Comparative Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Comparative Law - Essay Example Political arguments about gun rights fall into two basic categories, first, does the government have the authority to regulate guns, and second, if it does, is it effective public policy to regulate guns? (Spitzer, 1995). Gun debate refers to a continuing political and social debate concerning both the constraint and accessibility of firearms within the United States. It has been among the most controversial and intractable issues in  American politics. The debate has been distinguished by an impasse between an individual right to bear arms based on the  second amendment  and the accountability of government to avert crime, preserve order and protect the welfare of its residents. The right to own a gun and defend oneself is considered by some as a central tenet of the  American identity (Spitzer, 1995). The two early state court cases,  Bliss  and  Buzzard, set the debate in interpreting the Second Amendment, i.e. whether it protected an Individual Right or a Collective Right and occupied the American legal experts thinking for years to come .A debate about how to interpret the Second Amendment evolved through the decades and remained unresolved until the 2008  District of Columbia v. Heller  U.S. Supreme Court decision (Cornell , 2006). ... Gun rights groups maintain that bans on the sale of certain types of weapons have not proved effective in reducing violent crime, and that proposals for stricter background checks at gun shows are designed to eliminate gun shows themselves. Some gun manufacturers have volunteered support for safety locks, but the NRA has criticized safety locks for placing an undue burden on gun manufacturers without a proven benefit to the public (Crothers, 2003). The first category, collectively known as rights-based arguments, consist of Second Amendment arguments, state constitution arguments, right of self-defense arguments, and security against tyranny and invasion arguments. Public policy arguments, the second category of arguments, revolve around the importance of a militia, the reduction of gun violence and firearm deaths, and also can include arguments regarding security against foreign invasions. On June 26, 2008, in  District of Columbia v. Heller,  the United States Supreme Court aff irmed, by a 5-4 vote, the decision of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. This decision struck down the D.C. gun law. It also clarifies the scope of the  Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, stating that it stipulates an individual  right  irrespective of membership in a militia. However, the court made it clear that like other rights, the right to bear arms is not without limitations, leaving open the prospect of governmental regulation. The decision declined to rule on the  incorporation  of the Second Amendment, leaving its applicability to the states unsettled "While the status of the Second Amendment within the twentieth-century incorporation debate is a matter of importance for the many challenges to state gun control laws, it is an issue that we need not

Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified Food Essay Example for Free

Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified Food Essay Biotechnology involves any technique that uses living organisms or parts there of to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals or to develop micro organisms for specific uses (Dr Sriwatanapongse, www. afic. org) In the past century weve have been lucky enough to stumble upon one of the basic building blocks of organisms, DNA. In recent years scientists have been able to develop ways in which they can manipulate, alter, and transfer DNA in forms that can help improve our lives. One way in which DNA research has been used to improve our lifestyle, is by engineering the deoxyribonucleic acid into ways which can alter food supplies to make them bigger, taste better, resistant to pests and even make them have a greater concentration of nutrients. Of course this is great news to the human population, in terms of economic and life-saving values for third world countries, yet there are still disadvantages. With all the good news that comes from these altered crops, concerns are still among people. These concerns include; whether or not these alterations will affect humans in a negative way, or how they will impact the environment. Genetically engineering crops might play a significant role in increasing crop yield therefore allowing the world to feed more people while using less land. A recent study on bioengineered crops concluded that these crops are safe and can improve production dramatically. To date, total acres of biotech crops harvested exceed more than 1 billion with a proven 10-year history of safe use. Over the next decade, expanded adoption combined with current research on 57 crops in 63 countries will broaden the advantages of genetically modified foods for growers, consumers and the environment. (www. monsanto. com) Those opposing the genetically altered crops state that One major detriment to genetically engineered food is that there has been no adequate testing to ensure that extracting genes from useful functions will yield the same results in different applications and species (www. govhs. org). Predictions of future are that, consumers are able to get foods that last longer, taste better and are more nutritious than the current foods. There will also an even greater variety of foods all year round. These products will be made possible through genetic engineering, and some of them are already available. For centuries, farmers grew plants to produce special foods with unique characteristics: better taste, higher yield or greater resistance to drought or frosts. History shows, that five thousand years ago in Peru, potatoes were grown selectively. Plants, which produced potatoes with attractive characteristics, such as higher yields, were used to produce future plants. More than two thousand years ago, tree grafting was used by the Greeks to Gain a more fruit in orchards. Now, we have genetically engineered food that has been discovered and now offers a faster and more reliable method of establishing new traits in plants to provide foods that are better tasting, more nutritious or more in amount. Although all of this may seem futuristic, such crops do already exist. Not only have these crops been in laboratories for decades, but they have been in the market for years. Humans have only just begun to realize the benefits of these genetically altered foods. Genetically altered foods allow a wide selection of things to improve upon. Some altered abilities already exists in our fruits and vegetables, these include: pest, disease and herbicide. By using genetic engineering, plants that resist disease, pests or insects can be developed. This means that less chemicals, such as pesticides, are required. In the near future scientists hopefully will be able to improve the drought resistance of most crop species and could have major implications for crops grown in dry areas (www.abc. net. au/news). Weather resistance Plants could and can be developed to better withstand extreme weather conditions such as drought or frosts. Genetically engineering foods make crops easier to maintain and lower the cost in maintenance. One benefit of altered foods which is often overlooked is the Improved processing characteristics of these foods, leading to reduced waste and lower food costs to the consumer. Foods are being developed to contain more vitamins, minerals, protein and less saturated fat. For example, fruits and vegetables with higher levels of antioxidant vitamins may reduce cardiovascular disease risk and help reduce the risk of certain cancers (www. americanheart. org). The world population is expected to double to more than 10 billion people by the year 2050. Food biotechnology can help meet the increasing demand for food. By increasing a crops ability to withstand environmental factors, growers will be able to farm in parts of the world currently unsuitable for crop production. Along with additional food, this could also provide economies of developing nations with much-needed jobs and greater productivity. Genetically engineered foods seem to have solved all the problems farmers and growers have had for years. Unfortunately all the positive effects of altered foods seem to mask the reality behind these perfect crops. Some of the disadvantages of altered crops include the possibility of mutations. Plant breeders have induced mutations in selected plants by treating them with chemicals or radiation; however this is costly and unpredictable (Microorganisms, biotechnology and Disease). Genetic engineering changes the nature of the food eaten. It can cause unexpected mutations in an organism, which can create new and higher levels of toxins in foods. Genetic engineering can produce unknown allergens in foods. Some foods may be implanted with the ability to produce antibiotics. This may help the plant, but if these plants that are infected with bacteria emerge new strands of bacteria that may become resistant to the most advanced antibiotics, there will be a problem. With herbicide-resistant crops, weeds may evolve to also become herbicide resistant. The spread of diseases across specific species may also become a factor because of a loss of ? bio-diversity in crops. When crops are altered for specific abilities, they are then mass produced. They are the only type of species grown in field of thousands. Because of this, the species will only be able to pass on to all generations the same DNA. Once started, they may not be easily controlled or contained. It makes the crops hard to calculate. Unfortunately the biggest problem raised from new modified foods is the fact that the public is unaware of how it works and the results behind the genetically modified food. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic code in living organisms. About twenty five years ago, scientists began to understand how DNA worked. From this ways for speeding up breeding processes were understood to a degree. Agricultural scientists today can identify the genes that carry specific traits they want, such as ? disease resistance or ? nutrient content and transfer those genes to a plant, therefore creating a transgenic organism. Genetic engineering is the process of artificially modifying these ? blueprints. By cutting and splicing DNA, engineers can transfer genes specific to one type of organism into any other organism. Some organisms have been enhanced through biotechnology such as; tomatoes, that go ? soft more slowly and so remain on the vine for longer. This gives them more colour and flavour. Also, virus resistant papyrus and squash, that make the crop more dependable. Genetically modified food seems to have already changed the world today. Many countries are already considering making more of their crops with genetically engineered properties. Scientists have gained a vast knowledge of genetic engineering and are now able to make many possibilities. Genetically engineered food has brought a lot of commercial benefits; increased crops quality, harvesting quantity, pest resistance, herbicide resistance, nutrient supplementation and more. Not only have the crops improved, but more crops are produced in less space. Although the benefits of bioengineering seem fantastic, there are still many mysteries left to understand in such a vast field of understanding. Genetic engineering might cause serious consequences to our future life as well next generations to come. Deeper insight into genetic engineering may be all that is needed for us to gain truly unlimited advantage from such a vast scientific field.

Internship Essay -- essays research papers

The senior that I chose to interview was Devon Smith also known â€Å"Mouse†. Devon is a graduate of Laurel High School and is currently attending Bowie State University. He is a student athlete and a member of the Pedology program. In this interview I will ask questions in regards to his field placement to better understand how and why things work when entering the field. I feel as though I am prepared for my internship, but hopefully after interviewing Devon I won’t be as nervous about my field placement. I realize that the information he presents is imperative to me starting my internship. Q: What was the hardest part of the field practicum? A: The hardest part of my field practicum was basically learning all the procedures of your field studies and learning all the policies and procedures once you get there. Q: How did you feel entering the agency? A: I felt cool because there wasn’t any stress put on my back because they knew my situation me being an athlete and dealing with academia as well. The school was flexible with my hours as long as I completed whatever they asked me to do. Q: What was the hardest task you had to perform at your site? A: The hardest task was getting accustomed to the children to make sure that I follow the procedures when faced with certain situations, like counseling a student, or restraining a student who is out of hand, learning how to encourage a student about academics and how to deal with a student who has behavioral problems. Q: What weakness did you have that has now become strength since working in the field? A: The weakness that I had was being sort of like closed off, I mean not totally but it takes me awhile to open up to people but I think that I am more efficient at talking to the kids. They are kind of shy when they first meet you so in order for them to open up I had to let myself go and let them know that it was ok for them to open up. With some one my age it is easier to you know break the ice, but with kids if they don’t come to know or trust you than they hold things back and wont tell you certain things. Q: What would you like to see different from a policy standpoint? A: as far as the student suspensions I would rather see them find an alternative to suspending students. If they are suspended then nine times out of ten they miss out on school work and end up falling behind. Q: What was the most important thing... ...ew candidates. Most importantly, it is critical that you get involved in a professional association related to your career interests. Attending events that various organizations offer, maximizes your exposure to the firm that you potentially may intern for, ever-increasing your chances exponentially of receiving an internship.  Ã‚   Lastly, keep in mind that not having an internship program in place does not mean that an organization is unwilling or apathetic in having an intern.   While larger firms are more likely to have recognized internship programs, it is possible and probable that firms smaller in size are more than willing and able to hire an intern or build some type of internship program.   If you are truly interested in working for an organization, do not hesitate to take the initiative.  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the interview, I thanked Devon for his time and felt more confident in the selection of my field. I knew that this is what I wanted to do but I would have sporadic uncertainties about my abilities and how my transition into the workplace would be. The information that he had provided combined with what I had already knew made me feel more comfortable with pursuing an internship.

Thesis Statement Renting vs Buying

Renting now can make things become a bit easier later. Saving money is what every American wants to do. Buying a home can not only hurt someone financially but it can put them in a bind that can have them paying a bill for the rest of their life. The economy is on a rollercoaster right now so making the decision to buy a home can be a tad bit tricky. Buying a home is not a one time transaction because once you have the home you continue to pay bills such as mortgage fees and cosmetics. Thinking about the money that you may have to come out of is a good enough reason on why you would want to save up money to take care of some of the fees that will occur when making the decision to buy a home. If you own your home, you can claim your property taxes on your tax return. You can also get a tax credit if you make certain renovations to your home to make it more energy efficient – like energy efficient appliances and windows. This one is pretty minor, but assuming you have a fixed rate mortgage, your payment should stay the same. This provides a nice protection against inflation. Renters on the other hand, will watch their monthly payments rise as inflation rises. One of the things my boyfriend and I are most excited about is the ability to customize our house. Apartment living is full of rules and restrictions of what you can and can’t do. I am excited to have the freedom to paint the walls, landscape, and install a new faucet – if I would like. Renting can put some of these things in someone else’s hands to where you can save the money that is extra from your monthly payment. Renters don't have to pay for anything that breaks down in their apt. Homeowners have to pay for repairs themselves. When renting an apartment you will never have to worry about fixing the toilet, sink, or plumbing because all of those things are paid by the landlord. Skipping these fees leaves more money in your piggy bank expanding your options for your home when you come to that decision. Making the decision to rent now and buy later can also give you enough time to wait on the economy to get stronger which can make buying a home a much smoother process. Rent now and buy later is the best technique right now. If you are still on the fence about whether to buy or rent, use the rent ratio. The rent ratio is when you take the purchase price of a house and divide it by the yearly cost of renting a home. According to the New York Times article, â€Å"the number 20 provides a useful rule of thumb. When you do the math, you discover that a ratio above 20 means you should at least consider renting, especially if you may move again in the next five years or so. When the ratio is well below 20, the case for buying becomes a lot stronger. Also, make sure to factor in other costs associated with owning a home such as homeowner association fees, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintenance costs. Also, know your personal situation. If you’ve got debt up to your eyeballs or you’ve just gone through a big life change such as marriage, a newborn, divorce, or a death in the family, taking on the responsibility of owning a home might not be in your best interest. Which one do you think is the better financial decision? Do you think that there are cases when renting is a better decision than home ownership?

Well Schooled in Murder

Describe the traditions of Bredgar Chambers as outlined in the text: Well-schooled in Murder. Bredgar Chambers is a school where discipline is on high priority. It is a boarding school where the students live. They have something like a dress code; they have to be dressed like rich people as the text says: â€Å"they were nice-looking boys, nearly dressed in grey trousers, crisp white shirts, and a yellow pullovers and yellow stripped ties. † That means that all students have to wear the same clothes, so they look no different from each other. The boys at Bredgar Chambers have their own traditions. They often go out into the woods to hunt for magic mushrooms. They just pick them up, but never eat them. They also go to the bell tower, which is supposed to be locked, and carve their names on the wall inside. Some of the boys also have a smoke there. These are some of the traditions that the boys at Bredgar Chambers have together. How do we know that the text is a crime story? The text is a crime story because there is a mystery, a murder and a clear up. The mystery is where Matthew went. No one knows where he was going and that was a huge mystery. There is also a murder. The story tells that Matthew is maybe dead, but no one knows it. The investigation in the story is where Lynley investigate the missing of Matthew. What do you think has happened to Matthew Whateley? Matthew Whateley was not happy to stay at Bredgar Chambers, and his parents were not listening to him, they just said to him;†You have to stay at this school if you want an education. † This was not Matthew? s plan; he did not want to stay at the boarding school no more, so he decided to escape. After his escape from the boarding school, he went into the woods and hid. He wanted to send a signal to his parents, that he was seriously about not staying at the boarding school any longer. His plan was to stay in the woods a few days until the teachers, his parents or the police would find him. After the first day it seemed that no one was looking for him. Matthew was upset; he was thinking that maybe no one could like him anymore. Why were his parents not looking for him? He was frustrated, but also stubborn. He would not give up. He wanted to send a signal to them in order to make them understand that he didn? t like the school. But that night it was very cold, and Matthew did not have anything to keep him warm. He tried to sleep, but it was so cold. He would not go back. He decided to stay. After some time he fell asleep. The next day the police found him laying under a tree frozen to death. Matthew? s parents were very upset and they should have listened to their son. They were not aware of the situation. He hated the school and the way things were there. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of getting one’s education at a public boarding school. Getting an education at a public boarding school has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that the students live together and they can always help each other. A boarder school is almost the same as continuation school. You live with your teachers and you are getting to know them better than if you fx. went to a normal state school. You do not just get to know the teachers for teaching you, but you also get to know them outside the classrooms and you often become friends with them. An education at a boarding school is also good for many people because they often become more mature and grown-up during the stay. The disadvantages are that many students have trouble being around many people all the time. You can also have a problem with relaxing while studying, because there are almost always people around you. If you get problems while being at a boarding school you do not have your parents around you to talk with, only friends and teachers, and it is not the same as if you were talking with your parents. I myself like the idea of a boarding school where you are not so dependent on your parents, but more on your own, but still have a lot of friends around you almost all the time. Discuss why Denmark doesn’t have the same number of public boarding schools as Great Britain. What are the pros and cons? The reason why we do not have the same number of public boarding schools in Denmark is because in Denmark we have many continuation schools. A continuation school is almost the same as a boarding school. If you go to a boarding school you have a lot of rules, you have to wear special clothes so all students are exactly alike. When I think of a boarding school I think it is a school where all the boys are dressed with suits and the girls with skirts, and they call their teachers sir and madam. At a continuation school there are also many rules, but not as many and as strict as at a Boarding school. That fits more to the Danish way of living. A little more freedom and participation in decision-making, that’s what most Danish people like, but also rules to follow. At a continuation school you have a room with your roommates and you go to school like you normally do, and when your school day is finished, you can almost do whatever you like to do. You are more free to do what you want to do.

Charles Dickens Essays - Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

Charles Dickens Essays - Charles Dickens, David Copperfield Charles Dickens Something about Charles Dickens and his ability to take his reader to unbelievable places with his imaginative powers allows him the honor of being the most popular English novelist of the 19th century. Dickens has thrilled his readers for many years with his down-to-earth stories about real people forced into real situations. Charles Dickens has the ability to tell his stories from personal experiences. He fine-tuned his ability to tell his own story through the life of another character or cast of characters. Born on the evening of February 7, 1812, Charles Dickens was the second child of his parents, John and Elizabeth Dickens.. Although he was a solitary child, Dickens was observant and good natured . Looking back on this period of his life, Dickens thought of it as the golden age (Carey 6). In the first novel that he wrote, The Pickwick Papers, Dickens tries to bring back the good old times as he remembers them with their picturesque nature. Gary Carey believes that this novel displays the happiness of innocence and the playful spirit of the youth during the time of Dickens's youthful days (7). Overtaken by financial difficulties, the Dickens family was forced to move into a shabby suburb of Camden Town. This move must have shown the family how good they had it back in Chatham. There Dickens was removed from school and forced to work degrading menial jobs in an effort to help his struggling father put food on the table. Dickens was put to work in a blackening factory among many rough and cruel employees, probably the worst job in town. Shortly after Dickens started working in the factory his father was thrown into jail for failure to pay his debts, only to be released three months later. This period of time affected Dickens greatly as he went into a period of depression. He felt abandoned and destroyed by this evil roller-coaster ride of life he was on. From this time period come many of the major themes of his more popular novels. Perhaps the most popular of these novels is David Copperfield. In this novel Dickens depicts a young man who grows up in a very similar way to that of his own (Allen 28). Dickens' sympathy for the victimized, his fascination with prisons and money, the desire to vindicate his heroes' status as gentlemen, and the idea of London as an awesome, lively, and rather threatening environment all reflect the experiences he had during his time on his own. On his own at the age of twelve, Dickens learned many necessary life skills which also developed in him a driving ambition and a boundless energy that transferred into every thing that he did (28). It would be a mistake to think of Charles Dickens as an uneducated man just because he had little formal schooling. Dickens did what everyone should do, learn from life. His entire writing career was a continuing process of development and experimentation. Many of his themes keep repeating themselves throughout his pieces and those themes most certainly stem from his early life. From his early Pickwick Papers to his one of his last pieces The Mystery of Edwin Drood Dickens never ceased to develop his writing abilities and skill, establishing himself as the major and primary Victorian novelist (Bloom 189). The journey from boyhood into manhood is a momentous one, and definitely something that has a lasting effect on one's person. Charles Dickens in his novel David Copperfield describes the journey into manhood by telling a story similar to his own life through the life of David Copperfield. There isn't one underlining theme in this novel there are many. The journey is one that along with David's is longing for what is lost in the past and the humiliation he feels from being an orphan. Dickens has written an excellent novel describing the troubles of growing up and the benefits of having a rough childhood. Through the rough experiences that he had, Dickens was able to look back on his early life and write world-famous stories about them. Calvin Brown feel that these experiences also helped shape the man the Dickens became, as do all experiences in

To Curry Favor

To Curry Favor To Curry Favor To Curry Favor By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Does the expression Curry Favour have anything to do with curry? Short answer: â€Å"No.† But the long answer is pretty cool. The gastronomical word curry derives from a Tamil word for sauce, whereas, the curry in the expression â€Å"to curry favour/favor† is a verb meaning â€Å"to comb a horse.† curry (noun): A preparation of meat, fish, fruit, or vegetables, cooked with a quantity of bruised spices and turmeric, and used as a relish or flavoring, especially for dishes composed of or served with rice. Hence, a curry = a dish or stew (of rice, meat, etc.) flavored with this preparation (or with curry-powder). curry (verb): to rub down a horse with a comb. The word favor in â€Å"to curry favor† is the product of folk etymology. The original expression was â€Å"to curry Favel,† in which Favel is the name of a fictional horse. Satirical allegories featuring anthropomorphized animals were popular in the Middle Ages. The name Favel came into English from the French tale Le Roman de Fauvel, in which a horse named Fauvel parodied the hypocritical behavior of the courtiers and ecclesiastical lords of the French royal court. The horse’s name derives from his color: he’s a â€Å"fallow horse.† As an adjective, fallow refers to a pale brownish or reddish yellow color. It’s probably cognate with Latin pallere, â€Å"to be pale.† Both English and German had an idiom that may have preceded the French tale: â€Å"to ride the fallow horse.† The expression meant, â€Å"to practice duplicity.† One academic theory as to why riding a fallow horse was associated with hypocrisy is that the expression may have originated with â€Å"the pale horse† in the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation). The rider of the pale horse, â€Å"one whose name is Death,† was thought by some commentators to represent the duplicitous Antichrist. When the word Favel became meaningless to English speakers, they substituted it with the familiar word favor. In sum, to curry chicken is to cook it with curry. To curry favor is to seek to gain an advantage by means of flattery and hypocrisy. Here are some recent examples of the use of curry in the nonfood sense: Leadership PACs generally attempt to curry favor with other lawmakers, hoping to win support for legislation or other political aspirations. If we change [the law], Mr. Lynn said, were going to see politicians running around seeking support of churches and hoping that they can curry favor with those churches by promising them money and favors. Not only did he flout those laws in order to curry favor with a prospective employer, but he also illegally disclosed the identity of a whistleblower, as the Complaint alleges. The lobbying campaign, reconstructed by  Newsweek  and The Daily Beast through interviews and documents, speaks volumes about the efforts of big business to curry favor, even among perceived enemies.   Curry may also be followed by approval and good will: Jorge is explaining to his men that Nikita Khrushchev has permitted a few chosen writers to travel abroad,  hoping to curry approval  from the worlds cultural elite. Kuwait used its resources to  curry good will  among Arab countries, especially Egypt. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceAcronym vs. Initialism50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases

Concentration and Molarity Worked Example Problem

Concentration and Molarity Worked Example Problem Question a) Explain how to prepare 25 liters of a 0.10 M BaCl2 solution, starting with solid BaCl2.b) Specify the volume of the solution in (a) needed to get 0.020 mol of BaCl2. Solution Part a): Molarity is an expression of the moles of solute per liter of solution, which can be written: molarity (M) moles solute / liters solution Solve this equation for moles solute: moles solute molarity Ãâ€" liters solution Enter the values for this problem: moles BaCl2 0.10 mol/liter times 25 litermoles BaCl2 2.5 mol To determine how many grams of BaCl2 are needed, calculate the weight per mole. Look up the atomic masses for the elements in BaCl2 from the Periodic Table. The atomic masses are found to be: Ba 137Cl 35.5 Using these values: 1 mol BaCl2 weighs 137 g 2(35.5 g) 208 g So the mass of BaCl2 in 2.5 mol is: mass of 2.5 moles of BaCl2 2.5 mol Ãâ€" 208 g / 1 molmass of 2.5 moles of BaCl2 520 g To make the solution, weigh out 520 g of BaCl2 and add water to get 25 liters. Part b): Rearrange the equation for molarity to get: liters of solution moles solute / molarity In this case: liters solution moles BaCl2 / molarity BaCl2liters solution 0.020 mol / 0.10 mol/literliters solution 0.20 liter or 200 cm3 Answer Part a). Weigh out 520 g of BaCl2. Stir in sufficient water to give a final volume of 25 liters. Part b). 0.20 liter or 200 cm3

Emotional Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Emotional Abuse - Essay Example Furthermore, McDonald et al. assert that seven million American children reside in families in which domestic violence is very rampant. Research findings also indicate that domestic violence in more prevalent among couples who have children compared to those who do not have children (Letourneau et al, 2013; Kohl et al., 2005). Increasing interest in domestic violence is based on the realization that domestic violence causes long-term effects on children and children will continue being at risk even after the separation of their parents (Kohl et al., 2005). Childhood represents a crucial period of growth and development, requiring special care and protection. In view of this, a nurturing and secure environment is vital during child development in order to achieve positive emotional, cognitive and psychological developmental outcomes (Swopes et al., 2013; McDonald et al., 2006). Growing environments riddled with fear and violence stymies optimal growth and development, and are likely to result in adverse effects among affected children (Kohl et al, 2005). Within this context, the detrimental impacts of domestic violence on children can be ameliorated if these effects are appropriately identified and addressed. Domestic violence refers to the abuse behaviour that one intimate partner uses to dominate and/or control the other partner (McDonald et al., 2006). On the other hand, child abuse refers to psychological, physical, emotional, social and sexual exploitation of children (Kohl et al., 2005). Domestic violence threatens children’s need for consistency and predictability in the sense that it disrupts normal routines. Children living with domestic violence also experience the distress being experienced by abused parent. Accordingly, these children experience psychological and emotional distress that is detrimental to their normal growth (Howell, Miller & Graham-Bermann, 2012). A review of literature has revealed the following as cross-cutting effects

CONTINUES PAPER FOR WRITER ID 70138- LOGISTIC AND SUPPLY CHAIN Essay

CONTINUES PAPER FOR WRITER ID 70138- LOGISTIC AND SUPPLY CHAIN - Essay Example With the advent of time and increased trend of globalisation across the world, the trade barriers are fading out and favourable trade policies are promoting fast and quick exchange of goods and services (European Commission, 2010). Due to globalisation, all communication procedures have also increased their pace and this world is now considered a global village which has no boundaries or barriers of communication present. Globalisation has also increased the level of competition amongst firms, and all businesses strive in one way or the other to gain a strong competitive edge. The latest trend in the market is creation of an integrated logistics and supply chain infrastructure that is supported by the technologically advanced systems such as SAP, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), E-Retailing, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and many more (European Logistics Report, 2012). All leading corporations that are operating on an international level have ensured that they have a well-coordinated Supply Chain Management and Logistics system that will employ the best systems for procurement, warehousing, inventory management, storage and inbound and outbound logistics (Johnson & Turner, 2006). A systematic logistics and supply chain management system ensures that products are manufactured according to the requirements and in a systematic mode as well. In high demand seasons, if the supply chain is running in a systematic mode, the organisation can successfully meet its demands without any loop holes or any compromises in quality. This reflects upon the fact that a proper and systematic supply chain management system can prove to be highly advantageous for the organisation. In order to gain competitive edge in the market especially in the European market, the logistics and supply chain system has to be developed after exploiting all available options so that the

Internet Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Internet Marketing - Essay Example Online marketing may refer to all kinds of marketing done on the company website, emails written to customers and other wireless media. Customer relationship can earn a company competitive edge since good relationships build trust and, hence, regular customers. Internet marketing binds together the art of creativity and technical elements of the Internet comprising design, development, public relations, and sales. Internet marketing is mostly done through the company website and social sites like Facebook and Twitter (Maughan, 2007:58). Although the main goal of the internet marketing is to grow the company business, the company should emphasize winning customer trust by appearing genuine and promising what it can offer. This is because internet influences chances of frauds; hence, imposters can steal from customers. Zappo embraces internet marketing to sell its products, which are majorly shoes and bags. Use of the Internet to market its products is of high importance as the company encourages all employees to exploit social media networks and connect with customers following the companies’ core values. This has endowed Zappo with great support since the employees are active on Twitter, the company’s director being most popular. Zappo uses YouTube to display its products, give speeches to customers through videos, which majorly highlight company values, customer feedback and compliments. Facebook is one of its engines towards customer feedback and discussions that present an opportunity to clear doubts and instill confidence and trust. Zappo has several blogs giving information on its products, employees, and management. Blogging creates credibility and wide readership and enables customers to understand the company better as well as reduce fears. A company aspiring to succeed in online marketing should invest in a good-looking design (Rosen,

Report to your line manager on the changes to the appraisal system Essay

Report to your line manager on the changes to the appraisal system - Essay Example In addition, the committee should set process-oriented goals rather result-oriented objectives. Besides, there should be clear communication channels between the supervisors and the employees. Other recommendation included instituting psychological appraisal systems that assess future performance potential. Moreover, the organization should institute a peer evaluation program that produces results for comparison with the supervisors’ results. Introduction Evaluation of performance is a primary feature of every organization. Performance appraisal is an element of performance management that concerns with examining an employee’s productivity against set standards (Kandula, S. R. 2006, 32)). This is beneficial to both the company and the employee. The employee benefits in terms of professional development. This is because one learns of unique strengths and weaknesses that are responsible for particular levels of performance. In addition, the employee learns of the gaps tha t one should tackle in subsequent performances. There are key objectives of this research. To begin with, it seeks to evaluate whether the organization’s goals can align with the employees goals during the performance appraisal process. ... This system is less empirical as it involves mutual discussions with the supervisors and employees on performance. In this method, the manager sets specific, measurable, and reasonable goals with individual employee regarding one’s expectation of performance. The manager discusses with each employee while paying attention to notable factors. To begin with, the manager considers the employee’s individual scenario. Individual scenario relates to the employee’s current position in the organization’s hiercahy. This suggests that the managers consider the tasks of the given employee in setting the goals. The manager, therefore, cannot set goals that exist out of the realm of one’s duties. In addition, the manager considers the limitations of an employee in performing certain tasks. This pays attention to the authority of the immediate supervisor and the unique jurisdictions that determine the behavior of the employee (Aswathappa, K. 2005, 167). Besides, the managers regard the level of skills of the employee. Since this is a continuous process, the past behavior and performance of an employee becomes a vital criteria in setting goals that reflect such deficiencies. Deficiencies refer to the gap between an actual past performance and the respective expected level of performance (Evans, D. 2001, 20). It is essential to have clear organization’s strategies in setting performance goals. Performance targets cannot only consider the employee’s situation because the organization has overall strategies that it wants to achieve through the employees (Kumar, R. 2011, 49). The organization’s goals are set in terms of the long-term view and short-term annual goals. The

Gap Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gap Analysis - Essay Example Today, California program has led to an improved patients health care needs. There has been complaining of burn out effects experienced by nurses both locally and internationally. With increasing health care demands, the number of nurses employed has been constantly undesirable. The impact is a reduction in standards of health care advanced to the patients, and the nurse-patient contact has significantly reduced. According to 2010 study by University of Pennsylvania, 29% of the nurses interviewed in California complained of excessive work and burned out effect (Levin 2013). In addition, 34% in New Jersey and 36% in Pennsylvania highlighted lack of minimum staff requirement as a great hindrance to quality health care (Levin 2013). High number of staff employed translates to quality of care given to patients. Where there are few nurses, there are a high number of complication of diseases and sadly, deaths. A comparative analysis of the two states indicated that there were 13.9% fewer surgical deaths in California than of New Jersey. Besides, according to the 2007 Medical Care Report, it proved that an increase of one Registered Nurse (RN) per patient translated to 24% reduction in time taken by the patient in the intensive care unit. Besides, there was a 31% reduction of time take in the surgical unit (Levin 2013). Basing on the consistency of the information, it is, therefore, important to enforce nurse-patient ratio. Evidence-Based Practice is consistent on the importance of having one nurse to one patient in intensive care unit while one nurse for six patients is desirable in surgical cases. The nursing staff ratio is critical in ensuring timely and appropriate nursing care is given to the patients. Levin (2013) states that the Nurse-patient ratio has been the subject of discussion in the health care for a few decades. As primary health care givers, their role is holistic, this is an evolutionary approach in responding to the

Outline the main features of ethnographic research and discuss when Assignment

Outline the main features of ethnographic research and discuss when and how it might be used - Assignment Example These are naturalism, understanding and discovery. Naturalism is the view that social research should capture the human beings in their natural environment directly. Understanding conveys that human beings do not give out fixed responses each time and each response has to be understood individually. Lastly, ethnographic research is defined as being inductive or discovery-based, rather than merely testing hypothesis. According to ethnography, cultural understandings need to be identified for research interest. An ethnographic study can overestimate the role of cultural perceptions or underestimate the role of objective forces. Ethnography can identify the relevant community of interest though often this isn’t easy. Factors like community, formal organization, informal group, and individual-level perceptions may affect the subject of study. An ethnographic focus may overestimate the role of community culture and underestimate the casual role of individual psychological or of sub-community forces. It is also believed that the researcher has complete knowledge of the subject under study including the language and customs of the population. In this case, the researcher may get influenced by his or her own culture during the

Gap Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gap Analysis - Essay Example Today, California program has led to an improved patients health care needs. There has been complaining of burn out effects experienced by nurses both locally and internationally. With increasing health care demands, the number of nurses employed has been constantly undesirable. The impact is a reduction in standards of health care advanced to the patients, and the nurse-patient contact has significantly reduced. According to 2010 study by University of Pennsylvania, 29% of the nurses interviewed in California complained of excessive work and burned out effect (Levin 2013). In addition, 34% in New Jersey and 36% in Pennsylvania highlighted lack of minimum staff requirement as a great hindrance to quality health care (Levin 2013). High number of staff employed translates to quality of care given to patients. Where there are few nurses, there are a high number of complication of diseases and sadly, deaths. A comparative analysis of the two states indicated that there were 13.9% fewer surgical deaths in California than of New Jersey. Besides, according to the 2007 Medical Care Report, it proved that an increase of one Registered Nurse (RN) per patient translated to 24% reduction in time taken by the patient in the intensive care unit. Besides, there was a 31% reduction of time take in the surgical unit (Levin 2013). Basing on the consistency of the information, it is, therefore, important to enforce nurse-patient ratio. Evidence-Based Practice is consistent on the importance of having one nurse to one patient in intensive care unit while one nurse for six patients is desirable in surgical cases. The nursing staff ratio is critical in ensuring timely and appropriate nursing care is given to the patients. Levin (2013) states that the Nurse-patient ratio has been the subject of discussion in the health care for a few decades. As primary health care givers, their role is holistic, this is an evolutionary approach in responding to the

Writing for business purposes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Writing for business purposes - Essay Example Essentially, a corporate sales brochure is a marketing device that can also serve as a communication strategy in which it helps an organization to sell itself as a brand to its customer base or to their stakeholders within the business. On the other hand, an annual report is a business communication tool that provides a company’s comprehensive report on the activities undertaken in a just concluded financial year. Its target audience includes shareholders and other interested parties where the operations of a company are of concern to them, especially in terms of financial performance and activities undertaken by the company. With this, this essay will analyse the corporate sales brochure of Chelseafc.com and the annual report of Marks and Spencer both as forms of business communication tools. Within the English football league, Chelsea Football Club is a club whose year of founding was 1905 and its operational base is in Fulham in London. Chelsea’s home is Stamford Bridge whose seating capacity is 41, 837 and the club’s owner is Sir Roman Abramovich and managed by Jose Mourinho. As at 2013, the club was number seven in the most valuable team listed in the world with an estimated value of nine hundred and one million dollars, which was an 18% increase from 2012. In analysing its corporate sales brochure mounted on its website, the intention of this is to educate those that seek information from the site with up to date information about the football club through giving product specifications on the online platform. They include promotional information of the ongoing sale of merchandise and also information on the matches the team is to play as the current fixture. Other than this, the online brochure also helps to influence client loyalty in that it provides an online chat avenue in which those accessing the site can give feedback on various issues concerning the club’s performance. Ideally, using such an

Essay on video games violence Essay Example for Free

Essay on video games violence Essay The gaming industry greatly impacts how people, from young children to adults, spend their time. According to Health Magazine (2009), â€Å"90 percent of kids aged 8 to 16 play video games, and they spend about 13 hours per week doing so (more if you’re a boy). † Whether its educational, or just plain fun and entertainment video games have evolved greatly in the last 40 years. Today’s sophisticated games are in a class of it’s own with it’s realism and impressive graphics. With this ever advancing technology, comes better games with realistic situations. There’s no harm in playing video games for recreation. However, the problem lies within the violent video games and the aggression that these video games cause in children. For years researchers and experts have issued studies linking video games to aggressive behavior. It’s a controversial subject, nonetheless, it shows just how powerful the affect the games have on children. To illustrate, CBSnews. com reports a story of a 17 year who bought the popular game, â€Å"Grand Theft Auto†. In this game, the player is encouraged to do as much illegal activity and engage in as much violent behavior as they can to be rewarded with accolades and higher points. The more heinous the act, the higher you move up in the game. After playing this game for nine months, the 17 year old gunned down three men, two police officers and a dispatcher in a county jail, in the same style he was trained from the video game. In the kids statement to police, he said : â€Å"Life is like a video game. Everybody’s got to die sometime. † This is just one example of aggressive behavior as a result of violent video games, but there are many more cases. Children’s minds are very impressionable, and violent video games are harmful to their minds because of how interactive and realistic these games can be. According to research by child psychologist David Walsh, as further reported in the article, violent video games can be linked to physical aggressive behavior in children because of the brain. His study revealed that the teenage brain is not fully developed. Violent video games have a deeper impact on a teenage brain versus an adult brain. Walsh further states, it’s â€Å"largely because the teenage brain is different from the adult brain. The impulse control center of the brain, the part of the brain that enables us to think ahead, consider consequences, manage urges thats the part of the brain right behind our forehead called the prefrontal cortex. Thats under construction during the teenage years. In fact, the wiring of that is not completed until the early 20s. Therefore, since children’s mind are still underdeveloped, violent video games have a negative effect and cause children to believe aggression is appropriate. From the National Institute on Media and Family, six medical groups issue warnings as to the effects that violence has on children: (1) â€Å"Children will increase anti-social and aggressive behavior. (2)Children may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence. (3) Children may view the world as violent and mean, becoming more fearful of being a victim of violence. (4) Children will desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life. (5) Children will view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflicts. † From studies to real life examples of violent behavior, video games has shown to have an influence on children’s behavior. Violent video games will not be going away anytime soon. The only solution to combat the issue of violent video games is for parents to be actively involved in their children’s free time and take an interest in what their children play. Once parents are informed on their decisions to allow their children to play violent video games, they will know that if choosing violence, it will have an effect on the impressionable child mind.Parents beware. References Harding, A. (2008). Violent video games linked to child aggression. Health Magazine. Retrieved from http://www. cnn. com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/03/healthmag. violent. video. kids/ Bradley, E. (2005). Can a video game train someone to kill? Retrieved from http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2005/03/04/60minutes/main678261. shtml 2010. Fact Sheet. National Institute on Media and the Family. Retrieved from http://www. mediafamily. org/facts/facts_vlent. shtml.

Person-centred Care Essay

Person-centred Care Essay Introduction: Reflective essay on person centred care Modern day Healthcare has increasingly embraced concepts of client-centred practice and empowerment. However, Taylor (2003) posits that existing literature on the subject does not give clear and unambiguous descriptions of the ways by which nurses can empower clients. Nonetheless, nursing practice is inclusive of people from very different backgrounds. In my ward for example, a high proportion of the nurses did not get their initial qualifications and experience in the UK, and my mentor too did not start of as a nurse from the UK. As a result of this, in the absence of well defined guidance for patient empowerment as a practice concept (by regulatory authorities), nurses and other healthcare practitioners will always encounter difficulties in the performance of their duties in recognition of patient empowerment as a concept. The way patient care is manifest in hospitals has evolved over time and now centres around collaborative working with different teams coming together to ensure that client care and outcomes are improved (Hansson et al 2008), (Hewison and Stanton 2003). Working in this way requires that the patient is an inclusive and active partner in his care planning and care delivery. This new way of working has also been emphasised by the government introducing the agenda for patient-centred care and patient empowerment. The Department of Health stipulates that the NHS needs to empower patients more and give them control over their healthcare (DoH 2008) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) also requires that patients are always consulted before any procedure is carried out on them (WHO website). The whole concept of empowering patients may not be new to healthcare practitioners because some healthcare practitioners are known to have spoken about making efforts to carry the clients along in the process of their care delivery (Stewart et al. 2002), but Paterson (2001) claims that some healthcare professionals have also been known to use subtle and covert ways to avoid fully implementing the patient empowerment requirement even at the risk of going against regulation to empower patients. Empowerment has been (in essence) practitioner defined to suit the practitioners. As an example, at the MDT meetings I attended, the patients views were not adequately promoted, and considering the requirements of the patient empowerment agenda, the patient is supposed be in charge of his healthcare. I raised this with my mentor and the ward manager, and recommended that the patient be consulted before, and updated after every meeting that has to do with his care delivery. Acknowledging client empowerment as a way forward and in emphasising the need for this modern way of working, the Prime Minister in a key message in January 2008 said that patients are to be treated as active partners in their care. Brown et al (2006) consider that for care to be client-centred, care delivery must be focused on the client and empower and engage the client to his/her full potential as a partner in his/her care delivery. Whereas the client-centred concept requires that what is best for the patient is done, patient empowerment requires providing clients with adequate information and the knowledge required to make informed decisions and take control of their lives (Kielhofner 2002). The issue of patient empowerment raises an issue about empowering intellectually disabled persons who cannot make suc h decisions on their own. If an adult with intellectual disability does not have complete ability to communicate, their choices can be diminished which in turn can make it particularly difficult to ensure that their opinions are heard (Cameron and Murphy 2002); and even in instances where a nurse is designated the health facilitator for the client, there is no guidance as to how much decision making can be undertaken on his behalf (Martin and Carey 2009). These further complicate issues in nursing management for a qualified nurse and will call on good managerial skills. Modern healthcare practice environment is a highly regulated one with stringent requirements of the healthcare practitioners. The continued drive for improvement in both healthcare delivery service and the patients experience and quality of life (DoH 2005) have led to the promotion of improved integration between healthcare disciplines and agencies, and regulatory requirements to promote the concept of patient empowe rment (DoH 2008), (Corsello and Tinkelman 2008), (Glasby and Parker 2008). Empowerment is a natural phenomenon and is essential to humans. Patient empowerment may be resisted by nurses because of existing nurse-patient relationships (Nyatanga and Dann 2002) and so a deliberate cultural shift needs to be pursued to inculcate nurses with the shift in paradigm. To achieve, the nurse will need additional training, and the clients ought to be carried along in drawing up treatment plans. The more the client is involved in the treatment planning, the more the client appreciates his/her part in the patient empowerment agenda, and the more the satisfaction with the care delivery service. I have used simple courtesies like saying thank you to the client, and realised it brightens their day very much and also makes them much happier and willing to discuss their feelings and opinions with me. The convergence of management and nursing has evolved over the past few decades and management is often cited as the reason for failings, and also as the likely solution (Pollitt 1993) to many of the problems in the NHS. Management was first f ormally defined by Henry Fayol (1949) as the composite function of planning, organizing, coordinating, commanding and controlling activities or events. More recent definitions in management theory look at management from the perspective of empowerment, total quality management, organizational culture etc. (Hewison and Stanton 2003). Leadership and management skills in nursing overlap to a very large extent but whereas leadership skills are needed in the more personal aspects like mentoring and motivation, management skills are needed to meet organizational targets and the management of available resources. Summary With the problems associated with recruitment and retention of nurses in the health sector, and the attendant high turnover of nurses came an additional expectation of nurse-managers to help reverse the trend (even though several of the pioneering nurse-managers had not had formal managerial training) (Contino 2004). Contino (2004) described the managerial skills required of a good nurse manager to include change management, communicating plans, managing the flow of information, managing nursing ROTAs and managing finances (income and expenses). Courtney et al (2002) rate financial management knowledge as one of the top requirements for a nurse manager in order to understand financial forecasts, financial plans, financial ratios and financial performance ratios. A nurse manager needs to be very conversant with current practices and concepts. A good understanding of service improvement and knowledge (and use) of the available developmental resources for nurse improvement like the Lead ership at Point of Care programme (Janes and Mullan 2007) are essential for successful nurse-management. Carney (2009) reported that clients were more likely to be dissatisfied whenever they felt the nurse leader was incompetent. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requires that the nurse is conversant with and aware of current developments in practice by way of continued professional development after qualifying as a trained nurse. To manage a team well, a nurse will need very good communication skills in addition to the authority to take decisions within the boundaries of his/her responsibility (Cross and Prusak 2002), (Carroll 2005) as and when necessary. A nurse manager should be a good team-player and able to multi-task (Jaynelle and Stichler 2006) and possess very good communication skills that go beyond language and/or grammar, to listening, being assertive and ensuring that the nurses decisions are enforced especially when the nurse speaks on behalf of a client (or helps to amplify the clients voice) (Harris 2003). The nurse manager should ensure that adequate communication links are established between the client and the MDT so that client views are always considered. The nurse manager should patiently try to clearly understand the patient (Lynden 2006) so as to be able to ensure clients views are accommodated in clients care delivery. In situations of acute ailments, clients can present with intellectual disability or a moderated ability to communicate verbally which can make it difficult to understand their opinions or wishes (Cameron and Murphy 2002) for their care process. To be a leader, todays nurse will need to be able to command the respect of other team members. To achieve acceptability nurse managers need to be people with high integrity and people management/motivation skills and be able to work in a collaborative setting (Carroll 2005). Integrity in this perspective is synonymous with honesty (Kouzes and Posner 2002) and several studies have highlighted the importance of honesty fo r nurse management or leadership because people (clients and nurses alike) will want to assure themselves that their leader is worthy of their trust (Kouzes and Posner 2003). During my placements in an adult care unit of a major hospital, from observation and interaction with patients and healthcare staff, my attention was drawn to a plight of some of the patients in my care: I realised that some of the patients were not being allowed to determine the course of their treatment as required by the patient empowerment agenda (DoH 2008) and this was more especial in patients with acute ailments. There was a lack of full management implementation of the Patient empowerment agenda, with particular emphasis on the relevance given to the patients choice (or voice) in the patients care delivery. The quality of care delivery is assessed by its ability to improve patient care through the collaborative team work of healthcare professionals and how patient-focused the care delivery is. For the purposes of this work, I shall refer to a renal patient in my care during my placement as Mr. B (not real name). All references to him or a hospital do not identify either. When Mr. B was †¦ and was refusing to be compliant, I approached him and had a talk with him. I discovered that his lack of compliance was in protest of the fact that he was not aware he was being put on †¦ reinforcing the position of Corsello and Tinkelman (2008) that clients will respond better to care that encourages their participation and is considerate of their specific needs. To ensure that this did not happ en again, I brought the patients complaint to the attention of my mentor and ensured that the multi-disciplinary team was made aware by adequately documenting my findings and observations. I regularly sought advice and guidance from my mentor because mentoring and role-modeling are active ways of knowledge transfer in large organizations (Carney 2009) and improves the care delivery service. Service improvement remains a core requirement for the Knowledge and Skills Framework for a registered nurse (DoH 2004) and requires an all-party embracing culture of seeking continuous improvement (Janes and Mullan 2007) where honest and periodic performance appraisals are evident. Service improvement in the NHS has been an issue of high importance and has necessitated the establishment of groups that are charged with charting out improvements within the NHS like the NHS Improvement (NHS Improvement Programme 2008). Practicing nurses are encouraged to keep abreast with developments from such groups. A new service improvement concept of patient-safety is gaining popularity in healthcare although regulatory definition is not yet specific (Feng et al 2008). Flin and Yule (2003) claim patients can be injured through the actions of healthcare staff, and Feng et al (2008) insist that a blame and shame culture inhibits learning from mistakes and can exacerbate incidences of mistakes. To this end (in the UK) an Expert group was established that recommended that the culture around error reporting shifted towards finding the cause of the error rather than the culprit (DoH 2000). Nurses are often under pressure from shortage of nursing staff, and a change in the nursing environment can improve patient safety and outcomes (Lin and Liang 2007). During my placements, I observed that Mr. B was often in bed for prolonged periods between nursing visits. I appraised the risk of the situation and ranked his needs by priority. He looked like he was beginning to get sore from immobility, so I delegated his need for exercise to the physiotherapist in the MDT, and having assessed the competency level of the HCA on the ward, I delegated the tasks of keeping Mr. Bs environment clean and regularly turning him to air his back to the HCA. The HCA had been previously supervised for this task and had been assessed as competent to perform it satisfactorily. Conclusion To achieve the required improvements which accompany patient empowerment that the NHS strives for, there must be a change from the current culture where the nurse sees the client as a patient (Nyatanga and Dann 2002) towards seeing clients as part and parcel of the decision making in their care delivery. Quality will be improved when patient empowerment/voice in patient care is active, client engagement is on a regular basis, and nurses are more patient in hearing patients out and in attending to patient calls. Patient safety issues including the security of the patient, proper risk assessment, maintaining cleanliness of his environment and regular visits should be the norm

Writers of a New Era :: Internet Technology Computers Papers

Writers of a New Era The internet has quickly woven itself into the fabric of sociey. Many consider it an indispensable part of their lives, allowing them to keep pace with their hectic schedules. The internet has improved the ease in which people can communicate and find information. Navigating the web has become second nature to regular users. Some find the computer so convenient that they use it to do all of their writing from academic papers to journals. As the computer has aided in the task of writing, the internet has helped many become published writers. Anyone with moderate computer knowledge can create web sites. Personal web sites often have information and pictures that someone would normally only share with close friends, but having it published on the web means anyone can access this information. Sites like online journals and diaries are specifically designed for publishing personal ideas, feelings, or day to day happenings. Another increasingly respected writing medium used by students and aspiring journalists, as well as the average person’s diary, is blogger. Blogger, according to the web site Blogger Forum (bloggerforum.com), is a site that allows anyone to post a blog, short for webblog. This is a journal that can be continually updated, and viewed by any web user. The writers of blogs are called bloggers. Bloggers tend to write frequently and informally, as in a journal. They also try to give informative or inspiring entries. The number of bloggers is steadily increasing. Its popularity is attributed to the free, blogging software that is available to everyone, along with the appeal of being able to publish ideas, beliefs, and knowledge. Since anyone can publish on the web using blogger, the definition of a writer has dramatically changed. Before the web, a writer was viewed as someone who had their work published. Writers were also viewed with respect since getting a piece of writing published was highly competitive. Those who achieved it had to have a special quality in their writing. Now the use of the term writer is thought of more loosely, since anyone can be a published writer.

Policies and procedures for communicating information Essay

Review of systems, policies and procedures for communicating information on health and social care workplace in accordance with legislative requirements. Health and safety laws never used to be in existence. It was the appointment of the first set of factory inspectors, initiated by the Provisions of the Factories Act of 1833, that brought about the foundations of health and safety. In recent times, a great leap was made when the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 was initiated. This was described as â€Å"a bold and far-reaching piece of legislation† by HSE’s first Director General, John Locke. This became the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. The health and safety Act of 1974 has led to initiation of several other Acts which includes the followings below 1.Health and safety (First Aid) Regulation 1981 2.Food Safety Act 1990 replaced by the food safety act of 1995 3.Management of health and safety regulation 1992 4.Manual handling operation regulation 1992 5.The Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 (NADOR), replaced by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation 1995 (RIDDOR). 6.The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 Act This is just to mention a few. In 1977/78, the Health and safety annual report stipulated that there are overriding concerns to stimulate awareness of the risks and encourage the joint participation of workers and management in efforts to eliminate them. Hence, making communication of health and safety issues paramount in the work place. Basically, there are three approved modes of communication of health and safety and these are: 1.Verbal 2.Written 3.Graphics

Meaning of life †Human Essay

?According to Albert Camus â€Å"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. † People can define happiness in various ways, for ones it means achieving their set goals while for others happiness means serving for society, and finally some people interpret happiness as finding the meaning of their life. People can spend their whole time only searching for the meaning of life, and they forget or ignore the life and real time that passes by. Unfortunately, you can search for the meaning of life and still not find it, or it can come to you with age. Significant events such as surviving the airplane or car crashes or losing the important people in one’s life, force humans to reconsider their values or beliefs, and can help to find the true meaning of life. Meaning of life is something that comes with the age, wisdom or experience. It is also hard to define what the meaning of life is, for it can be easily misinterpreted with the goals or values. I do not have my own meaning of life yet, for I am young, I have not so much experience in my life, and I cannot actually define what the meaning of life is. To begin with, I am not fully mature as a person because I am only twenty years old and my life has just started. Consequently, wanting to enjoy all the charms of my young life I try not to think about difficult topics such as meaning of life. I value my time that I have now, so I want to spend it learning and gaining an experience. The only thing I can figure out in this research on meaning of life, is that people value one thing – time. Having time we can find something or someone, develop ourselves and etc. Theoretically, we can do everything when we have time, but when we have time and do not have someone for whom we can spend it – our life becomes meaningless. Life becomes meaningful when we can spend time on objects and subjects that are important for us. As I am living with my parents, I do not even think about how to earn money, rise future generation and become independent person. I do not have to be a breadwinner at home, and I do not have to work yet. I do not have children, so I do not take the responsibility for treating my children right. However, it would be helpful to find out the meaning of life before I become a parent, for it would help me to raise my children right. My life is easier now, so I do not stop to think about the meaning of my life. Although I am dependent on my parents because they give me shelter, food and opportunity to get an education, I feel that being independent also would lead to thoughts about the meaning of life. Being a young adult give me the opportunity to gain an experience that could help me find the meaning of life. I am learning at the LCC university where professors from different countries tell their stories about their own life experience, and it seems that the person should have an experience in order to have a meaning of life. The experience of meeting different people, being introduced to different cultures, beliefs and values, and seeing the real adult life, all these experiences bring an insight about the meaning that the person can find in life. It is very difficult to find the right definition of meaning of life. When persons speak about creation of family or being a successful in work, it seems like goals and it is, but some people see it as the meaning. I can also assume that being happy and appreciative person has the real meaning in life, but is it the meaning of life? Maybe we should find the meaning that would lead us to feel happy and appreciative. I think that meaning of life does not even exist. There are only purposes. Love, family, friendship – are only purposes, and purpose is not the meaning. Why? Because they answer the question of approachability, we can reach it or not. Theoretically, if these things were meaningful, life would end when we reach all of them. Meaning is sort of general idea, which is accessible and equal to all. It cannot answer the question of feasibility. Actually, the meaning of life should by absolute verity. Overall, this is the topic that brings many thoughts to my mind. For now I can say that I do not have any specific meaning of my life so far. I am young, rebel, adventure seeking person, and the spirit that now lives in my soul gives me the opportunity to live and enjoy the fruits of my young adulthood years, and I rarely stop to think about the real meaning of life. I do not know whether it is right or wrong that I do not pay much attention for such topic. I believe that people become wiser with years, and that wisdom would bring the need to evaluate the life and to seek and find the meaning of it. I also cannot actually define what the meaning of life is, and I think that some people cannot find out it through their life. Overall, life is already meaningful as the person lives and breathes.

Frankenstein and Jurassic Park Essay

   â€Å"I appeared rather like one doomed by slavery,† That line is used in the book when Frankenstein was telling the reader about how hard he was working on his creation and how its almost how he has to, like a slave. Here is a thought; I suppose in a way the monster throughout the book is being personified as really he is not human he is just a pile of discarded humans not is not really a writing device or an example of language it just came into my head. Here is another line from Frankenstein: â€Å"Rage and Hatred had at first deprived me of utterance,† That is an extremely good line; just by reading it you could probably tell when it was written it is a very good example of typical the Victorian style English language. After reading Frankenstein it seems that the way in which we talk nowadays is quite dull. Jurassic park reads like any other modern novel but of course with more scientific language, as it is a science fiction book. Here is a line from the book to prove that: â€Å"Grant was awakened by a loud grinding sound, followed by a mechanical clanking. † That quote is very good and typical of the book it uses a lot of onomatopoeia like the book does so much. Another thing I noticed whilst reading the books is that Jurassic Park has a lot more speech than Frankenstein. Also whilst reading the books I noticed that the things the writers use to describe horror are very different, in Frankenstein as it is a biography (however fictional) when something is scary he describes it by saying how it makes him feel for example: â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe? † In Jurassic park it is different as it isn’t a biography and it is just the writer describing how something appears not how it appears to a certain character in the story. In Jurassic Park there is not much about how these scary things affect the characters just what they did about them, this could suggest that when a dinosaur is running at you haven’t got much time to think about it or the writer just hasn’t considered it, here is a quote for evidence. To give a sort of an introduction `grant’ has spotted some pterodactyls and they are flying toward him and it goes straight into: â€Å"†Come on! † Grant said, grabbing their hands. They ran across the meadow, hearing the approaching scream. † Frankenstein also uses a lot of religious language throughout the book with words like â€Å"Daemons,† and, â€Å"Evil,† And also somewhere in the middle of the book it says about how all creatures should come from: â€Å"The hands of god. † In modern society there are far less religious people than they were in Shelly’s time this could act, as more evidence that the books were written in different times, and that in language, although not content is a far older book. I enjoyed reading both of these books and it was interesting to compare them the books are very similar in so many ways but still written so differently both writers should be proud of producing such excellent pieces of literature. I must say though being a boy born in the late 20^th century and being stereotypically lazy I did enjoy reading Jurassic park more than I did Frankenstein but I think this is because I had an idea more about what they were saying and the language was clearer. Another part of it would have to be that I found it easier to relate with the characters in Jurassic Park as they seemed more normal than good old Victor and of course being from the same period of time as them helps. Chricton’s book gives the reader more of an action packed thrill ride, whereas Shelly’s was more of an emotional book although still gruesome and quite enjoyable and it is much more mature book and didn’t give u the impression it is deliberately accessible it also is a lot more personal and had Shelly’s views all the way through but between the lines. But a great man once said: â€Å"Don’t let acceptance exempt your expression. † References Visible links Hidden links: 1. http://www. coursework. info/ Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section. Download this essay Print Save Here’s what a teacher thought of this essay 4 star(s).

Mental health case analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mental health case analysis - Assignment Example .......................................8 Signs..........................................................................................................8 Formulation of Intervention Strategy....................................................................9 Implementation and Interprofessional Elements of the Treatment.......................10 Evaluation and Monitoring of Solutions...............................................................11 Conclusion............................................................................................................12 References.............................................................................................................13 Appendix 1............................................................................................................15 Introduction This paper is based on a mental health scenario involving a patient, Kathy. In the scenario, it is apparent that Kathy is going through a mental health crises that has c aused her to resort to the following circumstances: 1. Disruptions in her family life 2. Disruptions in her work life 3. Emotional problems 4. Alcohol abuse 5. Social isolationism. These issues culminated after a series of incidents that occurred to her. She recently lost her mother and prior to her passing, she could not reconcile her differences with her. Due to this, she died without them making any substantial peace. This led to a serious depression which has created the effects listed in 1 to 5 above. This research attempts to diagnose Kathy's problems and prescribe a solution to it based on the framework of public health and mental health. In doing this, the following objectives will be addressed: 1. A critical review of literature relating to public health and mental health relevant to the issues at hand. 2. A discussion on how to diagnose and assess Kathy's problem based on the principles of mental and public health. 3. Formulation of a strategy to help Kathy to overcome her challenges. 4. Evaluation of the strategy and the interprofessional elements involved in solving Kathy's problems. Public Health and Mental Health as a Tool to the Issues The definition of the scope of mental health is not very simple (Simpson, 2009 p3). This is because mental health is something that comes as an abstract form of medical conditions. Its scope spans from behavioural disorders to mental functions as well as other emotional conditions (Tengland, 2001 p1). Due to this, it typically involves the work of numerous health professionals and has always been a kind of 'joint' discipline with numerous players. The responsibility for mental health and in a public health context revolves around psychologists, physicians/nurses/hospital staff and sociologists. Sociologists might be interested in the effect of a mental health situation on the wider society. The case under review, it is apparent that the mental health challenges of Kathy is affecting not only her as an individual, but her immediate family: her children, husband and her work as well as the wider society. As such, mental health is an issue that concerns sociologists and they have an interest in studying it to identify its scope and effect in order to provide the best framework to contain it. Psychologists have the technical responsibility of dealing with mental health cases. They have to tools and resources necessary to diagnose and deal with the mental related cases. Additionally, doctors often deal with complications related to mental health

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

No - Essay Example However, with very few EV cars, the switching cost is relatively low since there are not EV car producers in the world. Better Place also included product differentiation in its endeavours. In the car industry, normally there are numerous cars that are similar. For instance, someone can easily locate a very similar Nissan, Toyota, Mazda or Honda. Nevertheless, if they are looking at amphibious vehicles, then Better Place faces little threat of substitute products or services, which can be considered an extreme example (Etzion & Struben, 2011). Bargaining Power of Customers There are primarily two types of markets that Better Place competes in; the market for outputs, in which the firm sells its products to consumers and the market for inputs, in which the firm buys components, raw materials and financial, as well as labour services (Etzion & Struben, 2011). These transactions establish value for both sellers and buyers in both markets. With regards to the output markets, Better Place experiences the bargaining power of customers whereas, in the input markets, the company experiences the bargaining power of its suppliers. This bargaining power of customers explains how tough the client’s attitude, as well as their position is (Etzion & Struben, 2011). Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers can put to practice their bargaining power through increases prices or dropping the quality of products. Materials such as raw materials or labour are vital to Better Place’s existence (Etzion & Struben, 2011). Therefore, Better Place has developed a dependant relationship with its suppliers. However, such suppliers can take more Better Place’s likely industry potential value if they are more powerful. This can make Better Place’s profitability drop if they cannot transfer the greater costs incurred to their clients. Such suppliers seem to be more powerful because Better Place is a single company. However, if Better Place was composed of a number o f firms, then the suppliers would be less powerful (Etzion & Struben, 2011). Intensity of Competitive Rivalry In the world EV market, the number of developed competitors is over 50, but Better Place is the first of its kind in Israel. Nevertheless, since diverse firm’s product ranges, product positioning, as well as target consumer groups, are fairly diverse and the volume of EVs that are launched are limited, in comparison with the traditional automotive industry, the competitive strength of EV in Israel is fairly low (Etzion & Struben, 2011). However, established competitors around the world can be split into four clusters according to their capital scale, production capacity, product ranger, as well as operation pattern. They can also be large firms or small firms according to their capital size (Etzion & Struben, 2011). Scenario Planning Better Place’s business models could be simply summarised as they buy car batteries, as well as electricity and offer miles, on t he other hand (Etzion & Struben

Modern Day Slavery in the Middle East Research Paper

Modern Day Slavery in the Middle East - Research Paper Example In other cases, children are obliged to labor as slaves through forced marriages and as child soldiers. Studies show that there are more slaves in the 21st era than during any earlier time. Slavery has been in existence in numerous cultures and it predates inscribed records. The figure of slaves currently continues to be as high as 13million to 28 million. Many of them are debt slaves, mostly in South Asia. The slaves are on debt bondage bought upon by lenders, at times even for decades. Slaves and the work they provided were economically crucial in the pre-industrial communities. This paper will therefore discuss how to end modern slavery in the Middle East. An objector's work is not once done. In 1807March 25th, two hundred centuries ago following vigorous petitioning headed by Wilberforce William, Parliament rendered it illegitimate for British vessels to move slaves and importation of slaves by British colonies. (Denmark actually had passed the same law three years previously, ne vertheless only Danes reminisce that.) In 1948, the United Nations seemed to end what Wilberforce & Co hadbegun. This is signifiedin simple language in the (UDHR) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 4: â€Å"Nobody shall be seized in servitude orslavery; slave trade and the slavery shall be forbidden in all theirtypes.† Slavery was formally a worldwide no-nothis is according to â€Å"The Economist†(Of inhuman bondage par. 1). However, in 2007 no one knew there would be many more servitudes in the domain than ever formerly this is according to â€Å"The Economist†(Of inhuman bondage par. 2). An International Labor Organization report proposes slightly 12.3m. While others say, the total figure is approximately 27m. Majority of slaves are in Latin America and Asia. Kevin Bales a sociology professorat University of Roehampton assesses that the cost of an average slave is $100. The charge differs around the domain, and whereas one couldprocure a 20-year-ol d man plantation worker from West Africa for $50, the charge of a good-looking Ukrainian female in North America couldrun overto thousands. When we contemplate of bondage, we incline to contemplate of the 19th-period â€Å"chattel† diversity—Africans fastened in irons, sold off like livestock and hurled to harvest cotton into the Deep South. Overall, modern suppression does notappear —oroperate —greatly like that. Conferring to â€Å"The Economist†(Of inhuman bondage par. 3) what current slaves dobearsome similarity with their cotton-harvesting predecessors, nonetheless, is they cannot picktheir situation and cannot escape it. The major common type of captivity is bonded labor, wherein labor is procured as reimbursement for a debt. It is prevalent inPakistan, India and Nepal. The whole familymay be subjugated in this manner; typically, they happen to be low-caste and untouchable members of the community. Interest is ratedcovering the original debt sum and the pledge can be passed on from one generation to another. Bonded labor may seem as if it has an intended aspectthat excludes it as bondage. However,rendering to â€Å"The Economist†(Of inhuman bondage par. 3) most bonded laborers bear no preference and their share is in fact that of chattel servitude. Other types of slavery are thriving also according to â€Å"The Economist† (Of inhuman bondage par. 4). In Sudan, children and women are kidnapped and auctioned to government-sponsored guerrillas. In Brazil, farmers clear the forest at

There are many projects known to the public, which have received Essay

There are many projects known to the public, which have received attention by the media because of their perceived failures. Select a well-known project and conduct research into its perceived failures - Essay Example This particular project aimed at the modernisation of the corporation’s production by designing a connected network between the digital productions along with the media assets to assist staff members when sharing, developing and using videos and/or audio materials (BBC, 2013). Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper planning and confusion, the project was eventually closed in the year 2013 even before being completely functional, owing to BBC’s management board’s perceived failure (Charette, 2013). Emphasising this particular instance of project failure, this study intends to discuss about the reasons behind the failures of project management by comparing with the various relevant literature studies based on the similar aspect. Additionally, the study will also reflect about the recommendations on the basis of the effective project management theories. The study will also focus on the implementation of the effective project management for deriving positive outcomes and reduce the increased rate of project management failures. BBCs DMI project failure depicts managerial confusions along with the improper planning framework as the principle reasons for project breakdown. Accordingly, it has been observed that failure in having a proper understanding of the project, but the execution team as well as the manager was another reason accountable for the failure of the DMI project. On further note, the BBC’s Chief technology officer, Mr. John Linwood was dismissed due to the failure of the DMI project, indicating a major proportion of liability to be held by the management team of the project for the loss company had to bear in consequence. The project, DMI, was developed with a view to reduce the inefficient use of video tapes by BBC staff, which required new in-house tools to be developed. The entire plan concentrated on the formulation of a new in-house tool to support the system,

[Japan nuclear and chernobyl syndrome] Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

[Japan nuclear and chernobyl syndrome] - Essay Example The nuclear disaster at Fukushima once again revived the memories of the debilitating things that happened at Chernobyl just a few years ago. A large section of media and scientific community went ahead to compare the possible radiation impact of Fukushima disaster with that of Chernobyl. The print and digital media was replete with the reports placing Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear reactor side by side, portending the two disasters to be very similar and akin in their fallout and intensity. It was only a very few critical minds and concerns who took the time to point out the differences between the two seemingly similar situations. At large, the world seemed to have been taken over by the ghost of Chernobyl, without waiting to critically analyze the facts. Fukushima-the Facts On 11 March 2011, Japan was hit by an earthquake of magnitude 9.0, accompanied by a devastating tsunami. One of the major fallouts of this calamity was the tragic accidents that took place at the Fukushima nuc lear plant. ... When the earthquake occurred, the functional reactors number 1, 2 and 3 automatically came to a halt (Jones: Online). Also, the emergency generators efficiently started to run the water pumps and the emergency control electronics put in place to tackle such exigencies (Jones: Online). The bad thing was that though the Fukushima nuclear plant was well protected by a sea wall, it failed to withstand the massive 14 m tsunami that flooded the reactor in a matter of minutes (Jones: Online). This flooding of the reactor simply jeopardized the low lying water pumps and electronic cooling equipment and spoiled the electrical grid (Jones: Online). With the shutting down of the cooling mechanisms and a zero possibility of extending assistance and support from outside, the reactors 1, 2 and 3 suffered a core meltdown (Jones: Online). The resultant hydrogen explosions blasted the lids capping the buildings in which reactors 1, 3 and 4 were placed (Jones: Online). This was soon followed by rampan t fires caused by the overheating of the reactors (Jones: Online). It is a fact that many of the workers employed at Fukushima nuclear plant suffered radiation exposure and were evacuated. Also, owing to the fears of radiation leakage, people residing in a 20 km radius around the plant were also evacuated (Jones: Online). On 17 March 2011, one of the generators deployed in the reactor number 6 was restarted, thus allowing for the cooling of partially damaged reactor number 5 and 6 (The Straits Times: Online). The restoration of Grid power on 20 March 2011 did not achieve the desired results, because of the largely damaged machinery and infrastructure. Besides, any attempts to repair the reactors were also hampered owing to the

Elizabeth looked Essay Example for Free

Elizabeth looked Essay Discuss the significance of this statement within the play and the wider political and historical contexts. The play, The Crucible, portrays a community which is based on paranoid accusations of witchcraft ending in mass hysteria. The accusations led to dozens of alleged witches being prosecuted in the Massachusetts colony; resulting in the death of nineteen people being hung and one pressed to death, over the following two years. Set in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts during 1692, it depicts one man, John Proctor, in his struggle to keep his pride and name from being destroyed with lies, deceit and accusations of consorting with Satan. In 1915 Arthur Miller was born in New York City where he grew up. When he was older, in 1934, he paid for himself to enroll at the University of Michigan and graduated in 1938. Then during 1953 he published The Crucible but was then later criticized for being an Anti-American. Arthur Miller was intrigued by the witch trials of the 17th Century Salem, but he was also concerned with United States political events; parts of which were opposing the spread of communism. The McCarthyism era, in 1938, was created and led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, it was on the basis that communism was spreading and would undermine and destroy capitalism. McCarthy gave across the point that communism was to be feared and that it was a threat to America. Slowly Americans seemed to grasp his paranoid ideas and began to eradicate communism from the country. John Proctors statement, I have given you my soul; leave me my name! is significant within the play and also outside of it. Proctor was a village person, who lived in a small, friendly community where everybody knows each another and so a name would mean a lot about that person living in that community. For that reason Proctor wishes to keep his name as it is because he believes that it is the only thing he has left to hold onto. Yet outside of the play labels are formed for specific groups such as communists and capitalists. A name has been a strong idea throughout history where Kings are recognised by their names and everyone is given a name at birth. One of the main characters in Arthur Millers play is John Proctor. He was known in Salem as having a high moral status and being a respectable, honest and hard working farmer. John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth Proctor had 3 children; John tended to the farm while Elizabeth looked after the house and children. He had a strong belief that he should stick to what he believes by holding his head high against accusations and immoral justifications. He stands up for himself when he is told to sign the confession papers to be nailed onto the church door and does not let people over come him. You will not use me! I am no Sarah Good or Tituba, I am John Proctor! You will not use me! It is no part of salvation that you should use me! John Proctor is a character who, since the start, denounced the whole proceedings of the Witch Trials unjust and that the afflicted girls were liars. This builds up a life changing dilemma where he is accused of witchcraft and eventually will be hung unless he confesses to working with the devil. One of the choices he could take was to lie; he was to sign his name to a document confirming he performed witchery while in association with Lucifer. This outcome would result in him letting down this wife, children, his friends and even the people who have already been hung for witchery. Although ultimately he would be letting himself down and losing his pride and honour. The other choice he could take was death. Proctor ultimately chooses death as he wanted to hold onto, what was left of, his pride, honour and reputation. During this execution he pleaded for a little respite of time while claiming he was not fit to die. His plea was, of course, unsuccessful. Another main character is Abigail Williams; she is revealed to show her true malicious self as the play progresses.