Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

Grace Hopper graduated from Vassar College in 1928 with Phi Beta Kappa and a Vassar College Fellowship. She went to Yale University, where she earned an M. A. in 1930, and a Ph. D. in 1934. She also went to New York University as a Vassar Faculty Fellow in 1941. In December 1943 she was sworn in, and in May 1944, she joined the U. S. Naval Reserve and attended the USNR Midshipman School. Later she was commissioned as a Lieutenant and ordered to the Bureau of Ordinance Computation Project at Harvard, this is where she learned to program computers. In 1946, she went to inactive duty, then was recalled to active duty August 1967. She was appointed on 8 November 1983 as Commodore; the title of that grade changed to Rear Admiral on November 1985. She also was a senior mathematician at Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corp. in Philadelphia, and programed the UNIVAC I, the first commercial large-scale electronic computer. She stayed untill when it was bought by Remington Rand and latter merged with Sperry Corporation. At her retirement ceremony aboard the U. S. S. Constitution in Boston, Navy Secretary John F. Lehmann Jr. resented Admiral Hopper with the Distinguished Service Medal. More than 40 colleges and universities have conferred honorary degrees on Admiral Hopper, and she has been honored by her on several occasions. She was the recipient of the first Computer Sciences â€Å"Man of the Year† award presented by the Data Processing Management Association. Her entry in â€Å"Who's Who† requires 34 lines to thumbnail her accomplishments, appointments, and honors. Grace Murray Hopper spent a lot of time tring to prove that something that's never been done before isn't impossible. This lead Hopper to invent the first computer â€Å"compiler† in 1952. This software made the first automatic programming of computer language easier. Before, programmers had to write lengthy instructions in binary code for every new piece of software. Because binary code consists solely of 0's and 1's, it was difficult for programmers to get through their long tasks without a lot of mistakes. Hopper knew there had to be a solution. She wrote a new program that helped software developers from having to write binary code. Each time the computer needed instructions that were common to all programs, the compiler would have the computer refer to codes in its own memory. The compiler great advance for the computer world. After this she also invented COBOL, the first user-friendly business software program. She retired in 1986 and was remembered for questioning the impossible. She had a Ph. D. in mathematics and physics from Yale University. In her office, she had a clock that ran counterclockwise as a reminder that most problems have more than one solution.

The Role of a Property Management Company

The Role of a Property Management Company Free Online Research Papers Property management companies are tasked with the responsibility of managing almost all of the tasks that come along with real estate ownership. Probably the most important role is that of acting as a liaison between the landlord and tenant. Some of the duties of property management companies include collecting rent, responding to and addressing maintenance issues, advertising vacancies for landlords, and doing credit and background checks on tenants. In exchange for these services that they provide, property management companies charge landlords a percentage of the rent collected each month, which is typically about 10 percent of the gross rent. I personally own an investment property in the state of North Carolina which is managed by Aaims Property Management in Fayetteville (1). My rental property has a monthly rent of $1000, $100 of which is automatically taken out as monthly compensation to Aaims. At the beginning of a new contract, Aaims has the responsibility of checking the fair market value of the rental properties in the neighborhood of my home, coming to agreement with me about the monthly rent, and advertising the home for rent. Once there are prospective tenants for the home, Aaims screens and interviews the prospective tenants, does a background and credit check, and then confers with me about the final list of tenants that are eligible for the home. Upon reaching an agreement about the chosen tenants, Aaims contacts the tenants and sets up the rental lease, security deposit actions, and provides the tenants their keys. When they move-in, the tenants proceed to provide the monthly rent to Aaims Property Man agement and contact them should they have any maintenance issues or questions about the home. Aaims then directly deposits my rental payment into my checking account every month, less their 10 percent fee. If previously agreed upon in the management agreement, repair costs may be marked up by a percentage by some property managers (2). My property management company does not do this. For example, two months ago the garage door at my rental property stopped working. Aaims Property Management called a local garage door company to come out and fix it. The garage door company fixed the garage door and provided a maintenance invoice to Aaims. Aaims then paid for the repairs and deducted the costs out of my monthly rent payment. I was provided a copy of the garage door invoice along with my monthly rental statement. Some property management companies also manage home owner associations (HOAs) and condo associations. In addition to managing income and expense related activity, property managers may also manage construction, development, repair and maintenance on a property. The role of the property manager in repair and maintenance is large part of a property managers function. Property manager relations with tenants give a face to the landlord and provide them the necessary buffer, servicing their desire to profit and distance themselves from the literal tenant relationship. The property manager also acts as a face of authority to the tenants. Property managers usually do some type of inspections on the property in the timeframe of the lease. Aaims Property Management does quarterly inspections on my property. During these inspections, they check many items such as the exterior roofing and walls as well as the landscaping. On the inside, they check paint, flooring and carpets, appliances, smoke detectors, and air vents. The landlord receives a copy of this checklist upon completion of the inspection, for their records. Not anyone can be a property manager. Most states require that property managers have a real estate brokerage licensure. And if they do not have a licensure, they are considered a property management salesperson, who will closely work with a licensed broker. â€Å"Most states regulate property management by including management functions such as leasing, offers to lease, negotiating leases, renting, collecting rent, etc., as covered real estate activities. In many cases, property managers who do not engage in leasing or renting activities are exempt from licensure. The typical definition of broker also specifies that these activities are being done for another individual for a fee, commission or other valuable consideration. Individuals managing their own properties are generally exempt from licensing requirements (3).† Many real estate brokers who manage properties also double as listing and selling agents in real estate sales. Prior to Aaims Property Management managing my home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, I had the house on the market for sale by owner. One day, a woman came to my home and told me that she was an assistant for a local broker who had someone interested in purchasing my home. She gave me a business card of a broker named Laura Mussler. I called Ms. Mussler as soon as I got the chance because I was very eager to sell my home. It took a couple of days for Ms. Mussler to get back in touch with me, but when she did, she informed me that the â€Å"potential buyers† found another house that they liked more and decided to purchase that one instead. However, she told me that she would love to meet with me and discuss more options for selling or possibly renting out my home. Ms. Mussler was a very nice lady, so I agreed. Only later on did I learn that this â€Å"baitingà ¢â‚¬  technique that she used was a scam. Upon meeting with Ms. Mussler, she informed me that the houses in my neighborhood were sitting on the market for rather a long time. 2007 wasn’t a good time to sell, and I believed this being that the market had definitely taken a turn in favor of the buyers recently. Ms. Mussler presented the opportunity of renting out my house. She explained how easy it could actually be with a competent property manager. She claimed that she was personally managing five houses so that while she had a breath of experience in the area, my house would still get the personal attention that it deserved. She advertised all of these services that she could provide under the name of AIT Realty. This was the business on her card. Her phone numbers went to her direct line in her â€Å"office† and her cell phone, so I really had no reason to believe otherwise. Upon finding out later on that Ms. Mussler no longer worked for AIT Realty at the time that she solicited her services to me, it was noted by me that she was illegally using AIT’s registered trade name and trademark. This type of illegal action is considered to be Unfair Competition. This application of the Lanham Act’s Section 43(a) that could have been violated in this instance are Tort claims for â€Å"palming off† or â€Å"passing off,† Trade dress infringement claims, Claims for infringement of both registered and unregistered trademarks, Commercial appropriation of name or likeliness claims, or False advertising claims (4). I informed AIT of this at the time, and I do not know if they ever pursued an investigation. Ms. Mussler started managing my property in Fayetteville in August, 2007. In the time that she managed the property, I was the one who found tenants for it because I advertised my rental on a website for military members. Ms. Mussler claims to have completed a background check and taken the tenants’ security deposit, as well as had completed all of the necessary leasing documentation with the tenants. Shortly thereafter, my rent payment was late. The tenants were due to pay rent on the 1st, and Ms. Mussler was to take out her 10 percent and then directly deposit the remaining balance into my checking account no later than the 4th of every month. This was the verbal agreement between Ms. Mussler and me. In September, 2007, there was no rent check received by me still by the 10th. I called Ms. Mussler to ask what the hold up was and she explained that the bank held the check to clear her account for 10 days and that the money would be deposited as soon as possible into my account. I asked her if it would be possible from then on to cash the check instead of deposit it into her account, and then deposit the net cash into my checking account. She agreed and we decided to go forth with the new plan in October, 2007. In October, 2007, the rent was late again. It was the 8th and I called Ms. Mussler to find out what was going on. She informed me that the tenants had paid their rent late and that she was literally on her way to the bank to cash the check. November came and again, like clockwork, I was calling Ms. Mussler around the second week of the month asking about my late rent payment. She explained to me that there was a long weekend with Veterans Day and that she hadn’t gotten a chance to get to the bank. She apologized and the rent was deposited the next day. In December, the rent was late, yet again. I called Ms. Mussler and expressed my concern with the rent being constantly late and I explained that I had a mortgage to pay every month and that I had a new baby, and she was making the situation extremely stressful by being consistently tardy. She told me that the tenants were late again on the payment and I asked her to please explain to them that they have a 4-day grace period and anything after that may reflect poorly on their credit report. She agreed and promised that she would try her best to not let this happen again. I also asked her during this call if she was to be accomplishing a quarterly inspection on the property. She said yes and told me that she would have the report to me by the end of the month. Come January, 2008, the rent was actually on time, but I still had no documentation of a quarterly inspection. Upon signing the contract with Ms. Mussler, I was given an inspection schedule that annotated that the first inspection would be accomplished on or around December 1st, 2007 and I would be provided a copy of the report no later than 30 days after the fact. When I brought this to her attention, Ms. Mussler responded that that she had completed the inspection and she would have the report to me as soon as possible. My previous neighbor, Melanie, and I had kept in contact throughout this ordeal and she was able to, at this time, obtain the contact information of my tenants. I called them and explained the situation and they informed me that they had not had an inspection on the property at all. At this point I told the tenants that they would be shortly contacted by Aaims Property Management, and that they would set up with them all of the necessary actions for a transfer of management. During this time, I had been doing some research on Ms. Mussler and found out that she was being indicted on county and state tax evasion charges in the case of her previously owned restaurant, the Braz-N-Rabbit. Ms. Mussler collected but failed to pay over $19,000.00 in sales tax to the Department of Revenue (5). I also called AIT Realty’s main office at this time and asked them about Ms. Mussler’s employment there. They informed me that she was terminated in early 2007 after a rash of complaints. They also told me that her â€Å"assistant† that came to my house with the information about the â€Å"interested buyers† was probably her mother, and that they had been using that Bait and Switch techniques on countless other homeowners that listed their home for sale by owner. After telling her that I no longer needed her services and that I would like for her to surrender the security deposit and keys to Aaims Property Management, Ms. Mussler told me that I was under a contractual obligation to pay out her existing contract, or she would not release the aforementioned items. I then explained that she had breached the contract by continuously failing to pay me the rent on time, and because she had failed to complete the quarterly inspection. I told Ms. Mussler that it was also illegal to withhold funds from the tenant, in accordance with the North Carolina Tenant Security Deposit Act (6). Ms. Mussler finally turned over the security deposit to Aaims Property Management and decided to cut all ties with me and to not go after the contract payout. After all was said and done, I filed a formal complaint against Ms. Mussler’s brokerage license with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, as well as with the Better Business Bureau. I also informed the District Attorney that was prosecuting her tax evasion case of what was going on. Ultimately, â€Å"Judge Carl Fox sentenced Ms. Mussler to six to eight months in prison, but suspended the sentence. She was placed on supervised probation for 48 months. She was also ordered to pay $19,574.61 in restitution and a $1,000 criminal fine, and perform 100 hours of community service (5).† Also, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission concluded investigation of the case and revoked Ms. Mussler’s license and told me that I was not the first to complain. I’m not quite sure what happened to Ms. Mussler since then, but I can only hope that she has learned her lesson and that she will stay under the radar for a while. My current property management company has been great. They do all of the quarterly inspections, rent is never late, and they always inform me as soon as possible is something is amiss. I am glad that I learned the lessons when I did to check out brokers more carefully. I should have taken more time to investigate Ms. Mussler before hiring her to take care of something so important and valuable. I’m just glad I learned this all too important lesson so early in my experience and before something larger was at stake, or before I got too invested. (1) Aaims Property Management. 2006. www.rentrentrent.com (2) Property Management System. 2008. www.fairplay.us (3) Property Management Licensing Report. IREM Legislative Staff. June 2007. (4) Business Law- The Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Environment, 13th Edition. Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, Langvardt. 2007. (5) Eatery Owner Fined for Tax. TMC News. May 31, 2008. tmcnet.com/usubmit/-eatery-owner-fined-tax-/2008/05/31/3474530.htm Research Papers on The Role of a Property Management CompanyThe Project Managment Office SystemLifes What IfsAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaDefinition of Export QuotasNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceOpen Architechture a white paperTwilight of the UAWInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

The Sailmaker review Essay Example

The Sailmaker review Essay Example The Sailmaker review Essay The Sailmaker review Essay These were the optimistic and boastful words of a young boy who was proud of his father and his trade but throughout the play Alecs faith in his father was dwindling down to nothing and by the end of the play it was all but diminished when he summed up his feelings and his fathers life perfectly You were always gonnae fix it up for me. Ye just never did. The play centres around the relationship between a widower named Davie and his son Alec. In the opening scene of the play Davie returns home from the hospital with the dreadful news that his wife was dead. The news broke Alec but he would recover and get on with his life but this was the beginning of the end for Davie, for just weeks before he had been laid off from his job as a sailmaker because there was just no work left in the trade. Davies only way of supporting himself and Alec financially was his job as a tick man going round doors and collecting money, but on the side Davie was a very keen betting man and had several lines on each week, often spending the best part of his weeks wages on them. Davies job alone couldnt suffice his son and his gambling needs, so he soon became buried in debt with both the illegal bookmaker and his brother Billy. With his father being away at work most of the day and then going for his daily wee half at the pub afterwards, Alec was having to become more and more independent just to get through the times. He began to develop a close friendship with his cousin Ian and along with using each other as sparring partners they done pretty much everything together. They seemed joined-at-the-hip as children, always out on the street playing football and reading comics together, but as they grew up, they also grew further apart and began to share less of a common ground with each other. For example Alec decided that he wanted to stay on at school, get good grades, go to university and get a shirt-and-tie job, whereas Ian wanted to drop out of school as soon as he could and follow his father, Billy, into the painting and decorating business. At night when Ian and his friends were out in the streets kicking over bins, smashing bottles, getting chased out of the area with the locals and generally causing havoc Alec was going to Christian Endeavour and the local mission to learn about the god. This showed that Alec was independent and had the will power to do the things that he wanted to do and that were best for him. He also showed that he had a great deal of character, as he didnt succumb to peer pressure from going to different organisations and doing the complete opposite from his friends. By going to all these Christian related activities it appeared that Alec was trying to fill a space in his life with religion. Meanwhile Davies life was going from bad to worse because he got a beating from the illegal bookmakers heavies and subsequently got sacked from his job as a tickman because of it. From this point on I got the impression that Davie just didnt care anymore and that his easy laid back attitude towards life, i. e. First thing themorra morning or Dont worry son. Well work it out, started to affect his relationship with Alec. He constantly put things off until the next day, and then the next day and then they still never got done. A key example of this was the story of Alecs toy yacht, which despite Davies endless promises never gets fixed. Alec had only asked for his father to make a sail for it but the answer was always Ahll fix it up when av got the time or Just wait and see. One day when his Uncle Billy was round at his house, Alec asked him if he could paint the yacht for him. Billy took it away that day and had it back and painted for him within a couple of days. This only highlights the differences in character between Davie and Billy. Billy knew that betting wasnt the way to get through life, it was always his tough optimism and hard work that got him and his family through, whilst it was Davies nonchalant and pessimistic attitude that had turned his life into ruins. To be fair to Davie he had backed a loser right fae the start with the sailmaking trade, with collapsed only months after he received his apprenticeship. Davie was an exceptionally unlucky man, everything he touched turned to waste. During the play his wife died, he had been made redundant from three different jobs, he got tangled up in debt, he was attacked and his relationship with Alec had failed severely. This rejection and overall bad luck must have crushed his confidence and he now thought that he was defeated before he had even begun. In the very last scene of the play, Davie and Alec have to resort to burning half their belongings one night in an attempt to stop themselves from freezing because Davie had gambled with the money to pay for coal and electricity. Whilst Alec was rummaging around the house looking for firewood he stumbled across his old toy yacht buried deep in the glory hole. He sat it to the side and continued burning everything else until they eventually ran out. In a way Alec didnt want to burn the yacht because still liked it but on-the-other-hand he knew he had to burn it to rid himself from his sad memories. So when the last piece of furniture had burned down, Alec wedged the yacht right in the centre of the fire. The fames begun lick around it and in the end he finally got what he had waited his whole life for, his little toy yacht had a sail, only it had a sail of flames.

Getting into a dream College, things to know for an applicants.

Getting into a dream College, things to know for an applicants. Getting Into a Dream College, Things to Know There is no such a† winning ticket† which can help you definitely take place in the college. However, I prepared for you, interesting information, given by admission deans, who worked with students’ applications for more than ten years. I am certain that people who actually worked in this sphere can give the solid pieces of advice. So, let’s start your trip to getting you enrolled to the selective college†¦ Don’t choose being good at one thing In the process of choosing students, the colleges are looking for the applicants with clearly-defined goals. Make sure you have the last ones. You need to present yourself as a confident person with a diversity of interests, knowledge and skills. If you have all A’s, that does not mean you catch your lucky ticket. Besides the grades, there has to be something more. Reveal your identity as a person who deserves to get the chance to enter this college. I bet you have some hobbies, or things that you are good at, and they are able to bring you that chance. It is always more interesting to communicate, work or deal with the all-rounder. High grades will still give their best benefits As college is the studying structure, test scores and grades are the most important during the consideration of your application. As you are going to be a student of their college, admission members want to be sure about your learning skills in the first place. Due to this fact, you have to be diligent student, and to keep up with the high results. Provide good feedback in recommendations about yourself When the big group of students, with the most outstanding identification papers, is formed, the college starts to find some selective features of the best student, that’s why they want to look carefully through your essay, recommendation letters, activities after classes and so on. The deans believe that the future students have to be prepared to overcome difficulties, to have passion for the learning process; develop critical thinking, leadership expertise, curiosity, optimism, thirst to the knowledge, and ability to work in team. Reveal your ‘real self’ Deans are bored from the clichà ©-essays, standard formula of success, which says all about your strengths. But, let’s consider it this way, every essay is full of describing applicant’s goals, achievements and that’s not the bad thing, however you can lose yourself by trying to follow the accepted scheme. Nowadays, it is possible to load some videos, to present some project, which will show your words in action.   The schools like University of Chicago, the University of Rochester Yale, Reed College, and Pomona College have already practiced using of this option. The person who is not afraid to create something new has a chance to catch the dean’s attention. Money is another winning point Even if you have high marks and good recommendation, the financial situation of yours still is taken into consideration. As there are plenty of programs you might be involved in, you have to be able to pay for yourself during some projects. Students without enough money can get worse results. Be prepared to face this fact, even though it may seem completely unfair to you. Hometown plays its role The colleges are willing to take students from all 50 states. The urban-rural students are welcomed to the colleges. Geography can be decisive as well. The need of exchanging students and their experiences is popular today. Get your success by your own Don’t expect that prestigious college will enroll you because of your famous mother or father. That’s not their position, that’s yours; put the efforts and earn your sit in the dreamed college. Good things require your true dedication Very often your doings influence the choice of admission members. They are interested in your ability to be sympathetic to the others and to help them. The main point here that you’re not doing it just for a record, the reason lies in your true desire to do well. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology very deeply examines the applicant’s actions towards helping others. That doesn’t mean you need to spend all of your free time at community services, the simple help to your family, neighbors or some elderly people are perfect chances to open your heat to something good. Considerable importance During the choosing college, pick up your priority. The colleges appreciate that you made them your first option. Try to show them your strong interest to their college. Appoint the meeting to get to know the campus. Make sure your first visit will impress them in a good way. These tips from deans are very interesting for those who made their decision to be the students of an outstanding college. I hope this information will help you to approach your own method of ‘winning the ticket’ to the future college.

Managerial Position of Manager Bank of America Essay

Managerial Position of Manager Bank of America - Essay Example A trustworthy manager can direct to more productive outcomes and is able to increase the achievements of any organization. Good management can improve the reputation of the bank and job satisfaction of employees. Thus, it can provide good customer satisfaction and increase the customer base. Managerial Functions Bank manager is in charge for the overall improvement and performance of the bank and the employees. The function of bank manager is to ensure superior service quality, business improvement and accomplishment of target (Peke, n.d.). The most important function of a bank manager in Bank of America is to develop the business of the bank. Bank manager always strives to increase the income through increasing the customer base. Bank manager is liable for setting the goals and planning a way to fulfill them. It is the function of bank manager to regularly examine the progression of other competitor banks and assess their business activities. A bank manager must ensure to maintain t he professional standard and the policy of the bank (Stanley St Labs, n.d.). Kinds of Managers Control Freak: This type of managers prefer to control all operations of the bank on his own. They do not prefer employees to make any kind of managerial decision whether it is a small decision or big. This kind of manager never tells the details about any assignment to complete it. Autocratic: Manager of this kind does not care about the workers. This type of manager is quite tuff and they are pretty clear about their need. Team Builder: This kind of managers is proficient at their work. They are quite open near subordinates and they seek for creativity from the workers. These kinds of managers do any task in particular way and by involving the employees. Managerial Roles In banking there are several roles for managers which are: Operation manager: These types of managers are open to the customers and have good communication skill. They deal with the customer directly about any kind of pr oblem. Retail manager: These types of managers handles the retail operations such as bank cashier, ATM operations, manage the deposit and withdrawal, money order, utility bill and others. Investment manager: The role of investment manager is to manage the account of customer, freight brokerage, analyze the investment, and manage the investment fund and operational investments. Financial manager: The role of financial manager is to manage the bill, account, and other financial services. Loan manager: Loan manager assess the loan requests, verify the customers’ capability to repay the loan amount and provide approval of loan. These types of managers are specialized in business, consumer and credit lending (Profitableinvestment, 2011). Managerial Skills Technical: A manager must be able to use specific methods or techniques to perform the managerial task. The technical skill is not associated with usage of equipment, machinery or technology. It is related with the usage of vario us managerial techniques in decision making such as break even analysis, planning any training program, conduct an interview and others. Interpersonal: A manager must possess skill to lead the employees. The interpersonal skills of manager consist of motivating the employees, resolving any disagreement and communicating with customers and other people. Conceptual: Conceptual skills are extremely important for middle level or top level managers. A manager should be capable of ‘grasping the whole picture’ of any bank. Communication: This is the basic skill of all bank managers. A manag

What are the Main Criticisms of Realist Literature review

What are the Main Criticisms of Realist - Literature review Example International relations refer to the political, and sometimes economic, relations between states. Realism is an approach to the management of international relations whereby decision-makers adopt a practical rather than a moral view of issues. Essentially, realism proscribes that we see 'the world as it really is rather than how we would like it to be' (Baylis and Smith, 1997:3). Realists have a somewhat Hobbesian view of humankind and states, actors are believed to be self-interested and, in order to maintain the balance of power, often must be forced into compliance by war, which is seen as a necessary byproduct of competition. Although realism is a dominant ideology in many Western countries including the United States, it is been subject to numerous criticisms, as they are the primary focus of this essay it is to these criticisms that we now turn. Implicit within realism is a set of fundamental principles, these principles form the basis of realist ideas, yet, also generate heavy criticism. Realists reject notions of long-term cooperation with or allegiance to competing states (Baylis and Smith, 1997:141-146).   The 'everything but arms' initiative developed in the region ensures that the worlds poorest countries are permitted to export all their goods (other than arms) into Europe free of charge (Stiglitz, 2004:246). If it were as realists suggest, all nations are self-interested utility maximizers then this type of cooperation would be highly unlikely. It would probably make more economic sense for the European Union to export to these poorer nations but to leave their own markets closed to foreign materials or to command a fee for allowing access which would normally be the case. Programs like this one are genuine attempts by the international community to find a viable solution to the problems of the third world, insinuating that not all states act in self-interest and all are capable of cooperation. Further, cooperation and long-term alliances are possible. It also suggests that as constructivists have argued, it is the state itself that defines 'anarchy' and it is by no means a fixed e lement of states, rather a socially constructed ideal that only survives in states that operate under realist auspices (Bayliss and Smith, 1997:141-161).   

Open-label study of risperdone in children with severe disruptive Research Paper

Open-label study of risperdone in children with severe disruptive behaviors and below-average IQ - Research Paper Example The drug acts by blocking the postsynaptic function of dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain, however, how it is able to improve the behavior is still unknown (McCracken et al, 2002). These drugs enhance protection against extrapyramidal symptoms (Findling, 2003). This is one of the prime reasons why risperidone is used more frequently for the treatment of behavioral disorders among children (Risperidone in Children with Autism, 2002). So far, it is one of the few drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or FDA to treat aggressive behavior and irritability among children with autism (Buck, 2008). This approval was expanded in 2007 to include treatment of cases suffering from bipolar disorder in children 10 years of age, and children with schizophrenia 13 years of age and over (Buck, 2008). The recommended dosage in children is less than 1 mg per day, which can be given once or twice daily. The drug takes at least one week to start showing its effects, where the child may become calmer and less aggressive in nature (Eapen and Guraraj, 2005). The duration of the drug is variable, and is prescribed based on individual needs. Studies are showing positive correlation between the uses of the drug and lessening of the effects of aggression among children (Eapen and Gururaj, 2005, McCracken et al, 2002). A common side effect of the drug is EPS or extrapyramidal side effects, which include muscle rigidity, eye rolling and restlessness (Eapen and Gururaj, 2005). Usually the EPS is reversed by the administration of diphenhydramine 25 mg, within half an hour of the episode. There is still somewhat limited number of studies about the side effects of the drugs and more research in this area is needed. Children with ADHD receiving the drug for a prolonged time are likely to display tardive dyskinesia, which is reversible after discontinuation of the drug (Robb, 2010). Other less common side effects include muscle spasms and stiffness, agitatio n and feeling of restlessness, difficulty in swallowing, unexplained fever confusion, and fast and irregular heartbeat respectively. Children can also rarely display high blood sugar levels, increased prolactine horomones and high blood lipid levels (Eapena dn Gururaj, 2005). Risperidone increases appetite and sleep, which is why it is of concern in obese children. Other probable side effects may include increased risk to metabolic syndrome, diabetes or increased lipids. These effects can be utilized for children who have low appetite or who are restless and difficult sleepers (Eapen and Gururaj, 2005). The selection of the topic for research is justified. There is need to expand the research and learn more about the mechanism of action of the drug, and how it affects the behavioral problems among children. Alongside, new research in the same area will help in reinforcing the already found conclusions as well as identify possible new areas of research, such as how to reduce the side effects of the drug among children. As stated in the study by Eapen and Gururaj, (2005), ‘Although psychostimulants remain the mainstay of pharmacological treatment for ADHD, they may not be tolerated by some children, may be ineffective in some, and in yet others may exacerbate a comorbid medical condition such as seizures or tics’(Eapen and Gururaj