Outbreak of Aspergillus fumigatus Infection Case Study

Outbreak of Aspergillus fumigatus Infection - Case Study Example The first fatality was that of an 85-year-old female who had been admitted was admitted to the hospital in January 1995 for complications associated with chronic renal failure due to nephrosclerosis. Once the infection was discovered in her lungs, the patient's condition declined rapidly despite antibiotic regimen. A postmortem exam revealed Aspergillus hyphae in both sides of the lungs. The next fatality was that of a 49-year-old female suffering with Wegener granulomatosis who was admitted in February 1995 for cough and fever. Once the infection was discovered in her lungs, the patient's condition declined rapidly even though immunosuppressive treatments were reduced and antituberculotic therapy instituted. A postmortem exam revealed the Aspergillus infection had spread through the lungs to the heart and into the brain. The near-fatality was that of a 65-year-old male admitted in February 1995 with chronic renal failure due to renal vascular disease for severe malnutrition. The infection was never discovered in the patient's septum but his condition improved with liposomal amphotericin therapy. The patient achieved nearly complete regression in 10 weeks. The study shows certain strengths. The investigators admit the findings are inconclusive especially since they did not test air. They warn that hospital construction or renovation work near immunodepressed patients should alert physicians to the possible presence of A. fumigatus. Likewise, the

Exam Of Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam Of Economics - Assignment Example a. The average total cost is given for the inpatient services. The economic cost of a decision depends on both the cost of the alternative chosen and the benefit that the best alternative would have provided if chosen. The given ATC does not take into consideration the cost of the alternative, i.e. where else these costs could have been incurred instead of inpatient services example, for outpatient services. The given cost can represent the accounting cost but not the opportunity cost. Thus, the costs stated represent half of the economic costs. b. The graphical representation of the average total cost curve is shown belowThe graph above illustrates that the total average cost ATC for both the hospitals is the same. However, the total cost of the two hospitals varies. The reason is evident. The cost is directly proportional to the number of patients. As ACME hospital deals with 8000 more patients than Saving grace hospital, the cost of ACME produces at a higher cost.c. The reasons fo r the higher average cost of production for ACME hospital are:- There might be higher variable costs for ACME Hospital. Inpatient services differ from patient to patient as per the requirement to overcome the given disease. This is higher will lead to a higher average total cost.- There may be declining productivity that implies higher per unit cost. This is so because the average cost is inversely proportional to the productivity- There may be higher average fixed costs, again may vary according to the output. The factor of diminishing returns is reflected in rising average cost. d. The sole basis of the comparison is to compare for profits. It is to see how much is the difference between revenues and costs for each hospital. Once, the assumption is removed, the comparative analysis will get muddled. There may be a possibility that the two hospitals operate on same fixed costs or the cost of charging patients may be the same. There will be no variable costs and only fixed costs will exist. Once that, the number of units (number of patients) will be a direct indicator of the profit and there will thus be no need for

Analysing Rationality And Objectivity

Analysing Rationality And Objectivity Central to critical thinking and education espoused by Israel Scheffler are the concepts of rationality, objectivity, and pragmatic realism. Schefflers conception of rationality is normative; he views rationality as a mode of thought and action which all strive for (Sheffler, 1973) as opposed to a conception of rationality as descriptive which would suppose that rationality is a daily manifestation in our lives. Another interpretation that Scheffler provides to rationality is that it underscores both the ends of actions as well as the values embedded within them (Scheffler, 1973). Scheffler recognizes that rationality is sometimes categorized and separated into the theoretical and practical domains: theoretical rationality deals with beliefs whereas practical rationality emphasizes on actions. Scheffler favors a hybrid concept of rationality wherein both theoretical and practical aspects are considered. In Reason and Teaching, Scheffler defined rationality as the ability to participate in critical and open evaluation of rules and principles in any area of life and the free and critical quest for reasons (Scheffler, 1973, p. 62). The fundamental characteristics of reason then are consistency and experience; these constitute rationality in the judgment of specific issues (Scheffler, 1973). The requirement of formal consistency purports that our evaluation and elaboration cannot be considered rational if there are no operative principles or criteria to guide us in forming judgment. However, these rules and principles are not implanted in the mind but are products of the evolution of human knowledge. Scheffler (1973) explained: The fundamental point is that rationality cannot be taken simply as an abstract and general ideal. It is embodied in multiple evolving traditions, in which the basic condition holds that issues are resolved by reference to reasons, themselves defined by principles purporting to be impartial and universal. (p. 79) Scheffler views that rationality should be considered a fundamental aim in education. As a broad concept, rationality has the tendency to bridge the different fields of education rather than pull them apart (Siegel, 1996, p. 649). Rationality and all the ideas attached to it are pivotal to discussion, consideration, reflection, and deliberation. Scheffler provides the example of a dancer. Dance incorporates rationality as the student performs; dance is not merely emoting and simply flailing of arms and legs. It requires thinking, questioning, and talking by way of gestures. Objectivity Schefflers conception of rationality is tied to objectivity which is defined as the process where judgments are put to the test of independence and impartial criteria (Scheffler, 1967, p. 1, 3). Neiman and Siegel (1993) elucidate on the connection of rationality and objectivity in the Schefflerian context: If my belief that p is rational, then that belief is based upon relevant evidence which is impartially and objectively weighed and assessed. Objectivity, in the sense specified, is thus a necessary condition for science and for rational deliberation and belief more generally. But rationality is equally required for objective judgment, since such judgment requires that claims and assertions be evaluated independently, on the basis of relevant evidence, and that the judgment reached be determined by the strength of that evidence. (p. 61) Responding to the claims of the positivist school that beliefs are ultimately subjective, Scheffler argued the issue of objectivity as a way by which we can examine our belief systems and choose from other competing paradigms which is best, based on good reasons (Scheffler, 1982). Scheffler cautions against the excesses of the Cartesian method where truth is held as miserly caution where the scientist gathers the facts and guards the hoard (Scheffler, 2009, p. 131). Theoretical imagination is considered a distraction and an obstacle to pure objective science. According to Scheffler, so long as people have access to methods and opportunities to deliberate, they manifest to varying degrees, their level of objectivity. To him, objectivity concerns the manner of justification; it requires only the responsible commitment to fair canons of control over ones theoretical claims (Scheffler, 1982, p. 67). In response to demands of certainty and uniformity in scientific inquiry, Scheffler (2009 ) provides this critique: This doctrine is, in fact, the death of theory. Theory is not reducible to mere fact gathering, and theoretical creation is beyond the reach of any mechanical routine. Science controls theory by credibility, logic, and simplicity; it does not provide rules for the creation of theoretical ideas. Scientific objectivity demands allegiance to fair controls over theory, but fair controls cannot substitute for ideas. (p. 131). Moreover, a crucial element of Schefflers conception of objectivity is the absence of certainty, a reflection to his commitment on the epistemological doctrine of fallibility (Scheffler, 1982). Accordingly, the criteria made for justification are also fallible (Siegel, 1982). The norms and criteria should be universal if only to media conflicts between belief systems of particular groups or cultures. However universal we would want these norms to be, we cannot prove the validity of how these criteria serve as justification for objectivity. Hence, justification should not be misconstrued as truth (Siegel, 1982). In the context of education, the inevitable facts of human fallibility and cumulative nature of scientific knowledge preclude absolute certainty. Scientific principles or scientific doctrines should not be considered as absolutes; rather, education must be organized in such a manner which leaves some room for the possibility of intelligible debate over the comparative merits o f rival paradigms (Scheffler, 1982, p. 130). In this regard, educational content should not be presented as eternal truths but rather as the best truths that we have come up with for the time being. Scheffler conceptualizes rationality and objectivity in relation to a reality that exists independently. This reality partially evaluates which assertions are based on good reasons. In his response to Nelson Goodman, Scheffler makes an inference on truth as a human construction: Surely we made the words by which we describe stars; that these words are discourse dependent is trivially [trueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.It] doesnt imply that stars are themselves discourse dependent. (p. 200) Schefflers interpretation of rationality and objectivity figures into what he considers a minimal version of realism. He approaches the entire concept of reality as an educational aim with suspicion. In lieu of reality, Scheffler argues that educators need to emphasize the constrained nature of our inquiry. In the context of educational practice, educators must acknowledge that there are theories more credible over others; our deliberation and evaluation on what these theories are should be depend on reasoned judgment and sound criteria (Scheffler, 1973). Realism presupposes an ideal of expanding our conception of reality. In this case, teachers must encourage and help children keep in touch with reality and provide them with skills in order to manage within it and learn from it. Hence, realism also emphasizes how the development of critical abilities is indispensable in the evaluation and improvement of systems of description to make them more attuned to reality. Scheffler does not subscribe to radical constructivism which proposes that students should be left alone to construe their own knowledge or belief systems without guidance. Without such guidance, students are left with inappropriate or inadequate conceptual tools to learn and manage within reality. Like many supporters of the realist school, Scheffler believes that people who know and understand independent reality will have a greater probability of living a more rewarding life and making more reasonable choices. Accepting the plurality of theoretical and practical domains is one that must be embraced, based on good reason and evidence. Opposite radical constructivism is reductionism which narrows, delimits, and relativizes human understanding so that educational practice is tailor-made to fit into oversimplified conceptual constructs and absolute ideas of right and wrong answers. The idea of scientific and technical human being is one example. To Scheffler, the ideal educator uses Objectivity without certainty, relativity but not subjectivism, truth consistent with pluralism these are the pragmatic emphases I admire (Scheffler, 2009, p. 3). Schefflers views on rationality and objectivity emphasize the importance of reason and observation in our pursuit of understanding and truth. However, these pursuits do not preclude the use of non-cognitive emotions or morality. Based on Schefflers pragmatic realist point of view, the non-cognitive aspects of our belief systems do not automatically make them succumb to reason. In fact, in Schefflers (2009) view: The ideal theorist, loyal to the demands of rational character and the institutions of scientific objectivity, is not therefore passionless and prim. Theoretical inventiveness requires not caution but boldness, verve, speculative daring. Imagination is no hindrance but the very life of theory, without which there is no science. (p. 131) In summary, Scheffler assets that a degree of objectivity is required to pursue rationality. Rationalitys function is to help us weigh, assess, and evaluate our beliefs and actions based on good reasons and evidence. Objectivity ensures that our deliberations or judgments are impartial and not biased.

Colonization of America Essay examples -- American History Colonial Ne

Colonization of America Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions have evolved into two new distinct societies. Why did this difference in development occur? When first English settlers began arriving in America in the 1700's they mainly settled in two regions - New England and the Chesapeake. Even though both groups of people were English by origin, they had developed two very different societies. Each group had it's own beliefs and expectations of what they will find in this new world, and the results of their settlement were very different as well. When the ship headed for Virginia left England in 1635, it was filled mostly with men in their twenties and thirties. The ship's name - "Merchant's Hope" very much explains the reason for which these people were heading to the New World. They were looking to find gold, silver and other riches there. Almost all of them had left their families in England to go forth with this opportunity for profit. These people did not think about permanently settling there, and very few of them had prepared for this trip as a whole. Over half of the people had died during the trip. Captain John Smith said "There was no talk†¦but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold†¦", (History of Virginia). This statement basically summarizes what was happening in Virginia after the ship had arrived. Even though there was no gold found, many people established such indus...

Creative Accounting and Fraud: A Violation of Ethical Principles Essay

There are numerous books, references and guidelines that are available that provide detailed accounting standards. Yet, especially over the past few years, these same standards were neglected or deliberately misapplied for personal gain. There had been a number of high profile cases that involved fraudulent financial reporting. At the top of the list were Enron and Worldcom which were racking up losses but were able to cover it up and even reported earnings. Merck recorded billions of payments which it never collected. For several years, Xerox improperly distorted accounting rules to boost its profits which were falsely reported at over a billion dollars. These big-scale accounting frauds were not the exclusive domain of US companies. Italy’s 8th largest company included non-existent bank accounts on its books which allegedly ciontained billions in deposits (Badawi 13 & 15). The motivation behind the corporate practice of creative accounting varies from concealment of poor performance to raise stock value, for personal gain in terms of bonus pay-outs, to increase worth to get loans. For corporate accountants, it could be due to internal and external pressures to meet expectations or in deference to other business relationships such as a consultancy retainership with the client under audit which is essentially a conflict of interest, or simply a personal lack of character to stand up for honor, integrity and truth. A manipulation of the actual figures and financial status is nothing but fraud. Regardless of how much it is rationalized, it is tantamount to lying and this type of dishonesty for personal gain runs contrary to any known ethical principle. Such behavior has greatly undermined the reputation of the accounting profession for having seemingly lost its ethical standards. According to Cottell, Jr. & Perlin, there are two dominant ethical systems. One is Utilitarianism which â€Å"looks to consequences of acts for moral justification†. Actions are guided by decisions which weighed the good against bad results. The other is Deontologism from the Greek word deon meaning duty. The focus is not on consequence but on whether the act itself is correct or not. It works under the assumption that â€Å"there are duties, rules and principles that are inherently valuable and should never be violated† (3-4). Inasmuch as different individuals will react differently to the same situation depending on which ethical system is personally more dominant, organizations for accountants and auditors had adapted a code of ethics way back in the 1980s to serve as a guide for appropriate professional behavior. In the academe, ethics instructions had already been integrated into the curriculum through situational cases, simulated techniques and interviews. In the corporate setting, a top down approach is being employed to promote and establish a code of conduct that includes integrity and responsibility. However, having a list of ethical principles to follow is merely the ground work for a foundation. In the wake of the financial reporting scandals, there were calls for reform and in 2002, the U. S. Sorbones-Oxley Act was passed as law. The Act created a necessary oversight board to look into audits. It can establish controls, investigate probable violations and sanction the guilty party. The senior managers were made liable to for any financial disclosure by the company and must certify this. Disagreement between the auditors and management was required to be included in the report. Moreover, this does not only apply to U. S. companies but even the non-U. S. firms with trading in the U. S. This paved the way for further enactment of compliance practices on a global scale. Ethical principles allow accounting professionals to develop a strong character that will put honor and integrity back into the profession and once more raise investor confidence. To reinforce it, management support, corporate governance and oversight by regulatory bodies are required for the individual to successfully adhere to these principles. Works Cited Badawi, Ibrahim M. â€Å"Global Corporate Accounting Frauds and Action for Reforms. † Review of Business 26. 2 (2005): 8+ Cottell Jr, P. G. and T. M. Perlin. Accounting Ethics: A Practical Guide for Professionals. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 1992.

Industry Report – Hotel & Tourism

However, the easing of the Australian dollar has been a welcome development. The latest Mastered-OTF sentiment survey indicates that international industry sentiment remains relatively stable. Notably, however, 50% of those surveyed saw the Australian dollar as having a high impact on their business, highlighting the potential upside of the local currency easing. Growth In International visitor arrivals continues to Impress International visitor arrivals grew 4. 9% over the year to March while International visitor nights grew 7. 2%, significantly outpacing average growth of the last decade. While this growth has been largely led by the emerging Asian economies, particularly China which accounted for more than a third of total growth in visitor arrivals, there has also been a sustained pick up in visitor arrivals from the US. ; Increasing length of stay by Japanese visitors was also a key contributor to visitor night growth. The outlook for international visitors remains robust ; Des pite a marginally weaker economic outlook, Dolomite Access Economics continues to project solid growth in international visitor arrivals and nights over the next three years, with arrivals forecast to grow by 4. 5% p. A. ND nights by 4. 9% p. A. ; While the outlook for growth in Chinese visitors has moderated slightly, China is expected to remain the single largest contributor to growth, with visitor nights forecast to grow by 6. 7% p. A. Over the next three years. Overall, Asia is projected to account for two thirds of forecast growth In International violators nights. ; In an encouraging sign for the nation's larger regional tourism destinations, recent trends have revealed Chinese travelers Tropical North Queensland are now frequented more commonly by Chinese leisure visitors than by international leisure travelers generally.The domestic visitor market entities to expand After a decade of weak or negative growth, the domestic tourism market rebounded strongly in the first half of 2012. While this rapid rate of growth has not been maintained, the domestic market has continued to expand, with visitor nights increasing 2. 2% over the year to March 2013. Strengthening leisure market forecast to be the key driver of domestic growth Corporate travel has been the predominant driver of domestic tourism growth over the last decade.However a softer domestic economic outlook and signs of a continued pick-up in holiday travel indicate the leisure segment playing a more reorient role in driving domestic tourism over the next few years – particularly if the Australian dollar continues to recede. ; Holiday visitor nights grew 1 1. 6% in the March quarter and by 3. 7% over the year to March. This represents the fastest rate of growth since before the SGF and considerably narrowed the gap with outbound leisure travel, which grew by 4. % over the same period. ; Overall, Dolomite Access Economics forecasts domestic visitor nights to grow at an average rate of 1. 6% p. A. Over the next three years. Hotel occupancy rates in Brisbane and Perth ease while mailer markets record strong growth ; In a clear sign that travel associated with the mining sector is slowing, the last two quarters saw a softening in occupancy rates in Brisbane and Perth with average occupancies for the year to May 2013 around 2% lower than the previous year. However, growth in domestic holiday travel has been good news for destinations such as the Gold Coast where occupancy rates continue to improve, while Tropical North Queensland has benefited from strong growth in international visitor nights. A softer domestic economic outlook is moderating growth recasts for several major hotel markets ; Growth in occupancies and room rates in markets associated with mining-related corporate travel, such as Brisbane and Perth, is forecast to be more subdued, as the resource-related construction boom reaches its peak.At the same time, the weakening of the Australian dollar is forecast to pr ovide further support for room rates and occupancies in leisure-oriented markets. ; Nevertheless, and despite a strengthening investment pipeline, demand is forecast to outstrip supply and, accordingly, occupancy rates are forecast to grow 2% and room rates by 3. % p. A. Nationally over the three years to December 2015. Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook – Half yearly update 2013 2 The macroeconomic context with the US dollar since early 2011, the Australian dollar lost significant ground in May.By the end of May, the Australian dollar had fallen to IIS$O. 96, while the Trade Weighted Index (TWIT), which measures the strength of Australia's currency against its trading partners, fell from 78. 2 on the 1st of May to 74. 0 by the end of the month. At the time of writing the Australian dollar had fallen to IIS$O. 92 and the TWIT had fallen to 71. 2. The decline in the Australian dollar against its major trading partners was partly precipitated by the Reserve Banks decision in May to reduce the official cash rate to 2. 5%, while an announcement by the Federal Reserve of a possible tapering' of its quantitative easing strategy has caused a more recent drop against the US dollar. The decline in the Australian dollar is good news for local tourism operators. Previous Dolomite Access Economics research for Tourism Australia found that the value of the Australian dollar has a relatively modest impact on the decision to visit Australia. However, it has a more pronounced impact on the level of spending undertaken by visitors once they arrive, which is likely to be of greater importance for many tourism operators.The moderation of the Australian dollar is also likely to further slow growth in outbound travel by Australians as the overcompensation's of local destinations improves. Despite the pace of the recent moderation, the longer term outlook for the local currency remains relatively unchanged with the Australian dollar projected to remain at IIS$O. 80 from 2018-1 9. The global outlook The moderation of the Australian currency relative to the US dollar as been driven in part by an improved outlook for the US economy.The most recent figures from the US show that real GAP grew by 0. 6% in the March quarter up from the 0. 1% recorded in the December quarter. Over the year to March, US real GAP grew by 1. 8%. Moreover, the US housing market continues to strengthen, with the S&P Case Sheller 20-City Composite Home Price Index rising by 10. 9% over the year to March 2013 and housing approvals rising almost 21% since May 2012. Encouraging figures have also appeared from the US labor market, with the unemployment rate falling to 7. % in April (though it edged up to 7. % in May). However, looking beyond the headline data reveals a labor market which remains soft. This is especially evident in the employment to population ratio (capturing both unemployment and workforce participation), which remains essentially unchanged from the depths reached in late 2009. This data suggests that the falling unemployment rate has mainly been due to individuals dropping out of the labor force rather than strong employment growth.These emerging signs of recovery – along with recent improvements in consumer confidence – suggest that, although fiscal consolidation ill limit the speed of the nation's economic recovery, the US is better placed than previously to handle the impact of $85 billion in budget cuts associated with the ‘sequester' and a 2% increase in payroll tax. By comparison, the outlook for Chinese growth is slightly weaker than forecast six months ago with growth falling from 7. 9% over the year to December 2012 to 7. 7% over the year to March 2013.Growth continues to be supported by infrastructure spending and housing construction with recent growth in real estate prices prompting renewed concerns about the potential or a housing price bubble in China. Growth in both consumer spending and the longer term, China wil l need to rebalanced its growth towards higher wages and increased consumer spending, which is likely to imply a slower but more balanced growth trajectory. The COED Economic Outlook forecasts Chinese growth to remain at 7. 8% in 2013, before rising to 8. 4% in 2014 on the back of an acceleration of global trade.In Europe, fiscal austerity has continued to hamper growth with unemployment in the region climbing further. While austerity measures have increased the level of lattice instability in some member states, the European Central Banks actions in purchasing government bonds has reduced the risk of a severe collapse over the last eighteen months. The COED expects growth in the Euro area of in 2013 before recovering to 1 . 1% in 2014. By comparison, the outlook is slightly stronger for Japan as monetary easing has led to a depreciation of the yen since November 2012, although the COED is forecasting growth of only 1. % in 2013. On the whole, the global outlook remains broadly simi lar to six months ago, with more promising signs f recovery in the US being counterbalanced by a slightly softer outlook for China's economy and continued weakness in the Rezone. The domestic outlook In Australia, concerns have been growing about the capacity of the non-mining sectors to sustain growth once the resource-related construction boom peaks. The economy grew by 0. 6% in the March quarter to be up by 2. 5% over the year, but growth was largely driven by an improvement in net exports.A decline in new engineering construction in the quarter has prompted increasing concerns that the mining construction boom has begun to peak. While Dolomite Access Economics expects resource-related construction to plateau for some time before receding, alternative sources of growth must be forthcoming if an economic slowdown is to be avoided. While there is evidence that housing construction and the retail sector are beginning to grow, the recovery in both sectors has been relatively mild to date. Residential construction activity grew by only 2. % over the year to March, while retail expenditure grew by 3. 1% over the year to April. The decision by the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates to a record low of 2. 75% in May should act to Arthur stimulate the housing and retail sectors. At the same time, while the decision by the Federal government to delay a return to budget surplus to 2015-16 has been welcomed, indicators suggest business confidence has weakened in recent months due to concerns about the impending peak in construction activity in the resources sector.