Thursday, April 30, 2020
Stress Management Concept
Introduction Organizations are increasingly experiencing a challenge arising from the dynamic nature of the environment in which they operate. In order to survive in this environment, it is paramount for these organizations to develop their competitive advantage. One of the ways through which they can achieve this is by integrating the concept of organizational development.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Stress Management Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Anderson (2011, p.2) defines organizational development as the various organizational-wide efforts that are incorporated by a firmââ¬â¢s management team in order to improve its operational effectiveness. Organizational development also entails the process of facilitating organizational and personal change by utilizing various interventions. According to Daft (2010, p. 432), organizational development mainly emphasizes on social and human as pects within a firm in an effort to enhance a firmââ¬â¢s effectiveness in dealing with problems that may arise in its operation. For an organization to benefit from its organizational development programs, it must take into consideration the wellbeing of its human capital. Organizations should consider their employees as one of their most important assets. Over the recent past, there has been an increment in the level of changes within the business environment. Some of these changes have emanated from an increment in the intensity of competition due to the high rate of globalization. In an effort to create a high competitive advantage, most organizations are considering incorporating change in their operation such as by undertaking mergers and acquisition and implementing new technology. The recent economic crisis has also presented a challenge to employees due to the high cost living and job insecurity. These changes significantly reduce the employeesââ¬â¢ level of productivi ty due to the associated stress. In executing organizational duties, employees may be overloaded with tasks which may cause them to be stressed. Cunningham (2000, p.112) asserts that employees have their own personal such as those associated with career development. According to Cunningham (2000, p.112), if an organization does not address the employeesââ¬â¢ individual needs such as their career goals, there is a high probability of such employees experiencing stress.Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Findings of a report by the World Health Organization revealed that work stress can be a major hindrance to an organization attaining its goals in addition to affecting the workers health (Leka, Griffiths Cox, 2003, p.3). This arises from the fact that stress makes employees to be poorly motivated and hence less productive. Additionally, stress reduces employeesââ¬â¢ saf ety. The resultant effect of stress in work environment is that an organization fails to attain the desired organizational development goals. This underscores the importance of integrating stress management in organizations. In the light of this, the author of this paper intends to conduct a critical literature review on the concept of stress management. Literature review Definition of stress in work environment Employees experience stress from different sources such as from work and home. It is not possible for an organization to protect employees from stress arising from home. However, organizations can protect employees from work related stress. One of the ways through which an organization can achieve this is by integrating effective work organization and stress management (Parker, 2007, p. 23). An employee may experience stress due to work demands for example if he or she is assigned a task that he or she does not have sufficient skills and knowledge to perform. Considering the changes in the external environment, employees cannot avoid pressure arising from work. Work pressure may be an effective source of motivation. However, in some circumstances, excess work pressure may result into stress. The level of stress may be high if employees do not receive the necessary support from the managers and supervisors. Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2003, p.3) are of the opinion that work related stress arises from the disparity between the demands of the job and the pressure on the employee on one hand and the mismatch between their abilities and knowledge on the other. Causes of stress in workplace According to Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2003, p.11), stress in workplace may arise as a result of different factors that lead into intense pressure and job demands. Others may be associated with ineffective work organization or how the job is designed. Additionally, unsatisfactory working conditions and poor management may also result into work stress.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Stress Management Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Palmer and Cooper (2010, p. 162), the various work aspects which have a potential of causing stress are referred to as stress related hazards. The chart below gives a summary of the stress hazard with regard to work content and work context. Category Source of stress hazard Example Work content Job content The job may not be challenging enough thus making it to be monotonous The tasks may be unpleasant and lacking variety. Working hours Long working hours Unpredictable working hours Job-shift systems may be ineffectively designed Inflexible working schedules Participation and control The employees may not be involved in the decision Lack of promotion prospects Unfair performance appraisal systems Job insecurity. The job may be of low social value Poor remuneration schemes making process. Work Context Career development, remuneration and job status . Interpersonal relationship Lack of support from the supervisors. Lack of a well defined procedure to resolve work problems and complaints. Poor relationship with employees. Home-work interface Conflicting demands between work and home duties. Lack of support in dealing with domestic issues from work. Lack of support for work problems by family members. Organizational culture Poor organizational leadership. Lack of clarity on organizational objectives. Role in the organization Conflicting roles within the same job. Unclear roles Stress management According to Fried (2008, p. 61), stress management entails the various techniques that are used in eliminating feelings of strain. If not well managed, stress may lead into dysfunctional behavior amongst the employees in addition to poor mental and physical health. For example, stress may result into extreme physical conditions such as heart diseases, high bloo d pressure, digestive system complications and musculo-skeletal disorders. As a result of stress, the employeesââ¬â¢ operational efficiency is significantly reduced. The employeesââ¬â¢ ability to make effective decisions and to think logically is also affected. Parker (2007, p. 32) asserts that stress leads into a reduction in the employeesââ¬â¢ level of commitment in their duties. Stress in the workplace negatively affects employees productivity and hence the organizationââ¬â¢s performance. Over the recent past, organizations in different economic sectors have appreciated the strength of relationship between the well being of their workforce and their productivity. Firms in the public and private sector are increasingly appreciating the costs associated with stress (Weinberg, Sutherland Cooper, 2010, p. 61). Stress management is one of the ways through which they are integrating in an effort to minimize stress. According to Ron (2004, p.1), it is estimated that job str ess in the United States costs businesses more than $ 300 billion in their corporate profit annually. This cost arises from increased complaints by customers and clients, a high rate of absenteeism, a rise in legal claims by employees, poor employeesââ¬â¢ performance and productivity, and lack of employee commitment. On a daily basis, it is estimated that one million people do not attend work daily in the United State as a result of workplace stress overload (Ron, 2004, p. 1).Advertising Looking for critical writing on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ashworth (2005, para. 1) In 2005, the rate of unscheduled absenteeism in the US reached its five-year high due to a number of factors amongst them stress. According to Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2003, p. 14), inefficiency in managing job stress tarnishes an organizationââ¬â¢s image both internally and externally. Ron (2004, p.1) is of the opinion that stress is a major issue in an organizationââ¬â¢s operation. However, it is astonishing to see the rate at which organizational CFOs and CEOs are concerned with attaining the desired profitability. Additionally, firmââ¬â¢s management teams are also concerned with ensuring that the employees are committed in executing their duties. Despite this, most organizations have not implemented strategies aimed at dealing with stress at the workplace. According to Jex and Britt (2008, p.222), one of the most effective methods of dealing with stress related hazards in workplace is through stress management. The best stress management strateg ies that an organization can implement are those that check it from reaching excessive levels. In the 21st century, organizations are increasingly appreciating the importance of being involved in managing work related stress (Kaila, 2005, p.494). The rationale for this trend is that organizations are partially involved in making the employees to be stressed. As a result, they should be actively involved in relieving it. The other rationale is that employees who are less stressed are more effective in their duties. In an effort to manage stress, organizations have implemented two main strategies. These include; Institutional programs Collateral programs Institutional programs These entail the various stress reduction strategies that are established through different organizational mechanisms (Griffin Moorhead, 2011, p. 191). For example, in order to establish work-life balance, organizations should effectively design their jobs. According to Kaila (2005, p.494), working in shifts can be a source of stress to employees. This arises from the fact that the employees will be forced to change their relaxation and sleeping patterns. Therefore, it is paramount for organizations to implement work schedules that contribute to reduction of stress. One of the way through which an organization can achieve this is by integrating flexible-working schedule. This will give employees an opportunity to take care of their non-work activities such as advance their career by going back to school, having time with their family and being involved in recreational activities. Establishing work-life balance can be very beneficial to both employees and the organizations. Stress within an organization can also be reduced by creating a strong organizational culture. One such culture that organizations can integrate entails ensuring that there is a balance between the employees work and non-work activities. For example, a firmââ¬â¢s management team may make it to be a norm that all em ployees should go on vacation or take some time off from work in order to relax. Another institutional mechanism that a firm can consider entails ensuring that there is effective supervision. According to Kaila (2005, p.494), a supervisor can cause employees to be stressed by overloading them with tasks. To avoid this, a firmââ¬â¢s management team should ensure that its employees are assigned manageable and reasonable tasks. Collateral programs These include stress reduction programs that are specifically designed to assisting employees to cope with stress. There are different collateral programs that organizations incorporate in their stress management efforts. Some of these include Health Promotion Programs (HPPs), Employee Wellness Programs (EWPs) and Stress Management Programs. According to Werner and DeSimone (2009, p.362), HPPs and EWPs are composed of various activities that are aimed at improving organizational practices and promoting employee behavior. The core objective is to ensure that the employees are fit and healthy to perform their duties. The HPP and EWP programs are based on the principle that employee wellness does not only entail ensuring that the employees are not sick. However, they are aimed at encouraging employees to adopt lifestyles that contribute towards maximization of their wellbeing. In their health promotion programs, organizations incorporate a holistic approach by educating employees on different issues. The health promotion programs are composed of different dimensions that are aimed at promoting employee wellness. These include emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, communal and social dimensions. According to Kaila (2005, p.494), collateral programs encourage employees to be involved in exercises thus reducing stress indirectly. However, implementation of collateral programs as stress management strategies can be costly. This arises from the fact that organizations will be required to invest in the necessary physical fa cilities. Despite this, Kaila (2005, p.494) asserts that more and more organizations are increasingly exploring this option in their stress management. Studies which have been conducted reveal that fitness and wellbeing programs significantly reduce absenteeism as a result of stress. Additionally, they also help in improving an employeeââ¬â¢s mental health and his or her ability to resist stress. Training and development According to Donaldson-Fielder, Lewis and Yarker (2011, p. 67), organizations also use training and development interventions in managing stress. There are two main ways through which organizations use training and development in their stress management. These include technical skills training and stress management skills training. Technical skills training Technical skills training enhances employeesââ¬â¢ ability to cope with job requirements. For example, technical skills training contribute towards significant reduction in the amount of effort required to e xecute a task. The resultant effect is that employees experience minimal stress arising from work demands and pressure. Through technical skills training, an employeeââ¬â¢s level of confidence in performing his or her duties is improved. To determine the technical skills training that an organization should conduct, a firm may conduct a performance appraisal, stress risk assessment, or a one-on-one conversation with the employees (Leka, Griffiths Cox, 2003, p.3). For example, an employee who may be assigned a new task may be required to make a presentation in front of the organizationââ¬â¢s directors. This may cause anxiety to the employee leading into stress. In order to improve the employeeââ¬â¢s presentation skills; the organization may enroll him or her to a presentation skills course in an effort to improve his or her confidence level when communicating to the managers (Spiers, 2003, p.84). Additionally, a risk assessment conducted by an engineering firm revealed that employees were reporting work-related stress and a high level of job dissatisfaction. Upon investigation, the firm revealed that the cause of the stress was as a result of the project management systems that the firm was using. The project management team revealed that they had never received training on how to operate the new Information Technology system that the firm had implemented. In order to minimize stress as a result of the new technology, the firm implemented a training program on how to operate the new software (Donald-Fielder, Lewis Yarker, 2011, p. 68). Stress management skills training This is a stress management strategy that is aimed at increasing the employeesââ¬â¢ level of awareness on stressors and the importance of their wellbeing. Alternatively, stress management skills training is aimed at teaching employees on how to reduce stress. In their stress management skills training, organizations intend to bridge the gap that existed between the job demands, the employeesââ¬â¢ ability to perform the tasks and the resources available. There are three main types of stress management skills training that an organization can implement. These include multimodal, relaxation-based and cognitive behavioral therapy. Multimodal training entails increasing the level of awareness on what stress is, how to identify signs of stress and how they can acquire skills to cope with stress. Relaxation-based training entails educating employees on how to undertake mental and physical relaxation in an effort to deal with the various consequences associated with stress. On the other hand, cognitive behavioral therapy training entails equipping employees with skills that change their perception on the source of stress differently. According to Donaldson-Fielder and Yarker (2011, p.69), these stress management skills training are very effective in reducing stress. However, a recent evaluation conducted on these methods revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy t raining is more effective compared to the other two methods. Support interventions These include the various forms of assistance strategies such as therapy and counseling employees who are suffering from stress. The support interventions targets individuals who have not benefited from stress prevention strategies such as training and development. The support interventions are focused at curing symptoms of stress. Support interventions may also entail medical treatment and coaching employees suffering from stress. Conclusion In order for organization to attain their goals, it is paramount for management teams to ensure that their employees are committed and productive. However, employees are faced with a challenge in executing their duties due to work-related stress. Stress has a negative impact to both the employee and the organization. Therefore, it is important for organizations to incorporate the concept of stress management in order to help them cope with challenging work situat ions. There are different strategies that an organization can integrate in their stress management efforts. To be effective in stress management, it is important for firms to integrate both curative and preventative stress management strategies. Some of the main strategies that a firm can integrate entail institutional programs, collateral programs, training program and support interventions. Institutional programs contribute towards reduction of work-related stress by ensuring that there are effective organizational mechanisms that minimize stress in its structure. Some of the ways through which they attain this is by being effective in designing jobs. Organizations should ensure that they assign employees jobs in according with their abilities and the resources available. It is also important for firmââ¬â¢s management teams to design jobs that are meaningful to their employees. Jobs should be designed in such as way that employees can be able to use their skills in executing th em. This will contribute towards creation of a high level of commitment. It is also critical to ensure that the employees understand their role and responsibilities. When making decisions that affect them, firmââ¬â¢s management teams should give the employees an opportunity to participate. Organizations should also integrate effective work-schedule that ensures a high level of flexibility. The work-schedules incorporated should be in line with the employeesââ¬â¢ non-work responsibilities and demands. Such schedules reduce work-related stress by giving employees an opportunity to pursue their personal goals such as advancing their education . Employees intend to advance their career in order to improve their competitiveness in the labor market. Additionally, employees have sufficient time with their family and friends and to engage in recreational activities that improve their wellbeing hence reducing stress. On the other hand, collateral programs aid in improving the employees fitness and wellbeing. Training and development strategies such as technical skills training and stress management skills training enable employees to cope with job pressure and associated stressors. Through technical skills training, an employee is equipped with skills that enable him or her to execute tasks assigned with minimal pressure and effort. On the other hand, stress management skills training equip employees with a high level of awareness regarding skills. Organizations may also integrate support interventions such as counseling and coaching employees who are already suffering from stress. Therefore, to increase the probability of attaining organizational development, it is critical for firmââ¬â¢s management teams to integrate effective stress management. Stress management benefits both an organization and its employees. Reference List Anderson, D., 2011. Organization development; the process of leadingà organizational change. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publica tions. Ashworth, S., 2005. Low morale, other issues push absences to a five year high. New York: American City Business Journals. Cunningham, J., 2000. The stress management sourcebook. Los Angeles: Lowell House. Daft, R., 2010. Organizational theory and design. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Donaldson-Fielder, E., Lewis, R. Yarker, J., 2011. Preventing stress inà organizations: how to develop positive managers. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Fried, R., 2008. Stress management for success in the workplace. Washington: Lulu.com. Griffin, R. Moorehead, G., 2011. Organizational behavior: managing peopleà and organizations. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Jex, S. Britt, T., 2008. Organizational theory; a scientist-practitioner approach. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley and Sons. Kaila, H., 2005. Human resource management. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications. Leka, S., Griffiths, A. Cox, T., 2003. Work organization and stress. United Kingdom: Institute of Work, Health and Organization. Palmer, S. Cooper, C., 2010. How to deal with stress. London: Kogan Page. Parker, H., 2007. Stress management. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media. Ron, B., 2004. Workplace stress sucks $ 300 billion annually from corporateà profits. New York: Technology Marketing Corporation. Spiers, C., 2003. Tolleys managing stress in the workplace. Chicago: Taylor Francis. Weinberg, A., Sutherland, V. Cooper, C., 2010. Organizational stressà management; a strategic approach. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Werner, J. DeSimone, R., 2009. Human resource development. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. This critical writing on Stress Management Concept was written and submitted by user Helena Rosa to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
The Privatization of Social Security essays
The Privatization of Social Security essays Social Security was implemented in 1935 as part of Roosevelt's "New Deal" following the Great Depression and the collapse of the American economy. It was enacted to be a fully funded retirement plan, meaning its benefits are paid out of a fund built up over the years from contributions made by Social Security taxpayers. The program's first step away from this was in 1942 when it began to pay out its first pension. There is a crisis within the program that we speak of today which deals with the impending lack of funds we will have in the near future. It is predicted that the so-called "Social Security trust fund" (a bunch of Treasury Department IOU's, in actuality) will be depleted somewhere around 2027. This is a concern because Social Security has been turned into a pay-as-you-go system. Today, workers outnumber retirees with a ratio of around 3.4:1. iOnce the baby boomer generation begins to retire and causes a reduction in the workforce, the worker to retiree ratio will be close r to 2:1 by 2040. This is distress to our nation because we will not be taking in enough money to pay out the pensions of the retirees. Our government has already tried to reduce the impact of the Social Security problem by raising the percentage of taxes taken out of individuals' paychecks, by raising the maximum level of income taxed, and by raising the retirement age to be 67 in the year 2022. According to Social Security's activists, the most likely picture implies that the payroll tax would need to rise from 12.4% to more than 19% in 2075 to pay future pensions ("Straight Talk"). The chart portrays this situation. This solution and others have not and will not be enough to solve our problems. These are only short-term fixes and the problem reaches far beyond the baby boomers generation. There must be other steps taken and one main possibility is to privatize Social Security, whether in whole or just partially. It is this privatization issue and i...
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Benjamin Harrison - The 23rd President of the United States
Benjamin Harrison - The 23rd President of the United States Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of Americas ninth president, William Henry Harrison. He was a Civil War hero, having ended the was as a brigadier general. He dealt with civil service reform and fighting against monopolies and trusts while he was president. Following is a list of fast facts for Benjamin Harrison. For more in depth information, you can also read the Benjamin Harrison Biography Birth: August 20, 1833 Death: March 13, 1901 Term of Office: March 4, 1889-March 3, 1893 Number of Terms Elected: 1 Term First Lady: Caroline Lavinia Scott - She died of tuberculosis while he was in office. Caroline was key in building the Daughters of the American Revolution.Ã Benjamin Harrison Quote: Unlike many other people less happy, we give our devotion to a Government, to its Constitution, to its flag, and not to men.Additional Benjamin Harrison Quotes Major Events While in Office: Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890)Electricity Installed in White House (1891) States Entering Union While in Office: Montana (1889)Washington (1889)South Dakota (1889)North Dakota (1889)Wyoming (1890)Idaho (1890) Related Benjamin Harrison Resources: These additional resources on Benjamin Harrison can provide you with further information about the president and his times. Benjamin Harrison BiographyTake a more in depth look at the twenty-third president of the United States through this biography. Youll learn about his childhood, family, early career, and the major events of his administration. Chart of Presidents and Vice Presidents This informative chart gives quick reference information on the presidents, vice-presidents, their terms of office, and their political parties. Other Presidential Fast Facts: Grover ClevelandGrover ClevelandList of American Presidents
Monday, February 17, 2020
What are the strengths and weaknesses of dependency theorists Essay - 1
What are the strengths and weaknesses of dependency theorists interoperation of global inequality What are the strengths and weaknesses of modernisation theorists interoperation of global inequality - Essay Example this paper will focus on other factors that are perceived to be of immense significance when it comes to general shortcomings of these theories and their strengths as well. Specifically, this paper is going to evaluate the view of dependency theory in relation to its strengths and weaknesses in relation to interpretation of global inequality. The emergence of dependence theory is based on the questioning of reliability of market-oriented theories like modernization theory. The major issue of concern was to reject the idea that the major reason according to modernization theory, why underdeveloped countries continued to be poor was due to their cultural and institutional faults. Dependency theorist built their argument based on Karl Marxââ¬â¢s capitalism. This is what was highlighted in major areas of concern as to why these countries were underdeveloped. They argued that capitalism was responsible for creation of a class of countries that manipulated other countries (Giddens 2009). This is in relation to what happens to capitalism within a country, where the rich or owners of means of production exploit workers or low class people. In light with this, dependency theorist argues that poverty and underdevelopment of low income countries is as a result of exploitation by the wealthy nations. In their view, dependency theorist believes that this kind of exploitation began with colonialism. This is the spectrum through which wealthy and powerful nations ruled over the weak nations for their greed for profit maximization and domination. For example, powerful nations have colonized poor countries in a bid to acquire raw materials to use in their factories. In addition, they ensure that they control the market from which the poor countries trade on. Unfortunately, the products sold in the controlled market are the end products of the raw materials taken by the wealthy nations. In fact, it is believed that this is well executed by global companies supported by big banks
Monday, February 3, 2020
Research in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Research in Practice - Essay Example This will be done from study of existing literature concerning McDonalds and its Chinese market and outlets. McDonalds is one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world. The fats food stores giant has been operating in several countries worldwide and in most cases it has outsmarted its competitors to remain the number one fast food shop worldwide. The fast food giant entered the Chinese market in the 1990 and has been operational since then. There has therefore been the need to study and analyze its operation in China market in order to predict the future of the restaurant in China. Articles and journals have been selected for use in this research to help achieve the objectives of the study. McDonalds Corporation is an American worldââ¬â¢s largest fast food chain that specializes in serving of hamburger in over a hundred countries globally. The fast food giant has its head quarters in Illinois in the United States of America. The fast food giant was founded by businessman Ray Kroc. McDonalds has three modes of operations in its various countries of operations. The McDonalds restaurants are either operated by the corporation itself, as an affiliate or as a franchise. McDonaldââ¬â¢s main products include hamburger, French fries, breakfast items, chicken burger, milkshakes and soft drinks. The fast food restaurant has heavily standardized its menus in its various outlets worldwide .In some scenarios however, the fast food giant has altered its menu or expanded it in order to meet the needs of the local clients especially in the Middle East. McDonalds made an entry into the china market in the year 1990.The fast food group of restaurants had an increasing and promising growth rate in its fast three years of operation. However, in the subsequent years the growth rate of the fast food restaurants was lower compared to the growth rate between the year 1990 and 1993.This was due to a number of factors such as competition, cultural
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Reporting Irregularities in Financial Statements: Case Study
Reporting Irregularities in Financial Statements: Case Study Nowadays, especially is Bulgaria, people are becoming more and more hungry for money, that is why the word fraud takes part more often in our speech. Fraud is part of criminal law, and it comes when we have personal gain by fraudulent way or damaging another individual. The most common purpose of frauds are connected with person or entities trying to assign and stole money or valuables. There are plenty of models, which are especially constructed to define and reveal frauds, most of them will be used in this paper to decide whether Asil Nadir should be sentenced or not. More about analysis and comparisons with other cases and examples of models can be found in appendix 1 and 2. Proposed Fraud Investigation Plan for Polly Packs Financial Statement Fraud Given below is the proposed investigation plan for Polly Packs financial statement fraud: 1. Develop an understanding of the activities of Polly Pack To understand the activities of microfinance institutions, the auditor should pay attention to: the main concerns of the leaders on the objectives and strategies of the institution, the institutions organizational structure, operation of its business, results of operations, ability to self-finance, operations and other major economic events may affect its financial statements, accounting issues and changes accounting policies, and funding sources. To obtain this information, the auditor should meet with the leaders of the institution; visit at least one agency, and review reports and other documents. 1.1 Interviews The auditor should meet the main leaders of Polly Pack, including CEO, the head of the financial service or financial director, credit responsibly and activities, and the head of information systems. This is also the time for the auditor to discuss the first time with the staff of the internal audit, the Board of Directors and major shareholders or lenders, if they have subjects of concern that should be subject to review missions on the basis of agreed or special audits procedures. During these interviews, the auditor should bear in mind the list of items of financial statements. After these initial meetings, the auditor should assess any breach of financial reporting requirements. Analysis of financial statement must be carried out prior to this interview since financial statements may present many significant anomalies. If the first investigations reveal a level of unacceptable business practice or misleading presentation of financial, the auditor may seek further in-depth investigation into a particular area. 1.2 Visits The auditor must visit several regional offices to acquire understanding of the institutions activities and responsibilities that were decentralized. Auditors should perform some initial visits at the stage of pre-commitment, and more visits during the planning phase. 1.3 Review of financial reports and documents The auditor should also consider the reports and other documents for a better understanding of the institution. Unless they are not available, the following may be helpful: previously audited financial statements, budgets and strategic plans; the monthly activity reports, including tables of cash flows, the credit statistics and reports on outstanding; loan agreements and grants; assessments by donors; evaluation reports and correspondence from the authorities re-rules A thorough reflection needs to be carried out on the appropriate reports for Polly Peck, according to its size and age. 1.3 Understand the standards and accounting methods The accounting rules and methods of Polly Peck are not conventional, and therefore require special attention from the auditors 2. Evaluating Accounting Standards The external auditor shall determine the accounting standards used by the institution. Many microfinance institutions do not follow the national standards or international. 2.2 The accounting policies During the pre-commitment, the external auditor should ask the management of the institution which accounting method it uses. Sometimes the service accounts of the institution are not able to answer this question. Many institutions have adopted accrual accounting, sometimes in a modified form. This accounting method is consistent with the standards imposed by most accounting bodies. But some institutions continue to use cash. Auditors should know that it can be in the interests of Polly Peck to register their activities, especially the product credits, according to a cash basis, taking into account adjustment proposals made at the end of the year by the auditor. Since operations of Polly Peck were overseas in Turkey, it did not follow a uniform accounting from one account to another, which further complicates the work of the auditor. 2.3 The legal structure of Polly Peck in Turkey in the Context of Company Law of the Region The auditor must look at how the institution considers as a publicly owned multinational. This vision often has implications for accounting. In foreign countries organizations usually produce financial reports that reflect less rigorously financial performance. Some do not even produce financial statements Annual. The majority uses the cash and excludes amortization, adjustments for inflation, provisions for risk changes, provisions for social security, and other similar items to gain from tax exemptions. As regulated financial institutions, Polly Peck must not only comply with generally accepted accounting principles, but also the specific regulations governing banks. 2.3 Examine accounting statements for any financial irregularities Auditors must engage in the following activities The external auditor should investigate books of account and internal control of the institution through: discussions with managers and staff at various levels; review of documents such as procedure manuals, descriptions positions and organizational charts; consideration of the reports produced by the accounting department; compliance with the institutions activities, including IT operations and loan processing at headquarters and agencies 3. Reporting Irregularities in Financial Statements Accounting operations of Polly Peck were generally de-centralized because of the operations of the organization taking place in Turkey. In such companies, the activity of an agency is often recognized at the regional level, then transmitted periodically (usually monthly) to the head office. This is usually responsible for the production of consolidated financial statements. In some institutions, all the accounting is performed at headquarters. 3.1 Reporting irregularities of internal control systems Multinational businesses need a strong system of internal control to ensure the success of its operation. However, Polly Peck was significantly weaknesses at this level, and the auditor should therefore pay particular attention to the evaluation system organization of internal control. Since, the board of Polly Peck was largely passive, and the governance structure tends to be lax. This is why the system of internal control organization of the institution depends largely on the level of commitment and competence of its management. 3.2 Take into account the audit risk As with any audit, the auditor must explicitly assess the audit risk, that is to say, the opportunity to express an opinion on incorrect the accuracy of the financial statements of the institution, both in terms of financial statements at the level of account balances. Audit risk has three components: inherent risk, the risk control, and the risk of non-detection. At the financial statement level, the main determine risks are inherent risk and control risk. Regardless of the system of internal control, some risks come from the nature of the business activities and its industry. At Polly Peck a significant number of account staff did not fully understand the credit procedures as they have been trained to work in the social field rather than in the field financial. Accounting was carried out by staff with little experience of double entry accounting, international accounting standards, etc. In addition, the organizations activities were decentralized and geographically dispersed often in remote areas without adequate infrastructure. 3.3 Identify breaches of risk control policies faulty procedures may cause a significant risk control through audits of microfinance institutions. Yet internal controls are crucial for microfinance institutions. When the internal control has too significant weaknesses, the audit of the institution may become impossible. If control risk is high, the auditor must evaluate whether we can to use extensive substantive tests, and if this approach is economically feasible for the institution. In addition to a thorough evaluation of internal controls, the external auditor must test the controls made à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ ¹Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ ¹at the account balances but prior to these tests, the external auditors should explain their understanding and evaluation systems, using checklists of descriptions and charts. 3.4 Identify risk of non-detection The risk of non-detection, that is to say the risk of material misstatement not be detected by the auditor shall be determined for each balance account, this risk depends on the assessment of inherent risk and risk control. 3.5 Defining the level of significance The definition of significance levels is crucial in determining the nature, e- tense, and timing of audit procedures. A significance level is limit beyond which the potential errors are considered problematic. If the sum of uncorrected misstatements identified during the audit de- passes the threshold of significance, the auditor may not be able to issue an unqualified opinion. The significance level is inversely related to audit risk. more the audit risk, that is to say the combination of inherent risk, risk control and the risk of non-detection is evaluated as important, the higher the threshold significance is low. In other words, only a low level of defects not corrected is acceptable. The significance depends on the determinants identified during the mission planning. An important determinant of financial statements is a factor that users of financial statements are most likely to focus their attention, given the nature of the institution. Identification of factors determinants is a matter of professional judgment. Determinants, which can be used to determine the significance level are e.g. net income, total assets, revenues, and funds own. Significance levels may vary between 2 and 10% of factor. In the United States, some use external auditors, as basis of materiality for a commercial bank, 2% of total assets. For an institution whose weak internal controls, the auditor may reduce significant at 1% of total assets acceptable rate abnormalities. There is no general rules to define the thresholds of significance, hence the auditor should use his/her judgment. The evaluation by the auditor of materiality and audit risk at planning the audit, may change after evaluating the results of audit procedures. This may be due to a change in circumstances, or a development of knowledge of the listener, following the audit. For example, if the audit is scheduled before the end of the year, the auditor will anticipate the results of and financial position. If actual results to differ materially from this estimate, the assessment of materiality and audit risk may be changed. 3.6 Evaluation of the internal audit and relations with auditors internal The external auditor should consider the work of internal auditors during the phase planning the audit. Internal auditors evaluate and monitor systems accounting and internal control. Internal audit is an essential element to ensure a sound internal control system, and also an important tool reduction, detection and investigation of fraud. 3.7 Obtain an approved status laws or regulations may impose establishment of an internal audit service. When there is an internal audit function, the auditor must evaluate its objectivity, its scope, technical skills and rigor. This assessment must include a review of the service organization, its staff, its purpose, its reports and programs. Potential conflicts must be evaluated. For example, if the audit service Internal reports on its work in the service that he is auditing, the question of the objectivity of the findings of the internal audit service arises. such situation can significantly reduce the value placed on the work of the internal auditor by the external auditor. Ideally, the internal audit department must account of his work directly to the board or committee audit, if one exists. If the external auditor believes, following a screening assessment, the internal audit service is reliable, it must test the work performed by the service to confirm this assessment. This i s usually done by performing a new test on a sample of the work performed by the auditor. Conclusion The paper laid down a methodical approach to investigate fraud in financial statements of Polly Peck to identify whether the CEO or the top management of the company was involved in deliberate falsification of financial statements to raise share price of the company and to fraud shareholders of the company. The key consideration in this plan was triangulation of the elements of the investigation to find out whether all elements of the financial reporting match. Triangulation is all the more important for investigation of Polly Pecks finances since the operations of the company were overseas and centralized reporting was not carried out of companys finances. Appendix 1 In this Appendix will be reviewed a part of Polly Peck`s frauds and most of the unclear moves and actions of Asil Nadir, also will be made a consideration and comparison with Enron case. Polly Peck was a great company with a superb vision on the market and it won`t be a lie if it is said that is was a shareholder dream for every investor in the world. It has many close points of fraud to Enron case. The first fraudulent coincidence is that in both cases the most important papers and documents disappear. Enron shredded tons of paper, while in Polly Peck`s case they just disappear and Nadir told that there are no available and existing documents in their original. The second conjunction with Enron case is that Polly Peck built a hotel in Turkey, which costs around 70 million and the debt of the company did not increase. In Enron the debts were transferred and funded to other small companies. The main idea here is the head company to looks attractive, valuable and without debts. The third coincidences between both companies is that they deal with complementary goods, which can`t be substitute. As well Enron, in Polly Peck case we have huge problems with accounting. In the first case we have fault accounting, here also emerge some misleadings in this sector/department. Appendix 2 In this appendix will take a look at the meanings of the methods and approaches, which are part of fraud investigation and help us to reveal a fraud. Firstly, it should be known that such investigation is quite expensive and it should be started if there are really serious reasons that fraud occur. Testimonial evidence: This type of evidence is collected from people, who are interviewed and persuade to fill in honestly test, to realize whether we can believe in them. In Polly Peck`s case should be used this model, to take an interrogation with the people worked for this company and eventually may know something important. Documentary evidence: This type of evidence is collected from computers, documents, servers, data mining, public records, searches and so on. In addition, in such situations the databases are great source of information, no matter the information is deleted, it can be restored. This type of evidence can be used as well in this case, because most of the fraudulent information is saved on computers and if restored can answer us the basic question, is there a fraud or not. Physical evidence: This type of evidence is concerned with taking fingerprints, id numbers, weapons, stolen property and so on, which can be linked to a fraudulent act. Personal observation: This type of evidence is also named sense evidence, because it is very close to the information, which is heard, seen, felt, etc.. A second method of investigating a scheme is to focus on the fraud triangles. It should be investigated all variants, elements of the following triangles. Theft act: try to seize the perpetrator to wrench a data or information. Concealment: In this part should be taken under consideration and used documents, computer hard disks, etc. Conversion: is to define whether the defendant used money or property fraudulently for personal benefit. An great example of this type is the case: [Brandt v. State, 1944] Atmospheric Drag Model | Essay Atmospheric Drag Model | Essay The atmospheric drag 1 ââ¬â Introduction The principal non-gravitational force acting on satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) is atmospheric drag. This effect for a LEO satellite has direct implications in satellite lifetime. Indeed, drag acts in the opposite direction of the velocity vector and removes energy from the orbit. This energy reduction causes to the orbit to get smaller, leading to further increases in drag. Eventually, the altitude of the orbit becomes so small that the satellite reenters in the atmosphere. The equation for acceleration due to drag is: : atmospheric density (kg.m-3) satelliteââ¬â¢s cross-sectional area (mà ²) : satelliteââ¬â¢s mass (kg) : satelliteââ¬â¢s velocity with respect to the atmosphere (m.s-2) : drag coefficient (dimensionless) : ballistic coefficient Drag presents a challenge to accurate modeling, because the dynamics of the upper atmosphere are not completely understood, in part due to the limited knowledge of the interaction of the solar wind and the Earthââ¬â¢s magnetic field. In addition, drag models contain many parameters that are difficult to estimate with reasonable accuracy: atmospheric density, ballistic coefficient, cross-sectional area Calculating atmospheric density is often the most difficult part of assessment in modeling the atmosphere. Its complexity is apparent from the sheer number of regime. In addition, although values are shown for temperature and altitude, they all change over time and are very difficult to predict. Strong drag occurs in dense atmospheres, and satellites with perigees below 120 km have such short lifetimes that their orbits have no practical importance. Above 600 km, on the other hand, drag is so weak that orbits ââ¬Å"usuallyâ⬠last more than the satellitesââ¬â¢ operational lifetimes. At this altitude, perturbations in orbital period are so slight that we can easily account for them without accurate knowledge of the atmosphere density. At intermediate altitudes however, roughly two variable energy sources cause large variations in atmospheric density and generate orbital perturbations: the geomagnetic field and solar activity. These variations can be predicted with two empirical models: the Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter (MSIS) and the Jacchia models. Knowing that the considered satellite should be at an altitude of 700 km (the last launches of nano-satellites demonstrate that the start altitude is often very inaccurate), the Jacchia model is the most accurate one to estimate atmospheric density, and in this way satellite lifetime. 2 ââ¬â The Jacchia atmospheric density model The Jacchia atmospheric density model formulation is very common, but also very complex. The model contains analytical expressions for determining exospheric temperature as a function of position, time, solar activity and geomagnetic activity. With a computed temperature, density can be calculated from empirically determined temperature profiles or from the diffusion equation. Then the overall approach is to model the atmospheric temperature. In this way, to simplify the analytical resolution, the altitude range will be constraint from the start altitude at 700 km to 200 km. 1 > Evaluating temperature Jacchia defines the region above 125 km in altitude with an empirical, asymptotic function for temperature: : distance between satellite and ground station (ââ¬Å"height above the reference ellipsoidâ⬠) (km) : base value temperature (Kelvin) : corrected exospheric temperature (Kelvin) : inflection point temperature (Kelvin) As needed in the two equations above, the corrected exospheric temperature is defined as below: : uncorrected exospheric temperature (Kelvin) : correction factor for exospheric temperature (Kelvin) represents the exospheric temperature without any correction. It is based on the nighttime global exospheric temperature, excluding all effects of geomagnetic activity: Where is the average daily solar flux at a 10.7 cm wavelength for the day of interest and is an 81-day running average of values, centered on the day of interest. Because the effect of solar flux on atmospheric density lags one day behind the observed values, calculations can (at best) use values which are one day old. The resulting value of can be used now to determine the uncorrected exospheric temperature. : sunââ¬â¢s declination : geodetic latitude of the satellite , (-180à ° Actually can be determined from the dot product and the two vectors for the Sun and the satellite. More complicated methods are available to determine the, but the precision here does not need extra accuracy. Now the geomagnetic activity and its effect on temperature have to be corrected. The correction factor for exospheric temperature,, depends on the geomagnetic index, , and is calculated for altitudes at least 200 km. The actual value of is with a 3-hour lag, in which the molecular intersection build up and the change in density would be noticed. 2 > Evaluating density scale height For planetary atmospheres, density scale height describes a difference in height, over which the density of the atmosphere changes significantly by a factor e (approximately 2.71828 , the base of natural logarithms, decreasing upward). Usually, the scale height remains constant for a particular temperature. However, in the upper part of the atmosphere, it changes significantly and in different ways. For instance, at heights over 100 km, molecular diffusion means each molecular atomic species has it own scale height. This part will only focus on density scale height at altitude above 105 km. The temperature profile has to be integrated in the total number density of the five atmospheric components, in order to achieve their individual effect on the standard density. As the altitude assumed above 500 km, the concentration of hydrogen have to be taken into account also. First of all, the hydrogen number density at 500 km altitude (in cm-3): Implemented in the hydrogen number density equation for altitude greater than 500 km: : molecular mass of hydrogen erg/à °K : Boltzmannââ¬â¢s constant Then the number density of the other atmospheric components which are nitrogen N2, oxygen molecular O2 and atomic O, and helium He (in cm-3): i denotes N2, O2, O or He : number density of each constituent at 105 km altitude : thermal diffusion coefficient (only for Helium) The correction for Helium number density because of seasonal-latitudinal variations is (dimensionless): And implemented here: Finally, the total number density is given by (in cm-3): Hence, the mass density (in gm/cm-3): : mass of the constituent I in gm/mole Which gives the molecular mass: : Avogadroââ¬â¢s number Finally, the density scale height, according to the temperature profile which depends mainly of the satelliteââ¬â¢s altitude and position from the Sun: : universal gas constant 3 > Evaluating density Jacchia used a standard exponential relation to evaluate density: : base atmospheric density (kg.m-3) : distance between satellite and ground station (ââ¬Å"height above the reference ellipsoidâ⬠) (km) : base altitude (km) : scale height (km) An interesting point to highlight is below 150 km, the density is not strongly affected by solar activity. However, at satellite altitudes in the range of 500 to 800 km, the density variations between solar maximum and solar minimum are approximately 2 orders of magnitude. The large variations in density imply that satellites will decay more rapidly during periods of solar maxima and much more slowly during solar minima. The effect of the solar maxima will also depend on the satellite ballistic coefficient. Those with a low ballistic coefficient will respond quickly to the atmosphere and will tend to decay promptly. Those with high ballistic coefficients will push through a larger number of solar cycles and will decay much more slowly. Note that time for satellite decay is generally measured better in solar cycles than in years. From there to lifetimes of about half a solar cycle (approximately 5 years) there will be a very strong difference between satellites launched at the start o f a solar minimum and those launched at the start of solar maximum. The first correction to apply to this equation is for seasonal latitudinal variation in the lower thermosphere: : geodetic latitude, measured positively north from the equator (deg) : Julian date of 1958 (years) The Julian date of 1958 is used to determine the number of years from 1958. is the number of days from January 1, 1958: The correction for semi-annual variations is as below: This correction uses an intermediate value : For altitudes above 200 km, the geomagnetic effect can be neglected on density. Hence, these corrections can be apply to the standard density: Giving the final corrected density: Even though any model cannot do a real adequate job of modeling the atmosphere, the Jacchia model continues to perform exceptionally well compared to the others and is the fastest overall. Moreover, it is the only one which give analytical formulas which can be computed without external values, even though that degrades the result in a way. 3 ââ¬â The ballistic coefficient Drag also depends on the ballistic coefficient, defined as a body measure of the ability to overcome air resistance in flight. For instance, satellites in LEO with high ballistic coefficients experience smaller perturbations to their orbits due to atmospheric drag. In regards to the nano-satellite analysis, mass and cross-sectional area do not change at any time. Actually, nano-satellite cannot change their position because they do not have any ergol propellers. Hence this coefficient depends mainly of the drag one. The drag coefficient of any object comprises the effects of the two basis contributors to fluid dynamic drag: skin friction and form drag. In most cases, this coefficient is estimated. Considering the configuration of the spacecraft as a regular brick-like shape and the environment conditions, it is estimated here at 2,1. Theoretically, it is highly impossible to have an exact solution, only experiments might approximate it. Ligneous Periodontitis: Literature Review Ligneous Periodontitis: Literature Review Abstract: Ligneous periodontitis is poorly defined, a rare form of periodontitis. It is characterized by pseudomembranous gingival lesion with accumulation of amyloid-like material and may or may not be associated with ligneous conjunctivitis. It is possibly due to type I plasminogen deficiency but the exact cause is unknown. This review describes ligneous periodontitis in detail with respect to etiology, clinical, histological features and treatment modality. Key words:à Ligneous periodontitis, ligneous conjunctivitis, pseudomembranous periodontitis, plasminogen deficiency Introduction: The term ligneous periodontitis was first used by Omer Guuhen et al1 to describe a destructive membranous periodontal disease. It is poorly defined entity characterized by gingival enlargement and periodontal destruction due to accumulation of amyloid-like material. Accumulation of amyloid-like material lacks the classical histochemical and ultrastructural features of amyloid.2 Most of the pseudomembranous gingival lesions have been reported in association with ligneous conjunctivitis. Therefore, finding suggests that both clinical manifestations are related. Ligneous conjunctivitis is rare form of chronic conjunctivitis that usually affects children, girls more often than boys in ratio of 3:1 but may occur at any age.3,4 This condition is ocular manifestation of a systemic disease that might be accompanied by formation of pseudomembranes on mucosa of oral cavity (ligneous periodontitis),1,5,6,7 respiratory tract-larynx, trachea6,8,9,10, nasopharynx , female genital tract (ligneous vulvovaginitis or cervicitis),6,10 middle ear ,9,10 gastrointestinal tract the mastoid system.10 Etiology: Etiology of this lesion is not clear. Among the possible causes Type I plasminogen deficiency, autoimmune reactions, trauma, hypersensitivity reaction, genetic disorders and secondary response to viral or bacterial infections have been suggested.5,6,11 Mingeret. Al12 and Schuster13 et al have reported homozygous mutations in plasminogen gene in ligneous conjunctivitis cases. It is suggested that plasminogen deficiency plays a central role in pathogenesis of this rare disease. The fibrinolytic system plays an important role in hemostasis for controlled dissolution of fibrin clot. Two type of human plasminogen (PLG) deficiency exists:14 Hypoplasminogenemia / type I PLG deficiency: In which markedly decrease PLG antigen âⰠ¤ 1.9 mg/dl (normal range 6 to 25 mg/dl) and functional activity upto 33% (normal range 80% to 120%) Dysplasminogenemia/ type II PLG deficiency: There is reduced PLG activity, but normal or only slightly reduced PLG antigen levels.3 Type I PLG deficiency was found to be associated with ligneous conjunctivitis (80%)6 characterized by fibrin rich pseudomembranes mainly on tarsal conjunctivae and other pesudomembranous lesion such as ligneous gingivitis and periodontitis (34%).3 Autosomal-recessive inheritance of this disorder was confirmed.13 In a large epidemiologic study in the United Kingdom, the prevalence of (heterozygous) type I PLG deficiency was reported to be 0.26% (25 of 9,611 subjects).16 The theoretically predicted prevalence of homozygote/compound heterozygote was estimated to be in the range of 1.6 per 1 million people, at least in Europe.3,8 Type II PLG deficiency patients, however, have never reported developing pseudomembranous lesion. PLG plays an important role in intravascular and extravascular fibrinolysis and wound healing. It is converted to plasmin by cleavage of the Arg561-Val562 peptide bond by either tissue-type PLG activator (tPA) or urokinase-type PLG activator (uPA). Activation of PLG by tPA is the major pathway that leads to efficient lysis of fibrin clots in the blood stream, whereas activation of PLG by uPA seems to be mainly responsible for mediating PLG activation in association with cell surfaces (wound healing, tissue remodeling).14 uPA PLG activation related to cell surfaces (wound healing, tissue remodeling) PLG tPA PLG activation lead to lysis of clot in the blood stream The main substrate for plasmin is fibrin. Plasmin also has substrate specificities for several other components of the Extracellular matrix (ECM), including fibronectin, proteoglycans, and gelatin, indicating that plasmin also plays an important role in ECM remodeling. Indirectly, plasmin also degrades additional components of the ECM via its ability to convert some promatrix MMPs (pro-MMPs) to active MMPs. During normal wound healing of the gingiva, significant fibrinolysis occurs by day 3 to 4 and is virtually complete by 1 week. Persistence of the fibrin matrix is associated with the induction of angiogenesis and formation of granulation tissue.17Mingers et al12 were the first to show that plasma polymorphonuclear elastase protein levels were markedly elevated in patients with severe plasminogen deficiencies and more so in homozygous than in heterozygous patients. It is interesting to note that all patients with type I PLG deficiency have never been shown to have thrombophilia. In ligneous periodontitis, it is assumed that fibrin appearing during normal wound healing is persistent due to type I PLG deficiency. Plasminogen is the precursor of plasmin, the main fibrinolytic enzyme which plays important roles in wound healing, keratinocyte division, migration, and differentiation. Central wound healing capacity with an arrest at the stage of granulation tissue formation and excessive fibrin deposition is possible cause of ligneous periodontitis. Clinical features of ligneous periodontitis: It is presented as generalized ulcerated, massive, nodular, waxy gingival enlargement can involve both maxilla and mandible.2 Gingival swelling could be painless or painful. Enlargement is white-yellow to pinkish pseudomembranous covering teeth, with tendency to bleed. Accompanied by extensive bone loss may lead to loss of teeth.1 Histological features: Amyloid is a nonspecific histologic term for different chemical structures such as immunoglobulin light chain, serum amyloid fibril proteins, beta-2 microglobulin, transthyretin, keratin and some hormones.18 All these materials look like homogeneous eosinophilic substances by routine histologic methods and show the same three-dimensional configuration. There are two different phases of development:1 In the first, gingival epithelium showed extensive irregular down-ward proliferation. Severe acute inflammation of epithelium and underlying tissues with accumulation of homogenous eosinophilic fibrinous material around the vessels and beneath the epithelium. The inflammatory infiltrates included mostly plasma cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, with fewer lymphocytes and mast cells. Epithelium in acute phase showed edematous widening of intercellular spaces and contained numerous degenerated keratinocytes in the suprabasal layer in the form of hyaline apoptotic bodies. Subepithelial connective tissue is also edematous and contained numerous small dialated vessels and an amyloid like material. In second phase, the epithelium showed slight acanthosis and parakeratosis without ulceration. Inflammatory cell infiltrate is not as heavy as in first stage. There is subepithelial amorphous, nodular, homogeneous, eosinophilic amyloid-like accumulation. The accumulated material did not show the typical apple green/ golden brown birefringence of amyloid with Congo-red stain. Thioflavin-T fluorescence methods for demonstration of amyloid is also negative. Accumulation is reticulin poor and stained red with Massonââ¬â¢s trichrome stain. Immunostaining shows strongly positive for fibrinogen and weakly positive for immunoglobulins. Electron microscopy of gingiva shows fine filaments, approximately 10nm in diameter arranged in interweaving bundles resembling those seen in ligneous conjunctivitis. Within this network there are short bundles of thicker, darker filaments resembling epithelial tonofilaments and also fragments of cellular debris. No typical collagen fibers were found within this material.19The reason why the amyloid-like material in these cases failed to show all the tinctorial properties of amyloid can be explained by considering the process of amyloidogenesis. For materials like immunoglobulin light chain and keratins to acquire the typical properties of amyloid, a time-dependent series of events must occur consecutively.19 Failure of one or more of these stages to take place may conceivably result in the formation of a material which shares only some of the features of amyloid. This half-amyloid, half-hy aline material (hyaline-amyloid) needs more filamentous degeneration of the deposited materials in order to stain as typical amyloid.19 TREATMENT: Several treatment efforts such as subgingival curettage, gingivectomy, chlorhexidine rinsing and antibiotics were unsuccessful. Surgical excisions of gingival lesion are followed by rapid recurrence of membranous lesions. Extraction of most permanent teeth appears to be inevitable due to advanced alveolar bone loss and poor prognosis of this ligneous disease. Administration of topical plasminogen has shown good results for the treatment of ligneous conjunctivitis,20 whereas its efficacy for the treatment of oral lesion remains to be elucidated. It is expected, however that topical plasminogen together with periodontal therapy can postpone it until adulthood, when a more aggressive approach can be considered. In some cases gingival lesions becomeà quiescent or disappear following tooth loss.2 Frimodt- Moller5 also noticed some regression in the eyelid lesion following tooth extraction. Different modalities of surgery, antibiotics, steroids, antiviral agents, beta and x-ray irradiati on were found ineffective in the treatment.6
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Comparing ââ¬ÅDolorââ¬Â and ââ¬ÅA Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of Godââ¬Â Essay
Comparing ââ¬Å"Dolorâ⬠and ââ¬Å"A Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of Godâ⬠Happiness in life is seen through the little things we do and the small stuffs we usually took for granted like the little flower blossoming at the edge of a busy road, the pancake that our mother have lovingly cooked, and the sparingly blue sky in the morning. It is like a fire that keeps on burning with passion. Sadness, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. It is the feeling of desolation, of tragedy, and antagonism of life, quite like the stinging sensation we feel when holding a pure crystalline ice. This is how we could describe the stiff contrast of the poems ââ¬Å"A Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of Godâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Dolor. â⬠They are two distinct poetical pieces, outstanding in their own accord, which shows a stark difference. Nancy Willardââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"A Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of God,â⬠took praise upon the thought that while many people doubt the existence of a God, a small hardware store could be the simple answer to such a difficult query. It has a light and jovial mood that sets that audienceââ¬â¢s atmosphere into one that reflects simple pleasures. Even at the start of the poem, with its line ââ¬Å"I praise the brightness of hammers pointing eastâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ it emphasizes on how little things could mean happiness and contentment. Theodore Roethkeââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Dolor,â⬠on the other hand, signifies a state of loss and misery. Reading the poem, we will have this feeling of anxiety and loneliness that is trying to shroud us. The poem, in general, tackles the monotony of life and how as one copes with a routine schedule, he begins to be trapped, or rather, caged in a place where every bit of life is banished. ââ¬Å"Dolorâ⬠made use of the free verse form. It is apparent by its free forming lines, not confined by rhythmical patterns or carefully numbered syllabication. Playing around the numbers between 10 and 16, the syllables of every line varied, indeed showing its concept idea with much liberty. This is quite in contrast to ââ¬Å"A Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of Godâ⬠which, though not that perceptible, follows a somewhat more outlined form. Observing the first stanza, we would visibly notice the smooth pattern of 11-10-11-10-10. This is disturbed, however, by the following stanza, going out of the way with its 13-12-11-9-10 syllable count. The second stanza may have seemed to rule out of the poem, but the succeeding stanza retained a form near to its first, having syllable counts of 11-8-11-9-12-11, including the last line. These difference in poetic style used have given a wider gap between the two poems. Both are trying to convey a deep feeling within them yet they strike in very opposing manners. The angst that ââ¬Å"Dolorâ⬠communicates vastly differs from the glee that ââ¬Å"A Hardware Store as Proof of Existence of Godâ⬠share. Reading between the lines, we would be able to comprehend better the more intimate idea that the two poems try to share. ââ¬Å"Dolor,â⬠written by Theodore Roethke, is gloomy and describes a setting depicted to be a workplace or an institution that demands a custom schedule; thus forging an empty and tedious life. However, if we would analyze deeper, we would understand that Roethke is trying to impart the life he had spent in Halcyon Sanitarium after he had a mental breakdown. On the other, Nancy Willard, a writer whose fondness for children have affected her writing, wrote with a simplistic approach; with plain words that aims straight for the heart. By doing so, she have shared directly that God, through a hardware store, have given us the delight of knowing that every bit of sadness and missing things in our life could be repaired and patched, and that there would always be a good future ahead of us. By and large, Willardââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Hardware Store as Proof of the Existence of Godâ⬠and Roethkeââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Dolorâ⬠are two poems of vast contrast. Every little detail each poem shows further support how much they differ. But even though the two are stiffly contrasting, both have shown great passion and emotion from their respective writers. Works Cited Willard, N. (1989). Water Walker. NewYork: Knopf Windle, R. (1994). The Poetry of Business Life: An Anthology. United States: Berrett Koehler Robson, W. W. (1984). The Definition of Literature and Other Essays: And Other Essays. New York: Cambridge University Press
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