Tuesday, November 26, 2019

buy custom Developing an Implementation Plan essay

buy custom Developing an Implementation Plan essay According to Laux and Herbert (2006), ventilator-associated pneumonia, an infection of the airway, is the most common infection acquired from hospitals among mechanically ventilated patients. It has been known to develop more than 48 hours after mechanical ventilation initiation. 6 to 52 of 100 patients requiring mechanical ventilation develop ventilator-associated pneumonia. Around 1 to 3 percent of mechanically ventilated patients are at risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia daily (Stonecypher, 2010). The aspect of ventilator-associated pneumonia that troubles health care professionals is the high associated mortality. Al-Tawfiq and Abed (2010) mentioned that 46 percent of patients requiring mechanical ventilation who developed ventilator-associated pneumonia die, while hospital mortality of patients without ventilator-associated pneumonia is only 32 percent. According to Cutler and Davis (2005), ventilator-associated pneumonia patients are more likely to add an estima ted amount of $40,000 to their hospital charges against a typical hospitalization expense. This is due to the fact that these patients are required to undergo prolonged intensive care and services. In this case, health care professionals organized a procedure focusing on identifying ventilator-associated pneumonia at an early stage. In addition to this, they also adapted consistency in the application of evidence-based practices. These measures are performed for the reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia incidence. Problem Description In the authors medical facility, mechanically ventilated patients who have developed ventilator-associated pneumonia have experienced an increase in hospital mortality and morbidity, higher hospitalization charges, and longer hospitalization. According to their data review, the number of patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia reached 8 percent from August 2, 2010 to January 29, 2011. The review also revealed that health care professionals failed to place much emphasis on oral care, although they have a bundle program for ventilator-associated pneumonia to prevent its immediate development. Good oral care still proved its importance in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia based on significant number of evidence-based researches. According to Cutler and Davis (2005), most patients requiring hospitalization have pathogens in their respiratory tract, unlike normal healthy adults. When the respiratory condition of these patients worsens, the respiratory pathogens are more likely to micro aspirate into the respiratory tract. In this case, the patients risk of respiratory pathogenic micro aspiration can be intervened through proper oral care. This process is crucial in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia development. The importance of proper oral hygiene maintenance is fundamental in the prevention and reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, this is traditionally the most neglected process. Health care professionals tend to consider it a lower priority intervention compared to other complex interventions. Proper oral care and hygienic procedures for mechanically ventilated patients have long been a cause of major concern to health care professionals. At the authors facility, for example, there are inconsistencies in the performance of systematic oral assessment during the patients stay in the Intensive Care Unit and also during the admission of these patients. Although most nurses and health care professionals are aware that proper oral hygiene is significant in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia, they still tend to neglect to put it in practice in a consistent manner. As a result, ventilator-associated pneumonia has risen from 0 to 8 percent within a period of six months. Proposed Solution Usually, other health care professionals and nurses are challenged with changes to the current practices. But researches proved that the nursing profession has to change and improve their attitude towards oral hygiene measures. It has been recognized already that good oral hygiene is essential in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in mechanically assisted patients. However, nurses are usually less aware of this importance. Observational visual audits and electronic chart reviews alike distinguished the insufficiency of nurses and health care professionals in ensuring standardized oral hygiene for mechanically intubated patients. In this case, a standardized oral care protocol has to be developed to enhance nurses and other health care professionals compliance with the implementation of oral care. In response to this, health care professionals should formulate and encourage strict enforcement of systematic oral care protocol for the patients requiring mechanical ventil ation. With this, the compliance of nurses in implementing oral care will increase. Approval The proposed solution will be discussed with the unit manager, director, and staff. After the discussion, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) will review the standardized oral protocol for approval. The IRB board assures that the propoed solution is not involved in any unethical modalities and protects the patients right. The IRB reviews all requests for approval on the 15th of every month, and notifications regarding the approval come within the week of the review. Upon the approval from the Institutional Review Board of the proposed solution, health care professionals will develop a standardized oral care protocol. Then, it will be implemented for three months as an admission protocol for all patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Rationale for the Selection Usually, proper oral hygiene procedures for patients requiring mechanical ventilation are rarely, if at all, prioritized by nurses and other health care professionals. In the authors facility, for example, there are currently no consistent oral care method, frequency, and guidelines for nurses to follow in performing oral care. Evidence from Literature The risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients requiring mechanical ventilation can be decreased with the implementation of comprehensive oral care. The protocol is an evidence-based solution to the said problem. Cason, Saunders, and Broom (2007) found out through research that more than half of all the hospitals do not have strict oral care protocol for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. In such a case, these hospitals very seldom perform the assessment of oral cavity (Cason et al., 2007). Several studies linked ventilator-associated pneumonia to dental plaque and colonization of microbes in the oropharynx. To decrease dental plaque colonization, tooth brushing plays a major role. However, even if current evidence shows that it has beneficial effects, the intervention is seldom used in most Intensive Care Units (Halm Armola, 2009). According to the study of Cason, Saunders, and Broom (2007), oral care procedures were very seldom performed, and moreover, the import ant part of the procedure was not done properly, if no standardized oral care protocol exists. Garcia, Jendresky, Colbert, Bailey, Zaman, and Majumder (2009) showed in their study that an increase in the nurses compliance of oral care protocol has a positive effect in prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia among mechanically ventilated patients. Different studies indicated that hospitals with comprehensive protocols are more consistent in performing oral care (Cason et al., 2007). For example, tooth brushing was proved to decrease microorganisms; however, this is not performed as a part of the oral care routine in critically ill patients. In this case, a multidisciplinary approach is required for the improvement of quality oral care in Intensive Care Units. Education, sufficient time, prioritizing and positive attitude towards oral care have a direct effect on the quality of the oral care provided for the patients. Therefore, it is important to educate nurses to reinforce proper oral care, give them enough time to perform the procedures, and help them unlearn the usually perceived unpleasantness of oral care (Furr et al. 2004). Resources The personnel required for the implementation of the proposed solution are the staff nurses and respiratory therapists. The materials needed are pamphlets, posters, and power point presentations. The assessment tools necessary for comprehension and feedback before and after implementation are surveys and questionnaires. Computers are also needed for presentations and communications, and some space for presentation should be provided as well. Funds must be made available for the initiation, supervision, and evaluation of changes of the staff, the cost of education, the production of educational and other materials, gathering and analyzing data, and other expenses including refreshments. Implementation Process and Logistics When nurses follow a strict oral care protocol, they are more likely to improve the initiation of oral care and, what is more importantly, prevent the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. For this to be possible, a measurable goal is needed for the improvement of implementation of the proposed solution. To have it implemented in a timely manner, the organization and the solution itself should have a clear and solid intention. Moreover, the objective should be measurable and time-specific. It should also consider a specific population involved. For its success, a mutual agreement between the upper management and the staff is necessary. Both the personnel and the resources must be distributed properly for the accomplishment of the task. The solution is successful if it includes a careful development, testing, necessary modifications, re-testing, and careful implementation of the process. The program will, therefore, be included as part of the admission requirements and proce sses for patients requiring mechanical intervention. The process includes the following procedures: Assessment of the oral cavity upon admittance and every 12 hours tthereafter. Administration of oral care every 4 hours to all patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The procedures will be repeated as needed on an 8-12-4 program with or without 0.12% chlorexidine. Prior to repositioning and every 2 hours assessment of all mechanically ventilated patients for the identification of necessary removal of oral secretions. Suction tooth brushing with antiseptic oral rinse for 1-2 minutes every 12 hours. Cleaning the teeth and tongue using suction swab between brushing or as needed. Application of mouth moisturizer every 2 hours and as needed. Provision of deep orophhyrangeal suction as needed to remove secretions in intubated patients. Once the Institutional Review Board approved the proposed solution, it would be introduced and presented at scheduled meetings for the education department, nursing administration, nurses assigned in infection control, Intensive Care Unit director, and respiratory director. During the presentation, the cost, mortality, and morbidity rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia would be pointed out. Upon the approval of the respiratory care director and nursing administration, the solution will be presented during weekly meetings to the Intensive Care Unit respiratory therapists and nurses. The ancillary staff will also be informed during monthly staff meeting. The procedures prior to implementation include: Selection of personnel and venue. All Intensive Care Unit respiratory therapists and nurses are part of the team. Approval acquisition from the chief nursing officer for the funds used for printing, power point presentations, pamphlets, and refreshments with minimal costs involved. The created budget will be presented for approval to the chief nursing officer. Assessment and evaluation of the present oral care status. Collaboration with the respiratory department for the commencement of the preparation and implementation procedures. Organization of the educational program through power point presentations and handouts. Every part of the proposal should be taught to the Intensive Care Unit staff, and the respiratory therapy department. Feedback should be enhanced. Arrangement of simulation terminals for demonstration and training of the involved personnel. Introduction of the oral care procedures to the key stakeholders. Identification of a process owner for operation of the procedure after implementation and onwards to preserve long-term integrity. Strategies for a Good Outcome Periodic oral care should be discussed during daily patient rounds to enhance awareness and positive attitude toward the procedures. Oral care applications should be recorded after every administration for further documentation, study, and modification. It can be used as a solid tool for further measurements and checking procedures. Nurses should be offered comment and suggestion sheets, and questionnaires. This will aid them in the continuation and development of oral care. Moreover, nurses will also develop a sense of ownership to the oral care procedures. A discussion of the oral care processes, necessities, and modifications in strategy should be conducted with the involved nursing staff and the education department. Staff meetings should also be conducted monthly to share modifications and other information. Possible Barriers Because the nursing staff is accustomed to the current procedures, changes are often difficult to accept. However, concern over the proposed solution can be relieved by providing enough information about the deficiencies of the current procedures. Moreover, if possible benefits of the proposed process are discussed thoroughly, hopefulness may be developed in them. The initial implementation procedure may be difficult at first, but if necessary measures are taken, the implementation will run smoothly. One aspect that can impede the change is poor communication. The failure to communicate freely may prevent the personnel from following through with the implementation of the change. All hospital personnel, including the stakeholders, should cooperate in the implementation of the proposed change to encourage continuity of the newly-adopted solution. Contention should not be encouraged either. All possible barriers that will prevent the application of the procedures should be settled and resolved prior to implementation. If these measures are followed, the possibility of a successful outcome increases. Oral care hygiene process is crucial to ventilator-associated pneumonia patients, and therefore immediate action is required. The initial implementation may be difficult and demanding and may cost money and time, but the effect on the patient will be rewarding. The additional time that nurses will spend on oral care proceedings will actually cut the time they need to provide care for the patient in the long run. The amount of time that the patients will spend in the hospital will be reduced. Moreover, the overall expense of the hospital itself will be reduced. In this given situation, most of the patients, if not all, will find cure, and therefore their lives will be saved. Buy custom Developing an Implementation Plan essay

Friday, November 22, 2019

Differences Between Bacteria and Viruses

Differences Between Bacteria and Viruses Bacteria and viruses are both microscopic organisms that can cause disease in humans. While these microbes may have some characteristics in common, they are also very different. Bacteria are typically much larger than viruses and can be viewed under a light microscope. Viruses are about 1,000 times smaller than bacteria and are visible under an electron microscope. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that reproduce asexually independently of other organisms. Viruses require the aid of a living cell in order to reproduce. Where They Are Found Bacteria: Bacteria live almost anywhere including within other organisms, on other organisms, and on inorganic surfaces. They infect eukaryotic organisms such as animals, plants, and fungi. Some bacteria are considered to be extremophiles and can survive in extremely harsh environments such as hydrothermal vents and in the stomachs of animals and humans.Viruses: Much like bacteria, viruses can be found in almost any environment. They are pathogens that infect prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms including animals, plants, bacteria, and archaeans. Viruses that infect extremophiles such as archaeans have genetic adaptations that enable them to survive harsh environmental conditions (hydrothermal vents, sulphuric waters, etc.). Viruses can persist on surfaces and on objects we use every day for varying lengths of time (from seconds to years) depending on the type of virus. Bacterial and Viral Structure Bacteria: Bacteria are prokaryotic cells that display all of the characteristics of living organisms. Bacterial cells contain organelles and DNA that are immersed within the cytoplasm and surrounded by a cell wall. These organelles perform vital functions that enable bacteria to obtain energy from the environment and to reproduce.Viruses: Viruses are not considered cells but exist as particles of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) encased within a protein shell. Some viruses have an additional membrane called an envelope that is composed of phospholipids and proteins obtained from the cell membrane of a previously infected host cell. This envelope helps the virus enter a new cell by fusion with the cells membrane and helps it exit by budding. non-enveloped viruses typically enter a cell by endocytosis and exit by exocytosis or cell lysis.Also known as virions, virus particles exist somewhere between living and non-living organisms. While they contain genetic material, they dont have a cell wa ll or organelles necessary for energy production and reproduction. Viruses rely solely on a host for replication. Size and Shape Bacteria: Bacteria can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes. Common bacterial cell shapes include cocci (spherical), bacilli (rod-shaped), spiral, and vibrio. Bacteria typically range in size from 200-1000 nanometers (a nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter) in diameter. The largest bacterial cells are visible with the naked eye. Considered the worlds largest bacteria, Thiomargarita namibiensis can reach up to 750,000 nanometers (0.75 millimeters) in diameter.Viruses: The size and shape of viruses are determined by the amount of nucleic acid and proteins they contain. Viruses typically have spherical (polyhedral), rod-shaped, or helically shaped capsids. Some viruses, such as bacteriophages, have complex shapes which include the addition of a protein tail attached to the capsid with tail fibers extending from the tail. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria. They generally range in size from 20-400 nanometers in diameter. The largest viruses known, the pandoraviruses, are about 10 00 nanometers or a full micrometer in size. How They Reproduce Bacteria: Bacteria commonly reproduce asexually by a process known as binary fission. In this process, a single cell replicates and divides into two identical daughter cells. Under proper conditions, bacteria can experience exponential growth.Viruses: Unlike bacteria, viruses can only replicate with the aid of a host cell. Since viruses dont have the organelles necessary for the reproduction of viral components, they must use the host cells organelles to replicate. In viral replication, the virus injects its genetic material (DNA or RNA) into a cell. Viral genes are replicated and provide the instructions for the building of viral components. Once the components are assembled and the newly formed viruses mature, they break open the cell and move on to infect other cells. Diseases Caused by Bacteria and Viruses Bacteria: While most bacteria are harmless and some are even beneficial to humans, other bacteria are capable of causing disease. Pathogenic bacteria that cause disease produce toxins that destroy cells. They can cause food poisoning and other serious illnesses including meningitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, which are very effective at killing bacteria. Due to the overuse of antibiotics however, some bacteria (E.coli and MRSA) have gained resistance to them. Some have even become known as superbugs as they have gained resistance to multiple antibiotics. Vaccines are also useful in preventing the spread of bacterial diseases. The best way to protect yourself from bacteria and other germs is to properly wash and dry your hands often.Viruses: Viruses are pathogens that cause a range of diseases including chickenpox, the flu, rabies, Ebola virus disease, Zika disease, and HIV/AIDS. Viruses can cause persistent infections in which t hey go dormant and can be reactivated at a later time. Some viruses can cause changes within host cells that result in the development of cancer. These cancer viruses are known to cause cancers such as liver cancer, cervical cancer, and Burkitts lymphoma. Antibiotics do not work against viruses. Treatment for viral infections typically involve medicines that treat the symptoms of an infection and not the virus itself. Antiviral drugs are used to treat some types of viral infections. Typically the hosts immune system is relied upon to fight off viruses. Vaccines can also be used to prevent viral infections. Differences Between Bacteria and Viruses Chart Bacteria Viruses Cell Type Prokaryotic Cells Acellular (not cells) Size 200-1000 nanometers 20-400 nanometers Structure Organelles and DNA within a cell wall DNA or RNA within a capsid, some have an envelope membrane Cells They Infect Animal, Plant, Fungi Animal, Plant, Protozoa, Fungi, Bacteria, Archaea Reproduction Binary fission Rely on host cell Examples E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Mycobacteria, Staphylococcus, Bacillus anthracis Influenza viruses, Chickenpox viruses, HIV, Polio virus, Ebola virus Diseases Caused Tuberculosis, Food poisoning, Flesh-eating disease, Meningococcal meningitis, Anthrax Chickenpox, polio, flu, measles, rabies, AIDS Treatment Antibiotics Antiviral drugs

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organizational Trends Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Trends Discussion - Essay Example This type of organization creates superior organizational capabilities that help sustain high performance driven results. HPO's tend to be organized around operational business processes and its human resource policies are designed to enhance employee's motivation, flexibility and knowledge. The main characteristics of an HPO are: employee involvement where decision making is delegated at all organizational levels, self directed work teams provide empowerment for organizational teams to be involved in planning, performing and evaluating their own performance, integrated production technologies to combine technology, resources and knowledge to better serve the organization's needs, and a total quality management philosophy to everyday business. â€Å"High performance organizations strive to deliver superior service, quality and financial performance† (Schermerhorn & Hunt & Osborn). HPO's tend leaders in their respective industries have successful track records and they have the inherent flexibility and resourcefulness to respond to a rapidly changing and dynamic business environment. This type of organization tends to have a clear emphasis towards intellectual capital or the sum total of knowledge, expertise and dedication that is part of the organization's workforce.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Business Analysis-chipotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Analysis-chipotle - Essay Example Many of the restaurants owned by the company are located within the large cities where they can easily reach the target clients. Since the target clients are the numerous city dwellers, a large population can be reached. Locations for the various restaurants are normally strategic and within a short reach from various sources of clients. The restaurant at stone town shopping centre is located near a shopping mall and those visiting the mall can easily access the restaurant; hence a great number of the visitors are enticed to get into the restaurant. Additionally, close proximity to public utilities like parking lots ensures that the business clients are able to reach the outlets easily (chipotle.com, 2014). The establishment has over 1600 outlets, which all operate under a single name of chipotle. The company is estimated to have employed about 45000 people working across the various outlets of the organisation in different countries and locations. The fundamental purpose for the existence of the business remains provision of food that is of good quality and value adding to the consumers. The restaurants serve food made using organic ingredients and naturally raised meat. The purpose of providing good quality food is clearly stated in the mission statement of the fast food chain; Food with integrity (chipotle.com, 2014). The organisation has endured a rapid expansion over a short period of time to reach the current number of outlets. Food in the restaurants is normally served in a fast food model that is utilised in ensuring the organisation serves as many customers as possible within the shortest possible time. The type of menu available normally includes food items that could be considered to be snacks under normal setting. The foods have, however, been enhanced with nutritional value to ensure that they meet the expectations of the organization and the customers as well (Seljak, 2009). The food cost for

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Stakeholders and the One Industry Town Essay Example for Free

Stakeholders and the One Industry Town Essay 1. Identify the stakeholders that influence and/or that are influenced by the company’s decision. The appropriate identification of stakeholders is very important to business corporations as one approach to understanding the environment in which they operate. According to this case, there are insufficient eligible workers in the immediate area and workers would have to be attracted from other communities. Employees want to have the convenient transportation of back and forth. And onside accommodations are feasible for them. However, if the company decided to build and maintain a road, they will spend too much money on it. 2. Use the stakeholder mapping matrix to plot the stakeholders based upon their support or opposition to the plant and their importance to the decision. The stakeholder matrix mapping methodologies give managers a practical approach to assessing the influence of stakeholders. Matrices can be based on a variety of dimensions and designed to suit the company’s purpose in stakeholder understanding. Using the stakeholder mapping matrix to plot the stakeholders based upon their support or opposition to the plant can ascertain the likely impact of stakeholder demands on the company’s strategies and identify appropriate courses of action to counter influence these demands. 3. Make recommendations to management how they should establish relationships with various stakeholders. The company’s arrangements must be in place to understand the relationships and ultimately to interact with stakeholders. The company can allow employees to adopt new ideas from external networks and encourage the employees share their information and work collaboratively. Expropriate to Expedite Development 1. Who are the stakeholders involved in this situation and what are the issues? The stakeholders are Developers, St. John, 19 property owners, Brendan Murphy, and City Council. * Developers indicated in building a hotel in downtown. * St. John’s wants the area to be developed because if it developed, the area would be a source of taxation revenue. * 19 property owners, the developers were successful in negotiating purchases with 19 property owners. * Brendan Murphy, who is only one of 20 owners, and only he refused to accept the offer from Developers. * City Council, the City Council thinks it was in the public interest to develop the site as employment opportunities. 2. Should governments have the authority to expropriate private property? Yes, I think so. Because government expropriate private property in order to develop public facilities such as parks, public library, and roadway and so on. It is conducive to residents’ daily life. In addition, it is a good way to create more employment opportunities. 3. What are the implications of the practice of the government expropriating property for the purposes of private development? First implication is the government is a non supportive Stakeholder, because government is trying to reduce the organization’s dependence on stakeholders. Then, Developers are the supportive Stakeholder such as Langton Green Development and Halifax-based Pacrin Hospitality Services. They are estimated to cost between $30 and $40 million to develop the area.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Mask Of Apollo - Review Essay -- essays research papers

"The Mask of Apollo" revolves around the adventures of Nikeratos, a young actor who travels the countryside of ancient Greece and Sicily while performing in various plays. In one play, Kadmos by Sophokles the Younger, Nikeratos is required to wear an old mask of Apollo as part of his costume. The mask is fifty years old and is rumored to bring good luck. Nikeratos is impressed with the mask and comes to believe that it possesses special powers. He begins to make reverent gestures toward it as when he places a bay-sprig above it and sprinkles drops of wine on the floor in front of it. During one performance of the play a battle breaks out with a neighboring town. As the actors continue performing, Nikeratos touches the mask for luck and promises to make an offering to Apollo if the god helps him get through the scene. The superstitious townspeople spotting Nikeratos in the mask begin calling on Apollo to help them win the battle. In the end they are successful in their fight. From this point forward Nikeratos carries the mask with him and defers to it when he needs guidance. Accounts of Greek history are dispersed throughout the book with the politics of the ancient Greek world of Syracuse playing a major role in the story. Nikeratos attempts to ignore politics as he sees himself as an actor who is separate from the government scene. Through his travels in various plays however, he finds himself being pulled into the civil turmoil by his relationships with the p...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Meaning of Life and Literary Metaphorical Descriptions Essay

Stuck and chained without any tendency of where your life is headed, requires necessary effort to go through. This is the situation for the main character in Wiliam Lychacks short story, Stolpestad. Without any whereabouts of his life directions, Stolpestad come across his own life through unpleasant confrontations of his own identity loss. â€Å"This is your life, Stolpestad† Stolpestad finds that his life gone tedious, waiting towards the end of each shift, lying and giving an excuse to postpone his arrival back home to his wife and his children. Driving through the city, Stolpestad yearns after his life in the town as child. â€Å"You idle slow and lawful past the house as if to glimpse someone or something – yourself as a boy, perhaps. † Though Stolpestad is aware of the requisite in his absence back home, he decides to go to a bar. At the bar he is telling stories, spreading laughter, about his earlier predicament with shooting the suffering dog. Stolpestad seems full of confidence re-telling the story, but in the certain situation he was nervous and sensitive: â€Å"with this hope that she’s already dead- that shrill of insects in the heat and grass as you nudge her again. You push until she comes to life, her eye opening slow and black to you – you with this hope that the boy will be running any moment to you now, hollering for you to stop. † He wish the dog to already be dead, or that the boy will come hollering him to stop. This nervousness of his comes truly to life when the boy and his father are confronting him, and the surrounding noices frightens him: â€Å"It’s only a door opening – but look how jumpy you are†. Stolpestad finds this confrontation to be a very uncomfortable situations, and feel that it is a repeating element in his life, which is depicted in this paragraph: â€Å"the deja vu of a pickup truck in the driveway as you pull around the house, as if you’ve seen or imagined or been through all of this be- fore, or will be through it all again, over and over†. We can interpret this, from the fact that Stolpestad keeps running into these unpleasant situations. Putting down a suffering dog turns into an unintentional disservice to the dying dog, the boy and his father and himself. The unsuccessful execution and the survival of the suffering dog, Goliath, can be seen as a metaphor for Stolpestads life. The life of the dog Goliath and Stolpestads life are heading in the same direction, Goliaths suffering is a reflection of the suffering in Stolpestads own life. Gully is gravely injured and it is just a matter of time until its’ life will peg out, but even after what was supposed to be an easy put down, the dog remains alive. Stolpestad is neither injured or near death. Stolpestad is caught between the choices whether he shall pursue his meaning of life or leave this world behind. He is stuck as a spectator of his own life, as the dying dog Goliath is a spectator of its’ own death. The injury of the dog can also be interpreted as a simile for the environment and the town Stolpestad lives in. The Christian narrative of â€Å"David and Goliath† deals for Goliaths sake with the themes negativity and failure. The nickname â€Å"Gully† is a synonym for a sewer. That means, that the dogs name in both significances refers to something including degradation and poor environs. Goliath lies on all the trash on the families within the families’ premises and symbolizes the poor social environment that the family hails from. The family is tamped by this inadequacy in the society, which the dog and its name symbolize. The sentence: â€Å"The old tires, empty bottles, paint cans, rusty car axle, refrigerator door† exemplifies what poor environment the family is a part of. The environment of the father may also explain the cause of his ironical compliments of Stolpestads house: â€Å"He lets out a long sigh and says it’s a fine place you seem to have here†. Still this higher league of society does not fit Stolpestad, and it does not seem like he has been in this contrast to the lower league of society his whole life, which also may cause the sympathy he has for the boy. The boy can be interpreted as an illusion of Stolpestad as a child. In the early beginning of the short story, Stolpestad is driving around soulless, looking for something – possibly himself as a child, and after the meeting with the boy, he quickly conceives comprehension of his life situation. This may be caused of Stolpestads own youth, that may have been difficult, but he still may miss: â€Å"Back to all the turns you were born, your whole life spent along the same sad streets† The kind of narrator being used in the story is a â€Å"second person narrator† who writes to a certain â€Å"you†. Our â€Å"you†, who our narrator directs itself to is the main character of the story, Stolpestad. Though it is Stolpestad the narrator direct itself to, the reader feels like being spoken to, when this narrative perspective is being used: †Was toward the end of your shift†. This way a text involves and affects its reader in a whole other level. It is hard to judge whether the narrator is an actual figure or totally absent throughout the story. The narrator does not specifically appear throughout the story, but certain things point to the narrators’ appearance: †away we go†. Still it is doubtful and unknown, who the narrator may be, as the short story does not give an unequivocal explanation of who the narrator might be. The language is both embossed of slang and then the more literary metaphorical descriptions. This shows, how the narrator has authority of changing the style when it fits him. Therefore it is a mixture of the lower style and a formal literary style. Stolpestad is living a life that just passes by, without him taking any action, and therefore he feels like his whole life just consists of continuous repetitions. He is living in the same surroundings as he did in his youth and during his childhood so therefore his external rams haven’t changed, though he has become older. Therefore everything feels recognizable and boring for him. With the description from a second person narrator, who sees Stolpestad from an external perspective, we can connect this to the interpretation of him as a passive individual. He is not even in possession of the authority to tell his own story, but is having it told by another narrator interfering and judging him negatively. Here as well he stands without influence, but may passively let the narrator relate his story, while he himself will have to be a spectator to his own life. So do not just let life pass you by.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Lord of the Flies †Human’s Evil Inside Essay

Lord of the Files by William Goldings is about a number of boys being stranded on an unknown island without any adult authority figure. The boys have to learn how to survive, awakening a hidden urge buried inside humanity. â€Å"The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature† (background). While society grows and advances, the more civilized humanity is. Because the boys are trapped on an island with little society, they begin to show evidence of humanity’s inborn capacity for evil. When a cat plays with a mouse, it really does not do any harm to it. The cat is just having fun, while the mouse is scared out of its mind. Finally, when the cat gets hungry, it eats the mouse, putting it out of its misery (doc C). The cat does not fully understand what it feels like to be hunted. It is just listening to an inner voice, not knowing what it actually means, it just knows it is having fun and playing around with a smaller victim. In the novel, Jack is always putting Piggy down by calling him names such as fatty. He never listens to Piggy’s intelligent suggestions or reasons. Jack bullies Piggy just because Piggy seems like the smaller victim because he’s fat and insecure about himself. Jack does this because he is turning more savage and is listening to his inner evil. With the more technology man has, the more civilized man is (picture). In the early years of mankind, man had to use physical and pure brute strength to obtain food. Nowadays, mankind has learned to domesticate animals and kill them in a more efficient way. When mankind had to use pure brute strength they were very savage. Unlike today, where mankind is more civilized because killing of animals is not as common. For example, in Lord of the Files, the boys have to use brute strength to get their food because they do not have grown ups to do it for them. The boys having to kill animals means they are losing their civilization. Once mankind starts to lose its civilization, it forgets society and what matters. Mankind begins killing for entertainment (doc D). It begins to look for excuses to kill. While all of this is happening, mankind doesn’t know it is getting more and more savage. Jack, one of the best hunters on the island, realizes he enjoys killing living creatures when he kills his first pig. The boys believe there is a beast on the island, but the beast is not bothering them. While Ralph holds an assembly to say they should ignore the beast, if there is one, while Jack is saying they should kill the beast. When it is clear to the boys there is not beast, they being to realize the beast was in all of them. The deaths of Jewish families in the first Richard’s time were due to them being locked in a tower that was to be set on fire (doc C). The people who killed the families clearly underestimated death, thinking they can kill off Jews for no lagitament reason. Even though they are just young boys, the deaths of Simon and Piggy should have had more effect on them. There is something inside of them that said it was okay, that everything is going to be alright. While running away from jack and his group, Ralph runs into a naval officer. When the naval officer asks him if anyone died, he did not realize how horrible the deaths are until he sees the officer’s reaction. Ralph begins to cry and the rest of the boys join in, realizing how naive they are, listening to their inner evil. Indeed the boys are displaying evidence of humanity’s inner evil. The theme of the whole novel is to show humanity’s ability to ennate evil and Goldings does this by showing characteristics of savagery in Jack. He also shows the opposite characteristics, civilization, in Ralph. By doing this, Goldings was able to show how fast humanity’s inner evil can appear in a more savage person then a civilized person. Also, throughout this novel, he is able to prove humanity’s innate capacity for evil.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Preparing for the Revised GRE in One Month

Preparing for the Revised GRE in One Month Youre ready to go. Youve registered for the Revised GRE and now you have a month before you take the exam. What should you do first? How do you prepare for the GRE in one month when you dont want to hire a tutor or take a class? Listen. You dont have too much time, but thank goodness youre preparing for a test one month in advance and didnt wait until you only had a few weeks or even days. If youre preparing for a test of this kind of magnitude, read on for a study schedule to help you get a good GRE score! Preparing for the GRE in One Month: Week 1 Double Check: Make sure your GRE registration is 100% all set to be sure youre actually registered for the Revised GRE. Youd be amazed how many people think theyre taking the test when theyre not.Purchase A Test Prep Book: Buy a comprehensive GRE test prep book from a well-known test prep company like The Princeton Review, Kaplan, PowerScore, etc. GRE apps are great and all (here are some fabulous GRE apps!), but typically, they are not as comprehensive as a book. Heres a list of some of the best.Jump Into the Basics: Read the Revised GRE test basics like the length of time youll test, the GRE scores you can expect, and the test sections.Get a Baseline Score:Â  Take one of the full-length practice tests inside the book (or for free online through ETSs PowerPrep II Software) to see what score youd get if you took the test today. After testing, determine the weakest, middle, and strongest of the three sections (Verbal, Quantitative or Analytical Writing) according to your baseline tes t. Set Your Schedule: Map out your time with a time management chart to see where GRE test prep can fit in. Rearrange your schedule if necessary to accommodate test prep, because you must aim to study every day – you only have one month to prepare! Preparing for the GRE in One Month: Week 2 Start Where Youre Weak: Begin coursework with your weakest subject (#1) as demonstrated by the baseline score.Nab The Basics: Learn the basics of this section fully as you read, and take notes about the types of questions asked, the amount of time needed per question, skills required, and content knowledge tested.Dive In: Answer #1 practice questions, reviewing answers after each one. Determine where youre making mistakes. Highlight those areas to return to.Test Yourself: Take a practice test on #1 to determine your level of improvement from the baseline score.Tweak #1: Fine tune #1 by reviewing the areas you highlighted and questions missed on the practice test. Practice this section until you have the strategies cold. Preparing for the GRE in One Month: Week 3 Head to Middle Ground: Move on to your middle subject (#2) as demonstrated by the baseline score.Nab The Basics: Learn the basics of this section fully as you read, and take notes about the types of questions asked, the amount of time needed per question, skills required, and content knowledge tested.Dive In: Answer #2 practice questions, reviewing answers after each one. Determine where youre making mistakes. Highlight those areas to return to.Test Yourself: Take a practice test on #2 to determine your level of improvement from the baseline score.Tweak #2: Fine tune #2 by reviewing the areas you highlighted and questions missed on the practice test. Return to the areas in the text youre still struggling with.Strength Training: Move on to the strongest subject (#3). Learn the basics of this section fully as you read, and take notes about the types of questions asked, the amount of time needed per question, skills required, and content knowledge tested.Dive In: Answer practice questio ns on #3. Test Yourself: Take a practice test on #3 to determine the level of improvement from baseline.Tweak #3: Fine tune #3 if necessary. Preparing for the GRE in One Month: Week 4 Simulate The GRE: Take a full-length practice GRE test, simulating the testing environment as much as possible with time constraints, desk, limited breaks, etc.Score and Review: Grade your practice test and cross-check every wrong answer with the explanation for your wrong answer. Determine the types of questions youre missing and head back to the book to see what you need to do to improve.Test Again: Take one more full-length practice test and rescore. Review incorrect answers.Fuel Your Body: Eat some brain food – studies prove that if you take care of your body, you’ll test smarter!Rest: Get plenty of sleep this week.Relax: Plan a fun evening the night before the exam to reduce your testing anxiety.Prep Prior: Pack your testing supplies the night before: sharpened #2 pencils with a soft eraser, registration ticket, photo ID, watch, snacks or drinks for breaks.Breathe: You did it! You studied successfully for the Revised GRE exam, and youre as ready as youre going to b e!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Oldowan Tradition - Humankinds First Stone Tools

Oldowan Tradition - Humankinds First Stone Tools The Oldowan Tradition (also called Oldowan Industrial Tradition or Mode 1 as described by Grahame Clarke) is the name given to a pattern of stone-tool making by our hominid ancestors, developed in Africa by about 2.6 million years ago (mya) by our hominin ancestor Homo habilis (probably), and used there until 1.5 mya (mya). First defined by Louis and Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in the Great Rift Valley of Africa, the Oldowan tradition is to date the earliest manifestation of stone tool making on our planet. Further, it is global in scope, a toolkit thought to have been carried out of Africa by our hominin ancestors as they left to colonize the rest of the world. To date, the oldest known Oldowan tools were found at Gona (Ethiopia) at 2.6 ma; the latest in Africa is 1.5 mya at Konso and Kokiselei 5. The end of the Oldowan is defined as the appearance of Mode 2 tools or Acheulean handaxes. The earliest Oldowan sites in Eurasia are 2.0 mya at Renzidong (Anhui Province China), Longgupo (Sichuan Province) and Riwat (on the Potwar Plateau in Pakistan), and the latest so far is at Isampur, 1 mya in the Hungsi valley of India. Some discussion of the stone tools found at Liang Bua Cave in Indonesia suggests that they are Oldowan; which either lends support to the notion that the Flores hominin is a devolved Homo erectus or that the Oldowan tools were not specific to species. What Is an Oldowan Assemblage? The Leakeys described the stone tools at Olduvai as cores in the shapes of polyhedrons, discoids, and spheroids; as heavy and light duty scrapers (sometimes called nuclà ©us racloirs or rostro carà ©nà ©s in the scientific literature); and as choppers and retouched flakes. Selection for raw material sources  can be seen in Oldowan by about 2 mya, at sites like Lokalalei and Melka Kunture in Africa and Gran Dolina in Spain. Some of that is surely related to characteristics of the stone and what the hominid planned to use it for: if you have a choice between basalt and obsidian, youd select basalt as a percussion tool, but obsidian to break down into sharp-edged flakes. Why Did They Make Tools at All? The purpose of the tools is somewhat in controversy. Some scholars are inclined to think that most of the tools are simply steps in manufacturing sharp-edged flakes for cutting. The stone-tool making process  is known as chaà ®ne opà ©ratoire in archaeological circles. Others are less convinced. There is no evidence that our hominid ancestors were eating meat before about 2 mya, so these scholars suggest that the stone tools must have been for use with plants, and the percussion tools and scrapers may have been tools for plant processing. Admittedly, however, its hard to make assumptions on negative evidence: the oldest Homo remains we have only date to 2.33 mya in the Nachukui Formation of West Turkana in Kenya, and we dont know if there are earlier fossils we havent found yet that will be associated with Oldowan, and it may be that Oldowan tools were invented and used by another non-Homo species. History The Leakeys  work in Olduvai Gorge in the 1970s was quite revolutionary by any standards. They defined the original chronology of the Oldowan assemblage in the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa including the following periods; the stratigraphy within the region; and the material culture, the characteristics of the stone tools themselves. The Leakeys also focused on geological studies of the paleo-landscape of the Olduvai Gorge and its changes over time. In the 1980s, Glynn Isaac and his team worked at the more-or-less contemporaneous deposits at Koobi Fora, where they used experimental archaeology, ethnographic analogy, and primatology to explain the Oldowan archaeological record. They developed testable hypotheses about ecological and economic conditions that might have triggered stone tool making- hunting, food sharing, and occupying a home base, all of which is also done by primates, with the exception of the production of sharp-edged tools. Recent Investigations Recent expansions to the interpretations built by the Leakeys and Isaac have involved adjustments to the time span of use: discoveries at sites such as Gona have pushed the date of the first tools a half-million years earlier from what the Leakeys found at Olduvai. Also, scholars have recognized a considerable variability within the assemblages; and the extent of the Oldowan tool use throughout the globe has become recognized. Some scholars have looked at the variation in stone tools and argued that there must have been a Mode 0, that Oldowan is the result of a gradual evolution from a common tool-making ancestor of both humans and chimps, and that phase is missing in the archaeological record. That has some merit, because Mode 0 tools may have been made of bone or wood. Not everyone agrees with this, and, currently, it seems that the 2.6 mya assemblage at Gona still represents the earliest stages of lithic production. Sources I highly recommended Braun and Hovers 2009 (and the rest of the articles in their book Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan) for a good overview of current thinking about Oldowan. Barsky, Deborah. An Overview of Some African and Eurasian Oldowan Sites: Evaluation of Hominin Cognition Levels, Technological Advancement and Adaptive Skills. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, SpringerLink, 2018. Braun, David R. Introduction: Current Issues in Oldowan Research. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, Erella Hovers, SpringerLink, 2018. Braun DR, Tactikos JC, Ferraro JV, and Harris JWK. 2006. Archaeological inference and Oldowan behavior. Journal of Human Evolution 51:106-108. Carbonell, Eudald. From Homogeneity to Multiplicity: A New Approach to the Study of Archaic Stone Tools. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, Robert SalaDeborah Barsky, et al., SpringerLink, 2018. Harmand, Sonia. Variability in Raw Material Selectivity at the Late Pliocene sites of Lokalalei, West Turkana, Kenya. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, SpringerLink, 2018. Harmand S. 2009. Raw Materials and Techno-Economic Behaviors at Oldowan and Acheulean Sites in the West Turkana Region, Kenya. Lithic Materials and Paleolithic Societies: Wiley-Blackwell. p 1-14. McHenry LJ, Njau JK, de la Torre I, and Pante MC. 2016. Geochemical â€Å"fingerprints† for Olduvai Gorge Bed II tuffs and implications for the Oldowan–Acheulean transition. Quaternary Research 85(1):147-158. Petraglia MD, LaPorta P, and Paddayya K. 1999. The first Acheulian quarry in India: Stone tool manufacture, biface morphology, and behaviors. Journal of Anthropological Research 55:39-70. Semaw, Sileshi. The Oldowan-Acheulian Transition: Is there a Developed Oldowan Artifact Tradition? Sourcebook of Paleolithic Transitions, Michael RogersDietrich Stout,  SpringerLink,, June 16, 2009.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Consultancy Report about ( coca cola ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consultancy Report about ( coca cola ) - Essay Example In this report, the marketing elements (i.e., marketing mix) of this Company as of the year 2009 and earlier shall be explored and specific strengths and weaknesses noted in order to arrive at a recommendation for possible changes in the marketing thrust of the firm. For the purpose of this study and to better incorporate the customer focus of contemporary market research, the expanded version of the marketing mix – the seven P’s framework – will be employed to establish the merits of the marketing strategy of Coca Cola. The seven P’s are namely Product, Place, Price, Promotion, with the inclusion of People, Process and Physical (tangible) evidence. Part 1- The macro and competitive environments The marketing strategy and performance of the company is best seen in the light of the macroeconomic setting prevailing at the present time. Figures presented are until 2009 performance inasmuch as 2010 full year data have not yet been released. Source: The 2010 UK Soft Drinks Report, The British Soft Drinks Association The data gathered for the soft drink industry in the UK presented in the table above shows the soft drinks consumption figures for the years 2003 to 2009. The data shows that there has been in general only a slight increase in the total volume of consumption, as well as the volume consumed per person. The value of product consumed, however, rose consistently, indicating that a rise in prices (value per litre) of soft drinks products from one year to the next has had little effect on the consumption patterns of individuals as well as the collective market. This is favourable for the industry, showing the price elasticity to be relatively inelastic and ensuring that a steady demand may be expected well into the future. The next graph below, from the same U.K. soft drinks report, shows the graph of the annual percentage change in the consumption of different types of soft drinks. Covered under the category of soft drinks are bott le water, carbonated (so called â€Å"sizzling†) drinks, dilutables, fruit juice and juice drinks (not shown are tea, coffee, and a few other â€Å"soft† beverage products). The downward convergence of the different soft drinks products are indicative of a general slowdown in the growth of the market in the U.K., pointing to the possibility that the industry is arriving at the maturity stage when the growth will continue, but at a lower rate. With market maturity will come shakeout of the industry, where weaker competitors are likely to retire. Source: The 2010 UK Soft Drinks Report, The British Soft Drinks Association The following two pages contain the tables for the PESTLE and SWOT analysis of the company. The strategic positioning of the company indicates a strong market presence, but with concerns that may impact on its market performance efficiency. PESTLE ANALYSIS The next two tables were the results of studies by the 2010 UK Soft Drinks Report by the BSDA. Carb onated drinks (so-called â€Å"sparkling† soft drinks) commands the largest market share at 42%. The type of soft drink with the second largest share comprises only slightly more than half of carbonated drinks. This makes Coca Cola’s leading brand particularly well positioned to dominate the soft drinks market. There is also significant demand for drink variants that have low calorie content or those that have no sugar, which dominates