Research Topics

Question: What are the determinants of post-loss investment fundability?

What are the determinants of post-loss investment fundability?             The reasons for managing corporate risk include the avoidance of bankruptcy costs and the protection of the firm’s continuing ability to pay for sudden losses and to finance investment opportunities. One way to address these concerns is to re-capitalize the firm after a loss. The gain is that the firm receives an injection of funds when it is most needed without an increase in leverage. Moreover, an insurer may unable to pay for catastrophe losses from current liquid assets, despite having substantial illiquid assets, especially the franchise value of future operations. Re-capitalization is a tool to release these illiquid assets and permits the firm to continue operating and preserve its franchise value.  Doherty (1997) states there are two strategies to go about this. The first is simple post-loss equity financing. A feature of this strategy is that the price at which new equity can be issued is reduced by the loss. This may or may not, involve a hedging arrangement. When a insurer sustains abnormally large losses, its internal capital is depleted and its ability to fund new investment projects is compromised. The most prominent “project” is for the firm to continue to operate into the future and to reap future profits. Refer to the present value of future earnings as the “franchise value” and consider a firm that suffers very large losses but still has a significant franchise value. The firm can still have a positive equity value, but the franchise component of that value is illiquid. If losses exhaust available funds, the insurer may be unable to continue to operate and lose the value of its franchise. The problem is that the franchise value is not liquid, and cannot be used to pay for current losses. Post-loss equity financing provides a method for releasing the franchise value or, more generally, for releasing illiquid assets. Absent transaction costs, post-loss financing should always enable a firm to pay its losses as long as the value of the franchise and post-loss surplus is positive.8 However, the issue of new equity can lead to severe dilution, ceding much control to new shareholders and leaving existing shareholders with little value after a severe loss. Nevertheless, post-loss re-capitalization can be a rational strategy for a firm with high franchise value. A second strategy is for the insurer to purchase a put option on its own stock that can be exercised after a catastrophe of defined magnitude. Post-loss equity capitalization also can be useful following less traumatic losses. A more modest liquidity crisis can arise without severe financial distress. With large losses and a asset portfolio predominantly illiquid, the insurer will be forced to a “fire sale” or to other forms of control such as delaying claims payments to policyholders. The former results in a direct asset loss, the latter may compromise reputation and future profitability. If the ex ante advantages of holding a relatively illiquid portfolio are substantial, then post-loss equity financing provides a method of avoiding the potential liquidity crunch (Doherty, 1997).   Reference: Doherty, Neil. 1997. Financial Innovation in the Management of Catastrophe risk, presented ASTIN conference in Cairns, Australia. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Question: What are the determinants of post-loss investment fundability?

What are the determinants of post-loss investment fundability? The reasons for managing corporate risk include the avoidance o...

Creativity

The Topic: Development of Creativity   INTRODUCTION             There is an ample need to understand and analyze the process of creativity among people in applying the needed information that helps integrate the importance of creativity within the development of the problem solving skills amicably. This means that the creative process is an essential tool that describes the application of such creative information that could be a part of the cognitive skills that entails the process for enhancing certain problem solving skills. Moreover, creativity and problem solving (CPS) skills cultivate whole brain thinking that helps in their search for ideas for efficiencies in procedures and coping with changes in the environment. Thus, nurturing creativity in individuals can come up with creative ideas as needed. Many people think creativity is soft and fuzzy used as an excuse for wasting time and believe creativity is not practical since it only involves with fine arts such as music and dance. Creativity needs to be encouraged within the appropriate intelligence in order for the individuals and groups to be creative and intelligent within to act freely and right in the views of other people. Creativity is arguably the most important element in achieving success in life goals as it is argued that, to encourage and enhance creativity people involved in every aspect should address the effects of fear of taking risks and criticism. (1991) The Importance of Creativity             Creativity is at once the least scientific aspect of advertising and the most important (1998). To be successful, it must have impact, quality, style and relevance. Ideas must be unique and relevant to the product and to the target audience in order to be useful as solutions to communications problems (1998). This is because a “winning creative idea,” one that stands out from the crowd and is memorable, can have enormous impact (1992;  1997). Academic researchers (1982;1999) have found creativity to be among the most complex of human behaviors to describe. It has even been suggested that creativity cannot be defined or measured (1991;  1982). The importance of creativity is acknowledged by the scale and scope of the research activity that has been conducted both to understand it and to examine its application in diverse fields. (2000)                         Then, creativity is important because in a way creativity lead to different understandings of a situation within the process of generating new ideas for the benefit of something useful such as in organizations. Thus, creativity involves the foundation the development of technology and helps promote and discover useful solutions to practical problems and ways of doing things. Creativity provides the impetus to develop new technologies and new products to satisfy the needs and wants of society. Thus, such excitement is experienced in the challenge of a quest to find a better way as (1999),  (1999), (1995)  (1987) identified certain attributes that are important to the development of creativity. Challenge: students are inspired and motivated to be creative. Resources: sufficient resources such as time, tools and materials are available. Environment: the physical facility is attractive, and examples of creative work are present. Atmosphere: the affective environment is supportive, trusting, free and open. Technology of Creativity: tools and techniques associated with creativity are utilized Educational Environment: the administration, school and community support creativity.   Challenge             The excitement of a challenge is at the heart of a creative classroom in technology education. Competition through Technology Student Association (TSA) provides open-ended problems that encourage creativity and motivate students to do their best. The essence of the problem in the Structural Challenge event is to design and build a balsawood structure that will carry a maximum load. Students who are motivated will not be stopped. They are enthusiastic and will do whatever it takes to solve a problem. A challenge brings out the best in people and stimulates an individual’s motivation to succeed. A strong sense of passion and individual commitment is necessary to sustain the effort required to achieve a creative solution to a technological problem. “Task motivation makes the difference between what a person can do and what a person will do” (1987). Teachers need to provide challenging problems that motivate students to be creative.             Resources             It takes resources to be able to solve a problem creatively. Relevant information and knowledge must be gathered and applied to a problem. Tools and materials must be available to try out and test ideas. Sufficient time is also important to elaborate upon ideas and develop creative solutions. Having a sufficient variety of information available provides the critical fuel for a creative solution. Factors related to information resources were ranked as the most important factors for technological problem solving in secondary technology education programs (1991) and that creativity doesn’t just happen by chance as the prepared environment nourishes it. Environment             The technology education classroom environment can have a positive effect and inspire the creativity of students. Models and examples of creative work can be displayed. The facility should be attractive and well-organized to enable students to efficiently try out their ideas. “Scores on tests of divergent thinking are affected by both the physical objects in the room and the activities that precede the test. Students are more likely to generate fluent responses in a stimulus-rich than stimulus-poor environment” (1995). “The total creative process requires a drive to action and the implementation of ideas. We must do more than simply imagine new things; we must work to make them concrete realities” (1996). Atmosphere             The climate of the classroom is critical to the development of creativity. Creative ideas are easily extinguished with ridicule and a lack of acceptance of unusual ideas. Creativity must be encouraged, recognized and rewarded. Students need to be open to new ideas and help each other to be creative. Miller observed that “creativity is a group phenomenon as much or more than an individual one” (1999,). Each person is unique and this is an important characteristic of creativity. Diversity must be encouraged in the quest for broad thinking and the consideration of all possibilities. The diversity of the group contributes to the dynamics and richness of a creative solution. Hence, in his study of creative organizations concluded that debate and critique in the spirit of improving and developing better ideas are important positive qualities of a creative group. On the negative side, he also concluded that conflict in the environment of an organization is counterproductive, lf conflict permeates the environment and then new ideas will be squashed (1999). If conflict is present among students and between students and the teacher, the production of creative ideas will be diminished. (1999) The challenge is to apply such findings to individual technology education classrooms and establish an environment that supports and encourages the development of creativity.     Technology of Creativity             The technology of creativity includes the tools and processes that enable a person or group of people to develop a problem solution that is original and purposeful.  defined technology as “the organization of knowledge for the achievement of practical purposes” (1970). When creativity is applied to a problem, the result is new technology, product, or system so; creativity involves the development of a better solution. The technology of creativity involves the use of proven tools, like brainstorming, within the context of a creative problem-solving model to develop effective solutions to practical problems. When creativity is present in a technology classroom, an important element of technology is represented, and an element of reality and excitement is added to the development and education of students (1987). There are specific processes and tools that are likely to improve the creativity of a solution. Awareness of these tools and how to use them appropriately is essential to an individual’s creative performance (1987, ). Brainstorming is perhaps the most well-known process ( 1957), but many people have developed other effective tools to enhance creativity (1974 ,1970,).                   Creativity can be encouraged and developed through the use of the steps in the creative problem-solving process (1987). When people “apply these processes deliberately, they speed up their creative processes and experience greater creative productivity” (1996). reviewed several studies related to the development of creativity. “The general conclusions are the same: creative abilities can be developed by deliberate programs and methods” (1987). Educational Environment             It is important that the educational environment beyond the technology education classroom is supportive of creativity. Other teachers and the school administration need to encourage, recognize, and reward the creative efforts of technology education teachers and students. Parents and the community can provide role models. “The accumulated body of research on climate and organizations undoubtedly indicates that climate makes a difference in creativity” (1999). The challenge is to apply this research to individual technology education classrooms. Technology education teachers who are interested in maximizing the potential of their environment to support creativity can use the questionnaire as an assessment tool. The questionnaire identifies key elements that will encourage creative behavior. It is intended to be used by teachers to identify strong and weak areas to help assess and improve the climate for creativity in the technology education classroom.   CONCLUSION             Nowadays, many people have negative ideas and preconceptions about creativity, their own abilities and about the value of the process with an understanding of a thorough problem solving process and why creativity is vital to the process for the determination of intelligence by looking at certain creativity and problem solving habits and that in order to encourage creativity,  a person may open the door to a wide range of business benefits and give employees the chance to make business look great. Taking into consideration the skills to address the tasks required for problem solving and development and be able to produce their solutions in an environment that does not restrict creativity and intelligence respectively. In reflection, when people identify individuals, as gifted in such domain they often concentrate on what they know about the domain and their ability to learn about that domain thoroughly than other individuals. But gifted adults are identified as such by the creative roles they take in their fields, not by how quickly they learned about their fields. Instead, one attains fame by leading the field with one’s ideas. If one thinks of some of the most eminent people in the field of gifted education, one knows they got to their positions not by demonstrating high scores on tests of knowledge but by being leaders with their ideas about how to educate the gifted. Therefore, creativity is thought of as it pertains to the arts but it does occur in almost any kind of activity and within various groups of people such as originality and imagination, its identification can sometimes be easy since, creativity has to involve divergent thinking the ability to come up with unusual answers.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Creativity

The Topic: Development of Creativity INTRODUCTION There is an ample need to understand and analyze the process of cre...

A Systematic Review of Worldwide Cancer Nursing Research: 1994 to 2003

The word cancer elicits dread in nearly everyone. Cancer accounts for considerable mortality and morbidity in both men and women (Kozier, 2004). Certain genes controlling growth and interactions with other normal cells are apparently abnormal in structure or regulation in cancer cells. Humans of all ages develop cancer, and a wide variety of organs are affected. The incidence of many cancers increases as the fourth to sixth power of age, so that as people live longer, many more will develop the disease. Apart from individual suffering, the economic burden to society is immense (Murray, et al, 2000). Cancer cells are characterized by three properties: (1) diminished or unrestrained control of growth; (2) invasion of local tissues; and (3) spread, or metastasis to other parts of the body. Cells of benign tumors also show diminished control of growth but do not invade local tissue or spread to other parts of the body (Murray, et al, 2000).             Cancer is caused in all or almost all instances by mutation or by some other abnormal activation of cellular genes that control cell growth and cell mitosis. The abnormal genes are called oncogenes. Cancer tissue competes with normal tissues for nutrients. Because cancer cells continue to proliferate indefinitely, their number multiplying day by day, one can readily understand that the cancer cells soon demand essentially all the nutrition available to the body or to an essential part of the body. As a result, normal tissues gradually suffer nutritive death (Guyton & Hall, 2000). An abnormal cell mass that develops when controls of the cell cycle and cell division malfunction is called a neoplasm. However, not all neoplasms are cancerous. Benign neoplasms are strictly local affairs. They tend to be surrounded by a capsule, grow slowly, and seldom kill their hosts if they are removed before they compress vital organs. In contrast, malignant (cancerous) neoplasms are nonencapsulated masses that grow more relentlessly and may become killers. Their cells resemble immature cells, and they invade their surroundings rather than pushing them aside, as reflected in the name cancer from the Latin word for “crab.” Malignant cells also tend to spread via the blood to distant parts of the body, where they form new masses. This last capability is called metastasis (Marieb 2004). Genetic aspects of cancer are probably receiving the greatest current attention among genetic abnormalities. Some cancers are caused by oncogenes, genes which are carried in the genomes of cancer cells and are responsible for producing their malignant properties. These genes are derived by somatic mutation from closely related proto-oncogenes, which are normal genes that control their growth. Over 100 oncogenes have been described (Ganong, 2001). Obviously, the initiation of mitosis and normal cell division depends on the orderly occurrence of events during what has come to be called the cell cycle. There is intense interesting the biochemical machinery that produces mitosis, in part because of the obvious possibility of its relation to cancer. When DNA is damaged, entry into mitosis is inhibited, giving the cell time to repair the DNA; failure to repair damaged DNA leads to cancer. The cell cycle is regulated by proteins called cyclins and cyclin-dependent protein kinases, which phosphorylate other proteins (Ganong, 2001). Cell replication involves not only DNA polymerase but a special reverse transcriptinase that synthesizes the short repeats of DNA that characterize the ends (telomeres) of chromosomes. Cells with high telomerase activity, which includes most cancer cells, can in theory keep multiplying indefinitely (Ganong, 2001).             Cell Division in normal and cancer cells. Source: http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/local/projects/burgoine/origins.txt.html             The stepwise development of a typical colon cancer is as follows:   1 2 3 Cellular changes Increased cell division Growth of polyp Growth of malignant tumor (carcinoma) DNA changes Oncogene activated Tumor-suppressor gene activated Second tumor-suppressor gene activated   The treatment of choice for either type of neoplasm is surgical removal. If surgery is not possible – as in cases where the cancer has spread widely or is inoperable – radiation and drugs (chemotherapy) are used. Chemotherapeutic drugs destroy malignant cells (Kozier, 2004).   When chemotherapy or radiotherapy is used in addition to surgery it is known as ‘adjuvant chemotherapy’ or ‘adjuvant radiotherapy’. For example, following surgery you may be given a course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This aims to kill any cancer cells which may have spread away from the primary tumor site. Sometimes, adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy is given before surgery to shrink a large tumor so that the operation to remove the tumor is easier for a surgeon to do, and is more likely to be successful.             Cytotoxic therapy regimens are highly toxic to cells, and can result in a range of acute and chronic adverse effects for persons receiving these treatments (Perry, 1996). A number of these adverse effects are potentially life threatening. The safe and effective delivery of these drugs therefore requires highly complex clinical assessment, technical and problem solving skills. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapeutic agents are the major modalities used to treat patients with cancer, though various biologic therapies are beginning to have a significant impact. The basic problem is to make available drugs (natural products or synthetics) that kill cancer cells effectively but are not excessively toxic to normal cells. The table below lists seven major classes of compounds that have been widely used in the treatment of cancer: Class of Compound Example Site of Action Treatment Use Alkylating agents Melphalan Alkalytes DNA and other molecules Myeloma Antimetabolites <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Purine antagonists</li> </ul>   <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Pyrimidine antagonists</li> </ul>   <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify"> Folate antagonists</li> </ul>   Mercaptopurine     Fluorouracil     Methotrexate   Converted to a “fraudulent” nucleotide and inhibits purine synthesis Converted to a “fraudulent” nucleotide and inhibits thymidylate synthetase Inhibits dihydrofolate reductase   Acute myelocytic leukemia   Colorectal cancer     Choriocarcinoma Antitumor antibiotics Doxorubicin Intercalates in DNA and stabilizes the DNA-topoisomerase II complex Hodgkin’s disease Other agents Cisplatin   Hydroxyurea Causes strand breakage in DNA Inhibits ribonucleotide reductase Carcinoma of the lung Chronic myelocytic leukemia Plant compounds Vinblastine Binds tubulin and inhibits microtubule formation Kaposi’s sarcoma Sex hormones Estrogens Block effects of androgens in prostatic tumors Cancer of the prostate Corticosteroids Prednisone Inhibits proliferation of lymphocytes Myeloma Source: Harper’s Biochemistry, page 806               Insofar as unrestrained cell division is a feature that typifies many malignant tumors, many of these agents are used because they inhibit DNA synthesis. For this reason, they are also likely to damage normal tissues whose cells divide continuously – e.g. bone marrow (Murray, et al, 2000). Anti-cancer drugs have unpleasant side effects because most target all rapidly dividing cells, including normal ones. The side effects include nausea, vomiting, and loss of hair. X rays also have side effects because, in passing through the body, they kill healthy cells that lie in the path to the cancer cells (Marieb 2004). Life threatening adverse reactions and side effects of the treatment include pulmonary fibrosis and anaphylaxis/anaphylactoid reactions. The most frequent includes fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anemia and neurotoxicity (Deglin & Vallerand, 2004).             Current cancer treatments – “cut, burn, poison” – are recognized as crude and painful. Promising new methods focus on delivering anticancer drugs precisely to the cancer (via monoclonal antibodies that respond to one type of protein on a cancer cell) and on increasing the immune system’s ability to fend off cancer (Marieb 2004). In all these, the senior oncology / colorectal specialist nurses is responsible for co-ordinating care following any operations and/or treatment for bowel cancer. A senior oncology nurse is highly qualified, having specialized training in caring for patients who have bowel disease, and has many years of experience in this field. As well as supporting John and his family through his operation and treatment, the senior oncology nurse provides John and his caregivers with clear written and verbal information; and can also examine John and arrange any tests he might need. The number of patients suffering from cancer has steadily increased in recent years mainly due to an ageing population. Add to this, an increasing number of chemotherapeutic agents and a multitude of regimes, it therefore becomes imperative to educate the nurse on the care of the chemotherapy patient. Because of all these mentioned, it was only fitting that a study was made to assess the cancer nursing research papers published in the past decade; identify their characteristics in terms of country of origin, participants, settings, diagnostic foci, and methodologic choices; and evaluate their quality as this would significantly help cancer treatments. A systematic review was carried out of all published papers in the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature between the years 1994 and 2003, using the keywords “cancer,” “nursing,” and “research.” A total of 619 papers met inclusion criteria and were evaluated by 5 researchers. Almost half the papers were derived from the United States (49.1%), followed by the UK, Sweden, Canada, and Australia. In more than half of the published papers (52.2%), health professionals (mostly nurses) were the studies’ participants. Also, much of the published research used patients with mixed diagnosis, or patients with breast or hematologic cancers. Two-thirds of the studies were quantitative, whereas most studies were descriptive in nature. The quality of both quantitative and qualitative studies was low, with only a small percentage meeting the highest quality criteria. Studies reporting funding and those published in journals with an impact factor showed a higher quality score than those not reporting funding or not published in journals with an impact factor. Concern for global health issues goes with a global perspective in nursing knowledge. As nations become increasingly interdependent, health for all is a worldwide goal, and the framework of health care constrained by national boundaries does not fit nursing (Messias, 2001). A widely recognized advantage of globalization is improved access to information. In nursing, global communication increases through print journals, electronic journals, online educational materials, and international conference proceedings. Worldwide dissemination of nursing information represents a novel opportunity to expand the reach and effect of professional nursing. Accordingly, interest in international collaboration has increased in the published literature in the past decade.             International collaborations are important because they (a) improve knowledge and understanding of human needs across geographic boundaries, (b) support a global perspective for nursing by fostering worldwide inclusiveness, and (c) expand the cultural and ethical values underpinning goals in nursing. Globalization in knowledge development is linked to international publication in nursing. Knowledge about the international content of nursing journals is a necessary part of understanding the trend toward globalization of nursing knowledge. The systematic study of the international content of highly ranked nursing journals in 2000 was a way to benchmark the status of international publication in nursing (Seers, 2004). Many issues about globalization have been raised in the nursing literature. Consensus is apparent that the development of international nursing requires a global focus and international collaboration. Leaders question whether Western science can be adapted to a global health framework and whether Western nursing is appropriate for global nursing practice. Nurses realize that Western science does not have answers in all areas of nursing practice (Holt et al., 2000) because knowledge and research development are embedded within cultural contexts (Lutzen, 2000). In a global nursing framework, nurses should emphasize the concept of cultural sensitivity. International comparisons of cultural values are necessary because they help researchers become aware of how different values influence the development of nursing knowledge and practice (Lutzen, 2000). Scholars should be aware of their own knowledge and cultural values, and they should be encouraged to understand alternative ways of thinking (Holt et al., 2000). International collaboration (a) provides alternative modes of thinking for nursing scholars, (b) enables wide-range testing of theories in practice, (c) facilitates scholarly maturity through self-assessment, and (d) leads to advancement of nursing science (Seers, 2004). To investigate the international focus in journals, those journals have to be identified.             The advancement in biotechnology is also helping to speed up and improve cancer research in many parts around the world. Technology has allowed many medical institutions to do what they are doing today. In cancer research, getting the data and results from DNA sample of patients is important in helping them understand why some people have cancer. In the past, this process was tedious and would take up days, months, and even years before the researcher can get the data and results, let alone the analysis. But with the existence of machines like the DNA sequencer and the microarray technology, cancer research has been sped up and can be done at a higher throughput. For instance, DNA sequencing is now quite a routine procedure in many laboratories and research centers (Ismail, 2003). Progress in the understanding of genetics, and its role in disease and cancer epidemiology, have scientists encouraged that they are on the brink of major advances in methods and treatments. These include the ability to target cancerous cells without harming healthy tissue as well as better targeted treatments for specific cancers based on understanding of their genetic structure. While the billions of dollars being spent on cancer research by the federal government is significant, it seems that now is the time to aggressively push forward, not cut back (Ernst, 2006). Overall worldwide spending for cancer research is growing. This is good news for the health care consumer, who probably doesn’t care where therapies are developed as long as their treatment is successful.             New understanding of how cancer cells survive, thrive, and metastasize has enabled researchers to create new targeted therapies for cancer treatments, such as melanoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma, to minimize the harmful systemic effects (therapy on healthy cells. The specific and selective targets of future oncology drugs will require a detailed understanding of cancer cell biology, genetics, immunology, and biotechnology (Capriotti, 2005).             The search for anti-cancer therapies which target cancer cells specifically and selectively with less toxicity has been a quest in oncology for many years. Conventional chemotherapeutic agents do not target cancer cells selectively, leading to widespread adverse systemic effects. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and biological agents all target cells that are in the process of proliferation. Therefore, both cancer cells and mitotically active healthy cells are subject to the cytotoxic effects of these therapies.             The diagnosis of cancer and other life-threatening diseases can be devastating to patients and their families. While many complex, disease-focused medical procedures are routinely prescribed for patients, often little or no consideration is given to prescribing comfort measures and sustaining optimal quality of life. Nurse educators are on the front lines in promoting the holistic care that is essential for the nurturing of persons with cancer and other serious illnesses (Milone, 2004).             Among the many challenges faced by individuals affected by life-threatening illnesses are profound changes in social roles and interpersonal relationships. Maintaining employment is difficult, and parenting, socializing with friends, and spiritual well-being are all affected. The whole person suffers by a threat to any one of four dimensions: physical, psychological, social, or spiritual. However, nurses who possess effective communication skills can positively influence rate of recovery, optimize pain control interventions, and better facilitate emotional well-being.             With regard to the nursing workforce specializing in the care of patients with cancer, little empirically based information is available describing the extent to which the above problems also affect oncology nurses. Because most people who have cancer are older, the aging of the baby boom generation is expected to increase the number of people with cancer substantially, and hence the future demand for oncology nurses. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the many countries, exceeded only by heart disease. Today, however, reports of shortages of oncology nurses are not uncommon, and because many cancer facilities report difficulty retaining nursing staff, information is needed on the adequacy of the oncology nurse workforce (Mallory, 2001).             A study confirms long-held suspicions that lung cancer, the leading cancer killer of both men and women, is seriously underreported when compared to other major cancers. In an analysis of 600 randomly selected cancer stories that appeared between August 1999 and July 2000, 61 percent reported on breast cancer, 23 percent on prostate, 17 percent on colorectal cancer and only 9 percent focused on lung cancer outside of tobacco and smoking issues. This is especially significant since more people die each year of lung cancer than the combined deaths from breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.             Studies on cancer also further demonstrate the overwhelming ability of celebrities to draw attention to cancer issues. Breast, prostate and colorectal cancers generated significant news attention through a number of celebrities who were affected, either directly or indirectly, by the disease. Television host Katie Couric significantly raised awareness of colorectal cancer on her program The Today Show; New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s prostate cancer diagnosis drove coverage to peak levels. Only one celebrity was quoted speaking out for lung cancer, cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, who was involved in the Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign in 1999.             Cancer nurses report a rising workload and concerns about a national shortage of nurses in the speciality, a Senate inquiry has been told. A federal government report had found there was a shortage of oncology and palliative care nurses in every state and territory except the Northern Territory, the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) told the inquiry into cancer services. Recent research into the workloads of cancer nurses found 50% of cancer nurses did not have time to get through their work, and 70% said they were experiencing ‘moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion’, the society said in its submission.             The CNSA called for governments to improve cancer nurse staffing models; provide financial support to nurses to pursue further studies; and fund research into innovative models of cancer care involving specialist cancer nurses. A national approach was needed to address the workforce shortages of cancer nurses, particularly improving the available data on cancer nurses in the workforce and developing a national plan to improve staff retention and support strategies (Australian Nursing Journal, 2005).             As a result of improved diagnosis and treatment, more people are surviving cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2003). Cancer survival, however, can be attended by negative physical and psychological syndromes, including weight gain, lowered aerobic capacity, depression, anxiety and an overall decrease in quality of life. In addition, cancer survivors are at increased risk for developing other chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. Reasons for these risks are complex and include genetics, treatment factors, lifestyle factors and a sedentary lifestyle (Grubbs, 2004).             Research on cancer survivors suggests that weight gain, depression, anxiety and other issues contributing to decreased longevity and quality of life can continue long after the course of treatment. In a study of breast cancer survivors eight years postsurgery, it was also reported that women had persistent symptoms of psychological and somatic disturbance. Most studies on the physical and psychosocial effects of cancer have focused on the period during treatment or within two to three years of diagnosis. Very little is known regarding the longevity of these sequelae, their impact on the aging survivor or the interventions that will improve quality of life (Grubbs, 2004).             Findings from this study, as well as others, suggest that these health issues may persist beyond the period of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. These studies highlight the longevity of mental and physical changes, depression and decreased quality of life among cancer survivors. The findings emphasize the need for improved systems of care to minimize health disparities, and further research on interventions to improve health outcomes.             Research evaluation is indeed currently enjoying a favoured position in many countries as research budgets expand but there is also pressure from funders to ensure value for money (Saegusa, 1999). In several European countries, for example, there is a move to more competitive funding both of laboratories and of individual research projects (Goddard, 2000). The ultimate test of the utility of research is that it will give rise to new products and processes or, in the biomedical field, to better health for man and animals. However, the route to these tangible benefits is often lengthy, especially for basic research (Patel et al., 1999), so that proxy indicators are needed to show whether given expenditures have been worthwhile. The main proxy indicator is the esteem in which research is held by other researchers, which can be measured by the counting of citations. However, these suffer from some disadvantages: <ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> they are somewhat costly to determine – typically about US per paper; </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> it takes time for them to accumulate, so that fair comparisons can be made – perhaps five years; and </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> comparisons between different fields and sub-fields are difficult because citation norms differ greatly.</li> </ul> In some ways, the analysis of the factors that lead to high quality research is comparable with epidemiology. In this subject, the factors that lead to ill-health are analyzed. The problem in both analyses is that there may be missing factors, some of which are correlated with the ones used for analysis, and which can confound the apparent conclusions. For example, ill-health is positively associated with smoking, a poor diet, lack of exercise and a low-status job (Marmot and Bobak, 2000). But each of these factors is strongly associated with the three others and indeed with yet more factors that can plausibly lead to ill-health, such as low income, low education level, poor housing and living in a polluted area. If public health measures are to be soundly based, it is essential that the individual effects of all these factors, and probably many more, are teased out, so that policies can be targeted on the most important ones. Similarly, the factors that lead to high quality research may plausibly include: <ul type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> the subject area of the research; </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether it is applied or basic (in biomedicine, clinical or basic); </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether it is carried out in an industrial or academic setting (in biomedicine, in a hospital or a university); </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether the team of authors is large and multi-disciplinary or small; </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether there is inter-laboratory collaboration; </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether there is international collaboration and, if so, with which country or countries; </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether the research has been reviewed by a peer-review committee for funding and, if so, by how many; </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> whether the research has been funded by a particular sector (government, private-non-profit, industry); and </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"> the city in which the research has been conducted. </li> </ul> Cancer nursing research is still in a developmental stage, although it has made a considerable contribution to the evidence base of the discipline. A number of issues need to be tackled before we improve our output, such as organizational or workforce issues, infrastructure support, funding, and methodologic challenges.         Bibliography Capriotti, T. (2005). New Oncology Strategy: Molecular Targeting of cancer Cells. Dermatology Nursing. Doenges, M. and Moorhouse, A. (2004). Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Interventions, and Rationales 9th Edition. F.S. Davis Publishing. Ernst, S. (2006). What is Cancer Research Worth? Bioscience Technology. Ganong, W. (2001). Review of Medical Physiology 20th Edition. McGraw-Hill. Goddard, A. (2000), “Research faces big overhaul”, THES, No.1 September, pp.4. Grubbs, R. (2004). Health Disparities in Practice and Research for Aging Women with Cancer. Journal of Cultural Diversity. Guyton, A. and Hall, J. (2000). Textbook of Medical Physiology 10th Edition. Harcourt Asia Pte Ltd. Holt, J., Barrett, C., Clarke, D., & Monks, R. (2000). The Globalization of Nursing Knowledge. Nurse Education Today, 20(6), 426-431. Ismail, I. (2003). Adding Value to Cancer Research. New Straight Times. Kozier, B. and Erb, G. (2004). Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, Process, and Practice 7th Edition. Pearson Education Inc. Lutzen, K. (2000). A Global Perspective on Domestic and International Tensions in Knowledge Development. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 32, 335-337. Mallory, G. (2001). State of Oncology Nursing Workforce: Problems and Implications for Strengthening the Future. Nursing Economics. Marmot, M., Bobak, M. (2000), “International comparators and poverty and health in Europe”, British Medical Journal, Vol. 321 pp.1124-8. Messias, D.K. (2001). Globalization, Nursing, and Health for All. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33, 9-11. Milone, M.A. (2004). Oncology Nursing Education: Teaching Strategies That Work. Nursing Education Perspectives. Molassiotis, A., Gibson, F., Kelly, D., Richardson, A., Dabbour, R.,  Ahmad, A., & Kearney, N. (2006). A Systematic Review of Worldwide Cancer Nursing Research: 1994 to 2003. Cancer Nursing. 29(6):431-440,. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved April 10, 2003, from http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancer_information/cancer_type/breast Murray, R.K., Granner, D.K., Mayes, P.A. & Rodwell, V.W. (2000). Harper’s Biochemistry 25th Edition. McGraw-Hill. No Author. (2005). Cancer Nurses Burn Out. Australian Nursing Journal. Patel, K., Thomson, A., Tysome, T., Utley, A., Wojtas, O. (1999), Nurturing the creative, THES, No.3 December, pp.6. Perry, M.C. (1996). The Chemotherapy Source Book 2nd Edition. Williams and Wilkins. Saegusa, A. (1999), “Japanese labs balk at bid to boost external evaluation”, Nature, Vol. 397 No.6718, pp.378. Seers, K. (2004). International Content of High Ranking Nursing Journals in the Year 2000. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

A Systematic Review of Worldwide Cancer Nursing Research: 1994 to 2003

The word cancer elicits dread in nearly everyone. Cancer accounts for considerable mortality and morbidity in both men and women (Kozi...

Strategic Planning on Ryanair

Strategic Planning on Ryanair Executive Summary In the start of the business, Ryanair considers it itself as an underdog in the competition in an airline. The proprietors are aware in the difficulty of handling the business as well as gaining its efficiency and advantage in the market. But in the continuing effort, the Ryanair found the strategy that brought the entire organization on top. The different approach on marketing strategies gave them the chance to compete in the international market. Through the influence of the stakeholder, the analysis of different environment, and the marketing strategies, Ryanair enable to establish the low-cost fare strategy while at the same time, maintaining their effectiveness in the market. 1.0 Introduction: History & Strategy Ryanair started as an unstable business and after many years, it became the most profitable airline in the world. The organization managed to reinvent and has become the largest low fares carrier in Europe. Today, the spectacular growth of the airlines reflects in the strong economy of Ireland. Through the different applied strategies, Ryanair kept the ability to lower its costs in their aim to maintain the strong positions in the industry (Roseingrave, 2000). 2.0 External Analysis In the macro-environment and the industry analysis of the business, there are factors that influence the organizations decision to establish the strategies and performance. Due to those factors it is natural for the organization to set standards that made them label as “The Ryanair Effect”. Part of the strategies of the organization is to safely deliver the passenger in a convenient and inexpensive form of transportation in the world. The idea of low cost airlines are based on the idea and probably demands of the people to fly more often if the expenses is not that high or affordable for everyone. Engaging in the low cost strategy is to fly mostly to and from airports that are not necessarily the busiest place which is also referred as the secondary airports. Ryanair proved that operating in the secondary airports is cheaper than the bigger major airports and also less complicated to make a maneuver on their aircraft. And with this strategic approach, Ryanair is the most suggested airlines when it comes to low-cost marketing (de Puget, 2003).  Ryanair Airlines also managed to gain support from their key stakeholders, as their business partners, and winning their favor to make their plans possible. It is part of the organizational culture to understand the importance of each stakeholder and the benefits they might realize in working with them. And in a broader sense, anticipating the people’s reaction in their project may be build a strong relationship and winning their support. 3.0 Resources In the combination of the corporate social responsibility and hardware and software systems, Ryanair managed to deliver the efficiency in their customers. Ryanair Airlines and other airlines that falls in the category in servicing the people through the use of aircraft, has always been responsible in delivering the tourists and the other individuals to their point of destination with full of satisfaction. The customer satisfaction is not only based on the affordability of the flying tickets but also on the experience that the airlines will leave to the clients especially when they are first-time flyers. In addition, the no-frills methodology used by the Ryanair has also improved the efficiency and productivity. The traditional flight services like seat allocation, complimentary drinks and meals, and free newspapers have been eliminated. Instead, Ryanair exchanged it with charging the services they offered to the customers for in-flight services and other travel expenses such as travel insurance (Dhalla, 2009). Ryanair’s cost advantage are very significant and other low-cost operations began to emerge and pushing the traditional way of offering services. 4.0 Strategic Situation In the emerging need of the timeliness and accuracy, Ryanair managed to cope with the changes in the technological innovation and promoted the use of the internet, databases, and websites to accommodate all of the customers as well as their target customers. The growth and diversification of Ryanair would not have been possible without reliable computer systems. 5.0 Strategic Choice The marketing strategy of the Ryanair had been critically assessed by its stakeholders and formed a market busting strategy that made the entire organization of the Ryanair that made them one of the premier airlines in Europe. Aside from the low cost and secondary airports offered by the organization, there are other business approaches that Ryanair applied to fill up some of their losses.  Furthermore, the low cost and no-frills offer of the Ryanair gives them an advantage against their competitors.   References: de Puget, V., 2003. French Accent – Ryanair Slow on Emotion, Issue 20 Oct. [Online] Available at: http://www.brandchannel.com/brand_speak.asp?bs_id=72. [Accessed 08 Feb 2010]. Dhalla, M., 2009. Ryanair MarketBuster. [Online] Available at: http://ritamcgrath.com/ee/images/uploads/Ryanair_Report.pdf. [Accessed 08 Feb 2010]. Roseingrave, E., 2000. Ryanair: The Growth Airline of Europe. [Online] Available at: www.tcd.ie/Economics/SER/sql/download.php?key=165. [Accessed 08 Feb 2010].   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Strategic Planning on Ryanair

Strategic Planning on Ryanair Executive Summary In the start of the business, Ryanair considers it itself as an underdog in the competit...

Compare and contrast the mechanisms for regulating and enforcing financial reporting

The Mechanisms on Financial Reporting An assessment of the use of accounting standards reflects in the financial reporting and auditing practices. The standards in financial reporting are an advantage of every company identify the financial constraints such as losses of the company. In relation, it also tells the financial position of the business. It suggests a strong strategy on how the business will acquire, gain, and improve their financial status especially when the economic situation affects the business’s performance. Moreover, it is best practice in the field where there is no personal interests among the practitioner. The corporate entities and financial auditing is part of the overall regulation and enforcement that strengthens the governmental framework of the company. The presented financial statement might not fully satisfy the information of the company performance and this is a reason for the stakeholders to push the enforcement of auditing in the firm. The implication of the changes will be only proved if the company allows their book to be open. There is an improvement in the quality of financial reporting from the past years which qualifies the company to enhance their credit allowance, which consequently means to loose their cost of capital.  Furthermore, the financial reporting regulation and enforcement accepted the general auditing procedures that are unbiased and well developed. The alignment of the corporate financial holdings may, at some point, affect their performance. In addition to the financial reporting, the corporate auditors are fueled by the corporate ethics and professional conducts for the accountants. The important mechanism and process for conducting the quality control is a cause of a serious concern, potentially compromising the robustness of the financial reporting. With the respect to the regulations of conducting the financial reporting the endorsement of the accounting profession creates a licensing system where it enables the business leaders to understand the elements and relationship enclosed in the financial reporting.   The financial reporting also recommends in establish an independent and strong mechanism that can ensure the financial accountants and auditors to fulfill their responsibility and obligations in promoting the common good for the company. Fulfilling their assigned duty properly sets a great advantage in the internal negotiation of the company with their possible stakeholders and financing source. The enforcement capacity of the financial reporters is anticipated to be improved to give the further strength in monitoring and improving the proactive role on compliance with the financial reporting requirements. The increased capacity of enforcing the financial reporting requirements is the mirror of having the capacity to improve the financial awareness of the corporate world. The growing sophistication and complexity of the financial reporting standards is recommends the strong need for the regulation and enforcement of financial reporting and their standards. Mechanism of the Regulations Every financial report is guided by the scheduled and adopted method where the corporation can base the computations of their financial standing. The functions should be set first and the qualification of the financial accountants and auditors should pass the board of the company. Added to that is settling the professional related standards will help the entire company correlates with the flow of the financial status. The regulatory agencies have the capacity for enforcing the financial reporting requirements and therefore, should be increased. The regulations is fueled through their in depth analysis among the resources available and the corporate financial statements, conducts, and reviews are regulated as part of the resources. Mechanism of the Enforcement Enforcing the financial reporting is not in the matter on how to set the professional standards but it should be in the part of the corporate strategy. Enforcing the standards through the inspection and disciplinary proceeding are the natural phase of financing reporting. The practitioners are expected to maintain their communication and/or coordination with their advisors. These will allow the assurance of the auditors that there are no personal interests inflicted among the accounting practitioners where the functions can be carried out and will gain the protection against the misstated financial information. The increased capacity for enforcing the financial reporting requirements can help enhance the supervision over it. Conclusion Enforcing the accounting and auditing standards is connected with the regulation upon the compliance of the financial reporting and it continues the need of strengthening.  If the regulation will establish a great impact on enforcing the financial reporting over the corporate financing, the company will meet the great anticipated will out come. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Compare and contrast the mechanisms for regulating and enforcing financial reporting

The Mechanisms on Financial Reporting An assessment of the use of accounting standards reflects in the financial reporting and auditing ...

THE ROLE OF AUDITING IN THE SUCCESS OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

THE ROLE OF AUDITING IN THE SUCCESS OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS             There are many types of auditing. These are quality auditing, project-management auditing, energy auditing and accounting auditing. All of these are primarily done to benefit the company by leaps and bounds and ensure the success of the business organization in the long term.             Quality audits refer to auditing the organizations compliance to quality standards, such as conformance to the International Standardization Organization (ISO). Quality auditing is beneficial for the organization especially that it ensures efficiency and effectiveness of an organization’s total quality management system, which means that it enhances performance and discipline of employees vis a vis a quality standards (Delpha Quality Consulting, n.d.). It is a very thorough documentation done periodically by an external auditing party to check on the quality and performance standards of the company (Adarshk, n.d.; Business dictionary, n.d.) Non-conformance to quality standards such as the ISO can revoke the company’s certification (Adarshk,n.d.).             Project management audits the project management cycle whether it has met its goals or not (Wikipedia, 2011). Project management audit provides the organization a check on the status of the project by looking into risks, threats, opportunities, issues and concerns in the different stages of the life cycle of the project (Stanleigh, 2009). It is done regularly by members of the organizational team to assess the performance of the team members vis a vis their strategic goals. (Orfano, 2009).             Energy audit is a new thing, a green-energy endeavor, which monitors consumption of energy and energy conservation. Energy audit is a new byword in the audit world concerned with the consumption of energy and the search for opportunities to reduce cost to make the company energy efficient (Energy Audit, n.d.). Energy audit appeals not only to environmentally conscious investors but also to investors who want to ensure that the company reduces overhead costs through energy conservation measures (Gard Analytics, n.d.).             Accounting audit is the most common type of audit. It is usually the type of audit that we think about when we hear the word audit or auditing. There are two types of accounting audit, external and internal audit. Large companies owned by a number of stakeholders usually relegate the responsibilities to the board of directors the responsibility of ensuring the success of the company. These stakeholders employ independent auditing firm, not primarily to detect fraud and error but to check the financial statements whether they reflect the real state of the business. The external auditors are thus expected to be objective and incorruptible. (Mtetwa, 2011). They make sure that the accounts of the company are protected by the Board of Directors and that the shareholders’ interests are protected (About Everything, 2009). The internal auditors on the other hand, are employed by the organization. They monitor and assess activities of the organization to ensure proper accounting of their financial and non-financial systems. (Institute of Internal Auditors, 2010)             All the four types of auditing mentioned above contribute to the success of the business organization as they manage the organization’s quality standards, the project cycle, its energy consumption and conservation measures and lastly the financial part of accounting which looks at the health of the organization in terms of its financial condition. Auditing whether it is accounting, energy, project performance or quality auditing is imperative to the survival of the organization in the business world. They ensure a comprehensive and systematic financial record and company records, assess risk financial or otherwise, uncover fraudulent activities, establish stringent measures to avoid irregularities, strengthen the organization by reinforcing internal control, facilitate the identification of key areas for improvement and evaluation, and adoption of new technology. (Explore Auditing, n.d.) An up-to-date accounting audit benefits the company by ensuring an easy access to loan, easy valuation of property, and to attract new business partners. A comprehensive and well-organized accounting record and system allows banks to assess the organization through the books and award loan application in less time. Likewise updated and organized accounting systems allow not only bankers but the management and investors to check the current value of the company’s assets. Investors look into the financial statements to make sure that the company is in a healthy state before investment decisions are made. Accounting systems are updated and systematized to make it available not only to the management but also to the public to facilitate entry of prospective investors into the company. To the state the audit facilitates efficient and effective taxing mechanism. (About Everything, 2009). Internal auditing specifically, benefits the board of directors to ensure that the whole organization has its systems in place, its processes working, and its resources well accounted for. (Swanson, 2010)   REFERENCES: About Everything, 2009. Advantages of Auditing. [online] Available at: <http://www.about-everything.info/2009/02/12/advantages-of-audit/> [Accessed 5 May 2011] Adarshk, n.d. What is audit Quality? [online] Available at: <http://www.ehow.com/facts_6027977_audit-quality_.html> [Accessed 6 May 2011] Business Dictionary, nd. Quality Audit. [online] Available at: <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/quality-audit.html> [Accessed 6 May 2011} Delpha Quality Consulting, n.d. ISO Quality Audit for ISO 9001 and other ISO standards . [online] Available at: <http://www.delphaqualityconsulting.com/isoaudit.php> [Accessed 5 May 2011]. Energy Audit, n.d. Energy Audit. [online]Available at: <http://www.powermin.nic.in/distribution/energy_audit.htm> [Accessed 5 May 2011] Explore Auditing, n.d. Benefits of Audit. [online] Available at: <http://www.auditing.arollo.com/benefits.html> [Accessed on 5 May 2011] Gard Analytics, n.d. Types of Energy Audits. [online] Available at: <http://www.gard.com/auditType.htm> [Accessed 6 May 2011]. Institute of Internal Auditors, 2010. How do internal and external auditors differ and how should they relate? [online] Available at: <http://www.theiia.org/theiia/about-the-profession/internal-audit-faqs/?i=1086> [Accessed 5 May 2011]. Mtetwa, M., 2011. What is the Role of Auditors. [online] Available at: < http://www.suite101.com/content/what-is-the-role-of-auditors-a347335> [Accessed 5 May 2011] Orfano, F., 2009. Project Management Audit Process. [online] Available at: <http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/32883.aspx> [Accessed 6 May 2011]. Swanson, Dan., 2010. Internal Auditing and Fraud Investigation. [online] Available at: <http://www.facilitatedcontrols.com/internal-auditing/risk.shtml> [Accessed 5 May 2011]. Stanleigh, M., 2009. Undertaking a Successful Project Audit. [online] Available at: <http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/undertaking-a-successful-project-audit.html> [Accessed 5 May 2011] Wikipedia, 2011. Audit. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audit> [Accessed 5 May 2011].   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

THE ROLE OF AUDITING IN THE SUCCESS OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

THE ROLE OF AUDITING IN THE SUCCESS OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS There are many types of auditing. These are quality auditing, ...