Country Profile of France Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Country Profile of France - Article Example In 1999, France made the euro its official currency, and this has allowed France to further integrate itself into the core of the European economy. France is also playing a central role in the development of the European Union’s military (cia.gov). The seat of the French Revolution, which is the source of much of the thoughts and writing on democracy, France is now currently a republic, and it has had a mixture of a presidential and parliamentary administration since legislation was passed in 1958. The current president is Nikolas Sarkozy, and he won the election with 51% of the vote. Sarkozy is serving a five-year term as president of France. In 2000 the French constitution was amended in order to change the term of the presidency from seven years to five years (cia.gov) In size, France is slightly smaller in area than the state of Texas with 260,558 square mileage. This figure includes all of its territories overseas and including its claim in Antarctica. This makes it the largest European nation, just slightly ahead of Spain in total size (cia.gov) France has always been central to scientific development. For example, France was home to Marie and Pierre Curie who are famous for their theories and work on radioactivity. In more recent scientific efforts, France is among the leaders in various fields, including mathematics, astrophysics, biology, medicine, genetics, and physics. To put this in perspective, it should be mentioned that French scientists have been awarded a total of twenty-six Nobel prizes over the past ninety years (francethisway.com) There are many research institutions throughout France. Some of these include the National Centre for Scientific Research, the National Institute for Health and Medical Research, and the National Institute for Agronomical Research. The institutions are public research institutions.  

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

Tabloids - Essay Example As compared to broadsheet journalism, which is normally held together by a strong since of ethics and public responsibility, tabloids rely on pure entertainment and outrageous colors, features, and stories to try to lure in the imaginative reader. Often stories are crafted out of no factual basis, and are there instead to try to be as outrageous as possible for the sake of getting people's attention. They use a much looser idea of values and morals to try to make their point compared to broadsheet journalism. In a stunning twist of events, Clinton and Obama have been seeing coming out of a hotel late into the night. Could this mean a new political partnership between the two, or possibly an even darker secret love life between the two Could this all be an alien plot Late last night Democratic nominees Clinton and Obama were both seen on their way home from a late night meeting. The meeting, uncongenially, seemed to have taken place in an hotel room that was actually rented in McCain's name. The fact that McCain seems to pay for them to spend the night together is strange of itself, but seeing the two candidates embrace in a hug and passionate kiss as they left sparked the real controversy. This turn in events now leads people to wonder if in fact Clinton and Obama are really working together, and in more places than just the political bedroom. McCain helping them pay for the room also adds suspicion to what all of them are really up to. Is McCain paying them off to keep the fighting going longer so he can continue to campaign without a direct candidate Are Clinton and Obama really in love and want to run together As the saying goes, politicians do make strange bedfellows. Works Cited: http://spj.org/ethicscode.asp Society of Professional Journalists Tabloid

The Football Association Essay Example for Free

The Football Association Essay There are ranges of regional and international Governing Bodies that manage the game of football, throughout the world and many different countries. Governing Bodies keep the rules of the game in check and all conform to one set of international rules. This is why it is so important to have Governing Bodies  FIFA  FIFA is a world Governing Body that is committed by its Statutes not only to the positive promotion of football through development programmes, but also to supervising international competitions and to safeguarding the sport and its good image against abuse of its rules and regulations. And FIFA sees to it that the game is played to one unified set of rules, the Laws of the Game, all over the world. UEFA  One of UEFAs responsibilities as a confederation of world footballs governing body FIFA is to organise and stage European competitions for clubs and national teams. In total, 13 competitions are currently organised by UEFA, with nine for national representative teams and four for clubs.  AFC  The Asian Football Confederation was established in 1954 to promote and manage the development of professional football in the Asia-Pacific region. The Confederation is responsible for major Asian football events such as the Asian Cup for national teams, as well as the Asian Super Cup, the Club Championship and the Cup Winners Cup for club teams throughout the region. CAF  The African Football Confederation was founded in 1957 by Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Africa, it now consists of all African National Football Associations, which are members of FIFA and recognized by it as the official bodies controlling football in their respective countries.  CONCACAF  The official site of the FC, the Confederation of North, Central, American, and Caribbean Association Football, one of six FIFA world Confederations serving as the governing body of soccer in this part of the world. It is composed of 38 members, spanning from Canada in the north to Surinam in the south. The FC organizes competitions for national teams and clubs. Setting the Standard  The Football Association, through its Charter Standard scheme, seeks to establish, reward and encourage good practice at grass roots levels so that parents and children can demand a minimum standard of provision from schools, clubs and holiday courses.  The F.A.s Football Development Team works with County Associations, leagues, clubs and schools all round the country to award Charter Standards to deserving recipients. As set out by Chairman Geoff Thompson, reflects The FAs principle vision of using the power of football to build a better future. By building relationships with the football family around the world, The FA aims to lead by example and shape the debate at UEFA and FIFA level by playing a full and proactive role within world football. It is also committed to using Englands resources, expertise and knowledge in co-operation with less-privileged regions of the world to develop their football infrastructure Football is truly a global sport, explains Geoff Thompson, And The FA is committed to playing a role, extending a helping hand and building solid links around the world.  Since its inception in October 2000, the International Relations team of Jane Bateman and Kim Fisher supported by Morag Taylor and led by The FAs Director of International Strategy David Davies, can claim an impressive range of achievements in both fields. At the heart of it is The FAs International Development Programme (IDP), through which projects have been initiated in all regions of the world, ranging from goalkeeping courses to marketing, sports medicine, refereeing and administration workshops, each targeted at the specific needs of the country or countries involved. The FA also holds annual international courses in England for fitness trainers, treatment and management of injuries, referees, football administration and coaches. The Goal Scheme  Child protection is high on The FAs agenda. The goal is to have someone at every club in the country aware of child protection and best practice, whether its a Premiership Academy or a Sunday morning park side.  Already 40,000 people have attended The FAs Child protection and best practice workshops. These are organised via County FAs on a regular basis. Now, The FA has launched a guide an introduction to child protection that can be worked through at home. The FA believes football can have a powerful positive influence on children. But that means everyone involved in football must take on the responsibility of looking after those children that want to play the game.  Goal is about doing things the right way, doing things properly. Its about allowing children to enjoy the game without abuse of any kind. That means bullying, physical, emotional or sexual abuse and neglect. Setting Standards  The Charter for Quality is The Football Associations programme to ensure and guarantee that the development of the countrys best young footballers meets the highest possible standards.  By building on the best traditions of this country and learning from techniques employed abroad, The FA has built a framework of excellence, which is being put into practice at clubs up and down the country. Doping In Football  Allegations and evidence of doping over the past few years have rocked the football world. However, is there reluctance within the game to properly fight against the spread of banned substances use?  An agreement over a new guideline that athletes found guilty of serious doping is subject to a mandatory two-year ban. However, FIFA argued there might be exceptional circumstances and Blatter is committed to define these exceptional circumstances in clearer terms. This points to a reluctance to come down too heavy on offenders.  Perhaps this is not surprising when one considers the wider cultural context within which FIFA makes its policies.

Effects of Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Interventions

Effects of Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Interventions The Effects of Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation Interventions on 10-Year Mortality  Among Adult Smokers 18-64 Eline van den Broek 1 Setting up the Research Designs Background Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States [CDC, 1]. It is estimated that cigarette smoking results in more than 480,000 premature deaths and approximately 8.6 million Americans live with a serious illness caused by smoking [2]. Research has established smoking causes various serious diseases such as cancers, lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and increases in the risk of heart disease, including stroke, heart attack, vascular disease, and aneurysm [3-37]. Various studies, including RCT’s, cohort and case-control studies, concluded that adults who smoke die earlier than nonsmokers [3-37]. Reversely, researchers have also found that preventing deaths caused by smoking would lead to substantial gains in life expectancy [38-41]. While we have gathered extensive information about tobacco use as a major cause of many of the world’s top killer diseases, responsible for the death of about 1 in 10 adults worldwide [42], less is known about the effects of different smoking intervention programs on mortality and life expectancy. Successful smoking cessation interventions almost certainly result in major gains, both in reducing smoking-related illnesses and potentially in preventing premature deaths [43]. The more evidence we have on what type of programs are most effective in smoking cessation, the easier it would be to address the crucial public health and policy question whether these programs are desirable in the context of avoidable mortality. Also, since most studies have focused on comparing smokers to non-smokers, we need more evidence about the effect of different interventions among smokers only. In Colorado, over 900,000 residents currently smoke, with the highest rates among young adults aged 18 to 24 years (28.2%). In 2000, 52.8 percent of adult smokers in Colorado made quit attempts of at least one day. [44] Researchers in the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) have decided to implement a smoking cessation intervention, including bedside consultation with follow-up therapy and free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). [45] The objective of this study is to determine the effect of this UCH-initiated intervention on 10-year mortality. The aim is to implement hospital systems change to improve inpatient tobacco dependence treatment. [45] Most of the literature involving smoking cessation interventions is related to outpatient interventions. Some studies have focused on the effect of inpatient smoking cessation interventions and rehospitalization. [46] Our study will contribute to that body of literature, focusing rather on an inpatient smoking cessation intervention and it s effect on 10-year mortality. Research Questions and Hypotheses Research Question: Does a hospital-initiated smoking cessation intervention predict lower 10-year mortality rate? Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the hospital-based intervention to encourage tobacco using inpatients to quit smoking has a significant lowering effect on 10-year mortality rate. H0: There is no significant effect of the UCH inpatient smoking cessation intervention and 10-year mortality Ha: There is a significant effect of the UCH inpatient smoking cessation intervention and 10-year mortality Recall bias is a classic form of information bias: we will not collect the correct information, because the subjects in the study report past events in a manner that is different between the two study groups case-control. Since our study will be backwards in directionality, it would in general be more prone to information and recall bias. This happens, for instance, if our cases and controls will differentially recall intervention, related smoking behavior, or any other variables that we include in the model that are based on self-reported data, so that inaccurate recall is related to characteristics of the exposure of interest and of the respondents. Yet in our case, the most important information is collected using information recorded in the electronic medical record, so we will are less worried about this type of bias in our design. Interviewing technique and the study protocol, including the design of questionnaires and the motivation of respondents, play a central role and are under the control of the investigator. [130] Even though we think that our matching process will limit confounding bias, we still may deal with the issue that the influence of one intervention is mixed with the effect the other. For example, the intervention may have led to other healthy lifestyles, such as less alcohol use or more exercise. This would be less relevant in our case, however, because we are really interested in the effect of the intervention on mortality. If the intervention has positive effects on other healthy behaviors, that will not bias our conclusions. In case-control studies, selection bias can occur in the selection of cases if they are not representative of all cases within the population, or in the selection of controls if they are not representative of the population that produced the cases. [131] It could be that cases and/or controls are selected on criteria related to the intervention, for example they are selected differentially on the basis of their intervention or there may be differences in reporting of which intervention they received between cases and controls. We may have a concern with selection bias in our study design, because both the intervention and the outcome have occurred by the time the patient is recruited into the study. The (internal and external) validity of a case-control study depends on the representativeness of controls. [132,133] The controls need to be a representative sample of the study population from which the cases are drawn during the study period. Since we will use a computer generated pool of controls, they will be randomly selected to minimize bias. We do expect some issues with consenting the controls and expect that we will have to use second or third drawn controls to match with some of the cases. Generally, â€Å"hospital controls† are often more easily accessible and tend to be more cooperative than â€Å"population based† controls. [50] A disadvantage of drawing from a hospital population is that we will have an issue with the external validity of the study. The question remains whether we will be able to generalize the results from the UCH-based population to other inpatient interventions or even more broadly: a population based intervention. 4.8 Study Strengths Among the strengths of a case-control study are the fact that they are generally relatively inexpensive, they are short-term studies to conduct (so cheaper and quicker); they are efficient designs for rare diseases or for studies with a lagged outcome like mortality in 10 years; and they can be powerful with small samples of cases. While the 1:2 matching design is intended to eliminate confounding, the main potential benefit of matching in case-control studies is a gain in efficiency. We do need to note that since we currently design the study and the intervention(s) still need to take place, we will have to wait for 10 years to measure the effect on mortality. But as mentioned, another advantage of a case-control study is that they are typically feasible to obtain sufficient numbers of cases when studying rare diseases or diseases with a long latency period, like in our case: mortality in 10 years. We will thus require a smaller sample size than with other designs and we can still evaluate the effect of the different types of interventions. The fact that we have the ability to use multiple controls of the same type has the advantage of increasing the study’s power.

Effectiveness of Scenario Based Simulation Training Essay -- Nursing

Introduction/Problem Statement Across the nation many nursing programs are facing clinical site shortages for their students. The hardest hit population is the license vocational nursing (LVN) students. Many hospitals are trending toward achieving â€Å"Magnet Status† for their institutions. Therefore, LVN students are no longer allowed to complete their clinical training in several hospitals. This action forces many nursing programs to seek alternative methods of clinical instruction. In years past simulation training was used as an aid to facilitate learning. Today, for many nursing programs scenario based simulation is the only option for learning patient care. Which brings about the question as to just how effective is simulation training? According to Kneebone, Nestel, Vincent, & Darzer (2007), â€Å"To be effective, however, such simulation must be realistic, patient-focused, structured, and grounded in an authentic clinical context. The author finds the challenge comes not only from technical difficulty but, also from the need for interpersonal skills and professionalism within clinical encounters† (p. 808). Most mannequins do not have vocal ability or the ability to move, and therefore cannot provide the proper a spontaneous environment for learning. Therefore, acquiring critical thinking skills can be somewhat challenging, in this type of simulated setting. Criteria for evaluating simulations According to (Kneebone at el. 2007 p.812) the following items are criteria for simulation Simulations should allow for sustained, deliberate practice within a safe environment, ensuring that recently acquired skills are consolidated within a defined curriculum which assures regular reinforcement. .. ...006). Effect of practice on standardised learning outcomes. Medical Education, 40(8), Retrieved from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&hid=106&sid=265b8200-d816-4fa5-aa4f-f99400f42b76%40sessionmgr104 doi: 10.1111/j.1365- 2929.2006.02528.x National League of Nursing, NLN. (2006, May-June). Designing and implementing models. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/research/LaerdalReport.pdf Smith, S., & Roehrs, C. (2009). High fidelity simulation: factors correlated with nursing student satisfaction and self confidence. Nursing Education Perspectives, 30(2), p.p. 74-78 Simpson, R. (2002, September 1). The Virtual reality revolution: Nursing Management , 33(9), Retrieved from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=34&hid=112&sid=8d3b1644-95ad-471b-a8c3-5c0c325fa183%40sessionmgr104

Baby Eulogy Essay -- essays research papers

Dear Baby, A thousand questions flooded my mind that difficult Friday morning. As I ran my fingers through your hair and kissed you good bye, I wondered: Why? Why? Why? How can this happen? How could we be asked to endure such pain again? How could such a beautiful baby be taken from us? and? Why didn?t we have more time? It took a while for me to stop thinking about us or should I say me and start thinking about you, but once I did it is the last question that I pondered longest. "Why didn't we have more time?" I wanted to understand so I went to the dictionary and found that Webster?s had no less than 29 definitions for this tiny word, time. I looked on-line and found self help books that said I could manage it better and scientists who posted things regardi... Baby Eulogy Essay -- essays research papers Dear Baby, A thousand questions flooded my mind that difficult Friday morning. As I ran my fingers through your hair and kissed you good bye, I wondered: Why? Why? Why? How can this happen? How could we be asked to endure such pain again? How could such a beautiful baby be taken from us? and? Why didn?t we have more time? It took a while for me to stop thinking about us or should I say me and start thinking about you, but once I did it is the last question that I pondered longest. "Why didn't we have more time?" I wanted to understand so I went to the dictionary and found that Webster?s had no less than 29 definitions for this tiny word, time. I looked on-line and found self help books that said I could manage it better and scientists who posted things regardi...

Canon: Modifying a Successful Strategy Essay

Canon is a Japan-based manufacturer, with worldwide sales exceeding US$45 billion, and profits of almost US$3 billion. Canon’s well-known product lines include business machines, medical equipment, semiconductors, cameras, video equipment, and broadcast equipment. Business products account for 75 per cent of Canon’s total annual sales, cameras represent 18 per cent of sales, and optical equipment and other products comprise 7 per cent of sales. In most of its markets throughout the world, Canon’s major competitors are other Japan-based manufacturers, such as Sharp (which has a strong line of inexpensive photocopiers and other products aimed at the same small-business market that Canon often pursues, Minolta ( Japan’s largest camera manufacturer and Nikon (known for its technologically advanced products). It also competes against such U.S. firms as Xerox, Kodak and RCA. In 1985, Canon was the 125th largest firm in Fortune’s ranking of industrial corp orations outside the United Stats; today it is in the top 100, Because it is highly committed toward maximizing its long-term performance (as are most Japanese companies), Canon re-evaluated its overall Marketing approach and strategy – so that it may prepare properly for the future. In particular, Canon addressed these two areas: its need to be more market-oriented; and the need to maintain its strong level of foreign sales, particularly in North America and Europe. Over the years, Canon viewed itself as a technology-driven company. According to its corporate communications manager, â€Å"we aim to develop our own unique technologies, which can then form the basis of our products.† As a result, Canons new – product development has been considered a function of Research & Development, not Marketing. But then, the firm realized that this approach must be modified: Canon must change from a product-oriented company to a market-oriented one. Until now we have been more concerned with production and sales than Marketing. We will be focusing more closely on the needs of different consumer groups in each country and less concerned with the traditional production-oriented way of thinking. As part of the need to be more market-driven, Canon restructured from its present three product-based divisions (business machines, cameras, and optical equipment) to a more market-driven structure. In giving Marketing a greater role, Canon is also keeping this in mind: â€Å"As Marketing is made stronger, there is the risk it will weaken the motivation of the engineers who both pilot the new technologies and develop the new products.† With regard to its international efforts, Canon relies on overseas markets for 70 per cent of its total annual sales; this is a much higher percentage than for its competitors. For example, North America and Europe are Canons largest markets; each of these markets comprises 30 per cent of Canon’s sales. Annually, the company spends millions on media advertising, point-of-sale displays, and other promotion materials in North America and Europe. To be more responsive to foreign-market needs, Canon introduced a global Marketing system in recently. This system allows Canon to have similar products and Marketing approaches in various overseas markets while it better tailors business plans to the specialized needs of major market areas. For instance, Canon could develop a computer system with standardized hardware for all market areas, but with software that is tailored to each specialized market. To reduce the impact or trade barriers (such as trade-protection laws restricting the sales of foreign products in domestic markets) and the high value of the Japanese yen relative to other currencies (thereby making Japanese products more expensive in other markets), Canon has begun opening more Research & Development and production facilities abroad. The objective of such a strategy â€Å"is to make Canon a company with no national identity and free from trade friction, keeping production facilities close to the place of consumption.† 1aDescribe the potential areas of conflict between the research-and-development department and the Marketing department at Canon. 1b How may potential conflicts be minimized? 2a Evaluate pros and cons of Canon’s proposal to switch from product-based to market-based business units. 2bWhat are Canon’s new business unit names? Briefly describe the target segment for each business unit. 3.What are the advantages and limitations of using the Boston Consulting Group for business analysis? How can Canon use the BCG matrix in planning its Marketing strategy? 4aCritically assess Canon’s recent international Marketing decisions. 4bIn light of the restructuring, devise a new vision statement for Canon. (Hint: â€Å"A vision is a guiding image of success formed in terms of a contribution to society. If a strategic plan is the â€Å"blueprint† for an organization’s work, then the vision is the â€Å"artist’s rendering† of the achievement of that plan. It is a description in words that conjures up a similar picture for each member of the group of the destination of the group’s work together.†) 5.Why might is be necessary to modify a successful strategy?