Living and Dining Room FurnitureÂÂ

Living and Dining Room Furniture Issues in the Market The vast majority of households struggle with storage issues. Furthermore, two fifths (42%) find it difficult to source the right size furniture for their home, while over a third (36%) struggle to store/display their possessions. This frustration with lack of space creates significant scope for new clever and flexible storage innovations in living/dining room furniture. Q: How does smaller housing stock affect demand for living/dining room furniture?A: By 2017, the number of one- and two-person households is projected to increase by 850,000. Demand for space-efficient living/dining room furniture is therefore likely to intensify during the coming years. For example, in 2013, IKEA is launching its Uppleva modular range in the UK, which has integrated smart TV, video/Blu-ray and DVD players, wireless internet systems and the different components can be tailored to fit requirements and/or the space available. Mintel’s researc h for this report shows that the vast majority of households struggle with storage issues.Furthermore, two fifths (42%) find it difficult to source the right size furniture for their home, while over a third (36%) struggle to store/display their possessions. This frustration with lack of space creates significant scope for new clever and flexible storage innovations. Q: How are companies leveraging the ‘stay at home’ trend? A: The living room has become a home entertainment hub with seating arrangements serving as part of the ‘movie’ experience, for example incorporating home comforts such as built-in fridges, cup holders and reclining seats.There is increasing connectivity between furniture and mobile devices. In April 2012, La-Z-Boy’s Gizmo range includes Bluetooth music control and speakers. CSL’s Sound Sofa offers built-in docking facilities for iPods and music speakers while the DFS Audio Sofas feature an entertainment dock for iPod/iPhon e/MP3, with built-in speakers and a sub-woofer. Neil Mason Head of Retail Research [email  protected] com Tel: +44 (0) 20 7606 4533    © 2013 Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. Confidential to Mintel.Neil manages the teams that produce the European Retail Reports. Neil joined Mintel in 1995 and previously worked as Head of Fashion/Beauty and Personal Care/Household, and Head of UK Retail. Before joining Mintel, he worked in the food and publishing industries. He has a BSc in Business Studies/Marketing. Living and Dining Room Furniture Issues in the Market Since home ownership won’t become a reality for many younger consumers, investing in a home digital system that can be moved (and built up over time) is an important consideration.The internet has become an integral part of buying living/dining room furniture, with almost half of respondents browsing online before making a purchase. This compares to 30% who like to browse catalogues before buying. Q: How important is property churn to the living/dining room market? A: In Mintel’s research for this report, less than one in five respondents (18%) said that they bought living/dining room furniture when they last moved house/set up home. A similar proportion bought after redecorating/extending their living/dining room (19%) or just to get a new look/style (19%).So fluctuations in the housing market are significant but not the only driver of new purchases. The primary reason for buying living/dining room furniture is when items get worn out or broken (51% agree). It is competing for share of household goods spend and moving forward the emphasis should be on the pleasure derived from creating an inviting home environment. Women are in the driving seat when it comes to this type of furniture purchase rationalisation, with 79% saying the look/style of their living/dining room is important, compared to 64% of men.We can therefore expect to see a greater focus on targeting women using emotive tr iggers such as family, status among peers, self-indulgence etc. Q: How important is multichannel retailing to living/dining room furniture? A: The internet has become an integral part of buying living/dining room furniture, with almost half of respondents browsing online before making a purchase. This compares to 30% who like to browse catalogues before buying. At the same time, bricks-and-mortar showrooms offer clear advantages to consumers who prefer to ‘try before they buy’ (54%) and to those who ppreciate helpful and knowledgeable staff, important to over two thirds of potential shoppers (69%). Modern retailers are harnessing the advantages of all channels, for example creating augmented reality mobile phone apps, launching mobileoptimised websites, increasing in-store theatre and modernising product catalogues. Greater focus on e-commerce is seeing many of the larger retailers rationalising their store portfolio and introducing smaller store formats, while relying more on digital channels to facilitate wider product ranges, style inspiration and achieve greater geographical reach.Websites are becoming more content-rich, thus improving the online experience, similarly many retailers are investing in their stores, enhancing the physical shopper experience. Therefore the two channels are increasingly working in tandem with one another, creating more convenience and flexibility for the consumer.  © 2013 Mintel Group Ltd. All rights reserved. Confidential to Mintel. Living and Dining Room Furniture Issues in the Market The year 2012 saw these trends pick up pace as the non-specialist retailers grew their market share.Q: What are retailers doing to reduce consumer preoccupation with price? A: Promotional tactics risk becoming tired and ineffective as consumers become immune to the steady stream of promotional campaigns. Several retailers are using emotional triggers to inspire consumers to invest in their home by projecting aspirational lifestyle s and communicating a different set of value benchmarks. Some 86% of respondents cite good quality as important to their choice of furniture retailer, whereas a wide choice of styles, quick/flexible delivery and promotions/discounts also gain the same level of response.Retailers are adopting diverse and innovative tactics to detract from price-based promotions, ranging from greater online customisation of styles/colours/fabrics, highlighting softer attributes such as provenance, heritage and ethics eg Britishmade furniture, adding new exclusive brands to the mix such as Habitat (Homebase), French Connection (DFS), Jasper Conran (M&S) or introducing new own-brands which are less open to direct price comparison, or offering speedy delivery (eg CSL’s 72-hour express delivery service).While price-based promotions remain vital to driving footfall in-store, industry trends reveal more multi-layered strategies taking shape such as express delivery times, greater scope for customisat ion of design and making different channels work in harmony rather than in competition with each other eg in-store vs online. Promotional tactics risk becoming tired and ineffective as consumers become immune to the steady stream of promotional campaigns. Several retailers are using emotional triggers to inspire consumers to invest in their home by projecting aspirational lifestyles and communicating a different set of value benchmarks.

Packet Sniffing

Sniffing In short, packet sniffing is the method used to see all kinds of information as is passes over the network it is linked to, but how does a packet sniffer work? A packet sniffer is a piece of software or hardware capable of monitoring all network traffic. It is able to capture all incoming and outgoing traffic for example clear-text passwords, user names and other private or sensitive details. Packet sniffing is a form of wire-tap applied to computer networks instead of phone networks. It came into vogue with Ethernet, which is known as a â€Å"shared medium† network.This means that traffic on a segment passes by all hosts attached to that segment. Ethernet hardware contained a filter that prevented the host machine from actually seeing any other traffic than that belonging to the host. Sniffing programs turn off the filter, and thus see everyones traffic. In the scheme of things, a computer usually only examines a packet of data that corresponds to the computerâ€℠¢s address but with a packet sniffer you are able to set the network interface to ‘promiscuous mode’. In this case it examines ALL available information passing through it.As the data passes through the system it is copied and stored in memory or on a hard drive. The copies are then able to be studied and the information analyzed. The captured information is decoded from raw digital form into a  human-readable  format that permits users of the protocol analyzer to easily review the exchanged information As soon as you connect to the internet, you ‘sign on’ to a network that is under the watch of your ISP. This network can communicate with other networks and in short forms the basis of the internet.If a packet sniffer is located at a server owned by your ISP, it has the potential to gain access to: * The web sites visited. * What is searched for on the site. * Your e-mail recipients. * The contents of your mail. * Any files you download. * A list of your audio, video and telephony options. * A list of visitors to your website. Switched vs. Non-Switched In a non-switched network environment packet sniffing is an easy thing to do. This is because network traffic is sent to a hub which broadcasts it to everyone. Switched networks are completely different in the way they operate.Switches work by sending traffic to the destination host only. This happens because switches have CAM tables. These tables store information like MAC addresses, switch ports, and VLAN information [1]. Before sending traffic from one host to another on the same local area network, the host ARP cache is first checked. The ARP cache is a table that stores both Layer 2 (MAC) addresses and Layer 3 (IP) addresses of hosts on the local network. If the destination host isn’t in the ARP cache, the source host sends a broadcast ARP request looking for the host. When the host replies,the traffic can be sent to it.The traffic goes from the source host to the switch, and then directly to the destination host. This description shows that traffic isn’t broadcast out to every host, but only to the destination host, therefore it’s harder to sniff traffic. Passive Vs. Active Sniffing Sniffers are a powerful piece of software. They have the capability to place the hosting system’s network card into promiscuous mode. A network card in promiscuous mode can receive all the data it can see, not just packets addressed to it. Passive Sniffing If you are on a hub, a lot of traffic can potentially be affected.Hubs see all the traffic in that particular collision domain. Sniffing performed on a hub is known as passive sniffing. Passive sniffing is performed when the user is on a hub. Because the user is on a hub, all traffic is sent to all ports. All the attacker must do is to start the sniffer and just wait for someone on the same collision domain to start sending or receiving data. Collision domain is a logical area of the network in wh ich one or more data packets can collide with each other. Passive sniffing worked well during the days that hubs were used.The problem is that there are few of these devices left. Most modern networks use switches. That is where active sniffing comes in. Active Sniffing When sniffing is performed on a switched network, it is known as active sniffing. Active sniffing relies on injecting packets into the network that causes traffic. Active sniffing is required to bypass the segmentation that switches provided. Switches maintain their own ARP cache in a special type of memory known as Content Addressable Memory (CAM), keeping track of which host is connected to which port.Sniffers operate at the Data Link layer of the OSI model. This means that they do not have to play by the same rules as applications and services that reside further up the stack. Sniffers can grab whatever they see on the wire and record it for later review. They allow the user to see all the data contained in the pa cket, even information that should remain hidden. The terms active and passive sniffing has also been used to describe  wireless network sniffing. They have analogous meaning. Passive wireless sniffing involves sending no packets, and monitoring the packets send by the others.Active sniffing involves sending out multiple network probes to identify APs. How Does a Packet Sniffer Work? A packet sniffer works by viewing every packet sent in the network. This includes packets not intended for itself. How does it do this? Three types of sniffing methods are used. Methods may work in non-switched networks or in switched networks. These methods are: IP-based sniffing I. P -based sniffing works by putting the network card into promiscuous mode and sniffing all packets matching the IP address filter and is the original type of packet sniffing.The IP address filtering isn’t switched on so the sniffing program is able to capture all the packets. This method will only function in non-s witched networks. MAC-based sniffing MAC-based sniffing works by putting the network card into promiscuous mode and sniffing all packets that match the MAC address filter. ARP-based sniffing ————————————————- ARP-based sniffing doesn’t put the network card into promiscuous mode because ARP packets are sent to its administrators. This is because the ARP protocol is stateless.This means that sniffing can be done on a switched network. Once a hacker has found possible networks to attack, one of their first tasks is to identify the target. Many organizations are nice enough to include their names or addresses in the network name. The Sniffer program works by asking a computer, specifically its Network Interface Card (NIC), to stop ignoring all the traffic headed to other computers and pay attention to them. It does this by placing the NIC in a state known as promiscuous mode.Once a NIC is promiscuous mode, a machine can see all the data transmitted on its segment. The program then begins to constantly read all information entering the PC through the network card. Data traveling along the network comes as frames, or packets, bursts of bits formatted to specific protocols. Because of this strict formatting, the sniffer peels away the layers of encapsulation and decodes the relevant information stored in the packet sent, including the identity of the source computer, that of the targeted computer, and every piece of information exchanged between the two computer.Even if the network administrator has configured his equipment in such a way as to hide information, there are tools available that can determine this information. Utilizing any well known network sniffing tools, an attacker can easily monitor the unencrypted networks. Modes: On wired broadcast and wireless LANs, to capture traffic other than  unicast  traffic sent to the machine running the sniffer software,  multicast  traffic sent to a multicast group to which that machine is listening, and  broadcast  traffic, the  network adapter  being used to apture the traffic must be put into  promiscuous mode; some sniffers support this, others don't. On wireless LANs, even if the adapter is in promiscuous mode, packets not for the  service set  for which the adapter is configured will usually be ignored. To see those packets, the adapter must be in  monitor mode. Who Uses a Packet Sniffer? Packet sniffers are often used by ISP’s as a diagnostic tool for their back-up systems, so it is in fact a well-utilized form of technology. Packet sniffing is also sometimes used to investigate the habits and actions of criminals, for example in the FBI’s Carnivore System.As I am sure you will appreciate from the above, packet sniffers can be a useful, relatively harmless tool or a potentially dangerous invasion of privacy. Packet sniffers are a perfec t example of how technology may be used to help or to harm. USES: The versatility of packet sniffers means they can be used to: * Analyze network problems * Detect  network intrusion  attempts * Detect network misuse by internal and external users * Documenting regulatory compliance through logging all perimeter and endpoint traffic * Gain information for effecting a network intrusion * Isolate exploited systems * Monitor WAN bandwidth utilization Monitor network usage (including internal and external users and systems) * Monitor data-in-motion * Monitor WAN and endpoint security status * Gather and report network statistics * Filter suspect content from network traffic * Serve as primary data source for day-to-day network monitoring and management * Spy on other network users and collect sensitive information such as passwords (depending on any content  encryption  methods which may be in use) * Reverse engineer  proprietary protocols  used over the network * Debug clie nt/server communications * Debug network protocol implementations Verify adds, moves and changes * Verify internal control system effectiveness (firewalls, access control, Web filter, Spam filter, proxy) DEFENSE Detection Protection Conclusion Having looked at what they are, why they work and how they are used, it is easy to view sniffers as both dangerous threats and powerful tools. Every user should understand they are vulnerable to these types of attacks and their best defense lies in encryption. Administrators and professionals need to know that these programs are superb diagnostic utilities that can, unfortunately, be used with malicious intent on any network.

Brazilian Independence

Brazilian Independence A critical review of â€Å"The Cambridge History of Latin America (From Idependence to c. 1870), By Leslie Bethell In this paper I will explain and highlight main arguments of Brazilian independence according to Leslie Bethell. The Brazilian independence was certainly not as violent as in the other Latin American countries and the independence was a final product of many events and influences.I will go through the economic situation Brazil was facing in terms of export and imports, followed by the installment of Portuguese Dom Joao in Rio de Janeiro, because of the Napoleon wars going on in Europe at the time and finally concluding on what finally gave Brazil independence in 1822. Economically, Brazil was major compared to its colonizer, Portugal. Brazil had the population the area and the natural resources to become a success, which they definitely was, but with a Portuguese exploitation of exports and population.Portugal was highly dependent on Brazilian exp orts and had a hard time providing Brazil with manufactured goods, an element Britain had a major role in. Brazil exported and still exports massive amounts of sugar to Portugal and later on, coffee and cotton became an important export, not to forget gold from Minas Gerais. It was basically hard for Portugal to justify the occupation of this new land of opportunities. The creation of a national identity that would help Brazilians to gain independence was definitely an important factor to the process.Some claim that the victory over the Dutch in 1654 was a major input and inspiration for the Brazilians. The Brazilian education and information system was although not on Brazilian territory and the minority of people that could afford it went to Europe for university. The economic, political and intellectual situation, led to massive criticisms due to the mercantile systems, its restrictions on trade, the heavy duty taxation on Brazil and also the high prices on manufactured goods wer e up for a beating.The reason why Portugal was able to hold on to Brazil was not because of military power and high oppressiveness as seen in other Latin American countries under Spanish rule, but because of the Portuguese crown Dom Joao and Portugals supply of stability in Brazil. The dissatisfaction should although not be exaggerated – the locals where in comparison much more involved with the formation and implementation of legislation just to mention one and Portuguese settlement had happened gradual, so prominent landowners were most likely first generation Brazilians, giving less incentives for rebellion and riots.All in all, Brazilians were better off than the other colonized countries in Latin America. Napoleon wars and moving Dom Joao With the Napoleon wars going on in Europe and many countries giving up their colonies, Brazil was kept in Portuguese hands. The Portuguese leader Dom Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho, saw early on that Brazilian independence was just a matter of time. Therefore he suggested that regent Dom Joao should give up his residence in Portugal and move the apparatus to Brazil as a final option instead of being taken over by Napoleon.On August 12th 1807 Napoleon issued an ultimatum to the Portuguese foreign minister, he could either; close the ports to British ships, imprison all English residents and confiscate their property or face a French invasion. Britain backed the idea of leaving Portugal up and offered protection. For a while, Dom Joao tried to adopt anti-British policies, but already in November he learned that Generel Junot was marching on to Portugal with 23. 000 men. After the French troops entering Portugal Dom Joao made the decision of leaving Portugal.In late November the regent and an apparatus of 10-15. 000 people left for Brazil accompanied with British ships. The moving of the regent to Rio de Janeiro was a huge step for Brazil and their way to independence and the relationship between Portugal and Brazil was b etter than ever. The establishment of government in Rio de Janeiro ended the monopoly for Lisbon as an actor on exports and imports. Portugal no longer controlled Brazilian products and trade and Britain was the only country allowed to trade with Brazil until the ending of the Napoleon wars.The effects of having the regent in Rio de Janeiro, were great for Brazil. In 1808 the first printing press was published in Rio de Janeiro, furthermore books were released, libraries opened and probably most important; schools were opened which definitely contributed to the political awareness and intelligence. As a sum up on the movement, Brazil was now governed from Rio de Janeiro instead of Lisbon, and the relationship with Portugal was never really re-established. Later, after the liberation of Portugal, Dom Joao was expected back in Lisbon and British ships were sent to accompany they journey.Although Dom Joao had other plans and decided to stay and later on raising the Brazil to the status of Kingdom – thereby being equal to Portugal legally. In response to the decreasing colonial power a liberal-nationalsts opposition raised in Oporto and the Junta Provosoria was proposing a new constitution where the Cortes was to be elected for the Portuguese world. It became clear that the Portuguese intentions with Brazil were only to recapture Brazil and make it serve Portuguese interests. In general all the Portuguese attempts to lower the new status of Brazil and it’s political and economical opportunities were not successful.Trying to re-impose the heavy taxation and tariffs on Brazil only gave the Brazilians and even bigger incentive to gain independence. Independence Dom Pedro (son of Dom Joao) was the one to lead the process of cutting all cooperation with Portugal since the elites of Brazil came to the conclusion that it was not an option to keep doing so. This resulted in a combined elite front of Brazilian politicians, no matter political ideologies, to b attle the Cortes and they all swore allegiance to Dom Pedro.Brazilian politicians gained more and more confidence and in 1822 Dom Pedro received the last dispatches from Portugal revoking his decrees, charging his ministers with treason and demanding him back to Lisbon, he declared; â€Å"I proclaim Brazil forevermore separated from Portugal†. It although took some time to expel the last Portuguese men from Brazil. The Portuguese army ended up in Salvador, Bahia after being expelled from Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian army was huge in terms of numbers but were not strong enough to overtake the Portuguese that consisted of 2. 00 regular troops and a 1. 500 men militia. The Portuguese had a major naval squadron stationed in Bahia, and therefore being in total control over the sea. Therefore Dom Pedro asked for the assistance of Lord Cochrane, a super successful frigate captain who had already played a major role in the independence of Chile in 1818. In 1823 Cochrane gathered a 9 ship Brazilian naval squadron for the blockade of Bahia and it was probably more reputation than actual force that made the Portuguese evacuate Bahia on June 2nd. The last Portuguese troops leftBrazil in March 1824 and Cochrane afterwards went to Rio de Janeiro to receive the title of Marques de Maranhao. Conclusion: The Brazilian independence was as mentioned earlier a pallet of many events and actors influencing the Brazilian population as well as the Portuguese. Brazilian demography and population size was important, not to mention the British, who played a large role all the way as an external actor. The moving of the regent to Rio de Janeiro and the Cortes helpless attempt to regain the former status of Brazil was definitely another factor influencing.Portugal as a nation was a declining European economy with trade deficits without Brazil. Also Brazil was not ruled by Portugal in the military way, and Portugal was only supplying the social stability in terms of a legal system. Therefore it makes no sense in itself for why Brazil should be ruled by a minor state compared to them selves. In my opinion the movement of the regent was one of the major events leading a much more joint operation and giving the Brazilians the local identity that led them to finally gaining independence in 1822.

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Business Plan - Essay Example The restaurant will specialize in a combination of fast cold or hot sandwiches and salads. It will also have specific recipes for the Dubai locals. The FWD’s unique menu, excellent location and repeat business are the main keys to the restaurants success. The restaurant will basically be a sole proprietorship owned by Ursula. The initial capital investment will be $30000. An additional of capital of $20000 will be raised in short term loan. The company will however overcome these challenges due to its excellent location. Further, it intends to draw into its main target market segment (business professionals) by providing a suitably upscale environment. For the restaurant to achieve the highest sales volume especially during its peak hours, it will seek to provide the customers with quality food and maximum number of services. It has planned charge a slightly higher price on its product and services that the competitors to justify for its upscale establishment and also cover for the operating costs that are expected to be higher because of the expanded and differentiated menu. First World Delicacies (FWD) is a new era restaurant that focuses on fast, nutritious and, healthy food to the local downtown area in Dubai. The restaurant will specialize in a combination of fast cold or hot sandwiches and salads. It will also have specific recipes for the Dubai locals. The distinct menu offered by the FWD allows it to follow a differentiation strategy which will allow it to provide hard to find or unique choices to its customers. All these will enable the restaurant to charge a slightly higher price that the customers thereby returning a significant profit. FWD is basically a restaurant which has both lunch and dinner menus. It also treats customers who come for dinner with a theme show. First World Delicacies (FWD) is a new era restaurant that

Cellular respiration and photosynthesis Assignment

Cellular respiration and photosynthesis - Assignment Example Traversing of protons across the membrane of cell, and cellular compartment/parts is done by  a biochemical pump called proton pump. ATP is the chief origin of cellular energy, which is obtained from adenosine diphosphate through  cellular respiration & photosynthesis. The hydrolysis of ATP is quickened by a class of enzyme called ATPase. Formation of ATP from ADP and a phosphate molecule is a biochemical process that captivates energy, i.e. endergonic reaction. Due to the traversing of proton across membrane, and catalytic effect of ATPase; subsequent amount of energy is released. The released energy is used for the conversion of ADP to ATP. Biochemical energy is mandatory to execute any activity ranging from cellular to macro level. Cellular energy is derived by two processes cellular respiration and photosynthesis. Cellular respiration is the one, in which energy sources like glucose are infringed down to derive productive energy in the form of ATP. It is the process in which CO2 is produced and O2 is absorbed.  Ã‚  The process in which, glucose is produced in plants under the effect of sunlight by combining CO2 and H2O is known as photosynthesis.

Blackberry Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Blackberry Marketing - Case Study Example As indicated in forth coming sections, over 41 million people use BlackBerry smartphones through 550 carriers and distribution partners in 175 countries around the world. This is encouraging enough to conduct the research on this organization as the results will not only offer enough insights, the experience would in all probability bring positive results for both the organization and the researcher. In order to explore the idea of gathering information, researching on previous efforts made by the organizations on similar exercise and its outcome, while we rely heavily on the website, our sources are not limited to the site alone but various reports published at regular interval in different journals. We begin with a brief paragraph introducing the different tasks being conducted to confirm the understanding of the researcher, methods adopted to make the research effective and higher objectives aimed for by the different exercises. This project has specific defined goals and milestones that are also listed in this paper. The first exercise would be an elaborate planning of the research for appropriate decision making, second exercise would be to create relevant questions to satisfy some of the objectives and information targets outlined in first exercise followed by the third exercise to collate necessary information based on the research conducted to arrive at decision and facilitate next steps 2. Task One: Research Planning for Decision Making 2.1 Introduction In this exercise, keeping the process and output in view, the research design is defined, regardless of traditional and conventional methods that were practiced earlier, as there are a few prevailing factors that inadvertently dominate the design of research we conduct. The attempt here is not just to identify the overall process appropriately but to expedite the execution and bring in better results. This paper deals with a few basic concepts definitions, along with challenges in the recent past, constraints and bottlenecks. The attempt therefore has been not just to address the research design aspect but the factors that need to be considered to ensure we have an effective design in place for Research and build information repository. While we leverage our previous learning from similar exercise, there is a clear effort to innovate to ensure optimistic results and eliminating hindrances in the different tasks we carry forward pertaining to Blackberry. The approach is primarily to evaluate a process realistically and introduce changes based on industry trends or other aspects that suit the process. In this exercise, we capture the trends in the past and also make relevant assumptions to arrive at a reasonable conclusion without much ambiguity. Organization Chosen: Blackberry 2.2 Organization

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Essay Example d be we should be prudent in how and what form they can provide financial or political support for Israel, without exempting them from the same accountability demanded of all nations and churches regarding human rights and international law. Lee von Bockmann, James. â€Å"Review: Philosophical Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, edited by Tomis Kapitan.† Arab Studies Quarterly 21.4 (1999): 105-109. ProQuest. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Lee von Bockmann reviews the book that Kapitan edited, Philosophical Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, has the strengths of revealing the dark side of Israel as a terrorist state and a secondary genocide maker because of its violent tactics and consequences. He discusses diverse philosophical perspectives that offers different philosophical lenses for the understanding and resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Mollov, Ben, and Chaim Lavie. â€Å"Culture, Dialogue and Perception Change in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.† International Journal of Conflict Management 12.1 (2001): 69-87. ProQuest. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Mollov and Lavie conducted a survey on Palestinian and Israeli students to understand how intercultural dialogue on people-to-people levels can result to more positive perceptions of one another. These perceptions can lead to common interests that can support long-term peace aspirations in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and other similar conflict settings. Naqib studies the economic effects of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on the collapse of the Oslo Accord. He asserts that the Israeli policies and actions have destabilized the Palestinian economy by limiting trade, taxation, labor market flows, and access to land, which resulted to income decline, poverty, and unemployment in Palestinian territories. He argues that two important issues are the Palestinian right of sovereignty and the right to liberate their economy from colonial reliance on Israel. Roy examines the paradigm shifts that

Marketing Plan for a Brand in Trouble Assignment

Marketing Plan for a Brand in Trouble - Assignment Example FW Woolworth's UK subsidiary (Woolworths Ltd.) and B&Q were bought two years later by Paternoster, who are now known as Kingfisher PLC and are still B&Q's parent company. Since being bought out by Kingfisher, employees of B&Q have enjoyed a 20% discount on all products. Mid 1990's saw B&Q open a new format of store known as the B&Q Depot. This was a forerunner of a new class of store known as the B&Q Warehouse. Beckton, Enfield and Romford were amongst the first of the new Warehouse class stores to open (United Kingdom: Case Study: B&Q Direct, 2003). In the late 1990s, B&Q became active in the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. It co-operated in 1995 with parent company Kingfisher PLC to open its first overseas subsidiary in Taiwan, and in 1996 the first overseas large home improvement center in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. In 1998, it acquired NOMI, Poland's leading chain of DIY stores. Later that year, B&Q merged with France's Castorama. In 1999 B&Q opened a store in Shanghai, China and acquired the British hardware mail-order company, Screwfix. By the year 2000, B&Q had fifty of its larger Warehouse stores. This had doubled by 2003. B&Q's Direct's online transactional website, www.DIY.com, was launched in January 2001. By March 2003, it had become one of the largest stores in B&Q and its continued rapid growth will soon make it the biggest store in the group. The site sells a range of 14,000 products and is already the number one store for many heavy and bulky items and many other smaller product ranges (United Kingdom: Case Study: B&Q Direct, 2003). As well as generating considerable revenues of its own, DIY.com is part of a wider, multi-channel retail strategy that includes call centres and catalogues. All channels feed each other. For instance, 10% of those that shop in-store have researched their purchases online. A critical component in the overall success of DIY.com and the B&Q Direct call centres is their ability to process credit and debit cards efficiently and to restrict the level of card fraud. In September 2002, B&Q Direct appointed DataCash, a leading UK-based provider of outsourced payment processing and fraud prevention solutions, to handle the credit and debit card processing for both DIY.com and all its call centres (U.K. Retail Sales Plunge Most in at Least 10 Years: Update3, 2006). Before DataCash was appointed, B&Q had used a software solution provided by a US-based company to handle its card processing. B&Q had two key issues with this solution, one technical and one business, which led them to look for a new supplier (United Kingdom: Case Study: B&Q Direct, 2003). Based on the discussion, "MarketVVizard's Market Thoughts" (2005), European economies U.K. retail sales plunge most in 10 Years. Shares of companies including Plc and Kingfisher Plc declined in London after the British Retail Consortium said sales in stores open at least a year dropped 4.7 percent from a year ago, the biggest decline since comparable figures began in 1995. Domestic demand is clearly slowing a lot quicker than was anticipated even a month ago,'' said Peter Dixon, an economist at Commerzbank AG in London. After an unprecedented run of strength it's time for consumers to stop, regroup, and think about getting their finances back in order.'' British factory production

UKCCA Event Project assessment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UKCCA Event Project assessment - Coursework Example All the activities listed above are potential fun filled activities that can be a good source of relaxation and the students that the communities living near the centre could engage in. the centre needs to clearly plan for the activity chosen and the target group of customers so that it achieves success in hosting any of the events. During this time the centre will host a couple’s night out and a special dinner party. The party should include a special dance session at the end which will be a performance by an artist to be decided upon by the organizing committee. The party whose main attraction group should be young couples who do not get the chance to go out during the year, should include themes that attract the young couples especially in collage and those that have just left collage. This group is targeted because they do not get the chance to go out often due to schooling commitments or work and at this festive time they would consider an outing. The dinner will include a meal preferably a buffet served at the restaurant. The guests who will have specific preferences will be allowed to send in their requests in time to facilitate earlier preparation. At the end of the dinner, a music band will entertain the guests and a dance will be in order to conclude the function. The party will include costs for hiring the venue in order to host the event. An ample seating space for the guests and parking should the visitors need the same. The seating allowance at each table will be as indicated by the management of the centre. The costs at each table will be at normal charges and the payment of the Disk jokey and the performing artist will be catered for by the event crew. In addition, more ushering staff will also be hired by the organizing committee. For the entire plan of financing the whole party, kindly see the

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 8

Research Paper Example Such drive of accountability comes from the quest of integrity from public sector management (Oshisami, 2004). Off late, the government sector is coming into increasing focus because of the rise in number of frauds and inappropriate use of public funds. Such irresponsible behavior on the part of the government has called increased attention to accountability and transparency on the part of auditors and accounting managers in these firms and those associated with such government firms (Banker, Chang & Cunningham, 2003). The paper is aimed at finding out the possible reasons behind ethical issues that auditor experience in government firms over auditing practices. The paper proceeds in two forms of data analysis to support and provide weight to the view. The primary data is collected by means of an interview of 30 auditors belonging to a private audit firm who do audits for government organization. The interviewees were quizzed over various aspects of ethical auditing problems in government firms. The secondary research over the topic was done by means of extensive research through journals, articles and books. The research moved on to identify problem areas in ethical auditing and tries to suggest recommendation for improvement over those. Auditing can be defined as a self-determining examination of books of accounts of an organization done by a designated person which gives a fair view of whether accounts maintained are true and reasonable and also whether they comply with regulatory requirements or not. Audit can be classified into three types of categories. In a recent report, it was found that one of the big four auditing firms, Ernst & Young had reported a flaw in about 48% of its audits revealed by the US government auditing regulators. Such inefficiencies included insufficient tests of their customer’s internal safeguards, failure of identification of revenue

Respiratory Distress in Newborn Essay Example for Free

Respiratory Distress in Newborn Essay Respiratory problem are often the case in newborns. It accounts for nearly half of neonatal deaths. Research by Kumar Bhat (1996, p. 93) states that Respiratory Depression (RD) is a common neonatal problem that generally occurs in preterm infants due to surfactant deficiency which relates to antenatal history of immature lung development and term infants of diabetic mothers. To describe some of the common diagnosis associated with RD are: Transient Tachypnea of the newborn (TTNB) was found to be common in both term and preterm babies. Hyaline membrane disease (HMD) was common among pre terms, and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) among term and post-term babies. Fatality for RD was found to be 19%, being highest for HMD (57. 1%), followed by MAS (21. 8%) and infection (15. 6%). Therefore, it is crucial to recognise the signs of RD and ensure prompt treatment is rendered to minimize mortality and mobility in newborns at the delivery wards. Accurate physical assessment is done on the newborn on the first and fifth minute at birth to determine if the newborn is getting enough oxygen. By administering APGAR scoring based on each of the components that are assessed in the APGAR scoring are : Cardiovascular (heart rate, color of the skin), fetal respiratory (quality of breathing and neuromuscular function (tone and reflexes based on fetal tone and response to external stimuli). According to Apgar cited in Letko(1996, p. 299) the leading concerns was the ability to rapidly identify newborns requiring resuscitative measures in improving the prognosis. It is done to prevent respiratory depressed newborns from being incorrectly assessed, while minimizing delivery of oxygen and other unnecessary treatment to healthy newborns. Giacoia stated in Letko (1996, p. 300) indicates that a low APGAR score implies an abnormal condition in the newborn, but it does not suggest a specific etiology. Hypotonia in newborn with neuromuscular disorder, for example, may be mistakenly diagnosed to be the cause of birth asphyxia when the newborn is unable to establish or maintain breathing. Maternal sedation and analgesia likewise may decrease tone and responsiveness, resulting in lower score. Managanaro (1994, p. 99) added that infants with 1-min APGAR score was influenced by the mode of delivery and by gestational age rather than asphyxia. Instead, 5-min APGAR score had a high correlation with metabolic acidemia. Infants with low APGAR scores, presented with metabolic acidemia and arterial desaturation have the highest occurance of neonatal intensive care unit . admission and poor neonatal outcome. Therefore, study suggests that the 5-min APGAR score is necessary for immediate assessment and care of the neonate. Scoring APGAR is subjective in terms of interpretation and may lead to biasness. Therefore to correct this deficit, midwives are scoring APGAR at 1 and 5 minute intervals as recommended by Apgar supported in Letko( 1996, p. 00). Letko (1996, p. 302) furthermore, points out by determining oxygenation status by observing cyanosis is an inaccurate method. The manipulating factor consists of the examiner’s skill, adequate lighting, newborn’s skin condition, peripheral perfusion, and hemoglobin level. Physiological changes in the newborn such as functional closure of ductus arteriosus, ductus venosus, and foramen ovale may cause the newborn looking cyanosed. Midwives’ ability to differentiate central and peripheral cyanosis is critical for initiating treatment. Letko (1996, p. 02) explains when present throughout the body, including the mucous membranes and tongue, this condition is termed central cyanosis. When limited to the extremities, it is termed peripheral cyanosis or acrocyanosis. In comparison, central cyanosis refers to central cyanosis is more detrimental as it can result in range of disorder in areas such as cardiac, metabolic and neurological disorders. Newborns may require supplemental oxygen therapy to correct cyanosis. To decrease the subjectivity of the color changes, new technologies, such as pulse oximetry, can be employed with APGAR scoring. Research conducted by House. et. al (1987, p. 96) with regards to the examination of oxygen saturation of neonates in delivery room via the use of pulse oximetry is applicable in my current setting. It states that oxygen saturation did not differ significantly whether by vaginally or by ceaserean section or the presence of any or type of anaesthesia administered. They then concluded that pulse oxygen saturation values are highly accurate and useful in objective judging the adequacy of resuscitative efforts and identifying arterial desaturation during early neonatal period. Alternative methods of assessing oxygenation in neonates, consists of evaluation of cord gas status. Blood gas values are significant for determining oxygenation levels in ill newborns. There are challenges faced in aspects such as blood sampling posed by fast changing bodily processes, difficult assess to arterial sites coupled with small blood volumes and mixed venous samples. Clinicians must consider the importance of associating cord gas results with history taking (maternal history), physical assessments findings and laboratory indices in order to have a comprehensive picture and formulate therapeutic decisions. Brouillette and Waxman (1997, p. 215) suggests when obtaining cord gas samples, arterial blood gas measurements were preferred and taken as the gold standard compared to capillary measurements. Arguments cited in Huch, Huch and Rooth (1994, p. 168. ) against capillary blood sampling include: The skills of the operator, the presenting part of the fetus and membranes must be ruptured. However, it is argued that the merits of sampling capillary blood via fetal scalp sampling for analysis of blood gases are that it is technically easier due to easy access to sites and less likely to result in serious complications than arterial puncture. Therefore, it is a clinically useful method only if the blood gas samples obtained are a sufficiently accurate for arterial measurements. Adapted from Brouillette and Waxman (1997 p. 219), pH values more than 7. 2 are considered reassuring and below 7. 2 suggest immediate neonatal attention is necessary. To ensure accurate results in cord gas samples, the following aspects should be carried out in clinical practice. These include applying good sterile techniques to the site of arterial assess and prevent hemodilution. Also when interpreting results, the midwife must consider different diagnosis that will affect acid- base balance in newborns. Eg. Pulmonary hypertension. Scopes and Ahmad (1966, p. 25) suggests that by monitoring rectal temperature can be used as an indicator to oxygen requirements. Inadequate oxygenation will lead to decrease in deep body temperature. Correcting hypoxia by increasing oxygen consumption will increase deep body temperature. In practice, it is important to maintain the temperature of the labor room to be constant 21-25 degrees and baby’s body and head should be dried immediately after birth to minimize heat loss by evaporation since newborns have poor ability to retain eat (due to their increase skin surface area) which resulted in hypoxia. Aspiration of meconium distinctively occurs after an event of fetal hypoxic stress which leads to intestinal peristalsis, meconium contamination of the amniotic fluid, and gasping respirations that could draw the harmful meconium-stained liqour deep into the fetal lung. All of these would result in white patches observed in chest X-ray. Reflecting on the current practice, after delivery of the fetal head suction is administered to the oropharynx and nasopharynx to remove meconium in the oral and nasal cavities. Initial treatment following delivery, endotracheal suctioning is carried out to remove any remaining meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Improvement in nursing care as cited in Shorten (1989, p. 167) can be made to minimize negative effects throughout the suctioning procedure includes: length of time away from the oxygen source, both the duration and magnitude of applied suction, the ratio of diameters of suction catheter to endotracheal tube, depth of catheter insertion and the amount the infant is handled throughout the procedure. Strategies to improve methods of maintaining airway and minimise negative effects during suctioning include: preoxygenation with hyperventilation or continuous insufflation of oxygen, limiting the depth of catheter insertion to just beyond the distal end of the endotracheal tube, use of sedation and minimise infant handling. Placing basic resuscitation skills and equipment in the hands of midwives would significantly reduce early newborn deaths . A complete neonatal assessment, midwives should include a detailed history (maternal history). Assessment of family history reveals the presence of inheritable congenital defects on the onset and duration of respiratory symptoms, providing clues for early detection and treatment. Such as TTNB begins early and improves with time. Conversely, sepsis and pneumonia may have no early signs but may develop hours to days later. A proper evaluation is crucial as it allows anticipation of any disease that may cause impairment in oxygenation of neonates. Antepartum infection status is important, with regards to assessment on the duration of rupture, color of amniotic fluid . If Group B streptococcous colonisation is present after rupture of membranes, antibiotics can be administered as prophylaxis Additional skills that a midwife should include to effectively assess oxygenation are: applying skills of cardiac auscultation, it detects murmurs indicative of congenital heart anomalies and allows for early intervention to resolve respiratory depression before it worsens. Adding on to assessment using lung auscultation skills may show asymmetrical chest movement in pneumothorax or crackles in pneumonia, or it can be completely clear in transient tachypnea or persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. General assessment of physical examination, midwives are prudent to look for apnea, tachypnea, grunting, stridor, retraction, nasal flaring and using hands to feel for equal lung expansion to identify signs of RD in neonates. Regular monitoring of vital signs such as maternal temperature, maternal tachycardia, and fetal heart status are essential to identify and arrest meconium aspiration and chorioamnionitis Training programmes are developed to reinforce skills which includes; evidence-based action plans with pictorial algorithm through problem-based scenarios in curriculum to facilitate better understanding and learning. Additional courses can also be conducted to correct any knowledge deficits such as: refresher courses, regular neonatal ‘mock’ scenarios to keep midwives updated of current procedures and aid revision of neonatal resuscitation protocols. To ensure prompt action, better communication pathways can be put in place to reinforce the urgency of NICU staff on the need to attend a delivery by the midwives. Which includes: where, when, urgency, indication and gestational age. (â€Å"Neonatal Resuscitation Reviewing the Past to Improve the Future†, 2001). Hermansen and Lorah (2007, p. 990) suggests treatment for neonatal respiratory distress can be both generalized and disease-specific. As Carr (2011) highlighted that midwives should be updated of current neonatal resuscitation protocols. Simple skills like tactile stimulation could save the majority of babies that require help to breathe at the time of birth. Neonates who require oxygen can be enhanced with supplemental oxygen, nasal cannula, or mechanical ventilation in severe cases. Endogenous surfactant administration may be necessary. Antibiotics are administered if bacterial infection is suspected. In conclusion, midwives are in unique position to render lifesaving care to newborns. They can do so by incorporating their skills in doing general assessment first hand to spot RD. Then, applying proper treatment to correct poor oxygenation levels so that to increase the survival of the newborn. Midwives constantly seek to increase their knowledge to improve their skills by demonstrating evidence- based practice in their daily care.

Federalist papers-The House of Representatives and the Senate Essay Example for Free

Federalist papers-The House of Representatives and the Senate Essay The United States congress which is also the legislature one of the three arms of government is divided into two chambers; the House of Representatives ‘house’ and the Senate. They both serve a vital role in ensuring that the proper policies and laws that represent the citizen’s views are passed. The House of Representatives is made up of representatives from all the states. The Senate being the upper house is made up of individuals two from every state who are chosen by not looking at the populations in the states. Thus ensuring equal representation. They have the powers of consenting treaties, appointing federal officials for instance judges, secretaries in the cabinet and even the senior military personnel. The Publius writings are the name under which the Federalist papers were referred to back in the day when they were being formulated. These papers aid in highlighting the functions of the House and Senate in relation to how they were formed, the principles that govern how the members are elected, how they work and how their role plays an important part in the formulation of policies. There are several differences and similarities between these two chambers. The differences include that the senate is headed by the sitting Vice President who will vote in case there is a tie. The House of Representative is headed by the speaker who is elected by the members. â€Å"The senate is made up of 100 senators while the house has about 435 representatives and the number is determined by the populations they represent. In addition, the senators serve six year terms while the representatives serve 2 years (Patrick 225).† Though having many people means that the citizens’ views are well represented, these large numbers are said to inhibit them reaching a solution quickly. Since the senate is made up of fewer individuals, they form a strong team that is able to make and reach decisions quickly. This is well stated by James Madison in the Publius no. 63,   where it states that the senates’ small number makes it more stable and because of this, they are in a better position to form strong and lasting relations with foreign countries. moreover, he says that because the senators serve a longer period, this ensures that they will be held accountable for actions as well as policies   they have formulated. By being aware of this fact, they are always cautious of what they do. â€Å"The representatives on the other hand serve a smaller term therefore they will not be as keen as the senators after all they will not be around to be held responsible (Grossman 70).† This is further enhanced in the federalist no. 53 which states that the people who are chosen should be governed that are given to the House are not enough because during that period they have just known how the office works therefore their knowledge on foreign affairs is limited. The functions of the House of Representatives are mostly legislative purposes. â€Å"This is because their numbers enable them to pass ordinary legislation, override vetoes and make amendments (Wescott 127).† This is much more than what the senate can do. In the Federalist no. 66, Hamilton says that there is likelihood that the senators can act corrupt more so because they will side with the president or influenced by the public to make invalid decisions. For this reason, he does not see why they should be allowed to pass judgments. Though they are restricted to serving these purposes mostly, they can contribute in the impeachment of legislators. Senators are also engaged in the legislative matters but will also try those political offenses that the house has agreed on. On top of this, it acts as an executive council to the state. When the president wants to engage in treaties with other countries, the Senate has to agree on it before it is signed. This is quoted in the federalist no. 64 as it is said that, â€Å"the Senates advice is valuable and necessary.† Moreover if he appoints people to the high offices; the senate has to agree on the same issue. These powers of engaging in international treaties are not found within the House. The similarities are that there gender equality is observed in both chambers as men and women are elected. The role of both the Senate and the house is to ensure that proper laws are passed and that they are adjusted regularly so that they can fit with the changing times. Another similarity between the House and the Senate is that they both ensure that the system of election is just and according to the constitution. This therefore shows an example with which the national elections are conducted such that all individuals are treated fairly. â€Å"This is seen in Federalist 78 where constitution morality with regard to the proper use of the judicial system so as to enhance trust in the judicial system is enhanced (Wescott 144).† The House carries the banner for the whole constitution as the representatives are elected in a just manner and they represent the populations. This is because the voters in such electors are the same ones who elect state legislators as found in the Federalist no, 52.   These elections are administered by the states and are done in proper organized manner. For this reason, the system is fair and shows that the federal state elections need to be conducted in such an orderly manner. The same applies to the senate because only the competent individuals with prior experience in state matters are chosen. â€Å"Madison in the Federalist no. 62 says that the Senate is structured so that it can overcome the various organizational structures that face government institutions thus enhancing its stability (Millican 171).† Both the senate and the House of Representatives have the power to make pass policies that will impact different sectors of the economy with regards to what they feel is right for the people. This is because before a bill becomes law, it has to be approved by majority of the senate and the House of Representatives. To ensure that they do their work well, the Senate and the House engage in frequent meetings where they discuss issues that face the country and what needs to be done, share ideas, debate over issues as this aids in making strategic decisions and voting on bills. By doing this, they are fulfilling their constitutional rights to the people. Conclusion Though the Senate presence is considered to be more superior to the House of Representatives, they both play an important part in congress as they work in unison with other arms of government to ensure that the country is propelled in the right direction. The Federalist papers therefore ensure that there is balance within the system especially in the distribution of power so as to ensure that laws are passed in proper ways without bias. Works Cited Grofman, Bernard Wittman Donald. The Federalist Papers and the new institutionalism Algora Publishing, 1989 Grossman Jay. Reconstituting the American renaissance: Emerson, Whitman, and the politics of representation. Duke University Press, 2003 p.70 Millican Edward. One united people: the Federalist papers and the national idea. University Press of Kentucky, 1990 p. 171 Patrick John J. Founding the Republic: a documentary history. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995 p. 225 Wescott C. George. The Federalist: design for a constitutional republic. University of Illinois Press, 1994

Leukopenia And Leukemia Risk Factors Biology Essay

Leukopenia And Leukemia Risk Factors Biology Essay A clinical condition, known as leukopenia occasionally occurs in which the bone marrow produces very few white blood cells, leaving the body unprotected against many bacteria and other agents that might invade the tissues. Normally, the human body lives in symbiosis with many bacteria, because all the mucous membranes of the body are constantly exposed to large numbers of bacteria. The mouth almost always contains various spirochetal, pneumococcal, and streptococcal bacteria, and these same bacteria are present to a lesser extent in the entire respiratory tract. The distal gastrointestinal tract is especially loaded with colon bacilli. Furthermore, one can always find bacteria on the surfaces of the eyes, urethra, and vagina. Any decrease in the number of white blood cells immediately allows invasion of adjacent tissues by bacteria that are already present. Within 2 days after the bone marrow stops producing white blood cells, ulcers may appear in the mouth and colon, or the person might develop some form of severe respiratory infection. Bacteria from the ulcers rapidly invade surrounding tissues and the blood. Without treatment, death often ensues in less than a week after acute total leukopenia begins. Irradiation of the body by x-rays or gamma rays, or exposure to drugs and chemicals that contain benzene or anthracene nuclei, is likely to cause aplasia of the bone marrow. Indeed, some common drugs, such as chloramphenicol (an antibiotic), thiouracil (used to treat thyrotoxicosis), and even various barbiturate hypnotics, on very rare occasions cause leukopenia, thus setting off the entire infectious sequence of this malady. After moderate irradiation injury to the bone marrow, some stem cells, myeloblasts, and hemocytoblasts may remain undestroyed in the marrow and are capable of regenerating the bone marrow, provided sufficient time is available. A patient properly treated with transfusions, plus antibiotics and other drugs to ward off infection, usually develops enough new bone marrow within weeks to months for blood cell concentrations to return to normal. Leukemia Leukemia is a cancer of one class of white blood cells in the bone marrow, which results in the proliferation of that cell type to the exclusion of other types. Leukemia appears to be a clonal disorder, meaning one abnormal cancerous cell proliferates without control, producing an abnormal group of daughter cells. These cells prevent other blood cells in the bone marrow from developing normally, causing them to accumulate in the marrow. Because of these factors, leukemia is called an accumulation and a clonal disorder. Eventually, leukemic cells take over the bone marrow. This reduces blood levels of all nonleukemic cells, causing the many generalized symptoms of leukemia. Types of Leukemia Leukemia is described as acute or chronic, depending on the suddenness of appearance and how well differentiated the cancerous cells are. The cells of acute leukemia are poorly differentiated, whereas those of chronic leukemia are usually well differentiated. Leukemia is also described based on the proliferating cell type. For instance, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood leukemia, describes a cancer of a primitive lymphocyte cell line. Granulocytic leukemias are leukemias of the eosinophils, neutrophils, or basophils. Leukemia in adults is usually chronic lymphocytic or acute myeloblastic. Long-term survival rates for leukemia depend on the involved cell type, but range to more than 75% for childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia, which is a remarkable statistic for what was once a nearly always fatal disease. Risk Factors for Developing Leukemia Risk factors for leukemia include a genetic predisposition coupled with a known or unknown initiator (mutating) event. Siblings of children with leukemia are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop the disease than other children. Certain abnormal chromosomes are seen in a high percentage of patients with leukemia. Likewise, individuals with certain chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome, have an increased risk of developing leukemia. Exposures to radiation, some drugs that depress the bone marrow, and various chemotherapeutic agents have been suggested to increase the risk of leukemia. Environmental agents such as pesticides and certain viral infections also have been implicated. Previous illness with a variety of diseases associated with hematopoiesis (blood cell production) has been shown to increase the risk of leukemia. These diseases include Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, polycythemia vera, sideroblastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Chronic leukemia may sometimes transform into acute leukemia. Clinical Manifestations Acute leukemia has marked clinical manifestations. Chronic leukemia progresses slowly and may have few symptoms until advanced. Pallor and fatigue from anemia. Frequent infections caused by a decrease in white blood cells. Bleeding and bruising caused by thrombocytopenia and coagulation disorders. Bone pain caused by accumulation of cells in the marrow, which leads to increased pressure and cell death. Unlike growing pains, bone pain related to leukemia is usually progressive. Weight loss caused by poor appetite and increased caloric consumption by neoplastic cells. Lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly caused by leukemic cell infiltration of these lymphoid organs may develop. Central nervous system symptoms may occur. Diagnostic Tools Laboratory findings include alterations in specific blood cell counts, with overall elevation or deficiency in white blood cell count variable, depending on the type of cell affected. Bone marrow tests demonstrate clonal proliferation and blood cell accumulation. Cerebral spinal fluid is examined to rule out central nervous system involvement. Complications Children who survive leukemia have an increased risk of developing a new malignancy later on in life when compared to children who have never had leukemia, most likely related to the aggressiveness of chemotherapeutic (or radiological) regimens. Treatment regimens, including bone marrow transplant, are associated with temporary bone marrow depression, and increase the risk of developing a severe infection that could lead to death. Even with successful treatment and remission, leukemic cells may still persist, suggesting residual disease. Implications for prognosis and cure are unclear. Treatment Multiple drug chemotherapy. Antibiotics to prevent infection. Transfusions of red blood cells and platelets to reverse anemia and prevent bleeding. Bone marrow transplant may successfully treat the disease. Blood products and broad spectrum antibiotics are provided during bone marrow transplant procedures to fight and prevent infection. Immunotherapy, including interferons and other cytokines, is used to improve outcome. Therapy may be more conservative for chronic leukemia. The treatments described earlier may contribute to the symptoms by causing further bone marrow depression, nausea, and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting may be controlled or reduced by pharmacologic and behavioral intervention. Anthocyanins (chemicals with known antioxidant and liver protecting properties) isolated from the plant Hibiscus sabdariffa are being studied as chemopreventive agents in that they cause cancer cell apoptosis (death) in human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Anemia Anemia is a condition in which there is a reduced number of red blood cells or decreased concentration of hemoglobin in those cells or both. Anemia is often a manifestation of some disease process or abnormality within the body. Although there are many causes of anemia, the actual mechanism by which the anemia results is generally due to (1) excess loss or destruction of red blood cells and (2) reduced or defective production of red blood cells. Anemias may be classified according to cause or effect on red cell morphology Size changes Normocytic anemia RBC size is unchanged Example: Blood loss anemia Macrocytic anemia RBC size is increased Example: B12/folic acid deficiency anemia Microcytic anemia RBC size is reduced Example: Iron deficiency anemia Color changes (due to altered hemoglobin content) Normochromic Normal hemoglobin concentration Hypochromic Reduced hemoglobin concentration Example: Iron deficiency anemia may be classified as a microcytic, hypochromic anemia as both red blood cell size and hemoglobin content are reduced General manifestations of anemia A major feature of anemia is a reduced capacity for the transport of oxygen to tissues. This reduced oxygen delivery can result in the following: Ischemia Fatigability Breathlessness upon exertion Exercise intolerance Pallor Increased susceptibility to infection Types of anemia Hemolytic anemia Anemia that results from excess destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). Factors that may cause hemolysis include the following: Autoimmune destruction of red blood cells Certain drugs (example: quinine) or toxins Cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia Rheumatoid arthritis Certain viral infections (parvovirus) Parasitic infections (malaria) Blood loss anemia Anemia that results from acute blood loss. With acute loss of large amounts of blood, shock is the major concern. With chronic loss of smaller amounts of blood, iron deficiency is a chief concern. Causes of acute and chronic blood loss may include the following: Trauma and hemorrhage Malignancy Peptic ulcers Iron-deficiency anemia Iron-deficiency anemia is a major cause of anemia worldwide. It can occur as a result of iron-deficient diets. Vegetarians are at particular risk for iron deficiency as are menstruating or pregnant women due to increased requirement for iron. Iron-deficiency anemia may also result from poor absorption of iron from the intestine or persistent blood loss (e.g., ulcers, neoplasia). Because iron is the functional component of hemoglobin, lack of available iron will result in a decreased hemoglobin synthesis and subsequent impairment of red blood cell oxygen-carrying capacity. Cobalamin-deficiency or folate-deficiency anemia Cobalamin (vitamin B 12) and folic acid are essential nutrients required for DNA synthesis and red cell maturation, respectively. Deficiency of these nutrients will lead to the formation of red blood cells that are of abnormal shape with shortened life spans due to weakened cell membranes. One important cause of vitamin B 12 deficiency is pernicious anemia that results from a lack of intrinsic factor production by the gastric mucosa. Intrinsic factor is required for normal absorption of vitamin B 12 from the intestine. Any intestinal abnormalities (e.g., neoplasia, inflammation) that interfere with the production of intrinsic factor can lead to vitamin B 12 deficiency. Folic acid deficiency most commonly results from poor diet, malnutrition or intestinal malabsorption. Inherited anemia Anemia may also result from genetic defects in red blood cell structure or function. Two common genetic disorders of erythrocytes are sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. Both of these disorders result from abnormal or absent genes for the production of hemoglobin. Sickle cell disease Sickle cell disease is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production. In the United States the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease is in blacks with a reported incidence of approximately 1 in 500 births. Sickle cell disease has several patterns of inheritance that determine the severity of the disease in afflicted individuals. In the homozygous form of the disease, most of the hemoglobin formed is defective and the clinical presentation is most severe. With the heterozygous form of the disease, less than half of the red cell hemoglobin is affected and the presentation is significantly milder. Individuals may also inherit the sickle cell trait and be carriers of the defective hemoglobin gene without significant clinical manifestations. Manifestations of sickle cell disease: The abnormal hemoglobin formed in sickle cell disease results from a substitution mutation of a single amino acid. This mutation causes the deoxygenated hemoglobin to clump and become abnormally rigid. The rigidity of the defective hemoglobin deforms the pliable red blood cell membrane and causes erythrocytes to take on sickled or half-moon appearance. The degree of sickling that occurs is determined by the amount of abnormal hemoglobin within the red blood cell and only occurs when the abnormal hemoglobin is deoxygenated. As a result of their elongated shape and rigidity, affected blood cells do not pass easily through narrow blood vessels. Hemolysis of sickled red blood cells is also common. The spleen is a major site of red cell hemolysis since the blood vessels found within this organ are narrow and convoluted. As a result of the sluggish blood flow, many tissues and organs of the body are eventually affected by this disorder. Specific manifestations may include the following: Impaired oxygen-carrying capacity resulting in fatigue, pallor Occlusion of blood vessels leading to ischemia, hypoxia, pain Organ damage Splenomegaly due to increased destruction of red blood cells in this organ Jaundice as a result of increased amounts of hemoglobin released into circulation Increased risk of infection and possible septicemia due to stagnation of blood Thalassemia Thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by absent or defective production of hemoglobin ÃŽÂ ± or ÃŽÂ ² chains. As with sickle cell anemia, afflicted individuals may be heterozygous for the trait and have a milder presentation of the disease or homozygous and have a more severe form of the disorder. The ÃŽÂ ² form of thalassemia (defective formation of ÃŽÂ ² hemoglobin chains) is most common in individuals from Mediterranean populations, whereas the ÃŽÂ ± form of thalassemia (defective formation of ÃŽÂ ± hemoglobin chains) occurs mostly in Asians. Both the ÃŽÂ ± and ÃŽÂ ² forms of thalassemia are common in blacks. Manifestations of thalassemia In heterozygous individuals enough normal hemoglobin is usually synthesized to prevent significant anemia. In these individuals symptoms of anemia may appear only with exercise or physiologic stress. Homozygous individuals are often dependent on frequent transfusions to treat the resulting severe anemia. Children affected with the homozygous form may suffer severe growth retardation. The widespread hypoxia that can result from impaired oxygen-carrying capacity leads to erythropoietin-induced increases in hematopoiesis that can eventually affect the structure of the long bones. Severe anemia may also lead to congestive heart failure and marked hepatosplenomegaly. Excessive hemolysis of red blood cells may occur in severe forms of the disease due to overproduction of the normal hemoglobin subunit. Iron deposits from increased absorption and frequent transfusions may injure the liver and heart as well. Treatment of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia Individuals with inherited anemia should avoid physiologic stresses that might exacerbate hypoxia. Infections should be avoided and promptly treated if they occur to prevent a possible hypoxic crisis. Proper immunizations and vaccinations should be administered to lessen the chance of infection. Frequent transfusions of normal erythrocytes are commonly used in individuals with severe forms of inherited anemia during periods of crisis. These individuals are at risk for iron accumulation as well as contracting blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis and HIV from improperly screened blood. Bone marrow transplant may be utilized effectively to cure patients with genetic anemias; however, the procedure carries considerable risk of its own. Aplastic anemia Aplastic anemia results from a lack of red blood cell production by the bone marrow. If erythrocyte stem cell precursors are lacking or destroyed, the process of erythropoiesis will be severely impaired. Aplastic anemia may result from a congenital defect in stem cell production or can be caused by exposure to agents that damage the bone marrow such as Chemicals (organic solvents, heavy metals), radiation, toxins, HIV infection, chemotherapeutic drugs and certain antibiotics (Chloramphenicol). Drug-induced aplastic anemia is usually a dose-dependent phenomenon. The clinical manifestations of aplastic anemia will depend on the extent to which hematopoiesis is impaired. General symptoms of anemia such as pallor, fatigue and lethargy can occur initially. Bleeding in the skin and from the nose, mouth and body orifices may also occur from a lack of platelet production by the abnormal bone marrow. Increased susceptibility to infection is also seen as a result of diminished white blood cell production. The underlying cause of the aplastic anemia needs to be identified and further exposure prevented. Treatment should also include avoidance of physiologic stresses and infection. Transfusions are effective for temporarily improving oxygen-carrying capacity. In severe cases, bone marrow transplant may offer a cure. Polycythemia Polycythemia is a disorder in which the number of red blood cells in circulation is greatly increased. There are two categories of polycythemia: relative and primary. Relative polycythemia results from an increase in the concentration of red blood cells due to a loss of plasma volume. In contrast, primary polycythemia (polycythemia vera) is caused by excessive proliferation of bone marrow stem cells. Polycythemia vera is a rare neoplastic disorder that occurs in men between the ages of 40 and 60. A secondary form of polycythemia may occur from excess erythropoietin production as a physiologic response to hypoxia. Secondary polycythemia may be seen in individuals living at high altitudes, in chronic smokers or in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Manifestations Increased blood volume and viscosity Increased risk of thrombus Occlusion of small blood vessels Hepatosplenomegaly from pooling of blood Impaired blood flow to tissues (ischemia) Treatment Increasing fluid volume in relative polycythemia Periodic removal of blood to reduce viscosity and volume in primary polycythemia Chemotherapy or radiation to suppress activity of bone marrow stem cells in polycythemia vera Thrombocytopenia (Purpura) Thrombocytopenia represents a decrease in the number of circulating platelets (usually less than 100,000/mm3). It can result from decreased platelet production by the bone marrow, increased pooling of platelets in the spleen, or decreased platelet survival caused by immune or nonimmune mechanisms. Dilutional thrombocytopenia can result from massive transfusions because blood stored for more that 24 hours has virtually no platelets. Decreased platelet production can result from suppression or failure of bone marrow function, such as occurs in aplastic anemia, or from replacement of bone marrow by malignant cells, such as occurs in leukemia. Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppresses the production of megakaryocytes. Radiation therapy and drugs such as those used in the treatment of cancer may suppress bone marrow function and reduce platelet production. There may be normal production of platelets but excessive pooling of platelets in the spleen. The spleen normally sequesters approximately 30% to 40% of the platelets. However, as much as 80% of the platelets can be sequestered when the spleen is enlarged (splenomegaly). Splenomegaly occurs in cirrhosis with portal hypertension and in lymphomas. Decreased platelet survival is an important cause of thrombocytopenia. In many cases, premature destruction of platelets is caused by antiplatelet antibodies or immune complexes. The antibodies can be directed against self-antigens (autoimmunity) or against nonself platelet antigens (from blood transfusions). Autoimmune thrombocytopenias include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and HIV-associated thrombocytopenias. Decreased platelet survival may also occur as the result of mechanical injury associated with prosthetic heart valves. Drug-Induced Thrombocytopenia Some drugs, such as quinine, quinidine, and certain sulfa-containing antibiotics, may induce thrombocytopenia. These drugs act as a hapten and induce antigen-antibody response and formation of immune complexes that cause platelet destruction by complement-mediated lysis. In persons with drug-associated thrombocytopenia, there is a rapid fall in platelet count within 2 to 3 days of resuming use of a drug or 7 or more days (i.e., the time needed to mount an immune response) after starting use of a drug for the first time. The platelet count rises rapidly after the drug use is discontinued. The anticoagulant drug heparin has been increasingly implicated in thrombocytopenia and, paradoxically, in thrombosis. The complications typically occur 5 days after the start of therapy and result from production of heparin-dependent antiplatelet antibodies that cause aggregation of platelets and their removal from the circulation. The antibodies often bind to vessel walls, causing injury and thrombosis. The newer, low-molecular-weight heparin has been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of heparin-induced complications compared with the older, high-molecular-weight form of the drug. Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an autoimmune disorder, results in platelet antibody formation and excess destruction of platelets. The IgG antibody binds to two identified membrane glycoproteins while in the circulation. The platelets, which are made more susceptible to phagocytosis because of the antibody, are destroyed in the spleen. Acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is more common in children and usually follows a viral infection. It is characterized by sudden onset of petechiae and purpura and is a self-limited disorder with no treatment. In contrast, the chronic form is usually seen in adults and seldom follows an infection. It is a disease of young people, with a peak incidence between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and is seen twice as often in women as in men. It may be associated with other immune disorders such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or systemic lupus erythematosus. The condition occasionally presents precipitously with signs of bleeding, often into the skin (i.e., purpura and petechiae) or oral mucosa. There is commonly a history of bruising, bleeding from gums, epistaxis (i.e., nosebleeds), and abnormal menstrual bleeding. Because the spleen is the site of platelet destruction, splenic enlargement may occur. Diagnosis usually is based on severe thrombocytopenia (platelet counts Treatment includes the initial use of corticosteroid drugs, often followed by splenectomy and the use of immunosuppressive agents. Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TPP) is a combination of thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, signs of vascular occlusion, fever, and neurologic abnormalities. The onset is abrupt, and the outcome may be fatal. Widespread vascular occlusions consist of thrombi in arterioles and capillaries of many organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys. Erythrocytes become fragmented as they circulate through the partly occluded vessels and cause the hemolytic anemia. The clinical manifestations include purpura and petechiae and neurologic symptoms ranging from headache to seizures and altered consciousness. Although TTP may have diverse causes, the initiating event seems to be widespread endothelial damage and activation of intravascular thrombosis. Toxins produced by certain strains of Escherichia coli (e.g., E. coli O157:H7) are a trigger for endothelial damage and an associated condition called the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Treatment for TTP includes plasmapheresis, a procedure that involves removal of plasma from withdrawn blood and replacement with fresh-frozen plasma. The treatment is continued until remission occurs. With plasmapheresis treatment, there is a complete recovery in 80% to 90% of cases. Fibrinogen Deficiency Factor I (or fibrinogen) deficiency is a very rare inherited disorder with complications that vary with the severity of the disorder. It is not well known, even among health professionals. Discovery Factor I deficiency was described for the first time in 1920 by Fritz Rabe and Eugene Salomon. These two German physicians are credited with discovering the disorder. They studied the case of a 9-year-old boy who presented unexplained bleeding problems from birth. Blood tests finally demonstrated the absence of fibrinogen in the childs blood. His parents were first cousins, but they showed no bleeding problems. The two researchers established that it was an inherited disorder often found in subjects whose parents were blood relatives. Since then, knowledge about the condition has advanced considerably. What is Fibrinogen? Fibrinogen, also called Factor I, is a blood plasma protein produced by the liver that plays an important role in blood coagulation. Blood coagulation is a process in which several components of the blood form a clot. When blood escapes from a rupture in a blood vessel, coagulation is triggered. Several proteins, called coagulation factors, go into action to produce thrombin. The thrombin then converts fibrinogen to fibrin. Fibrin produced from fibrinogen is the main protein in a blood clot. It surrounds the cells in the blood and plasma and helps form the clot. The resulting clot, which is stabilized by Factor XIII, remains intact from 10 to 14 days, the time required for healing to take place. When there is a problem with fibrinogen, i.e., either it is missing or it does not function properly, the clot has difficulty forming. This can result in hemorrhaging or thrombosis. The normal volume of fibrinogen in the blood is from 2 to 4 g/l (grams/litre). The amount of fibrinogen in blood can be measured from a blood sample. The following diagram was devised by a Toronto laboratory technician. It shows the stages in clot formation in a way that makes it easier to understand the theoretical notions explained above. Types of Fibrinogen Deficiency There are three types of deficiency: Afibrinogenemia: (absence of fibrinogen) In this type of factor I deficiency, there is a complete absence of fibrinogen. The fibrinogen level is Hypofibrinogenemia (lower than normal level) Dysfibrinogenemia (improper functioning) Transmission of Fibrinogen Deficiency Fibrinogen deficiency is a very rare inherited bleeding disorder. It is transmitted from parent to child at conception. The disorder is caused by an abnormal gene. It affects both men and women, as well as people of all races and ethnic origins. Every cell of the body contains chromosomes. A chromosome is a long chain of a substance called DNA. DNA is organized in 30,000 units: these are called genes. The genes determine physical characteristics, such as eye colour. In the case of fibrinogen deficiency, one of the genes involved is defective. The defective gene in fibrinogen deficiency is located on a chromosome that is not responsible for the childs sex (autosomal). As a result, both girls and boys can be affected equally. Afibrinogenemia (absence of fibrinogen) This is a recessive disorder, which means that both parents must be carriers. In order for a person to inherit fibrinogen deficiency, he must receive two defective genes, one from the mother and the other from the father. A carrier is a person who has only one of the two defective genes, but is not affected by the disorder: the second gene enables just enough fibrinogen to be made for good coagulation. The fibrinogen level will be lower than normal, but there will be no symptoms of the disorder. Hypofibrinogenemia and dysfibrinogenemia These are inherited disorders that can be either dominant or recessive. Dominant means that a single parent can transmit the disorder if he or she is a carrier. Recessive means that both parents must be carriers of the disorder in order to transmit it. Symptoms Afibrinogenemia (absence of fibrinogen) In congenital afibrinogenemia (fibrinogen level Other types of bleeding have been described: bruises bleeding from the gums epistaxis (nosebleeds) gastrointestinal hemorrhage genito-urinary hemorrhage intra-cranial hemorrhage rupture of the spleen and hemorrhage in the spleen About 20% of those suffering from afibrinogenemia present hemarthroses (bleeding in the joints). Because of this particular feature, the disorder may be confused with hemophilia A or B. Hypofibrinogenemia (lower than normal level) Bleeding in hypofibrinogenemia is much like what is seen in afibrinogenemia. It can be more or less serious, depending on fibrinogen levels, which can vary from 0.2 to 0.8 g/L of plasma. The higher the fibrinogen level, the less bleeding. The lower the fibrinogen level, the more bleeding. Dysfibrinogenemia (improper functioning) In dysfibrinogenemia, the quantity of fibrinogen is normal, which means between 2 and 4 g/L. Bleeding can vary depending on how the fibrinogen is functioning. Bleeding may: be absent (no symptoms) show a tendency toward hemorrhage (as described in afibrinogenemia) show a tendency toward thrombosis How to Recognize Bleeding It is strongly recommended that people who suffer from afibrinogenemia or severe hypofibrinogenemia learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of bleeding that could threaten their lives or the integrity of a limb, so they can react adequately and in a reasonable time. The information below describes the main types of bleeding that may occur in someone with a coagulation disorder. Bleeding that affects the head, neck, thorax (chest) or abdomen can be life-threatening and may require immediate medical attention. Bear in mind that this kind of bleeding can occur either following an injury or spontaneously (without injury). Head The brain, which is protected by the skull, controls all bodily functions that are essential to life. Bleeding in the brain is very serious. Signs and symptoms: Heada

Got Those OPEC Blues Again And Rational Exuberance :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"Got those OPEC Blues Again† and â€Å"Rational Exuberance† SUMMARY Since March of 1999, when the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil was at $13 a barrel, we have seen a steady increase in prices in all phases of the economy. OPEC, the organization that is largely responsible for setting production goals in the Middle East, was under fire to find ways to increase prices. OPEC members at this time â€Å"pledged to cut back the supply of crude and push oil prices higher.† (Business Week, 48) The results were better than most expected: crude oil prices were almost $27 a barrel on November 23, 1999, the highest price since the 1991 Gulf War. (Business Week, 48) The demand for oil is outpacing current supply by 2.8 million barrels, causing some in Congress to push for relief by tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. (Business Week, 49) The rapid increases in prices have had a welcome effect on â€Å"Big Oil†, however. Companies such as BP Amoco, Chevron and Royal/Dutch Shell Group have posted 15% increases in earnings (Busines s Week, 49) This trend is expected to continue, with L Bruce Lanni, an analyst at CIBC World Markets Inc. noting, â€Å"I see clear sailing ahead for the next two to three years.† (Business Week, 49) â€Å"Happy days are here again!† This quote, noted by Jodie Allen of U.S. News and World Report, refers to the booming U.S. economy. (Allen, 71) The stock market, as of November 8, 1999 was flying high, posting strong gains, prompting inflationary fears and a hard once-over of the situation by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. However, the numbers are extraordinary. The Gross Domestic product surged at an annual rate of 4.8% in the third quarter of 1999. The employment cost index, which measures total compensation paid to workers in a broad sampling of jobs, rose by 3.1 percent over the past 12 months. (Allen, 71) But, cautions Princeton economist Alan blinder, â€Å"this is a change in the measurement system, not in the reality.† (Allen, 71) Still, he concedes, â€Å"the underlying reality was looking good even in the older data.† (Allen, 71) Even in this seemingly booming economy, Greenspan warns â€Å"It is not clear† whether interest rate hikes the Federal Reserve has already made will suffice to prevent overheating of the economy (Allen, 71) APPLICATION In the case of OPEC’s decision to cut supply to raise prices, it is clear that all sectors of the economy will be affected in some way.

Future Of Education :: essays research papers

Technology and the Future of Formal Education The responsibilities for the formal preparation of students for education in the future are dynamic and diverse. What priorities are most important for the future of the Australian education system? The mission statement of The Cathedral School is to be a caring, Christian community in which students are challenged and inspired to explore, learn and grow so they will be equipped to make wise decisions as informed members of society. The Aims of The Cathedral School is; To be a centre for academic excellence. To encourage an understanding that the spiritual and moral aspects of life are central to our humanity. To affirm the unique worth of the individual. To inspire our students through creative, purposeful, enjoyable learning to reach their full potential. To develop attitudes which are anticipatory, visionary and reflective. To educate our students to be discerning, sensitive and responsible. Both the mission statements as well as the aims are very thorough, but they lack the understanding of the information age. They do not mention technology or the future ahead. The change to the culture of the classroom environment with the introduction of technology is a serious matter to look at. Overall the introduction of technology in the classroom is a great benefit to students, giving them access to word processing applications, as well and access to the World Wide Wed and CD-ROM’s. This large amount of knowledge flowing from the computer to the brains of the students is very overwhelming. Students will have to learn how to sift though this large amount of information to find what is important, trust worthy and also most importantly, relevant. The importance of information technology literacy in the information age is a vital life skill. In order to be able to handle and access information a student will need to have the ability to use a computer well. If a student has not had experience with computers, it will seriously disadvantage them in their study as well and the classroom environment. The role of technologies distance education is an ex citing and interesting topic. Information can be sent and delivered in seconds, which breaches the gap between teachers and students. They are always new products becoming available to help in the advancement and ease of distance education. One major problem with the use of technology is the cost element. To establish a network of computers and information databases to be used by the average student is a extremely large task.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Emilys Strength in Knights Tale Essay

Emily's Strength in Chaucer's The Knight's Tale This passeth yeer by yeer and day by day, Till it fill ones, in a morwe of May, that Emelye, that fairer was to sene Than is the lylie upon his stalke grene, And fressher than the May with floures newe - For with the rose colour stroof hire hewe, I noot which was the fyner of hem two- (1033-1039) Thus is Emily, the least often discussed of the four central characters in the Knight's Tale, described upon her first important entrance in the tale, when the knights initially view her in all of her loveliness. This description of Emily fits in with the common criticism that she is more a symbol of the beauty and goodness that chivalric nature desires than an actual character with thoughts, actions and emotions of her own (Donaldson 49). However, although Emily does lack an individual nature and depth of mind, she still has a certain power and dynamic nature about her that is unusual for a woman in the time period during which Chaucer wrote her story (Spearing 43). Through her prayers to Diana asking to remain chaste, some may argue that Emily is, once again, merely reacting to an event, rather than having thoughts of her own (Donaldson 49). A stronger point, however, is made in regards to her heritage as an Amazon woman. Rather than remain in keeping with the popular sentiments of the day and be completely submissive to men, Emily is showing her inherited reluctance to become a subordinate creature (Spearing 43). She is thereby exhibiting a rare bit of strength and showing us that she has power in more ways than one. Often, Emily is said to be a con... ...creature with whom they are faced. In conclusion, this tale, especially through its use of Emily, the rhetorical, perfect, but still strong, symbol, tells us more about ourselves and our lives than a similar story with true, individual characters could. By using these ultimate examples, each reader is able to see the truth behind them and, therefore, learn a bit about life and the actions which people take. Although Emily is a symbol, she still exhibits a marvelous quality of strength, regardless of her lack of individuality. Works Cited Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Donaldson, E. Talbot. Speaking of Chaucer. New York: Norton, 1970. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995.