Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 56

Journal - Essay Example I lived with friends, so the rent I was paying was quite a bargain. I was driven and started looking for work immediately. After two months of desperate searching I landed in a travel agency as a sales consultant. The job was an hour and a half away by public transport and I had to change 2 trains and a bus in order to get there. I started at 10 and finished at 7 with an hour lunch break. I was waking up 7.30, getting dressed out of the door by 8, to ensure that I was there at least 10 minutes before my shift and had enough time to buy breakfast before work. I never finished at 7 pm. Sometimes I had to stay until 8, so until I got home it was a good 9.30 pm. I was also required to work on Saturdays 3 times a month. I managed to stay at this job for 2 months. I couldnt handle the 3 hours travelling any longer, the low salary and 6 days work commitment. This was one of the most demanding and exhausting jobs I ever had. An anecdotal experience was when a customer called while I was still working for the travel agency asking to book a holiday to Luxor. We were talking for about 45 minutes about pyramids, night life, pools and kids activities. I was just confirming the flights to Las Vegas, when the customer interrupted me very bewildered. It turned out that, he wanted to go to Luxor in Egypt and I was talking about the hotel Luxor in Las Vegas. Funnily, the customer recommended me to his brother and in few days he called to book Las Vegas – hotel Luxor. I was working at a very busy and hectic call centre. There were always new employees coming and leaving. It was difficult to handle 3 different work shits covering 24 hours. One day, a couple came along and the manager introduced them to the floor. They will be starting work in few days. They used to work for the call centre few years ago, but moved to another town and now they decided to come back. The conflict arose when the couple informed the manager that they preferred to sit together. There werent any

Case study- Netflix 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study- Netflix 2012 - Essay Example Substitute products have a very strong influence over the organization because firms in other industries are producing substitutes to what Netflix is offering. These products are also comparatively priced to attract more customers. Bargaining power of suppliers is strong because there are very few content and studio providers available in the industry. Furthermore, the suppliers are significantly differentiated and the overall procedure of contracts is long-term and expensive. It is now easier for few firms to enter in to the market primarily because demand is constantly increasing and there are very low barriers for entrance, for instance, unrestricted regulatory policies, less capital requirements, low degrees of customer loyalty and brand preferences etc. (Peteraf). Based on the above analysis it can be summarized that movie rental industry is significantly attractive to make huge profits. This is firstly because customers are increasing rapidly and the new technological developments are encouraging them towards live streaming and DVDs. Although this is highly competitive market but if the organization applies right strategies then profits can be increased. The overall concept of movie rentals has drastically changed with the development of internet technology. Previously we used to get our movies from physical stores but today millions of people subscribe to websites such as Netflix in order to rent DVDs and watch movies. Netflix has also given significant customer facilities. In the near future customers are expected to switch completely to live streaming and online video libraries while paying a small amount as rent. The long term growth rate of Movie Rental Industry: In the last two decades customers using online movie rental services have significantly increased which has actually influenced the long term growth rate of the entire industry. It is evident that young people specifically from 14-34 years of age are now

Relationship between energy consumption and economic development

Relationship between energy consumption and economic development In the recent years China has rapidly developed into one of the largest economies in the World. China has shifted from the 108th to the 72nd rank on the World Development Index. The economic growth, industrialization and the urbanization have resulted to an annual average real GDP growth rate of 8 to 9 percent. The real income per capita has increased in this period, with the factor 10. This impressive growth however also implies higher environmental pressures despite new technological improvements of resource utilization being applied. The enormous growth of China results in substantially higher energy consumption. This goes hand in hand with higher CO2 emissions. The primary energy consumption in China has grown at an annual average rate of 6% between 1965 and 2008, with the first measurement of 183 oil equivalent million tonnes in 1965, and the latest measurement of 2003 MTN in 2008 (BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2009). The emission emitted by China in 2007 was 6.466 MTN and 6.897 MTN in 2008, indicating an increase of 6.4%. The global CO2 emission has increased from 31.007 MTN in 2007, to 31.578 MTN in 2008. This represents an increase of 1.6 %. The share of China in the global emission in 2008 according to this information is a stunning 21,8% (BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2009). The projection of the IPCC (2007) is that the CO2 emission from energy consumption between 2000 and 2030 are estimated to increase with 40 to even 110%. The CO2 emissions in China has exceeded the maximum amount stated in the Kyoto Protocol, which is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change focusing on preventing global warming. China has not been able to meet 10 of the 13 critical points in the current five-year plan, with targets for air and water pollution control (The World Bank, State Environmental Protection Administration, P.R. China, 2007). The overall environmental pollution costs in China are estimated to be about 5.8% of the GDP in China. For example it is estimated that in 2003 the acid rain which is mainly caused by fossil fuel emissions, has caused over 44 million dollars (30 billion Yuan  [1]  ) damage to crops, and an estimated 10,3 million dollars (7 billion Yuan) in damage to building materials in China (The World Bank, State Environmental Protection Administration, P. R. China, 2007) It is clear that economic growth contributes to a higher CO2 emission and global warming. Is this economic growth sustainable in the long term due to the impacts on air pollution? Is it worth the growth of China given the limited amount of resources available and the need for environmental conservation? Countries will have to find a balance between their consumption and economic growth. Various studies have analyzed the relationship between economic growth and the emission of CO2. For instance B. Friedl and M. Getzner (2003) found a significant relationship during the period of 1960 and 1999, with a structural break in the seventies due to the oil price shock. J. B. Ang (2007) found a dynamic relationship between pollutant emissions, energy consumption and economic development. They point out that the more energy is used in the economy, the more CO2 emissions are released, which in its turn has a quadratic relationship with the output in the long run. This indicates that output growth is a reactor for CO2 emissions and energy consumption. This relationship between output and the pollution level has been widely documented as the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). The EKC hypothesis indicates that the relationship between economic development and the environment is shown as an inverted U-curve, whereas environmental damage first increases with income and over time will stabilize, and eventually declines. China is one of the main driving forces of global warming, with the highest emission value and the highest economic growth rate. Since energy consumption has a direct impact on the level of environmental pollution, China is an interesting country to examine. Amidst the animated debate of global warming and sustainability, the energy consumption will be related as an input factor for economic activity along with the emission of CO2 in China. Other influences which are included are price indices, total gross fixed capital, population and the technological developments. I will make use of the measurements published by the following databases excluding the Chinese Statistical Yearbooks due to incoherent results with these databases; the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, the World Development Indicators database, The Conference Board Total Economy database and the World Intellectual Property Organization database. The outcome of the research could contribute to the debate of the mitigation of global warming and should imply that China has to speed up the technological developments to create or implement energy efficient technologies to reduce the CO2 emissions in line with the targets of the Kyoto Protocol. This implies that policies should be reformulated to stimulate the use of alternative resources and technological developments. The nexus of energy consumption economic development CO2 emission, with price indices, total gross fixed capital, technological development and population. Price indices and fluctuations Investment in Pollution Treatment and RD Technological development Air pollution: CO2 Emission Economic Development: GDP TGFC Consumption Total Energy Consumption: Oil / Gas Coal / Nuclear / Hydro-electricity Households Population Literature review/Background There are two strands of literature relevant in the nexus of energy consumption à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ economic development à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ CO2 emission. The first strand focuses upon the relation between energy consumption and economic development. More energy consumption leads to higher economic development through the enhancement of productivity. The second strand focuses upon the relation between economic growth and CO2 emission. The latter strand represents the interrelation between energy consumption and the increase of CO2, which is well known and obvious. Various studies indicate that more energy use results in more CO2 emission (J.Ang, 2007). Thus any movement of energy use will positively react to the emission level. 2.1 Strand 1 Energy consumption and economic development  [2]   This first strand divides the causality between energy consumption and economic growth in three possibilities. Firstly the causality that runs from energy consumption to economic growth. Secondly the causality that runs from economic growth to energy consumption. Thirdly bidirectional causality which implies there is an effect, or no effect in either direction between energy consumption and economic growth. 2.1.1 Unidirectional from energy consumption to economic growth The traditional neo-classical model based upon economic growth uses the energy inputs as an intermediate. The factor inputs land, labor and capital are used as basic factors, in order to neutralize the function of energy in production. Energy is an intermediate function; however it is the consumption of energy that causes economic growth. Energy remains an important aspect in the determination of income. National economies therefore depend upon the use of energy and will be affected by changes in energy consumption. Therefore the elasticity is expected to be high between energy consumption and economic growth, since it is an important aspect. Jia-Hai Yuan et al (2008) tests the causality between output growth and energy use in China at both aggregated total energy and disaggregated levels as coal, oil and electricity consumption and find that there exists Granger causality between the electricity and oil consumption to GDP. However they do not find Granger causality from coal and the total energy consumption of these three energy inputs to GDP. Soytas and Sari (2007) found the same Granger causality from electricity consumption to GDP in Turkey. Previous research by Soytas and Sari (2003) examining the G-7 countries, indicated an unidirectional relationship running from energy consumption to GDP in Turkey, France, Germany and Japan covering the period 1950-1992. Stern (1993) also found a Granger causality from total energy to GDP, employing a four-variable model with capital, labor, energy consumption and GDP. A.E. Akinlo (2006) results indicate that energy consumption is co-integrated with economic growth within seven out of eleven African countries, using an autoregressive distributed lag bound test (ARDL). The study also implies that there exists a significant long run effect on economic growth in four African countries. Fatai et al. (2004) showed that energy consumption has a significant positive effect on economic growth in Indonesia and India. C. Lee and C. Chang (2007) report a nonlinear relationship between energy consumption and an economic growth in Taiwan for the period 1955-2003, as inverse U-shape. They state from their previous research that in the long run energy unanimously acts as an engine of economic growth, and that energy conservation may harm economic growth. J. Ang (2007) found a unidirectional causality from the increase of energy and the output growth in the short run. The existence of unidirectional causality has some policy implications; it could suggest that a country is dependent upon the inputs of energy to establish economic growth. The restriction of energy may directly lead to lower economic growth or even a restrain and could result in a fall in employment or equivalently an increase in unemployment rate (N. M. Odhiambo 2009, A.E. Akinlo, 2008). It is difficult for governments to implement energy conservation policies as a part of a green future, and face the trade-off between energy consumption and growth. Environmental conservation will constantly be a part of every economic development process. Policies to conserve energy could be quotas, taxes, subsidies or the promotion of efficient use of technology (C. Lee, C. Chang, 2007) 2.1.2 Unidirectional from economic growth to energy consumption On the other hand I expect the increase in GDP will influence the energy consumption in various ways, firstly through an increased energy-intensity (energy consumption per unit of GDP) in households due to more spendable income. Also the private consumption of fuels in households and private car use seem to have a significant effect on the emission level (C.Lee and C. Chang, 2007). Population can thus be an indicator for the amount of energy consumption, whereas air pollution levels could be directly associated with population. The article of Lee and Chang (2007) discusses that the energy consumption in Taiwan has risen sharply due to rapid economic growth and higher living standards. Secondly increases in income will increase activities as investment, which is an important input factor for production processes. If the economy grows, this will result to an increased demand for energy will increase. Pioneering in this strand is the article of Kraft and Kraft dated in 1978. It is one of the first articles to examine the phenomenon. They found a unidirectional causality running from output to energy consumption for the United States during the period 1947à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1974. Jia-Hai Yuan et al (2008) is consistent with this result and found Granger causality in the short run from GDP to total energy consumption, coal and oil consumption. However there does exist causality from GDP to electricity consumption. Soytas and Sari (2003) found in their panel research a unidirectional relationship from economic growth to energy consumption for Italy (1950-1992) and Korea (1953-1991). Total gross fixed capital can be an indicator for the amount of energy consumption. This form of unidirectional causality from GDP to energy consumption can imply that a country is not solely dependent upon the energy consumption or energy input, leading to economic growth. Therefore policies can be implemented to conserve energy sources with no adverse or small effects on the economic growth (N. M., Odhiambo, 2009, A.E., Akinlo, 2008) 2.1.3 Bidirectional between energy consumption and economic growth The third view implies that there exists a bidirectional relationship within the nexus of energy consumption and economic growth. N. M. Odhiambo (2009) and A.E. Akinlo (2008) found this bidirectional causality. Soytas and Sari (2003) found this relationship for Argentina (1950-1990) within the G-7 countries. A.E. Akinlo (2008) analyzed three African countries in the short and long run show that this relationship holds for developed countries, while developing countries endure economic growth through more energy consumption only in the short run. C. Lee and C. Chang (2007) empirical findings suggest that energy consumption and economic growth are positively interrelated under a certain threshold. They stress the implications for future economic growth to the extent of resource scarcity. The finding of causality in both directions implies that energy conservation policies will have an impact on economic growth. The other bidirectional causality is known as the neutrality hypothesis, which implies that energy conservation policies do not affect economic growth. The insignificant impact in Taiwan beyond the mentioned threshold indicates that conservation policy is effective. The conservation policy could be implemented through energy taxes, new subsidies, quantity restriction and promoting efficient usage of energy such as innovation. However such environmental protection policies will lead to high costs and avoidance of rules. Eventually this will results in control expenditures. 2.2 Economic growth and CO2 emission The more energy consumed the more CO2 emission will follow up to a level of total clean technology. The direct relationship between energy consumption and the amount of CO2 emission is logical and empirically proven in several articles. The relationship between economic growth and CO2 emission is a more interesting one. Well known in the literature is the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Studies show that the EKC describes the relation between income and several local pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and water pollutants. This relationship is an inverted U-curve, whereas environmental damage will first increases with income and over time will stabilize to its maximum. The curve will eventually decline, creating the inverted U-shape. It appears that economic growth can solely lead to environmental degradation (Soytasa Saria 2007). This implies that at low-income levels we might see a positive relation between national income and pollution, and at high levels of income we can trace a negative relation between the two variables (Liu, X. 2005). This non-linear relationship between environmental pollution and income levels can be explained by three factors: scale, composition, and technique effects. The scale effect refers to the increase in pollution along with the size of the economy. The composition effect refers to the change in the production structure and reallocation of resources, from an agriculture based economy to an industry and service based economy. The technique effect refers to the used techniques of production which may reduce the amount of pollutant emissions. (J. Ang, 2007) B. Friedl and M. Getzner (2003) analyzed the CO2 emissions in a small open economy (Austria) and found a cubic relationship between GDP and CO2 emissions in their research for the period of 1960 and 1999, meaning that the relationship has two inflection points, and change direction twice. They concluded that the Austrian emission and GDP are cointegrated and run parallel. J. Ang 2007 shows that there is a quadratic relation between CO2 emissions and output in the long run (parabola), in France for the period of 1960 to 2000. The results suggest that output growth causes CO2 emissions and energy consumption in the long run. A. Jalil, S.F. Mahmud 2009 analyzed the EKC hypothesis for China in the period 1971à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2005 with an ADRL framework. From their analysis there appears to be causality from economic growth to CO2 emissions, and a significant effect of energy consumption on the CO2 level. 2.3 Other factors affecting energy consumption and economic growth Another import factor is the research activity or investments in RD to reduce the amount of emissions. The common believe is that improvement in productivity and research activity will lead to a reduced amount of emission. An example is the Investment in technical upgrades and transformation in China in the electricity sector which increased sufficiently in 1990 and accelerated further since 1996. This should be one of the most important economic impulses driving energy efficiency improvements (L. Wu et al.2006). They also point out that the rising prices of energy since 1993 have provided strong economic incentives for the industry to decouple energy use from economic growth. This has driven the incentive to technically innovate. This refers to an economy that is able to sustain economic growth, without also experiencing a worsening of environmental conditions. However contra dictionary is the case of Taiwan, which has substantial changes in the structure of production in the economic sectors and enormous increases in development. This has led to a rapid increase in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Cole et al. (2008) show that productivity improvements and research activity will reduce the amount of emission. The article of J.Ang 2009 indicates that there exists a declining trend in CO2 emissions with the increase in research activity in China. From the data covering 1953 to 1999, it becomes clear that more innovation and RD activity will lead to beneficial influences in decreasing CO2 emissions. Policies created to decrease emission levels will lead to more research activity which will contribute directly through improved production techniques. This will decrease emissions and it will indirectly enable China to absorb green technology more efficiently from other countries. It is also likely that more efficient use of energy may require a higher level of economic development. That is, better economic performance may be a catalyst for energy efficiency, which makes energy consumption and economic development jointly determined (J. Ang 2007) This is based on the premises that different countries are in different stages of development. There are different effects on the developing process and impacts on the energy and growth relation. Two countries with similar levels of technology and factor endowments may have significantly different industrial structures as a result of past investment decisions. Their aggregate capital levels may be similar, but differences in the composition of capital may lead to differences in the opportunity cost of reducing emissions. A regression of only emissions on income may lead to a misspecification and bias, without controlling for the industrial structure. Therefore the total gross capital formation is important to include (Liu, X. 2005) Besides innovation and total gross capital formation, reforms of energy pricing systems in China since 1993 led to a dramatic rise in fuel prices and consequently to an economic decreased condition in the electricity generation sector, petroleum refinery sector and coal mining sector. B. Friedl and M. Getzner (2003) directly relate this structural break in energy consumption as a result, to a lower CO2 emission in Austria after the oil price shock. The recent price hikes stresses the importance of energy policies for conservation (R. Mahadeva, 2006). Theoretically if the fuel price increases, it will stimulate energy conservation behavior if the demand is relatively elastic. Practically the effect of rising prices can be seen by the oil price shock from 1973, which did not fail to leave its mark on CO2 emissions. Economic growth in this period slowed down, and due to changes in energy policies, such as rationalizing private consumption of fuels by restricting private car use, CO2 emissions dropped to about 57 million MTNE in 1975.

Christianity Essay -- essays research papers fc

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism: Perspective on Fasting One of the longest established disciplines of the human body is that of fasting. Fasting is abstaining from food, drink, sleep or sex to focus on a period of spiritual growth(www.alinaam.org.za).Fasting has also been used in nearly every religion in the world, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Many of history's great spiritual leaders fasted for mental and spiritual clarity, including Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed. Fasting is an important element in religious practices. Christian Perspective Nowhere in the New Testament is fasting commanded as a binding obligation upon the Christian. However, if one elects to fast it should be nothing less than drawing nearer to God. Even though fasting is not commanded that doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mean that fasting isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t recommended as a part of a Christianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s spiritual growth. Fasting is very important in Christianity. Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. The Book of Acts records believersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ fasting before they made important decisions (Act 13:4, 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2: 37; 5:33). Although fasting in Scriptures is almost always a fasting from food; there are other ways to fast. Anything you can temporarily give up in order to better focus on God can be considered a fast (1 Cor. 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when the fasting is food. The occasions for a fast is total voluntary. Christians fast for different reasons. They fast during difficult times, to express sorrow or regret for sin or to seek guidance from God. Christian also fast to communicate emotion to God. Christian fasting is more than denying he or herself food or something else of the flesh à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a sacrificial lifestyle before God. In Isaiah 58, a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“true fastà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is not just a one-time act of humility and denial before God; it is a lifestyle of servant ministry to others. Isaiah tells us, fasting encourages humility, loosens the chains of injustice, unties the chords of the yoke, frees the oppressed, feeds the hungry, provides for the poor, and clothes the naked. (Isaiah 58: 1-9). The concept of Christian fasting isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a one-day thing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a lifestyle of servant living for God and others. Jewish Perspective Fasting is a part of the Jewish tradition. Fasting was instituted in Biblical times as a sign of morning, or when... ...d Judaism rely heavily upon law for fasting. They have major fasts based on the Holy Quà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ran and the Torah. Christian fasts are not restricted to commands from the Bible. As a matter of fact, fasting is not required at all. They are encouraged to fast for spiritual growth. If Christians decide to fast, they have individual freedom to choose when and how they fast. Unlike Christians, Muslims and Jews have to fast completely from food. Christians have a choice to fast from whatever keeps them from focusing on God. Even though Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have different perspective on fasting, they all have a common goal to get closer to God. No matter how a fast is carried out, one should never lose sight of the main goal of fasting. Fasting provides an environment for a deeper spiritual life. Bibliography http://www.aish.com Retrieved February 20, 2005. http://www.alinaam.org.za/ramadhaan/freligions.htm Retrieved February 20, 2005. Fisher, Mary Pat (2002). Living Religions, Fifth Edition Prentice-Hall, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. The Holy Bible, New International Version Grand Rapids, Michigan 1973. http://www.islamworld.net / Retrieved February 26, 2005.

What Is Risk Stratification Health And Social Care Essay

Accurate stratification of the hazard involved with the patient is a cardinal constituent in wellness attention appraisal of the procedural results.An increasing no of wellness attention organisations are acquiring dependant on the wellness attention appraisal through such plans as a agency for aid in doing patient risk-stratification determinations. The lone trouble persist that the procedure of outcome theoretical account development is both clip consuming and hard due to the preliminary phase. Many techniques can be used for medical appraisal of hazard like patterning techniques ( logistic arrested development, unreal nervous web ( ANN ) , and Bayesian ) to quickly develop theoretical accounts for hazard stratifying patients. The lone difference is their method of analysis. The job pertains that none of the technique give accurate consequences or are or hundred per centum dependable. Thresholds are mark based research technique based on grounds that provides numerical marks for healthy development. Targets are derived by careful rating of the given literature on history of the instance surveies agree on a peculiar phenomenon. Assorted different bomber populations like Hazard stratification theoretical accounts can help clinicians in doing determinations on the topic of the demand for extra testing one time a preliminary clinical estimation has been performed. The American Society of Anaesthesiologists ( ASA ) classification of Physical Status was the first clinical manifestation developed to calculate hazard. Introduced in 1941, it was remodelled to its current signifier in 1962 [ 4 ] . Patients are categorized into one of 5 major categories based upon the presence and manifestations of attached medical upsets and whether exigency surgery is required. The public-service corporation of this index is limited by intra spectator incompatibility in evaluation and fluctuations in the prognostic power for postoperative enlistments. Disease Stage, Prevention, and The Care Management Process are correlated in a manner where at an initial phase the patient visits a GP based on early symptoms or hurt at this phase the practician accesses the patients intervention needs or suggest certain trials t the patient. At the following phase where after rating of the disease the future postulation is made on the demand of hospitalization and therefore the population is sorted into the religious orders required. On meeting a major disease where reoccurrence of disease or mortality is a status a set of rules for disease direction in performed by the practicians if hospitalization is required an operative demand arises instance direction under infirmary disposal is the concluding phase which may take to either complete intervention of the high hazard patient or mortality, complication or reoccurrence. Models are specified utilizing the PRISM modeling linguistic communication for the Reactive Modules formalism based on province alteration. Systems are described faculties arranged parallely for treating. Each faculty ‘s province is controlled by the assigned probabilistic guarded bids. The linguistic communication besides supports assorted procedure algebraic operations with agencies of planetary variables and synchronism. See the PRISM certification and illustration depository at [ 6 ] for more information. The PRISM model identifies strengths and failings in RHIS public presentation bridging the spreads hence found, taking to the sweetening of wellness system public presentation. Routine wellness information systems ( RHIS ) attempt record and present quality information about the wellness sector organisations. This information is so used as a usher to daily interventions, path modus operandi, rectifying the past consequences, and therefore increasing the answerability. But the information available in such instances falls short the ideal demands to bring forth high quality systems, informations quality may be low, intermediate procedures of informations other may non be, or directors and staff may hold limited cognition sing information public-service corporation and usage of systems, inducements to give attending to the direction of information system processes may be few. Looking narrowly at proficient issues such as informations aggregation forms we understand the troubles associated with bettering the RHIS systems through PRISM. Refined ways to place and use multiple, frequently aggressive, therapies to accomplish maximum malignant neoplastic disease control its indispensable to assist bad patient. Clinician can besides give these patients the option to inscribe in clinical tests that offer fresh therapies. Classification of patients into established and consistent hazard classs is besides of cardinal importance in doing comparings between patients in clinical databases. Sophisticated analytical instruments incorporate hazard grouping of similar preoperative clinic pathologic parametric quantities like pre-treatment serum PSA, biopsy mark and capacity parametric quantities, and medical tumor phase. Stiring research in the word picture of prostate malignant neoplastic disease may one twenty-four hours supply more accurate and individual-specific hazard appraisal. First introduced in 1966, Gleason mark was introduced to measure prostate malignant neoplastic disease. In many multivariate instances, the Gleason mark proves to be an independent forecaster of both diseased tumor phase and clip to biochemical return. Gleason class may be the most powerful preoperative predictive factor. Preoperative hazard tonss are a critical tool for hazard rating, cost-benefit analysis, and foreword of new tendencies. A series of mark systems have been developed to foretell mortality after executing an grownup bosom surgery these mark systems are based on patient derived informations, such as age, gender, and so forth, but there are considerable differences between tonss with respect to their design and cogency for bosom surgery with respect to their prognostic values and clinical pertinence for our patient population. Although most of the peculiar mark systems were first and first designed to foretell mortality, postoperative morbidity has been acknowledged as the major determiner of infirmary cost and quality of life after surgery. Therefore, we analyzed the selected hazard scores non merely with respect to their prognostic value for mortality, but for postoperative morbidity every bit good. Diabetess may be nowadays for up to 7 old ages before diagnosing early diagnosing, lifestyle alteration, and tight glycemic control are necessary to cut down complications ; nevertheless, these can non happen if diabetes remains undiagnosed. There is deficient grounds for or against everyday diabetes testing. Reason being the load and incommodiousness caused by fasting visits to run into the diagnostic Centres. Diabetess is normally diagnosed by fasting plasma glucose, values which require verification on a 2nd visit [ 7 ] . Opportunist programme for bad persons during unscheduled outpatient, pressing attention, or hospital visits may better rates of diagnosing. From the family interview informations, we analyzed information on self-reported age, sex, race/ethnicity, instruction, and income. While suppliers may take to utilize different tools for hazard stratification, the rule of deducing a low ( & A ; lt ; 0.5 % ) , moderate ( 4 % to 5 % ) and high pre-test chance ( & A ; gt ; 10 % ) could stay similar. [ 8 ] Prior studies of diabetes testing in community and clinical locales have yielded assorted consequences, frequently limited by low prevalence rates and hapless followup. Similar to any disease showing, patient attachment with collateral testing and subsequent therapy is critical to the successful execution. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness of timeserving diabetes testing is ill-defined and will necessitate farther probe. The proposed algorithm of hazard stratification relied on practical logica l thinking and reading of the informations ; others may propose thresholds matching to different prognostic values, and cost effectivity analysis would farther clear up optimum thresholds for clinical pattern. Finally, this analysis provides a proposed algorithm, which, if validated, can function as a guideline for suppliers, but should non replace for sound clinical judgement for single patients. As disease direction plans have started maturating in size and capacity at that place exceeds an importance in the undertaking of warranting their disbursal by showing fiscal. It is no longer sufficient to support a plan based on an illustrated ROI. Insurers and investors seek in bend the factual relevancy, about which members are being identified, the hence taken intercessions that can perchance be applied to them with most effectivity, and which approach leads to genuine public presentation alteration and nest eggs. These demands for informations will merely magnify in the hereafter, which will take to insurance companies and plan designers deriving extra concern about economic optimisation of disease direction attempts. Intensive hazard profiling, prognostic modeling and stratification will be therefore mandatory demands on the portion of all who are involved in plan design and executing. [ 2 ] Hazard stratification and prognostic modeling applications are used in a assortment of disease province categorization systems derived utilizing claims informations. Algorithms based merely on pharmaceutics claims have the recompense of seasonableness, hygiene, and handiness, while still being robust and efficient in the anticipation of prospective health care results and the costs relative to their incorporated curative and pharmaceutics opposite numbers.

Gestational Diabetes Essay

The clinic RN reviews Amanda’s prenatal record prior to performing a nursing assessment. Amanda has given birth twice, once at 35-weeks (twins) and once at 39-weeks (singleton). All of these children are alive and well. She has had one spontaneous abortion at 9-weeks gestation. 1. How should the nurse record Amanda’s obstetrical history using the G-T-P-A-L designation? A) 3-2-0-1-3. B) 3-1-1-1-2. C) 4-1-1-1-3. D) 4-2-1-0-2. Correct answer(s): C The nurse notes that Amanda’s fasting 1 hour glucose screening level, which was done two days previously, is 158 mg/dl. 2. The nurse recognizes that what information in the client’s history supports a diagnosis of gestational diabetes? A) Maternal great-aunt has insulin dependent (Type 1) diabetes. B) Youngest child weighed 4300 grams at 39-weeks gestation. C) Trace of protein noted in urine specimen at last prenatal visit. D) Client is 64 inches tall and weighed 134 prior to pregnancy. Correct answer(s): B Further Glucose Screening Amanda is scheduled for a 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test in 5 days, and is told to arrive at the lab at 8:30 am. Amanda asks if there are any special instructions for the test in addition to fasting for 8 hours immediately prior to the test. 3. Which instruction should the nurse give the client? A) Only coffee or tea is allowed once the fasting level has been drawn. B) Follow an unrestricted diet and exercise pattern for at least 3 days before the test. C) Write down questions and call the laboratory for instructions the day before the test. D) Smoking in moderation is allowed up until the time the test begins. Correct answer(s): B Amanda asks the nurse why she wasn’t tested for gestational diabetes until she was almost 28-weeks gestation. 4. The nurse’s response should be based on the understanding of which normal physiologic change of pregnancy? A) Maternal insulin crosses the placenta to regulate fetal glucose levels throughout pregnancy. B) In the first trimester, estrogen and progesterone cause an increase in maternal fasting glucose levels. C) Hormonal changes in the second and third trimesters result in increased maternal insulin resistance. D) Fetal insulin production increases each trimester, forcing the mother’s body to produce more glucose. Correct answer(s): C Interdisciplinary Client Care Amanda’s 3 hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test indicates that she does have gestational diabetes. The RN phones Amanda and arranges for her to meet with the CNM and perinatologist, as well as an RN diabetes educator and a registered dietician (RD) the next day. The perinatologist and CNM discuss gestational diabetes with Amanda and after seeking input from Amanda, outline their suggested plan of care, which includes dietary control and glucose self-monitoring. After the perinatologist and CNM leave, Amanda appears confused and asks the RN, â€Å"Does this mean I will always have diabetes?† 5. Which response should the nurse give to the client? A) â€Å"You will need to be periodically evaluated for Type 2 diabetes for the rest of your life.† B) â€Å"There should be no problem as long as you do not have to use insulin during this pregnancy.† C) â€Å"There is no need to talk about this now. We’ll discuss it at your first postpartum visit.† D) â€Å"Tell me what worries you about the possibility of developing Type 2 diabetes after your pregnancy ends.† Correct answer(s): A After all her questions are answered, Amanda is scheduled for a return visit with the CNM in one week, and is escorted to the office of the registered dietician (RD). The RD discusses the need to control carbohydrates while maintaining an appropriate carbohydrate-protein-fat ratio to promote consistent weight gain (based on the woman’s body mass index), prevent ketoacidosis, and encourage normoglycemia (euglycemia). Amanda is then introduced to the RN diabetes educator. She asks the nurse to clarify what the RD told her about the content and timing of her meals. 6. Which response should the nurse give to the client? A) Eliminate the bedtime snack if heartburn develops after eating. B) Choose complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber content. C) Increase the percentage of protein in the diet if anemia develops. D) Vary timing of meals and snacks based on individual preferences. Correct answer(s): B The RN diabetes educator makes a plan of care to teach Amanda to monitor her glucose levels. The RN diabetes educator discusses the use of self-glucose monitoring and gives Amanda verbal and written guidance about optimal glucose levels at each glucose testing point throughout the day. The nurse also provides instruction about calibration of the glucose monitor, fingerstick technique, and use of the monitor for testing. After reviewing the instructions and a successful return demonstration, the diabetes educator and Amanda agree to meet after Amanda’s prenatal appointment to follow-up on today’s teaching/learning. 7. Which fingerstick blood glucose (FSBG) testing protocol should the diabetes educator recommend for Amanda? A) Only if symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia occur. B) Prior to breakfast (fasting) and two hours after each meal. C) Before and two hours after all meals, at bedtime, and during the night. D) Once daily until glucose levels are stabilized, then weekly. Correct answer(s): B A Complication Occurs Amanda manages her gestational diabetes with diet. She experiences a few episodes of postprandial hyperglycemia, but does not have to go on insulin. At her 36-week prenatal visit, the CNM assesses Amanda and finds that there is no increase in fetal growth since the week before. When questioned further, Amanda tells the CNM that the infant has seemed to â€Å"slow down† a little the last few days. After consultation with the perinatologist, a biophysical profile (BPP) is scheduled and Amanda is admitted to the hospital’s antepartum unit. The antepartum RN performs a nonstress test (NST) as part of the BPP. 8. The nurse recognizes which fetal heart rate (FHR) changes indicate a reactive nonstress test? A) Persistent late decelerations associated with three uterine contractions, lasting 40 to 60 seconds each in a 10 minute period. B) An increase in the FHR baseline to 170 beats per minute, lasting for at least 20 minutes. C) Marked, long term FHR variability in response to contractions caused by nipple stimulation. D) Two episodes of acceleration (> 15 beats/minute, lasting > 15 seconds) related to fetal movement in a 20 minute period. Correct answer(s): D Amanda has a non-reactive Non-stress Test. She is taken to the ultrasound department for completion of the BPP and her total score is 6 (Fetal Breathing Movements = 2, Gross Body Movements = 0, Fetal Tone = 2, Reactive Non-stress Test = 0, and Qualitative Amniotic Fluid Volume = 2). Based on this score, the perinatologist recommends an amniocentesis be completed to assess for lung maturity prior to making a decision whether to induce delivery for Amanda the next day. 9. Prior to the amniocentesis, which action should the nurse take first? A) Administer Rh immune globulin (RhoGAM) if client is Rh negative. B) Assist the client to the bathroom and ask her to empty her bladder. C) Apply the external fetal monitor to evaluate uterine contractility. D) Clean the abdomen with betadine solution and sterile 4 by 4s. Correct answer(s): B Amanda and her fetus are monitored for two hours after the procedure and display no adverse effects so the external fetal monitor is discontinued. The amniocentesis reveals fetal lung maturity and an induction is scheduled for the next morning. At 2 a.m. Amanda complains of increased uterine discomfort. She is contracting every 10 minutes and while the antepartum nurse is in the room, Amanda’s membranes rupture spontaneously. 10. Which action by the nurse takes priority? A) Notify the CNM and perinatologist of the changes in Amanda’s status. B) Transfer Amanda to the labor-delivery-recovery (LDR) suites. C) Reapply the external fetal monitor to evaluate the fetal heart rate. D) Start an intravenous line using an 18 gauge or larger intravenous catheter. Correct answer(s): C

Review of Timeline by Michael Crichton

Review of Timeline by Michael Crichton The purpose of history is to explain the presentto say why the world around us is the way it is. History tells us what is important in our world, and how it came to be. Michael Crichton, Timeline Ill admit it right up front: I dont like historical fiction much. When authors are sloppy in their research, I find the inaccuracies distracting enough to ruin what might otherwise be a good story. But even when the representation of the past is largely authentic (and to be fair, there are some extraordinary authors who really know their stuff), fictionalization makes history much less enjoyable for me. What can I say? Im a hopeless history buff. Every minute I spend reading fiction is a minute Id rather spend learning historical fact. Heres another confession: Im not a big fan of Michael Crichton. I do find good science fiction fascinating (a genre that pushes the edges of what if is as mind-expanding for me as a scholarly discipline that asks what really happened). And Crichton isnt a bad writer, but none of his works has ever made me sit up and say, Wow! While his ideas can be intriguing, they all seem to make much better movies. Whether this is because his style lacks the immediacy of film or because I have to spend less time plowing my way through the story I have yet to decide. So, as you can well imagine, I was predisposed to despise Crichtons semi-historical novel Timeline. The Up Side of  Timeline Surprise! I liked it. The premise was appealing, the action was gripping, and the ending was dramatically satisfying. Some of the cliffhangers and segues were very nicely executed. While there wasnt a single character I could identify with or even like very much, I was pleased to see some character development as a result of the adventure.  The good guys grew more likable; the bad guys were really bad. Best of all, the medieval setting was mostly accurate, and well-realized to boot. This alone makes the book a worthwhile read, especially for those who are unfamiliar or only somewhat familiar with the Middle Ages. (Unfortunately, this is a rather large percentage of the population.) Crichton effectively points up some common misconceptions about medieval life, presenting the reader with a vivid picture that is at times much more attractive, and at other times much more frightening and repellent, than that generally presented to us in popular fiction and film. Of course there were errors; I cant imagine an error-free historical novel. (Fourteenth-century people larger than modern folk? Not likely, and we know this from the skeletal remains, not surviving armor.) But for the most part, Crichton really managed to bring the Middle Ages alive. The Down Side of  Timeline I did have some problems with the book. Crichtons usual technique of expanding the cutting-edge technology of today into a believable science-fiction premise fell sadly short. He spent too much effort trying to convince the reader that time travel could be possible, then used a theory that struck me as internally inconsistent. Though there may be an explanation for this apparent flaw, it was never addressed clearly in the book. I suggest you avoid a close examination of the technology and accept it as a given in order to enjoy the story more. Furthermore, the characters who were surprised by the realities of the past were people who should have known better. The general public may think the Middle Ages were uniformly filthy and dull; but encountering examples of good hygiene, splendid interior decor or swift swordplay shouldnt surprise a medievalist. This makes the characters not very good at their jobs or, worse, it presents the erroneous impression that historians dont bother with the details of material culture. As an amateur medievalist, I find this rather annoying. Im sure professional historians would be downright insulted. Still, these are aspects of the book that are easy to overlook once the action is truly underway. So get ready for an exciting ride into history. Update Since this review was written in March of 2000, Timeline was made into a feature-length, theatrical-release movie, directed by Richard Donner and starring Paul Walker, Frances OConnor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly and David Thewlis. It is now available on DVD. Ive seen it, and its fun, but it hasnt broken into my list of Top 10 Fun Medieval Films. Michael Crichtons now-classic novel is available in  paperback, in  hardcover, on  audio CD  and in a  Kindle edition  from Amazon. These links are  provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links.

Summary of the Movie Happiness (1998) †Film Essay

Summary of the Movie Happiness (1998) – Film Essay Free Online Research Papers Summary of the Movie Happiness (1998) Film Essay The existence of the wound culture is demonstrated in Happiness, though the characters affected by it are not always willing participants. Bill Maplewood is presented in all ways as anything but your regular violent, or in his case abusive, criminal. He does not commit these violent acts to reflect himself, as Seltzer puts it â€Å"killing [as] a form of self-killing† , but to somehow discover the happiness that he is denied by society. He enters the wound culture, though he doesn’t want to, and his private desire crosses the divide into the public sphere when his crimes are revealed, and his house is spray-painted. Bill’s victims are protected by unconsciousness, and Johnny Grasso is unaware that he is a victim of rape, and trauma, until his father, Joe, announces that he has been â€Å"fucking raped†. His patriarchal dominance is unsettling, and Joe is not a very likable character. His attitude towards his son, believing him to be a â€Å"fag†, seems to push Johnny towards the apparent loving father-figure of his friend, Billy. Bill Maplewood is displacing his desire for his son, who he admits he would â€Å"jerk off† over instead of fucking. Also, Bill is acting as a father-figure for Johnny, who clearly wants to impress him, even if it is only by eating a sandwich. This betrayal of a son’s trust makes the crim e all the more abhorrent to the audience, but Solondz creates a situation where, through the flattening of affect in regards to Bill, we actually want Johnny to eat the sandwich and for Bill to get what he desires. The father-son relationship is further demonstrated in by far the most unsettling scene when Johnny says that Bill is â€Å"cool† as he is being driven home. Bill places a reassuring arm around him which, because of our knowledge of the previous night’s events, we see as something more sinister than just comforting. Though the characters in happiness become a part of the wound culture, Solondz attempts to avoid engaging in it through the flattening of affect. As a paedophile, and the perpetrator of the crime, Bill is a subject of fascination in the â€Å"pathological public sphere†. However, our knowledge of his everyday life, his job and family, makes us react differently to him than we expect to. The violent acts he commits are not glorified or even shown, they are merely implied. Solondz has said in a society that would simply: â€Å"pull the switch†¦you have to know what you are annihilating, and that for all the horror there is still a life there†. There is a definite sense of tragedy to the character of Bill Maplewood; he is not merely the sex criminal, reduced to less than human in the pathological public sphere. Though not necessarily asking the audience to sympathise with Bill’s actions, Solondz challenges us to consider that the pursuit of happiness is not always socially acceptable. American culture is obsessed with this pursuit, as it is marked out in their constitution. In reality only those who are not, as Trish says in inverted commas, ‘depressed’, and who seek happiness from the usual places, family, house, money, consumer goods, can engage in its pursuit. Far from being pleased with his crimes, Bill feels that he is â€Å"sick†, though Trish understands this as being only superficial and advises him to â€Å"take some Tylenol, you’ll feel better tomorrow†. – cure culture, aesthetic health, face value, Trish is happy happy joy joy, Joy is unhappy (), they toast to happi ness at the end but each of them are not happy at all. Solondz’s depression creates this world his mind operates outside of the get-well system. Prozac Americans. Helen is the one character in the film who desires to enter into the wound culture. She longs for the kind of experience that will bring â€Å"authenticity† to her work. Though we get the sense that her work is acclaimed, at least in literary circles, she feels empty because she lacks any real knowledge of the subject of her writing, which in this case is rape. Her work is already appealing to the â€Å"strange attraction† of the wound in American culture , but Helen wants to be focus of this attraction, not just her work. She begs Allen to â€Å"fuck her† because she believes that she wants to be raped. The idea is lost when she discovers who the object of her desire is, and Solondz utilizes the too-long shot to make an uncomfortable scene unbearable when she tells Allen â€Å"you’re not my type†. Even after this she still seeks to identify with Kristina, whose crime â€Å"we can all relate to†. Helen sees somehow that this experience will b ring her a form of cultural capital in that being part of the wound culture, and a victim of trauma, she has a license to write, and be an authority on, the subject. Solondz shows this to be a foolish desire because those who are actually a part of the wound culture do not want to be. Johnny is an unknowing trauma victim until his father announces it. Kristina, whose rape occurs in Helen’s building no less, does not want to be a victim and commits her â€Å"crime of passion† to deny her part in the wound culture. In his essay Perchance to Dream, Franzen also addresses this question of the cultural capital in trauma or experience but relates it to depression. He sees depression as being â€Å"fashionable to the point of banality† and that to be depressed is only one of two options in a â€Å"binary culture†, in which â€Å"you’re either healthy or you’re sick†. Franzen divides society between the depressive, the artist with cultural capital, and the â€Å"shiny, happy people† . However, he does not want to write a novel that necessarily falls on either side of this divide, and rather in searching for a reason finds that he wants to write â€Å"for the fun and entertainment of it†. Still we see the pressure that he feels to write a novel that is not a â€Å"vapid, predictable and badly written† bestseller, retains cultural capital and appeals to the isolated literary community. Franzen identifies and wants to connect with the â€Å"soc ial isolates† that tend to make up the community of readership for the kind of novel that he wants to write. His balancing act between healthy and sick is reflected in the Corrections, where nearly all of the main characters battle with some form of depression. Chip is the most representative of Franzen’s own attitude that the depressive is somehow not included in mainstream society, and that the culture that defines certain mindsets as sick or diseased is â€Å"flawed†. He questions the idea of the individual and whether â€Å"enhancement technologies† , drugs like Prozac or Ritalin, really allow a person to be themselves, and whether they were really sick in the first place. In this way he represents anti-depressants as a kind of flattening of affect, which we see most clearly in Enid when she takes her Aslan pills. Franzen shows the doctor who gives her the drugs to be little more than a dope pusher, who does not properly warn her about the dangers. Also, Enid is concerned about a drug that makes â€Å"everybody the same†, just as Franzen is, but Dr Hibbard assures her that even if â€Å"Aslan does make us a little more alike†¦we’re all still individuals†(Corrections, pp.372-3). Enid’s reaction to the drug is that everything seems a bit easier but she also appears to be detached from her surroundings. She is feeling â€Å"unprecedentedly calm†(Corrections p.389) as she watches Alfred fall from their cruise ship, and her reaction is not only unexpected but completely out-of-character for the Enid that we have been introduced to in the novel. By using this flattening of affect, Franzen is able to demonstrate his attitude towards these types of drugs and the attitude that any unhappiness or instability is merely a sickness that can be cured. It is not a cure but a homogenization of people and the removal of any abstract thought from people’s mind. Franzen says: â€Å"†¦the invitation to leave your depression behind, whether through medication or therapy, or effort of will, seems like an invitation to turn your back on all your dark insights into the corruption and infantilism and self-delusion of the brave new McWorld† Research Papers on Summary of the Movie Happiness (1998) - Film EssayCapital PunishmentNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

A Safe Place

The day she found the baby she was carrying was a woman, her fears came back. She remembered that she returned home after making a promise, her stomach was tied, and her hands were strained. He almost killed her when he came home from work that night. He was waiting for a boy. Carol cried because he was thrown away by the coffee table. It is a miracle that Sofia survived. It is a miracle that she survived. When she stared at Ed by her she remembered that warm blood cried in her eyes. She has at least eight books in hand, then she goes to the blind man. This is her safe place. The staff is safe and secure for other curious people. She does not want to speak far away. Just being reading and relaxing, in the same building. Usually there is no one. Even if the armchair or table looks old, there are scratches and holes. Beneath the window in the attic, there are beautiful rolling wooden chairs on the corner. The second day after writing the assignment - Sucking the dice in the library, sh e can read the text inside There are few safe places in our culture. Avoid continuous noise such as news, colleagues, opinions, advertisements. Our smartphone has already decided this. (Previously the shower was a safe place for me, but I have not even worried about the flooding of the new iPhone so I even even started holding my news articles with the Kindle app!) Culture, I Does not talk about deeply embedded religious buildings and references that are penetrating many places of Western civilization. These cultures are not actually personalized as we imagined, but they are conveyed through a larger and broader comprehensive culture that no one can see. of Francis Collins is passionate about finding a safe place for confused Christians to find answers to their questions about Bible truth and science. I am anxious for a safe place for people to express their doubts and get answers. However, there is no safe place if human beings are responsible for determining which parts of the Bib le are true and which parts are not genuine. Be thankful to God, he far beyond what our little heart understands, reliable, definitely gave us his word. Without understanding the power of God, we all need humble mind. My idea is neither your thought nor your way. Because the sky is higher than the earth, my path is higher than your way, and my idea is more than yours High book 5: 8-9, NKJV)

BRIC Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BRIC Analysis - Case Study Example However, because the outlook for this industry is bright, multinationals are now eyeing the manufacture of the product. But none has targeted China yet, and the market concentration is US, Canada, and Japan (Annex C). There is a high growth potential in the market. Rivalry concentration is low since most of the electric car models of U.S. manufacturers are yet to be introduced in the years to come. The threat of substitutes to the electric car industry is fairly mild because people are now conscious of green environment, and the spiraling cost of gasoline. There are other types of automotive vehicles but none offers clean air and a reduction of energy consumption although models and design are comparable with regular cars. The electric car models offer the comfort of charging it at home and do not need to line up in gasoline stations. Popular electric car models are shown in Annex B. The inherent culture and attitudes kept people out from owning cars, and ownership is not yet spread out as discussed in density of ownership. But because of increasing rate of population and rise of income, the culture of car ownership in China is slowly changing; added to the fact that it is encouraged by the government, The barrier to entry in the automotive industry is significant. The start up capital needed for a new company to set up an efficient manufacturing capacity is prohibitive. The manufacture of electric cars needs expertise and specialization, and in case of failure is difficult to retool. Entry to market may not be so difficult because of the joint venture with a local Chinese automotive manufacturer. A joint venture is considered a better alternative in entering the Chinese market because Chinese partners have an insight into the local customs and traditions. A joint venture offers the opportunity of access to restricted market, and the advantage of the low

Social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social policy - Essay Example The individuals against whom those powers might be used are just those who infringe the general rules; they should not be identified in any other way. Since the point is to restrain the coercive activities of government, these general rules should not be framed so as to discriminate either against or in favour of any group of persons known in advance—against Jews or Blacks, for example. Laws against speeding lay down general rules of this kind: they apply equally to all motorists, and they do not single out particular individuals (say, BMW drivers) for special attention. Retrospective legislation is likely to violate the rule of law on this interpretation since its victims and beneficiaries usually can be identified in advance. 1 General rules of this kind that are announced in advance are a defence against the arbitrary actions of governments. They are necessary in Hayek’s view both for the proper working of the market and for the existence of liberty precisely because they allow individuals to plan their affairs secure in the knowledge that government powers will not be used deliberately to frustrate their efforts. Once governments go beyond the enforcement of certain general rules, their activities inevitably involve the coercion of particular individuals. Since general rules of the kind Hayek favours are not aimed to produce particular effects on particular people, their precise consequences cannot be known in advance. They provide a framework for the decisions and actions of individuals, but they do not determine what those decisions and actions will be. From this point of view there is no reason in principle why governments should not concern themselves with the regulation of economic affairs. B ut their interventions should take the form of a framework of laws within which markets can operate, rather than the direction of economic activity by a central authority. 2 Here and elsewhere, Hayek

Final Paper Employee Retension Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Paper Employee Retension - Assignment Example Dundon, et al (2004) assert that employees leaving organization(s) can be very detrimental since the firm loses investment in training as well as the experience of the employees who has left. Moreover, losing an employee is a loss in terms of productivity and cost injected in training, facilitating the employee, and his or her replacement. Firms are therefore obliged to be vigilant on the potential factors that are likely to lead to employees quitting their institutions. According to Sarah (2009), the retention of employees is even more difficult in the nonprofit based organizations. They need to attract as well as retain these talents and skills since without these they are unable to achieve their mission and ultimately vision. Nonprofit organizations are perceived to lack the retention strategy of the staff. The retention process is a continuous process. Firms should emphasis on retaining their staff from the onset in that the retention strategy begins from when the employees are on board; during the recruitment process; and throughout the cycle of the employment. However, Zajkowska (2012) explain that employees leave firms for several reasons and this requires employers to pay close attention to the employees need and device appropriate and effectively retentions mechanisms. Some of the perceived reasons for this problem are: the employees viewing their jobs as not to their perceived expectation; lack of coaching or feedback of their performance; lack of prospects for growth and opportunities for advancement; the feeling of their input to the organization being undervalued and not appreciated; the need to balance life and work due to stress that emanate from daily work experience; remuneration of their services; and lack of trust in the individual in the position of leadership or management of the organization. Ruth (2010) elaborates that organizations are in the dilemma on whether to inject more

Hospitality Industry Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Industry Management - Essay Example Brief Overview of Pan Pacific Hotel: The Pan Pacific group has 18 premium hotels and resorts all across the world. For last 35 years this group is providing the best service with luxury and comfort of the highest order. The main aim of this group is to do the best for their stakeholders. The Australian branch of the Pan Pacific Hotel was launched on 6th January, 2011 (Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, official webpage, 2013). Promotion of The Pan Pacific Hotel, Perth: The pan pacific hotel group is one of the renowned hotel and hospitality management group of the world. The group itself follows a uniform promotional strategy all across the world in different countries wherever they have their branches. Recently they have open a branch in Pert, Australia and there also there promotion of product and service are following the same pattern like the other parts of the world. The key promotional part of their group is distinctive accommodation with high service standards.The emotional value s of the staffs associated with this group also helped them to serve their customers more efficiently. The smile and heartfelt gesture of their staffs for all the visitors can be treated as personal pride that helps to create moments that can be remembered by the visitors throughout their life. By this the group build their brands and meet the needs of the customer (Every Moments Count, Annual report, 2011, 10). The promotional Strategy is entirely based on creating best memorable hotel experiences for the clients, enriching customer experience, internallsing the brand value of encouraging more involvement of the partners and associate, arranging road shows to build more connections with the customer base all over the country. In the year 2012, the pan pacific hotel group launched a new advertising campaign for its Australian portfolio. Source: http://www.pphg.com/pphg_new_advertising.html on 19-09-2013. The tag line of this advertisement was â€Å"Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts: E mbrace the Pacific†. With this add promotion , the group promised to provide an enriching experience for the refreshment of their guest. The ‘Pan Pacific Perth - A hotel stay like no other’ tagline was used to ensure unique and uncompromised customer service that no other hospitality management group can provide.(Pan Pacific Hotels Group –Press Release, 2012). Partnership of Pan Pacific Hotel, Parth: Pan Pacific hotel, pert to elaborate their business associated themselves with different social and sports activities in the city of Perth, The hotel associated themselves as the major hospitality partners for the Australia’s richest road race in the Southern Hemisphere. (PR Consloe, 2013). This partnership was in view of the companies brand promise of creating meaningful and enriching experience for its customers, staffs and local people. Recommendation of Improvement of Product Price Promotion and Partnership: Jones (1999), in his writing pointed out t he concept of multi-unit management. According to him, this concept will give a new dimension to this continuously changing and growing hospitality management industry. In his study he pointed out towards the theoretical concept of how does these hospitality chains were functioning over the year, and also suggested a new model related to the multi-level hospitality management which clearly based on six activities namely: integration, location, configuration, organization, implementation and adaptation.

Automobile Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Automobile Industry - Research Paper Example Then Mr. Henry Ford came up with an idea of Car for Every one. With this idea he laid down the foundation of Ford Motor Company and start manufacturing cars at a large scale to reduce price, what we call mass production. New players also entered the market with different products than that of Ford like Mercedes, BMW, and GM. Automobile industry is facing immense competition these days which has shifted manufacturers' concern to reduce their cost. A right balance of input and outputs can give manufacturers the edge which will be helpful for them to increase their sales and their profit margins. All this happens due to the customers' better access to knowledge. These days the customers are better informed compared to the previous days therefore even the decision of an average customer is well informed. Along with being price conscious, customers are also after quality and fuel efficiency. The hiking prices of fuel have asked customers to look for a car with better mileage. The car markets are moving fast into globalization. One can find the best of BMW's car is being driven in India, the Mercedes in America and the Ford in United Arab Emirates. Hence the manufacturers are more looking for ways to have a centralized product research and development centre and manufacturing at lowest rates since the competi tion has enhanced due to globalization. Market Segmentation In terms of customers' buying practice, market can be divided into Fleet buyers, Business buyers and Private buyers. Fleet buyers are those buyers which buy cars in big numbers to further their business. They usually required cars which are low priced, good in fuel economy and can run smoothly for a considerable period of time without asking any major maintenance. They include hotels, cab companies, and car rental companies. Business buyers are those which buy cars to give their executives and employees. They require cars which match the designation of the person given the car. They usually go for moderately highly priced cars. Private Buyers buy cars for their personal use. Now depending upon their social class which they belong to, they have different choices of cars. Some buy low priced, durable cars from Toyota, Honda, GM and Ford while others may go for quality and performance and opt for BMW, Mercedes or Audi. There are some, like celebrities or people with big fortunes that buy cars as a status symbol and to show their taste for uniqueness. They usually go for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, MayBach. Competitors' Analysis There are many players in the market striving to increase their size of pie. From America we have General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, and Ford Motor Co. From Japan we have Toyota and Honda. From Germany we have Mercedes, BMW and Audi and from Italy we have Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bugatti. But BMW faces a direct competition with Mercedes and Audi as they fall in the same class with respect to performance and price. 1. Mercedes Mercedes Benz is present in the industry in the form of a giant. Mercedes Benz is the major direct competitor to BMW just like Pepsi is for Coke. It is considered to be an established brand within the industry among many competitors and among customers. It has built great brand

Final Paper Employee Retension Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Paper Employee Retension - Assignment Example Dundon, et al (2004) assert that employees leaving organization(s) can be very detrimental since the firm loses investment in training as well as the experience of the employees who has left. Moreover, losing an employee is a loss in terms of productivity and cost injected in training, facilitating the employee, and his or her replacement. Firms are therefore obliged to be vigilant on the potential factors that are likely to lead to employees quitting their institutions. According to Sarah (2009), the retention of employees is even more difficult in the nonprofit based organizations. They need to attract as well as retain these talents and skills since without these they are unable to achieve their mission and ultimately vision. Nonprofit organizations are perceived to lack the retention strategy of the staff. The retention process is a continuous process. Firms should emphasis on retaining their staff from the onset in that the retention strategy begins from when the employees are on board; during the recruitment process; and throughout the cycle of the employment. However, Zajkowska (2012) explain that employees leave firms for several reasons and this requires employers to pay close attention to the employees need and device appropriate and effectively retentions mechanisms. Some of the perceived reasons for this problem are: the employees viewing their jobs as not to their perceived expectation; lack of coaching or feedback of their performance; lack of prospects for growth and opportunities for advancement; the feeling of their input to the organization being undervalued and not appreciated; the need to balance life and work due to stress that emanate from daily work experience; remuneration of their services; and lack of trust in the individual in the position of leadership or management of the organization. Ruth (2010) elaborates that organizations are in the dilemma on whether to inject more

Automobile Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Automobile Industry - Research Paper Example Then Mr. Henry Ford came up with an idea of Car for Every one. With this idea he laid down the foundation of Ford Motor Company and start manufacturing cars at a large scale to reduce price, what we call mass production. New players also entered the market with different products than that of Ford like Mercedes, BMW, and GM. Automobile industry is facing immense competition these days which has shifted manufacturers' concern to reduce their cost. A right balance of input and outputs can give manufacturers the edge which will be helpful for them to increase their sales and their profit margins. All this happens due to the customers' better access to knowledge. These days the customers are better informed compared to the previous days therefore even the decision of an average customer is well informed. Along with being price conscious, customers are also after quality and fuel efficiency. The hiking prices of fuel have asked customers to look for a car with better mileage. The car markets are moving fast into globalization. One can find the best of BMW's car is being driven in India, the Mercedes in America and the Ford in United Arab Emirates. Hence the manufacturers are more looking for ways to have a centralized product research and development centre and manufacturing at lowest rates since the competi tion has enhanced due to globalization. Market Segmentation In terms of customers' buying practice, market can be divided into Fleet buyers, Business buyers and Private buyers. Fleet buyers are those buyers which buy cars in big numbers to further their business. They usually required cars which are low priced, good in fuel economy and can run smoothly for a considerable period of time without asking any major maintenance. They include hotels, cab companies, and car rental companies. Business buyers are those which buy cars to give their executives and employees. They require cars which match the designation of the person given the car. They usually go for moderately highly priced cars. Private Buyers buy cars for their personal use. Now depending upon their social class which they belong to, they have different choices of cars. Some buy low priced, durable cars from Toyota, Honda, GM and Ford while others may go for quality and performance and opt for BMW, Mercedes or Audi. There are some, like celebrities or people with big fortunes that buy cars as a status symbol and to show their taste for uniqueness. They usually go for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, MayBach. Competitors' Analysis There are many players in the market striving to increase their size of pie. From America we have General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, and Ford Motor Co. From Japan we have Toyota and Honda. From Germany we have Mercedes, BMW and Audi and from Italy we have Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bugatti. But BMW faces a direct competition with Mercedes and Audi as they fall in the same class with respect to performance and price. 1. Mercedes Mercedes Benz is present in the industry in the form of a giant. Mercedes Benz is the major direct competitor to BMW just like Pepsi is for Coke. It is considered to be an established brand within the industry among many competitors and among customers. It has built great brand

Establishing a Planned Giving Program Essay Example for Free

Establishing a Planned Giving Program Essay Charitable institutions play an important role in society, now more than ever, as socio-economic issues mount. The essence of charitable institutions is to facilitate the sharing or transfer of resources from those with excess to those who are wanting. The culture of giving emerged as a means of ensuring overall social welfare by pulling excess resources to segments of the population having more than they need to people without resources. Charitable institutions develop fund raising activities and schemes to encourage philanthropy as well as manage funds to translate this into programs for the targeted beneficiaries to fulfill this role effectively and continuously. The philosophy of fund raising for charitable work is that philanthropy plays an important role in democratic societies and fund raising is inevitable to philanthropy so that fund raising becomes an absolute necessity to democratic societies. (Kelly, 1998) Over the years, charitable institutions developed many fund raising processes or systems to ensure the short and long-term flow of funds necessary to support their important function. Planned giving is one long-term fund raising program that emerged. This works by providing donors with the option, other than outright giving, to defer giving to charitable institutions years after expressing the giving behavior, usually upon the death of the donor. This then focuses on assets instead of income as the measure of the capacity of donors to give. (Kelly, 1998) The rationale for this option is to facilitate the passing of assets from one generation to another through a system that allocates assets from their estates to charitable institutions upon their death according to their preference (Harrington, 2004). If people elect to pass their assets to charitable institutions then they can do so through planned giving. This also finds support in the governance system by providing incentives to philanthropy in the form of tax exemptions. II. Review of Literature A. Important Concepts and Definitions in Planned Giving Kelly (1998) conceptualized planned giving as the managed effort by charitable institutions to raise funds from gifts of assets of donors utilizing estate and financial planning processes and tools. The purpose of planned giving is to generate major gifts by offering donors with another option aside from outright giving. This fund raising scheme expands the prospect pool of donors by centering on assets, instead of income, as the determinant of the capacity to give. The sole concern of planned giving is facilitating the philanthropy of individual donors as compared to the other fund-raising efforts directed at the public. Previously, this fund raising method was known as deferred giving because financial benefits for the recipient charitable institution usually are postponed until years after the donor has set-up the gift, usually upon death resulting to the appropriation or management of the estate. The description explained planned giving in terms of the implications to charitable institutions and donors of the benefits from financial planning and incentives for planning giving. Weinstein (2002) defined planned giving, also known as charitable gift planning, as the giving of charitable contributions with some level of professional guidance. Most planned gifts have the effect of reducing the estate taxes, income taxes, and/or capital gains taxes of the donor. Charitable gift planning supports the charitable intentions of the donor while at the same time helps donors better manage their assets for their families and loved ones. Usually, planned gifts are bequests, which mean deferred actual receipt by charitable institutions. Non-profit organizations receive the bequest after the death of the donor. There are also other planned gifts, such as donations of appreciated stock, which accrue current contributions for the charitable institution. This definition focuses on planned giving as a process or system and the manner this works in supporting the fund raising activities of charitable institutions and asset management of donors. Hopkins (2005) explained that planned giving ideally concerns â€Å"long-term capital gain property† (p. 245) that is likely to increase in value. The greater the increase in value, the greater would be the charitable deduction as well as the income from tax savings. Value appreciation comprises a core concept in planned giving so that a planned gift is essentially interest in money or an item of property of the donor. Planning giving involves the transference of partial interest in property based on the concept of property as having two interests, which are income and remainder interest. The income interest from an item of property depends on the income generated by the property at the current time while the remainder interest from an item of property pertains to the projected value of the property, or the property produced by reinvestments, at some future date. As such, the remainder interest is the amount equal to the present value of the property when received at a subsequent point in time, which is higher than the income interest assuming that the property is appreciating. Measuring these two types of interest in property is through the consideration of property value, donor’s age, and the period when the income interest will exist. An income interest or a remainder interest in property could be subject to charitable donation. However, a deduction is almost never available for a charitable gift of an income interest in property. By contrast, the charitable contribution of a remainder interest in an item of property will likely give rise to a charitable deduction with compliance of all technical requirements. This provides an explanation of the manner that the system works and serves as an elaboration of the previous definitions. The explanation also provided a rationale for planned giving since remainder interest, which accrues in the future is usually always subject to charitable deductions when compared to income interest accruing at present. Hopkins (2005) further explained the two basic types of planned gifts. One is legacy or charitable giving contained under a will. This is a gift coming out of the estate of a deceased as a bequest or devise. Planned giving in the form of a legacy works through the inclusion of a charitable institution as a beneficiary of the estate of the donor with entitlement following the death of the donor. As such, this perpetuates the philanthropy of individual even in death. The amount assigned to the charitable institution comprises a tax exemption that decreases the estate tax. The other is a gift made during a donor’s lifetime, using a trust or other agreement. An example is charitable gift annuity that commences when a donor gives a charitable institution a certain amount of money that the institution can use, similar to a premium paid for insurance, but with the condition that a beneficiary receive payment of a certain amount every year. The amount given by the donor is subject to tax exemption. After the payment of annuity ceases such as with the death of the beneficiary, the charitable institutions gains the amount paid and all other interest accruing from its appropriation. This explains the options available to donors, with options supporting the charitable intentions of donors and providing them with convenient options for financial planning. B. Basic Steps in Establishing Planned Giving Program for a Non-Profit Organization Establishing planned giving program for a non-profit organization should involve some basic preparatory steps similar to a business plan in profit organizations. The first step is preparation. This involves an assessment of the capability of the organization to manage a planned giving program to determine areas requiring improvements to accommodate the program. Another must do is obtaining the feedback from the board over the development of the planned giving program since the board’s support determines a successful program. This step also involves a feasibility study to determine whether the intended program meets two criteria. One is whether the leaders and members of the organization together with donors believe in continuing its existence in the long-term and the other is whether donors express their belief in the longevity of the organization through significant gifts. (Barett Ware, 2002) In satisfying these criteria there is a higher probability of success. Second step is planning. This step covers the identification of goals and specific objectives of the program, the changes in organizational structure including the creation of committees and sub-committees and assignment of leadership positions and tasks, the plan for staffing such as part time or full time, the budget to cover all aspects of the program, and the timetable for the phases of the planned giving program. (Dove, Spears Herbert, 2002) These areas should receive focus to cover all planned program to support viability. The third step involves the identification of the program’s core and specific features. The idea of planned giving is to provide givers with various options on the ways through which they prefer to actualize their charitable intentions and manage their assets in the process. This means the need to identify the particular planned giving options that the non-profit organization would make available to its donors together with the details of how these works. (Ashton, 2004) This is for the benefit of the staff who would be directly dealing with donors and for the benefit of donors wanting to learn more about giving options offered by its preferred charitable institution. The fourth step is policymaking. Guidelines and protocols are inevitable in actualizing the planned giving program. Policies should cover issues such as legal advice, confidentiality of information, conflict in interest and authority in negotiations. Guidelines should also thoroughly explain procedures in executing and accepting planned gifts, valuation of donations, according of credit for planned gifts, investing managing and administering of planned gifts, and limitations and terms of planned gifts. Lastly, the policies should also establish the functions and roles of the committees and administrators. (Barett Ware, 2002) The fifth step is promoting the planned giving program to individual potential donors as well as the community in general. There are a number of ways for non-profit organizations to promote their planned giving programs including the handouts or leaflets, newsletters and other widely distributed publications, hosted events, seminars, and personal testimonials or referrals. The important thing is to introduce the program to people as a means of developing interest in planned giving and reaching out to existing donors who could be interested in different options. (Reiss, 2000) The sixth step is prospecting. This involves a two-fold consideration. On one hand, this involves the determination of the likely uptake of the program by considering potential donors including the involvement in planned giving by members of the board themselves. This results to identification of anticipated long-term fund raising position of the organization. On the other hand, this also involves the determination of the impact of the program including the possible issues and problems to support contingency planning. (Rosso, 2003) C. Establishing Goals and Objectives for Planned Giving Program Goals comprise statements of the position or outcome that the organization wants to gain while objectives set out the manner of achieving this position or outcome (Lewis, 2006). Establishing the goals and objectives of the planned giving program also goes through a series of interconnected cyclical processes. The first process is communication and clarification of issues, problems, challenges or opportunities that provide a context for establishing the program. These support the determination of goals. If a challenge is giving options then the goal would be diversified giving options for donors and the objective is the development of a planned giving program. (Lauer, 1997) The second process is evaluation of alternative solutions to express needs and requirements into goals and objectives through measures of success that would also constitute the criteria for evaluating the extent of fulfillment of the goals and objectives. (Lauer, 1997) The third process is articulation by drawing the participation of all stakeholders in providing perspectives over the areas for improvement and drawing consensus on actions (Lauer, 1997).

World Health Organisation (WHO) describes health promotion

World Health Organisation (WHO) describes health promotion The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes health promotion as: the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. (WHO 1986, p.11) Through discussion with the Head of Establishment and members of staff at Kirklandpark Nursery, staff wished to incorporate diet and nutrition into their room planning. They felt this would be an effective area of focus as the nursery was working towards its silver award in the Health Promoting Nurseries. Staff also informed me that what I carried out would be used as evidence towards this. One of the strategies that educators can use to promote the health and wellbeing within childrens services is the enablement strategy. This aims to ensure there are equal chances for all to reach optimum health (Naidoo and Wills, 2000:86). This strategy also helps people expand their knowledge and skills in health matters, so they can recognise and deal with health issues in their lives (Naidoo and Wills, 2009:62). Within the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) there is a significant focus on the curriculum area health and wellbeing. In the experiences and outcomes there is a section on Food and Health, which aspires children to build on their existing skills and knowledge to make better food choices for a healthier future. According to the Curriculum for Excellence:principles and practice: A poorly balanced diet can contribute to the risk of developing a number of diseases and conditions including tooth decay, obesity, certain cancers, diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke (Scottish Executive 2007, p.7) With the CfEs assessment in mind, and having liaised with children and staff, I planned an experience and used the enablement strategy to promote this. Observation 5 demonstrates that children were enabled with information and knowledge about the reasons for their own health, as we discussed why healthy/unhealthy foods were good and not so good for our bodies. While confident about the general promotion of health and wellbeing, when educating the children on the causes of their own health. I initially found it difficult to explain exactly what unhealthy foods can do to our bodies. I consulted my mentor for ideas and she provided me with suggestions on how I could implement this. I strongly feel this is an area for development. The enablement strategy resembles the empowerment strategy as it requires practitioners to act as a facilitator, then step back, giving control to society (Naidoo and Wills, 2009) Adventures in Foodland is a pack which aims to direct educators in positively inspiring children to acquire a taste for eating healthily at a young age. (NHS Health Scotland, 2003). I used the enablement strategy to do this. As an educator I found this pack extremely relevant and helpful. In observation 7 the children were given control as they informed me which foods they would like to try. I listened and acted as the facilitator by purchasing the foods, helping to prepare them and then stepping back, allowing the children to be in control. The children were given the choice to try the foods which I provided them. A social learning theorist, Albert Bandura believed that children copy others who have more power than them e.g. adults (Sayers, 2008 cited in Flanagan 2004) In observation 7 I was a good role model and tried the foods with the children, which encouraged others to try as well. I also used the educational strategy. This is similar to the enablement strategy as it aims to provide people with knowledge and information, in order for them to make a choice about the way they feel about their health. (Naidoo and Wills, 2000) The educational strategy differs from the behaviour change strategy as it does not make a person change the way they do things but instead encourages change (Naidoo and Wills 2000). The National Care Standards, Standard 3.3 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Health and Wellbeing states: children and young people have opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles and relationships, hygiene, diet and personal safety (Scottish Executive, 2009). Diet and nutrition relates to this standard and links with the educational and enablement strategy I used. The children were given equal opportunities to learn about these stated in standard 3.3. In observation 7 I used a big book with the children to gather their ideas on hygiene and personal safety. I strongly believe that doing this was a useful and effective way in gathering ideas to promote the health and well-being to everyone in the setting. I explained to the children what the book would be used for, I listened to their ideas and worked in a team with all partners. I was also assertive in speaking to children about the big book, and consulting them about ideas. My mentor offered valuable feedback and encouraged me to consult more with parents and show them their childs work. A publication by Her Majestyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Inspectorate of Educations (HMIE) titled How good is our school? The Journey to Excellence promotes well-being and respect. In dimension 9 there is an aspect on promoting positive healthy attitudes and behaviours (HMIE, 2006) This links with the educational strategy I used as it encourages and provides people with the knowledge and information they need to make choices. Observation 6 demonstrates how important the educational strategy is in providing children with knowledge of a healthy balanced diet. This allowed children to think about what they eat. Some children thought differently and changed their views in a positive way. However, I found it difficult to explain what was meant by a healthy balanced diet in words that children would understand. I came across the eatwell plate after finishing the project which would have been a fantastic resource to use with the children and help further their understanding. For my continuing professional development I aim to focus on how to better myself in finding other ways to communicate with children effectively when explaining what is meant by a healthy balanced diet. Advocacy is a further strategy used to promote health and wellbeing. Advocacy means talking on out for someone, such as a child, parent or a subject matter (Hall and Elliman 2007). Advocacy is also about expanding peoples knowledge on the health matter. (Naidoo and Wills 2009) Improving Health in Scotland: The Challenge aims to better the health of people living in Scotland (Scottish Executive, 2003) I used advocacy to do so by speaking out for the children in regards to their diet and nutrition. Observation 2 helped to expand knowledge among children, parents and staff regarding this. I helped change the home corner into a fruit and vegetable shop. Multi-agency working was used and I demonstrated assertiveness in putting my point across when communicating with staff about which ways to promote health and wellbeing. I also employed the enablement and the empowerment strategy when I acted as the facilitator and allowed the children to take control of the experience, as they chose which resources they wanted to go in their shop. The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 puts emphasis on health promotion being a huge part of the activities provided in schools. (Scottish Government, 2007) The 10 learning experiences I carried out played a significant part in promoting the health and wellbeing of others. I feel the enablement and empowerment strategy was successful in promoting health and wellbeing to all partners. The children were given choice and were in control. Parents were also empowered to take control and choose to take on board the knowledge provided. I involved parents by writing on the white board to inform them of what the children had been learning. This ties in with the Nutritional Guidelines for Early Years as it encourages educators to speak to parents daily to inform them what was available for snack (Scottish Executive, 2006) In observation 10 Ms grandfather told me he had never considered making fruit kebabs before but he liked the idea and intended to make them for Ms birthday party at the weekend. A further area I can improve on is building relationships with all parents. I also feel the educational strategy worked in the sense that some children made healthier choices at snack and at home. This also promoted health and wellbeing for parents as their child was influencing healthier choices at home. A few children continued to make unhealthy choices by asking for a biscuit at snack. As the educational strategy encourages rather than instructs change, this did not work well with a couple of the children/parents. If I had more time, I would involve parents and other commercial partners more, such as Sainsburyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s and deepen children and parents understanding further. My mentor also said if I had longer I could make parents more involved, by inviting them for snack and encouraging them to help out, such as taking the children to the shops to buy snack. In conclusion, I feel my ability to promote the health and wellbeing in the area diet and nutrition to service users in Kirklandpark nursery was done well considering the short period of time I had. I took account of literature, national advice and my mentors feedback. The strategies I used were effective and my findings from literature, government publications and initiatives helped me discuss this. By doing this project it has made me realise there are strategies I need to work on in order to professionally develop. WORD COUNT 1648 References Hall, D. and Elliman, D. (2003). Health For All Children (4th Edition). Oxford: Medical Publications. HMIE (2006) How good is our school? A Journey to Excellence, Livingston Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (2009) Foundations for Health Promotion (3rd Edition) Naidoo, J. and Wills, J (2000) Health Promotion: Foundations for Practice (2nd Edition) NHS Scotland (2003) Adventures in Foodland, Edinburgh Sayers, S. (2008) HNC Early Education and Childcare Heinemann Scottish Executive (2007) Curriculum for Excellence: health and wellbeing principles and practice,Learning and Teaching Scotland Scottish Executive (2003) Improving Health in Scotland: The Challenge, Edinburgh Scottish Executive (2006) Nutritional guidelines for early years: food choices for children aged 1-5 years in early education and childcare settings, Edinburgh Scottish Executive (2009) The National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the Age of 16; Standard 3 Health and Wellbeing World Health Organization (1998) Health Promotion Glossary Switzerland : World Health Organization