Louis XIVs foreign policy Essay Example for Free

Louis XIVs foreign policy Essay Assess to what extent was Louis XIVs foreign policy less successful after 1684. Up to 1684, Louis XIVs foreign policy had allowed him to acquire strategically important territory which made France more secure. In doing so, he also defended the reputation of the House of Bourbon on the battlefield and thus increased its gloire. However after 1684, his foreign policy enjoyed less success due to a combination of factors. The latter half of Louis reign was marked by two major wars: the Nine Years War and the War of Spanish Succession. Both of these wars emphasized a decline in France after its peak in 1684. For instance, the results of the Nine Years War suggest that France had clearly lost most of the territory gained at the Treaty of Nymegen in 1678. Meanwhile, the War of Spanish Succession did not result in as much success as Louis previous wars. This indicates a less successful foreign policy after 1684. In terms of territory, Louis only real gain was Spain from the War of Spanish Succession. On the other hand, Louis surrendered all possessions gained since Nymegen, with the exception of Strasbourg, such as Trier, Breisach, Philippsburg and most of Lorraine. Plus, the Spanish Empire had to been carved up, with parts of it going to other European powers. These losses imply that Louis no longer possessed a dominating influence over Europe; the North-Eastern border was yet again vulnerable to attacks from other nations. To add insult to injury, France and Spain could not unite to become one country. Prior to 1684, the French had been undefeated since Louis took his majority in 1661. However post-1684, there were several defeats for the French army, most notably at Blenheim in 1704 and Oudenarde in 1708 after which France was invaded. These defeats weakened the gloire of the French army, which had been feared prior to these defeats. Frances gloire was further diminished when the Allies invaded her during 1708 and 1709. These defeats suggest poor leadership and a deteriorating army which no longer held its former feared reputation. Other setbacks include destruction of the French navy at the Battle of Cap de la Hogue in 1692. This ended any chances of restoring James II as King of England. Restoring James would alter the balance of power in Europe in favour of Louis. The balance of power was extremely important because the balance of power had been in favour of France from 1661 1688. Despite these setbacks, both Louis and France were still able to gain some gloire. Firstly, gaining the Spanish Succession implied that the Bourbons had the upper hand in the dynastic struggle with the Hapsburgs. Secondly, although the French were defeated on several occasions, it did win some important battles, namely at Brihuega and Villa Victoba in 1710. Plus, the results of the Treaty of Utrecht suggest that France was still the dominating power in Europe. It would appear that the achievements of the latter half of Louis reign did not match the first half. This is reflected in the French gains in terms of territory and gloire. While the former half of the reign was characterised by territorial acquisitions such as Franche-Comtà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, Aire, Ypres, etc, the latter half was highlighted by losing land gained since the Treaty of Nymegen. These losses weakened Frances north-eastern and eastern border, which Louis had worked so hard to protect in the first half of his sovereignty. This loss also meant diminished gloire and reduced hegemony. Compared with the initial half of his reign, Louis appears to achieve less in the second half. This decline can be attributed to a combination of factors. Louis foreign policy before 1684 had created plenty of enemies in Europe, namely England, United Provinces, Spain, Holy Roman Empire and the German Princes. While before the Holy Roman Emperor had to deal with the Turks in the east, Leopold now had a free hand to intervene in the west. Louis foreign policy prior to 1684 had united Europe in hatred of him and France. The Dutch opposed him because he had fought them in the Dutch War, which resulted in sever disruption to Dutch trade. German Princes opposed him because Louis had taken land from them via the Policy of Reunion. Leopold also wanted revenge because Louis had illegally seized Strasbourg. Compared to the beginning of Louis reign, the European balance of power has shifted against France; whereas before there was disunity in Europe, now Europe was unified in hatred of France. This unity is very important because it shifts the balance of power against France. Whereas in previous wars France was able to isolate enemies, now she had to fight against the whole of Europe. Previous wars had used up Frances resources. Even by 1680 France was already in debt. On the other hand, her enemies enjoyed better provisions for finance, for example the William III was able to borrow money at low rates from of interest from the Bank of England. The minister and generals in the latter part of the reign did not have the same standard as at the beginning. This is particularly true of the army; Villeroi and Villars were mere shadows of their predecessors. The Allies, on the contrary, had excellent and able generals such as the Duke of Marlborough, Prince Eugene of Savoy and Heinsius. Whereas before France had the dream team of ministers and army generals, now the Allies have superior personnel. France was further weakened by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which forced plenty Huguenots to leave the country. This had a devastating effect on the French economy since many of the Huguenots were merchants, industrialists, engineers, etc. Frances loss was the Allies gain as many of these Huguenots moved to Allied countries. As a result, the Allied human resources grew at the expense of France. Although the change in the balance of power in Europe is importantly, ultimately the loss of resources was a more important factor in explaining why France was less successful after 1688. Hugue de Lionne was able to alienate opponents during the War of Devolution and Dutch War, whilst his successors were not able to do that in the Nine Years War or War of Spanish Succession. If French diplomats had been able to alienate opponents, then she wouldnt have had to fight the whole Europe. While Conde and Turenne remained undefeated, Villeroi and Villars suffered frequent defeats in the hands of the Allies. Had the French army stayed undefeated during the Nine Years War and War of Spanish Succession, then no doubt her gains would have been much more than what she actually received. Part of Louis success in the former half of his reign was due the fact that there was a power vacuum in Europe for France to explore. However, by the second half of the reign, that power vacuum had disappeared. Emperor Leopold had dealt with the Turks on his eastern frontier and could turn his full attention onto the west. While Charles II didnt want to be involved in expensive European warfare, there was no question of that after William III became King of England. This suggests that other European countries no longer had internal problems and were able to take part in European affairs. Another reason for the less successful latter half is the foreign policy of the former half of his reign had caused deep resentment and anger from other powers in Europe. Many countries had been offended by French actions; particularly regarding French aggression during the Policy of Reunions. This resulted in them wanting revenge against France. It would appear that Leopolds availability to intervene in the west was a more important factor than other countries wanting revenge against France. Leopold can be seen as Louis nearest contemporary. So, if any nation or coalition was going to match France, then Leopold had to be in it. This can be seen in the Grand Alliance of the Hague. Therefore, one of the main reasons for a less successful foreign policy post-1688 is because of Leopolds availability to intervene in the west. There is a combination of reasons as to why Louis was less successful after 1688. Some reasons are more than important than others; for example, the hatred of France from the Policy of Reunion drove other nations together against France and so the power vacuum, which was there at the beginning of the reign, disappeared. However, ultimately it was the combination of these reasons which caused French foreign policy to be less successful following 1688. Unity in Europe alone wouldnt have stopped French aggression. Similarly loss of French resources alone wouldnt have had as much effect had Europe been in disarray. In conclusion, the foreign policy in the latter half of Louis reign was clearly less successful than pre-1684. In terms of achievements she had secured her status in Europe by acquiring the Spanish Succession, which ensured that she was no longer surrounded by Hapsburgs; Louis had built a Bourbon base in Western Europe which would secure and strengthen both France and Spain. He also left behind a legacy of unprecedented French supremacy during which France was arguably the most powerful country in the world. However, there were failures from his foreign policy as well. The North-Eastern and Eastern frontiers was yet again weakened by the loss of lands which he had worked so hard to acquire before 1684. Furthermore, he left his successor with a Europe united in hatred of France who wanted to curb French power and hegemony.

Characteristics of problems

Characteristics of problems Characteristics of Problems Determining the type of problem to be solved is particularly difficult. From the scientific point of view it has not been treated sufficiently yet.   It is, nevertheless, of fundamental importance because it covers the whole field of creativity, and the problem solver(s) heuristic behavior is contingent on the type of problem.   What is a problem?   This question was asked and answered by Karl Duncker (1945).   Duncker, who was a Gestalt psychologist, defined a problem in these words: â€Å"A problem arises when a living organism has a goal but does not know how this goal is to be reached.†Ã‚   This definition is, no doubt, very useful, because creativity tasks and activities always strive to address a problem.   Yet, Dunckers definition and formulation poses these caveats:   It is necessary to distinguish between a task and a problem.   It is the subjects level of domain knowledge, including his ability to find pertinent knowledge, if necessary, that makes the difference between the two. A task set by a researcher or experimenter may be a problem to certain subjects and no problem to others.  Ã‚   A problem may vanish or be resolved if the subject changes his goal.   A problem does not exist de facto, unless the subject observes discrepancies between his current situation and the goals he pursues. Reitman (1965) proposed that problems be viewed as three-component entities, having an initial state, a final (goal) state, and a set of processes that facilitate reaching the goal, starting from the initial state.   Minski (1961) proposed a distinction between two types of problems, those that according to the nature of the conditions of acceptability of solutions are either well defined or ill-defined.   A problem satisfying Reitmans conditions (Reitman, 1965) is a so-called well-defined problem: it can be solved by applying a systematic procedure that makes it possible to decide whether a proposed solution is correct or not.   It means that it is totally decidable: all pertinent solutions can be evaluated strictly using one binary variable: right or wrong.   The solution can thus be described as an all-or-nothing phenomenon.   There are no intermediate solutions between the functional and non-functional ones.   In general terms, any tests for which there exists a rigorous method of comparison between what is proposed and what is required is a well-defined problem. Examples of well-defined problems are board games, problems in mathematics, or problems in logic.   They may be very difficult to resolve, nevertheless.   Taking mans limited resources, psychologists face the task of explaining how human beings manage to solve problems in chess, mathematics or geometry within reasonable time.   Ill-defined problems are those that are not well-defined.   They result in a multitude of solutions that cannot be classified by using a binary truth-value, but by using a relative qualitative scale.   The response to a requirement thus allows grades, the determination of which is left to the referees.   The majority of problems occurring in everyday life are ill-defined problems: the improvement on an object or an apparatus, a new use of what already is known, the search for a sales idea or a marketing idea, etc. Ill-defined problems arise when some components of the problems statement, in the sense of Reitman, are unspecified, or are vague or fuzzy.   The definedness of problems varies in degree (Reitman, 1965, Ch. 5).   For instance, ‘take a little flower and bake bread for these people, which is vague in terms of the quantity of flower and the number of people, but specifies clearly the method: bake.   Another statement may run like this: ‘Let us overcome the current economic crisis.   This statement does not specify the method: what should be done to overcome the crisis?   ‘Do not just hang around, maximize something is an exhortation taken from a cartoon, in which both the initial state, the method and the goal are shrouded in a mental fog.   Ill-defined problems are more common than are well-defined problems, but it is all the more difficult to explain how to tackle them. It is worth noting that Minskis postulate does not necessarily cover the distinction between problem solving and creativity. For instance, the discovery of a new algorithm, or a new combination of known algorithms, is a creative act. But well-defined problems in the sense of Minsky may lead to an opposition between algorithmic procedures and inferential procedures. As for the ill-defined problems, Reitman (1964) proposed a typology of six classes of problems comprising the transformation or generation of states, objects, or collections of objects.   This taxonomy is not presented as a universal tool covering the whole field of creative situations, but simply as a general structure making it possible to collect the largest number possible of the creative situations.   This attempt at systemization has mainly a descriptive value, but it is not unlikely that it could also be used for deducing hypotheses related to the behavior of effectual solutions. Reitmans work is based on the introduction of the following three concepts: let A be an initial state or object (one which is expected to undergo transformation, modification, complementing, improvement, etc.) and let B be a final state or object (the solution to be obtained, elimination of problem).   Let the symbol à ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã…’ denote a process, program, or sequence of operations.   It is then possible to represent a large number of problematic situations parting from these three symbols by representing them by a general vector [A, B, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬â„¢].   Using these three concepts, six types of poorly defined problems can be distinguished. Type I.   The initial and terminal states A and B are well specified: the relevant data are known and the requirements to be satisfied are explained precisely.   The problem then consists in discovering the process à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ that makes it possible to pass from the well-specified state A to a well-specified state B.   For instance: how can a given function be incorporated in a specific device?   This type seems to cover a large class of problem situations. Type II.   The terminal state B is less precisely specified than in the previous type, while A is left entirely at the discretion of the experimenter.   In fact, nothing is said about the state, object or assembly of objects from which to part.  Ã‚   The initial material is largely undetermined and admits only one constraint to aid in constituting the one possible solution.   For instance: what should be done to make traveling by train more pleasurable? Here, obviously, the current state represents some level of train travel comfort or pleasure, and this should be increased.   But what exactly is to be achieved is an open question. Type III.   The initial state A consists in this case of an assembly of constituent parts each of which represents a concrete entity, while B represents a state or object to be achieved which is defined vaguely and is characterized by the fact that one or several of constituent parts of A have lost their separate identities after reaching B.   Reitman cites as an example Napoleons cook who was charged with the task to â€Å"make a good dish† B to celebrate the victory at Marengo using only available ingredients A.   This type is undoubtedly less general than the preceding ones.   Type IV.   A and B are presented as consisting of sub-components and are rather poorly defined.   This type differs from type II in that in the latter case there are no restrictions imposed on search, different analogous paths, and different associative paths the exploration of which can be relatively fruitful.   In type IV it is not like that.  Ã‚   The distinction between sub-components provides constraints within which the problem solution has to take place.   The research is, in other words, more strictly restrained than it is in the problems of type II. Type V.  Ã‚   The initial state A is given by reference to a well defined object, the final state B is given by a set of similarities and dissimilarities with respect to A.   An example given by Reitman to illustrate this type is the following: manufacturer ÃŽÂ ± of some equipment encounters a serious competition from ÃŽÂ ²-companys product.   The first company, ÃŽÂ ±, decides to change the design of the product in point to offer a price that is lower for a comparable quality than what its competitor ÃŽÂ ² asks.   The task thus does not necessarily require an entirely new manufacturing process, because the added cost of the new process would not help to slash the price according to original estimates.   Besides, the modification must be implemented fast because the competing product already is in the market while ÃŽÂ ±-companys sales decrease with each passing day.   The exigencies of this example illustrate the general type V product as a new device that m ust be functionally similar to the old version but must be cheaper. Type VI.   In this case, the final state B is well specified while the initial state A remains essentially empty, unstructured and largely undetermined.   Characteristic examples cited by Reitman comprise: to explain a new phenomenon, discover an alibi for a criminal deed, etc.   This type differs from type II in the degree of precision of the task.   It is thus possible to distinguish among six categories of poorly defined problems resorting to almost formal properties of their application.   A research activity the results of which would show that these categories incite heuristically different behavior on the part of individuals and groups still has to be accomplished.   A relevant taxonomy establishes first some ordering, i.e. introduces some logic in the pertinent knowledge field.   For this purpose the taxonomy distributes the phenomena or the entities considered according to their relevant characteristics, with no ambiguity involved.   It appears that, in general, each taxonomy displays at least two different utility values: First of all, the taxonomy presents a reference value that provides a framework for a certain subset of the universe.   The information already available about the elements of this subset thus cease to be fragmented and simply accumulated: in the continuation they are ordered with respect to one another.   They can be integrated and complemented.   Fragmented knowledge thus becomes systematic. This knowledge also represents an â€Å"operational† or heuristic value of the taxonomy in point. This value becomes apparent when the taxonomy leads to empirical research in order to validate its structure, its principle and its extent, or to uncover which variables of the taxonomy can be expected and unified.   In the case of problem solution and creativity research, one can try to establish some correspondence between certain types of tasks with certain behavioral phenomena, particularly those of psycholinguistic nature.   The first problem differentiation might take into consideration the different objective properties of problems: The problem is algorithmic: it can be resolved using an ordered sequence of specific operations.   It allows, in this sense, a truly coordinated division of labor, and is particularly suitable for groups with the centralized communication structure.   The problem is inferential: it can be visualized by means of trees, but the process of generalization of the trees cannot be decomposed into concatenated elementary operations.   A homogeneous structure is, however, more appropriate.   It can be seen that groups facing a specific situation adopt spontaneously the optimum organization to respond to this situation. Most authors, however, have resorted to local dichotomies based on a multitude of imprecise criteria.   The straightforward problem typologies are the following: Verbal and non-verbal tasks.   Verbal tasks are supposed to mobilize important cultural experience and imply the use of specific functions or hypothetic factors.   Non-verbal tasks are symbolic, or in other ways dependent on non-verbal perceptions. Intellectual and manipulation-dependent tasks.   In intellectual tasks, the principal operator is the brain.   Manipulation-dependent problems require a coordination of the brain and muscular factors.   Unique-solution and multiple-solutions tasks.   Then there are problems having a unique solution and problems having multiple solutions.   The totality of distinctions pertinent to a particular solution domain cannot be generalized, because their underlying criteria are too coarse and do not allow more than just a very summary control of the situation.   Shaws dimensional analysis In an attempt to present various aspects of group tasks in a systematic manner, Shaw (1963) collected a very eclectic set of 104 statements mostly taken from experimental literature.   The statements relate to both ill-defined and well-defined problems, to verbally and non-verbally formulated tasks, etc.   These various statements were evaluated according to six a priori defined dimensions, which can be visualized as continuously varying intervals in which each task occupies a point.   The six dimensions are characterized in the following manner: Requirements of cooperation.   This dimension permits to define the degree to which it is required that members of the group act in a coordinated manner to complete the task successfully.   It is thus a measure of dependence between the goal and the coordinated activity of the subjects.   Verifiability of the decision.   It is the degree to which the â€Å"rightness† or adequacy of the solution can be proved, either by reference to an authority, or by logical procedures (usually a mathematical proof), or by feedback (for instance by examining the consequences of the decision taken). Difficulty.   This is defined by Shaw abstractly as the quantity of effort necessary for executing the task.   Specifically, an indicator of difficulty can be the time required for solution, the number of errors made, etc. Clarity of purpose.   This denotes the degree of precision with which the requirements of the task are presented to members of the group, and how the members perceive the requirements. Multiplicity of approaches to the goal.   This dimension expresses the more or less great possibility to resolve the problem by various procedures.   It is thus a matter of possible paths to the solution, i.e. of the number of alternative solutions. Relationship between mental and motor requirements.   A task that only requires the implementation of intellectual activities will be among the strongest on this dimension.   Conversely, tasks requiring only motor abilities will be among the weakest.   A task requiring both intellectual and motor activities occupies an intermediate position between the two extremes. Intrinsic interest.   Problems are not equally attractive, i.e. they do not mobilize the same motivation.   This dimension is thus assigned the degree to which a particular task appears interesting to the subjects. Operational requirements.   This dimension was introduced to evaluate the number of different kinds of operations, knowledge or abilities required for the completion of the task. Familiarity within the population.   Individuals might have had a previous experience of the task in point, either direct or by means of an analogous task.   This dimension thus evaluates the relative â€Å"rareness† of a class of problems to a population. Multiplicity of solutions.   It is the number of different correct solutions for the problem in point.   That number can in general be evaluated exactly in a well-defined problem, but not if the estimate is very intuitive. This family of dimensions is intended to cover the maximum of traits occurring in every heuristic situation.   Certain dimensions thus relate to formal properties of the task, for instance numbers 2, 5, or 10, while others, e.g. numbers 7 and 9 refer direct to the consequences of applying a particular semantics (second level of determination).   Forty-nine referees, mostly graduate students of psychology, got the task of distributing the 104 sample tasks according to the 10 dimensions shown above.   Eight positions or degrees ordered by their magnitude were defined.   The judgments were consistent, except for the dimension â€Å"clarity of purpose†. With these data, Shaw got two factor analyses that resulted in disclosing five significant factors for task analysis: Difficulty, (factor I), the quantity of required effort displays a close relationship to the number of operations, knowledge, and required abilities for solving the problem.   The forth dimension, the â€Å"clarity of purpose† is equally an important aspect of difficulty: the less clear the goal is, the more difficult is the task judged to be.   Multiplicity of solutions (factor II) is a complex dimension that relates both to the number of acceptable solutions, to the diversity of paths leading to the solutions, and to the verifiability of a solution.   Shaw thinks that the essential aspect is the number of solutions, while the other two merely are its consequences.   While there are several solutions available, there also are several ways how to reach them. Proving the adequacy of each solution rigorously is hardly possible. Cooperation requirements (factor III) correspond exactly to the dimension of the same name.   The degree of completing a task successfully implies a coordinated action on the part of group members. The relationship between intellectual requirements motor requirements (factor IV) constitutes no doubt an independent dimension.   But it only shows a very weak correlation with the familiarity with the task within the population.   Familiarity in the population is considered a separate dimension for the same reason.   Nevertheless, it is necessary to point out that the familiarity seems relatively irrelevant, at least under the particular conditions of this work, where the majority of the tasks were somehow familiar to the subjects. Intrinsic interest (factor V), which corresponds to the intensity of motivation and the attraction exerted by the problem on the group members, too, is a dimension permeated with factor II. The first three of the six dimensions obtained finally seem to be both the most important and the least ambiguous ones.   It is of course possible, as Shaw himself notes, that there are other dimensions, equally important, which continued research could bring forth.   This first attempt will make it possible largely to control the principal components of the situation that comes into being as a problem to be solved is given to the subjects.   This is the only condition under which accumulation of experimental data in this field can be transformed into scientific knowledge. Categorization by Roby and Lanzetta Roby and Lanzetta (1958) proposed a model intended to define and highlight the most important characteristics of a group task.   For this purpose, they distinguish four sets of events occurring in the functioning of any group task system: a. A set Tiof task input data.   Here belong, for instance, the formulation of the problem to be solved and of the material it implies. b. A correlative set Giof initial activities of the group.   These comprise, among others, waiting times, observation, data recording, communication associated with input variables, etc. c. A set Goof outputs produced by the group.   In the creative process these comprise the traces of the heuristic process and solution suggestions. d. A set Toof environmental changes following from the groups activities. Roby and Lanzetta define three general types of properties: Descriptive aspects, including the qualitative nature of various events, their number, and metric properties. Distribution of the events in the space or by relation to other events. Functional aspects of events, i.e. their temporal occurrence as a function of foregoing events (sequential analysis). Each set of events, Ti, Gi, Go and To, can be studied and related to according to these three types of properties.   In theory at least, it is possible to characterize any group task, and in particular any creative situation, using a double-entry table for 12 cases. This is the formal equipment of the descriptive system of group tasks proposed by Roby and Lanzetta.   In an abstract analysis, however, this representation does not make the understanding of a truly psychological meaning of a specific task possible.   This remark led the authors to propose a complementary notion of â€Å"critical exigencies†.   This concept was introduced to cover the fact that each task requires certain behavior on the part of the group to be correctly executed, and calls for certain specific types of activities to be carried out.   The implementation of these requirements should thus help to reduce the discontinuity mentioned between the structural properties of the task and the psychological or psychosocial phenomena generated by its handling.   It is a different manner of contrasting the general and the particular.   In a way, this is what was above called the â€Å"second level of determination†. Roby and Lanzettas intention was not to put forward a theory permitting to characterize the problems rigorously, but rather to present a table for the analysis of systems of group tasks.   Their framework thus permits theoretically to classify any task parting from the values relevant to the task in the 12 boxes of the analysis table, but it does not make it possible to classify the types of tasks using a specific corpus of formal properties.   Thus, Roby and Lanzetta did not forge a typological tool, but, rather, a descriptive tool the general purpose of which is found precisely in the fact that the tool is deemed able to adapt itself to any task.   The goal of their work was not to distribute the generalized variable â€Å"task structure† on an arbitrary scale, but rather to find a set of invariant characteristics that would make it possible to situate the various problems that appear in the life of a working group.   Creative problems constitute in this context evid ently merely a special case.   It follows that the effort to determine the â€Å"invariants† of the analysis is probably of utmost importance and should complement any typological effort. Finally, an adequate taxonomy of poorly defined problems must comprise a meta-linguistic analysis of their formulation in the natural language: it must be possible to establish a rigorous correspondence between a formal type and the multitude of its verbal expressions or concretizations and, in parallel, part from a specific semantics to reach a logical class it illustrates.   Roqutte (1975) sketches the first attempt in this respect. Psychologists studying the ways people solve problem have adopted a reasonable strategy.   They study how people handle seemingly well-defined problems, and then apply theprocedure to the study of ill-defined tasks.   In some instances shortcuts to solving an ill-defined problem are possible: seek a well-defined version of the same problem and try to solve it, or find a new definition of the problem.   Defininition or interpretation of the problem is as important in tackling well-defined tasks as it is in working with ill-defined tasks.   Adversary and non-adversary problems This is another distinction between problems.   An adversary problem is one in which the problem solver is competing with a thinking opponent, or a seemingly thinking opponent, like a chess-playing computer.   In non-adversary problems the battle goes between a thinking problem solver and inert problem features.   The latter may be symbolic or real, but they do not react to what the problem solver does, in order to â€Å"defeat† him, and they do not care about what the human problem solver feels.   Semantically rich and semantically impoverished problems This distinction seems to be increasing in importance.   It was elaborated by Chi and his coworkers (1982).   A problem is semantically rich for the problem solver who brings a significant relevant knowledge to the problem.   The opposite is true of semantically impoverished problems.   As an example, consider a problem given to two problem solvers.   For the domain expert it is a semantically rich problem, for the novice it is a semantically impoverished problem.   This distinction thus expresses the problem-solvers view of the problem situation, or Shaws familiarity within the population. Most puzzles, IQ-tests, and the like, are semantically impoverished for most subjects.   Much of psychological research has been focused on solving semantically impoverished puzzles of the non-adversary type.   The semantically rich non-adversary tasks are increasing in importance.   This category comprises most tasks in computer programming and in physics.  Ã‚  Ã‚  

EU Pharmacovigilance Legislation: An Overview

EU Pharmacovigilance Legislation: An Overview Susan Murphy As defined by the WHO, Pharmacovigilance is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse reactions and other medicine related problems. Adverse effects are whereby medicines affect the body in an unintended and harmful way. Following on from this, the underlying objectives of EU pharmacovigilance legislation are to: prevent harm from adverse reactions in humans arising from the use of authorised medicinal products promote the safe and effective use of medicinal products, in particular through providing timely information about the safety of medicinal products to patients, healthcare professionals and the public. Pharmacovigilance is therefore an activity contributing to the protection of both patients and public health [1]. When a new medicine obtains marketing authorization (MA), the active substance has been tested and it has been concluded that the benefits of this new medicine outweigh the risks. There is a limited amount of information available after clinical trials so the decision to give MA is effectively a trade off between making a new medicine available as early as possible and waiting until as much as possible is know about the medicine. For testing, several hundreds or thousands of carefully selected patients will have participated in clinical trials. These trials take place under controlled conditions. However, once MA has been obtained, the medicine will now be used in normal healthcare settings where there will be many patients who may differ from those used in the population study (eg age difference, may be using other drugs, have disease interactions. and also there will be longer term effects of using the new medicine). So it is imperative to identify these new or changing risks as quickly as possible to take measures to minimize the risks to patients. [2] For companys there is a legal obligation to continuously collect data and conduct pharmacovigilance regarding any possible change to the risk-benefit balance of taking such a medicine. In this regard, pharmacovigilance regulation seeks to protect the public from emerging safety issues by monitoring the product throughout its lifetime so that it is safe and effective to use. The 2012 EU Pharmacovigilance Legislation [3] New legislation regarding pharmacovigilance came into effect in July 2012. This was the biggest change to the regulation of human medicines since 1995. Based on evidence that adverse drug reactions caused approx 197,000 deaths per year in the EU, the EC began a review of the European system of safety monitoring (an independent study with extensive public consultation) This resulted in a 2010 directive and regulation, Directive 2010/84/EU Regulation (EU) No 1235/2012 which amended the existing pharmacovigilance laws 2001/83/EC and regulation (EC) No. 726/2004. This was accompanied by the implementation regulation published in June 2012 which provided operational aspects for the new legislation (no 520/2012 19th June 2012) A further amendment was carried out in Oct 2012 following a review of the withdrawal of the medicine Mediator (benfluorex) a diabetes drug with a coronary side effect, where it was felt that the risk now outweighed the limited benefit. The amendments aimed to further protect the patients health by allowing prompt notification and assessment of patient issues. The aim of the legislation was to reduce the number of Adverse Drug reactions via Collecting data on the effects of a given medicine from a wider net Rapid and robust assessment of issues Effective regulatory action to deliver safe and effective use of medicines Better patient involvement through feedback and reporting More transparency on the effects and safety of medicines concerned For MA applicants and holders the new legislation would: Makes their roles and responsibilities clear Minimize duplication of effort Free up resources by rationalizing and simplifying reporting on safety issues Clear legal framework for post authorisation modifying In short, the main aim of the legislation was to reduce the human and financial cost burden of adverse drug reactions, to strengthen patient involvement in monitoring medicines and to make the public strongly aware of the risk-benefit nature of taking medicines. New Concepts introduced in the 2012 Pharmacovigilance Legislation The concept of additional monitoring and the black symbol were introduced by the new EU laws on the safety-monitoring of medicines, (called the pharmacovigilance legislation,) which started to come into effect in 2012. Any new medicine authorised after 1 September 2013 that is subject to additional monitoring must display the black symbol in the package leaflet and the summary of product characteristics when it is placed on the EU market. Also any educational materials relating to this medicine should indicate its additional monitoring status. The legislation affects medicines authorised in the EU after 1 January 2011. Due to this, a transition period for medicines authorised between January 2011 and August 2013 was allowed whilst companies their updated packaging and gradually phased in the new leaflets. Medicines under additional monitoring [4] This is a new process to label medicines that are being monitored closely by the regulatory authorities. A solid black upside down triangle displayed on the package leaflet and information for healthcare professionals indicates that the medicine is undergoing additional monitoring. The symbol started to appear in late 2013. A medicine may be subject to additional monitoring because Not as much data is available with this medicine Less information is available on the long term impact of using this medicine Does not imply that the medicine is unsafe. This label is now always applied for: Any new API authorized after Jan 2011 Any biological medicine authorized after Jan 2011 For medicines authorised under exceptional circumstances If there are rare side effects seen during the trial or long term usage effects which warrant more information gathering. A medicine subject to such monitoring, can remain on the Medicines subject to additional monitoring list published by the EMA for up to 5 years. Why are medicines monitored after approval? Marketing approval is granted to medicines on the basis of clinical trial results. These consist of a small number of patients trialled under controlled conditions over a relatively short period of time. In real life, however a more diverse group of people will use the medicine and there may be different interactions plus the effects of longer term use. To take any rare or long term side effects which may then come to light into account, it is vital to continue to monitor the safety of all medicines whilst they are in commercial use. Information is continuously collected after a medicine is placed on the market to monitor real-life experience with the product. European regulatory authorities closely monitor this information to make sure that the benefits of medicines continue to outweigh their risks. Standardised monitoring methods are used across the EU so that information can be effectively shared by the member states regulatory authorities. This provides a wealth of knowledge for regulators to rely upon when making decisions, and enables a rapid response when required, such as providing warnings about the medicine or restricting its usage. Reporting side effects Reporting suspected side effects is an important way to gather more information on medicines on the market. Regulatory authorities look at reports of side effects alongside all the information they already have to make sure that the benefits of medicines remain greater than their risks and to take any necessary action. Patients and healthcare professionals are encouraged to report suspected side effects seen with any medicine. Under the new pharmacovigilance legislation, patients have the right to report suspected side effects directly to the national medicines regulatory authorities in their country if they wish. The onus is on the company to provide information on how to do this on their package leaflet. The black triangle makes it possible to quickly identify medicines that are subject to additional monitoring, encouraging end users to feed back any adverse effects .This allows new data to be analysed in a rapid and robust manner. [5] Update on effect of 2012 Pharmacovigilance Legislation A report published in 2014 summarised the key effects of introducing the new legislation [6]. The most notable of these were (during the reporting period 2012-2013) Adverse Drug reaction reporting has increased by > 175,000 more individual case safety reports > 9,000 more patient reports Label Changes from more that 47% of signals reported By August 2013 119 medicines were listed under additional monitoring list. Major public health reviews have been initiated on combined hormonal contraceptives, codeine-containing products and tetrazepam to name but a few. Better information is now available via the agencys website for therapeutic decision making Conclusion The aim of the Pharmacovigilance legislation is to enhance patient care and safety with regard to medicines and to support public health programs by providing balanced reliable information. Real life use of medicines only happens once professionals begin to prescribe or dispense. It is vital that the safety of all medicines is monitored throughout their lifetime. Adverse drug reactions account for 5% of all hospital admissions and are the 5th most common cause of hospital death. For EU citizens, the goal of the new pharmacovigilance legislation is to Strengthen patient involvement in the monitoring of medicines. This allows for continuous feedback on the effects of taking medicines through its lifecyle and consequently rapid and robust assessment of issues. Reduce the burden of ADRs Inform and engage citizens on the risk/benefit aspect of taking medicines. Full implementation is expected to save between 500 and 5000 lives a year with a cost saving to society of between â‚ ¬250million and â‚ ¬2.5billion per year [7]. There is concrete evidence that the new legislation is bringing about changes that will lead to improvement in public health. This is demonstrated by greater clarity on the roles and responsibilities for the parties involved in pharmacovigilance (MA applicants and holders, EMA, EU and member state regulatory authorities) and also greater transparency on medicine safety for the patient. This serves to increase the understanding and trust of both patients and healthcare workers on the safe and effective use of medicines in the EU[6]. References [1]Â  http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Other/2014/09/WC500172403.pdf [2] EMA Pharmacoviglience 2013 23/03/2013 NC50010423.pdf [3]http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/special_topics/general/general_content_000491.jspmid=WC0b01ac058058f32d [4]http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Other/2013/04/WC500142430.pdf [5]http://www.ema.europa.eu (Medicines under additional monitoring) [6]Â  http://ec.europa.eu/health/files/pharmacovigilance/2014_ema_oneyear_pharmacov_en.pdf [7]Â  http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Presentation/2013/01/WC500137839.pdf

Dennis the Menis movie report Essay -- essays research papers

Dennis the Menace Report In the movie Dennis the Menace, there are many different age groups represented; childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood. During childhood, children are carefree, fearless, talkative, curious, and playful. In adolescence, teens are faced with many important responsibilities and decisions. They start to become more mature and become interested in the opposite sex and sexual actions. When you enter into the adulthood and older adulthood world then you are faced with many more decisions and obstacles including; what job you are going to choose to do for the rest of your life and when or if you are even going to get married and start a family. Also, you must think about buying food, clothes, a house, car and other necessities or wants. Along with each age group comes some worries. When you are in the childhood age group, things that seem big to you actually are not all that big. For example, when Dennis’ mom tells him he has to go to Margaret’s house while she goes to work all summer, he acts like it is the end of the world. In the adolescent age group things get a little more stressful. Some things that are stressful for the adolescents are keeping up their grades because school has gotten harder, getting a job, making the team, and things like that. With the adulthood and older adulthood age group comes the realization of necessities needed to just get by because it is the first time you are supporting yourself. As time goes on you ge...

Essay On Evolution -- essays research papers

Essay on Evolution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many mechanisms that lead to evolutionary change. One of the most important mechanism in evolution is natural selection which is the differential success in the reproduction of different phenotypes resulting from the interaction of organisms with their environment. Natural selection occurs when a environment makes a individual adapt to that certain environment by variations that arise by mutation and genetic recombination. Also it favors certain traits in a individual than other traits so that these favored traits will be presented in the next generation. Another mechanism of evolution is genetic drift. Genetic drift is a random change in a small gene pool due to sampling errors in propagation of alleles or chance. Genetic drift depends greatly on the size of the gene pool. If the gene pool is large, the better it will represent the gene pool of the previous generation. If it is small, its gene pool may not be accurately represented in the next generation due to sampling error. Genetic drift usually occurs in small populations that contain less than 100 individuals, but in large populations drift may have no significant effect on the population. Another mechanism is gene flow which is when a population may gain or lose alleles by the migration of fertile individuals between populations. This may cause the allele frequencies in a gene pool to change and allow the organism to evolve. The most obvious mechanism would ...

State of the Nation: The Seven Years War

A. Why might some scholars call the Seven Years War the â€Å"Great War for Empire†? B. Is it accurate to describe the Seven Years War as the â€Å"Great War for Empire† and as the â€Å"First Worldwide War†? C. What role did Indians play in the causes and consequences of the war? D. Did the war set the stage for the American Revolution? In 1756, Britain declared war on France, which is known as to today to be the beginning of the Seven Years’ War. Some Scholars might call the Seven Years’ War the â€Å"Great War for Empires† because France ceded its major North American holdings to Britain. Because of Frances’s losses, Britain gained control of the continent’s fir trade. Another reason in why some scholars may call the Seven Years’ War the â€Å"Great War for Empire† is because it chained into an expansion of British colonies. In 1763, Local Indians started feel the impact of the British’s win. Some Indians known as the Creeks and Cherokees were some of the most upset, because they were not able to turn to France or Spain in case of Britain not giving them any kind of concessions no more. In desperation, and retaliation for British atrocities, Cherokees attacked the Carolina and Virginia frontiers in 1760(Norton, 112). Even though the Indian were victorious, they were easily defeated the following year. Late in 1761, a treaty allowed the construction of British forts in the Cherokee territories and opened a large tract to European settlement.

Importance of Sports and Games

Education without activities is always incomplete. A child may mug up the history textbook, but for how long? May be until the last bell of exams but if it gets a bit of interactive touch, then the same student may have such a memorization and understanding that he will not only just forget it ever in his life but also implement it in his life with an equal degree of effectiveness. The clear-cut inference is this that if the education is the car then sports and activities are the keys to drive on towards the success! Yesterday I read a newspaper report which showed the tendency oildren to remain away from all sorts of physical activities.I felt really sorry to hear this. Friends if you think that if Newton had just studied days and nights to bring to the world his greatest achievement. Importance Of Sports The importance of sports in the life of a young student is invaluable and goes much further than the basic answer that â€Å"it keeps kids off the streets. † It does in fact keep kids off the streets, but it also instills lessons that are essential in the life of a student athlete. Sports play a pivotal role in the makeup of a young athlete, especially in the middle school to high school years where student athletes are much more mature and mentally developed.Where else can a young, impressionable youth learn values like discipline, responsibility, self confidence, sacrifice, and accountability? Television, which may be the most influential tool in the lives of young adults, does not show enough of these qualities, nor is it on the Internet, or radio. Rather it is up to the parents, teachers, sports teams, clubs, and after school programs to help mold, develop, and instill these qualities into the lives of student athletes.