Thursday, December 26, 2019

Mike Analysis Mike s Iep Essay - 1233 Words

Mike appeared to be respectful of his peers and vice versa. After reading Mike’s IEP, I was surprised to learn that Mike has difficult in-group settings. Indeed, in my field observations I witness several instances where other students looked at Mike as a leader. I found students to be aware of what Mike was doing and admiring how Mike is able to stay focused on his work. Also, Mike was engaged in the classroom and asked questions in a simple and safe manner. Mike interacted well with both genders. For example, he was an attentive listeners and speaker when going over an assignment. He was the only boy white. As a result of my field observations and document analysis of Mike’s IEP, I am left wondering why Mike does not participate in more inclusive classroom. In fact, I believe the educational setting that is being given to Mike does not match what he needs to fulfill his full educational potential. I found Mike to be attentive and he did not appear to be a challenge in the classroom. This was evident in my observations of Mike during small group and independent time. I believe Mike behaved appropriately and was attentive to his surroundings. I found other students to lack both physical and common sense of awareness compared to Mike. Other things that I noticed and wonder about are the instructional practices and services being provided to Mike. For example, I noticed that the teacher’s lessons were predominantly teacher-centered and very little use of visual clues. IShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Music Therapy On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Essay2292 Words   |à ‚  10 Pagescommunication skills. (Raglio, Traficante, Oasi, 2011). Not only is this improvisation music therapy used to enhance autism patients, but other types of techniques are also used and combined with it. Sometimes in music therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is combined with improvisational music therapy. A person who uses ABA on a child with autism sometimes may use certain aspects of music therapy. When it comes to language and the training program of ABA it sometimes uses songs to assess themRead MoreStabilisation in Investment Contracts and Changes of Rules in Host Countries: Tools for Oil Gas Investors34943 Words   |  140 Pagesattempted to address these issues by developing stabilisation mechanisms are considered. Finally, Part 4 presents some conclusions and recommendations, and offers some guidance with respect to ‘tools for oil and gas investors’ on the basis of the analysis presented in this study. *** I wish to thank the many AIPN members who have shared their ideas and materials with me in the course of carrying out this study. As is often the case with AIPN studies, this author has benefited from access

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Immigrant Advantage By Claudia Kolker - 849 Words

I have read a lot of books on the subject of culture and customs of the country. When I read the book â€Å"The Immigrant Advantage† of Claudia Kolker, I understand more about the immigrants’ culture and their lifestyle. Through the book, I found interesting things about all the ideas of immigrants like me. I read each chapter of the book, and in the book I realized there are three very good ideas of marriage, several generations living in the same household, and good neighbors. The marriage is one of the best things to make a happy life. Many years ago, parents had arranged marriages for their children. In Asia, as the customs of Vietnam, parents who decide and arrange the marriages of their children. Normally, parents flanked by close friends so they wanted their children to marry parent friend’s children, and gratitude between them will be even stronger together. Additionally, parents arranged for their children to marry the wealthy children to give their children full life. Also, parents choose their child partners and it is their customs. These children have no right to disobey and reject marriage. Their children married without ever knowing each other or see each other s face. According to the book â€Å"The Immigrant Advantage,† it has a story of the Indian girl married under the marriage arranged by her parents. Until now, the Indian customs that still exist. Not only in India, in other countries, there is still customary marriages arra nged by parents. Vietnam is no longerShow MoreRelatedThe Immigrant Advantage By Claudia Kolker878 Words   |  4 PagesIn Claudia Kolker’s book The Immigrant Advantage, she talks about the cultural tradition of arranged marriages brought by South Asian immigrants to the United States. Kolker agrues that arranged marriages are much more effective in finding a spouse than traditional marriages. Kolker believes that this tradition of assistive marriage should be adopted by Americans. Research and studies have shown that â€Å"women in arranged marriages rated the highest marital status† (Kolker, 71) compared to couples whoRead MoreThe Immigrant Advantage By Claudia Kolker928 Words   |  4 PagesShajuana Williams Professor: Blake Ellis Book Review 2: The Immigrant Advantage There are many questions arises when it comes to the way different cultures manage everyday life. In the book, The Immigrant Advantage by Claudia Kolker, gives us some explanations on their survival techniques. This book can help some Americans like me; live a healthy, happy and hopeful lifestyle. The Author suggests that some of us Americans can learn a few tips on immigration living. To support her informationRead MoreThe Immigrant Advantage : What We Can Learn From Immigrants1424 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness, and Hope† Book Review Interested by the success of several immigrant friends, journalist Claudia Kolker observed various customs of the immigrants and their families, which they brought along with them to the United States. She put together her observations in her book â€Å"The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness, and Hope,† which gives a detailed accountRead MoreThe Immigrant Advantage : What Rest Of America Can Learn From The Fresh Immigrants1644 Words   |  7 PagesThe Immigrant Advantage: What Rest of America can learn from the fresh Immigrants. Cultures for Longer and Happier lives Inspired by her culturally diverse life in Houston, award winning journalist and author Claudia Kolker investigates the attitudes and traditions towards education, hard work and health that have been imported into the United States by immigrants from different nations. She addresses the fact that natives to the United States have so much to learn from foreigners and that theyRead MorePersuasive Essay : Assisted Marriage2451 Words   |  10 Pagesmethod which would work very well, because it involves the same metrics based efficiency as a dating service with the personal warmth and consideration of a person’s own parents. In her book, The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness, and Hope, Claudia Kolker explains how the practice has evolved from an impersonal and cold practicality to a much more modern day sensibility, using one of the most western of values, metrics. The new hybrid form of arranged

Monday, December 9, 2019

Managing Risk in Healthcare Programs

Question: Discuss about the Managing Risk in Healthcare Programs. Answer: Introduction The word risk may be defined as any situation in which some type of danger is involved. In the healthcare industry, the resource is the human being / patient. Thus, any risk to the patient is a risk to the healthcare industry. The challenges faced by the healthcare industry are multipronged. They may include Patient safety, government norms and regulations, medical complications arising out medical error and legislation impacting the healthcare industry. The list is not exhaustive. Indifference towards a comprehensive healthcare management can compromise the health of the patient, increase the liability risk to the healthcare provider, which ultimately leads to financial loss result to the provider. Literature review The basis of healthcare risk management is to enhance the capability of the healthcare provider, extend the organizations capacity in reduction of patient error and enhance the process of quality improvement in healthcare. Healthcare risk management as a subject had a humble start in 1970 when in the USA law that the quality of care provided by the hospital was a corporate liability established it. The medical staff and the health care provider were liable for the quality of care provided. (Singh and Ghatala 2012) To access the healthcare encounters in Australia a research was undertaken. The research was carried out by administering computer assisted telephone interviews. A sample population of more than 1000 people was selected for the survey. The survey found that there were incidences of high excellence in South Australia and New South Wales. It also established the fact that certain aspects were well managed by the healthcare providers. It also found there was poor compliance of the guidelines established by Australia in cases of Community-acquired pneumonia, low back pain and hyperlipidaemia. (Runciman et.al. 2012) A study has also been conducted to identify the healthcare giver at risk of recurring complaints. The study spanned data from a 12-year period across seven areas of Australia. The study found that the number of complaints against the caregiver was highly skewed with professionals like male general practitioner and male plastic surgeon leading the pack. (Bismark et.al. 2013) Hospital error is an inextricably problem that has plagued the healthcare industry. The errors mostly stem from weak organizational safety culture and are systemic in nature. Risk in healthcare can be reduced by providing for policies and practices that would motivate the pursuit of safety. This enables a safety climate, which enacts improved patient safety. This in turn gives rise to safety culture, which reduces the hospital errors. The reduction in hospital errors calls for more of safe behaviors in the hospital. Thus enabling and enacting a safety climate and culture in the hospital. All this helps in reduction of healthcare risk. To enable a safety culture there should be a motivation to reduce the hospital errors. This requires safer practices by the care giver. The factors responsible for enabling reduction in hospital errors are government regulations and organizational practices. Learning from errors can substantially reduce the risks and errors. Education singularly or in c ombination may be used to reduce medical errors. Healthcare providers have learnt from industrial safety principles and thus have improved process reliability. (Singer and Vogus 2013) In spite of all the best efforts of all the stakeholders in the healthcare industry the industry is prone to errors. Under these circumstances, healthcare risk managers have an important role to play. The healthcare industry has still has a long way to go in minimizing the risks since it is still searching what works and what doesnt. (Card, Ward and Clarkson 2012) Research aim The aim of the research is to evaluate the risks involved in management of a healthcare institution. Research question The research question for this assignment is as follows: What are the safety cultures present in the healthcare industry How is safety being promoted by the organization? What are the specific strategies being implemented for risk management? Research objective The objective of the research is as follows: To explore the ways in which medical error data is reported, analysed and used To examine the work conditions of the healthcare providers To create an environment of patient safety Research methodology Primary data will be collected from Healthcare providers. The data will be in the form of a survey questionnaire (refer Appendix for survey questionnaire). The survey questionnaire form is chosen because of its psychometric properties. Survey questions have already been used in the Intensive care units for accessing the safety culture. The results of previous surveys have been used to benchmark safety in health care institutions. (Chaboyer et.al. 2013) The focus of the questionnaire would be on safety culture, job satisfaction, stress recognition and working conditions. The survey answers would be in the form of a Likert scale. Regression analysis will be used to measure the organizational factors. (Richter, McAlearney and Pennell 2016.) This would give the correlation between the factors responsible for healthcare risk and the implementation of safety programs. Expected research outcome The study will demonstrate the presence of presence medical errors in the health care industry, the process of reporting of medical errors. It will provide insight into the frequency of occurrence of medical incidents and the follow-up methods. With the increase in stress on health care providers there will be instances of medical errors. The research will show that with progressive implementation of healthcare management initiatives there has been positive service delivery, improved safety, patient satisfaction, healthcare provider satisfaction change in knowledge and skills of the staff and healthcare provider. (ACHS 2013) Conclusion The profession of healthcare risk management has grown drastically in the past decade. This has increased our knowledge on risk management processes. Thus there has been a reduction in patient errors and increase in patient safety. This has been evidenced by the effectiveness and timeliness of delivery of healthcare. This has increased the efficiency of the hospitals. The healthcare management has become more patient centric. The research into healthcare management has substantially improved the quality of healthcare, prompted research into better management of patients, given rise to newer techniques in the field of healthcare. More importantly it has given rise to quality systems and benchmarking of processes in the healthcare industry. References Richter, J.P., McAlearney, A.S. and Pennell, M.L., 2016. The influence of organizational factors on patient safety: Examining successful handoffs in health care. Health care management review, 41(1), pp.32-41. Chaboyer, W., Chamberlain, D., Hewson-Conroy, K., Grealy, B., Elderkin, T., Brittin, M., McCutcheon, C., Longbottom, P. and Thalib, L., 2013. CNE article: safety culture in Australian intensive care units: establishing a baseline for quality improvement. American journal of critical care, 22(2), pp.93-102. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), Risk Management and Quality Improvement Handbook. Sydney Australia; ACHS; 2013. Singer, S.J. and Vogus, T.J., 2013. Reducing hospital errors: interventions that build safety culture. Annual review of public health, 34, pp.373-396. Singh, B. and Ghatala, M.H., 2012. Risk management in hospitals. International journal of innovation, management and technology, 3(4), p.417. Runciman, W.B., Hunt, T.D., Hannaford, N.A., Hibbert, P.D., Westbrook, J.I., Coiera, E.W., Day, R.O., Hindmarsh, D.M., McGlynn, E.A. and Braithwaite, J., 2012. CareTrack: assessing the appropriateness of health care delivery in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 197(10), p.549. Bismark, M.M., Spittal, M.J., Gurrin, L.C., Ward, M. and Studdert, D.M., 2013. Identification of doctors at risk of recurrent complaints: a national study of healthcare complaints in Australia. BMJ quality safety, pp.bmjqs-2012. Card, A., Ward, J. and Clarkson, P. (2012). Getting to Zero: Evidence-based healthcare risk management is key. J of Healthcare Risk Mgmt, 32(2), pp.20-27.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Zerif Changes Name to Zelle, Get Pro With Extra Features at 20% Off

Our popular Zerif theme changes its name to Zelle!Together with the change, were improving the theme under the hood and adding a handful of new features that you might want to see. Were no longer maintaininig the Lite edition of the theme, effective Nov 1st.Heres everything you need to know: Zerif Pro Zelle ProEverything that you love about Zerif will stay intact in Zelle  after the name change. This means:great one-page designfull compatibility with WooCommercegreat-looking homepage blocksadvanced integration with WordPress Customizerfull compatibility with page builders, and moreApart from that, were also adding:an additional menu bar at the top aptly named the Very Top Barnew layout options for your Blog listing pagenew layout options for the Shop page, including a new sidebarenabling videos and galleries in the Big Title sectionnew flexible customization options for the Big Title sections layoutfull compatibility with WPFormsWhat does it mean if youre an existing user of Zerif Pro? Just update the theme to its latest version and enjoy the new features! Thats all.Using Zerif Lite? Upgrade to Pro and get 20% offZerif Lite will no longer be maintained after Nov 1st, 2018. The theme will continue to receive security updates for another year.For that reason, we recommend all users to upgrade to the new Zelle Pro and get all of the aforementioned extra features.Were offering an exclusive 20% discount for those who are ready to upgrade.👉 Click here to upgrade to Zelle Pro with a 20% discount.If upgrading to Pro isnt possible for you right now, consider migrating your site to Neve   our flagship free WordPress theme.Whats next for ZelleOnly great things, we hope! 😄 As you can see, were already introducing new features and making the theme better, and were not planning to stop.Zerif has been with us for more than four years now. The theme had its WordPress.org debut on Oct 20th, 2014. We hope that Zelle will add another four years to that, or pe rhaps even more. Essentially, Zelle/Zerif remains the same theme, just better.Find out more about Zelle here. Zerif #WordPress #theme changes name to Zelle

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Africa Conflicts

Resolution 1. The economic recovery and development of Africa has been a priority concern for the United Nations since the mid-1980s when the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1/ was launched. In addition, the United Nations-New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, 2/ which followed in 1991, and the United Nations Systemnwide Special Initiative for the Implementation of the United Nations-New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s combined with other activities in the areas of peacemaking and peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance to further emphasize the commitment of the international community and the United Nations to help create an enabling environment for development. 2. In considering the item entitled "Development of Africa: implementation and coordinated follow-up by the United Nations system of initiatives on African development" during its coordination segment of 1999, the Economic and Social Council reaffirms the importance of United Nations participation in the development of Africa and underscores its intention to ensure that all United Nations initiatives on Africa and those of other multilateral and bilateral donors are maximized for the benefit of the African people. 3. The Council again welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/52/871-S/1998/318). The Council restates its strong support for the link made by the Secretary-General in his report between peace, democracy, human rights and development. The Council reiterates the importance of a stable and predictable political and economic environment for local and foreign investment and other international financial flows, which remain essential for Africa's economic and social development. 4. The Council takes note of the recent spurt of economic growth and development in Africa. While re... Free Essays on Africa Conflicts Free Essays on Africa Conflicts Resolution 1. The economic recovery and development of Africa has been a priority concern for the United Nations since the mid-1980s when the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1/ was launched. In addition, the United Nations-New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, 2/ which followed in 1991, and the United Nations Systemnwide Special Initiative for the Implementation of the United Nations-New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s combined with other activities in the areas of peacemaking and peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance to further emphasize the commitment of the international community and the United Nations to help create an enabling environment for development. 2. In considering the item entitled "Development of Africa: implementation and coordinated follow-up by the United Nations system of initiatives on African development" during its coordination segment of 1999, the Economic and Social Council reaffirms the importance of United Nations participation in the development of Africa and underscores its intention to ensure that all United Nations initiatives on Africa and those of other multilateral and bilateral donors are maximized for the benefit of the African people. 3. The Council again welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/52/871-S/1998/318). The Council restates its strong support for the link made by the Secretary-General in his report between peace, democracy, human rights and development. The Council reiterates the importance of a stable and predictable political and economic environment for local and foreign investment and other international financial flows, which remain essential for Africa's economic and social development. 4. The Council takes note of the recent spurt of economic growth and development in Africa. While re...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Integrated Marketing Communications Build A Cross-Team Campaign

Integrated Marketing Communications Build A Cross-Team Campaign So you need to launch a brand new marketing campaign. Usually, these campaigns entail multiple moving pieces, a plethora of different channels, and a lot of contributors. The best approach to take is usually an integrated one i.e. integrated marketing communications. Your team will entail: A Graphic Design team to  help you attract your prospects with an amazing experience. Public Relations to help you communicate with + notify your fans and stakeholders. An Advertising team to help you introduce your campaign to thousands of NEW prospects. A Multimedia team to help you reach your audience well beyond the written word (think webinars, podcasts, videos, and beyond). A Social Media team to help you spread the word to your existing community of loyal fans. Product Marketing to help you connect the dots between the prospects you attract and the product or service youre ultimately selling. As wells as your own marketing team to  manage everything behind the scenes + make sure you hit every deadline. ^^^ I bet that just felt daunting. I know. Ive been there in a past life. So the questions become: How can you possibly get every teams management on board to collaborate across these teams most effectively? How can you get the time from the talent you need for the campaign to be as successful as possible? How can you manage the campaign execution process when you arent necessarily the supervisor of the folks helping you out? How can you keep every stakeholder (your manager, the teams managers, your cross-functional team members, and your higher-ups) in the loop at every  moment? Continue reading this blog post to  learn how to: Draft an integrated marketing communications campaign proposal to get approval from the teams management to use their resources and talents to make your project successful. Turn your proposal into a serious campaign game plan complete with campaign execution and launch timeline. Break  every piece of content on your timeline into realistically delegable workflows that will help you crush your deadline. Keep the campaign on track every step of the way with proven project management frameworks. Lets turn you into an integrated marketing communications mastermind, shall we? How To Make The Best Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign In The World With Multiple TeamsUse Marketing Campaigns  To Manage Every Campaign In Looking for an easy way to collaborate across multiple teams? One place where you (and everyone else) can see everything? Well Check out Marketing Campaigns in . First, create your campaign, add a color label, and select your start and end dates. Next, add each individual project that will make up your marketing campaign. You can add things like blog posts, infographics, social media campaigns, webinars the list goes on. When adding a new project to your marketing campaign, you can create a custom task list for everyone on the team to know what to do and when. Learn More:  The Most Effective [+ Amazing] Way To Organize Your Marketing Campaigns Download Your Integrated Marketing Communications Templates To Turn What You Learn Into Action Immediately Your kit that complements this blog post specifically includes: An integrated marketing communications campaign proposal Word doc template to help you get  every stakeholder on board. A campaign execution and launch timeline Excel spreadsheet template to help you plan when your resources will complete the content  within your project. A marketing workflow process checklist to help you translate content into efficiently  delegable tasks your resources will execute. Download it now. Its well worth it. Trust me.Download your free integrated marketing communications template bundle here:Draft Your Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign Plan Your plan will include three key parts: A creative brief outlining why you're taking on this project, the audience you're targeting,  the verbiage you'll use to attract those folks, and more foundational elements  that will help your team understand the purpose of the campaign. A content and promotion campaign timeline that outlines the phases of work completed toward the ultimate publish date. This helps you understand when your cross-functional team will complete the work for each piece of content within the campaign. A human resources plan your campaign needs to be successful. This includes the names of the individuals you'll need to pull from other teams to get your campaign completed. ^^^ It's easier than it sounds, and the benefits of doing this give you a solid starting point for a conversation with your manager (to get campaign approval), which you can then take to the other teams' managers to get their approval. Let's dig in. Write Your Campaign's Creative Brief The first thing to nail down is the why. Why are you taking on this campaign right now? Why will it be successful? Why will your audience prefer your campaign on this topic compared to your competition (how will yours be better)? Anything you can do to back up those answers with your own data will help you prove why your team should take on this project right now. ^^^ The most effective way to do that is by citing how your  new campaign idea reflects qualities from your most successful projects you've  already launched. You can do this for yourself by: Setting Goals in Google Analytics. Tracking which pieces deliver the highest number toward those goals with a Google Analytics  Custom Report. Analyzing the qualities within those successful pieces to include content like them in your new campaign. Follow the instructions here for the extreme details on setting all of this up for yourself. At this point, you'll also want to  outline: Your target audience: Keep it simple; this could be, "{Audience title/role}  who have issues with {insert challenge}." Or, if you're feeling the pressure from office bureaucracy for a little more polished understanding of your target market, use this free template to create your own persona  and include it in  your campaign plan. Goal: While you based this campaign on ideas you know have already been successful, this goal isn't necessarily about laying out the "numbers" of what your campaign will generate (though you could include  that in your campaign plan, too, if your business needs the data).  Instead, write what you aim for your audience to experience. For example, "Attract the right kinds of {audience title/role} who will be interested in {company name's} {product/service}." Call to action: One clear call to action per piece gives your audience way fewer distractions. For your campaign, that likely means the same call to action across all pieces. In your creative brief, this could look something like this: Sign up for your free demo. Now  lay out the verbiage your audience uses to describe the challenges they face that your campaign will solve. This also includes the language they'd likely use to find the content  you're publishing within the campaign. At , we call this framework talking points or speaking points. It's an exercise to help you connect the dots between what you want to market and what your audience cares about. To do this, you can look at: Audience and/or customer user surveys: If you survey your audience, there is a plethora of information to look through to understand the actual words people use to describe their challenges. If you haven't surveyed your audience yet, it's easy. Use a tool like Polldaddy or SurveyMonkey, and ask one simple question: "Why did you hire/choose {company name}?" Open-ended questions give your audience the freedom to describe the why, which gives you the literal words they use (which, in turn, makes for excellent marketing copy). Blog post comments:  If you publish blog posts, your audience likely leaves comments through your comment system like Disqus. Those are GOLD for you to respond back and ask why they found the information helpful. Use their words in your marketing copy. Social media interactions: When someone shares your content or mentions you, you have the opportunity to  respond. In that response, you can ask, "Why?" Why did they share? What challenge were they facing that your content helped them solve? Now it's time to connect the dots between the words your customers, prospects, and audience uses and your  campaign's value proposition. Again, you'll use another why framework. Let's say your campaign is for a new service offering for  integrates one frequently used system or application with another. Ask: Why does my audience care about this new service? Because {insert benefit they get}. Why does my audience care about this {benefit from previous answer}? Because  {insert benefit they get}. Why does my audience care about this {benefit from previous answer}? Because  {insert benefit they get}. Why does my audience care about this {benefit from previous answer}? Because  {insert benefit they get}. Why does my audience care about this {benefit from previous answer}? Because  {insert benefit they get}. It's kind of like a why rabbit hole. You ask yourself, "Why?" Then you keep asking yourself, "Why?" to every answer you come up with.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

War crime & crimes of aggression in international Essay

War crime & crimes of aggression in international - Essay Example Sometimes an enemy is dodged by waving a flag and then they are attacked, this also comes under war law violation. However, if an enemy is being deployed with the help of a parachute, then attacking them will not mean it is a war crime. However this rule is critical because in some areas it is not allowed to attack an enemy if they are being deployed from a damaged airplane. They cannot be attacked even if they have landed and are willing to surrender (ICRC, n.p, 1993)2. Genocide and mass murder also come under war crimes. If prisoners and civilians are ill treated then this is also considered as a violation of international war law. This ill treatment can also come under the crime against humanity. As the Nuremberg Trials and Tokyo trials, were held under the international humanitarian laws, there fore these have a significant impact on the war laws. "Wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including... wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of a protected person, compelling a protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile power, or wilfully depriving a protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial, ...taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly" (ICRC, n.p, 2005)3. It was after the World War... .taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly" (ICRC, n.p, 2005)3. It was after the World War II that people realized there should be some form of law that should stop violations against human rights. During the World War II the Nazis killed millions of people just because they were Jews. These people were killed very brutally. The Japanese also mistreated the prisoners during the Second World War. In 1945 and 1946 trials were held which lead to the execution of Nazi leaders. Several Japanese Commanders were also hanged in 1946 and 1948. The reasons for these trials were the war crimes these people did during the war (Smith, 1, n.d)4. Formerly, the international war laws addressed only the war crimes in an international conflict. Today an internal armed conflict can also have war crimes. The international human rights regime has changed over the last decade. Today, if anyone commits a war crime, even if it is a minor armed conflict within the country, the person can be subjected to a trial. Though war crimes have always existed yet formal war crime rules and regulations were established after the Second World War. Perfidy was one common and expected war crime for centuries. In 1899 and 1907, during The Hague Conventions, many rules and regulations were made clear. The Nuremberg Trials gave a new concept to war rules. It was published on August 8, 1945 in London. This has further clarified other forms of crimes done in a war (White, n.p. 2007)5. According to Article 22 of the Hague IV, "The right of belligerents to adopt means of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

EBay Case Study Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

EBay Case Study - Term Paper Example There are number of ways through eBay creates value. State-of-the-art systems and tools have been developed by the company. Such tools and systems have increased the productivity of the network members. Furthermore more number of members is encouraged to join the network. Such tools include the Turbo Lister service and Seller’s Assistant. The first one is capable of tracking and managing thousands of mass listings on the home computers, whereas the second one helps new sellers as well as makes professional-looking online listings. EBay has also set up and maintained performance standards which augment the steadiness of the system. Buyers and sellers are allowed to rate each other. Such ranking system bolsters users’ confidence level Sellers having good reputation among the buyers, attain the Power Seller status and those having bad reputation are excluded from any kind of future transactions (Iansiti & Levien, â€Å"Creating Value in Your Business Ecosystem†). Mo reover, value created by eBay is shared with the members of the ecosystem. A moderate fee is charged from the users for allowing them to coordinate their various trading activities. Incentives in the form of special status (Power Seller) enhance the standards of the sellers and this benefits the entire ecosystem. c) What is the source of eBay’s competitive advantage? The major source of eBay’s competitive advantage is its social capital. Social capital is referred to the trust, goodwill and credibility.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hals Hardware Essay Example for Free

Hals Hardware Essay Hal’s Hardware Inc. s regional, therefore they only have stores (14 of them) in three states. This scope of customers is a weakness because of their competitors such as Home Depot and Lowe’s are not regional Franchise Hardware Stores. Hal’s Hardware Inc. doesn’t have a good business process to deal with a national scale demand. The size of the products that can be delivered directly to the customer is also limited. Hal’s Hardware Inc. can adapt to an online website filled with the items they sell because all of they have a database of all their items they ever had. Hal’s Hardware Inc. will be able to expand their stores as well as apply their demonstrations online, have accessibility, and a will adopt new ways means of attracting customers. Convenience to the customers is especially possible to provide due to the ‘order online and pick-up in-store’ idea. Hal’s Hardware Inc. , if developing an e-commerce, will have to consider the factors of their decision. They will be facing immense competitions from larger Hardware industries and e-commerce Businesses who in which has a higher area profile, a vast scope of customers. With other e-commerce Businesses, the threat of losing manufacturing companies from selling via Hal’s Hardware Inc. , and directly selling their products online using e-commerce sites such as Amazon, and other sites with a wide target client coverage. There are numerous additions that the company may resort to in order to remain strong amidst other competitors. Hal’s Hardware can make use of the aspect of community and service that they’ve developed in-store and apply it on their website. This can be done in various ways. First, wanted ads from constructors should have a place on the website. From these projects, the web site could suggest tools and materials which would bring the attention of customers to certain items by showing how they can be used. Second, website could also be host for methods of instruction. In the store and tool demonstrations already occur. Online, the instruction manuals that they give out in store could be uploaded, for example. There could also be videos of the tool demonstrations to help online customers see the products in action. Third, seminars and workshops may be accessible online. Fourth, customers should be allowed to submit reviews of products that they’ve purchased either online or in-store. Moreover, schedules of seminars and workshops should be available online in order to advertise store events and draw in more people both to the website and to the store. With regard to their purchasing process, Hal’s Hardware should implement a way by which customers can find the store nearest to them prior to completing a transaction. Seeing as some items cannot be delivered directly to the customer due the size of the product and its effect on the price of shipping, the company should consider giving the customer the option of hipping their orders to their home or to a store. To go along with this, solid return and warranty policies should be constructed in order to cater customer satisfaction. To address areas in which their stock and resources are lacking, the company may make use of the site to post advertisements for manufacturers and distributors wh o would like to have their products or resources available in the store. Otherwise, the existence of a database will be a great help in forming the website. Stock will likely be updated as much as possible as the current database is changed in real-time. The amount of stock and location of products are already integrated into the current system. Both elements are incredibly useful to online customers. Overall, the website should focus on forming a good relationship between the company and the customers. The community atmosphere should translate to the website. The tight-knit nature of HHI’s customer community isn’t usually present in large chain stores. If the website contains features that nurture this, then it has a standing chance against its competitors.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Genesis 1-11 :: essays research papers

Genesis 1-11 My mind began to fill with questions and thoughts as I read the first eleven chapters of the Bible (see list of questions after my paper please). It never ceases to amaze me that I can repeatedly read chapters of the Bible and learn or notice something fresh each study session. A number of unique things occurred to me this time through. The fact that the Tigris and Euphrates have actually been on earth since Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:14) amazed me. To think that I, with the appropriate finances, could go and see part of the Garden of Eden is astounding. The list of the descendents of Adam (Genesis 5) allowed me to grasp that Noah was only nine generations removed from Adam. I found in one of my reference books that Noah’s father, Lamech, was only fifty-six years old at the time of Adam’s death. However, at the same time, this information was a little disappointing. Did the whole earth really fill with corruption and violence in just nine generations? This served as a definite reminder of the kind of world we are born into. Even so, God sends hope into these Bible passages with Noah’s presence. Noah himself gave me hope. I came to realize as I read that Noah was the first example of a genuinely righteous man in the Bible. With unbending confidence in God’s word, Noah began to build the Arc. Noah could nearly even be considered an in advance example of what Jesus would be like. For approximately 120 years, Noah preached God’s judgement, mercy, and the coming flood. However, people turned their heads at Noah and continued in their evil ways. Another interesting event was the first time rain fell from the heavens (Genesis 7:12). Before the great flood, water came up from the ground (Genesis 2:6). After the flood, Noah’s family was the only one on earth. With this data, we can assume that everyone is a descendent of Shem, Ham, or Japheth, Noah’s three sons. Therefore Noah’s family re-populated the earth. Different languages and cultures came when God spread the people all over the earth and confused mankind by separating their languages and geography (Genesis 11:7-9). Genesis 1-11 :: essays research papers Genesis 1-11 My mind began to fill with questions and thoughts as I read the first eleven chapters of the Bible (see list of questions after my paper please). It never ceases to amaze me that I can repeatedly read chapters of the Bible and learn or notice something fresh each study session. A number of unique things occurred to me this time through. The fact that the Tigris and Euphrates have actually been on earth since Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:14) amazed me. To think that I, with the appropriate finances, could go and see part of the Garden of Eden is astounding. The list of the descendents of Adam (Genesis 5) allowed me to grasp that Noah was only nine generations removed from Adam. I found in one of my reference books that Noah’s father, Lamech, was only fifty-six years old at the time of Adam’s death. However, at the same time, this information was a little disappointing. Did the whole earth really fill with corruption and violence in just nine generations? This served as a definite reminder of the kind of world we are born into. Even so, God sends hope into these Bible passages with Noah’s presence. Noah himself gave me hope. I came to realize as I read that Noah was the first example of a genuinely righteous man in the Bible. With unbending confidence in God’s word, Noah began to build the Arc. Noah could nearly even be considered an in advance example of what Jesus would be like. For approximately 120 years, Noah preached God’s judgement, mercy, and the coming flood. However, people turned their heads at Noah and continued in their evil ways. Another interesting event was the first time rain fell from the heavens (Genesis 7:12). Before the great flood, water came up from the ground (Genesis 2:6). After the flood, Noah’s family was the only one on earth. With this data, we can assume that everyone is a descendent of Shem, Ham, or Japheth, Noah’s three sons. Therefore Noah’s family re-populated the earth. Different languages and cultures came when God spread the people all over the earth and confused mankind by separating their languages and geography (Genesis 11:7-9).

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Commercial banks Essay

ABSTRACT This report is based on corporate social responsibility. This project report contains the meaning of CSR which includes the advantage of CSR towards bank, society, responsibility of corporate houses, objective of CSR, motive of CSR, responsibility towards customer. This document is all about multidimensional growth of customers for which the bank liable for their service selling. This process leads to upliftment of people life. The banks are not bind to do so but the do these kind of activities for creating a goodwill sense among their customer which leads to growth in lifestyle of the overall society. This gives better environment to the society in which the bank is working. Hence, the present study titled â€Å"A STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS CUSTOMERS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN MADURAI†, has assumed greater significance. INTRODUCTION Corporate social responsibility ( CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/Responsible Business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulation mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. CSR is a process with aim to embrace responsibility for the banks actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Banks play an active role for the economic development of any country. In a present competitive environment bank needs to retain its customer for effective development in any sector. Hence there arises need for corporate social responsibility then only it will leads to development of society as well as growth in bank sector. The present study aims to know the effectiveness of CSR in commercial banks with special reference to Madurai. In this context following questions arises. To measure the level of social obligation To measure the level of effectiveness of corporate social responsibility towards customers of commercial banks. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: To study the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility towards customers of commercial banks. METHODOLOGY The present study is an empirical one based on the survey method. First hand data was collected from the field through interview schedule. Data relating to various customers of commercial banks in Madurai was gathered through interview schedule. The schedule structured was extensively pretested. The survey envisaged the application of convenience sampling. Thus a sample of 300 respondents was decided upon nature of the commercial banks in Madurai. The survey was conducted during 2012-2013 in commercial banks from state Bank of India, Indian bank, Canara Bank, Karurvysya bank, HDFC bank, Axis bank, ICICI bank in Madurai. ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION GARRET RANKING Garret Ranking is used to find out the ranking for respondents opinion towards the enhancing customer value for public sector, private sector, and New generation banks. Step I:  Ranking given by respondents opinion on enhancing customer value TABLE 1 RANKING OF RESPONDENTS opinion towards enhancing customer value. S.No.AttributesRankTotal 12345 1.Sharing bank details1866231129300 2.Comfortable0120524880300 3.Time management00018282300 4.Man management1515765270300 5.Filling forms22120539213300 Source: Primary Data Step II : The assigned ranks by the respondents were converted into percent position value by the formula given below. For each percent position, Using Garrett’s table, corresponding Garrett’s table value is obtained. Formula Per cent Position = 100 (Rij – 0.5) / Nj Rij = Rank given for the ith variable by the jth respondent Nj = Number of variables ranked by the jth respondent. GARRETT’S TABLE VALUE RanksCalculationPercentageGarrett’s Table Value I Rank=100*(1-0.5)/5= 10= 75 II Rank=100*(2-0.5)/5= 30= 60 III Rank=100*(3-0.5)/5= 50= 50 IV Rank=100*(4-0.5)/5= 70= 40 V Rank=100*(5-0.5)/5= 90= 25 Source: Computed data. Step III: Scores are obtained with reference to Garrett’s Table value, and each percentage position value is converted into scores. Here each aggregated ranks are multiplied with corresponding the Garrett’s value obtained in the table. AGGREGATED RANKS Sl. No.AttributesRank 12345 1.Sharing bank details1395037201550840225 2.Comfortable07200260033602000 3.Time management00012607050 4.Man management113253420325018900 5.Filling forms1650720026506440325 Source: Computed data. Step IV: Summation of the scores is worked out for each rank column and means scores calculated by dividing the total score by the number of respondents. Finally, overall ranking is obtained by assigning ranks 1, 2, 3 †¦ in the descending order of mean score. OVERALL RANKING for respondents opinion on enhancing customer value S. No.ReasonTotal ScoreAverageRank 1.Sharing bank details2028567.6I 2.Comfortable1526050.53IV 3.Time management831027.7V 4.Man management1988566.28II 5.Filling forms1826560.89III INFERENCE It is observed from the table Sharing bank details† has been ranked as the first for the Man management has been ranked second, Filling forms third position, followed by Comfortable in fourth rank with Time management ranked as the fifth that influences the respondents opinion on enhancing customer value the in bank’s CONCLUSION Although creating customer satisfaction is not a prime motivation for instituting corporate social Responsibility programs , research linking CSR strategies with positive customer outcomes, such as loyalty, has led to the expectation that these strategies generally have positive flow-on effects for customers. Banking industry surveys have led to the identification of a mismatch between consumer satisfaction levels and massive spending on CSR programs. Further research is warranted. In view of research suggesting that retail banking customers prefer initiatives that create direct customer benefits compared to those that have broader social impacts. To conclude the CSR activities in all the three study banks are not effective. It is proper time on their to promote CSR related activities.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Winston’s True Love for Julia Persuasion

Love is a word that can have multiple meanings. You can love someone for who they are, because of how they act, or maybe even you love the idea of love and rebellion which may include someone special. â€Å"1984† depicts this idea of love between Winston and Julia in a manner that changes people’s viewpoints. The factors that determine whether Julia and Winston love each other include the idea of love that keeps them together, the physical attraction between them, and the emotional relationship they create.You can determine whether the love that Winston and Julia share is actually true love or is it just the ideas that one loves about another. â€Å"His heart leapt. Scores of times she had done it; he wished it had been hundreds-thousands. Anything that hinted at corruption always filled him with a wild hope. † (p. 125). This quote proves that Winston loves the fact that she has had sexual intercourses with scores of Party members, proving the corruption in the P arty itself. But nowhere in the novel does it mention Winston loving Julia, but it mentions what Winston loves about her: her hair, eyes, characteristics, sexual intercourses, etc. This idea also intertwines with the concept of love and physical attraction. Physical attraction is one of the ideas and human characteristics that the Party is trying to eliminate. Any signs of physical attraction to another member or Prole can result in becoming an â€Å"unperson†. He thought of her naked, youthful body, as he had seen in his dream. He had imagined her a fool like all the rest of them, her head stuffed with lies and hatred, her belly full of ice. A kind of fever seized him at the thought that he might lose her, the white youthful body might slip away from him! † (p. 109-110). This quote proves that Winston indeed has a physical attraction to Julia, but not because he loves her, but because he wants to prove a point against the Party without them actually knowing. By stating that she is â€Å"a fool like all the rest of them, her head stuffed with lies and hatred, her bell full of ice†, Winston attempts to mock the Party by presenting a case where he has attracted a devoted Party member and therefore broken their stronghold. But as later seen in the novel, physical attraction may not only be the main idea behind the ‘love’ Winston has for Julia. Emotional attraction is one of the major connections between Winston and Julia and it affects the overall purpose of the novel. â€Å"He had never before seen or imagined a woman of the Party with cosmetics on her face. The improvements in her appearance were startling. † (p. 142). Although this quote does not directly portray an emotional connection between the two Party members, the physical changes are the ones that attract Winston more emotionally to Julia. He is already connected to Julia in a manner which involves her body, her ideas and her methods of rebellion. Emotionally though, Winston sees that she is more than just an idea outside Party views, but a person with emotions and feelings. Winston is able to see this clearly during this scene. All of these different connections allow readers to analyze whether the there is a true love between Winston and Julia or is it just a love about being an individual in a society which commands all inhabitants to be the same? The idea of love, the physical attraction and emotional connection assist readers in deciding whether or not Winston and Julia are truly in love. Each and all have arguments for and against the point but whether there is truly a love attraction between the two has, and always will, stay as a thought in the readers’ mind. The true answer to this question will always remain with the author of the award-winning novel.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Material Culture - Artifacts and their Meaning(s)

Material Culture - Artifacts and their Meaning(s) Material culture is a term used in archaeology and other anthropology-related fields to refer to all the corporeal, tangible objects that are created, used, kept and left behind by past and present cultures. Material culture refers to objects that are used, lived in, displayed and experienced; and the terms includes all the things people make, including tools, pottery, houses, furniture, buttons, roads, even the cities themselves. An archaeologist thus can be defined as a person who studies the material culture of a past society: but theyre not the only ones who do that. Material Culture: Key Takeaways Material culture refers to the corporeal, tangible objects created, used, kept, and left behind by people.A term used by archaeologists and other anthropologists.One focus is the meaning of the objects: how we use them, how we treat them, what they say about us.Some objects reflect family history, status, gender, and/or ethnic identity.  People have been making and saving objects for 2.5 million years.  There is some evidence that our cousins the orangutans do the same.   Material Culture Studies Material culture studies, however, focus not just on the artifacts themselves, but rather the meaning of those objects to people. One of the features that characterize humans apart from other species is the extent to which we interact with objects, whether they are used or traded, whether they are curated or discarded. Objects in human life can become integrated into social relationships: for example, strong emotional attachments are found between people and material culture that is connected to ancestors. Grandmothers sideboard, a teapot handed down from family member to family member, a class ring from the 1920s, these are the things that turn up in the long-established television program Antiques Roadshow, often accompanied by family history and a vow to never let them be sold. Recalling the Past, Constructing an Identity Such objects transmit culture with them, creating and reinforcing cultural norms: this kind of object needs tending, this does not. Girl Scout badges, fraternity pins, even Fitbit watches are symbolic storage devices, symbols of social identity that may persist through multiple generations. In this manner, they can also be teaching tools: this is how we were in the past, this is how we need to behave in the present. Objects can also recall past events: antlers collected on a hunting trip, a necklace of beads obtained on holiday or at a fair, a picture book that reminds the owner of a trip, all of these objects contain a meaning to their owners, apart from and perhaps above their materiality. Gifts are set in patterned displays (comparable in some respects to shrines) in homes as markers of memory. Even if the objects themselves are considered ugly by their owners, theyre kept because they keep alive the memory of families and individuals that might otherwise be forgotten. Those objects leave traces, that have established narratives associated with them. Ancient Symbolism All of these ideas, all of these ways that humans interact with objects today have ancient roots. Weve been collecting and venerating objects since we started making tools 2.5 million years ago, and archaeologists and paleontologists are today agreed that the objects that were collected in the past contain intimate information about the cultures that collected them. Today, the debates center on how to access that information, and to what extent that is even possible. Interestingly, there is increasing evidence that material culture is a primate thing: tool use and collecting behavior have been identified in chimpanzee and orangutan groups. Changes in the Study of Material Culture The symbolic aspects of material culture have been studied by archaeologists since the late 1970s. Archaeologists have always identified cultural groups by the stuff they collected and used, such as house construction methods; pottery styles; bone, stone and metal tools; and recurring symbols painted on objects and sewn into textiles. But it wasnt until the late 1970s that archaeologists began to actively think about the human-cultural material relationship. They began to ask: does the simple description of material culture traits sufficiently define cultural groups, or should we leverage what we know and understand about the social relationships of artifacts to get to a better understanding of the ancient cultures? What kicked that off was a recognition that groups of people who share material culture may not ever have spoken the same language, or shared the same religious or secular customs, or interacted with one another in any other way other than to exchange material goods. Are collections of artifact traits just an archaeological construct with no reality? But the artifacts that make up material culture were meaningfully constituted and actively manipulated to attain certain ends, such as establishing status, contesting power, marking an ethnic identity, defining the individual self or demonstrating gender. Material culture both reflects society and is involved in its constitution and transformation. Creating, exchanging and consuming objects are necessary parts of displaying, negotiating and enhancing a particular public self. Objects can be seen as the blank slates upon which we project our needs, desires, ideas and values. As such, material culture contains a wealth of information about who we are, who we want to be. Sources Berger, Arthur Asa. Reading matter: Multidisciplinary perspectives on material culture. New York: Routledge, 2017.Coward, Fiona, and Clive Gamble. Big Brains, Small Worlds: Material Culture and the Evolution of the Mind. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 363.1499 (2008): 1969-79. Print.Gonzlez-Ruibal, Alfredo, Almudena Hernando, and Gustavo Politis. Ontology of the Self and Material Culture: Arrow-Making among the Aw Hunter-Gatherers (Brazil). Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 30.1 (2011): 1-16. Print.Hodder, Ian. Symbols in Action: Ethnoarchaeological Studies of Material Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Print.Money, Annemarie. Material Culture and the Living Room: The Appropriation and Use of Goods in Everyday Life. Journal of Consumer Culture 7.3 (2007): 355-77. Print.OToole, Paddy, and Prisca Were. Observing Places: Using Space and Material Culture in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research 8.5 (2008): 616 -34. Print. Tehrani, Jamshid J., and Felix Riede. Towards an Archaeology of Pedagogy: Learning, Teaching and the Generation of Material Culture Traditions. World Archaeology 40.3 (2008): 316-31. Print.van Schaik, Carel P., et al. Orangutan Cultures and the Evolution of Material Culture. Science 299.5603 (2003): 102-05. Print.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure

The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure By Maeve Maddox When I was about ten years old, my aunt gave me a subscription to a Disney comic. I remember one issue in which Donald Duck and his nephews had a treasure map. Overheard saying that he was in search of buried treasure, Donald tried to deceive the villain whod heard him by claiming that what hed really said was in search of hurried leisure. That was in the Fifties. By the time the leisure suit craze struck in the Seventies, not many Americans were pronouncing leisure to rhyme with measure. Come to think of it, I dont know of anyone who pronounces buried to rhyme with hurried. Here are the current American pronunciations of these words: buried [bÄ•rÄ“d] hurried [hà »rÄ“] treasure [trÄ•zhÉ™r] leisure [lÄ“zhÉ™r] although some folks still say [lÄ•zhÉ™r] What pronunciation changes have you noticed since your were a child? Here are some quotations from newspapers that illustrate the use of this word: travel company sells weeklong, small group trips to Costa Rica, Morocco and Nicaragua. The journeys are part leisure, part service: itineraries include between two and three days of charity work, in collaboration with a local (www.nytimes.com) A Tuscan vacation gives travelers a chance for an urban adventure with visits to the art museums of Florence, the architecture of Pisa and the traditions of Siena. Tuscany also is a destination for a leisurely trip that meanders through the countryside, stops at wineries for tastings or takes a leisure break in a spa town. 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:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsDisappointed + PrepositionCharles's Pen and Jesus' Name

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Media Bias CNN and FOX News on the Healthcare Debate Research Paper

Media Bias CNN and FOX News on the Healthcare Debate - Research Paper Example Media bias can be of many types. It could be advertising bias which means slanting to please the advertisers, it could be mainstream bias which refers to reporting only those stories which are being reported on other main networks, it could be corporate bias which means selecting particular stories which would please only the corporate honchos of the media industry or it could be sensationalism which means showing the exceptional much above the ordinary for instance, making the viewers believe that airplanes crashes happen very frequently and they are as frequent as automobile crashes. There have been efforts made to correct bias but significant results are yet to be seen. This paper will shed light upon the slant of Fox news and CNN during the 2008 presidential election, how these trusted news channels present their biased perspectives will also be analyzed in this paper. Barrack Obama has been very critical of Fox news for more reasons than one, the President of the United States h as even excluded the news channel from participating in his press conferences, it is also known that the President wants the other big media outlets to cut all their ties with Fox news because he thinks the channel fabricates the news and is biased in more ways than one. It is implausible to find negative articles about McCain and Palin and it is implausible to find positive articles about Obama on Fox news. Their website has had its own share of flak from the Obama administration. The channel has received flak on a no of occasions for unfair reporting. Fox news has become faux news because the news shown on the channel is either fake or has bias. â€Å"A more accurate statement is that Fox News does actually report on all news: You'll find negative McCain and Palin coverage on the site and in the story archive. What they don't do is feature it as prominently or for as long on their homepage when they do post these stories, and they keep negative coverage on Obama on their homepage for as long as possible.† (Faux News) There have been a series of controversies that Fox news has been involved in and many believe that a reputed news channel would never face so many controversies, the channel has been accused of having a pro-republican bias and a documentary by the name outfoxed proves the very same fact. Keeping all these facts in mind one must be aware of the fact that the channel does not make any attempt of presenting stories and events as they really are, they fabricate and add their perspective to these stories and events. The 2008 presidential election was no different, the channel did their best to defame and criticize Obama who after becoming the President got back with the same animosity and hostility. The website would often leave their homepage as it is which would contain defaming information about Obama. â€Å"Discussing the 2008 campaign for the presidency, Sammon said, "I have to admit that I went on TV on Fox News and publicly engaged in what I guess was some rather mischievous speculation about whether Barack Obama really advocated socialism, a premise that privately I found rather far-fetched." (Is Fox News' Sammon a 'mischief' maker?) The channel has already lost its journalistic integrality and it is believed that they attack everyone and anyone who refuse to believe in their ideology. CNN on the other hand has been accused of having a pro-democrat bias. The channel hardly criticizes democrats and this has been seen on several occasions. The president was also racially abused on several occasions, several channels tried their best to defame and criticize him, in-spite of that he came out victorious. CNN has been

Friday, November 1, 2019

Cat Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Research Paper

Cat Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Daschunds - Research Paper Example An increased dependency on formulated cat foods produces the potential for deficiency, but the same formulations allow for the correction of this lack. Total Nutrient programs from the pet food industry are the response to this valid concern. Vision loss, as well as cardiomyopathy, can result from such dietary deficiencies. (Hayes et al. 1982), (Hills Pet Nutrition, 2011) This report outlines the pathology of feline dilated cardiomyopathy and related heart conditions, as well as contributing factors. The prognosis and treatment modalities are discussed; as well as means by which this condition can be prevented. Cats do not possess the ability to synthesize the amino acid Taurine; which is necessary for muscle growth; and proper retinal development in kittens. This is presumed to be a central factor in the evolutionary development of felines. Modern processed cat food contains nutritional supplements to alleviate this problem. Feline DCMs now relatively rare. In the past, feline dilated cardiomyopathy could be blamed on the dietary deficiency in the amino acid taurine. (Petplace Veterinarians, 2011), (Pion, et al. 1987) Taurine is an essential component of the feline diet, whereas dogs do not require it. (Pion et al. 2007) The breeds typically affected are Abyssinian, Burmese, Siamese, and mixed/mongrel housecats. The Catfood industry responds to this risk by taking steps to ensure taurine dietary supplements are included as basic nutrition in most cat foods. The feline food industry has risen to the challenge of addressing the need for nutritional supplements in a form highly palatable to the animals. At the same time, the more sedentary lifestyles that felines and canines now share with their human owners still creates its own battery of assorted health risks to all three species. (Obesity is a noteworthy factor.) In terms of diagnosis, a complete medical history should be provided to the veterinary  professional. Initially, a thorough physical examination is performed.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Methodology Chapter (2) Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Methodology Chapter (2) - Dissertation Example Figure 2.1 In vitro effects of sildenafil on murine embryo development 2.1.2 In vivo effects of sildenafil on murine embryo development This part of the experiment was not conducted due to requirement for changes in the license. However, the in vivo effects on the development of oocyte would have been examined by injecting sildenafil on female mice for a period of four days with the following three doses: 0.5 mg/kg, 1.5mg/kg and 2.5mg/kg. Afterwards, the female mice would be mated naturally with males; then one-day old zygotes would be harvested from sacrificed females. The number of oocytes and corpora lutea recorded would be used to determine the rate of ovulation. Thereafter, the embryos would be grown to blastocysts again in a media not supplemented with sildenafil. The quality of development of the embryos would then be determined by examining their development rate, and assessing the numbers of the blastocyst cells (figure 2.2). Figure 2.2 In Vivo effects of sildenafil on murin e embryo development 2.1.3 Expression of PDE5a in the mouse pre-implantation embryo The experiment was conducted by examining the presence of PDE5 mRNA in murine embryos at the successive stages of embryo development. The embryos used for study were obtained from mice that had been mated naturally. On the other hand, the blastocysts had been cultured in standard conditions. 2.2 Sildenafil Citrate purification from commercially available Viagra tablets In both the in vitro and in vivo experiments, sildenafil had been cleansed from commercially available Viagra tablets by leaving 20g sephadex G-25 overnight to swell in 100ml of distilled water. A column of 80ml was then applied with the sephadex gel and equilibrated in 100ml of distilled water at room temperature. A Viagra tablet of 38mg was then placed in 91.2ml of distilled water and slowly mixed with a magnetic stirrer at room temperature for a period of twenty minutes. It was then filtered for 20 minutes under a temperature of 4 d egrees Celsius. The liquid in which sildenafil has been dissolved was then applied on the column. The column was rinsed with the Viagra solution just before it was flushed with 400ml of water to wash away any possible small molecules. This way, only sildenafil was left precipitated to resin. The column was then applied with 1% Formic acid to rinse the sildenafil off. The absorbance of the rinsed solution was then observed and according to Francis et al. (2003), the rinsed sildenafil had a sharp peak absorbance at 40ml (Figure 3.1). Figure 3.1 Elution of pure sildenafil from sephadex column After sildenafil was rinsed, the column was washed again with 160ml or distilled water to eliminate the formic acid. After the column was free of formic acid, it was then washed with 320ml of 0.2% sodium azide in order to preserve it for later use. The rinsed sildenafil was then frozen at temperatures of -80 degrees Celsius. It was then dried by freezing it in a high vacuum. This was done by first sublimating the contents for a period of 8 hours at 0.37 mbar and under a temperature of -53 degrees Celsius, then desorbing it at 0.001 mbar for 3 hours. The weight of the crystallized contents was determined by examining the rate of absorbance of sildenafil over the whole sildenafil that had been eluted, assuming that there had been a recovery rate of 60%. The eluted sildenafil was then dissolved in 0.1% formic acid in order to obtain the normal concentration of refined

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Liver Functions, Anatomy and Diseases

Liver Functions, Anatomy and Diseases Sandra Marais Nikita Wiggil Charne Scott Chante Wiese   Sue-May van der Westhuizen Stephanie Willows Contents (Jump to) Introduction The Anatomy and function of the Liver Definition and description of the disease Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND ETIOLOGY OF FATTY LIVER DISEASES: Treatment and prevention Introduction The Anatomy and function of the Liver Anatomy is the science of the structure and shape of entities. It is important for the knowledge of hepatic anatomy and surgery. The liver is one of the largest organs of the human body after the skin it is the second largest. The liver is the largest gland in the human body, with an average weight of 1500g. The transverse measurements ranges between 20 and 22,5cm, its vertical measurements (close to its right/lateral surface) between 15 and 17,5cm and its antero-posterior diameter between 10 and 12,5cm. Its measurement, from opposite the vertebral column, is reduced to roughly 7,5cm. It is found underneath the diaphragm -in the right upper abdomen, mid abdomen as well as in parts of the left upper abdomen. The shape of the liver generally has the form of a wedge or a prism. According to Synington the shape resembles that of a right-angled triangular prism with the right angle rounded off. Its base faces the right and its apex to the left, the colour of the liver is dark reddish brown it has a soft degree of density, it contains a large amount of vessels and is very brittle. In an adult, it is smaller than in a fetus. In the later (side) it contributes roughly one thirty-six of the body weight. In the former (side) it contributes roughly one-eighteenth of the body weight. The liver has three surfaces namely the superior (Facies superior), inferior (Facies inferior/ visceral surface) and posterior (Facies posterior). The posterior surface is divided from the superior surface by a sharp margin. The superior surface attaches itself to the diaphragm as well as the anterior abdominal by the falciform ligament (ligamentum falciform hepatis). The falciform ligament separates the liver into a right lobe (lobus hepatis dexter) and a left lobe (lobus hepatis sinister). The right lobe is larger than the left. Five fossae divide the inferior and posterior surfaces into four lobes. The fossae are arranged like the letter ‘’H’’. The left limb of the H is divided into what is known as the left sagittal fossa (fossa sagittalis sinistra/longitudinal fissure) consisting off the fossa of the umbilical vein and the fossa for the ductus venosus. The right limb of the H consists of the fossa for the gall-bladder (fossa vesicà ¦ felleà ¦) and th e fossa for the inferior vena cava (fossa venà ¦ cavà ¦). The two limbs of the H surfs as a transverse fissure- the porta (porta hepatis/transverse fissure). The superior surface is part of is part of the left and right lobe. This surface is convex. The middle part is found behind the xiphoid process and it makes contact with the abdominal wall. It is entirely concealed by peritoneum, with the exception of the line of attachment of the flaciform ligament. The inferior surface is concave. It is aimed downward, backward as well as to the left. The surface is infused in peritoneum- the only parts that are without it, is where the gall-bladder and the liver attaches as well as at the porta hepatis. The posterior surface has a curved surface and is broad on the right, but narrow on the left. The diaphragm is attached with a triangular and coronary ligament that intertwine connective tissue, it leads to the intimate connection of the inferior vene cava that is connected with hapatic veins that holds up the posterior part of the liver. The abdominal viscera full the abdomen, where the muscular walls are in a state of tonic contraction. The superior surface of the liver fits under the diaphragm surface, so that the pressure is enough to hold the diaphragm. The lax falciform ligament creates no support for the lateral displacement and the latter creates negative pressure that is held up in the thorax (Gray, Henry. Anatomy of the Human Body. PHILADELPHIA: Lea Febiger, 1918; Bartleby.com, 2000. www.bartleby.com/107/. [DATE of Printout].) Functions of the liver The liver receives blood from two main sources: 30% is received from the hepatic arteries and 70% is received from the hepatic portal vein. The hepatic portal vein receives blood from the stomach, intestines, pancreas and spleen; which is then carried to the liver through the porta hepatis. All nutrients are absorbed by the small intestine, all nutrients reaches the liver by this route except for lipids. Arterial blood bound for the liver exists the aorta ant the celiac trunk. These arteries deliver oxygen and other materials to the liver. (SALADIN, p. 975-977) Digestion Liver produces bile; which is a mixture of water, bile salts, cholesterol and pigments of bilirubin. Bile is produced by hepatocytes in the liver. Bile passes through the bile ducts and is stored in the gallbladder. Fats are emulsificated by bile. Large fat clumps are turned into smaller pieces which makes it easy for the body to digest. Old worn oud red blood cells are destroyed by Kupffer cells in the liver. Kupffer cells pass their components to the hepatocytes. Haemoglobin is the red oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells, haemoglobin is metabolized into heme and globin components. Energy for the body comes from globin protein. Metabolism Liver is responsible for metabolizing carbohydrates , lipids and proteins into biologically useful materials. Blood entering the liver through the hepatic portal vein is rich in glucose from digested food. Some of this glucose is absorbed by hepatocytes. The glucose is stored as the macromolecule glycogen. Homeostasis is maintained by the absorption and release of glucose by the hepatocytes, it helps protect the body from spikes and drops that can be dangerous in the blood glucose level. Hepatocytes absorb and metabolise fatty acids to produce energy in the form of ATP. Through gluconeogenesis the hepatocytes convert glycerol and other lipid components into glucose. Cholesterol is a lipid which can also be produced by hepatocytes and gets excreted from the body as a component of bile. Amino acids is a component from dietary proteins. Amine groups are removed from the amino acids, by the hepatocytes, which is further converted into ammonia and urea. Urea can be excreted in urine as a waste product. Urea is less toxic than ammonia. Detoxification Hepatocytes cells of the liver monitor the contents of the blood and toxic substances are removed before they reach the rest of the body. Alcohol and drugs are metabolised into their inactive metabolites by the enzymes in hepatocytes cells. Storage Nutrients, vitamins and minerals obtained from the blood passing through the hepatic portal system are stored in the liver. Homeostasis of blood glucose is maintained by the storage of nutrients. Vitamins such as A, D, E, K and B12 is stored in the liver. Minerals such as iron and copper are stored in the liver. Production Vital protein components of blood plasma such as prothrombin, fibrinogen and albumins are produced by the liver. Prothrombin and fibrinogen proteins are factors involved in the formation of blood clots. Albumins maintain the isotonic environment of blood. Immunity Bacteria, fungi, parasites, worn out red blood cells and cellular debris are captured and digest by Kupffer cells. Large volumes of blood are cleaned very quickly by Kupffer cells due to the large volumes of blood passing through the hepatic portal system. (www.innerbody.com/image _digeov/card10-new2.html) American journal of Physiology: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology : physiology and pathophysiology of apoptosis in epithelial cells of the liver; pancreas and intestine. By Blake. A. Jones ; Gregory. J. Gores. Published 1 December 1997 (vol.273. no.6, G1174-G1188) Definition and description of the disease Fatty liver disease â€Å"Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical and pathological syndrome.† (Zeng, et al., 2008) The main feature of NAFLD is the swelling of the (liver cells) hepatocytes because of pathological factor, alcohol excluded, that injure the liver. NAFLD is ranged from fatty liver alone to steatohepatitis, steatonecrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepartitis (NASH). (NASH) is only a stage in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. NAFLD may have the potential to progress into cirrhosis and liver failure.† Liver –biopsy features include steatosis, mixed inflammatory cell-infiltration, hepatocytes ballooning and necrosis, glycogen nuclei, Mallory’s hyaline and fibrosis.† (Angulo, 2002) According to Jansen (2004) NASH is an under diagnosed liver disease characterized by steatosis, necroinflammation and fibrosis. NASH can possibly develop into cirrhosis and hepatic cellular carcinoma. NASH incorporate mixed acute and chronic lobular inflammation, zone 3 perisinusiodal fibrosis and ballooning (Brunt, et al., 1999). Alcoholic liver disease. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) includes a variety of spectrum of injury that can be from simple steatosis to frank cirrhosis. There are 3 groups of histological stages of ADL. Fatty liver or simple steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis and chronic hepatitis with hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis. ALD can be caused by different types of factors including dose, duration and type of alcohol consumption and risk factors like obesity iron overload ect. Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease causes no signs or symptoms that can be noticed but when it is noticed, it show signs of: Fatigue Pain in the right upper abdomen Weight loss. Inflammation and scarring of the liver Possible progression to liver failure. Symptoms consists of four (4) stages namely Simple fatty liver disease ( steatosis), Non-alcoholic Fatty liver Disease (NAFLD), Fibrosis And Cirrhosis. Simple fatty liver (Steatosis)- There are no clear symptoms and it can only be discoverd by an abnormal blood test result. Non-alcoholic Steotohepatitis (NASH)- It is the most aggressive form of this condition, it causes the liver to become inflamed creating a dull or aching pain in the top right abdomen, covering the lower side of the ribs. There may be no signs of any symptoms at all and it can only be discovered by specialized testing. Fibrosis- Constant inflammation in the liver which leads to the formation of scar tissue. Cirrhosis- Over a long period of time, it creates inflammation which can lead to the loss of liver function- which may lead to creating primary cancer. ALCOHOL-RELATED (ARLD) It shows no symptoms until the liver has already been severely damaged and it causes symptoms such as: Feeling sick, weak or tired Loos of weight Loss of appetite Jaundice- the yellowing of the eyes and skin The swelling of the stomach and ankles Confusion or drowsiness The excretion or the vomiting of blood. Alcohol related fatty liver disease is constantly diagnosed because of other conditions or other tests. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND ETIOLOGY OF FATTY LIVER DISEASES: Fatty Liver Disease encompasses two over head segments, namely Alcoholic Liver Disease and Non Alcoholic Liver Disease. ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE (ALD) Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) encompasses the manifestations of the liver that is caused by the over consumption of alcohol (ethanol). It includes Fatty Liver, Alcoholic Hepatitis, and Chronic Hepatitis with liver cell fibrosis or cirrhosis.*1 Ethanol metabolization takes place in the liver. There are two main pathways of alcohol metabolism, namely alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 2 E1. The first pathway works as follows: Firstly ethanol is metabolized by Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) into Acetaldehyde in the cytoplasm. The second phase occurs in the smooth Endoplasmic reticulum of mitochondria, where Acetaldehyde is further metabolized by Aldehyde dehydrogenase into acetate. Acetate is then finally oxidized into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. CYP 2E1 also converts ethanol into acetaldehyde (OShea, et al., 2010). Liver damage occurs in a few mutually related pathways: Acetaldehyde can form hybrid-adducts with reactive residues acting on proteins or small molecules, mediating lipid peroxidation and nucleic acid oxidation. (French, et al., 1984) During further metabolization of alcohol, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) is reduced. This causes a shift in the NADH/NAD ratio. A higher NADH (reduced form of NAD) concentration increases the production of fatty acids, while lower concentrations of NAD result in decreased fatty acid oxidation. This altered ratio impair the metabolization of carbohydrates and lipids, resulting in the diversion from gluconeogenesis to ketogenesis and fatty acid synthesis. The liver cells compound the fatty acids to glycerol to form triglycerides. These accumulating triglycerides result in fatty liver. This leads to oxidative stress, which plays a pivotal role in ALD development. (French, et al., 1984) Furthermore, Acetaldehyde interacts through covalent binding with reactive residues of proteins found on the membranes of liver cells. This binding results in the formation of stable protein by-products which have been shown to be immunogenic. Tissue damage and ALD may be caused by this, because the neo-antigens may induce an immune reaction with anti-body production. CYP 2 E 1, when exposed to chronicle alcohol use generates free radicals through the oxidation of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to NADP (OShea, et al., 2010). This exposure activates hepatic macrophages, also known as Kupffer cells, which leads to Tumor Necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is increased by the mitochondria, which in turn was induced by the TNF-alpha. This also promotes oxidative stress, which leads to hepatocytes necrosis and apoptosis. Many alcoholics have a condition of malnutrition. The deficiency in anti-oxidants, such as vitamin E, only worsens the necrosis and apoptosis. Free radicals initiate the oxidative degradation of lipids, which causes inflammation and liver tissue becomes scarred. Although the over consumption of alcohol is the primary cause of ADL, it is not always a pre-requirement for ALD development. It is important to understand the mechanisms of liver damage. When liver cells are exposed to alcohol, ATP synthesis is reduced and the activity of mitochondrial complexes is depressed. This causes energy metabolism of liver cells to be severely weaker and results in tissue damage. Metabolization of ethanol takes place in the centrilobular area of the liver lobule. Hypoxia alters energy metabolism, therefore centrilobular hypoxia can also be responsible for liver injury. The pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease is very complex and further in depth investigation to understand the disease and how to treat it is being done. NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD) Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is an over arching term for a variety of conditions associated with fat depositions in liver cells. NAFLD ranges from Simple fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to fibrosis and cirrhosis. The first stage of NAFDL is simple fatty liver or steatosis. It is considered harmless and only consists of a fat build up in the liver. The second stage, Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is more serious, but not many individuals progress to this state from simple fatty liver. Two liver insults may lead to the development of NASH. With the first insult or hit, macro-vesicular steatosis (abnormal retention of lipids within a cell) occurs as a result of an excessive amount of triglycerides accumulating in the liver. The cause of triglyceride accumulation can result from excessive importation of free fatty acids from adipose tissue.*5 The accumulating lipids in the liver cells seem to be caused by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to changes in the livers enzymatic pathways that control free fatty acid uptake, synthesis, degradation and the secretion of free fatty acids. A crucial paradox arises: the liver maintains its liver lipid metabolization, but carbohydrate metabolism is weakened or damaged. Hepatic steatosis caused by these factors can result into diminished hepatic free fatty acid oxidation, more hepatic lipogenesis or fewer lipids are secreted from the liver. Along with insulin resistance, obesity plays an important role in the development of NAFLD. These alterations make the liver sensitive for the second insult or hit, which is an inflammatory response and further liver damage (Carey, et al., 2013). Toxic inflammatory proteins are secreted by the cytokines in the liver.*6 Hepatocyte apoptosis, an organized form of cellular death, is a leading component of the second insult of NAFLD progression. Oxidative stress and resulting lipid peroxidation are involved in the progression of NAFLD to NASH. The term â€Å"oxidative stress† is frequently used to describe the imbalances in redox couples. *7 This metabolic reaction produce too much reactive free radicals called reactive oxygen species (ROS). This process usually occurs in the mitochondria. Lipid peroxidation can lead to changes in the cell membrane fluidity and these alterations cause tissue damage. Fibrosis is the third stage of NAFLD. NASH develops to form fibrosis if it is not treated. Fibrosis occurs where chronicle inflammation in the liver results in the formation of fibrous scar tissue around hepatic cells and blood vessels. The liver still functions normally, because there is still enough healthy tissue. The forth and most severe stage of NAFLD is cirrhosis. During this stage lots of scar tissue develops. This causes the liver to shrink and change morphologically. The damage caused by cirrhosis is permanent and cannot be saved or reversed. The progression of cirrhosis is slow, but it ultimately causes the liver to stop functioning.*8 Treatment and prevention Basic therapy: you have to work out a strategic plan of the intake of calories and adjustment of diet constitution. Medium aerobic exercise and the changing of some life styles and behaviour. Weight reduction: The most important fact of weigh reduction is not the amount of weight loss but how the weight is lost. Losing weight rapidly may increase portal inflammation and fibrosis. A relatively safe goal is to lose about 1.6kg per week. Liver transplantation: For some patients liver transplantation is recommended. Metabolic states should be examined before the transplantation. A BMI >40kg lm2 is a contrain dication (Zeng, et al., 2008) Abstinence: This is a very important therapeutic intervention for patients that have ALD. Abstinence helps to decrease portal pressure and lower progression to cirrhosis.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Priesthood :: essays research papers

Priesthood The position of priesthood in the church has been evident since the earliest existence of the church. Jewish priests first were established in the seventh century BC performing religious ceremonies. They were even more established around 950 BC due to the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem. The major role of the traditional Jewish priest was to perform sacrificial rituals. According to the Bible, the Temple was built as a place for God to live with the people. It was the holiest building that existed, and needed to be kept holy by the priests. Their role of the priests was to perform animal sacrifices to God as an offering. The priests performed these sacrifices as specialists on behalf of a community or congregation in order to restore the holiness of the community and of the Temple. It was believed that if there was sin among the people then God would not come and be with them. After the Temple was destroyed during the war with Rome, these animal sacrifices were stopped, and there were no more active Jewish priests. The religious leadership in the synagogue was led by the rabbis. In the Protestant religion there exists a "priesthood of all believers"("Priesthood", 529). This meant that each member in the community serves as his or her own priest, with direct access to communication with God. Protestants believe that the role of the priest is an "officiating mediary"("Priesthood", 529), rather than a one who performs ritual sacrifices. This stems from the Protestant belief that Jesus Christ served as "the ultimate" sacrifice, and therefore there is no use in animal sacrifices. Protestants also do not call their religious leaders "priests" because the name itself implies that he is of a higher level than his fellow man or that he has more access to God than others. There exists two different forms of priesthood: hereditary and vocational priests. A hereditary priest is a limited position in that it can only be held by a person who a direct descendent of the tribe of Levi. This tribe is one of the original 12 tribes of Israel as set forth in Genesis 49. There exists among this tribe one High Priests who head of the other priests. He is the only priest who was allowed to view the holy Ark of the Covenant during the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem. These hereditary priests, unlike most priests in today's society, were allowed to marry in order to carry on the line of priesthood. The vocational priests are those which have been "called" to the ministry by God himself.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Kohlberg’s Moral Judgment Model

The focus of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Moral Judgment Model is to investigate and assess how the concept or consciousness about morality arises and what constitutes this perception about morality. He provides six stages of development which explains how a child obtains and develops his own idea of moral action. When a child experiences a dilemma in which he or she must be able to come up with a particular decision and actualize it, Kohlberg tells that the child’s judgment could be explain through his model. The first three stages are crucial for the reason that the child’s response is dependent on his or her initial orientation on morality. The first stage explains that a child’s response might be based on the idea of obedience and punishment. The child would act in such a way that he or she obeys what the immediate authority imposes to him or her (e. g. rules set in the house or in the school). The right action for the child would be if he or she is able to follow the rules which would also make him or her free from any form of punishment. The child would assert that he or she must not such and such acts to prevent being punished. The second stage is when the child realizes that his or her actions, whatever they are, have equivalent consequences. If he or she would act like this for the benefit or harm of others he or she might think that the same thing would be done for or against him or her. In short, his or her actions would be based on how he or she perceives the result of his or her actions which is still directed towards his or her own interests. The third stage explains that the child in this period learns that it is not all about him or her or not always geared towards his or her own satisfaction. In this stage, the child becomes conscious about how others perceive him or her. Thus, his or her actions are not just dependent on what he or she likes but also on how others would see him or her as a moral person. The child would think that â€Å"I ought not to tell a lie because others will see me as a bad person for doing so. † In short, the concept of conventional morality starts at this point.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Dttls Assignment Essay

Unit 4: Theories and principles for planning and enabling learning In modern day teaching, the onus is shifting further and further away from teacher dictated methods of educational delivery, to methods that ensure the learner is placed at the heart of teaching, and every individual within the classroom is considered and catered for. Advances in technology available to teachers has contributed to a broadening of teaching styles, but this has mainly come about through the need to differentiate teaching more effectively and break down the barriers that exist between teacher and learner. Engaging every learner is a difficult task and requires the teacher to have a plethora of knowledge of teaching methods and theories. Learners may differ in terms of age, gender, ability level, communication skills, confidence, learning styles and many other factors. The job of the teacher is to ensure these factors do not hinder individual learning and that success and achievement within the group is widespread and at a high level. Planning and implementing learning is paramount to this process. To effectively plan and deliver to diverse and varied groups of students, teachers can draw upon a number of teaching theories and principles put forward by educational academics. Theories of teaching and behaviour are themselves, in general, varied and diverse in the way they approach the dissemination of learning and the bringing about of desired responses. Similarly, different theories of communication have been put forward that document methods through which we as teachers can effectively converse with our students. All of these theories can provide a vital insight or tool for teachers to improve their practice and ultimately promote inclusive learning for all students. Many examples of different teaching theories are evident across academic literature. Examples of these include Classical and Operant conditioning, Kolb’s learning cycle, Gagnes 9 events of instruction, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Knowles’ Pedagogical and Andragogical approaches. An example of a communication theory is Berne’s (1970) transactional analysis. It is concerned with ensuring that control and understanding occurs through ommunication between groups or individuals. Berne believes that transactional analysis represents â€Å"a theory of social intercourse and used it to help people understand and improve their behaviour towards others† (Huddleston & Unwin, 1997, p115). This theory also suggests that communicating effectively will directly impact on success, motivation work rate and b ehaviour through increased understanding of the nature and demands of a task or the content of the message itself that is being communicated. If we also also consider the effectiveness of communication in the classroom and relating theoretical concepts, i. e. ehaviourist and humanistic theories, these have some distinct differences which affect greatly the approaches and techniques adopted by teachers. Behaviourist theories suggest all behaviour is ‘learned’ or that these theories bring about a recognisable ‘change’ in behaviour (Armitage, 2003). Examples of Behavioural theorists include Pavlov (Classical conditioning), Thorndike (Operant conditioning), Skinner and in terms of early behaviourist studies, Watson. These theorists along with others have over the past 100 years put forward a number of different behaviourist theories that are concerned with changing or ‘conditioning’ behaviour. Classical conditioning was pioneered by Pavlov who looked at learning by association. His famous study involved the use of dogs as a medium to facilitate associative learning. Pavlov rang a bell every time a dog was to receive food, the presence of food elicited a saliva response from the dog, which over time it associated with the sound of the bell. After a period of time, the stimulus of food was no longer produced, but the dog continued to salivate at the sound of a bell, as it now ‘associated’ this behaviour with the onset of a meal. Classical conditioning essentially elicits a reflex and an association is formed (Artmitage, 2003; www. learning-theories. com). Operant conditioning is a theory put forward by Thorndike. This theory waits for a desired behaviour to occur and then rewards it. It builds somewhat on the work done by Watson regarding trial and error learning. Perhaps the most prominent or influential behaviourist work is that done by Skinner. Skinner adopted an operant approach to behaviourism and famously conducted experiment using rats in specially designed boxes. Skinner’s ideas revolved around the presence of a reinforcer to cause a desired behaviour to be repeated. This could be in the form of a primary reinforcer (a basic need like food) or a secondary reinforcer (such as money or praise). In the case of his rats, Skinner effectively trained them to pull certain levers to release food. Initially, the release was accidental but after a while, the rats learned to associate the arrival of food with the pressing of a lever. Skinners work revolved heavily around the need for reinforcement, reward, punishment and feedback. The scheduling and delivery of these things was also important to Skinner who suggested the timing of something like a reward was paramount to its success at brining about long term changes in behaviour. Similarly, he suggested giving punishment should occur immediately after the event in question and in a consistent manner. Also, it was skinner who introduced the concept of successive approximations – small steps towards a desired behaviour (Artmitage, 2003; www. learning-theories. com). Humanistic theories of learning are much more concerned with the individual themselves than the behaviour. Maslow identified a Hierarchy of Needs which he believed outlined the basic requirements of all individuals Figure 1 – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (www. talkingtails. files. wordpress. com) Both humanistic and behaviourist theories have a huge application in the delivery of teaching and learning. In the curriculum area of Public Services, evidence of the use of both theories is apparent across different subject areas. Operant conditioning is embedded widely across public service lessons. This occurs on many occasions where praise is used within a fitness session to reinforce good performance. Primary reinforcers are also often used, for example, excellence certificates sometimes act as a tangible reward for students who perform well in strenuous task such as fitness testing. When coaching exercise techniques in the gym, classical conditioning is used to develop the desired response of good form. For example, when learning to perform a squat, the learner must bend their knees to a 90 degree angle. This is taught by putting a bench under the learner so that when they feel their posterior touch the surface of the bench they know to begin the upward phase of the lift. At the point of touch, they will be encouraged to reverse the process. Over time, the bench is removed from the lift but the learner still remembers the motion. Punishment is often used to discourage certain behaviour. For example, at South Devon College if a student is rude in a lesson they are given a set amount of press ups to do. Whilst punishment is deemed less effective than a positive reinforcement strategy, the section have a consistent and department wide policy towards distributing press ups which contributes to making this a more effective way to manipulate behaviour. Humanistic approaches such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are also evident within the curriculum, looking at developing individuals through agendas such as Every Child Matters and through the departmental tutorial process. The teamwork and overall nature of the course is also a particularly effective medium for learners to progress through the top two stages (esteem and self actualisation) of the hierarchy. Inclusive practice is something that all teachers are ultimately striving for. Within the curriculum, inclusive practice is complicated by the both theoretical and practical element of the subject area. A teacher must look to facilitate learning for those who are academically able, practically gifted and also attempt to integrate the study of theory and practical to enhance learning as a whole. Computer based learning, for example, is common place on all courses, and although often difficult to facilitate in all subjects, such as outdoor activities, the needs of the learner and future employer is paramount. The Uniformed Public Services today use computer systems, including email, online study, and specific service systems such as Wotan, on a regular basis and so it is vital that learners are prepared for this. This also helps out those learners who may struggle with putting pen to paper. Much of what the Public Services do is very practical and so as much as possible I try to embed a practical way of delivering the course specification. For example, team building activities using equipment outdoors. This enables some learners to shine as they are more practically minded. However, an indoor table top scenario does the same job, but gives learners with different learning styles chance to shine. Linking theory to practice is related to another teaching theory put forward by Kolb (1984). Kolb’s Learning Theory Kolb’s theory is ‘based on the assumption that people learn best by doing things then thinking about how they have done them, considering both the thoughts, feelings and perceptions which emerged during the experience’ (Harkin et al. 200, p42). This makes the process of learning more efficient, relevant and enjoyable. It also promotes inclusive practice with all three learning styles (Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic) being catered for effectively. The nature of our learners has a significant influence on the techniques and theories we implement in the preparation and delivery of lessons. In my own teaching practice, I have exposure to both adult and child groups. This difference in age groups has a big impact in how I teach and communicate with these groups. This is linked to Knowles’ (1970) theory of Pedagogy and Andragogy. These two states relate to the differences associated with teaching these varying groups. Effective communication is required throughout all levels of teaching. Transactional analysis is strongly linked to communicating and giving feedback and reflects the way we use our voice (in terms of tone, pitch, volume and content) to relay information to our students. The way this is done will affect whether a student understands a task and understands the nature and direction of the feedback. Within pastoral support mechanisms, teachers often undertake one on one tutorial discussions with students. Depending on the situation and the learner, the teacher may adopt one of the 3 ego states (Parent, Adult, and Child) in order to most effectively converse with the student. The ego state may also change over the course of the tutorial process as the teacher gets to know the learner more. Within the classroom, communicating with learners in the form of feedback allow them to understand if they are being successful or not achieving and what they can do to improve. As teachers, it is essential we have the ability to adopt the correct ego status for the situation but also to consciously manipulate the interaction of ego states between teacher and learner. Doing this involves manipulating our own tone of voice and delivery of information and also encouraging certain behaviours and attitudes amongst our students to allow them to best understand what is being said to them. In Public Services, when feeding back to a student on their performance in a practical session, a teacher may look to switch between the adult and parent ego states to best deliver positive and negative comments to a learner. Currently I teach a subject that is well within my comfort zone, particularly as a serving member of Her Majesty’s Forces, where I can relate much of my teaching to my current role. However, I am acutely aware of the need to teach and develop my own core skills in literacy, numeracy, language and ICT. To progress in a career in the Public services, it is vital that these core skills are maximised. As mentioned previously, the ICT is developing in all aspects of our lives and as a teacher, I feel this is an aspect where I maximise my potential. My own literacy and language is adequate for the subject matter that I teach, but would be limited I believe if I were to teach another core subject. My use of voice and body language overcomes many of my shortfalls when addressing learners but may not be appropriate in other subjects. Numeracy is my weakest area and as such my teaching reflects this. As a teaching group we play to our individual strengths and so the subjects that I teach have limited numeracy base. However, this is an area that I am conscious of and it does need to be addressed. As a teacher, I teach across a range of courses from Level 1 to Level 5 and with groups ranging from 15 years old to adult learners. This necessitates that I employ a range of teaching strategies and adopt a range of learning theories to best accommodate for all my students. I feel one of my particular strengths is my adaptability to work effectively with these diverse groups and adopt different ego states through which to control these groups and facilitate their learning. Sub consciously, I feel for a long time I have been utilising many of the learning theories discussed in this assignment, however through recent further study I now feel much more confident and able to take what I perceive to be the most advantageous parts of these learning theories and implement them in my classroom. I believe a further strength of mine is to bring about certain behaviours or encourage those that are most appropriate within the classroom. Using operant conditioning ideology, I am quick to recognise and praise desired behaviour but am careful how and how often I deliver this reinforcement. Although I understand the limitations of punishment, I believe it has a place in the classroom and feel I am fairly competent at being consistent and fair with punishments/press ups. Feedback from learners is clearly an essential medium to assess one own teaching. With my adult learners I widely adopt a andragogical approach, allowing them a lot of freedom to learn in their own way. This is effective but often leads to a lack of feedback from learners in terms of how they are progressing and learning. I feel I could improve by embedding some more formative assessment methods into my andragogical style of teaching to allow for freedom within learning, but also actually more feedback for me from learners. This will ultimately help me see how they are doing, and also how I am doing in terms of teaching. For future development, I believe it is essential for me to continue to develop my use of Kolb’s ideas integrating theory into practice. This is something I believe to be essential, especially given the more practical/kinaesthetic orientation of the learners who study upon the course on which I teach. I also feel that I could benefit from more in depth investigation into the Skinner’s schedule of reinforcement linked to operant conditioning. I feel I am good at giving constructive praise but could improve by really analysing how I give feedback, especially in terms of frequency.