought up given to a child by his parents. (Akers and Lanier, p. 397-402) In my opinion human beings are not angels. Angels by nature are not inclined towards bad deeds or sins, but human beings have this natural inclination, which he mostly controls successfully but at times these negative desires overwhelms his positivity and compel him towards being bad, this is why, concept of crime has been a part of society ever since people began to live together in groups. Where there is involvement of human mind the potential of crime is there as it is rightly said by a British poet W. H. Auden that "Evil is unspectacular and always human and shares our bed and eats at our table". (Nietzsche & Kaufman, p.167) To conclude I would say that there cannot be love without the possibility of hate, or good without the possibility of evil. One cannot choose to excel unless there is the possibility of failure. To deny the possibility of moral evil is to deny human freedom. Yet in the exercise of freedom, innocent persons are maimed or killed. The consolation of the topic is that although evil is real, God does not will it and actually suffers with humankind, and that a person's faith in God's goodness will be vindicated in the life hereafter. In order to overcome evil people need to fight with the devil inside them instead of blaming and accusing others. Works Cited Akers, Timothy A.,

Sticks and Stones Essay Example for Free

Sticks and Stones Essay The text Sticks and Stones is written by Trezza Azzopardi in 2006. It’s about a young man named Lewis. He is a teacher and becomes witness to collective bullying; he tries to talk with the headmaster to help these problems between the kids. Seeing the bullying bring flashbacks inside of his head, reminding him of his own childhood. When Lewis was a kid he got bullied and in the text we indirectly get to know, that he had many traumatic experiences. Lewis tries helping the boy Paul Fry who gets bullied, but doesn’t succeed. We don’t get to know why. The main theme in this text is bullying and the following consequences. In the text we get an insight in how bullying can affect a person for the rest of his life. Lewis is really traumatized, and we can see that he is affected by his childhood experiences in everything he does. Bullying is now a worldwide problem, and bullying often results in self harm, eating disorders, anxiety or, in worst case, suicide. Children, youngsters and adults all over the world are experiencing bullying, and it is safe to say, that something must be done. Lewis is the main character in the story. He experiences great trauma, since he was bullied in his childhood. He is an adult now, and a schoolteacher. He moved into his mothers house about a month ago, because he had many problems, and got something like a depression that caused him to not be able to live a normal life. Lewis has beforehand escaped into the city of London to live his adult life, because he has traumatic experiences from the countryside. But when he experiences the scenery with Paul Fry, it bothers him in an unimaginable way, and he moves back into the house of his mother. It is safe to say that Lewis is emotionally unstable, and it is not possible to predict wether he’ll ever fully mentally recover. Paul Fry is a child and a student on the school where Lewis teaches. Paul gets bullied by some of the other children. His situation deeply affects Lewis, because Lewis sees himself and his childhood in Paul Fry. Paul has a very important role in the story, because he reflects Lewis’ childhood. He has a central importance in the outcome of the story, since his case results in Lewis losing his mind, and leaving his job. Azzopardi uses flashbacks throughout the entire story. They are used to create the entire image of Lewis’ life, with all of its trauma and consequences. There seems to rule some kind of calmness in the last couple of lines in the story. Lewis realizes that there’s nothing he can do, nothing he should so. When Lewis lies down on the ground, he is in contact with the same ground witch he hit several years ago. But this time, it is in calm surroundings, and it is something he has chosen himself. He also mentions how he listens to the humming earth, where he before only could hear the noise of the crashing waves that he feared. In the end, everything goes quiet, and you get the feeling that Lewis will be all right after all.

Dementias Effect on the Visual System

Dementias Effect on the Visual System Abstract Recent evidence indicates that memory impairment and visual dysfunction are clearly linked in dementia, and that special testing for visual dysfunction can improve the early diagnosis and treatment of dementia. Visual function is divided in terms of anatomic, functional and cognitive areas respectively. Under normal circumstances these functions perform seamlessly together to produce a visual reality of what we call the external world. Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia and past research into this area has shown that sufferers show visual deficits in several key areas. Namely contrast sensitivity, motion, colour, depth perception as well as visual hallucinations. Thus by approaching the patient in a appropriate manor with regards to dementia, clinical professionals can detect visual dysfunction and memory impairment whilst also providing a vital role in secondary and tertiary preventative measures. Furthermore clinical professionals can provide aid in the treatmen t of dementia linked visual disorders. With current demographic trends, dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent due in the ageing population. Consequently there is an increased need for practitioners to have a sound knowledge of such dementia conditions. Improving the sufferers quality of life should be the practitioners main concern. By providing thorough treatments and suggestions on patient tailored environmental modifications this can be achieved. (1) Introduction Dementia is a loss of mental function in two or more areas such as language, memory, visual and spatial abilities, or judgment severe enough to interfere with daily life1. Dementia is not a disease itself, sufferers show a broader set of symptoms that accompany certain diseases or physical conditions1. Well known diseases that cause dementia include Alzheimers disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and multi-infarct dementia1. Dementia is an acquired and progressive problem that affects cognitive functions, behavior, thinking processes and the ability to carry out normal activities. Vision is one of the most important primary senses, therefore serious or complete sight loss has a major impact on a individuals ability to communicate effectively and function independently. Individuals who suffer from both dementia and serious vision loss will inevitably be subject to profound emotional, practical, psychological and financial problems. These factors will also influence others around the sufferer and will extend to the family and the greater society. As we get older both dementia and visual problems inevitably become much more prevalent. Current demographic trends show the increase of the number of very old in our population. Therefore it is inevitable that dementia and serious sight loss either alone or together, will have important consequences for all of us1. The vast majority of people are aware that dementia affects the memory. However it is the impact it has on the ability to carry out daily tasks and problems with behavior that cause particular problems, and in severe cases can lead to institutionalization. In the primary stages of dementia, the patient can be helped by friends and family through ‘reminders. As progression occurs the individual will loose the skills needed for everyday tasks and may eventually fail to recognize family members, a condition known as prospagnosia. The result of such progression is that the individual becomes totally dependent on others. Dementia not only affects the lives of the individual, but also the family2. Dementia can present itself in varying forms. The most common form of dementia in the old is Alzheimers disease, affecting millions of people. It is a degenerative condition that attacks the brain. Progression is gradual and at a variable rate. Symptoms of Alzheimers disease are impaired memory, thinking and changes in behaviour. Dementia with Lewy bodies and dementias linked to Parkinsons disease are responsible for around 10-20% of all dementias. Dementia with Lewy bodies is of particular interest as individuals3 with this condition not only present confusion and varying cognition, but also present symptoms of visual hallucinations2. Another common condition that causes dementia is multi-infarct dementia, also known as vascular dementia. It is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimers disease in the elderly. Multi infarct dementia is caused by multiple strokes in the brain. These series of strokes can affect some intellectual abilities, impair motor skills and also c ause individuals to experience visual hallucinations. Individuals with multi infarct dementia are prone to risk factors for stroke, such as high BP, heart disease and diabetes. Multi infarct dementia cannot be treated, once nerve cells die they cannot be replaced1. In most cases the symptoms of dementia and serious sight loss develop independently. However some conditions can cause both visual and cognitive impairments, for example Down syndrome, Multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Dementia is most prevalent in the elderly, as is sight loss. Therefore it is inevitable that a number of people will present dementia together with serious sight loss. There have been many studies into the prevalence of dementia in the UK. An estimate for the prevalence of dementia in people over 75 years of age is 15% of the population2. The Alzheimers society suggest that 775,200 people in the UK suffer from dementia (figures taken 2001). The Alzheimers society also calculates that the prevalence of dementia in the 65-75 years age group is 1 in 50, for 70-80 years 1 in 20 and for over 80 years of age 1 in 5. Estimates suggest that by 2010 approximately 840,000 people will become dementia sufferers in the UK. Estimates suggest that around 40% of dementia sufferers are in residential institutions. One study from 1996 showed that dementia sufferers are 30 times more likely to live in an institution than people without dementia. At 65 years of age men are 3 times more likely than women to live in an institution and at 86 men and women are equally likely to be institutionalized4. Visual impairments are not associated general diagnostic features of dementia. However recent research has shown the change in visual function and visual processing may be relevant. Alzheimers disease patients often present problems with visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereo-acuity and color vision. These problems are believed to be more true of cognitive dysfunction rather than any specific problems in the eye or optic nerve9. Early diagnosis is essential to both dementia and sight loss patients, as drug treatments are becoming more and more available. Therefore maximizing the treatment and care for the individual. On the other hand early diagnosis of visual conditions is also essential, so that progression is slowed and treatment is commenced, therefore further progression is prevented if plausible2. The Mini-Mental State examination MMSE, is the most commonly used cognitive test for the diagnosis of dementia. It involves the patient to undertake tests of memory and cognition. It takes the form of a series of questions/answers and uses written, verbal and visual material. Poor vision or blindness is the most common cause of poor performance on this test other than dementia itself2. Visual deterioration can occur simultaneously with memory loss in most dementia sufferers. Therefore early recognition of dementia through vision tests has become of importance. Table 1 shows few possible tests that might be useful for such purpose Table 1 : Vision tests for possible early detection and monitoring of Alzheimers disease Use Benton visual retention test Might be able to predict risk for AD 10-15 years before the onset of the disease Tests visual memory Contrast sensitivity AD patients have selectively reduced CS for distinguishing large objects and faces Useful field of view Tests processing speed, divided attention and selective attention Facilitates detection of â€Å"attentional dysfunction†; patients suffering from this problem complain of poor vision and inability to identify someone in a group or an object on a patterned background Could be useful to assess fitness to drive Facial recognition AD patients do not recognize faces with large features and low contrast AD patients do not recognize familiar faces (due to impaired memory) Tests that use facial expressions with progressively diminished degree of contrast The aim of this paper is to provide information about current knowledge on the topic of visual function dementia. With regards to Alzheimers disease, there will be an inclination to several main foci of research. Namely anatomical/structural changes, functional visual changes, cognitive brain changes and other changes such as the effects of diagnostic drugs on Alzheimers disease patients. (2) Alzheimers disease Alzheimers disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst older adults. The Alzheimers research trust estimates that 700,000 individuals in the UK currently are afflicted. This number will inevitably increase exponentially in the near future with the trend of an increasingly aging UK population. Therefore it must be of the utmost of importance worldwide to have an understanding all behavioral, anatomical and physiological aspects of this disease. Alzheimers disease is a degenerative disease that attacks the brain, it begins gradually and progresses at a variable rate. Common signs are impaired thinking, memory and behavior. Health professionals and care givers agree that the memory deficit is usually the initial sign of the disease. However researchers have long known that Alzheimers disease is characterized by impairments of several additional domains, including visual function5. However these findings have not yet appeared in the diagnostic guides consulted by healthcare professionals, for example the most recent addition of the Diagnostic Statistical manual of mental disorders states that few sensory signs occur in early Alzheimers disease2. Therefore we still have a limited understanding of the true extent to which visual impairments affect Alzheimers disease sufferers. The current web site of the Alzheimers association1 and National Institute of Aging6 make no mention of the topic of sensory changes in Alzheimers disease. It has even been said that patients with Alzheimers disease report visual problems to their healthcare professionals less frequently than do healthy elderly individuals7. Nevertheless visual function is impaired in Alzheimers disease8. In terms of cognitive changes, the neuropathology of this disorder affects several other brain areas which are dedicated to processing low level visual functions, as well as higher level visual cognition and attention5.These neuropathological cognitive changes are more dominant however in the visual variant of Alzheimers disease known as posterior cortical atrophy. However visual problems are also present in the more common Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease begins when there are deposits of abnormal proteins outside nerve cells located in the brain in the form of amyloid. These are known as diffuse plaques, and the amyloid also forms the central part of further structured plaques known as senile or neurotic plaques1. Buildup of anomalous filaments of protein inside nerve cells in the brain can also take place. This protein accumulates as masses of filaments known as neurofibril tangles. Atrophy of the affected areas of the brain can also occur as well as the enlargement of the ventricles1. There is also a loss of the neuro transmitter Serotonin, Acetylcholine, Norepinephrine and Somatostatin. Attempts have been made to try to slow the development of the disease by replacing the neurotransmitters with cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (excelon), galantamine (Reminyl) and memantine (Namenda)1. These drugs work by increasing the levels of transmitters between cells, which otherwise beco me lacking in Alzheimers disease. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence NICE conducted a review of these drugs in March 2005 and concluded that none of these drugs provided sufficient enough advantages to the patient in order to justify their cost. They recommended against the use of such drugs in the Nhs, though the Department of Health later overturned this ruling. (3) Visual Changes in Alzheimers Patients Loss of vision is a key healthcare dilemma amongst the elderly. By the age of 65 approximately one in three people have a vision reducing eye disease. Dementia, Alzheimers disease patients and elderly patients, consequently have many visual conditions in common. Alzheimers disease impairs visual function early in the course of the disease and functional losses correlate with cognitive losses. There are several common visual functional deficits that are frequently identified in Alzheimers disease. There is evidence for deficits in Motion perception9,10 contrast sensitivity11 colour discrimination of blue short wavelength hues34 and performance on backward masking tests31.In Alzheimers disease the secondary point of damage is usually the visual association cortex and other higher cortical areas, as well as the primary visual cortex 13,14. (3.1) Some of the main changes that occur in the eye with aging include: The crystalline lens increases in thickness, therefore decreasing its transparency and elasticity; therefore there is a tendency for cataracts to appear. The conjunctiva can become thicker and wrinkled, therefore is subject to deposits such as pinguecela. The iris can atrophy, therefore pupils become constricted and their response to light becomes sluggish. The eyes ability to dark/light adapt is affected. Refractive index of the cornea decreases and it becomes less transparent. Arcus senilis can appear. The ocular globe and eyelids can shrink leading to conditions such as entropian, ectropian and trichiasis. Also while the lachrymal production is reduced the puncta lachrymalis can become stenosed and provide less drainage which gives rise to chronic watering of the eyes Anterior chamber usually becomes more shallow and the sclera more rigid, increasing the prospects of glaucoma. (3.2) Visual changes due to Alzheimers disease reported in literature are outlined below: (3.2) Anatomic Abnormal nerve fiber layer and retinal ganglion cells (Blanks et al, 1989); (Tsai et al, 1991); (Hedges et al, 1996 Imaging of the nerve fibre layer can be conducted via three techniques. These include Optical coherence topography (OCT), Scanning laser polarimetry and Confocal laser topography. Parisi et al16 conducted research upon the optic nerve fibre layer thickness using OCT. 17 Alzheimers disease individuals and 14 age matched healthy individuals were used. The findings of this study showed a definite relationship between the thickness of the nerve fiber layer and the prevalence of Alzheimers disease. There was a significant decrease in the nerve fiber layer thickness in Alzheimers individuals when compared to healthy age matched particpants. Macular cell loss (Blanks et al, 1990) Research has shown a definite decrease of the number of retinal ganglion cells located in the maculae of Alzheimers disease sufferers in comparison to age matched control individuals. It was found that the loss of retinal ganglion cells varied with eccentricity from the central macula17. Results obtained by Blanks et al, 1990 showed a 28% loss of neurons from retinal ganglion cells at 0-0.5mm from the foveola, 24% loss at 0.5-1.0mm and 47% loss at 1.0mm to1.5mm from the foveola. These losses of retinal ganglion cells were constantly greater than those seen in age matched healthy individuals. Supranuclear cataract (Goldstein et al, 2003) Cataract removal could improve not only the visual acuity but may be an important tool in helping those patients suffering from visual hallucinations (Chapman et al, 1999); however, no prospective study has been carried out to prove the role of vision improvement through cataract surgery on the well-being of patients suffering from AD; Exfoliation (Janciauskien and Krakau, 2001) Abnormal pupillary innervation [109-113] Glaucomatous optic nerve cupping (Bayer et al, 2002) (3.3) Functional Decreased visual acuity (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Rapid loss of visual field in patients with AD and glaucoma (Bayer and Ferrari, 2002) Visual field loss (inferior) (Trick et al, 1995) Reduced contrast sensitivity (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Abnormal colour discrimination (blue, short-wavelength hues) (Cronin-Golomb et al, 1991) Abnormal flash visual evoked potentials (VEPs) (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Delayed saccadic eye movements (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) (3.4) Cognitive Abnormal visual sustained/divided/selective attention and visual processing speed (Rizzo et al, 2000) Inability to recognize depth (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Impaired face recognition (van Rhijin et al, 2004) (3.5) Other Excessive pharmacological mydriasis/miosis [109-113] These changes summed together not only diminish the quality of vision, but many of them also make the examination of the eye much more complicated. In conjunction with the general visual symptoms of aging, Alzheimers patients can also experience visual disturbances caused by the brain rather than the visual system alone. This means that they can have problems and difficulties perceiving what they see rather than how clearly they see it3. Difficulties are usually experienced in the areas mentioned earlier, namely depth, motion, color, and contrast sensitivity. Visual hallucinations are also a common problem linked to loss of vision in Alzheimers disease patients18. Another common disorder linked to patients with Alzheimers disease is a variant of motion blindness. The patient can appear to be confused and lost; the individual will see the world as a series of still frames19. Visual changes in Alzheimers disease may also be dependent upon which brain hemisphere is more severely damaged; this factor can often be overlooked. An individual with Alzheimers disease could have damage to a greater extent on their left brain hemisphere from plaques and tangles. This would therefore cause subsequent retinal changes in only the left hemi-retinas of each eye i.e. the right visual fields. The right eye visual field would be affected in the temporal side (right) and the left eye visual field would be affected nasally (right)20. When only half the retina is impacted, smaller regions of the optic nerve and nerve fiber layer show losses. The left eye with affected temporal retina would show optic nerve damage in differing regions of the nerve than the right eye with nasal retinal damage20. Alzheimers patients commonly show selective degeneration of large ganglion cell axons located in the optic nerves. This suggests that there would be impairment of broadband channel visual function. Conversely studies have shown that broadband visual capabilities are not selectively impaired in Alzheimers disease. The magnocellular and parvocellular neurons are greatly affected in Alzheimers patients, this has been proved by studies of the dorsal Lateral geniculate nucleus(LGN)1. The geniculostirate projection system is split both functionally and anatomically into two sections. They include the parvocellular layers of the Lateral geniculate body and also incorporates the magnocellular layers. These systems are mainly divided in the primary visual cortex and go through further segregation in the visual association cortex. They conclude in the temporal and paritetal lobes1. The parvocellular layers contain smaller, centrally located receptive fields that account for high spatial frequencies (acuity), they also respond well to color. On the other hand these cells do not respond well to rapid motion or high flicker rates. The magnocellular cells have larger receptive fields and respond superiorly to motion and flicker. They are however comparatively insensitive to color differences. The magnocellular neurons generally show poor spatial resolution, although they seem to respond better at low luminance contrasts. To summarize the parvocellular system is superior at detecting small, slow moving, colored targets placed in the centre of the visual field. Meanwhile the magnocellular system has the ability to process rapidly moving and optically degraded stimuli across larger areas of the visual field1. The parvocellular system projects ventrally to the inferior temporal areas, which are involved in visual research, pattern recognition and visual object memory. The magnocellular system projects dorsally to the posterior parietal and superior temporal areas. These are specialized for motion information processing. The cerebral cortical areas to which the parvocelluar system projects receives virtually no vestibular afferents. Alternatively the cerebral areas to which the magnocelullar system projects receives significant vestibular and other sensory inputs. These are believed to be involved in maintaining spatial orientation. Research shows shows that the magnocellular system is more involved in Alzheimers disease1 Oddly, many individuals experience difficulties at low spatial frequencies instead of high frequencies as in old age. This suggests that areas controlling the low spatial frequency processing in the primary visual cortex would be affected more than those for higher frequencies processing21 After neuropathilogical studies in 1997 by Hof et al were carried out on brains with visual impairments they concluded that cortical atrophy dominated on the posterior parietal cortex and occipital lobe22. Glaucoma is also a neurodegenerative disease that has similar effects on the visual system. Lower spatial frequencies in the contrast sensitivity, deficits in the blue short wavelength color range as well as reductions in motion perception are all linked to glaucomatous patients23. When patients diagnosed with Alzheimers disease also have glaucoma, the deterioration of vision related to glaucoma is much more rapid and progression is more aggressive than in people with glaucoma solely and not Alzheimers disease as well24.Glaucoma is different from Alzheimers disease in that it affects the visual function at the early sites of neural activity, namely, the retinal ganglion cells. Glaucoma destroys the afferent axons at the nerve fiber layer in the retina. This loss of axons ultimately leads to added atrophy further up the visual pathway due to decreased neuronal input. Alternatively Alzheimers disease impacts the cells that are located terminally or intermediary in the visual pathway of the brain. The result is again reduced neuronal input due to loss of nerve fibre connections and atrophy along the visual pathway. When the two diseases exist in the same individual together it can be seen that there is likely to be a greater disruption to the visual system25. One key difference between the two diseases is that they affect the visual pathway at different points. Glaucoma is a degenerative disease starting at the beginning of the visual pathway, whereas Alzheimers disease is a degenerative process starting relatively late in the visual pathway. When the two diseases coexist then the neuronal and functional losses of vision are cumulative. (4) Optometric examination of dementia patients Dementia patients present special problems for optometrists. A standard eye test can be an audile to even the best of us. The patient is placed in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by unusual equipment, machinery and is subjected to probing questions about their medical history which will without doubt tax their already flawed memory. Dementia patients are most likely to be from the elderly. Therefore several difficulties are presented while conducting an ocular examination. The patient is required to sustain a position and has to maintain concentration throughout the testing procedures, which can be very difficult. Subjective examination requires responses from the patient, they are expected to remember and follow complex instructions given to them by the optometrist as well as make many precise discriminatory judgments in a short space of time. The multiple tasks required to be completed during the examination are often beyond dementia patients as they are limited by the disease . Therefore it is common that patients with even a minor degree of dementia fail to provide valid answers, provide unpredictable responses to the subjective examination and retreat into an apathetic state1,2. During the visual examination of Alzheimers disease patients, several key visual problems can be detected. Moderate dementia patients will often experience problems such as topographic agnosia, alexia without agraphia, visual agnosia and prospagnosia1. Such patients often cannot describe individual components of photos and routinely fail to recognize family members. The degree to which such problems are experienced is consistent with the level of cytochrome oxidase deficits in the associated cortical area. In conjunction with these problems dementia patients often have problems with texture discrimination and blue violet discrimination1. Throughout the examination of the elderly dementia patients there are two contradictory requirements, firstly is ‘assurance. The patients responses will be delayed and the patient may feel anxious in such an unfamiliar situation. Thus constant reassurance is required and they cannot be rushed. Alternatively time constraints are important, a dementia/elderly patient is likely to have a short attention span. Consequently the two factors above much be considered and balanced. The examination must be thorough yet carried out as quickly as possible. Often when examining a dementia patient a family member of the carer must be present in order to aid the communication between optometrist and patient, for example difficulties are likely to occur when recording history and symptoms without a carer present. All factors need to be considered such as family history, medication, eye treatment and knowledge of any medical conditions and if so how long they have suffered from them. In terms of an external examination firstly, gross observations should be recorded for example does the patient have an abnormal head position or is there any lid tosis. Many external observations can also be detected with the aid of pupil reflexes. Upon carrying out the external examination the optometrist must be carful to explain exactly what each procedure will involve so as not to intimidate the patient. (4.1) Internal ocular health examination Internal examination of an elderly patient often presents many problems. Older patients tend to have constricted pupils and often opacities in the media such as cataract. All of which make opthalmoscopy a much more complex task for the optometrist. Patients with dementia also show poor fixation as well as lack of concentration. Pupil dilation is often used to aid external examination however many older patients can have a poor response to the insertion of mydriatic eye drops. fddfdffdg There have been many studies into the affects of diagnostic mydriatic and miotic drugs. Many studies have shown excessive mydriatic pupil response to trompicamide (a pupil dilating drug) in patients with Alzheimers disease when compared to control individuals26-30. On the other hand studies into the use of Miotic drops, particularly Pilocarpine have shown an increased response of pupil constriction in Alzheimers disease patients upon comparison to normal control patients. These findings suggest a defect in pupillary innervation with Alzheimers disease individuals. Studies of post mortem individuals with exaggerated mydriatic pupil responses to Tropicamide found a definte disruption to the Edinger-Westphal nucleus. The Edinger-Westphal nucleus is one of the key structures of the brain involved in the autonomic nervous system, it mediates the sympathetic and para-sympathetic pupil responses. Research by Scinto et al found amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in all individuals t ested with excessive mydriatic pupil responses. The conclusion was that the Edinger-Westphal nucleus is targeted early in the progression of Alzheimers disease. In terms of intraocular pressures use of the goldman an Perkins tonometers will be limited for the elderly dementia patients, due to health and safety reasons. Sudden movements whilst carrying out pressure tests on such equipment may be dangerous. Therefore this can be overcome to a degree by the use of handheld instruments such as the pulseair. However even with the pulseair problems can still be faced with uncooperative patients. (4.2) Objective Refraction examination With uncooperative and awkward patients objective refraction through retinosopy may be difficult. Factors such as opacified media, miotic pupils, and poor fixation will influence the accuracy of the refraction. The recent introduction of hand held optometers has contributed to somewhat overcoming such problems. Instruments such as thee Nikon Retinomax are excellent for obtaining an objective refraction of the elderly patient with miotic pupils and cloudy media. When presenting the Snellen chart to a patient, the quality of their response will inevitably depend upon the degree of their dementia. Depending on which stage of dementia they are suff Dementias Effect on the Visual System Dementias Effect on the Visual System Abstract Recent evidence indicates that memory impairment and visual dysfunction are clearly linked in dementia, and that special testing for visual dysfunction can improve the early diagnosis and treatment of dementia. Visual function is divided in terms of anatomic, functional and cognitive areas respectively. Under normal circumstances these functions perform seamlessly together to produce a visual reality of what we call the external world. Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia and past research into this area has shown that sufferers show visual deficits in several key areas. Namely contrast sensitivity, motion, colour, depth perception as well as visual hallucinations. Thus by approaching the patient in a appropriate manor with regards to dementia, clinical professionals can detect visual dysfunction and memory impairment whilst also providing a vital role in secondary and tertiary preventative measures. Furthermore clinical professionals can provide aid in the treatmen t of dementia linked visual disorders. With current demographic trends, dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent due in the ageing population. Consequently there is an increased need for practitioners to have a sound knowledge of such dementia conditions. Improving the sufferers quality of life should be the practitioners main concern. By providing thorough treatments and suggestions on patient tailored environmental modifications this can be achieved. (1) Introduction Dementia is a loss of mental function in two or more areas such as language, memory, visual and spatial abilities, or judgment severe enough to interfere with daily life1. Dementia is not a disease itself, sufferers show a broader set of symptoms that accompany certain diseases or physical conditions1. Well known diseases that cause dementia include Alzheimers disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and multi-infarct dementia1. Dementia is an acquired and progressive problem that affects cognitive functions, behavior, thinking processes and the ability to carry out normal activities. Vision is one of the most important primary senses, therefore serious or complete sight loss has a major impact on a individuals ability to communicate effectively and function independently. Individuals who suffer from both dementia and serious vision loss will inevitably be subject to profound emotional, practical, psychological and financial problems. These factors will also influence others around the sufferer and will extend to the family and the greater society. As we get older both dementia and visual problems inevitably become much more prevalent. Current demographic trends show the increase of the number of very old in our population. Therefore it is inevitable that dementia and serious sight loss either alone or together, will have important consequences for all of us1. The vast majority of people are aware that dementia affects the memory. However it is the impact it has on the ability to carry out daily tasks and problems with behavior that cause particular problems, and in severe cases can lead to institutionalization. In the primary stages of dementia, the patient can be helped by friends and family through ‘reminders. As progression occurs the individual will loose the skills needed for everyday tasks and may eventually fail to recognize family members, a condition known as prospagnosia. The result of such progression is that the individual becomes totally dependent on others. Dementia not only affects the lives of the individual, but also the family2. Dementia can present itself in varying forms. The most common form of dementia in the old is Alzheimers disease, affecting millions of people. It is a degenerative condition that attacks the brain. Progression is gradual and at a variable rate. Symptoms of Alzheimers disease are impaired memory, thinking and changes in behaviour. Dementia with Lewy bodies and dementias linked to Parkinsons disease are responsible for around 10-20% of all dementias. Dementia with Lewy bodies is of particular interest as individuals3 with this condition not only present confusion and varying cognition, but also present symptoms of visual hallucinations2. Another common condition that causes dementia is multi-infarct dementia, also known as vascular dementia. It is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimers disease in the elderly. Multi infarct dementia is caused by multiple strokes in the brain. These series of strokes can affect some intellectual abilities, impair motor skills and also c ause individuals to experience visual hallucinations. Individuals with multi infarct dementia are prone to risk factors for stroke, such as high BP, heart disease and diabetes. Multi infarct dementia cannot be treated, once nerve cells die they cannot be replaced1. In most cases the symptoms of dementia and serious sight loss develop independently. However some conditions can cause both visual and cognitive impairments, for example Down syndrome, Multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Dementia is most prevalent in the elderly, as is sight loss. Therefore it is inevitable that a number of people will present dementia together with serious sight loss. There have been many studies into the prevalence of dementia in the UK. An estimate for the prevalence of dementia in people over 75 years of age is 15% of the population2. The Alzheimers society suggest that 775,200 people in the UK suffer from dementia (figures taken 2001). The Alzheimers society also calculates that the prevalence of dementia in the 65-75 years age group is 1 in 50, for 70-80 years 1 in 20 and for over 80 years of age 1 in 5. Estimates suggest that by 2010 approximately 840,000 people will become dementia sufferers in the UK. Estimates suggest that around 40% of dementia sufferers are in residential institutions. One study from 1996 showed that dementia sufferers are 30 times more likely to live in an institution than people without dementia. At 65 years of age men are 3 times more likely than women to live in an institution and at 86 men and women are equally likely to be institutionalized4. Visual impairments are not associated general diagnostic features of dementia. However recent research has shown the change in visual function and visual processing may be relevant. Alzheimers disease patients often present problems with visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereo-acuity and color vision. These problems are believed to be more true of cognitive dysfunction rather than any specific problems in the eye or optic nerve9. Early diagnosis is essential to both dementia and sight loss patients, as drug treatments are becoming more and more available. Therefore maximizing the treatment and care for the individual. On the other hand early diagnosis of visual conditions is also essential, so that progression is slowed and treatment is commenced, therefore further progression is prevented if plausible2. The Mini-Mental State examination MMSE, is the most commonly used cognitive test for the diagnosis of dementia. It involves the patient to undertake tests of memory and cognition. It takes the form of a series of questions/answers and uses written, verbal and visual material. Poor vision or blindness is the most common cause of poor performance on this test other than dementia itself2. Visual deterioration can occur simultaneously with memory loss in most dementia sufferers. Therefore early recognition of dementia through vision tests has become of importance. Table 1 shows few possible tests that might be useful for such purpose Table 1 : Vision tests for possible early detection and monitoring of Alzheimers disease Use Benton visual retention test Might be able to predict risk for AD 10-15 years before the onset of the disease Tests visual memory Contrast sensitivity AD patients have selectively reduced CS for distinguishing large objects and faces Useful field of view Tests processing speed, divided attention and selective attention Facilitates detection of â€Å"attentional dysfunction†; patients suffering from this problem complain of poor vision and inability to identify someone in a group or an object on a patterned background Could be useful to assess fitness to drive Facial recognition AD patients do not recognize faces with large features and low contrast AD patients do not recognize familiar faces (due to impaired memory) Tests that use facial expressions with progressively diminished degree of contrast The aim of this paper is to provide information about current knowledge on the topic of visual function dementia. With regards to Alzheimers disease, there will be an inclination to several main foci of research. Namely anatomical/structural changes, functional visual changes, cognitive brain changes and other changes such as the effects of diagnostic drugs on Alzheimers disease patients. (2) Alzheimers disease Alzheimers disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst older adults. The Alzheimers research trust estimates that 700,000 individuals in the UK currently are afflicted. This number will inevitably increase exponentially in the near future with the trend of an increasingly aging UK population. Therefore it must be of the utmost of importance worldwide to have an understanding all behavioral, anatomical and physiological aspects of this disease. Alzheimers disease is a degenerative disease that attacks the brain, it begins gradually and progresses at a variable rate. Common signs are impaired thinking, memory and behavior. Health professionals and care givers agree that the memory deficit is usually the initial sign of the disease. However researchers have long known that Alzheimers disease is characterized by impairments of several additional domains, including visual function5. However these findings have not yet appeared in the diagnostic guides consulted by healthcare professionals, for example the most recent addition of the Diagnostic Statistical manual of mental disorders states that few sensory signs occur in early Alzheimers disease2. Therefore we still have a limited understanding of the true extent to which visual impairments affect Alzheimers disease sufferers. The current web site of the Alzheimers association1 and National Institute of Aging6 make no mention of the topic of sensory changes in Alzheimers disease. It has even been said that patients with Alzheimers disease report visual problems to their healthcare professionals less frequently than do healthy elderly individuals7. Nevertheless visual function is impaired in Alzheimers disease8. In terms of cognitive changes, the neuropathology of this disorder affects several other brain areas which are dedicated to processing low level visual functions, as well as higher level visual cognition and attention5.These neuropathological cognitive changes are more dominant however in the visual variant of Alzheimers disease known as posterior cortical atrophy. However visual problems are also present in the more common Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease begins when there are deposits of abnormal proteins outside nerve cells located in the brain in the form of amyloid. These are known as diffuse plaques, and the amyloid also forms the central part of further structured plaques known as senile or neurotic plaques1. Buildup of anomalous filaments of protein inside nerve cells in the brain can also take place. This protein accumulates as masses of filaments known as neurofibril tangles. Atrophy of the affected areas of the brain can also occur as well as the enlargement of the ventricles1. There is also a loss of the neuro transmitter Serotonin, Acetylcholine, Norepinephrine and Somatostatin. Attempts have been made to try to slow the development of the disease by replacing the neurotransmitters with cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (excelon), galantamine (Reminyl) and memantine (Namenda)1. These drugs work by increasing the levels of transmitters between cells, which otherwise beco me lacking in Alzheimers disease. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence NICE conducted a review of these drugs in March 2005 and concluded that none of these drugs provided sufficient enough advantages to the patient in order to justify their cost. They recommended against the use of such drugs in the Nhs, though the Department of Health later overturned this ruling. (3) Visual Changes in Alzheimers Patients Loss of vision is a key healthcare dilemma amongst the elderly. By the age of 65 approximately one in three people have a vision reducing eye disease. Dementia, Alzheimers disease patients and elderly patients, consequently have many visual conditions in common. Alzheimers disease impairs visual function early in the course of the disease and functional losses correlate with cognitive losses. There are several common visual functional deficits that are frequently identified in Alzheimers disease. There is evidence for deficits in Motion perception9,10 contrast sensitivity11 colour discrimination of blue short wavelength hues34 and performance on backward masking tests31.In Alzheimers disease the secondary point of damage is usually the visual association cortex and other higher cortical areas, as well as the primary visual cortex 13,14. (3.1) Some of the main changes that occur in the eye with aging include: The crystalline lens increases in thickness, therefore decreasing its transparency and elasticity; therefore there is a tendency for cataracts to appear. The conjunctiva can become thicker and wrinkled, therefore is subject to deposits such as pinguecela. The iris can atrophy, therefore pupils become constricted and their response to light becomes sluggish. The eyes ability to dark/light adapt is affected. Refractive index of the cornea decreases and it becomes less transparent. Arcus senilis can appear. The ocular globe and eyelids can shrink leading to conditions such as entropian, ectropian and trichiasis. Also while the lachrymal production is reduced the puncta lachrymalis can become stenosed and provide less drainage which gives rise to chronic watering of the eyes Anterior chamber usually becomes more shallow and the sclera more rigid, increasing the prospects of glaucoma. (3.2) Visual changes due to Alzheimers disease reported in literature are outlined below: (3.2) Anatomic Abnormal nerve fiber layer and retinal ganglion cells (Blanks et al, 1989); (Tsai et al, 1991); (Hedges et al, 1996 Imaging of the nerve fibre layer can be conducted via three techniques. These include Optical coherence topography (OCT), Scanning laser polarimetry and Confocal laser topography. Parisi et al16 conducted research upon the optic nerve fibre layer thickness using OCT. 17 Alzheimers disease individuals and 14 age matched healthy individuals were used. The findings of this study showed a definite relationship between the thickness of the nerve fiber layer and the prevalence of Alzheimers disease. There was a significant decrease in the nerve fiber layer thickness in Alzheimers individuals when compared to healthy age matched particpants. Macular cell loss (Blanks et al, 1990) Research has shown a definite decrease of the number of retinal ganglion cells located in the maculae of Alzheimers disease sufferers in comparison to age matched control individuals. It was found that the loss of retinal ganglion cells varied with eccentricity from the central macula17. Results obtained by Blanks et al, 1990 showed a 28% loss of neurons from retinal ganglion cells at 0-0.5mm from the foveola, 24% loss at 0.5-1.0mm and 47% loss at 1.0mm to1.5mm from the foveola. These losses of retinal ganglion cells were constantly greater than those seen in age matched healthy individuals. Supranuclear cataract (Goldstein et al, 2003) Cataract removal could improve not only the visual acuity but may be an important tool in helping those patients suffering from visual hallucinations (Chapman et al, 1999); however, no prospective study has been carried out to prove the role of vision improvement through cataract surgery on the well-being of patients suffering from AD; Exfoliation (Janciauskien and Krakau, 2001) Abnormal pupillary innervation [109-113] Glaucomatous optic nerve cupping (Bayer et al, 2002) (3.3) Functional Decreased visual acuity (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Rapid loss of visual field in patients with AD and glaucoma (Bayer and Ferrari, 2002) Visual field loss (inferior) (Trick et al, 1995) Reduced contrast sensitivity (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Abnormal colour discrimination (blue, short-wavelength hues) (Cronin-Golomb et al, 1991) Abnormal flash visual evoked potentials (VEPs) (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Delayed saccadic eye movements (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) (3.4) Cognitive Abnormal visual sustained/divided/selective attention and visual processing speed (Rizzo et al, 2000) Inability to recognize depth (Holroyd and Shepherd, 2001) Impaired face recognition (van Rhijin et al, 2004) (3.5) Other Excessive pharmacological mydriasis/miosis [109-113] These changes summed together not only diminish the quality of vision, but many of them also make the examination of the eye much more complicated. In conjunction with the general visual symptoms of aging, Alzheimers patients can also experience visual disturbances caused by the brain rather than the visual system alone. This means that they can have problems and difficulties perceiving what they see rather than how clearly they see it3. Difficulties are usually experienced in the areas mentioned earlier, namely depth, motion, color, and contrast sensitivity. Visual hallucinations are also a common problem linked to loss of vision in Alzheimers disease patients18. Another common disorder linked to patients with Alzheimers disease is a variant of motion blindness. The patient can appear to be confused and lost; the individual will see the world as a series of still frames19. Visual changes in Alzheimers disease may also be dependent upon which brain hemisphere is more severely damaged; this factor can often be overlooked. An individual with Alzheimers disease could have damage to a greater extent on their left brain hemisphere from plaques and tangles. This would therefore cause subsequent retinal changes in only the left hemi-retinas of each eye i.e. the right visual fields. The right eye visual field would be affected in the temporal side (right) and the left eye visual field would be affected nasally (right)20. When only half the retina is impacted, smaller regions of the optic nerve and nerve fiber layer show losses. The left eye with affected temporal retina would show optic nerve damage in differing regions of the nerve than the right eye with nasal retinal damage20. Alzheimers patients commonly show selective degeneration of large ganglion cell axons located in the optic nerves. This suggests that there would be impairment of broadband channel visual function. Conversely studies have shown that broadband visual capabilities are not selectively impaired in Alzheimers disease. The magnocellular and parvocellular neurons are greatly affected in Alzheimers patients, this has been proved by studies of the dorsal Lateral geniculate nucleus(LGN)1. The geniculostirate projection system is split both functionally and anatomically into two sections. They include the parvocellular layers of the Lateral geniculate body and also incorporates the magnocellular layers. These systems are mainly divided in the primary visual cortex and go through further segregation in the visual association cortex. They conclude in the temporal and paritetal lobes1. The parvocellular layers contain smaller, centrally located receptive fields that account for high spatial frequencies (acuity), they also respond well to color. On the other hand these cells do not respond well to rapid motion or high flicker rates. The magnocellular cells have larger receptive fields and respond superiorly to motion and flicker. They are however comparatively insensitive to color differences. The magnocellular neurons generally show poor spatial resolution, although they seem to respond better at low luminance contrasts. To summarize the parvocellular system is superior at detecting small, slow moving, colored targets placed in the centre of the visual field. Meanwhile the magnocellular system has the ability to process rapidly moving and optically degraded stimuli across larger areas of the visual field1. The parvocellular system projects ventrally to the inferior temporal areas, which are involved in visual research, pattern recognition and visual object memory. The magnocellular system projects dorsally to the posterior parietal and superior temporal areas. These are specialized for motion information processing. The cerebral cortical areas to which the parvocelluar system projects receives virtually no vestibular afferents. Alternatively the cerebral areas to which the magnocelullar system projects receives significant vestibular and other sensory inputs. These are believed to be involved in maintaining spatial orientation. Research shows shows that the magnocellular system is more involved in Alzheimers disease1 Oddly, many individuals experience difficulties at low spatial frequencies instead of high frequencies as in old age. This suggests that areas controlling the low spatial frequency processing in the primary visual cortex would be affected more than those for higher frequencies processing21 After neuropathilogical studies in 1997 by Hof et al were carried out on brains with visual impairments they concluded that cortical atrophy dominated on the posterior parietal cortex and occipital lobe22. Glaucoma is also a neurodegenerative disease that has similar effects on the visual system. Lower spatial frequencies in the contrast sensitivity, deficits in the blue short wavelength color range as well as reductions in motion perception are all linked to glaucomatous patients23. When patients diagnosed with Alzheimers disease also have glaucoma, the deterioration of vision related to glaucoma is much more rapid and progression is more aggressive than in people with glaucoma solely and not Alzheimers disease as well24.Glaucoma is different from Alzheimers disease in that it affects the visual function at the early sites of neural activity, namely, the retinal ganglion cells. Glaucoma destroys the afferent axons at the nerve fiber layer in the retina. This loss of axons ultimately leads to added atrophy further up the visual pathway due to decreased neuronal input. Alternatively Alzheimers disease impacts the cells that are located terminally or intermediary in the visual pathway of the brain. The result is again reduced neuronal input due to loss of nerve fibre connections and atrophy along the visual pathway. When the two diseases exist in the same individual together it can be seen that there is likely to be a greater disruption to the visual system25. One key difference between the two diseases is that they affect the visual pathway at different points. Glaucoma is a degenerative disease starting at the beginning of the visual pathway, whereas Alzheimers disease is a degenerative process starting relatively late in the visual pathway. When the two diseases coexist then the neuronal and functional losses of vision are cumulative. (4) Optometric examination of dementia patients Dementia patients present special problems for optometrists. A standard eye test can be an audile to even the best of us. The patient is placed in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by unusual equipment, machinery and is subjected to probing questions about their medical history which will without doubt tax their already flawed memory. Dementia patients are most likely to be from the elderly. Therefore several difficulties are presented while conducting an ocular examination. The patient is required to sustain a position and has to maintain concentration throughout the testing procedures, which can be very difficult. Subjective examination requires responses from the patient, they are expected to remember and follow complex instructions given to them by the optometrist as well as make many precise discriminatory judgments in a short space of time. The multiple tasks required to be completed during the examination are often beyond dementia patients as they are limited by the disease . Therefore it is common that patients with even a minor degree of dementia fail to provide valid answers, provide unpredictable responses to the subjective examination and retreat into an apathetic state1,2. During the visual examination of Alzheimers disease patients, several key visual problems can be detected. Moderate dementia patients will often experience problems such as topographic agnosia, alexia without agraphia, visual agnosia and prospagnosia1. Such patients often cannot describe individual components of photos and routinely fail to recognize family members. The degree to which such problems are experienced is consistent with the level of cytochrome oxidase deficits in the associated cortical area. In conjunction with these problems dementia patients often have problems with texture discrimination and blue violet discrimination1. Throughout the examination of the elderly dementia patients there are two contradictory requirements, firstly is ‘assurance. The patients responses will be delayed and the patient may feel anxious in such an unfamiliar situation. Thus constant reassurance is required and they cannot be rushed. Alternatively time constraints are important, a dementia/elderly patient is likely to have a short attention span. Consequently the two factors above much be considered and balanced. The examination must be thorough yet carried out as quickly as possible. Often when examining a dementia patient a family member of the carer must be present in order to aid the communication between optometrist and patient, for example difficulties are likely to occur when recording history and symptoms without a carer present. All factors need to be considered such as family history, medication, eye treatment and knowledge of any medical conditions and if so how long they have suffered from them. In terms of an external examination firstly, gross observations should be recorded for example does the patient have an abnormal head position or is there any lid tosis. Many external observations can also be detected with the aid of pupil reflexes. Upon carrying out the external examination the optometrist must be carful to explain exactly what each procedure will involve so as not to intimidate the patient. (4.1) Internal ocular health examination Internal examination of an elderly patient often presents many problems. Older patients tend to have constricted pupils and often opacities in the media such as cataract. All of which make opthalmoscopy a much more complex task for the optometrist. Patients with dementia also show poor fixation as well as lack of concentration. Pupil dilation is often used to aid external examination however many older patients can have a poor response to the insertion of mydriatic eye drops. fddfdffdg There have been many studies into the affects of diagnostic mydriatic and miotic drugs. Many studies have shown excessive mydriatic pupil response to trompicamide (a pupil dilating drug) in patients with Alzheimers disease when compared to control individuals26-30. On the other hand studies into the use of Miotic drops, particularly Pilocarpine have shown an increased response of pupil constriction in Alzheimers disease patients upon comparison to normal control patients. These findings suggest a defect in pupillary innervation with Alzheimers disease individuals. Studies of post mortem individuals with exaggerated mydriatic pupil responses to Tropicamide found a definte disruption to the Edinger-Westphal nucleus. The Edinger-Westphal nucleus is one of the key structures of the brain involved in the autonomic nervous system, it mediates the sympathetic and para-sympathetic pupil responses. Research by Scinto et al found amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in all individuals t ested with excessive mydriatic pupil responses. The conclusion was that the Edinger-Westphal nucleus is targeted early in the progression of Alzheimers disease. In terms of intraocular pressures use of the goldman an Perkins tonometers will be limited for the elderly dementia patients, due to health and safety reasons. Sudden movements whilst carrying out pressure tests on such equipment may be dangerous. Therefore this can be overcome to a degree by the use of handheld instruments such as the pulseair. However even with the pulseair problems can still be faced with uncooperative patients. (4.2) Objective Refraction examination With uncooperative and awkward patients objective refraction through retinosopy may be difficult. Factors such as opacified media, miotic pupils, and poor fixation will influence the accuracy of the refraction. The recent introduction of hand held optometers has contributed to somewhat overcoming such problems. Instruments such as thee Nikon Retinomax are excellent for obtaining an objective refraction of the elderly patient with miotic pupils and cloudy media. When presenting the Snellen chart to a patient, the quality of their response will inevitably depend upon the degree of their dementia. Depending on which stage of dementia they are suff