Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Avaition law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Avaition law - Essay Example eferences confirm the significance of ALIs product and lend support to our belief that the Restatement (Third) will have a significant influence in establishing a more uniform national products liability law. The Restatement (Third) already is having a notable impact on the products liability jurisprudence of many states. The states treatment of the Restatement (Third) is grouped into three categories. The first category consists of those states that expressly have incorporated various sections of the Restatement into their law. The second category consists of states that expressly have rejected various provisions or principles of the Restatement. The final category consists of states that have cited and discussed the Restatement in a significant way, but whose treatment of the Restatement falls short of an express adoption or rejection. The issue before the Supreme Court of Iowa in Lovick v. Wil-Rich,3 was whether the trial court erred in its instruction to the jury regarding the defendant-manufacturers post-sale duty to warn. In concluding that the instruction was improper, on the grounds that the court failed to inform the jury of the â€Å"special† circumstances affecting the reasonableness of the manufacturers conduct, the Iowa Supreme Court expressly adopted Section 10 of the Restatement (Third), â€Å"including the need to articulate the relevant factors to consider in determining the reasonableness of providing a warning after the sale.† Although Section 10 was consistent, in principle, with Iowa law, the Iowa Supreme Courts adoption of Section 10 in full, and its corresponding rejection of an Iowa standard jury instruction, underscores the significance of the Iowa development. The second category consist of those states that expressly have rejected various aspects of the Restatement (Third). This group consists of Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Although New Jersey also was one of the states in the first

Sunday, October 27, 2019

New Zealand Oral Health Practitioners Preparedness

New Zealand Oral Health Practitioners Preparedness Title: An update on New Zealand oral health practitioners preparedness for medical emergencies Running title: Medical emergencies Authors: C L Hong, A W Lamb, J M Broadbent, H L De Silva, W M Thomson Corresponding author: C L Hong, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. Abstract Background and objectives: To update information on the preparedness of New Zealand general dental practitioners (GDPs) and other oral health practitioners (OHPs) for medical emergencies. Methods: Electronic and paper survey of a sample of 889 OHPs (comprising GDPs, specialists, hygienists, therapists and clinical dental technicians) randomly selected from the Dental Register. Results: The response rate was 39.7%. About half of the respondents (43.3%) reported encountering at least one emergency event during the last ten years. Vaso-vagal syncope was the most commonly reported emergency event, followed by hyperventilation. The mean ten-year incidence of emergency events (excluding vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation) was 2.6 events (SD, 7). Dentists were 6.8 times more likely to experience emergency events than other OHPs (p Conclusion: The majority of New Zealand OHPs were equipped in training, and equipment for medical emergencies, and New Zealand appears better than many other countries in this respect. However, some OHPs still lacked some of the required emergency equipment, drugs, and training. Introduction The New Zealand population (as with other developed countries) is ageing (Statistics New Zealand, 2015). This means that oral health practitioners (OHPs) are (and will continue to be) providing care for an increasing proportion of elderly patients. This demographic shift towards a greying population is not without its dental implications. Ageing is accompanied by chronic diseases, disabilities and poly-pharmacy (Hung et al., 2011), all of which are risk factors for the occurrence of medical emergencies in dental practices. Thus, the risk of medical emergency events is likely to be increasing. Most medical emergencies can be anticipated, and all OHPs should be well-versed in their prevention and management. Training in the provision of basic life support is considered an essential and fundamental component of dentistry. Despite this, studies have shown general dental practitioners (GDPs) to be inadequately trained for medical emergencies (Alhamad et al., 2015; Arsati et al., 2010; Chapman, 1997; Muller et al., 2008). Only about half of German GDPs were able to provide basic life support (Muller et al., 2008). About two in five Belgian dentists had never had adult basic life support training following graduation, and four in five never had pediatric basic life support training (Marks et al., 2013). Some years ago, only half of New Zealand GDPs had a current CPR or first-aid certificate, and one in five lacked an emergency equipment kit (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). Overseas studies have indicated that the incidence of medical emergencies in dental practice (excluding syncope) is between 3.3 and 7.0 emergency events per practitioner during a ten-year practice period (Arsati et al., 2010; Atherton et al., 1999; Atherton et al., 2000; Chapman, 1997; Girdler and Smith, 1999). A 2001 study of 314 New Zealand GDPs reported a mean 4.5 emergency events per dentist during a ten-year practice period (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). While this falls within the reported range, most of those studies are dated, and there is a need for more contemporary information, particularly in light of the ageing population (and its greater tooth retention). Published studies also tended to focus on GDPs. There is a lack of published data on the preparedness of other OHPs for medical emergencies. Only one study investigated the incidence of medical emergencies among both dentists and dental auxiliaries. Atherton et al. (2000) noted that dentists experienced more emergency events than dental auxiliaries (nursing staff, hygienists and radiographers). This suggests that other OHPs also encounter medical emergencies, but evidence for this within the New Zealand dental workforce remains unknown. Moreover, in September 2014, the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) updated its Codes of Practice for Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice (Dental Council of New Zealand, 2014). In this updated standard, the New Zealand Resuscitation Council Certificate of Resuscitation and Emergency Care (CORE) certification level required of OHPs was updated, along with the period of recertification. Little is known about the adherence of OHPs to this updated practice standard. Accordingly, this study investigated the preparedness of New Zealand GDPs and other OHPs for medical emergencies in dental practice. Methods This study was approved by the University of Otago Ethics Committee. Data were collected between March and July 2016. OHPs were randomly selected from the 2015-2016 Dental Register, obtained from the DCNZ. The 896 randomly selected OHPs represented 20% of the source population for each OHP type (GDPs, dental specialists, hygienists, therapists, and clinical dental technicians). A small number (7) who did not have a clinical role or were not practising in New Zealand were considered ineligible and were excluded from the sample, leaving 889 eligible participants. The electronic survey used Qualtrics TM software. A link to the online questionnaire was emailed to each participant in March 2016. Participants who failed to respond within two weeks were sent a reminder email. Those who did not respond to the electronic survey were then sent a questionnaire with a cover letter and reply-paid envelope. Questionnaire The questionnaire sought information on the respondents socio-demographic characteristics (specifically gender, age, ethnicity, year of primary dental qualification, and practice location), experience and preparedness for medical emergencies. The frequency of specific medical emergencies was also assessed. To maximise the accuracy of recall, the question on the incidence of vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation was limited to the past practising year, while other medical emergencies events to the past ten practising years, or as long as the practitioner had been practising if less than ten years. Information on the availability of emergency equipment and drugs (and confidence in administering these) was also sought. The list of emergency equipment and drugs was derived from the DCNZs practice standard (Dental Council of New Zealand, 2014) . Statistical analysis Data were entered electronically and analyzed using version 21 of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (for Windows) (IBM).The level of statistical significance was set at p Results Responses were received from 353 of the 889 invited practitioners giving a response rate of 39.7%. Dentists (GDPs and dental specialists) represented 65.7% of respondents, while the remainder were other OHPs. Comparison with the 2011-2012 Workforce Analysis suggested an over-representation of New Zealand qualified dentists and dentists aged above 50 years within the sample (Table 1). For analysis purposes, the respondent age was dichotomized to less than 50 years old and 50 years or older. Similarly, the year in which practitioners obtained their primary qualification was also divided into two groups for analytical purposes: before 1990 and after 1990. More than half of the respondents (64.4%) listed their ethnicity as New Zealand European. The mean number of patients seen by a dentist in a week was 49 (SD, 26), and 44 (SD, 23) for other OHPs. Most dentists (96.6%) reported treating patients with local analgesia (mean, 49 per week; SD, 26); 36.2% reported using intravenous sedation (IV), oral sedation (OS) or relative analgesia (RA) (IV: mean, 0.6; SD, 3, OS: mean, 0.3; SD, 1, RA: mean, 0.2; SD, 1); and 8.0% reported treating patients under general anesthesia. The use of local analgesia during dental procedures was reported by 74.4% (n=90) of other OHPs (mean, 19; SD, 14). Almost half (48.7%) of OHPs reported updating each patients medical history at every visit; 45.8% did it at every new treatment plan/check-up, and the remaining 5.4% updated the medical history only occasionally. Vaso-vagal syncope was the most commonly reported emergency, followed by hyperventilation. Excluding hyperventilation and vaso-vagal events, there were 828 emergency events reported, corresponding to a mean of 2.4 events per respondent during the ten-year period (range, 0-62; SD, 7). Nearly half of respondents (43.3%) reported encountering at least one medical emergency during the last ten years. Dentists experienced a mean of 3.4 events (range, 0-62; SD, 8) and other OHPs a mean of 0.5 events (range, 0-11; SD, 1). Dentists were significantly more likely to experience more emergency events. Other significant emergency events reported were 78 episodes of tachycardia, five episodes of allergic reaction to latex, four episodes of Bells palsy, four episodes of vomiting and three episodes of bleeding (Table 2). Most respondents (96.9%) reported having a medical emergency kit available. Only 38.1% reported checking their medical emergency kit more than twice annually. Details of the emergency equipment and drugs kept by respondents are shown in Table 3. Most respondents reported having an ambubag and airway (82.1%), breathing apparatus for oxygen delivery (82.9%), an oxygen cylinder and regulator (82.3%) and a basic airway adjunct (77.2%) available. Among those who reported keeping these items, fewer than three in four were confident in using them. Dentists were further asked to provide information on the availability of a spacer device to deliver salbutamol and disposable hypodermic syringe and/or needles. Of the 70.1% who reported having a spacer device to deliver salbutamol, 82.6% were confident in using the device. A higher proportion of dentists reported having a disposable hypodermic syringe and/or needle available (82.5%), and 76.7% of dentists were confident in using it. A majority of dentists reported having adrenaline (91.3%), glyceryl trinitrate spray or tablets (86.9%), aspirin tablets (82.1%) or a salbutamol inhaler (79.0%) available in their emergency kit. Most respondents (92.9%) reported holding a current NZRC certificate. The majority (97.2%) of dentists who did not use sedation reported holding a NZRC certificate of level 4 or above. Three dentists did not provide information on their NZRC certificate level and one dentist reported having NZRC certificate level 3. For dentists who reported using any form of sedation excluding RA, 76.1% had a NZRC level 5 certificate or above, 22.5% reported having a NZRC level of 4, and 1.4% did not provide information on their certificate level. Most other OHPs (90.2%) had a NZRC level of 4 and above. Four other practitioners had a NZRC level of 3 and two reported having a NZRC level of 2. Five other OHPs did not provide information on their certification level. Data on the emergency items available among dentists who uses any form of sedation (including no sedation) are presented in Table 4. Just over one in four dentists using sedation (excluding RA) reported having an opioid antagonist. Excluding opioid antagonists, dentists who reported not using IV sedation were significantly more likely to have these emergency items than dentist not practicing sedation. The mean number of emergency events reported by dentists over the past ten years by the use of varying modes of sedation (including no sedation) are presented in Table 5. A statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of angina pectoris, respiratory depression, allergic reaction to a drug, acute asthma and prolonged epileptic seizures between dentists who reported using sedation and those who did not practice sedation. Dentists using GA sedation reported significantly higher occurrence of angina pectoris than dentists used other form of sedation or did not use sedation, and those using RA reported more episodes of acute asthma than those who did not use sedation. Discussion This survey aimed to investigate the preparedness of New Zealand GDPs and other OHPs for medical emergencies. It was found that dentists were significantly more likely to encounter emergency events than other OHPs and that the majority of New Zealand OHPs were adequately prepared to manage a medical emergency. The response rate of 39.7% was higher than that reported by Muller et al. (2008) but lower than other studies (Atherton et al., 2000; Broadbent and Thomson, 2001).This may be attributed to the use of an online survey, which are less likely to achieve responses rates as high as surveys administered on paper (Shih and Xitao Fan, 2008). As with other self-administered survey, there is a tendency to under- or over-report the incidence of medical emergencies. Certain characteristics of the study respondents and differed significantly from the wider New Zealand dental workforce (Table 1). Dentists aged under 50 years and those who qualified overseas were under-represented. Such a difference may affect the generalizability of the findings. Despite these limitations, this is the first cross-sectional survey study which attempts to evaluate the incidence and preparedness of all New Zealand OHPs for medical emergencies in dental practices. Vaso-vagal syncope is the most commonly reported emergency by OHPs, followed by hyperventilation. This is in accordance with previously published studies (Alhamad et al., 2015; Marks et al., 2013; Muller et al., 2008) with the exception of Broadbent and Thomson (2001) who reported hyperventilation as the most common emergency event. Comparison of the findings of the current study in respect of GDPs to those of Broadbent and Thomson (2001) found that while the percentage of GDPs reporting vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation was lower than the 2001 study, the overall mean number of events per reporting participant in this study was higher. The incidence of respiratory depression reported by GDPs was 1.5 times lower than in the 2001 study (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). This may be due to greater awareness and preparedness among GDPs, combined with stricter regulations imposed by the DCNZ. The use of sedation in dentistry has a positive influence on patients, but while it reduces anxiety and fear, it also increases the risk of respiratory depression. This was reflected in this study. Dentists using IV sedation reported a significantly greater incidence of respiratory depression than those who did not. This is, perhaps, unsurprising, as airway complications are the greatest threat to the safety of sedated patients (Tobias and Leder, 2011). However, the overall incidence of hypoglycemia reported by OHPs in our study was higher than that reported by Arsati et al. (2010) and Broadbent and Thomson (2001). Proper diagnosis of hypoglycemia is dependent on the observation of the Whipples triad; elevated plasma glucose concentration, hypoglycemic symptoms and relief of symptoms following carbohydrate administration, (Nelson, 1985). It is possible that any one of these symptoms may be overlooked by the practitioner when making a diagnosis resulting in over-diagnosis. Excluding vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation, the overall rate of medical emergency events among OHPs in New Zealand was lower than reported in previous overseas studies (Table 6). Comparison with Broadbent and Thomson (2001) suggests a decrease in the incidence of emergency events reported by GDPs, dipping from 4.5 to 2.9 emergency event per practitioner over a ten-year period in this study, pFigure 1). Dentists were 6.8 times more likely to experience an emergency event than other OHPs. This is consistent with findings of the 2000 United Kingdom survey, which also reported a greater frequency of emergency events by dentists than ancillary staff (Atherton et al., 2000). Several factors could contribute the latter difference. First, dentists are more likely to provide more complicated treatment than other OHPs. Second, patients who have more complex medical problems (or who are more anxious) may be more likely to attend a dentist than other OHPs for dental treatment. Being prepared with the proper equipment and drugs for the management of an emergency event is important, and most OHPs did have access to an emergency kit. With respect to GDPs, an 18.2% increase over 2001 was observed in the proportion of GDPs with an emergency kit (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). The four basic emergency pieces of equipment meant to be contained within an emergency kit (regardless of practitioner type) are an ambubag and airway, breathing apparatus for oxygen delivery, oxygen cylinder and regulator, and basic airway adjuncts. The majority of GDPs (85%-89%) had these items, which was a marked improvement from the 2001 study where it ranged between 24% and 81%. Other OHPs were lacking in the availability of an ambubag and airways (30.3%) and basic airway adjunct (35.2%). The drugs required by the DCNZ practice standard were available to the majority of GDPs, but a relatively high proportion of specialists lacked some drugs, namely glyceryl trinitrate spray or tablets (21.9%), aspirin tablets (40.6%), and salbutamol inhaler (34.4%). The availability of oxygen was not specifically asked about in this survey, instead, the availability of an oxygen cylinder and regulator was assessed. We did not specifically asked OHPs whether the oxygen cylinder was filled. It was assumed that, if respondents had this equipment, oxygen would available. Dentists using sedative agents would be expected to be best prepared with appropriate medications and equipment. While they were well equipped (>86%) with the four basic pieces of equipment (listed in the previous paragraph), they were not well equipped with the additional equipment required for sedation, especially in the availability of an opioid antagonist (27.6%). This study found that overall, dentists practising sedation were better prepared with these additional items than those who did not. It is likely that some practitioners may be using a form of sedation that negates the use of these equipment. However, regardless of the form of sedation used, the requirement set by the DCNZ should always be followed. Proper training in the management of medical emergencies is important. A majority of dentists not using sedation (97.2%) and other OHPs (90.2%) had the appropriate NZRC CORE Level 4. Comparison with other overseas studies found OHPs in New Zealand to be better equipped in this area. Arsati et al. (2010) showed that only 59.6% of Brazilian dentists had undergone some form of resuscitation training, while only 47.5% of Belgium dentists (Marks et al., 2013) and 64% of Australian GDPs had undertaken basic life support trainings or CPR courses (Chapman, 1997). However, additional reinforcement is necessary to ensure that all OHPs have the appropriate NZRC CORE level, and thus the skills required to manage medical emergencies. For dentists using sedation, NZRC CORE Level 5 as outlined by the DCNZ guideline (implemented in 2014) is mandatory. However, almost one in four dentists using sedation (excluding RA) did not have a NZRC Level 5 or above certificate. This may be a concern because these practitioners are likely to undertake more complex procedures, possibly in patients with complicated medical conditions. We observed that they were more likely to experience emergency events in their practices. Conclusion Most New Zealand OHPs were equipped in training and equipment for medical emergencies, and New Zealand appears better than many other countries in this respect. However, the different groups of OHPs were still lacking some of the required emergency equipment and drugs. Our findings also clearly show that while there has been a marked improvement from the 2001 study, some OHPs still lacked training (NZRC CORE), and so, it is possible that these practitioners may lack competence in treating medical emergencies. References Alhamad M, Alnahwi T, Alshayeb H, Alzayer A, Aldawood O, Almarzouq A, Nazir MA(2015). Medical emergencies encountered in dental clinics: A study from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. J Fam Community Med 22(3):175-179. Arsati F, Montalli VA, Florio FM, Ramacciato JC, da Cunha FL, Cecanho R, de Andrade ED, Motta RHL (2010). Brazilian dentists attitudes about medical emergencies during dental treatment. J Dent Educ 74(6):661-666. Atherton GJ, McCaul JA, Williams SA (1999). Medical emergencies in general dental practice in Great Britain. Part 1: Their prevalence over a 10-year period. BDJ 186(2):72-79. Atherton GJ, Pemberton MN, Thornhill MH (2000). Medical emergencies: the experience of staff of a UK dental teaching hospital. BDJ 188(6):320-324. Broadbent JM, Thomson WM (2001). The readiness of New Zealand general dental practitioners for medical emergencies. NZ Dent J 97(429):82-86. Chapman PJ (1997). Medical emergencies in dental practice and choice of emergency drugs and equipment: a survey of Australian dentists. Aust Dent J 42(2):103-108. Dental Council of New Zealand (2014). Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice Practice Standard. Wellington: Dental Council of New Zealand. Girdler NM, Smith DG (1999). Prevalence of emergency events in British dental practice and emergency management skills of British dentists. Resuscitation 41(2):159-167. Hung WW, Ross JS, Boockvar KS, Siu AL (2011). Recent trends in chronic disease, impairment and disability among older adults in the United States. BMC 11(1):1-12. Marks LA, Van Parys C, Coppens M, Herregods L (2013). Awareness of dental practitioners to cope with a medical emergency: a survey in Belgium. Int Dent J 63(6):312-316. Muller MP, Hansel M, Stehr SN, Weber S, Koch T (2008). A state-wide survey of medical emergency management in dental practices: incidence of emergencies and training experience. EMJ 25(5):296-300. Nelson RL (1985). Hypoglycemia: fact or fiction? Mayo Clin Proc 60(12):844-850. Shih T-H, Xitao Fan (2008). Comparing Response Rates from Web and Mail Surveys: A Meta-Analysis. Field Methods 20(3):249-271. Statistics New Zealand (2015). 2013 Census QuickStats about people aged 65 and over. Wellington: Statistics New Zealand. Tobias J, Leder M (2011). Procedural sedation: A review of sedative agents, monitoring, and management of complications. SJA 5(4):395-410. Author details: C L Hong BDS. Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. A W Lamb BDS. Dental and oral health department, Level 10, Wellington Hospital, Riddiford St, Newton, 6021. J M Broadbent BDS, PGDipComDent, PhD. Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. H L De Silva BDS, MS, FDSRCS, FFDRCSI. Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. W M Thomson BSc, BDS, MA, MComDent, PhD. Department of Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. Table 1. Comparison of respondents sociodemographic characteristics with those of the New Zealand (NZ) dental profession. Dentist (%) Dentists in NZ dental profession a (%) Other OHPs (%) Other OHPs in NZ dental profession a (%) Sex Male Female 140 (60.6) 91(39.4) 1347 (64.6) 738 (35.4) 9 (7.4) 112 (92.6) 54 (4.3)c 1191 (95.7)c Age Less than 50 50 and over 104 (45.6) b 124 (54.4) b 1220 (58.5)b 865 (41.5) b 68 (56.2) 53 (43.8) 881 (61.1) 561 (38.9) Country of qualification New Zealand Other 184 (81.4) b 42 (18.6) b 1456 (69.8) b 629 (30.2) b 112 (92.6) 9 (7.4) NR NR a Dental Council of New Zealand (Workforce Analysis 2011-2012) b p c Excludes clinical dental technicians NR: not reported Table 2. Incidence of medical emergencies by practitioner type. Emergency event Number of GDPs reporting during a one-year period (%) Number of specialists reporting during a one-year period (%) Number of other practitioners reporting during a one-year period (%) Mean number of events for per reporting practitioners (sd) Total number of events reported (max) Vaso-vagal syncope a 71 (36.0) 10 (37.0) 1.5 (12.8) 3.3 (6.0) 313 (50) Hyperventilation a 40 (20.3) 3 (11.1) 1.2 (10.3) 3.5 (5.1) 185 (25) Angina pectoris (chest pain) 2.4 (12.2) 5.0 (18.5) 1.0 (0.9) 1.7 (1.3) 51 (5) Swallowed foreign body 2.9 (14.7) 3.0 (11.1) 1.2 (10.3) 1.8 (2.2) 79 (12) Epileptic seizures (grand mal) 1.7 (8.6) 4.0 (14.8) 3.0 (2.6) 1.8 (2.0) 43 (10) Hypoglycemia 4.4 (21.3) 7.0 (25.9) 3.0 (2.6) 3.7 (3.7) 192 (15) Myocardial infarction 0.3 (1.5) 1.0 (3.7) 0.0 (0.0) 1.3 (0.5) 5 (2) Respiratory depression 1.0 (5.1) 5.0 (18.5) 0.0 (0.0) 6.0 (6.4) 90 (80) b Allergic reaction to a drug 2.8 (14.2) 5.0 (18.5) 2.0 (1.7) 3.2 (4.6) 112 (20) Anaphylaxis 9.0 (4.6) 4.0 (14.8) 0.0 (0.0) 1.7 (1.4) 5 (5) Overdose (eg of anesthetic) 4.0 (2.0) 2.0 (7.4) 1.0 (0.9) 1.4 (0.8) 10 (3) Circulatory depression or collapse 4.0 (2.0) 2.0 (7.4) 2.0 (1.7) 2.1 (1.6) 17 (5) Stroke (cardiovascular accident) 3.0 (1.5) 1.0 (3.7) 0.0 (0.0) 1(-) 4 (1) Inhaled foreign body 2.0 (1.0) 0.0 (0.0) 1.0 (0.9) 1 (-) 3 (1) Acute asthma 7.0 (3.6) 1.0 (3.7) 2.0 (1.7) 1.8 (1.3) 18 (5) Hyperglycemia

Friday, October 25, 2019

A Comparison of The Grapes of Wrath and Anthem Essay -- comparison com

Comparing The Grapes of Wrath and Anthem      Ã‚  Ã‚   Two great intellectuals of the early twentieth century wrote works of fiction that have become classics; they espoused polar-opposite views, however, of how society best functions. Their battle between communalism, as pictured in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, and individualism, as portrayed in Ayn Rand's Anthem, was played out in their novels, and still continues to this day. Based on Ayn Rand's book Anthem, Rand would definitely believe that there is a greater danger involved in communalism than in individualism. The book offers a vision of a distant retrograde future in which the candle is the newest invention; individualism has been completely suppressed; and one of the most commonly used words today, "I," is completely unheard of. The book celebrates the heroism of an individual - the main character, Equality 7-2521 - in his fight to promote individual achievement. Once banished for his individualistic beliefs, he and his girl, Liberty 5-3000, discover the wonders of human freedom and the word "I." With his newfound gift, Equality 7-2521 pledges to return to the civilization and destroy the oppression of the collective spirit, and liberate humanity into "a world in which each man will be free to exist for his own sake." It was mainly written as a response to the widening acceptance of philosophies of totalitarian governments, but also to the belief of sacrificing individual liberties for the public good, ever-present during the "Red Scare." In place of these ideas, Rand developed her theory of "Objectivism," which celebrates reason, capitalism, and individuality. Rand expresses these beliefs throughout the entirety of the book by showi... ... has to be both. Also, it is good to sacrifice a little bit for the greater good, but you can't sacrifice as much as you would in communalism or as little as in individualism. For example, the sacrificing of civil liberties during the now-present "War on Terrorism" is becoming too great of a sacrifice; also, in the case of Enron, they didn't sacrifice enough, and the result was devastating to many people. Ayn Rand and John Steinbeck, from the perspective of the very early twentieth century, have set forth in their novels opposing views that continue to be debated in the twenty-first century. Based on current events, it seems highly unlikely that the argument over Individualism and Collectivism will be resolved soon, if ever. Sources Rand, Ayn   Anthem New York: Signet 1961. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1978.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Development in the novel Essay

â€Å"Great Expectations† has been described as the story of a â€Å"snob’s progress†. In the light of this comment, describe Pip’s development in the novel. Refer to the changes in the way he behaves and talks, the reactions of other characters in the novel and the reasons why he normally retains the reader’s sympathy.  In â€Å"Great Expectations†, Pip’s character goes through many changes. His morals and outlook on life are both greatly affected by his lifestyle, and his view of other characters is changed by his experiences and surroundings. At the beginning of â€Å"Great Expectations†, we see Pip as a very young child, living in fear of his sister, Mrs Joe Gargery. Joe is described in much the same way, which shows how he is childish at heart. We are told that Pip also sees this in chapter 2, when he tells us â€Å"I always treated him as a larger species of child†. Pip and Joe both live in fear of Mrs Joe’s regular â€Å"Ram-pages†, and her wax coated cane, Tickler. Although Pip and Joe obviously fear Tickler, Pip never really speaks of his fear in the book. It is seen more as a part of his life than a painful experience. For example, when Pip arrives home late after his encounter with Magwitch and learns of Mrs Joe’s â€Å"Ram-page†, he is told by Joe that â€Å"Which is worse, she’s got Tickler with her†. Instead of showing fear, we are simply told that â€Å"At this dismal intelligence, I twisted the only button on my waistcoat round and round, and looked in great depression at the fire† Mrs Joe’s treatment of Pip is mimicked by Uncle Pumblechook, who seems to be fully supportive of her complaints against Pip – mainly that he exists and that she has to look after him. At the start of the book, Pumblechook is very nasty to Pip, and is also fully supported by the Hubbles (at Christmas dinner) and Mr Wopsle. The main topic of conversation (apart from pork) is how ungrateful Pip is. This is brought up first by Pumblechook, who says â€Å"be grateful, boy, to them which brought you up by hand.†. This is then backed by Mrs Hubble, who adds â€Å"†Why is it that the young are never grateful?†. This conversation continues for some time, which cause Pip to remain silent and sink into his chair. These two examples show that in the first section of the book, Pip is afraid of his surroundings. He keeps quiet and tries to stay away from company (except Joe) to avoid punishment. Joe is Pip’s only friend, and makes up for the absence of other children in his life. Pip is happy talking to Joe, unlike Mrs Joe and her circle of friends.  Pip meets two other main characters in the first part of the book, and they are Miss Havisham and Estella. These are two of the most important characters in â€Å"Great Expectations†, and Dickens develops their characters a lot. Upon Pip’s first meeting with Miss Havisham, he is afraid of her, but it is not the same kind of fear as he has for Mrs Joe. He fears Mrs Joe as he fears Tickler, and does not want to be punished. However, he is afraid of Miss Havisham because she is strange and twisted. Pip does not understand her, and does not know what she is capable of, or what she could do to him. He speaks of her as a â€Å"ghost†, and sees many disturbing sights inside Satis House, such as the infested wedding feast and the stopped clocks. Pip tells us of his terror at his first sight of Miss Havisham. She can see his fear, and asks him â€Å"You are not afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born?†. We are then told that â€Å"I regret to state that I was not afraid of telling the enormous lie comprehended in the answer â€Å"No.†Ã¢â‚¬  As the book progresses, Pip comes to realise that there is nothing to be afraid of in Miss Havisham. By the end of the book he is happy to confront, criticise and even insult her. Pip also misinterprets Estella’s character. He falls in love with her the first time he sees her, even though he is only seven years old. This is obviously what Miss Havisham was trying to achieve, as she is continually quizzing Pip on his thoughts about Estella, and one of the first things she asks him is â€Å"What do you think of her?†. Pip, after some hesitation, replies that he thinks she is â€Å"proud† and â€Å"rude† but also â€Å"pretty†. Pip says little to Estella herself, but once he has left Satis House he is totally obsessed by Estella. This leads us onto a sudden change in Pip’s character.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Brand ‘You’

Every person in this world has some abilities which make him unique and make him distinguishable from everyone else. That’s the main idea behind brand ‘You’. I have some abilities which make me different and add to my value in the market. This feature of distinctiveness is observed by many HRD’s when they induct fresh workforce from the market. There are so many ways to promote oneself and that’s how the demand for brand ‘You’ builds up in the market. In order to promote oneself, first step is to analyze one’s abilities and capabilities.This can be done by regular sessions of intra-personal communication. A person should know what he is good at and he should list down his unique features and ponder over them once in a while. For example, I have good communication skills, therefore I would capitalize on this particular skill of mine. Similarly if I am good at teaching, I would publicize teaching as my special feature. If I am good at communication skills, I would take part in discussions. If I am good at influencing people around me, I would promote my leadership skills.These qualities can be found out by one’s self-feedback and the results obtained from self-feedback should be compared to the actual prospective outcome to keep at a check at reality. â€Å"If you don't take control of your brand, you'll be forever stuck with how the world judges you† (Brandy, 2007). Knowing about oneself is the key to success in brand ‘You’. A brand is always unique because of its style, its organizational culture, its adjustment with its environment.Same applies to brand You, a person should have a unique style of his own, he should have his unique ways of carrying out his work and he should commensurate with the external environment as well. To increase the value of my brand ‘You’, I would analyze my abilities, publicize my unique capabilities and capitalize on it. This is how I will create my own position in the market. References Brandy, D. (2007). Creating Brand You. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved August 22, 2010 from http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/07_34/b4047419. htm