The Impact of the Israel-Hamas Conflict on the World Economy and the US

Questions
Read the following NEWS item and share your perspective on the current war between Israel and  Hamas. Be respectful of each other’s opinions and try not to be political. How will this war affect the world economy and the US? (200+ words)
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/10/biden-condemns-terror-and-bloodshed-by-hamas-vows-to-support-israel.html
NO AI, CHEGG, BRAINY, ETC. 

Answer
1. Introduction
The two most prominent groups in this conflict between Israel and Palestine are the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (PA). The PA is comprised of two separate political entities, Fatah, which controls the West Bank of Palestine, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is a narrow piece of land on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which is separated from Israel by a wall built by Israelis. It is important to understand that this conflict does not just affect Israel and Palestine, but other nations around the region. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, facilitation of peace between Israel and Palestine would benefit the Middle East and North Africa regional GDP by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. This would potentially increase growth by 3-5% of GDP per annum, or 1.5 to 2.6 million new jobs per year. This would also lead to development of human and physical capital as a result of preparatory investment. High productivity led by peace and stability could possibly raise the level of annual GDP growth by 6-10% per annum in some countries. This is saying that if peace would result in a better quality of life over time for a multitude of countries surrounding Israel and Palestine. The future of the conflict is unclear, so it is important to analyze the most recent conflict and its effect on Israel and Palestine, as well as the rest of the world.
1.1 Background of the Israel-Hamas Conflict
Hamas is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement and is Palestine’s predominant fundamentalist Islamic organization. It was established in 1987 at the beginning of the first Intifada, an uprising against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, which began in December 1987. Sparked by a visit by then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, it led to increased Israeli security measures and resulted in more violence. In its beginning, Hamas’ main goal was to destroy the state of Israel, a goal they still maintain today. The movement’s founders pulled together various religious, charity, and political organizations, and in 1989 created Dawah, an underground network that provided health, education, and welfare services. These were seen as an alternative to the various Israeli sponsored institutions and sometimes as a means to gain support for Hamas’ activities. Due to the violent nature of the Intifada, Israel detained and deported a large number of Palestinians, mostly activists of the PLO and leftist groups, who were leaders in the first Intifada. With the added effect of the Gulf War and the subsequent peace conferences, this left a huge political void in the Occupied territories and Hamas gained a lot of support and popularity. During its years in operation, Hamas has been involved in countless violent and more recently, political activities.
In the simplest terms, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is over territory. Israel currently holds a lot of the land that is also claimed by Palestine. This has led to wars and many peace talks. As of recent, the main powers of Palestine, Hamas, and the state of Israel agreed to a ceasefire. This was a later development and escalation in the situation had severe impact on not just the surrounding countries, but much of the world. To gain a full understanding of the context of this ceasefire and the conflict at the present time, a situational analysis of the conflict is necessary. This analysis will be explained using various tools and frameworks learnt throughout the Strategic Management course.
1.2 Purpose of the Analysis
This analysis was initiated with the purpose to provide a detailed informative study on the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on the world economy and the US. The great expansions in monetary terms affect the political decisions. The impact can be considered minor, but in the detailed aspects, economy plays a huge role in every decision of the political authority. The impact clarifies the strength of political and economic decisions. War and conflict can shake and be a cause of a broken economy. Every decision of political authority is based on the strength of the nation, and the budget available. The decisions are based to act tough and firm or soft and apologetic? The stance with the world economy decides the decision. If the impact is great, then decisions will be adapted to recover and to regain the status of the nation. If the impact is minor, no relevant steps will be taken to change the decisions.
2. Economic Implications
2.1 Global Trade Disruptions
2.2 Stock Market Volatility
2.3 Impact on Oil Prices
2.4 Tourism and Travel Industry
2.5 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
3. Regional and Global Security Concerns
3.1 Escalation of Regional Tensions
3.2 Threats to International Peace
3.3 Implications for Diplomatic Relations
4. Humanitarian Crisis and Aid Efforts
4.1 Displacement of Civilians
4.2 Humanitarian Assistance
4.3 Role of International Organizations
5. US Involvement and Policy Considerations
5.1 Historical US-Israel Relations
5.2 US Diplomatic Efforts
5.3 Military Assistance and Arms Sales
5.4 Impact on US Foreign Policy
6. Long-Term Economic and Political Consequences
6.1 Rebuilding and Reconstruction Costs
6.2 Socioeconomic Impacts on Israel and Gaza
6.3 Political Dynamics in the Middle East
6.4 Potential for Future Conflicts
7. Conclusion

Management and Governance: Ownership and Control, Board Structure and Firm’s Interactions with the Markets PNC Bank

QUESTION
Management and Governance: Ownership and control, board structure and firm’s interactions with the markets PNC BANK
ANSWER
1. Ownership and Control
PNC is a public company and its shareholders have the right to vote on many major decisions affecting the firm. Under the PNC Investor Profile on Yahoo Finance, it is indicated that shareholders have the right to vote on major decisions such as mergers and acquisitions, election of directors, and changes to the company’s charter. With the recent acquisition of National City Corporation, this will be an important time for PNC to maintain shareholder approval for any future decisions. As the right to vote is useless unless it affects an outcome, absolute voting rights are the best situation for the effective use of ownership as a control mechanism. In the case of dual-class stock, the class of stock with superior voting rights has better control than cash flow rights in the same number of shares. This is relevant to PNC as the recent acquisition of National City Corporation has resulted in PNC having issued non-cumulative perpetual preferred shares series B with a liquidation value of $3.7 billion, which carries a higher vote entitlement than common shares. Changes to the company’s charter may dilute voting value and shareholders may protect themselves against this by buying and selling different classes of shares. Measures such as these to protect voting rights are important and PNC shareholders have the right and freedom to hold shares in and to effectively use power to influence the company’s decisions. However, at times, voting rights may also have adverse outcomes for shareholders, so it is important that shareholders have the freedom to sell shares.
The efficiency of stock ownership as a monitoring and control mechanism depends critically on the rights of shareholders to key decisions. McNulty (1966) defines corporate control as the power to influence or make decisions on the allocation of resources by a firm. Shareholder rights, which refer to the right to vote, the right to sell shares, and the right to protect shares against dilution, are an important mechanism in any public company for transferring control from one owner to another and an essential prerequisite for the effective use of ownership as a control mechanism.
1.1. Shareholder Rights
Management rights are the right to access information about the company and to sue the company for a breach of fiduciary duty. The effectiveness of shareholders’ rights in the US can be seen through the court case Smith v Van Gorkom. In this case, the Board of Directors of Trans Union Corporation agreed to a deal to sell the company at $55 per share. In the process, they only discussed the price with the buyer and not other possible buyers. The deal was seen to have breached the Board’s duty of care, and all the directors were sued. This case showed the importance of management rights as the decision by the directors resulted in huge financial losses for the shareholders.
Shareholder rights refer to the powers of the shareholders to make decisions in the company. The decision-making involves voting on certain issues such as the appointment of new Board of Directors, amendments of the corporation’s articles and bylaws, or the decision to merge or sell the corporation. Shareholders’ rights can be divided into two categories: voting rights and management rights. Voting rights give shareholders the right to vote on certain issues, and it is a very important form of participation for shareholders in the decision-making process.
1.2. Voting Rights
Voting rights are the essence of control in the company. There are several different types of shares with different voting rights attached to each type. The most common form of share is known as common stock, differing from non-voting common stock, preferred stock, or dual-class shares. Downtown and Bethem found that the percentage of total votes held by the largest inside blockholder is, on average, 84.9%. While remaining shares are split fairly widely amongst different investors. Inside blockholder being defined as owning at least 5% of company stock. This highlights the immense ownership concentration in the US, as firms tend to concentrate voting rights into the hands of a few key individuals, despite widespread share ownership. Dual-class shares occur when a company issues two different classes of common stock with different voting rights. Bertrand and Mullainathan note that this is common when management is afraid of losing control of decision-making due to investor pressure on particular issues. One such example is Ford Motor Company when, in 2002, it issued a second class of stock with the intention of preserving family control and protecting against the potential threat of a takeover bid. Although this practice is illegal in the UK and most European countries, they found that in the US, dual-class shares are more commonly seen among firms that are in their early growth stages. This suggests that management feels that it is a way of raising finance capital while reducing shareholder interference in company affairs.
1.3. Ownership Concentration
Section “1.3. Ownership Concentration” is the starting point to understand how corporations develop their governance mechanisms. A firm controlled by a single shareholder or a small tightly-knit group of shareholders will have different needs than a corporation with widely dispersed shareholdings. It helps explain the context of governance mechanisms and their needs. If one can understand “who controls the corporation and to what extent,” it will be easier to understand the governance strategy that has been chosen. Shareholders might have been informed about current conditions. PNC already talked about ownership of stockholders that reached 63% shares of the company. Public investors are relieved because they no longer need to inject capital to buy stocks since they feel PNC has had good performance during this time. Shares owned by the public are a short-term program to get some benefits before making long-term investments in the hope that it can be profitable at a certain level. But this is still considering the various possibilities because many retail investors who start to understand the positive performance of PNC have expectations that stocks can still be reached and still have a good price, so they decide to keep the obligations to ensure stocks in the company. While retail investors and other public investors who are planning to buy stocks at this time until the stock price is relatively higher will be affected by the decision to put a premium on consumer direct services and lower the credit. At this time, they still need more time to change the decision because it is still speculation of the company’s stock movements. Now public investors are the most common and have a fairly high influence on the capital, so it must be considered by the company. If considering the role of large institutions, they have different interests. Individually, they are also concerned with policies that provide more benefits because they are indirectly affected and have an interest to repurchase stock at a low level because it consumes a relatively small premium. It is written in this article that about 30% of high-income retail customers are investors who have stock in the company PNC Wealth Management. An affluent investor will respond to a change in the stock price because it will continue to provide advice to other clients, and the level of decision-making will be more stable because it has a relatively small level of risk. High-income PNC customers are still concerned about the credit facilities and cheap loans. Their decision is to sell stock and look back into the movement of stock and interest rates provided. If the decision from stock to find credit facilities is not commensurate with favorable stock bonds, they are very likely to redeem and switch to the purchase of bonds issued by the company. At least changing the trend of holders still expects good stock performance and sees the various decisions still taken by PNC. So there will be much consideration taken by the customer stock or potential new stock buyers to ensure the stock’s performance truly deserves long-term investment. If the decision is still considered effective, PNC can be a good choice to translate stock performance into a debt or financing from another loan. At this stage, stockholders or even a customer can decide to buy stock at a relatively cheap price for a loan will bring a higher level if the company’s performance always brings promise. So, in the various provisions of underlying PNC, it should provide various statements and choices to keep its stock and future investors or new customer stock is still a good choice step in long-term investment. A different story is owned by a public investor. They have an obligation to match capital purchases with quality investments. A long-term investment would be a good choice to still be positive and is also an option to repurchase. It still offers a variety of possibilities for PNC to keep participants, and the expected results can be found in the first paragraph of this article.
1.4. Corporate Governance Mechanisms
Corporate governance refers to the mechanism by which a company is directed and controlled. Boards of directors are responsible for the governance of the company. The shareholders’ role in governance is to appoint the directors and auditors and to satisfy themselves that the board is acting in the best interest of the shareholders and the company. The governance mechanism serves to ensure that the Board is effectively monitoring or managing the top executive. It is particularly important for the owners to make sure that the board has strong monitoring incentives because often the board will consist of the CEO and his cronies. In this case, it is unlikely that the board will act to monitor the CEO who selected them. Ownership & Control PNC exhibits a diffuse ownership characteristic. This can be defined by the fact that no outside investor owns more than 10% of the total shares outstanding. This is particularly important to note in regards to corporate governance at PNC. The level of ownership concentration, in a way, determines the level of monitoring needed. High ownership concentration can often be viewed as a negative as it indicates the CEO might face heavy monitoring and therefore might have less leeway in his decision making. The bank’s decision to include a ‘Lead Director’ is an admission that PNC’s corporate governance failed in the past and a sign that they are concentrating on making sure they don’t make the same mistakes. In the aftermath of the accounting scandal, with one person simultaneously holding the CEO and Chairman position, there is a clear consensus that stronger governance is required and that the board of directors needs to take a more active role in monitoring PNC’s CEO. An internal chief compliance officer and more efficient direct reporting methods to the board are also seen as conscious efforts by PNC to ensure that future errors are quickly identified and do not persist without the board’s knowledge. Although while not specifically related to corporate governance at PNC, the adherence to signing ‘Corporate Integrity Agreements’ issued by the government also illustrates PNC’s desire to move past previous transgressions and towards a more positive public image.
2. Board Structure
2.1. Board Composition
2.2. Board Independence
2.3. Board Diversity
2.4. Board Committees
2.5. Executive Compensation
3. Firm’s Interactions with the Markets
3.1. Regulatory Compliance
3.2. Financial Reporting and Transparency
3.3. Investor Relations
3.4. Market Competition
3.5. Stakeholder Engagement
4. Strategic Decision Making
4.1. Long-Term Planning
4.2. Risk Assessment and Management
4.3. Capital Allocation
4.4. Mergers and Acquisitions
5. Performance Evaluation and Accountability
5.1. Key Performance Indicators
5.2. Financial Performance Analysis
5.3. Internal Control Systems
5.4. External Auditing
5.5. Shareholder Activism
6. Ethical and Legal Considerations
6.1. Code of Conduct and Ethics
6.2. Compliance with Laws and Regulations
6.3. Corporate Social Responsibility
6.4. Legal Risk Management

Muscular Strength Endurance and Flexibility: Assessing and Improving Overall Health and Fitness

Question
Define Muscular strength and give an example of this concept.
Define Muscular endurance and give an example of this activity.
Define Flexibility and name three types of stretching.
In the video, muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility are used to assess how well the ____________________ functions.
How can you improve your overall health and fitness in each of these areas?

Answer
Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility: Assessing and Improving Overall Health and Fitness
1. Definition and Example of Muscular Strength
The term muscular strength refers to the amount of force a muscle or group of muscles can generate. Muscles differ in strength. Some are strong and can exert a great amount of force using short movements over a brief period of time; these are called power muscles. An example of this would be the muscles of the arm and shoulder which are used when playing a smash in badminton. Other muscles are weaker and can only exert a small force using long movements, or using a small force over a long period of time; these are called endurance muscles. An example of this would be the muscles of the legs when running. There is an almost direct link between bone and muscle strength, i.e. the stronger the muscles the stronger the forces that can be applied to bones and the greater the load they can bear. An example of this is again the muscles of the legs. As well as the advantage of being able to perform everyday tasks more easily, it is also important to have good muscular strength in order to prevent injury. For example, a person who participates in manual handling tasks will be more likely to suffer from back problems if they don’t have good muscle strength in the muscles of the back and abdominal.
1.1. Definition of Muscular Strength
Muscular strength is the capacity of the muscles to apply force to lift weight or carry heavy objects (Fleck and Kraemer, 1987). It is the maximal force a muscle or muscle group can generate. Although the usage of the term force is useful in mathematics and physics, you will notice that in some literature the term strength and force is used interchangeably. For example, when a person speaks about increasing their muscular strength, they are actually referring to increasing the force a particular muscle or muscle group can generate. Using the term force can be confusing, so we will refer to maximal force as muscular strength throughout this subject. Given the conditions in the definition, it is plain that strength is not an all or none quality and will depend on the muscle group being tested, and so the demonstrations of strength will vary.
1.2. Example of Muscular Strength
A good example of muscular strength would be where an individual begins a resistance training program with a health or fitness professional, and progresses to lifting 150 pounds against resistance in a leg press exercise for 8 to 12 repetitions. The same individual could then progress to lifting 230 pounds against resistance for one repetition. This is a good example that demonstrates that the individual has improved the muscular strength in the specific muscle groups involved in the leg press exercise. The increase in the amount of weight being lifted shows an improvement in the strength of the muscles involved. The more the muscles are worked to lift the heavier weight, the more strength is developed. Muscular strength is the ability of the muscles to lift a heavy weight or exert a force against a resistance. A press of greater than body weight shows higher than average leg strength. This individual could then change the type of resistance machine to one that involves a different set of leg muscles and has a different seat angle and pushing direction. If the amount of weight lifted is increased over time, then this would be more evidence of improvement in muscular strength. This is an advantage if the individual had a work or sports requirement to improve strength of these particular muscle groups, or improve overall leg strength. This is because a change or increase in the amount of resistance being pushed, pulled or lifted is one of the major factors that affects strength improvement in specific muscle groups. This case of strength improvement in fitness would best be done using isotonic exercises.
2. Definition and Example of Muscular Endurance
2.1. Definition of Muscular Endurance
2.2. Example of Muscular Endurance
3. Definition of Flexibility
3.1. Definition of Flexibility
4. Types of Stretching
4.1. Static Stretching
4.2. Dynamic Stretching
4.3. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching
5. Assessing the Functionality of Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility
5.1. Importance of Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility Assessment
5.2. How Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility Affect Functionality
6. Improving Muscular Strength for Overall Health and Fitness
6.1. Importance of Muscular Strength
6.2. Resistance Training for Muscular Strength Improvement
6.3. Incorporating Compound Exercises for Muscular Strength
7. Enhancing Muscular Endurance for Overall Health and Fitness
7.1. Importance of Muscular Endurance
7.2. Endurance Training Methods
7.3. Circuit Training for Muscular Endurance
8. Enhancing Flexibility for Overall Health and Fitness
8.1. Importance of Flexibility
8.2. Stretching Exercises for Flexibility Improvement
8.3. Incorporating Yoga or Pilates for Flexibility
9. Strategies for Improving Overall Health and Fitness in Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility
9.1. Setting Goals and Creating a Plan
9.2. Balancing Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility Training
9.3. Proper Nutrition and Rest for Optimal Results

Neurologic Disorders

Question
What is neurologic disorder
Answer
1. Introduction
Neurologic disorders are diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that connect them. This includes a large number of conditions which range from those that resolve quickly without treatment to others which are lifelong and need careful management. These conditions are generally due to a reduction in brain function. This means that the brain works less well, or in some cases, more slowly. Of these problems with brain function, some are very specific to the cause and the part of the brain affected, and the impact on a person can vary immensely depending upon the severity of the condition. A useful way to understand brain function is to think of the brain as a complex computer, with malfunctions resulting in software or hardware problems. This leads to error messages, poor function, or failure of certain operations. Neurologic conditions can be very difficult to understand without first acquiring knowledge about the nervous system. It is important to remember that these conditions are real and are not due to anything imagined by the sufferer. They can be very distressing, and every effort should be made to understand a person with a neurologic problem, regardless of what the specific condition may be. Understanding the condition can sometimes be difficult and frustrating, for both sufferers and those close to them, particularly if the condition is hard to diagnose or if there are few treatments available. In such cases, people may find it helpful to contact associations relating to the specific condition or speak to a specialist in neurology.
1.1 Definition of Neurologic Disorders
Neurologic diseases are a prime threat toward a natural time. It is a not unusual place and vast time period and despite the fact that the conquering of infectious illnesses, malnutrition, and maternity deaths has improved, the prevention of neurologic diseases is all the more large due to the fact these troubles growth as human beings live longer. Neurologic problems are sicknesses of the mind, backbone, and the nerves that join them. There are extra than 600 sicknesses of the fearful gadget, along with: – illnesses which includes multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s sickness, and motor neurone sickness which can be because of the lack of nerve or mind feature – illnesses which includes epilepsy and cerebral palsy wherein the number one trouble is a malfunction of the nervous gadget – sicknesses which includes meningitis or head injury. The scope of neurologic exercise is wide, with many specialities involved. sufferers are regularly complicated and disabled, and treatment can be long term. Generally, neurologic sickness is chronic and progressive, and it affects emotional, bodily, and social function. The primary cause of prevention is to reduce the prevalence of neurologic sickness contained in the community. Voluntary measures can provide safety against precise sickness, along with the vaccination against polio, measles, meningitis, and certain forms of encephalitis. Global prevention of neurologic sickness may be most effectively accomplished with the aid of measures that promote trendy fitness. Some diseases of the frightened tool are related to poverty and malnutrition. Improved understanding in nutrients and the elimination of food poverty, together with improved sanitation, will reduce the incidence of neurologic diseases. A considerable quantity of neurologic diseases is resulting from harmful environmental agents. A better understanding of the nervous system and its function has led to advancements in occupational safety and the prevention of risks in work and sport.
1.2 Causes of Neurologic Disorders
3) Metabolic – Neurologic function is highly dependent upon the metabolic integrity of nervous tissue, and metabolic derangements may have wide-ranging effects.
2) Genetic and Congenital – Disorders which are the result of genetic abnormalities may be inherited or may involve a new mutation. Such abnormalities can affect any aspect of nervous system development or function, and thus the phenotypic manifestations of genetic neurologic disorders are highly variable. Genetic neurologic disorders are beyond the scope of this discussion. Congenital anomalies may result in neurological dysfunction throughout life or may only affect the individual at a certain stage of development. An example of the latter is congenital rubella syndrome, which is due to infection with the rubella virus during embryonic development.
1) Infection – Infection can lead to neurologic dysfunction in several different ways. The infection may primarily involve the nervous system or may be a condition in which the pathogen is widely distributed throughout the body. An example of the former is viral encephalitis, which can be caused by several different viruses. Certain bacteria can produce toxins which have a predilection for nervous tissue. An example of this is the spirochetal bacteria, which causes neurosyphilis. Parasitic infection with organisms such as toxoplasma and cysticercosis can affect the nervous system in several different ways. The organisms may produce focal lesions within the brain or spinal cord. Migrants of foreign tissue in the form of larvae or adult parasites may elicit inflammation as the body attempts to destroy the foreign tissue. More diffuse parasitic infections can result in neurologic dysfunction through a hypersensitivity response, as in the case of eosinophilic meningitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis.
Causes can be divided into the following that lead to neurologic disorder:
1.3 Common Types of Neurologic Disorders
Cerebrovascular Diseases: Disorders such as stroke, transient ischemic attack, carotid stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations can cause a variety of neurologic symptoms and signs. The effects of the cerebrovascular disease depend upon the severity and location of the lesion. Often, such diseases cause an acute onset of neurologic deficit, such as paralysis or confusion. A small lesion, such as one that might be seen with a silent stroke, might cause only a very subtle deficit or no deficit at all. In either case, the deficit or its effects may be transient, as seen with transient ischemic attacks, or permanent.
Seizure Disorders: The epilepsies are a spectrum of brain disorders ranging from severe, life-threatening and disabling, to those that are much more benign. In epilepsy, the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. Causes of epilepsy include stroke, brain tumor, trauma, infection, and abnormal brain development. In about 70% of cases, the cause is unknown.
The effects of neurologic disease are as varied as the types of neural tissue and range from simple confusion and mild memory loss to seizures and sudden changes in behavior. The following are some common types of neurologic disorders.
2. Symptoms and Diagnosis
2.1 Recognizing Symptoms of Neurologic Disorders
2.2 Diagnostic Tests for Neurologic Disorders
2.3 Importance of Early Diagnosis
2.4 Understanding Prognosis
3. Treatment Options
3.1 Medications for Neurologic Disorders
3.2 Therapies and Rehabilitation
3.3 Surgical Interventions
3.4 Alternative and Complementary Treatments
4. Living with a Neurologic Disorder
4.1 Coping Strategies and Support Systems
4.2 Lifestyle Modifications
4.3 Managing Emotional and Mental Well-being

Planning and Adjusting Instruction during Lesson Implementation

Question
 Teachers plan instruction to make sure they meet each student’s needs during the implementation of a lesson. However, it is necessary to monitor and adjust the lesson while teaching to meet needs that arise during the lesson. Teachers reflect on this later and adjust for future lessons.
Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to support this field experience.
You will implement the lesson plan you created in Topic 4 and revised in Topic 5 with the small group of students identified by your mentor teacher.
Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.
Write a 250 word reflection on the lesson plan implementation. Discuss the following in your reflection:
What was effective in your lesson, and what might you alter for future implementations?
How did you meet each student’s needs during the lesson?
How do you know if students mastered the concepts?
How will you use what you have learned in your future professional practice?

Answer
1. Effective Elements of the Lesson
1.1. Engaging Activities Critical to lesson implementation and student learning are activities that are intrinsically interesting to students, or have elements that can be stimulating to student interest and curiosity. Characteristics of interesting activities include novelty and variety, and can be achieved through games, simulations, hands-on activities, or laboratory experiments. Sense-making and discourse within activities are important, hence interesting activities should have a learning point and focus to help improve student understanding. Consider a probability experiment. Rolling a number cube to students could be interesting; however, if students don’t understand the point of the experiment, learning will be minimal. A better probability experiment may be a game, where students apply probability concepts to win prizes, such as at a carnival. As difficult as it is to move an activity that did not work to a new day within a lesson, or to scrap an activity and make a new one from scratch, being flexible and willing to do so can lead to improved student learning. Since teachers often spend a disproportionate amount of time planning compared to the scheduled length of time for the lesson, some of this extra planning time can be used to prepare alternate or additional activities that may better engage students. Periodic reflection on past lessons can also help the teacher to identify what was specifically interesting about an activity and can aid in future activity planning.
While certain components of instruction may be effective when implemented in any sequence, some strategies included in the lesson may depend on prior instruction in a related concept. For example, a concept in science may be better understood when a related activity is completed. A teacher should be willing to change the location of an event, modify a lesson or teaching strategy, or alter the grouping of students. If data indicates the change improves student learning, this is an indicator that the original way the lesson was implemented may not have been effective. Through ensuring the lesson includes engaging activities, clear learning objectives and directions, and practice and assessment activities that provide the teacher with information to adjust instruction, a teacher can improve an initial lesson that may not effectively impact student learning.
1.1. Engaging Activities
Engaging activities are things that will, in whole or in part, be the focus of the lesson. Many engaging activities are more effective when introduced after the direct instruction. An effective activity captures the students’ attention, helps them build on prior knowledge, and elicits the use of new knowledge/skills to develop a deeper understanding of the content. Of the challenging stage of a lesson, Marzano says, “Because the major goal is understanding, new knowledge has to be embedded in students’ cognitive systems in a way that it can be retrieved and used at a later time” (2007, p. 63). Simulation games, debates, and problem-solving activities require critical thinking and application of knowledge in order to succeed. Such activities should be tied directly to instructional objectives and the degree of challenge should not be so high that students are unable to be successful. When students are engaged in an activity, it is essential that the teacher circulate, asking open-ended questions, and providing feedback and assistance as necessary. It is important to plan for more time than needed as it can sometimes be difficult to predict how long an activity will take and if students are successful, the teacher may want to extend the activity so the class can finish or further develop what they have started.
1.2. Clear Learning Objectives
Big idea of the instruction is the most important. Teachers must clarify the purpose of an activity or a learning experience so the students know what they are supposed to learn, and they are more likely to learn it. In order to identify what they are supposed to learn, there must be capturing the essence of the learning into a statement. This statement must be simple and easy to understand, yet not limiting the potential for the students. It should define what the student will be able to do or be when they have finished the learning experience and it has been done successfully. This clarification is really useful when there is an inclusive class with a distinct wide range of learning styles and abilities. One of them is through the use of a graphic organizer. As we know, there are students who are visual learners. A graphic organizer is a good tool for them in learning something and it is also more general than we think; most students don’t want to waste time understanding what the teacher is asking them to do (in this case learn), a graphic organizer can help with that. A graphic organizer is also good for students with learning difficulties, it is going to keep them “on track” and help reduce the risk of mental confusion. The most important thing from using a graphic organizer is the learning compactness, because graphic organizer recordings are usually less than usual record of learning using words, but it has the equivalent information. So it is very effective to serve as a reminder and summary of learning, such as preparing for a test or when it will be explained to parents at home.
1.3. Differentiated Instruction
An effective assessment of student readiness can aid the teacher in proper lesson planning for differentiated instruction. The choices a teacher makes need to reflect understanding of the student population as well as the learning objectives. Strategies for assessing readiness include use of diagnostic pretests, observations, interest inventories, and KWL charts. The more a teacher knows about the individuals in his or her class, the better informed the decisions can be about how to plan the lesson. By collecting overall information about the class and then considering specific needs of individuals, small groups, or a special population, a teacher can ensure that the range of learning needs are adequately addressed during the implementation of the lesson.
Universally, teachers desire to meet the needs of all students. Classrooms are filled with a diverse array of students. These range from those who are significantly ahead of grade level to those who are struggling to keep up. When a teacher presents a lesson, he or she must take into account the student variability throughout its delivery and through the evaluations that will follow. Differentiated instruction is an approach that addresses student needs and preferences while maintaining high expectations. It is based on the premise that an effective classroom caters for a variety of learning styles, and that all students have the right to learn the curriculum. Using differentiated instruction during lesson implementation can foster embedded goals, high level of understanding and skills, and full participation from a broad range of learners (Tomlinson, 2001).
2. Alterations for Future Implementations
2.1. Modifying Lesson Sequence
2.2. Incorporating Additional Resources
2.3. Adjusting Grouping Strategies
2.4. Enhancing Assessment Methods
3. Meeting Each Student’s Needs
3.1. Individualized Support
3.2. Adaptations for Diverse Learners
3.3. Providing Scaffolding
4. Assessing Student Mastery
4.1. Observing Student Performance
4.2. Analyzing Student Work
4.3. Administering Formative Assessments
5. Application in Future Professional Practice
5.1. Incorporating Reflection into Lesson Planning
5.2. Utilizing Data to Inform Instruction
5.3. Implementing Differentiation Strategies
5.4. Continuing Professional Development

Practices and Beliefs Related to Health in a Selected Religion

Question
Based on the religion you selected in Module 1, and the articles you selected in Module 2, write a 3-4 page paper about the practices and beliefs of of that religion that are related to health. 
Provide examples of differences in verbal and nonverbal communication methods within this religion. Explain some beginning and end-of-life decisions related to this worldview and culture.
Provide examples of how religion shapes health behaviors and the rationale behind them.
Explain issues that health care professionals should take into consideration related to beginning and end-of-life transitions.

Answer
Practices and Beliefs Related to Health in a Selected Religion
1. Introduction
It has been said that health is wealth. And indeed, the belief that health is the most important aspect of life is a common one. Thus, it is not surprising to find that religion, which is an all-encompassing way of life, has much to say about the subject. In fact, to various religious groups, health is the most important thing to ask from God; it is health of body and mind that is viewed as the precondition to performing good deeds and meriting entry into paradise. For some, to have to ask for anything in the way of physical or mental well-being is a reflection of a lack of faith; God, who is the ultimate purveyor of healing, can heal all ills without exception. Therefore, the group which has to ask is in some way failing to fulfill the requirements set by God. But God is viewed as merciful, and it is written that if man shows thankfulness for what he has, he will be given more. And so it is that with prayer and dedication to religious duties, many believers strive to attain good health as a sign of God’s favor.
1.1. Background of the Selected Religion
Hinduism is the third largest world religion with about 900 million Hindus worldwide. In 1999, there were about 1 million Hindus living in the U.S. and they are concentrated mainly in two states, New York and New Jersey. Hinduism is not a religion of the book, and has no common scripture, Church, or doctrine. The term “Hinduism” is an exonym, and while it is a convenient label for the complex of traditions and peoples it describes, it also implies a measure of homogeneity that does not exist. During the ancient times of invasions and other historical events the Indian religion started evolving and taking shape. That is why the religion is so diverse and has different ways of practice and belief. A Hindu seeking spiritual knowledge can choose from yoga, jnana, bhakti, karma, and other paths, and can study anything from astrology to the holy scriptures. The main texts that provide the basis for Hinduism are the Vedas; this comes from the word “vid” meaning to be knowledgeable. During the invasions of the Muslim, the Muslims could not pronounce the word so said “Hindu”. This was given to the people who lived in this land. This was actually a geographical term and did not refer to the religion or the people living there. This went on to become the world’s third largest religion. Due to the many diverse ways of life, there are four castes in Hinduism based on occupation: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (farmers and merchants), and lastly Sudras (servants). In around 1000 B.C., the caste system was beginning to take shape with the addition of a group called the untouchables. The beliefs of the Hindu religion began to take shape with the incorporation of two great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and the Bhagavad Gita (which is contained in part of the Mahabharata). These writings were an attempt to captivate the people so that they may learn from them and understand the true meanings of life in many different forms. This is why there were numerous stories and characters involved. The Gita is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna and aspires to reveal the duties of human beings and the unity between the universal and the personal. It makes this apparent through the paths of knowledge, devotion, and action which were explained earlier.
1.2. Importance of Health in the Selected Religion
In India, sages did a lot of research on medicine, which shifted attention from salvation to prevention of disease. This is evident in the philosophies found in the Atharva Veda, one of the four holy texts of the Hindu religion. Chapter 30, verses 25-35 of the Atharva Veda, contains the following dialogue, which illustrates the importance of health and the prevention of disease in the Hindu religion: “What has hurt you? In a state of disease, I ask, do you verily say that you are in health? How can one that is not afflicted with a malady, one that is afflicted and one that has rid himself of it be alike? O physician, thus should you ask the sick man and discern it all, if you are to recognize the nature of his malady. Any gentle remedy that harms not, does not affect or malady, is not a remedy at all.” This shows the importance of health and well-being, in that not having an affliction is comparative to the need of no remedy. This philosophy of preventing an illness so that there is no need for a remedy is deeply rooted and is still a common aim of physicians today. In this way, health is perceived as being extremely important, as it is seen as the maintenance of a diseaseless state and prevention of mental, physical, and spiritual agony.
2. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Methods
2.1. Differences in Verbal Communication
2.1.1. Use of Sacred Texts and Prayers
2.1.2. Ritualistic Chants and Incantations
2.2. Differences in Nonverbal Communication
2.2.1. Symbolic Gestures and Body Movements
2.2.2. Ritualistic Clothing and Adornments
3. Beginning and End-of-Life Decisions
3.1. Views on Birth and Pregnancy
3.1.1. Rituals and Practices during Pregnancy
3.1.2. Naming Ceremonies and Blessings
3.2. Views on Death and Dying
3.2.1. Funeral and Burial Practices
3.2.2. Mourning and Grieving Rituals
4. Religion’s Influence on Health Behaviors
4.1. Dietary Practices and Restrictions
4.1.1. Fasting and Ritualistic Diets
4.1.2. Prohibited Foods and Beverages
4.2. Rituals and Practices for Physical Well-being
4.2.1. Meditation and Mindfulness Techniques
4.2.2. Sacred Baths and Cleansing Rituals
5. Considerations for Health Care Professionals
5.1. Cultural Sensitivity and Respect
5.1.1. Understanding Religious Beliefs and Practices
5.1.2. Avoiding Cultural Assumptions and Biases
5.2. Ethical Dilemmas in Beginning and End-of-Life Care
5.2.1. Balancing Religious Beliefs and Medical Interventions
5.2.2. Supporting Patients’ Spiritual and Emotional Needs

Project Management for Digital Marketing Software

question 
A project manager is assigned to lead a digital marketing software project. Some stakeholders don’t support the project, and others want the entire project to be planned out before it starts. The sponsor, on the other hand, is looking for a quick win to get the support of the majority of stakeholders and ensure the project’s continuation. 
Answer
1. Introduction
Digital marketing becomes the most effective way of promoting and selling a product or service. In today’s competitive, technology-driven market, it provides an efficient way to reach customers compared to conventional marketing strategies, which are more time and cost-consuming. It is an aggregate process of digital marketing utilization using the internet, mobile, and other digital media. The client is in the process of promoting an MLM product using various methods of marketing to sell the product. He needs an application that can assist in managing those methods and accumulating all the data on the promotions and the product sales. Then, monitoring and comparing that data to give an evaluation on which method is the most effective to improve product sales and to assist decision making on future marketing strategies. From here, the idea of developing an application to manage that data came into reality, to build a system providing automation-based method data entry and can generate a sales report for his evaluation.
This project management plan is based upon the project of developing a mobile phone application for a client, which is a digital marketing software. It is being developed as the final project for the subject FIT5147 Software Engineering: Analysis and Design at Monash University Malaysia. The project aims to apply project management knowledge that has been learned throughout the semester into a real scenario and real application. The main objective is to produce an efficient application that can satisfy the client’s requirements and can be used as a tool to manage his business. The background and reasons for making this application will be discussed in the next section, followed by the purposes of this project, then the scope of the whole project.
1.1. Background of the Project
At this time, the company has no direct means of engaging potential customers of its existing product in a sales process. Most of the retailers using the software are unaware of upcoming new features and how to best use the tools available in their current products. While no firm numbers exist, the client estimates that increased tool awareness and usage could garner more than $100,000 in increased monthly revenue. With the release of specific web tools or a SaaS version of the software, the revenue potential from a successfully marketed product is well into the millions annually. Any success in web-deployed products will be a jump from bread-and-butter retail software to something entirely new. To best understand the successes and pitfalls of web-deployed software and the online marketing activity to support it, marketing the project to represent that of a small web-based software start-up is the most cost-effective means of driving change in the company’s marketing ideology.
The project has been commissioned by a developer of digital marketing software for small and medium-sized businesses. The company was founded in 1987 and began developing retail point-of-sale software, which has remained its primary product, selling over 30,000 copies. Its suite of products is installed in over 100,000 retail locations worldwide. The company has been slow to take its products to the web and has no experience with online marketing. Although web-based software will be an eventual evolution of the company’s product offering, the primary income driver now and in the future is likely to be providing robust tools to a broad community of small-to-medium-sized retailers.
1.2. Purpose of the Project
The main reason that leads to undertake this project is the general lack of an Integrated Project Management (IPM) system in Digital Marketing Software that can be used by project managers, team members, and directors at different levels for managing, executing, and monitoring multiple marketing projects. People involved in the marketing profession are becoming much aware of project management strategies. Day by day, they are adopting and implementing various project management methodologies and tools to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of working. Marketing projects vary from simple to complex. Sometimes, it involves managing the mix of traditional and online marketing with tight budget and deadlines. To manage such type of marketing projects, disparate project managers usually end up in a mess and believe that the successful completion of that project was a matter of luck! IPM Systems can provide such project managers a better platform and methodology to manage their marketing projects. This project is focusing on providing a solution for project managers and software teams to effectively develop and manage an IPM system for Digital Marketing Software. This project will also serve as a learning experience for students, providing them with the opportunity to utilize and build upon the knowledge they have obtained in the field of software engineering and project management. This project intends to be a complete life cycle from the initiation phase to the closure phase according to PMI methodology. This project will be done within a virtual team and with stakeholders’ consultation.
1.3. Scope of the Project
At the end of the project, you will have a way to implement the solution. A project plan for software implementation is also a plus but is beyond the scope of this project.
Success Criteria: The success of this project can be measured by the recommendation made for marketing project management software at Intuit. This should identify a clear solution to the problem and address how to better manage marketing projects and coordinate the various activities and priorities amongst Intuit’s marketing teams.
Duration: 12 weeks – Dec 2009 to March 2010. Note that the week of Dec 21 is a company-wide shut-down and the week of Jan 4 will not be included as the Project Manager will not be available.
The scope of this project is to identify the challenges involved in the manual management of marketing projects at Intuit. Based on the challenges identified, evaluate potential marketing project management software solutions that would enhance project management and delivery within Intuit’s marketing department. The evaluation criteria should include ways in which the software would facilitate management and coordination of complex cross-functional projects that involve web and interactive, email, events, and campaign management. Make a recommendation on a software solution (or combination of solutions) that would effectively address the needs of Intuit’s marketing department.
2. Stakeholder Analysis
2.1. Identification of Stakeholders
2.2. Assessment of Stakeholder Support
2.3. Strategies for Engaging Stakeholders
3. Project Planning
3.1. Importance of Project Planning
3.2. Defining Project Objectives
3.3. Developing a Project Schedule
3.4. Allocating Project Resources
4. Managing Stakeholder Expectations
4.1. Communicating Project Goals and Benefits
4.2. Addressing Stakeholder Concerns
4.3. Negotiating with Stakeholders
5. Sponsorship and Support
5.1. Role of the Project Sponsor
5.2. Gaining Support from Stakeholders
5.3. Strategies for Quick Wins
6. Project Execution
6.1. Implementing the Digital Marketing Software
6.2. Monitoring Project Progress
6.3. Managing Risks and Issues
7. Project Evaluation
7.1. Assessing Project Success Criteria
7.2. Gathering Feedback from Stakeholders
7.3. Identifying Lessons Learned
8. Project Continuation
8.1. Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability
8.2. Securing Ongoing Support
8.3. Planning for Future Enhancements

Psychological Principles: Understanding Human Behavior

Questions
 Psychological principles are theories and beliefs about major areas of our lives, like cognitions, intelligence, social groups, habit,  
Answer
1. Introduction
Psychological principles are the basis of understanding human emotions, relationships, and motivation. They are building blocks to comprehend the complexities of human behavior. Psychological principles are a set of factors that help the psychologist explain the varieties of psychological behavior from the elements of those principles. Now let’s discuss the definition of psychological principles by differentiating both terms. Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of the organism and the behavior to be understood must be observable and recordable. Therefore, psychology is the science which is more interested in the overt behavior rather than personality, where personality is the general pattern of the behavior and behavior changes between one situation to another and another person to another person. There must be some set of factors which will help us predict and control the behavior. Those factors are called psychological principles (Brewer and Treyens, 1981). According to different scholars, there are multiple definitions of principles but all revolve around the meaning that a principle is a set of interrelated variables which can predict behavior. So psychological principles are the guidelines for understanding behavior. These are comprised of higher-level abstractions to understand complex behavior (Eckensberger and Zimba, 1985). These are universal and cognitive concepts by which causal relations and predictions about behavior occurring in an organism can be identified (Craig, 1996). These principles involve constant relations between a situation, the behavior under that situation, and the consequences of that behavior. To understand these principles, psychologists have formulated different theories. So the one definition that sums up all the explanations on psychological principles is given by Charles E. Osgood: “Psychological principles are hypotheses that specify relations between two or more variables in the form of if…then.”
1.1. Definition of Psychological Principles
Psychological principles are statements explaining the behavior of people and the influence of behavior on the environment. These principles are built on scientific method, which is another way of saying the strength of the explanation and predictions of behavior. If the predictions are accurate ones, the probability of the acceptance of the explanation is high. If not, the opposite is true. The explanations of behavior that are to become principles are first tested through research, usually of an empirical nature. If the results provide evidence supportive of the explanation, the persuasion of other scientists will eventually test the similar explanation in their own setting. If each of these attempts to confirm the original explanation is successful, the explanation can be said to be a principle on the basis that it has strong predictability and has withstood a variety of conditions and circumstances. It is this high level of predictability and testing that distinguishes psychological principles from common sense or lay opinion about behavior. Common sense knowledge is usually vague, general, and not invalidatable. For example, it is often said that a lazy person will find the easiest way of doing something. This is not always the case; there are times, because of the individual’s intentions or the complexity of the task, that the easiest way just cannot be found. An example of an idea that is generally acceptable as true without significant evidence is that the reason people get aggressive after drinking alcohol is because it’s the alcohol “bringing out the badness inside”. This belief has been the justification for many unproductive treatments of aggression, while there is in fact little evidence to support it. In both cases, the lay opinion statement does not satisfy the strict criteria of a psychological principle.
1.2. Importance of Understanding Human Behavior
In the study of psychology, understanding why people behave the way they do is an area of great interest. It is important to have knowledge of human behavior because it is so vital to many aspects of our lives such as health. There have been so many advances in the field of health from past research in which the main focus was how to change unhealthy behaviors. In order to change a behavior one must first understand why a person is behaving in such a way. This is giving rise to a new field known as health psychology. Professionals in this field are trying to understand the various behaviors that are detrimental to one’s health such as drug use, overeating and unsafe sexual activity. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the most common types of unhealthy behaviors that contribute to the leading cause of illness and death and by doing so have estimated that these deaths are preventable. This is just one example of how understanding human behavior is a crucial element to many important issues one might come across.
2. Cognitions
2.1. Cognitive Processes and Mental Functions
2.2. Memory and Learning
2.3. Problem Solving and Decision Making
3. Intelligence
3.1. Theories of Intelligence
3.2. Measuring Intelligence
3.3. Emotional Intelligence
4. Social Groups
4.1. Group Dynamics and Behavior
4.2. Social Influence and Conformity
4.3. Stereotypes and Prejudice
5. Habit
5.1. Formation and Maintenance of Habits
5.2. Breaking Bad Habits
5.3. Habit Loop and Behavior Change
6. Emotions
6.1. Theories of Emotion
6.2. Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Regulation
6.3. Emotional Development across the Lifespan
7. Motivation
7.1. Theories of Motivation
7.2. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
7.3. Goal Setting and Achievement
8. Personality
8.1. Theories of Personality
8.2. Trait Theories
8.3. Personality Assessment
9. Perception
9.1. Sensation and Perception
9.2. Perceptual Illusions
9.3. Influences on Perception
10. Attitudes and Attitude Change
10.1. Formation and Structure of Attitudes
10.2. Attitude Change Techniques
10.3. Cognitive Dissonance Theory
11. Social Cognition
11.1. Social Thinking and Attribution
11.2. Stereotyping and Prejudice
11.3. Impression Formation and Impression Management
12. Interpersonal Relationships
12.1. Types of Relationships
12.2. Communication and Conflict Resolution
12.3. Attachment Theory
13. Developmental Psychology
13.1. Stages of Development
13.2. Nature vs. Nurture Debate
13.3. Parenting Styles and Child Development
14. Abnormal Psychology
14.1. Mental Disorders and Diagnosis
14.2. Causes and Treatment of Psychological Disorders
14.3. Stigma and Mental Health
15. Applied Psychology
15.1. Industrial and Organizational Psychology
15.2. Health Psychology
15.3. Educational Psychology

Human Augmentation and the Blurring Lines: The Ethical Development and Use of Human Augmentation Technologies

QUESTION
Human Augmentation and the Blurring Lines: Technological advancements like brain-computer interfaces and wearable exoskeletons are pushing the boundaries of human capabilities. How can human informatics guide the ethical development and use of human augmentation technologies, ensuring they enhance rather than redefine what it means to be human?

ANSWER
1. Introduction
First, while only a few of these technologies are in use or close to implementation today, the timescale between development and implementation may not be adequate for thorough examination of ethical issues before it is too late to affect how the technology will be used. Policy regarding the use of enhancement technologies has tended to lag behind scientific and technological progress, enforcing a reactive rather than proactive approach to ethical evaluation. Second, ethical debate and policy regarding human enhancement technologies has been quite fragmented and not born much fruit in terms of policy and guidelines for scientists and developers of these technologies. This form of corporate social responsibility is crucial for maintaining a proactive approach to ethical evaluation. Allhoff has proposed that the best means to address issues in the long term is to shape the nature and direction of technological change, steering it towards more desirable ends, and enhancing oversight, and looking to its social implications from the outset (Allhoff 2010). Thus it is necessary to examine the ethical issues surrounding human augmentation technologies in a broad and inclusive manner and make it a priority to integrate policy and guidelines for scientists into the fabric of these technologies’ development.
Human augmentation technologies, which have the potential to bring about radical improvements to the human condition, are increasingly evoking public and academic debate. Labeled as the most important social and ethical issue of the twenty-first century (Allhoff et al. 2009), the development and use of human enhancement technologies has spurred a plethora of argument from ethicists, scientists, policymakers, and the general public. People are concerned about how it will affect what it means to be human, the distribution of the technology, and the potential for new forms of unequal social pressure to enhance. Others are hopeful about the possibility of new treatments for currently incurable diseases and conditions, as well as providing a means to improve the intellectual, physical, and psychological capacity of humans. The rapid development of these technologies presents two main challenges for the gradual process of ethical evaluation and policy development.
1.1. Background of Human Augmentation Technologies
The goal of human augmentation, to use medical technology in order to improve physical performance or even overcome disabilities, has existed for thousands of years. The development of new medical techniques and the convergence of these techniques with computer technology, new materials sciences and nanotechnology, will have far-reaching effects on the lives of every human being, as well as on the global ecosystem. To discuss the future of human augmentation, it is important to understand the historical precedents. The past three decades have seen incredible advances in medical technology. Joint replacements, dental reconstruction, organ transplants, cosmetic surgery, and the alleviation of mental illnesses through drug therapy are now commonplace in the developed world. These developments have been driven by a number of factors, including the desire of individuals to lead more fulfilling lives, an aging global population, and the economic and social benefits that improved health provides. The development of human augmentation technologies has been largely driven by the needs and capabilities of the medical industry. It is, however, the commercial potential of such technologies, particularly in an age of growing economic inequality and a global ‘knowledge economy’, that is likely to be the ultimate driving force behind the future development and convergence of these technologies. The medical industry has traditionally been conservative and slow to implement radical new procedures. Often new technologies were tested and perfected on relatively small and specific patient groups. As these technologies became more refined and costs were reduced, wider ranges of patients were treated. Many possibly beneficial medical technologies have had limited success as they were superseded by new technologies or were not seen as economically viable by the industry. This has resulted in an increasing proportion of the world’s population being left behind by the rapid pace of change in the medical industry.
1.2. Importance of Ethical Considerations
There are ethical issues associated with the development and offering of human augmentation technologies. The implications of the effectiveness and pervasiveness of those technologies will have wide-ranging effects on society. In the short term, human enhancement technologies might exacerbate social inequalities and create a two-tier society, further the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Because many enhancement technologies will initially be costly, they may be deployed first and most aggressively by those who can afford them, thus widening the gap and ultimately solidifying the advantages that already accrue to the more affluent members of society. This might, in turn, lead the wealthy to distance themselves from the less fortunate, leading to an erosion of empathy and the virtual marginalization of the unenhanced. This potential future is dystopic, and the transparency and openness to scrutiny of the later on possible more drastic changes to our species, whether by genetic enhancement or cybernetic technologies, would reduce the possibility that we could slide into such a state unwittingly. If a given alteration to humanity is deemed so undesirable that it should be prevented at all costs, knowing what constitutes that kind of alteration and having an open forum to decide its nature and the steps to prevent it is critical. Human augmentation technologies pose subtle changes to human nature, and it is important that we make decisions about these technologies intentionally, rather than let them determine the future of humanity by happenstance.
2. Human Informatics: Guiding the Ethical Development
2.1. Definition and Scope of Human Informatics
2.2. Role of Human Informatics in Technology Development
2.3. Ethical Principles in Human Informatics
3. Human Augmentation Technologies: Enhancing Human Capabilities
3.1. Brain-Computer Interfaces: Expanding Cognitive Abilities
3.2. Wearable Exoskeletons: Enhancing Physical Performance
3.3. Prosthetic Limbs: Restoring Functionality
4. Ethical Considerations in Human Augmentation
4.1. Autonomy and Informed Consent
4.2. Privacy and Data Security
4.3. Equality and Accessibility
5. Ensuring Ethical Use of Human Augmentation Technologies
5.1. Regulatory Frameworks and Policies
5.2. Ethical Design and Development Guidelines
5.3. Education and Awareness
6. Implications of Human Augmentation on Society
6.1. Impact on Employment and Workforce
6.2. Social and Cultural Norms
6.3. Psychological and Emotional Effects
7. Future Perspectives and Challenges
7.1. Emerging Technologies in Human Augmentation
7.2. Balancing Innovation and Ethical Considerations
7.3. Addressing Potential Risks and Unintended Consequences
8. Conclusion

Improving Client-Centered Care Initiatives in Advanced Practice Nursing

questions
General Instructions
Advanced practice nurses apply continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes to improve client-centered outcomes. Select one of the following client-centered care initiatives that you would like to improve in your practice area: client clinical outcomes, client satisfaction, care coordination during care transitions, or specialty consultations for clients.   
Include the following sections:
1. Application?of?Course?Knowledge: Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail.
·   
a.  Identify the selected client-centered care initiative and describe its application to your future practice.  
b.  Select one CQI framework that can be applied to the selected initiative. Explain each step of the framework. 
c.  Describe how the framework can improve client-centered care for the selected initiative. 
d.  Describe how you would involve interprofessional team members in the CQI process.  

Answer
1. Introduction
Through the tumultuous climate of the United States health care environment, acute care has emerged as a focus of treatment. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are progressively introduced into the system equipped with potent skills, sheer competence, and autonomy to provide excellence of service and care for the patients. APNs do not merely attend to the patients’ health illnesses and disease conditions but also investigate and implement plans for the prevention of illness and the promotion of healthier living. They strive to bridge the gap in quality of care available between conventional primary care and specialist services by creating a comprehensive care delivery system centered on the patients. Since the 1960s, patient-centered advanced practice nursing care has been the vision and hallmark of nursing practice today. APNs use their metaparadigm knowledge in application to care for patients and establish comfort and trust within the healer/healee relationship. Despite being trained in pathophysiology and the extant medical model, advanced practice nurses awaken each day with knowledge that the patient is a unique, dynamic individual, the locus of control for the nurse’s actions. Subsequently, plans to improve upon this type of care were investigated through the review of an article titled “Improving Client-Centered Care Initiatives in Advanced Practice Nursing”. This article examines 4 research-informed initiatives that have the potential to improve care outcomes and systems for APN care from the US and globally. That two respondents sought out to examine the advancement and outcomes of care systems truly indicates the spirit of APN initiatives for the betterment of society. Methodology involved examination of care systems in 2 different developed countries, comparing results to determine best efficacious methods and to incorporate ideas of quality care leadership into present and future initiatives. These initiatives are parallel to the moral and inner directive of all APNs and directly reflect how APNs would seek to improve care provided to themselves as clients. As a profession largely consisting of second career adults who are intrinsically motivated and often times highly advanced academically, APNs themselves are a unique client group and an often overlooked one at that. An aggregate systems theory serves to build frameworks and initiatives to improve care delivery for all types of clients, including the providers themselves. With a solid foundation of theoretical frameworks and research infusion, these initiatives serve to improve health, augment nurse and system outcomes, and change the face of nursing as we now know it. In an effort to align with the vision of a global society, the methods in which this research was initiated are undoubtedly impressive. An era of increased nursing professional involvement and participation in national and international policy has seen the development of nursing research and quality care initiatives based on evidence-based practice and utilizing comparative methods. This research is an exemplar and has the potential to shape future care systems both locally and abroad.
1.1. Background and Context
APNs practice has grown significantly over the years. This growth has been stimulated by the continuing shortage of physicians, the growth of managed care, and a clear and consistent, well-documented record of safe and effective practice. Managed care has evolved through models such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point of service (POS) plans. APNs are recognized for their ability to provide cost-effective care and are employed in a variety of settings to assist in cost saving measures. As health care reform is once again on the forefront of American politics, it is evident that APNs currently practicing or those that will practice in the future, must be prepared to navigate through and affect change within the complex health care system. This poses a profound challenge to those APNs who have been educated and honed their practice in a context largely removed from today’s health care system. It is a stimulation to define practice and move it closer to the ideals of APN and improve patient outcomes.
The first graduate program for advanced practice nursing (APN) (nurse practitioner, nurse midwifery, nurse anesthesia, clinical nurse specialist) was developed by the University of Colorado in 1965 (Dimeo, 2008). The program was established to prepare nurses in the primary care role to meet the needs of the medically underserved. At that time, the IOM had defined primary care as the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community (IOM, 1996). Primary care should be the first element of a continuing healthcare process and the system of family and community should be a partnership between the patient and the provider working to promote health and prevent disease. Primary care provider should be the coordinator for any specialty care or hospitalizations and the patient should be provided care that is cost-efficient and meets the needs of the patient. Today, APNs are providing primary care in outpatient and community-based settings, and have come closer to achieving these goals of primary care. They are educated to provide a full range of services to meet the needs of their patients.
1.2. Purpose of the Work
This comprehensive work was generated to improve “client” people-centered treatment initiatives within the context of advanced practice nursing. Towards that goal, the methods to improve client-centered treatment within a current APN practice were investigated. These methods are supported through amendments to the current system of care, use of direct and indirect clinical interventions, as well as involving clients in health education and promotion. The foundation for this work comes from research stating that Dimatatis et al. (1999) found that clients diagnosed with chronic conditions tend to be more compliant and satisfied with their treatment when they perceive the medical system to be more aligned with their own values and treatment preferences. This study serves to combine practice wisdom with scientific evidence to these ends.
2. Application of Course Knowledge
2.1. Selected Client-Centered Care Initiative
2.2. Importance of the Initiative in Future Practice
3. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Framework
3.1. Selection of CQI Framework
3.2. Explanation of Each Step in the Framework
4. Improving Client-Centered Care
4.1. Enhancing Client Clinical Outcomes
4.1.1. Point 1: Implementing Evidence-Based Practices
4.1.2. Point 2: Monitoring and Evaluating Treatment Plans
4.2. Increasing Client Satisfaction
4.2.1. Point 1: Enhancing Communication and Education
4.2.2. Point 2: Addressing Client Preferences and Needs
4.2.3. Point 3: Ensuring Timely and Responsive Care
4.3. Coordinating Care Transitions
4.3.1. Point 1: Establishing Effective Communication Channels
4.3.2. Point 2: Collaborating with Interprofessional Teams
4.3.3. Point 3: Implementing Care Transition Protocols
4.4. Facilitating Specialty Consultations
4.4.1. Point 1: Identifying Appropriate Referral Criteria
4.4.2. Point 2: Streamlining Consultation Processes
4.4.3. Point 3: Ensuring Seamless Integration of Specialty Care
5. Involving Interprofessional Team Members
5.1. Importance of Interprofessional Collaboration in CQI
5.2. Roles and Responsibilities of Team Members
5.3. Strategies for Effective Team Engagement
6. Conclusion