Critically evaluate theoretical explanations of motivation that we Essay - 1

Critically evaluate theoretical explanations of motivation that we have learnt about in this module week 4 lecture - Essay Example tors within an individual and the environment in ways that determine the nature of outcomes and the level of attachment between the agent and the task. Content theories are concerned with the causative agents of behavior. The humanist theory explores the subject of motivation alongside Maslow’s theory of needs. The processes of motivation, according to the theory depend on the sequential pursuit of needs in accordance with the hierarchy determined by Maslow (1970). Understanding of humanist needs must begin with the comprehension of the processes of adjustment, which takes place whenever some form of inequilibrium occurs. In general, such processes entail a determination of a range of issues that affect the state of equilibrium of needs. Essentially, groups and individuals will seek to adjust themselves and situations around them in ways that minimize the effects of stress. Motivation, in the sense of humanist theory, is understood as some kind of kinetic force the offers the necessary propulsion in an individual or a group towards the attainment of some specified goals, which are consistent with their needs (Ahlstrom & Bruton, 2009, p. 61). One of the characteristics of motivation is that it seeks the determination of goals based on the particular needs of the individual. The pursuit of motivation is considered a subject endeavor arising out of the unique needs of the individual (Miner, 2007, p. 40). For instance, an individual aspiring to attain a certain level of professional competence will invest more efforts in training and practical experience in a consistent and orderly manner. On this score, it becomes appropriate to consider the fact that some of the goals achieved through the efforts as understood within the humanist theory are suited for particular motives and limited to certain subjective interests. In essence, the humanist needs work in such a manner that individuals will seek to satisfy some pressing basic needs before focusing on other kinds of

Suspense Techniques In Hitchcocks Movies Film Studies Essay

Suspense Techniques In Hitchcocks Movies Film Studies Essay Suspense, horror, and creative are some of the words that describe Alfred Hitchcock s films. Something that no one had ever seen on screen was the techniques Hitchcock used. He was known as the master of suspense for his ways of manipulating and creating the sense of fear in the audience. Knowing the meaning of fear since childhood, he was believed to be the inventor of the suspense and horror genre in the film industry, improving movies with new technology and ideas to deliver exactly what he wanted to viewers to feel and understand. The film The Birds (1963) was a masterpiece and a thriller directed by Hitchcock that had many effective and brilliant techniques that are still used to this day. Alfred Hitchcock (August 13, 1899-April 29, 1980) was born and raised in a middle class family in London, England. Fear was the key emotion Hitchcock was very familiar with while growing up that played a huge part in the films he directed. At the tender age of five, his father sent him to a local police station many times after misbehaving and was put in jail for several minutes. The policeman returned to let him go, just to remind him that this is what naughty boys go though if they get into trouble. His mother would punish him by making him stand up at the foot of her bed for hours. Because of his overweight body figure, he stated that his childhood was very lonely and sheltered . He first went to school at St Ignatius College, but right after his dad died when Hitchcock was 14 years old, he went to the School of Engineering and Navigation, where he was fascinated by photography and film. His first job was working as a title-card creator for the film company Paramount Pictures. It took Hitchcock five years to become a film director. Being a perfectionist, Hitchcock would draw every single scene on his storyboard before shooting a film. This was one of his styles for which Hitchcock became famous. He was very dedicated to his art from the start of his career. Some techniques Hitchcock used were with the camera. The camera would capture shots that were made to build suspense so the audience can see something that the actors themselves don t see. An example of this technique being used was in The Birds. Melanie Daniels, the protagonist of the film, was sitting in front of a jungle gym smoking a cigarette. Black birds, which had attacked Melanie viciously earlier in the film, started gathering behind her, but she did not know, the viewers knew. This technique agitates the audience because something frightful can happen and we can do nothing to warn her. Knowing something that something bad can happen to an innocent makes the audience worried mixed with fear. Another technique he used was the subjective shot where th e camera was placed in the human eye perspective. The camera would stray around the setting or place mischievously looking for something unusual in a room, as if it is a detective itself. This allows the viewers to feel like they are involved in revealing the problem. Before sound films came out, the directors of films had to find a way to communicate to the audience what is the plot of the story, and Hitchcock used this technique even after sound films came out because it was so successful. He used this technique in The Birds. Perhaps the most suspenseful part of the movie was when Melanie was walking slowly up the stairs in the dark with a flashlight in her hand. The camera was put at Melanie s perspective, and we can see how frightening it can be to be in that position when we know that if she goes to the room on top of the stairs, the malicious birds will be there, waiting. The camera would start with a close-up of the actor, and then cut to the shot what they are seeing, and th en back to the actor to see his reaction. The sound of her footsteps was quiet, her breathing shallow, almost no sound was being heard. Finally, when she opened the door, she was attacked brutally. Suspense building was a major technique Hitchcock was famous for using. What we as humans find most horrendous is to know that nature can turn on us and that no place is safe. The Birds had several scenes where this technique was used, one of which was at a children s birthday party. The evil black birds came swooping down and started attacking the children, pecking until their flesh was open and bleeding. This behavior by the birds was unexplained; there was no answer as to why the birds were like this, which caused insecurity to the actors which is framed closely to show the emotion, therefore causing the audience to feel insecure also. The house was attacked during a night, windows were broken, doors were being pecked open, and the roof was being destroyed. At this point in the movie, the actors show deep concern about their safety and that their fear doesn t stop from the horror from coming, and the fear the viewers gain is exactly what Hitchcock was going for. Hitchcock s movies were planned to perfection. His ideas were sketched for every scene and chose his actors carefully that would break the clich or stereotype of people. He was well aware of what the audience was about to go through when they are watching the film, and this is what makes a great film director. Hitchcock wrote, produced, and directed films up until 1979. Despite his fondness for murder, chaos and shock, Alfred Hitchcock led a quiet life with his wife and daughter. In the last year of his life, Hitchcock was honored with the American Film Institutes lifetime achievement award. The master of suspense died in 1980 in Los Angeles, but his techniques are still alive today.

Memoirs Of A Geisha Essay -- essays research papers

In the best-selling novel entitled Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Golden examines the secret world of the geisha. Contrary of what is often believed, geisha are far from being prostitutes; they are more accurately High-class Japanese entertainers. Arthur Golden shows the reader a completely different look on life in looking into the lives of geisha in mid-twentieth century Gion and sends a very strong message distinguishing the geisha and the prostitutes. Arthur Golden, throughout Memoirs of a Geisha, creates a perfect image of the city of Gion, the last Japanese city to still have Geisha the followed the old traditions. Golden describes the world of the Geisha through the experiences of a fictional Geisha named Nitta Sayuri. This novel clarifies the distinguishable differences between a Geisha and a prostitute, Golden’ s main reason for writing the book. In various sections throughout the course of the novel, several differences are established between the geisha and local prostitutes. One of these is that the geisha’s obi (waist wrap) is tied at the geisha’s back in a way that makes it impossible for a geisha to put it on herself. Japanese prostitutes, posing as geisha, have their obi tied at the front, that way they can wrap and unwrap them as needed. Geisha are strictly forbidden to have sexual relations of any kind with the exception of relations with their danna. Even the presence of a man in the okiya (a sort of communal home for geisha and her servants) proh...

Comparing the Two Poems: Clown Punk and Medusa Essay

Compare the ways the ‘Clown Punk’ and ‘Medusa’ show characteristics of being isolated and having bad or no kind of relationship with people. Both the ‘Clown Punk’ and ‘Medusa’ show characteristics of being isolated from humans; as shown in the ‘Clown Punk’, a man is being shunned by the general public, he is thought to be a bit of a joke – not to be taken seriously or treated as an equal. People fear him, yet despite this they also have a contrasting emotion of pity. Once thought of as rebellious, the man has now faded into the background, being forced to choose a simple job; his lack of education ensures this. He is a clown. The town clown. ‘Medusa’ can relate to the ‘Clown Punk’ because, although she was once accepted amongst people; beautiful and in love – she doubted her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s loyalty, slowly transforming her into a bitter and unsightly woman, thinking it would be ‘so better by far for me if you were stone’ in hopes that he would feel as isolated as she felt. Medusa’s wild thoughts slowly began to take actio n on her appearance, transforming her into a gorgon. Although Medusa and the clown punk are similar in many ways, Medusa chose to exclude herself from the rest of society, wanting to be unseen and living in the shadows of life, while the clown punk was turned away – wanting to be noticed but forever ignored. The ‘Clown Punk’ uses plenty of emotive language to emphasize the fact that the clown punk is a character the reader must feel for. The structure of the poem is 4 lines long within 4 stanzas, apart from the last which contains only 2, perhaps to draw attention to the fact that people wish that they could see less of the clown. ‘Medusa’ however uses a lot of figurative language – using similes and metaphors to emphasise the fact that Medusa is a character the reader must fear but also pity, similar to the ‘Clown Punk’ Emotive language, such as ‘deflated face’ is used in the ‘Clown Punk’ to create a vivid image for the reader. The language used allows the reader to picture the clown, making him appear more realistic and letting the reader feel sympathy for the clown punk because they can now imagine him clearer as a person with emotions. ‘Turned the hairs on my head to filthy snakes, as though my thoughts his sed and spat on my scalp’ This sentence is used in the Medusa poem because unlike the ‘Clown Punk’ it uses  both figurative language and emotive language, such as the simile, the use of the word ‘filthy’ and alliteration of the ‘S’ sound. The ‘S’ sound creates the sense that the reader can actually hear the snakes upon Medusas head, these snakes share Medusa’s thoughts, and take action upon them. ‘The shonky side of town’ is used in the ‘Clown Punk’ because the clown does not belong to the ‘good’ side of town. ‘shonky’ is a new word, invented by the author to show that there is no way to describe the awfulness of where the clown lives without mixing and matching words, (shonky is made up of shady and wonky) this is perhaps to show the slang attitude of punk rock. At the end of the second stanza within the ‘Medusa’ poem, their is a question which seems rhetorical – where in actual fact the question is answered at the beginning of the third stanza, making the reader pause momentarily before receiving the answer. This pause makes the question more frightening because waiting slightly adds drama and suspense to the poem. Within the structure of the ‘Clown Punk’ you could argue that the poem contains some characteristics of a sonnet, this could show that the clown punk is going against normal rules, he is rebelling. The structure of the ‘Medusa’ poem is rather long compared to the relatively short ‘Clown Punk’ ‘Medusa’ poem does not rhyme, whereas the ‘Clown Punk’ rhymes in the first, part of the third, and last stanza. The clown punk uses the same amount of syllables in each line in the first stanza. The reader of ‘Medusa’ would feel sorry her. Although Medusa rejected herself from social interaction, she is wild and can barely think straight without the snakes twisting her every thought. In addition to this, the reader may also attempt to understand medusa’s situation, in spite of the fact that she is no longer human – the reader can still sympathise with her. The author of the ‘Clown Punk’ never reveals the clowns actual name, this makes him seem mysterious and less human. Without a name, the public nickname him words that can scare other people away from him. It is this fear that contradicts the readers’ earlier emotion of pity. The reader of this poem would feel sympathetic at the relationship between the clown and the people, they would perhaps also feel grateful that they are accepted into their community – and no longer take for granted their friends and family.

Placement Proposal Niam Essay

(An Organization of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India) Kota Road, Bambala (Near Sanganer), Jaipur-302033, (Rajasthan) Telephone: 0141-2795121/2795143, Fax: 0141-2771938, 2770595 Website: www.ccsniam.gov.in About the Institute The National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM) is an apex level autonomous institute set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India in Agricultural Marketing which conducts training, research, consulting and educational programmes along with formulating policy inputs. With a view to developing Agri-business and Marketing professionals, NIAM conducts an AICTE approved two-year Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Agribusiness Management (PGDABM) since 2001. Our students imbibe knowledge, excellent academic strengths and also see things through a different perspective as imparted by our programme which is closely associated with institutions like IIM-A, IIM-I, XLRI, IIFT, MICA etc. with the constant support from our Director General- Shri. R.P. Meena (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture), Director-Shri. Kamal Mathur, Deputy Director-Dr. Hema Yadav and our experienced faculty members, PGDABM has become a flagship programme. In a recent survey NIAM has been ranked among India’s top sectoral B schools in ‘Outlook India’ B-School Survey 2011-12. About the Students The current batch (2011-13) is the ninth batch and has strength of 50 (40 boys and 10 girls) with varied qualifications. Serial No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Educational Background of Students Agricultural Engineering Biotechnology B.Sc. Agriculture B.Sc Commercial Ag. & Business Management Dairy Technology Fisheries Food Technology Horticultural Sciences Veterinary Sciences Total Number of Students 2 2 32 1 3 2 1 4 3 50 There are 7 students in this batch who have work experience. The students take field projects in rural areas, Agricultural markets and processing industries etc as Summer Projects, Live project, Individual projects and we have organized several Training and National /International Workshops. We have collaborations or association with FAO, CII, NABARD,  ASSOCHAM, UNSAID, WORLD BANK, APEDA, ADB, EXIM BANK, NCDEX, FICCI State Governments, National Cooperatives and many more International forum constituted for a particular purpose. Our students have proven their credentials in various events like B-Plan, Business quiz, Debate, AD Mania, Sports, etc. organized in several prestigious institutes like IIM-A, FMS, IIT-Delhi, IIT-Mumbai, AMITY, IBS Jaipur, TAPMI, etc. Recruitment Mode of recruitment is through campus recruitment which we could be initiating in the month of December-January. It would be a pleasure to be associated with your organization and we would like our students to begin their career in an esteemed organization/ company like yours. To invite you for the recruitment, we are sending you the corporate response sheet. We would be highly grateful to your organization if you send the duly filled sheet to us at the earliest. This will ensure your participation in recruitments.

was communism feared essays

was communism feared essays After WWII, Americans knew they lived in the strongest and "greatest" country on earth. They were however afraid of communism at home and abroad. Through the reading and discussions in this class I have found the primary reasoning for this fear was because they did not want to think our After the war businesses were trying to get back to normal and trying to convert form planes to cars so to speak. The entire economy was working to make life better for the country. Communism was going on all over the world in country's like china and Russia. The U.S. must always be the superpower so they put their two cents in when speaking about foreign affairs. The government did not want to deal with other country's because they did not want the communist influence to take effect in the U.S. So the Americans were making their own things in factory's and such. People were unable to buy goods they wanted or needed. During the cold war Joe McCarthy began t put out list of people whom he thought were communist in the U.S. The McCarthyism era began a widespread fear of communism. People in the U.S. were taught that communism was bad and anyone affiliated wit it were bad too. People were called "red or "pink" for showing suspicious signs of communism. Communist country's were not people whom you wanted to be affiliated with. McCarthy went crazy in accusing many people of being red or pink. McCarthy blamed many innocent people and few like the Rosenburg's were killed and later The McCarthy era can be compared to the book The Crucible. The children in the book had done something bad and got caught, but to take the attention off them they began to accuse people of being witches. People that had crossed them in some way became the ones who were accused and later innocently convicted and killed. I feel that ...

Commemorating September 11, 2001 essays

Commemorating September 11, 2001 essays September 11, 2001 is an unforgettable day, forever etched in the minds of people around the world. The effect was so extreme, that the whole nation, our community, my family, and myself, personally, have been greatly impacted. As for the whole country, the economic was down terrible. Businesses in America are like a train. When one car is off the track or fails, the whole train would have an accident. For example, after September 11, 2001, people are nervous while they are traveling on airplanes. Because of that, people tend to travel less. Tourist attractions have lost their profits heavily, especially here in the Sunshine State. In our state, nearly a majority of our businesses depend significantly on tourism. To name just a few, Busch Gardens, Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, are all indirect victims of September 11. The damage has not stopped at attractions. Uncountable numbers of businesses go bankrupt or they cut down a significant number of their employees. So, in general, everybody is affected by the events of September 11 either indirectly through businesses, or directly through their relatives and friends, who were victims of the tragedy. Secondly, many communities are not living the way they used to. They have to live in the fear of terrorist attacks. For example, they have high alert for anthrax in the mail. In many airports, the process to board the planes is more difficult than ever. Airport security workers have to search and look for any possible signs of terrorists. However, in order to do the work, they are invading our time and privacy, which are the most valuable things in our life. That is one reason for travelers not to travel by airplane, along with the possibility of plane crashes. Everybody knows that the extensive security precautions are not fair to good people, but what else can we do to save the innocent people? The government already takes action to protect citizens as ...

Connecting Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria

Connecting Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria are the two longest-serving monarchs in British history. Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, established many of the precedents that Elizabeth has honored since she was crowned in 1952. How are the two powerful queens related? What are their family ties? Queen Victoria When she was born on May 24, 1819, few people thought Alexandra Victoria would one day be queen. Her father, Prince Edward, was the fourth in line to succeed his father, the reigning King George III. In 1818, he wed Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a widowed German princess with two children. Their only child, Victoria, was born the following year. On Jan. 23, 1820, Edward died, making Victoria fourth in line. Just days later, on Jan. 29, King George III died, to be succeeded by his son George IV. When he died in 1830, the next in line, Frederick, had already passed away, so the crown went William, Victorias youngest uncle. King William IV ruled until he died with no direct heirs in 1837, just days after Victoria, the heir-apparent, turned 18. She was crowned on June 28, 1838. Victorias Family Conventions of the time were that the queen must have a king and consort, and her maternal uncle had been trying to match her with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Aug. 26, 1819 to Dec. 14, 1861), a German prince who was also related to her. After a short courtship, the two were wed on Feb. 10, 1840. Before Alberts death in 1861, the two had nine children. One of them, Edward VII, became the king of Great Britain. Her other children would marry into the royal families of Germany, Sweden, Romania, Russia, and Denmark. Queen Elizabeth II   Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the House of Windsor was born on  April 21, 1926 to the Duke and Duchess of York. Elizabeth, known as Lilibet as a child, had one younger sister, Margaret (Aug. 21, 1930 to Feb. 9, 2002). When she was born, Elizabeth was third in line to her grandfathers throne, behind her father and his older brother, Edward, the Prince of Wales. When King George V, son of Edward VII, died in 1936, the crown went to Elizabeths uncle Edward, but he abdicated in order to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American. Elizabeths father became King George VI. His death on Feb. 6, 1952 cleared the way for Elizabeth to succeed him, and become Britains first queen since Queen Victoria. Elizabeths Family Elizabeth and her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (June 10, 1921) met a few times as children. They were married on Nov. 20, 1947. Philip, who had renounced his foreign titles, took the surname Mountbatten and became Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Together, he and Elizabeth have four children. Her eldest, Prince Charles, is first in line to succeed Queen Elizabeth II, and his sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line.   The Lineages of Elizabeth and Philip The royal families of Europe frequently intermarried, both to maintain their royal bloodlines and to preserve some balance of power between the various empires. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are both related to Queen Victoria. Elizabeth is a direct descendent of Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother. Working backwards in time, the tie can be traced: Elizabeths father was  George VI  (1895 to 1952). He married  Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon  (1900 to 2002) in 1925, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth II, and Princess Margaret.George VIs father was  George V  (1865 to 1936), Elizabeths grandfather. He married Mary of Teck (1867 to 1953) in 1893, a German princess raised in England.George Vs father was  Edward VII  (1841 to 1910).  Elizabeths great-grandfather. He married Alexandra of Denmark (1844 to 1925), a Danish princess.Edward VIIs mother was  Queen Victoria  (1819 to 1901), Elizabeths great-great-grandmother. She married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Elizabeths husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is one of Queen Victorias great-great-grandsons: Philips mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg  (1885 to 1969), married his father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (1882 to 1944), in 1903.Princess Alices mother was Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine  (1863 to 1950), Philips maternal grandmother. Princess Victoria was married to Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854 to 1921) in 1884.Princess Victoria of Hesse and by the Rhine was the daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom  (1843 to 1878), Philips great-grandmother. This Princess Alice was married to Louis IV (1837 to 1892), Grand Duke of Hesse and by the Rhine.Princess Alices mother was Queen Victoria, Philips great-great-grandmother. Further Comparisons Until 2015, Queen Victoria had been the longest-ruling monarch in the history of England, the U.K., or Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth surpassed that record of 63 years and 216 days, on Sept. 9, 2015. Both queens married princes of their own choice, quite apparently love matches, who were willing to support their reigning monarch wives. Both were committed to their duties as monarch. Though Victoria withdrew for a period when mourning her husbands rather early and unexpected death, she was an active monarch, even in ill health, until her death. As of this writing, Elizabeth, too, has been similarly active. Both inherited the crown somewhat unexpectedly. Victorias father, who predeceased her, had three older brothers ahead of him in succession, none of whom had children who survived to inherit the honor.  Elizabeths father became king only when his older brother, King Edward, abdicated when he wouldnt have been able to marry the woman he chose and remain king. Victoria and Elizabeth both celebrated Diamond Jubilees. But after 50 years on the throne, Victoria was in ill health and had only a few years left to live. Elizabeth, by comparison, continues to maintain a public schedule after a half-century of rule. At Victorias jubilee celebration in 1897, Great Britain could rightfully claim to be the most dominant empire on earth, with colonies the world over. Twenty-first-century Britain, by comparison, is a much-diminished power, having relinquished nearly all of its empire.

FBI - White collar crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FBI - White collar crimes - Essay Example The main role of the FBI is investigation of criminal activities that are assigned to it. This incorporates intelligence and law enforcement initiatives from the agency. Another role of the FBI is collaboration with other law enforcement agencies in investigative measures in which it helps with evidence examinations, and in empowering members of the other agencies through trainings. In facilitating its investigative role and collaborative role with other agencies, the FBI collects intelligence information, analyses the data and shares it with relevant authorities (The Federal Bureau of Investigations 1). As a special agency, however, the role of the FBI under domestic jurisdiction is limited to â€Å"white-collar crimes, kidnapping, extortion, interstate transportation of stolen property, and bank robbery† among others (Gaines and Miller 156). White-collar crimes are crimes that professionals commit in their course of duty with intent of obtaining material benefits of concealing some information with the aim of avoiding a consequence. Elements such as â€Å"deceit, concealment,† breach of trust characterize it (Ferguson 16). White-collar crimes are also free from use of violence or threat of violence and often aim at receipt of money of commodities of avoiding material liabilities (Ferguson 16). The FBI investigates these crimes to ensure evidence towards justice and its special intelligence is essential to the type of crimes that intellectuals commit through well-crafted schemes that sometimes incorporate intelligence and use of technology to cover up the criminal activities. The Enron case is an example of white-collar crimes that the FBI has investigated. The case involved a series of fraudulent misrepresentation by the firm on its financial position and collaboration with the organization’s accounting fi rm for concealment of the misrepresentations and for further misrepresentations. This led to losses among investors as officials of the company

Personalized Medicine and Biomarkers (Biomedical Informatics) Research Paper

Personalized Medicine and Biomarkers (Biomedical Informatics) - Research Paper Example Biomedical informatics and health informatics is an interdisciplinary field which integrates different fields such as computer science, biology, medicine and health care. It fosters an effective analysis and management of data for its application in health care. Bernstam et al , [1] defines biomedical informatics as a science of information where data is presented together with meaning in finding solutions to biomedical related problems. This makes the field distinct from related fields such as biomedicine, bioinformatics and computer science. Computers provide the interface between the data which they process and humans interpret the meaning of the data, a task the computers are incapable of carrying out appropriately. This field has gained relevance because of the rise in use of electronic health records and the plethora of data emanating from genomics research, [2]. Because of the growth of the data available to professionals in the healthcare, there has been a change in the patte rn of medical decision making towards the requirement of informatics and information technology platform to assist medics in their decision making. Personalized medicine is a form of medicine that makes use of personal information derived from person’s genes, proteins and environment to assist in disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, [3]. A biomarker is a variable which can be a gene, protein, or chemical which is altered in disease condition. Biomarkers are classified as prognostic, predictive or therapeutic biomarkers. Prognostic biomarkers try to assess the likely cause of a disease whereas predictive ones assess the probability of whether a patient will benefit from a particular therapy. In the recent times, personalized medicine has been ameliorated by a more improved molecular understanding of disease thereby introducing effective

What Factors did Account for South Africas 1994 Transition to Essay

What Factors did Account for South Africas 1994 Transition to Democracy - Essay Example This period was associated with racial, social, political and economic segregation which led to apartheid. On February 2nd 1990, President FW Clerk released a speech that hinted to a decisive moment in South Africa’s struggle for democracy (Decalo 7-35)1. The day is highly regarded by many South Africans as it marked the commissioning of the release of Nelson Mandela (11th of February) and other detainees who had been arrested in the process of the struggle. This paved way for open negotiations. South Africa had been going through long struggles for democracy in a sub-society that chiefly consisted of whites at the helm of leadership and power and non-white sub-society with little or no influence in governance matters. Factors that led to the transition in South Africa can be classified as both internal and external. In his book, Coups and Army Rule in Africa: Motivations and Constraints, Samuel Decalo, argues that the transitions that led to democratization in South Africa we re majorly internal. The democratic changes that occurred in SA are also linked to international factors. According to Sola Akinrinade and Amadu Sesay in their book Africa in the Post-Cold War International System (eds.) the external factor that influenced transition in South Africa includes democratization in Eastern Europe and the End of Cold War. ... The limited freedom of expression saw most opposition parties denied access to the media when conducting their political functions. The media content was normally dominated by news on the authoritarian governments. This had to be curbed with revolution being the only effective tool (Decalo 20).4 Another factor suggested by Decalo is the institutional factor (25-35).5 Most of the dynamics that characterized the negotiations were institutionalized in the post apartheid period. This led to a significant stability and consolidation of democracy. The rules, norms, formal and informal principles were widely accepted by the majority making the transition process possible. According to Decalo, the most crucial dynamic that underwent institutionalization is constitutionalism whereby all political groupings and civil organizations accepted the rule of law. The democratic changes that occurred in SA are also linked to international factors. According to Sola Akinrinade and Amadu Sesay in their book Africa in the Post-Cold War International System (eds.) the external factor that influenced transition in South Africa includes democratization in Eastern Europe and the End of Cold War. The end of World War II saw a rise in global political struggle for power between the United States and its associates from the West, and the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, allies of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe (Akinrinade & Sesay, 92-128).6 According to Akinrinade and Sesay (1998), the Eastern Europe group had less developed governments democratically and in the 1980s, the Soviet Union and its Eastern Europe allies went through vigorous democratic transitions, a period that also saw East and South East Asian countries leave

Marketing Environment of the Financial Services Industry Essay

Marketing Environment of the Financial Services Industry - Essay Example Modification of this law recognizes the comparative development of the DIFC and strengthens its autonomy from onshore legislators. These legislative alterations with regard to DIFC examine what can be anticipated in terms of future regulations inside UAE financial services segment. This will significantly aid in encouraging business in the area. The significant bodies of the DFIC are maintained which have distinct pecuniary units with independent budget lines. The new amendment also clarifies the governance and executive structures of the three significant bodies. The new duties are to instigate, standardize and develop an independent payment structure in connection with the UAE fundamental Bank to advance massive wholesale disbursement, including multi-nation, and currency clearance deals. It clears the capability to clear and mend payments and to implement a structure accordingly (Campbell, p. 1). Current havoc in financial markets with regard to the sub-prime financial catastrophe calls for the integration of chattel liquidity into contemporary risk management components. The definitive target is to execute advanced financial modelling elements and sound regulations for the monetary, service industry in the UAE. The Amended Law indicates further advancement of the DIFC and Dubai as a retreat of tranquillity, order and superb governance. The DIFC society and stakeholders promote this amendment since it aims at enhancing the legislative obligation to subsidize DIFC’s contribution to global financial services sector as might be necessary to sustain effectiveness, transparency and veracity. 2 Global Financial Services Industry Leverages on enhanced De-risking Strategies The comprehensive international outlook aims at changing the financial services sector. Rapid recovery has been recorded in varied sections such as banking and coverage from the present economic meltdown. This is expected to guide the international monetary services in the short or medium terms. Transaction safety, operational effectiveness, regulatory conformity, business stability planning, re-engineering, client service and business peril management will probably advance market development in the approaching years. The financial services segment is significant consumer of varied business services and items. It is an economic authority that drives other enterprises undertakings, setting principles as it provides the monies required to advance these enterprises. It is the spotlight of other sections of the market. It is a sector significantly susceptible to market alterations. The initiation of niche players enhances the sector, although, there have been declines in the number of financial affiliations. The emergence of non-financial institutions into this sector is significantly altering the sector. Escalating competition and flooded markets has forced massive actors in the global banking sector to explore upcoming markets. These changes in the financial segment wi ll significantly increase profits, improve clients’ confidence and advance the entire business progress (GIA, p.1). Consolidation has been extremely significant in the financial services segment in present years. These structural alterations in the sector have produced the liberal strategic turbulence that has challenged senior administration

Critically Evaluate Two or Three Approaches to Ideology and Their Essay

Critically Evaluate Two or Three Approaches to Ideology and Their Relevance to the Student of Media - Essay Example 234). One of the reasons for this malaise over the impact of the media is because it is a more formidable source of cultural acquisition and socialisation than books and other cultural institutions, especially for young people, because, as Gross has pointed out, even at the university level, young people are largely influenced by audio-visual media, their primary cultural reference (cited in Hall 1992, p. 88). Yet theorists and critics have argued that the media isn’t ideologically-neutral, rather, contrary to appearances, it is a purveyor of dominant ideology. According to Murfin & Ray (2003) ideology is â€Å"a set of beliefs underlying the customs, habits, and practices common to a given social group. To members of that group, the beliefs seem obviously true, natural, and even universally applicable† (p. 208), regardless of whether they are held or acquired consciously or unconsciously. The term first came into critical use in Marxist thought, when Karl Marx, along with Frederich Engels, offered his critique of capitalist societies in The German Ideology (1844) and other writings. For Marx, society is structured and divided along lines of economics and class along two major axes: those who control the means of production (the ruling class or elite) and those who do not (the masses or proletariat). The wealthy elite, in order to maintain their position of privilege and the economic machinery from which their position and power emanated, had to put structures in place that would reinforce their authority and undermine that of the w orking class (Rivkin & Ryan 1998, p. 253). Marx calls these structures or institutions the ‘superstructure’: law, politics, culture, religion, education, and they emerge from and in accordance with the economic base, with the aim of exploiting the working class (Murfin & Ray 2003, p. 244). Marx criticises capitalists societies which he sees as â€Å"riven from within by †¦ ‘class struggle’† (Rivkin & Ryan 1998, p.

Market for Condoms Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Market for Condoms - Thesis Example Like every other European country, Belgian population has a deep concern about having a safe sex. They do not want to plunge in the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) or to end up being a patient of HIV/AIDS. With this increased concern, there has been an increase in the condom market. There has been an increased awareness amongst the Belgians regarding the use of condoms to have a safe sex. Not only the locales but also the immigrants are exposed to STD’s and HIV. Awareness about condom use is also created amongst these people who are not so aware about it before (PARKER, P. M. 2006; FOX, M. P. 2000; COLLIER, A. 2007) Belgium is a very liberal country. It is the 2nd country in the world to legalize the same-sex marriages. It has given equal rights to the lesbians, gays and bisexuals. The use of condoms in Belgium is very common. Currently, in the year 2011, it has a total population of 10,431,477 (Population Labs 2011) 66.3% of the Belgian population comprises of males and females who lay within the age bracket of 15 years to 65 years. The sex ratio of 1.02 suggests that there are more males in the population than the females who lay within the age bracket of 15-65 years. And it is under this age bracket where the target market of â€Å"WITH† lies. There are a huge number of gays and lesbians living in Belgium. ... Other important stats that can be of use are the population of Belgium over the several years up till now. The trend of population can help to deduce that with increasing population, it is likely that the number of gays and lesbians have also increased. The following statistical graph will show this trend. After 2003, there has been an increasing trend in the population of Belgium. In 2011 it has the highest population. This leads to a fact that increase in population has given rise to more gays and lesbians and thus the market for condoms has increased. There are more people than before who are condom users. So it is evident that there is a huge market of condoms in Belgium (CIA 2010) Part of this huge market are also the people who have been exposed to HIV infection but have yet not developed the symptoms of AIDS (FORBES 2009) These people also form a large part of the condom users as they want to protect their partners and themselves against this dangerous infection. The following statistical figure will help to determine the people living in Belgium who are carrying the HIV virus. In 2011 the number of people carrying HIV virus have decreased. This may be due to increased precautionary measures taken by the consumers against the STD’s (CIA 2010) There is large market for condoms because they are easy to use than any other contraceptive measure and has no side effects at all. Teenagers also represent a huge chunk of the condom market. Condoms are mostly used by the teenagers as measure to prevent teenage pregnancy rather than a protection measure (HYDE, M. O. 2006) Competition in the condom industry of Belgium is fairly high. There are already well established brands like

Critically Evaluate Two or Three Approaches to Ideology and Their Essay

Critically Evaluate Two or Three Approaches to Ideology and Their Relevance to the Student of Media - Essay Example 234). One of the reasons for this malaise over the impact of the media is because it is a more formidable source of cultural acquisition and socialisation than books and other cultural institutions, especially for young people, because, as Gross has pointed out, even at the university level, young people are largely influenced by audio-visual media, their primary cultural reference (cited in Hall 1992, p. 88). Yet theorists and critics have argued that the media isn’t ideologically-neutral, rather, contrary to appearances, it is a purveyor of dominant ideology. According to Murfin & Ray (2003) ideology is â€Å"a set of beliefs underlying the customs, habits, and practices common to a given social group. To members of that group, the beliefs seem obviously true, natural, and even universally applicable† (p. 208), regardless of whether they are held or acquired consciously or unconsciously. The term first came into critical use in Marxist thought, when Karl Marx, along with Frederich Engels, offered his critique of capitalist societies in The German Ideology (1844) and other writings. For Marx, society is structured and divided along lines of economics and class along two major axes: those who control the means of production (the ruling class or elite) and those who do not (the masses or proletariat). The wealthy elite, in order to maintain their position of privilege and the economic machinery from which their position and power emanated, had to put structures in place that would reinforce their authority and undermine that of the w orking class (Rivkin & Ryan 1998, p. 253). Marx calls these structures or institutions the ‘superstructure’: law, politics, culture, religion, education, and they emerge from and in accordance with the economic base, with the aim of exploiting the working class (Murfin & Ray 2003, p. 244). Marx criticises capitalists societies which he sees as â€Å"riven from within by †¦ ‘class struggle’† (Rivkin & Ryan 1998, p.

How Did Kurt Cobain Die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How Did Kurt Cobain Die - Essay Example His marriage to Courtney Love in 1992 was based partially on shared drug use, primarily heroin, and mostly on her unexpected pregnancy. Despite this, Cobain was reportedly happy for the first time he could remember and adored his daughter and his wife. He almost overdosed several times on drugs, with Love claiming some of these were suicide attempts, yet Cobain denied feeling suicidal and instead claimed that he was attempting to escape his wife. When his body was discovered on April 8, 1994, his death was ruled a suicide. A shotgun was found pointing at his chin, a poorly worded suicide note was left behind and his body contained a high dose of heroin and valium. Police ruled the death a suicide for these reasons, but further investigation revealed details suggesting he was murdered. Whether Cobain’s death was murder or suicide, it seems clear that the police did not do an adequate job in investigating the death. The facts of the case seem pretty straightforward. Kurt Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle, Washington on April 8, 1994 after having been reported missing from a drug rehab center for seven days. According to Smoking Gun reports (2008), the missing person report indicates police knew Cobain had returned to Seattle after leaving the California rehab facility, yet it seems no one went to look for him at his house. It was also known that he had purchased a shotgun and was considered potentially suicidal. The first detectives to arrive on the scene note that the body was discovered by an electrician who had arrived at Cobain’s home to install an alarm system. The body was discovered lying on the floor of a greenhouse located just above the detached garage of the home. The fire department had also responded to the call and forced their way into the room by breaking through the glass French doors at one end. This had the

SWOT Analysis of Patient Services in a Hospital

SWOT Analysis of Patient Services in a Hospital SWOT ANALYSIS PATIENT AFFAIRS OFFICE/ CUSTOMER SERVICES: Patient affairs office provides service to patients. Its job is to assist customers regarding anything they need to make sure that they are satisfied with the service they are provided. The staff of customer services in a hospital should be polite and friendly to the patients and must be provided adequate training as customer service depicts the culture of any organization/hospital. Strengths: In my time working at the hospital, I found that the patient’s affair office had a few employees who had very good communication skills. Due to which they were able to talk to patients and solve their problems and concerns effectively. They dealt with patients of different moods and were able to help them in one way or another. All the employees in customer services had the capability and temperament of working in a team to solve various problems of patients. They were able to communicate well with other employees of the same department as well as of other departments which enabled in building an environment that was healthy. Weaknesses: Although some employees in customer services had good communication skills, but I also saw those employees who were not able to deal with customers and whenever a patient made complaint, they had to look at their colleagues for answers. Due to this, patients had to wait which increased their bad experience of any type with the hospital. There was also a lack of decision making in the patient affairs office. Whenever a situation was raised where patients asked for favors or discounts, customer services representatives had to keep them on hold to ask other senior employees which again kept patients waiting. A lack of following up on the problem was another weakness that I found. When a representative solved a patient’s problem, he/she never attempts to get feedback from the patient. Opportunities: Hospital must provide adequate training to the employees of patient affairs office to enhance their communication skills and for polishing all the other required skills for this job. They can even hire new employees who fulfill their requirement. Threats: Many new hospitals are built now which are giving tough competition to attract more patients by asking patients for feedback from time to time and are actually using that feedback for improving themselves. The best patient affair representative is getting job offers from various other hospitals which is a major threat as he is very skilled and is able to tackle with customers easily without disappointing them. Conclusion: Hospital has various strengths in the patients affair office, all it needs is to hire good trainers for the representatives over there and polish their skills to deal with customers in a better way which will reduce the weakness of the hospital. At the same time, they need to capitalize on the opportunity available and remove the threats they are facing. Hospital must take feedback from patients from time to time and bring required improvements and also they need to provide their employees in the customer services good incentives and reward to retain them with the hospital. EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: It is a department in the hospital who provides treatments and facilities to patients who are in critical condition or who require immediate assistance. The nature of emergency department is so unplanned that it must be prepared at all times along with specialized doctors in all fields to deal with injuries ranging from basic ones to severe ones. Emergency departments operate 24 hours in a day. Strengths: The hospital had all type of machines and equipments available for dealing with patients in the emergency department. Weaknesses: There was often a shortage of staff in the emergency after 12 a.m. which caused problems for patients. There is also a problem of slow service. Another weakness is that sometimes the emergency room is not clean and smells bad. Apart from this, although the hospital has all the required equipments available but most of them are outdated and are not kept in an order. Due to which it often happened that at the time of emergency, it was difficult to find the required machine. Opportunities: Hospital can do partnership with the best medical school as after that students will assist the hospital and will be available for patients 24 hours specially at times when other staff is not available, which will be beneficial for both patient and student. There are grants of government available for the hospital, it can take them and utilize them for the benefit of the emergency room by improving the condition of it. grants will help in solving financial problems and will enable the hospital to buy and keep latest machines to better assist patients in case of emergency. Threats: Hospital is losing doctors because of retirement due to which there is a shortage of doctors in the emergency department. This has caused various problems and thus hospital is losing patients especially in the emergency department to other hospitals with excellent emergency departments. Conclusion: Hospital must reduce its weaknesses as other hospitals are taking advantage of that by providing patients with better service in the emergency department. It must hire more staff in the emergency department for keeping it clean or if it cannot hire then it must raise the salary of existing staff so they perform their duties efficiently. It must also capitalize on the opportunity available to it by doing partnership with medical school and also by accepting the grants by government, which will help the hospital in investing more in the emergency department. It must also place advertisements for doctors to reduce the problem of less doctors in the hospital as this way there will doctors available in the emergency department as well. Complaints Office Is an office which deals with complains of patients and is responsible for getting their feedback. They are responsible for keeping patients in the hospital satisfied by solving their problems and thus not giving them a chance to complain. The duties of this office are critical as form time to time they have to deal with customers with bad moods; they have to tolerate them at their worst which requires a lot of patience. Its necessary for the complaints office to have solution for all the patients or else they will just lose patients. They also need to report complains of patients to senior managers to keep them updated on the condition of the hospital. This way senior manager will be able to take actions that are beyond the complaints office to keep their patients satisfied with the service they are getting. Strengths: The employees in the complaints office are available to patients at all times and solve their queries as much as they can. The complaints office of the hospital has an excellent system of recording all complains of patients on a computer which is available for all the staff of hospital to view. This keeps everyone informed about the issues that should be solved. Weaknesses: The employees at the complaints office lack patience and they often are unable to solve their issues. Sometimes when a patient makes a complaint they listen to them but never takes any action which increases the level of dissatisfaction of patients with the hospital. Opportunities: Hospital can hire a specialist for giving training to its employees as to how to deal with patients with bad moods. They can even hire employees who are specialists in human behavior so they know the required solution depending on the mood of patients. Threats: Other hospitals have more specialized complaints offices due to which they dint give a chance to their patients of complains. So patients prefer other hospitals compared to this which is significantly affecting the growth. Competition is a major threat that the hospital is facing in almost all its departments. Conclusion: Hospital needs to hire good employees and experts of human resources in the complaints office to deal with patients more effectively. They also need to polish the skills of existing employees in the complaints office. Hospital needs to overcome its weaknesses in the complaints office as it is in direct contact with patients at all times and is responsible for solving their problems. Although employees here have got free right to make any necessary decision depending on the situation but since most of them lack patience, they are unable to talk to customers politely. Referrals Office Referrals basically help keeping doctors track of the care that their patients are getting ti make sure that provided care is right for that particular patient. Request for a referral is usually made by the primary clinician when he/she comes to the conclusion that services that a patient requires are not available at the hospital. So referrals office processes these appointments with specialists for the clinicians. The responsibilities of a referral office are to service the appointment with specialists and to keep the clinician updated about the dates and time of appointment. Strengths: The referrals office at the hospital is highly trained and has contacts with many specialists in various fields which enable them to be of service to patients of ant type of problems ranging from small to big ones. Weaknesses: The number of people in the referrals office is less compared to require as there are sometimes delay in making appointments to the specialists which annoys patients as no one likes to wait. Secondly, the appointments that patients get are late and they often have to wait for a month or two to visit the specialist which is not acceptable in situations or cases that require immediate attention. Opportunities: There are various referrals programs available to improve the existing referrals in the hospital so it can take one of them to reduce the inefficiencies. The steps for making a referral program include: First, make a timeline for the program of referral and record the changes it bring to the referrals office to be better aware of the benefits of the program and also to make sure that it’s actually working. Second, keep getting feedback of referrals from the patient to make a list of specialists who actually helped the patients to recommend such specialists further. Also. This will help referrals office in knowing that with which specialist they need to build a better relation. Offer your gratitude to specialists that you are referring to your patients so that they are satisfied with the hospital and are willing to accept future patients. Threats: The threats faced by the referrals office include the referrals office of other hospitals who try giving better service to the specialists that they refer to their patients on behalf of clinicians. Some of these hospitals are old and some are new which are giving intense competition to this hospital. Conclusion: the referrals office should use its strength to get the best specialists appointment for their patients to make sure that they get the best service. They must try to reduce their weakness by hiring more employees in the referrals office and also by trying to get the appointment as quickly as possible especially in cases where the illness is severe. they must capitalize on the opportunity available to them by introducing a referrals program to better train themselves for this job which will help in retaining patients as they will be satisfied by the service provided to them by the referrals office. They must try to come up with strategies and ways of dealing with the competition that they are facing from other hospitals. Ward Administrative Ward: it is the ward that is responsible for administrating the wards in the hospital. Every hospital has various wards and thus the responsibilities of a ward administrative are huge. Employees in the ward administrative units need to coordinate and mange the wards and they also need to supervise it from time to time to make sure that they are up to the mark. Other responsibilities of a ward administrative ward includes establishing policies and plans to be followed, making sure that the best service is being provided, maintaining the infrastructure to make sure that all the facilities are provided to the public and getting feedback from patients to bring improvement if there is a lacking. Strengths: Employees at the ward administrative office of the hospital are providing a good service to the hospital. The wards of the hospital are neat and clean at all times and almost everyone is trained and knows his/her duties. Weaknesses: The employees at the ward administrative ward never come up with plans or ideas for providing even better service than they are providing now. Although they are providing a good service but they lack a need of making policies which everyone could follow. And also the infrastructure available at the hospital is old and need to be replaced. The wards of the hospital are old fashioned and they need to have some work done. Opportunities: Hospital can hire a good architect for solving the issue with the wards and giving it a design that is attractive for patients. The infrastructure of a hospital matters a lot and an attractive hospital attracts more patients. Threats: The threat is same as for other departments, competition. Many new hospitals have been formed with attractive designs and extraordinary architect that attracts the patients. Although the purpose of a hospital is to solve the problems of patients but building and other infrastructure also matters. Conclusion: the ward administrative ward is fulfilling its duties effectively but there are a few lackings here that need to be focused. Firstly, they need to make sure that all wards have latest infrastructure and are presentable to the patients because as discussed earlier, it matter a lot for patients to go in hospitals that provide good services in all ways.

The Use Of The Internet In Mar :: essays research papers

Computing (IT)- essay by matthew foote Will the internet keep the U.K competitive in a world market, in terms of industry? Recently there has been emphasis for electronic business. Judging by IBM's recent advertising campaign you would be forgiven for thinking that launching a company website leads to instant profits. IBM 's portrayal of a grandmother taking her olive oil business from rural Greece into global markets neatly demonstrates the potential of the internet for huge exposure and trade without the barriers of geography and at a lower cost. Unlocking this potential for any business in the U.K and elsewhere is no easy matter. Although several large firms in the U.K are now making real impact through e-commerce, although examples of profit's being made in small and medium (SME) sized business's are few and far between. Even though the effects of the internet on U.K's industry can only be predicted at this early stage, there have been incentives (rewards) offered to several SMEs generating business with their websites by the government. Firms with no more then 250 employees where asked to show how they had used e-commerce to increase efficiency or to boost their sales. The average investment that created a profit among the ten regional winners was around 20000 pounds with the cheapest being 10000 pounds, all the companies testified to the need for expert help. Such expense results from the need to have an aesthetically pleasing website which offers in depth analysis whilst maintaining a user friendly aspect. The site must encourage people to explore and revisit and its presence on the internet needs to be developed, which generally requires the advice of a specialist. At present time in the U.K the internet is used mainly for business to business activity with less emphasis on customer intervention. One of the main reasons for this is the transport costs, a business will normally order batch which would make it worth while were as customers only demand 1 or 2 goods. The idea of supplying customers with intangible goods, such as music, computer games/ programmes, software upgrades etc. is becoming increasingly more popular. A telephone poll carried out across Britain based on 4000 calls found that while 39% of internet users have bought clothes by mail, only 13% would be willing to buy clothes on-line and only 2% have actually done so. 70% had never bought anything on-line - many assumptions can be drawn from these statistics i.

William Gibson’s Neuromancer Fits the Definition of Cyberpunk :: Neuromancer

William Gibson’s Neuromancer Fits the Definition of Cyberpunk         What is cyberpunk? What criteria must be entailed to fall into this category? In hopes of coming to an understandable definition   this elusive category of cyberpunk I turned to the article â€Å"Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Science Fiction - Preface from Mirrorshades†, to illustrate how Neuromancer follows the cyberpunk category. The first part of the definition is the â€Å"certain central themes [that] come up repeatedly in cyberpunk. The theme of body invasion: prosthetic limbs, implanted circuitry, cosmetic surgery, genetic alteration. The even more powerful theme of mind invasion: brain - computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, neurochemistry - techniques radically redefining the nature of humanity, the nature of self† (346). Another aspect of cyberpunk that sets it apart from science-fiction is that â€Å"cyberpunk is widely known for its telling use of detail, its carefully constructed intricacy, its willingnes s to carry extrapolation into the fabric of daily life† (348). Lastly, to complete this definition is the use of â€Å"[m]any drugs, like rock and roll, are definite high-tech products† (346).   William Gibson’s Neuromancer fits this definition of cyberpunk because, there is extensive use of the theme of   body invasion, he uses explicit detail in the extrapolation of the matrix, and there is an important usage of drugs and music in the novel.   In the beginning of Neuromancer when Molly first enters into the story one of the first description he uses is her mirrorshades, â€Å" the glasses were surgically inset, sealing her sockets† (24).   The use of these glasses are an issue all the way to the end of the story when he realizes that, â€Å"I never even found out what color her eyes were† (268). I think that this is an important element in the story, because Molly is a very elusive character. The mere fact that her eyes remain hidden from virtually everyone signifies that she remains unattached and aloof. If the eyes are the doorway to your soul, then Molly was keeping the door shut. Maybe, this was to protect her from becoming too attached to anyone. In the article â€Å"Preface form Mirrorshades†, it is stated â€Å"[b]y hiding the eyes, mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous† (344). If that was the reason that Molly’s eyes were covered then it possibly was more of a way for her to fit the character of the bodyguard, and tough girl.

Analysis of the Soft-Hearted Sioux Essay

The soft- hearted Sioux presents the transformation of a boy from a soft-hearted person to a cold man when he confronts the traditions of his tribe against Christy. The boy left home to a mission school where he learned about Christ and became more and more accustomed to the white man’s culture. At first I thought he just left home against his parents will because they wanted him to marry earlier. After I saw the video, I understood it was the white people who drove them to school in order to â€Å"civilize â€Å"them. But when he returned home, the first thing he has to face with was that his father was dying. But he still believed in the God could renew the life of his sick father. All he wanted to do was to spread Christianity to his tribe. Unfortunately, though he attempted to change the faith of the warriors, people thought the white Bible was worthless and treated him as a traitor. Failing to cure his father and bring him meat to eat, he felt guilty and finally decided to look for meat. Though he found meat, his father had died and he had to go to the jail as a result of killing animals. He still didn’t know where he belonged to except waiting for death. When reading the passage, I was impressed by the use of personification. Such as â€Å"my eyes swam in tears† which means crying, and â€Å" when the sun lowered in the west and the winds were quiet† â€Å" the strong breath of winter crusted the snow.† and â€Å" wondering if the high sky likewise separated the soft-hearted son of GOD from us†. The author described the wind, winter and sky as a person who has feelings. The irony is that he did as what his father wanted but he had to go to the jail because he killed animals. The author illustrates the difference in the nature of soft-hearted â€Å"I† and the warriors in order to explain that the little boy had been totally brainwashed. He learned the white people’s value system and didn’t believe in his own cul ture. It was a tragedy to himself. As for me ,a Chinese who is majoring in Korean ,I need to learn about the Korean culture,  literature, and value system. I should to be open-minded to new things but it doesn’t mean I can forget traditional Chinese culture and become a Korean totally. i always told myself to try and be a better person and learn as many new things as possible as you can but do not become another person. In contrast with me, the boy went to the mission school out of the government’s policy not his own will. In this point of will, It was a tragedy to all the native Americans. The author ,Zitkala-sa ,wrote this in first person point of view, making me draw a connection between myself and the little boy. Or maybe she just wrote this according to lots of her own experience. This passage made me think of â€Å" what is an American†, written by crevecoevr. To tell the truth , I do not really agree with the descriptions about Americans in this passage. He only described the poor Europeans who immigrated to American, leaving out the Natives. He described American as a person who leaves behind prejudice and manners and receives new ones from the new mode of life. But the truth is that the white people killed millions of natives and made them move. They tried to civilize them by religion. On the one hand, they said everyone is equal and free. But on the other hand ,they thought the black are ugly and treated them as â€Å"happy† servants. They claimed everyone has a human right but they deprived the black people’s human right. It’s just like you were killed by a man who smiled at you several minutes ago. In brief , I think the passage is so one-sided and only showed us the positive things . We can change but do not become another person. History may be painful but never forget about it.

The Concept and Practice of Depreciation

The concept and practice of depreciation plays an integral part in a company†s cash flow situation and funding. The two main reasons this occurs are that firstly depreciation is a for of self finance, and secondly because a company does not have to pay taxes on depreciation, hence excluding taxation from a cash amount which enlarges the cash flow of a company. As a term, depreciation is defined as a loss in value, a diminishment in market price, always taking the time factor into account, because the view point of depreciation is always a rate of change in value in an asset (fixed or current) compared to the present value of that asset. If a company purchases or rents machinery, or any sort of equipment used for production purposes, it has to take into account the purchased or rented good†s production life span, meaning that everything has a certain period of time in which it contributes to production before it is rendered useless. I use the term useless in the sense that what is produced does not bring profit to the company due to wear and tear resulting in production time loss and a lower standard of quality. The time based usefulness of an asset of course varies depending on what the asset is. If it is a van for example, its usefulness might be seven years before the van needs replacing, but if it is a building we are talking about, its usefulness may be forty years. For example, is a JCB digger were to be purchased in 2000 at the value of  £15000, and its productive life span were to be eight years, this would mean that in eight years time, the digger purchased would cease to be of any productive use to the company which purchased it. If it were to be resoled in 2008 though, its value would have depreciated drastically due to the time lapse from the initial purchase. Its depreciation, hence its devaluation, is its year zero value less an annual percentage of the devaluation process updated annually. Depreciation does not only apply to current assets, but also is applicable to fixed asset as well. Buildings for example lose their value too taking the time scale factor into account. If a building is purchased in 1970 as a newly built structure, its value will have definitely decreased in 2025 by the depreciation rate estimated. The way depreciation is worked out is by subtracting the rate of depreciation (of the year in question) from the present value. The rate of depreciation varies from year to year by its power (in the process of the annual 1 multiplied by the percentage rate of depreciation) being the year number of its depreciation and its depreciation rate possibly varying from year to year. Because depreciation is subtracted from the assets of a financial statement, it is not subject to taxation, therefore the company has automatically achieved a higher cash flow status by depreciating its assets, the worth of its capital value. We can see this in the following mock cash flow calculation (Last Page). In the first and second row, because depreciation is included, the cash and accounting sum of depreciation is not taxed, this leaves the company with more cash flow compared to the third column of the calculation sheet where depreciation is not included. This form of saving, or investing, not only allows a company to have a greater financial mobility in the market it is involved in, but also ensures the replacement of necessary current and fixed assets needed for production purposes. The best way for a firm to be financed it through self finance, and since depreciation is retained cash for future asset replacement, it is a form of self financing. This saves the company paying out interest rates on bank loans for example, an external source of finance which demands a price for the service provided to the company.

Over Abundance and Waste

Over Abundance Imagine saving everything; from pieces of string, tin foil, and old clothing. Fifty years ago not much was being thrown away. In addition, almost everything had a considerably longer life span. According to Joshua Becker he states from his blog â€Å"from the moment we are born, we are told to pursue more†. Today, our lives are inundated with advertisements on television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard, and websites  that encourage us that more is better. As a result, we toil for long hours so that we can buy the biggest homes and fanciest cars, wear the trendiest fashions, and use the coolest technologies.What led us to this place of having and wanting so much stuff; stuff that we literally do not know what to do with or where to put when we are done with it? What we buy, what we use, what we keep and throw away make up the fabric of our daily lives. A sea of stuff flows in and out with such speed we hardly realize the global impact attached to each an d every item we buy. â€Å"The process of becoming obsolete; falling into disuse or becoming out of date is also called obsolescence. (Rogers) Compared to fifty years ago our society is better known as a throwaway society; in essence we are never satisfied with what we have and always want more. Craving the latest trends and newest gadgets coming out every season, many people tend to just toss out the old items and purchase new. Common examples of this reckless and selfish behavior include: electronic devices (cell phones, I Pods and computers), clothing (newest fashion trends) and small appliances. In our collective society many people want more of what is new rather than repairing the item.The current generation of people (Generation Y) is described by the www. freedictionary. com as â€Å"members of the generation of people born since the early 1980s that are seen as being discerning consumers with a high disposable income has more time and money than any other. † A combi nation of new technology and the internet is partially responsible for this transformation. With the explosion of electronic access (free WiFi and smart phone technology) consumers today are exposed to persistent and persuasive advertisements.Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable items. In addition, technological advances cause many people to discard products well before there useful lifespan has been achieved. For example; some electronic items such as portable DVD player ($50) have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them. Our society has been conditioned that time is money which busy people translate into paying for convenience over saving money.Conversely, complicated computerized equipment may be difficult or time consuming to repair and consumers may be less inclined to wait for a repair. Multimedia has programmed our generation to become a materialistic type society that focuses on the buildup of many new things over things that still work. â€Å"With only 5% of the global population the U. S. consumes 30% of the planets’ resources and creates approximately 30% of its waste. †(Rogers) Growth in America is being driven by a new sense of convenience and disposability.Paper plates, frozen foods, TV dinners, and aerosol cans are the way of the future, bringing a new convenience and ease to everyone's life style. This drive thru mentality has filtered through our society and fueled our desire for more while reducing our level of patience and tolerance. â€Å"For example; we can live our lives without leaving our homes or automobiles using drive thru access for fast food, online education, pharmacies, dry cleaners and even banks. † (Rogers, 2) Today â€Å"to go† food comes in cheap, disposable single use packaging.Pre-packaged frozen and canned foods are increasingly popular, generating additional waste. Milk used to come in glass bottles th at were recycled each morning when fresh milk was delivered. â€Å"Now, most beverages come in plastic bottles, of which less than a third is recycled. † (Rogers, 5)  These quick and easy products have been developed to suit our desire or instant gratification and convenience. Here are some simple and cost effective solutions that our society can implement to reduce our carbon footprint. Bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping.Buy things that can be reused over and over, like rechargeable batteries. Clean counters with a cloth towel instead of disposable paper towels. Create your own cleaning solutions using baking soda and bleach which are less harmful to our environment and cost effective. Ask whether your delivery person will recycle the plastic bags and rubber bands that newspapers come in. These are just a few simple ways to help make the earth a better place for our future. â€Å"More advanced technology being put on the market every six months our society has become a throwaway society.With technological advances and the desire to have the latest and greatest products who would want to pay almost the same price for something to be repaired when you can get it brand new? † (Rogers 2) Americans as a whole have become wasteful with material and place more importance on time and convenience. For our world to continue with plentiful resources we need to start making changes and change the way we live and use our precious natural resources more efficiently to have a better future.

General Administrative Theories are they relevant to managing Modern Essay

General Administrative Theories are they relevant to managing Modern Global Organisations - Essay Example This essay stresses that Human Resource Management or HRM is one of the key methods by which managers keep hold of the actions of the people beneath them. This is also a way by which managers are able to control, at least in part, the behavior of the people to remain parallel to the interests of the firm. Nowadays, business managers are beginning to recognise the need to consider the weight and importance of human resource (HR) function in determining the growth or downfall of any venture. This paper makes a conclusion that modern global organisations need to leverage on all facets of financials, customer, best business practice and human resources, if it shall be sustainable for the long haul. More importantly, it should be able to dedicate attention to its most important resource: its people. This paper has presented the ways in which administrative theories may be expanded to encompass not only the end goals of productivity and profit, but also of people development. It points out that the human resource function may also be used as a control measure, focusing on all facets of attracting the right talent through careful staffing and training practices, setting apt performance goals, and similar people development initiatives. If people are adequately developed, they shall be able to contribute more to the enterprise and carry out initiatives that are directly aligned to corporate strategies. This will ultimately spell success for the global enterprise.

What is a Mockingbird What makes Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Essay

What is a Mockingbird What makes Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Boo Radley Mockingbirds - Essay Example e’s story, Atticus proves the black man is innocent of all charges while implicating that any damage done was actually caused by the girl’s abusive father, but the defendant, Tom Robinson, is found guilty anyway by the all-white jury. In the meantime, the children have made friends with their eccentric neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo has spent the majority of his life imprisoned by his parents in the house next door. Scout’s brother, Jem, has also spent several afternoons reading to a mean old lady of the neighborhood, Mrs. Dubose, on his father’s orders. In the context of the book, the mockingbird is used to symbolize something innocent and without a true voice of its own. In the real world, the mockingbird is quietly helpful as it feeds on the grubs and other harmful insects that often damage needed crops but has no true song of its own. Instead, the mockingbird sings a compilation of songs that it hears in its environment. â€Å"The literature contains countless stories of notable imitations. One New York City bird reproduced perfectly the beep-beep-beep of a backhoe in reverse, while another threw a high school football game into confusion by mimicking the referee’s whistle. Yet another ‘joined the National Symphony Orchestra during an outdoor concert in Washington D.C.’† (Tveten 292). This reveals it to be a bird capable of appreciating its environment as well as a bird without a true voice of its own. It is known only by its appearance and the way in which it is defined by others. Its borrowed voice, appreciation and participation in its environment and its changeable nature make this a bird that deserves recognition and respect. This concept is found in the book when Atticus tells Scout and Jem, â€Å"I’d rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† (Lee 69). As the following discussion will

Managing Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Managing Information Technology - Essay Example The managers can make this data become useful for them if they share it in a wise manner with the publics that are present within an organization. This will assure that the data remains supreme and of utmost quality at the end of the day (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin & Perkins, 2009). Such data will manifest growth, productivity and development across the board as far as an organizational understanding is concerned. However, what is most significant here is a comprehension that the data is made use of in a very smart fashion so that there are no delays and hangovers for the sake of the organization in the long run. Hence, the managers shall always reap the rich dividends behind the data that exists within an organization as it is for their own benefit in the long run. The managers need to make wise decisions with respect to the same. References Brown, C.V., DeHayes, D.W, Hoffer, J.A., Martin, W.E., Perkins, W.C., 2009. Managing Information Technology , 6th ed. Prentice Hall

Realist Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Realist Theories - Assignment Example China wants to resolve the issue with the countries involved and not with the international bodies. If this can be resolved, what could these small countries do if China will lose its military might on its claims on the disputed islands. China may be emboldened to bully its neighboring countries due to its $9240 billion GDP which is the second highest in the world. This GDP also allowed it to have a military superiority against its neighbors including Japan. Even if their total economies and population will be combined, it would still be no match against China. In addition, China is the only nuclear capable state in that region. China however must take into account that there are two countries (Philippines and Japan) among the claimants that has Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, the largest economy in the world and strongest military in the world. If China attacks Philippines and Japan, this would make the Mutual Defense Treaty take into effect dragging United States in the war. In addition, the international community will also be against China because Philippines has brought the issue to the international court for arbitration and waging a war against other claimants will be trespass the case before international

Primary Source on Female Workers of Lowell (1836) Essay

Primary Source on Female Workers of Lowell (1836) - Essay Example However, women had some independence since they had the opportunity to work while the men stayed home and practiced farming. They were able to earn their own income through the jobs they did at the factory, and lived on their own, which gave them a feeling of liberation. This article was written with a purpose of exploring the life of the women who worked at the mills. Examine their living conditions at the boarding houses, where they slept six in a room, which were poorly ventilated (NWHM 1). The author has taken the point of view of bringing out the strong woman despite the challenges they faced. The author talks about the challenges the women went through, and add to it the brave steps they took towards liberating themselves and finally succeeded. The author has made an assumption that if the women of Lowell had not taken that step of fighting for their liberty, then they would have remained in the poor conditions that they were in before (NWHM 1). This argument is true since, before the women of Lowell decided to take the step of fighting for their liberation, their life was like that of a slave. They lived in poor condition, worked for long hours, and were paid little wages. Even, though, they worked, they did not get a fair return for their hard work. Instead of the job, they were doing giving them a feeling of liberation; it made them felt more enslaved (NWHM

La Grande Odalisque Essay Example for Free

La Grande Odalisque Essay Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres was born on August 28th, 1780. He became one of Jacques-Louis David’s most famous and successful students. During Ingres time working with David, and eventually turning away from him, he became a part of the Neo-Classicism movement; leaving behind, but not forgetting the Romanticism methods. Neo-Classicism is the 18th century restoration of tradition principles which lead Ingres to be one of the most famous draftsmen. Ingres was an extremely precise and talented man of his time and was most famous for his portraits; especially his portraits of female nudes. In the year 1814, Ingres created one of his most famed masterpieces, La Grande Odalisque. It was created in Paris and still remains there in the museum by the name of The Musà ©e du Loure. The painting is well-known for its subject of fantasy and eroticism; she was a passive, mysterious and an unknown being to the Western world, which made her audience long for answers. Throughout Ingres life he created many pieces of work. In his well ahead years, Ingres continued to paint and surprise his faultfinders. He eventually ended up on top, being viewed as â€Å"one of the greatest living artists in France† during that time. (Rifkin 15) He left behind many fans but no apprentices to carry on the Neoclassicism heritage. Ingres painted many historical, mythological, and religious subjects; however, he is probably most respected for his portraits and female nudes. Ingress style highlights skilful formations, along with smoothly painted surfaces, and very thorough drawings. â€Å"In 1814, he created one of his many famous masterpieces, Grande Odalisque. It is 91 cm in height and 162 cm in length (35.8 Ãâ€" 63.8 in).† (Peirce 50) It is an oil painting on canvas, with a subject of make-believe and sexuality. The painting was commissioned by Queen Caroline Murat of Naples, Napoleon’s sister. It was painted in the Neoclassicism movement in P aris, along with many of his other works. This one in particular is of a nude female, who transpires to be an odalisque. â€Å"An odalisque was a female slave in an Ottoman seraglio, especially the Imperial Harem of the sultan.† (Peirce 54) La Grande Odalisque was formed by Ingres using some of David’s ideas and creating a female nude, in a bizarre and unfamiliar way. To the Western world she was nothing like they’d ever seen before, which caused confusion but a desire to want to know everything about her; â€Å"In the mind of an early 19th century French male viewer, the sort of person for whom this image was made, the odalisque would have conjured up not just a harem slave, itself a misconception, but a set forth fears and desires.† (Shelton 75) This was mainly because of the way in which Europe considered Islamic Asia; they viewed the people there as unique, barren and careless. To observers she was located in an almost make-believe world, much like how Western culture viewed the Eastern side o f the world; fantasized. At the time it was ignominious for its physical wrongness; in specific, â€Å"the nude female was thought to have three lumbar vertebrae too many†. (Shelton 78) It was an opinion stressed by art critics, but was never challenged or proven. When it had finally been studied, they found something out of the regular, â€Å"we measured the length of the back and of the pelvis in human models, expressed the mean values in terms of head height, and transferred them to the painting.† (Peirce 81) The falsification was found to be greater than what had been presumed originally; â€Å"La Grande Odalisque had five, rather than three, further lumbar vertebrae†(Peirce 81). Basically, she is structurally impossible; her pose is one that would be impossible to mimic. Since Ingres combined rationality and realism into his paintings some critics believe the deformation may perhaps exist on purpose and stand for an emotional motive. The way in which the woman’s head is placed and how it the distance it is away from her pelvis suggests, â€Å"the artist may have been marking the gulf between her thoughts and her social role† (Shelton 79) The face of the woman is where the observer’s eyes are drawn. Her expression is secluded, care-free and mysterious; giving her an almost secret filled feel about her. Her role as a harem is not to think of feeling; she is there only for the purpose of pleasure. â€Å"This theme is consistent with the role of women in the nineteenth-century views on female gender roles public women, i.e., prostitutes, fulfilled a vitally important social role as repositories of male sexual desire.† (Siegfried, Rifkin, Willey 34) Her gaze pulls viewers into her unknown world; captures and traps. The main reason for her existence is to wait upon a man, but not just any man; her husband. With knowing that her husband is the only man to ever see her in this state, the viewer is pulled in and knowing they will never be able to experience her, â€Å"she was part of the sultan harem, she was there to satisfy the carnal pleasures of the sultan, despise what she may feel or want. She reflects a woman ´s deep thoughts, complex emotions and feelings.†(Peirce 48) Her gaze tortures the viewer into looking and makes it difficult to look away. This piece is full of sensuality, mystery and romanticism. The woman is surrounded by a dark background; black with many different shades of blue. Her and her body are really the only aspect of the painting holding any light colours. With this, she stand out to the viewer; making her more striking than ever. Even with her imperfections she is blessed with flawless skin, shoulders, legs, arms and hands. The items nearby her, the peacock fan, the turban, and the pearls suggest an unfamiliar place; an exotic place. At her feet lies a hookah, which may come to the viewers as a shock; it’s not for tobacco but rather opium. The harem may come off to observers as irrational, passive and drugged, which creates more desire to know what she’s about. Is she offering it, or is she just high? That is a question that will never be answered, a question that keeps the viewers’ attention. La Grande Odalisque is what Western society believes a harem would look like. She is of the unknown but in a way that it becomes familiar. Since this is what the Western part of the world imagines and fantasizes about Islamic Asia, it makes them believe they are superior to what’s in front of them. Ingres conveyed his subject of wants and desires by painting La Grande Odalisque, and having the Western part of the world view it; you want what you can’t have. That is one way in looking at it, another is: â€Å"Some art historians have suggested that colonial politics also played a role.† (Shelton 81) Either way, Ingres combined what was happening to the world around him, two places so unfamiliar colliding together, with what the Western world wanted to see; what is actually happening is a completely different story than what one wants to believe is happening. La Grande Odalisque is recognized for its subject of desire for the unknown; her gaze, her pose, and the inferior, yet exotic, items surrounding her are what makes her so incredible to what people consider the norm. She has deficiencies but her overall appearance is perfect; she is nothing like her observers, which makes her that much more wanted; it’s a conflict between La Grande Odalisque and the viewer. Society, even today, is scared of the unfamiliar. We take situations, events and even the little parts in life that we are unsure of and turn it into something that can be confronted, even if it’s not reality; it’s what human beings do to feel safe from what we consider the abnormal. What makes this painting so unique is that people critique the way in which viewers see her, instead of the way she sees us; she is an unacquainted with us, as we are with her.

Relating Critical Incident To Communication Theory And Knowledge Nursing Essay

Relating Critical Incident To Communication Theory And Knowledge Nursing Essay The aim of this report is to look at a critical incident that occurred in placement and relate this to the theory and knowledge regarding communication and interpersonal skills, so as to demonstrate an understanding of my views on the art and science of reflection and the issues surrounding reflective practice Reflection is part of reflective practice and a skill that is developed. It can be seen as a way of adjusting to life as a qualified healthcare professional and enhancing the development of a professional identity (Atwal Jones, 2009). Reflection is defined as a process of reviewing an experience which involves description, analysis and evaluation to enhance learning in practice (Rolfe et al 2001).  This is supported by Fleming (2006), who described it as a process of reasoned thought. It enables the practitioner to critically assess self and their approach to practice. Reflective practice is advocated in healthcare as a learning process that encourages self-evaluation with subsequent professional development planning (Zuzelo, 2010). Reflective practice has been identified as one of the key ways in which we can learn from our experiences. The incident that was chosen was so for the reasons that the situation made the student aware of inadequacies on his own part and those of the staff on the team, which made him reflect upon the situation and how this could be learned from, so as not to make the same mistake again. Before the critical incident is examined it is important to look at what a critical incident is and why it is important to nursing practice. Girot (1997), cited in Maslin-Prothero, (1997) states that critical incidents are a means of exploring a certain situation in practice and recognising what has been learned from the situation. Benner (1984, cited by Kacperek, 1997) argues that nurses cannot increase or develop their knowledge to its full potential unless they examine their own practice. Confidentiality will be maintained as required by the Nursing Midwifery Council Code (NMC, 2008).    MODELS In order to provide a framework for methods, practices and processes for building knowledge from practice, there are several models of reflection available. All can help to direct individual reflection. Reflective models, however, are not meant to be used as a rigid set of questions to be answered but to give some structure and encourage making a record of the activity. Johns (2004) model reflects on uncovering the knowledge behind the incident and the actions of others present. It is a good tool for thinking, exploring ideas, clarifying opinions and supports learning. Another model, Schon (1987), however, identifies two types of reflection that can be applied in healthcare, Reflection-in-action and Reflection-on-action. Reflection-in-action can also be described as thinking whilst doing. Reflection-on-action involves revisiting experiences and further analysing them to improve skills and enhance future practice. Terry Bortons (1970) 3 stem questions:  What?,  So What?  and  Now What?  were developed by John Driscoll in 1994, 2000 and 2007. Driscoll matched the 3 questions to the stages of an  experiential learning cycle, and added trigger questions that can be used to complete the cycle. However, Driscoll (2006) notes that reflective practice is often represented as a choice for health professionals, whether to be reflective or not to be, about their clinical practice. Finally, Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle is fairly straightforward and encourages a clear description of the situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience, conclusion where other options are considered and reflection upon experience to examine what one would do if the situation arose again. In spite of all these models advantages, there are known barriers which prevent practitioners being able to reflect effectively and time plays a huge role. Smyth (2004) questions whether there is any time to think and be reflective because of the busy work environment that practitioners are involved in. CHOSEN MODEL In this report, I have chosen to use Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) as a framework, because it focuses on different aspects of an experience and allows the learner to revisit the event fully. Gibbs (1988) will help me to explore the experience further, using a staged framework as guidance and I feel that this is a simple model, which is well structured and easy to use at this early stage in my course. This model comprises of a process that helps the individual look at a situation and think about their thoughts and feelings at the time of the incident; and consists of six stages to complete one cycle. Its cyclical nature starts with a description of the situation. This includes e.g. where were you; who else was there; why were you there; what were you doing; what were other people doing. Next is to analysis of the feelings that is, trying to recall and explore those things that were going on inside your head? The third stage is an evaluation of the experience; making a judgement regarding the reasons behind the event and its possible consequences. The fourth stage is an analysis to make sense of the experience. At this stage the event is broken down into its component parts so they can be explored separately. The fifth stage is a conclusion of what else could I have done; the creation of insight through the reflective process towards individual roles within the event being considered. And final stage is an action plan to prepare if the situation arose again. That is, recognitions leading towards behavioural adjustments where faced with similar events in the future (NHS, 2006). The use of this model represents a fundamental shift from the ideas of Kolb in that Gibbs model specifically refers to the key processes within reflection itself, rather than as reflection as a process within general learning. Reflective practice can mean taking our experiences as an initial point for our learning and developing practice (Jasper, 2003). Many literatures have been written in the past that suggest the use of reflective assignments and journaling as tools to improve reflection and thinking skills in healthcare (Chapman et al, 2008). Reflective journals are an ideal way to be actively involved in learning (Millinkovic Field, 2005) and can be implemented to allow practitioners to record events and document their thoughts and actions on daily situations, and how this may affect their future practice (Williams Wessel, 2004). The experience gained in this can then be used to deal with other situations in a professional manner. By contemplating it thus, I am able to appreciate it and guided to where future development work is required. Context of incident In the scenario the patients name will be given as Xst.   Ã‚  The consequences of my actions for the client will be explained and how they might have been improved, including what I learned from the experience. My feelings about the clinical skills used to manage the clients care will be established and my new understanding of the situation especially in relation to evidence based practice will be considered.   I will finally reflect on what actions I will take in order to ensure my continued professional development and learning.    Xst is 55 year old woman who has a 10 year old daughter.   She suffers from psychiatric problems, lack of motivation and has difficulties in maintaining her personal hygiene and the cleanliness of her flat. She was one of my mentors clients to whom I had been assigned to coordinate and oversee her care under supervision. Nurses owe their patients a duty of care and are expected to offer a high standard of care based on current best practise, (NMC 2008).   Ã‚   Description Xst had been prescribed Risperidone Consta 37.5mg fortnightly, which is a moderate medication. Risperidone belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotic, which are usually used to help treat people with schizophrenia and similar condition such as psychosis. Xst did not like attending depot clinic and she missed three consecutive appointments. My mentor decided after the third non-attendance to raise the issue in the handover meeting where it was decided to see Xst in the morning but when we arrived she was not there. We left a note for her to call the office. We did not hear from her and a further home visit was carried out to arrange for her next depot clinic appointment. I was asked to call a meeting of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) who, at the meeting agreed that there would be a problem if the next injections were missed. At the next clinic, we waited for about an hour but she failed to attend. At a subsequent meeting with the patient, she agreed a joint visit with the CPN, my mentor and me to re-assess her condition and consider if it was necessary to   Ã‚  refer her case to the Consultant. I was given the opportunity to participate in the assessment, which showed that her behaviour was very unpredictable and very forgetful. Her inability to take her medication and to manage her personal hygiene clearly demonstrated that she was not well and indeed, had no insight into her illness and was in denial (Barker, 2004). However, the patient had been very upset because of the lack of communication and interpersonal skills that the staff and the student had displayed. I talked to Xst about her non-concordance with her medication, whilst stroking her hand but she persisted in saying she was well.   I reminded her that continuous use of the medication would benefit her mental health and protect her against relapse.   We agreed that she could discuss this with the doctor on her next outpatient appointment, with the option of reviewing or reducing her medication. I stressed the importance of her communicating any side effects or reservations she may have about the medication to doctor. She appeared to understand this and following the discussion, she finally complied with her depot injection. Feeling During the handover, I was nervous as I felt uncomfortable about giving feedback to the whole team. I was worried about making mistakes during my handover that could lead to inappropriate care being given to Xst or could cause her readmission to hospital. As a student nurse I felt I lacked the necessary experience to be passing information to a group of qualified staff members.   However, I dealt with the situation with outward calm and in a professional manner. I was very pleased that my mentor was available during the handover to offer me support and this increased my confidence. Evaluation What was good about the experience was that I was able to carry out the initial assessment and identify what caused Xst failure to comply with the treatment regime.   From my assessment I documented the outcome and related what had happened to the MDT with minimal assistance. Accurate documentation of patients care and treatment should communicate to other members of the team in order to provide continuity of care (NMC, 2008).   The experience has improved my communication skills immensely, I felt supported throughout the handover by my mentor who was constantly involved when I missed out any information. Thomas et al, (1997) explains that supervision is an important development tool for all learners. The team were very supportive throughout the process as they took my information without doubt.   What was not good about the experience was the fact that my mentor had not informed me that I was going to handover the information; as a result I had not mentally prepared myself for it.   I also felt that I needed more time to observe other professionals in the team carrying out their handovers before I attempted to carry out mine.   During the first MDT meeting, I felt that we did not provide enough time to freely interact with Xst to identify other psychosocial needs that could impact on her health. However, in any event, she was unable to fully engage because of her mental state. Turley (2000) suggests that nursing staff should include their interaction with the patient when recording assessment details, which can be used to provide evidence for future planning and delivery of care. Dougherty and Lister (2004) have suggested that healthcare professionals should use listening as part of assessing patient problems, needs and resources.      Analysis The literature regarding communication and interpersonal skills is vast and extensive. Upon reading a small amount of the vast literature available, the author was able to analyse the incident, and look at how badly this situation was handled. I realised communication is the main key in the nursing profession as suggested by Long (1999) who states that interpersonal skills are a form of tool that is necessary for effective communication. The behaviour of the person listening to the person who is talking is important during the interpersonal process (Burnard, 1992).The author used touch to convey support, genuineness and empathy, which is essential for the helping relationship (Betts, 2002, cited in Kenworthy et al, 2002). Carl Rogers (1967, cited by Betts, 2002, in Kenworthy et al, 2002) recommended three principal conditions necessary for effective counseling: empathic understanding, congruence or genuineness and unconditional positive regard. The terms genuineness and congruence ar e used interchangeably and used to describe the helper always being real in the helping relationship (Betts, 2002, cited in Kenworthy et al, 2002). I found it difficult to communicate with the patient initially because I did not understand her condition (  Adams,2008). It was also difficult for me not to take her behaviour to heart and show emotion at the time and thought this to be a failure. Even though the NMC (2008) maintains that nurses have a responsibility to empower patient in their care and to identify and minimise risk to patient, the principle of beneficence (to do well) must be balanced against no maleficence (doing no harm) (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001).   All these transactions were recorded in Xsts care plan file and on computer. Good record keeping is an integral part of nursing and midwifery practice, and is essential to the provision of safe and effective care. It is not an optional extra to be fitted in if circumstances allow NMC (2009).   The consequences of my actions for the patient and her daughter were that she attended to her daughters needs and to her personal hygiene, and made regular fortnight ly visits to the clinic. Her mental condition was improved. She was allowed to continue on her moderate medication and she did not have to be readmitted in the hospital. However, Bulman Schutz (2008) argue that this failure is to educate and for us to learn from practice and develop thinking skills. I would agree with them, as I learn best from practical experience, and build on it to improve my skills. With this is mind, I am now going to focus on my weaknesses, in both theory and practice, and state how, when and why I plan to improve on these. Through effective communication I was able to convince Xst of the need to take her medication. I was able to pass on the information to the MDT for continuity of care.     Roger et al (2003) concluded that communication is an on-going process but can be a difficult process when dealing with mental health problems.  Whilst talking I attempted to use Egans SOLER (Egan, 1990, cited in Burnard, 1992).The SOLER acronym is an aid to identifying and remembering the behaviours that should be implemented in order to promote effective listening (Burnard, 1992). I Sat facing Xst; assumed an Open posture; Leaned towards Xst slightly (in order to express interest); maintained Eye contact and attempted to appear Relaxed, as advised by Egan. During the handover I was pleased that the MDT members were supportive and interested in what I was saying and they asked questions. My mentor explained that a patient with schizophrenia can often behave like this as they develop dementia, which Noble (2007) also confirms. Since the incident I have read about schizophrenia and I am now aware that the patients expressionless face Netdoctor (2008), also made her comments appear more confusing and aggressive. Conclusion   In conclusion, I have learnt that through effective communication, any problem can be solved regardless of the environment, circumstances or its complexity.  Therefore, nurses must ensure they are effective communicators.   I have identified the weaknesses that should be turned to strengths. I am now working on strengthening my assertiveness, confidence and communication skills. Participating in the care of Xst I have realised that a good background information and feedback about mental health problems before providing care to clients can assist in accurate diagnosis and progress monitoring.  Ã‚   A good relationship between client and staff nurse is therapeutic and help in building trust.   This can be achieved by a free communication that allows the client to express their feelings and concern without the fear of intimidation.   From the experience, I feel the knowledge I have acquired will aid me in future practice should such situation arise again. Action Plan So that I could identify my strengths and weaknesses in both theory and practice easily, I found that the use of a SWOT analysis provided a good framework to follow. I have then built on this by producing a development plan that focuses on my weaknesses and how, when and why I plan to improve on them. I will now begin to work on these, the main reason being of course, that I am determined to be a competent, professional nurse in the future. I am now more prepared for any future patients with this disease as I have researched it. I will take the time to talk to them, to make sure they are at ease with me, before providing any care. If they appear distressed I would get another member of staff to help me to reassure them. Learning Need To improve my knowledge about patients illnesses and the risks of relapse associated with not taking medication. To identify and have good background information and feedback about patients mental health problems before providing care to them. To ensure a good rapport exist between my patient and I, in order to build up a therapeutic relationship with them and to gain their trust. To have effective communication with the patients and other members of the multidisciplinary team and being prepared. Planned action to meet these learning needs I aim to read books about different illnesses and causes of relapse and to read my patients notes. I will be talking with senior members of staff and allocating time to talk to patients and their relatives and participating in the ward round. Finally, I will have regular meetings with my clients. Target time to meet the learning needs I hope by the end of third year and some will be on-going skills to develop throughout the training. CONCLUSION I have clearly demonstrated that by using a reflective model as a guide, I have been able to break down, make sense of, and learn from my experience during my placement. At the time of the incident I felt very inadequate It was also difficult for me not to take her behaviour to heart and show emotion at the time, it is clear that this is an area I need to build on for the future. Nursing requires effective preparation so that we can care competently, with knowledge and professional skills being developed over a professional lifetime. One way this can be achieved is through what some writers refers to as technical rationality, where professionals are problem solvers that select technical means best suited to particular purposes. Problems are solved by applying theory and technique. The invaluable use of non-verbal communication has now become clearer to the author. The author believes he has become more self-aware regarding his own non-verbal communication and hopes that in the future he will use his communication skills to become a better advocate for the patient in his care.