Social Work At Any Level - 1029 Words

Social work at any level is working with people in an effort to understand the interaction between the individual and their environment. Once understood, social workers assume the role of providing accommodations on all three levels of interaction. The first step is to identify one’s own system and where we personal meet our environment. In examining my own ecological system, there is a micro, mezzo and macro level that seems to have always work congruently to shape my life and view of the world. The innermost system is the micro-level, which consists of my parents, brother and close friends. In living with my immediate family, I interact with them everyday. My parents through their parent style have shaped many of the values and the†¦show more content†¦The mezzo system generally consists of different communities. Coming from a Latino family, I have a large extended family that I do not interact with everyday, but are part of my mezzo system. We tend to gather on day s of celebration, like holidays. My neighborhood is also one of my primary communities since it has an effect on my daily life. Local policies and gentrification have changed my community into one that is relatively responsive to the people in the area. Living in New York City is a larger scale community system, although this is a small section of New York State, it does have its own culture. There is also my school communities, like high school and college that has a very active alumni network. Alumni events allow previous students to connect with one another but also provide the opportunity to help current and perspective students through fundraising. Therefore my actions in these events affect my role in this system. Fordham University and the upcoming field placement are within the mezzo level. These organizations and communities have an influence on my life and others in these communities. My faith and religious practices are categorized in the mezzo system. I am from an interd enominational Christian church, which promotes inclusivity. I use the general term, Christian because I do not agree with some of the beliefs in most denominations. Therefore I believe people from different Christian sects can comeShow MoreRelatedSchool Social Workers Should Be Paid For Their College Expenses1694 Words   |  7 PagesFinancial resources are one of the bigger barriers for undocumented students desiring to attend a higher institution. School social workers should directly work with undocumented students to assist them in securing financial resources; social workers can help undocumented students identify any local private and/or non-governmental scholarships that would allow them to apply (Perez, 2010). Scholarships are the main resource that undocumented students use to pay for their college expenses (EducatorsRead More). 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Geomechanics Lab Report Free Essays

Aim The main intention of this investigation was to determine the various stages of the Atterberg Limits. These included the liquid limit test (LL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (PI) and linear shrinkage (LS) of a soil sample provided by the administration. This was then followed by a sieve analysis to determine the particle size distribution of another soil sample so that a suitable classification in both situations could be made in accordance with the Australian Standards AS1726 – 1993. We will write a custom essay sample on Geomechanics Lab Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now Procedure (Sample preperation) On commencement of the experiment, each group was provided with two parts of 500grams of soil retrieved from the field and then oven dried by the experiment supervisor. One part of the soil sample was coarse grain gravel for the particle size distribution chart and sieve analysis, whilst the remaining 500 grams of soil was of fine grained fraction. * Preparation of Coarse Grained Fraction During this procedure the mass of 500grams of soil was recorded and soaked in water for duration of 24 hours. This was then followed by placing the soil sample into a 0. 75mm mesh sieve and the entire fine particle was washed away using running tap water and a small spray bottle until the water had started running clear. The sieved sample was then transferred in a tray which was again put into the oven at 100 degrees for 24 hours. * Preparation of Fine Grained Fraction The remainder of the 500 grams of the sample was then sieved through a 0. 425 mm mesh sieve and the contents collected. This procedu re was done until approximately 150 to 200grams of material was successfully passing sieve. Procedure (Sieve Analysis) This procedure involved the sieve analysis of the coarse fraction. This involved weighing the mass of the oven dried coarse grained fraction so that we are able to determine the particle size distribution. For this experiment the mass of coarse fraction used was 312. 10 grams. This was then followed by arranging the sieves from top to bottom in order from larger gapped mesh in the sieve to the smaller one (i. e. 37. 5mm to 0. 075mm) and then pouring the sample in the top sieve whilst shaking it for approximately 10 minutes. This provided mechanical energy to the soil allowing for it to pass all the sieve layers. The next procedure involved recording the soil mass that had accumulated on each sieve and the bottom pan. Furthermore the percentage of original mass retained and cumulative passing % vs. particle size plot has been constructed as shown in Appendix A. As shown in the plot it can be noted that the results obtained were not accurate enough for the effective size values of D_10 and D_30 to be calculated. Yet the effective size D_60 was able to be found and was shown to be 1. mm as shown in the particle size vs percentage passing table in appendix A. Due to the fact that all effective size values have not been able to be attained from the graph, the uniformity coefficient C_u and the coefficient of curvature C_c were not able to be calculated. Yet if they could be then they would be calculated using these equations: Cu=D60D10 Cc=D102D10*D60 where CU=Coefficient of Curvature Cc=Coefficient of Curvat ure All values recorded have been further discussed in the results section of this report. Procedure (Atterberg Limits determination) * Liquid Limit (LL) The liquid limit test west performed on the fine Sandy soil over the course of two sessions to determine the water content (percentage) at the point when the soil started to behave with liquid qualities. This test procedure involved gradually adding water to a round well created in two thirds of the soil sample on a glass plate. Then using two spatulas the sample was mixed until a smooth paste was formed. This was then followed by placing a small amount of the sample into the liquid limit device and leveling it horizontally using the spatula to create a smooth surface. Using the grooving tool the sample in the cup was divided in half. To determine the number of blows the handle of the mechanism was rotated at a speed of two blows per second and the number of blows recorded until the soil closed the groove to a length of 1 cm. It was expected that the number of blows be as close to 25+ or – 3 as possible. The group was successful in our fourth attempt where 28 blows were recorded. Once the sample was successful it was removed from the liquid limit cup and placed within a tin and the mass weighed. This was determined to calculate the moisture content percentage. The mixture in the liquid limit range was placed in a 0. 25 meter length mould with a internal diameter of 0. 025 meters and left on top of the oven so that the linear shrinkage could be determined. All values obtained are discussed in the results. * Plastic Limit (PL) To determine the plastic limit (as a percentage), after which the soil could no longer be deformed; water was added to the remaining one third of the dry soil on a separate glass plate and molded by hand. Small amounts of the soil were rolled on the flat glass plate until they formed into a diameter of 3 mm and then started to break apart. According to AS12989 it was proved that the soil had reached its plastic limit. This soil was then placed in a tin and similarly to the liquid limit all mass values of the tin and sample were recorded. These were left to dry in the oven. All results obtained the following day have been discussed in the results section. * Linear Shrinkage (%) As instructed, results for the linear shrinkage were collected after duration of 24 hours from the laboratory and the linear shrinkage (in percentage) was calculated using the formula: LS=LsL*100 where Ls=Recorded Shrinkage L=Initial Length of Sample In addition to the linear shrinkage, all dry mass results were also collected from the previous day and recorded as shown in the results section of this report. * Plastic Index Conduction of the plastic limit and linear shrinkage test led to the calculation of the moisture content in percentage and this further allowed us to calculate the plastic index using the formula. Ip=Wl- Wp where Wl=Liquid Limit Wp=Plastic Limit * Classification of Soil After the soil tests have been completed as listed above and results obtained, the soil sample was classified according to the Australian Standards AS1726 – 1993. To aid in this classification of the soil, table 8 (Identification and Classification of Coarse Grained Soils) and table 9 (Identification and classification of Fine grained Soils) as well as Graph 1 (Plasticity Chart vs. Liquid Limit) have been used and attached in Appendix C. Further criteria such as Plasticity of Fines, Color of Soil, Cohesive strength and Classification Group symbol (Table 7 Soil Classification Symbols) can also be used. Results * Sieve Analysis – Determining the Particle size Distribution Tin #| | Mass of Wet soil + Tin| 203. 79| Mass of Dry soil + Tin| 165. 0| Mass of Tin| 32. 60| Mass of Moisture| 38. 19| Mass of Dry Soil| 133. 00| Moisture Content| 28. 70| Initisl Mass of Oven Dried Sample| 500g| Mass of oven Dried Sample retained over 75? m| 312. 1g| Percentage of Coarse Fraction| 37. 58g| Mass of Dry sample passing the 75? m| 187. 9g| Table 1: Soil Sample Preparation Values – Total Mass of Sample used for Sieve Analysis = 500 grams – Ma ss of Coarse Fraction of Sample Used for Sieve Analysis AS Apperture| Mass Retained (g)| % Retained| % Passing| 37. 5mm| 0. 00| 0. 00%| 100. 00%| 26. 5mm| 0. 00| 0. 00%| 100. 00%| 19mm| 13. 0| 2. 60%| 97. 40%| 13. 2mm| 14. 70| 2. 94%| 94. 46%| 9. 5mm| 1. 00| 0. 20%| 94. 26%| 6. 7mm| 13. 90| 2. 78%| 91. 48%| 4. 75mm| 17. 30| 3. 46%| 88. 02%| 2. 36mm| 61. 60| 12. 32%| 75. 70%| 1. 18mm| 63. 10| 12. 62%| 63. 08%| 600? m| 51. 40| 10. 28%| 52. 80%| 425? m| 22. 00| 4. 40%| 48. 40%| 300? m| 20. 30| 4. 06%| 44. 34%| 150? m| 22. 60| 4. 52%| 39. 82%| 75? m| 7. 60| 1. 52%| 38. 30%| Pan| 0. 40| 0. 08%| 38. 22%| | SUM = 308. 9| | | Table 2: Particle size Distribution of the Soil Sample Particle size vs. Percentage Passing (%) can be viewed in the Appendix section of this report. D_10| N/A| D_30| N/A| D_60| 1. 1 mm| Coefficient of Uniformity| N/A| Coefficient of Curvature| N/A| Table 3: Particle Size Determination Coefficients As the Particle Size vs. Percentage Passing graph was unable to be plotted fully, the values for D_10 and D_30 could not be determined hence not allowing the Coefficient of Uniformity and Curvature to be found. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Liquid Limit) Liquid limit| Test no. | Test 1| Test 2| Test 3| Test 4| Tin #| 12| 58| 80| 61| Number of Blows| 7| 21| 14| 28| Mass of Wet Soil and Tin| 45. 8| 35. 77| 39. 32| 27. 6| Mass of Dry Soil and Tin| 38| 28. 4| 34. 5| 22. 5| Mass of Tin| 24. 21| 14. 57| 26. 31| 15. 42| Mass of Moisture| 7. 8| 7. 37| 4. 82| 4. 86| Mass of Dry Soil| 13. 79| 13. 83| 8. 19| 7. 08| Moisture Content| 56. 56%| 53. 29%| 58. 85%| 68. 64%| Table 4: Liquid Limit Determination The results obtained in the table 4 (liquid limit determination) above show that after conducting four tests in the lab the number of blows we re varied quite a lot. The reason behind this was that at the start a greater amount of liquid then required was placed in the soil making it two wet. Then as extra dry soil was added to the sample the number of blows gradually increased allowing for a result acceptable within the 25 + – 3 limit was met in test 4 Hence the soil sample’s LL can be taken as 68. 64%. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Plastic Limit) Plastic Limit| Test no. | Test 1| Tin #| 16| Mass of Wet Soil and Tin| 37. 06| Mass of Dry Soil and Tin| 34. 5| Mass of Tin| 23. 94| Mass of Moisture | 2. 56| Mass of Dry Soil| 10. 56| Moisture Content| 24. 24%| Avg. Moisture Content| 59. 34%| Table 5: Plastic Limit Determination The above table represents the values calculated and determined results for the plastic limit of the soil in this experiment. This was done by weighing the mass of the soil and tin after it had been rolled into a 3mm diameter rod until it crumbled and then oven dried. * Atterberg Limits Determination (Plastic Index) Looking at the graph attached in the appendix B (Number of Blows vs. Moisture Content), the value for the Plastic Limit was unable to be as accurately determined as we would have hoped but using the plastic Index equation below it was found to be 44. %. Plastic Index %= Liquid Limit-Plastic Limit=___________% Plastic Index %= 68. 64-24. 24=44. 4% Linear Shrinkage Determination| Mould No. | 3| Crumbling of Sample| NO| Length of Mould| 254mm| Curling of Sample| NO| Length of Soil| 222mm| Cracking of Sample| YES| Linear Shrinkage| 12. 60%| * Atterberg Limits Determination (Linear Shrinkage) Table 6: Linear Shrinkage Determination After removing the mould containing the soil sample after 24 hours from the top of the oven, the linear shrinkage of the soil was measured using a ruler. The result as shown above in table 6, the soil has shrunk 32mm in length and cracking of the sample has occurred. The same has not crumbled at touch and has not shown any curling effects. The Overall linear shrinkage is calculated to be 12. 60%. LS=LsL*100 LS=32254*100=12. 60% Discussion The classification of the Coarse and Fine Grained soil was made according to the Australian Standards as1726 – 1993. All justification of the results and classifications of the Sieve Analysis and Atterberg Limits have been made through the combination of the identification and classification tables in the appendix. Coarse Grained Soil As per the Particle size plot in the appendix, the sample is shown to have only coarse grain materials. Consisting of 22% Gravel (7% Medium Grain and 15% Fine Grain) and 38% Sand (22% Coarse Grain, 13% Medium Grain and 3% Fine Grain), indicates that the soil is widely distributed and hence making it a Gravelly SAND. * Fine Grained Soil Using the Atterberg Limits to find the Plastic Limit and Liquid Limit percentages, these were applied to the Plasticity vs. Liquid Limit Chart (AS1726-1993) to determine the classification of the soil sample. As the intersection point is below the â€Å"A† line with a high liquid limit of 68. 64%, the reaction to shaking was low to none and the toughness is low, the classification of the soil sample is most likely to be MS-SILT Highly Plastic. Also according to the Australian Standards the color of our soil was Brown mottled red-brown. Since the fine grained soil was cohesion less and free running we can classify the soil as dry. In accordance to the Plasticity vs. Liquid Limit chart the soil is of High Plasticity as the liquid limit was of a value greater than 50%. In addition to the above, the particle size distribution curve is also widely spread so the soil is classified as â€Å"Well Graded†. Conclusion In this experiment we used the Sieve analysis and Atterberg Limits tests to investigate the properties of the soil as mentioned in the Australian Standards AS1726 -1993. In addition sample tests were conducted including the liquid limit test (LL), plastic limit test (PL), plastic index test (PI) and linear shrinkage (LS) of the soil sample provided by the administration. All results obtained have been justified and the classifications of the soil made in accordance to the Australian Standards 1726 – 1993. References Evans R, 2010, HES2155 Geomechanics, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne VIC. Appendices Appendix A (Particle Size vs. Percentage Passing Plot) Appendix B (Plot of Number of Blows Vs. Moisture Content) Appendix C (Soil Classification Tables) Table 7: List of Soil Classification Symbols. Table 8: Identification and Classification of Coarse Grained Soil. Table 9: Identification and Classification of Fine Grained Soil. Graph 1: Plasticity Chart vs. Liquid Limit Appendix D (Formulas and Sample Calculations) How to cite Geomechanics Lab Report, Essay examples

Understanding Public Relations

Question: Discusss about the Understanding Public Relations. Answer: Introduction: Public Relations help a company or person or other organisations in maintaining a positive public image. It helps a company or an individual to bring forth an image in front of the public that is positive. This report discusses the importance of various aspects of PR in a company (Black, 2013). Firstly, it presents short notes on the best practices in media relations. Then it moves on to presenting a fictional news release for an imaginary newsworthy client. The write-up then discusses the Social Exchange theory and how it can be applied to fundraising and sponsorship. The report uses the example of the PRINZ case study to indicate the opportunities that were created for establishing interactivity and awareness. It discusses how the concept of social exchange theory was encouraged through the program. It then identifies the ways in which successful fundraisers follow up with their donors. The report then lists the key characteristics of crisis. It also explains the method how effecti ve issues management can prevent a crisis situation. It then gives an example of a recent crisis. It moves on to defining a crisis management plan discussing the individuals who should be involved in it. The report then moves on to outlining the information needs of the shareholder and investor, giving example of how those needs are satisfied. It then moves on to describing the different kinds of non-financial information that are important to shareholders and investors, supported by examples (Jain Winner, 2013). Media Relations Best practices of media relations: Media relations comes under a section of public relations in general. It refers to the equation or the relationship that companies develop with journalists of various media houses. It is important to understand the necessity of media relations. It is important as it helps in informing the public about the company and the inner workings of a company. The best practices of media relations are as follows: 1. The organisation should have a clear picture of the audiences it is targeting. Assumptions do not work in this case. A company needs to be careful before choosing a media to extend its public relations to the masses. It needs to monitor the coverage that the media is providing to the company. It needs to assess the quality of coverage also. It has to be seen whether the coverage that is being provided by the media is partial or distorted. If it is so, then the company should immediately stop the association with that particular media (Howard Mathews, 2013). 2. An organisation or a company must be careful in choosing the media that helps them to extend their PR skills to the public.3. The company should be aware of the facts and the points that will attract the media and will help them be interested in the company. If a company employs new and innovative ways for customer service or a new technology to connect with the customers, then it might make the media interested, as it is a newsworthy item. Things like these help the company to go further in the competition race as these things attract the media (Raupp, 2017). 4. The company should be cooperative with the journalists. It should give them the access to different spheres of operations of the company to find out newsworthy items inside the company. 5. A company should understand that journalists have a responsibility towards the society and this responsibility cannot be avoided under any circumstances. Journalists have to work for the society even if it becomes detrimental to the company. 6. A company should provide newsworthy items to the journalists in order to make a good story. However, an employee of a company should always remember his or her loyalty and thus be careful of the information that he or she is providing to the journalists (Martino Lovari, 2016). 7.The company should train its staff carefully and thoroughly so as to properly educate them to deliver the message of the organisation. The staff of the company must be trained in such a way so that the employees of the company only distribute all the relevant information (Pang, HE Chiong Begam Binte Abul Hassan, 2014). 8. The employees of the company should behave cordially with the journalists in order to maintain a professional and cordial relation.9. The company should resolve disputes and queries immediately in a manner which benefits both, the company and the media. Any disputes should be resolved quickly and efficiently by the company (Supa, 2014). News release: Voices mobile brings in a technology that supports free video calling Auckland, New Zealand: Voices mobile company, today has announced a new handset that supports free video calling for all subscribers of Voices telecom. This facility is going to help all the users all over the world to connect in a more personal note. Since the users of Voices telecom is essentially placed in the defence, it comes as a refreshing and welcome update to all the subscribers of Voices telecom. After five years of research and development, the company has come up with the technology that is the first of its kind in the market. According to the CEO of the company, John Smith, this technology has been made keeping in mind the requirement of the people in the defence sector posted in various location. Mr. Smith said, This technology will help our soldiers to be better connected with their loved ones when they are posted at the borders defending us and ensuring our safety. The launch is scheduled to take place at the Hilton International hotel on Monday, 20.2.2017 from 7.00 P.M. About Voices mobile: Voices mobile is the new venture of Voices Telecom service. It was launched in the year 2010. Voices Telecom service caters to the army, navy and air force of New Zealand. The telecom service has a tie-up with the defence sector of the country. It was voted as the most reliable telecom service provider by the National Telecom Services Sector. Fundraising and Sponsorship Social exchange theory: Social Exchange theory proposes that the society is a structure full of interactions between people that minimises the cost and maximises the return. According to the theory, all relationships are made up of series of give and take. The theory implicates that in general, people are self-centric and not concerned with equality. The relationships that give the maximum amount of return without investing a lot into it, is the one which the people prefers to pursue for a long term (Cook, 2013). According to the theory, people feel negatively or positively about their relationships owing to the combination of these three factors:- 1.Comparison level 2.Cost-benefit analysis 3.Comparison level of alternatives According to Mersham, Theunissen and Peart, the social exchange theory states that each and every individual in the world is dependent on the exchange of interactions that prove to be beneficial for them. Fundraising also falls under the category of social exchange. Fundraising essentially means collecting financial support for a cause, a charity or for other enterprises. It basically means accumulating voluntary financial contributions or other resources by the means of donations from individuals, government agencies, charitable foundations or businesses. By keen observation, it can be noticed that fundraising falls under the social exchange theory. By fundraising, funds or financial aids for different causes or charities are accumulated. Although at the first glance, it might seem that fundraising is a benevolent work that is not aimed at profit making, it can be observed that the social exchange theory is subtly at work in this concept as well. Through the means of fundraising, co mpanies can look after their own PR interest. By fundraising, the organisation can garner a name for itself and also contribute to a good cause. The company or the organisation, thus stands at a position which proves to be beneficial for the firm (Cameron, Higgins Lippincott, 2012). Fundraising as a social exchange One of the significant examples of this concept of fundraising as a social exchange is exemplified in the case of Achilles International New Zealand. Achilles International is a charity that supports people with disabilities, so that they can perform and participate in mainstream sporting events alongside healthy athletes. When it started its operation in the year 2014, it was virtually unknown to the world (Honigman, 2012). However, when Cigna Life Insurance took over the public relations campaigns of Achilles International, things started to change. Cigna Life Insurance created a firm identity for the charity and an amount of $10,000 was raised in the process. The life insurance company used the PR strategy to raise the awareness of Achilles amongst the local citizens. The company took the help of a media campaign raise awareness amongst the local residents. They found three local Wellington based local Achilles athletes who were willing to share their personal journeys with the ot hers. The company paired these athletes with famous guests like The Mayor of Wellington. This provided an additional newsworthy angle to the event. The media relations programme of the company targeted a range of well-known media that were based in Wellington. One of the important messages that was shared was how to join and donate to the cause (Cousens Bradish, 2013). Another example is that of the Givealittle foundation, the largest crowd-funding organisation of New Zealand. It is an external generosity programme of Spark foundation. The Spark foundation acquired Givealittle foundation in the year 2012. It helps charities, schools, community groups and individuals to accumulate funds online. During the last year, the company garnered substantial interests from the media (Brennan, Binney Brady, 2012). Aspects of social exchange: Through the support of Cigna Life Insurance, the Achilles International found the desired recognition and media coverage. The donor, Cigna Life Insurance, sought to find new respect and recognition by supporting this cause. The life insurance company garnered a name for itself with the success of Achilles International. The success of Cigna round the Bays (CRTB) implied a win-win situation for both Cigna Life Insurance and Achilles International ("PRINZ - PRINZ Awards 2015 - Public Relations Institute Of New Zealand"). In return for sponsoring or supporting causes like these, the donors expect a certain amount of reciprocality. They expect returns in the lines of recognition and communication of future projects and events. The success of the events automatically highlights the participation and contribution of the donors in the event. The donors expect a little something to get recognised for the effort that they are putting in. The benefit might be substantial or intangible. According to the Social Exchange theory, everyone gives something in return of getting something back. Different donors have different expectations when it comes to the question of getting returns (Kennedy, 2012). Some people only expect to receive information about the event or any other future event while some people expect to get more than that. They expect to get recognition and fame through the process. The organisers almost always follows up with the donors. This is in expectation of future involvement of the donor with future events. The organisers often come up with techniques like honour rolls, mementos, awards, feedback in the form of progress reports and donor recognition events (Boenigk Scherhag, 2014). Crisis Communication Key characteristics of crisis: Crisis is often defined as a situation or time of difficulty or danger when an important or difficult decision must be made. It is a time when an urgent decision has to be made. In an organisation a situation of crisis is not welcome. There are certain characteristics which define a time of crisis. They are: 1. A time of crisis can unfold in an unexpected manner and very quickly. In such situations, the organisation can have difficulty regaining their initiative. 2. A crisis involves many individuals around the company. It involves the investors, the staff members, the customers and the media to name a few (Mersham, Theunissen Peart, 2009).3. In this type of situation, a lot of confusion goes around the company. Everyone tries to find out who is affected and what has happened.4. During a situation like this, the top management of the company might develop a defensive mentality. They might refuse to talk to the media regarding the crisis which may lead to different types of conjectures amongst the people. It might lead to a rise in the insecurities and rumours (Verhoeven et al., 2014).5. In a situation of crisis, there might be a lack of understanding and information of the happenings which can lead to panic and stress amongst everyone. 6. A crisis might cost the company a lot of money a nd resources. The cost of compensation and recovery might be extremely high (Coombs, 2014). Issues Management In a situation of crisis, an effective issues management can solve any serious issue of crisis that may affect an organisation. Issues management deals with monitoring, identifying and analysing trends in the opinion of the public, which might create trouble for the company in the future. A public relations professional must monitor the trends, which might prove to be harmful for the company (Mersham, Theunissen Peart, 2009). They need to be on the lookout for what is happening all around the world, they need to scan the media for any potential development that is of interest to the company. According to Mersham, Theunissen and Peart, the keen monitoring of such issues helps the company to be aware of any potential threats to the company and formulate strategic formula to deal with any problem that might sprout up and affect the company. The PR official of the company should monitor any potential threats to the company and should warn the top management of the company for remedial a nd defensive measures to deal with a crisis (Coombs, 2014). Different stages of issue management: There are different stages of issue management. They are: Analyse and anticipate the issues Develop and understand the position of the organisation on the issue 1.Identify the important individuals whose support is necessary 2.Recognise the desired behaviour from those individuals 3.Identifying the important issues 4.Prioritising the key issues 5.Implementing the management tactics of tackling the issue 6.Evaluating the success and failure of the procedure Example of recent crisis: One of the most recent, glaring examples of crisis in an organisation in New Zealand is the case of Fonterra, a multinational dairy cooperative that is owned by around 10,500 New Zealnad farmers. In the year 2013 there was a wide-scale recall of dairy products sold by Fonterra. It was announced after botulism-causing bacteria were found during the safety tests. The contamination was found in the whey products that were sold to the third parties manufacturing baby foods and sports drinks. About 1000 tonnes of consumer goods were affected by the recall across 7 countries. However, no cases of illness in the consumer were reported. The head of the milk division of Fonterra, Gary Romao resigned as a consequence of the scandal. The company detected the bacteria during a routine quality check conducted by the company (Hutchinson, 2016). The problem was noticed in March 2013, while testing for the possible presence of Clostridium. In july that year tests exposed signs of Clostridium botulin um which led to the recall. The contamination was apparently due to the unsterilized pipes that were used to move the whey concentrate. The manufacturers in China, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia were affected by the recall. In the international scenario, the recall affected eight companies three animal-feed producers, a couple of beverage companies and three food companies. Crisis management plan A crisis management plan is a plan that is chalked out to combat in a situation of crisis in an organisation. Through this plan a rapid communication is facilitated that ensures the overall safety of both external and internal stakeholders of a company. It is the communication and the component of decision-making in the situation of crisis. Crisis management plan incorporates plan, procedures and policies to properly assess the impact of the situation. This plan also controls the media interaction during the time of a crisis (Timothy Coombs Jean Holladay, 2014). In this plan, all the individuals of a company who are important should be involved. They are the management officials, the PR official, the staff members of the company, the media and the internal and external stakeholders. Financial and Investor Communication In a company, financial investors play a crucial role. The financial and investor communication is therefore important for the company to succeed. A shareholder or an investor before investing in a company seeks to find out all the information about the company as possible. Information that is prepared by the accountants or the financial experts are often not enough or clear for the commoners to invest in the company (Guimard, 2013). Thus, a good communicator must compile the information in order to convey the information in a seamless and easy manner. In an organisation, a good communicator can convey the details about the company to the potential investors. An investor will look into the board of directors, the officers of the company, the image of the company, industry trends, reputation of the brand, position in the market, changes in the share price and the quality of products and services before looking into investing in the company (Laskin, 2014). The non-financial information is also important to the investors and shareholders. An investor, before investing in a company tries to find out whether the company is 1.meeting the legal requirement of the country 2.matching the industry standards 3.improving the moral spirit of the staff 4.improving the relationship between the consumers and the suppliers 5.improving the business reputation and strengthening the relationship with the local community (Laskin, 2014) 6.developing the business capability of the investor 7.properly dealing and anticipating the future threats (Monti et al., 2014) Conclusion: A company in order to succeed in the competitive market needs to have a strong PR team to handle all the pressures that come in the course of time. The public relations define the success or failure of a company. Maintaining a cordial relation with everyone in the market becomes necessary in the market of today. Media relations, fundraising and sponsorship, crisis communication and financial and investor communication all are important aspects of an adequate and healthy PR system in a company. References: Black, S. (2013).Practice of Public Relations. Routledge. Boenigk, S., Scherhag, C. (2014). Effects of donor priority strategy on relationship fundraising outcomes.Nonprofit Management and Leadership,24(3), 307-336. Brennan, L., Binney, W., Brady, E. (2012). The raising of corporate sponsorship: a behavioral study.Journal of Nonprofit Public Sector Marketing,24(3), 222-237. Cameron, J., Higgins, A., Lippincott, K. (2012).U.S. Patent Application No. 13/385,771. Cook, K. S., Cheshire, C., Rice, E. R., Nakagawa, S. (2013). Social exchange theory. InHandbook of social psychology(pp. 61-88). Springer Netherlands. Coombs, W. T. (2014). State of crisis communication: Evidence and the bleeding edge.Research Journal of the Institute for Public Relations,1(1), 1-12. Coombs, W. T. (2014).Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding. Sage Publications. Cousens, L., Bradish, C. (2013). Sport and sponsorship.Managing the Business of Sport: An Introduction, 264. Guimard, A. (2013). Investor relations: principles and international best practices in financial communications. Springer. Honigman, C., Robinson, W., Carson, T., Holloway, B., Bistreck, L. (2012, July). The Yin and Yang of Sponsorship and Fundraising. In Getting to the Heart of it All: Connecting Gender Research, WIE Programs, Faculty, Corporate Partners. Howard, C. M., Mathews, W. K. (2013). On deadline: Managing media relations. Waveland Press. Hutchinson, N. (2016). Batten down the hatches: The dairy industry in crisis?. Geodate, 29(3), 17. Jain, R., Winner, L. H. (2013). Country reputation and performance: The role of public relations and news media. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 9(2), 109-123. Kennedy, J. T. (2012). U.S. Patent Application No. 13/524,961. Laskin, A. V. (2014). Investor relations as a public relations function: A state of the profession in the United States. Journal of Public Relations Research, 26(3), 200-214. Mersham, G. M., Theunissen, P., Peart, J. (2009). Public relations and communication management: An Aotearoa/New Zealand perspective. Pearson Education. "PRINZ - PRINZ Awards 2015 - Public Relations Institute Of New Zealand". Prinz.org.nz. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Feb. 2017 Laskin, A. V. (2014). Strategic financial communication. Martino, V., Lovari, A. (2016). When the past makes news: Cultivating media relations through brand heritage.Public Relations Review,42(4), 539-547. Monti, M., Pelligra, V., Martignon, L., Berg, N. (2014). Retail investors and financial advisors: New evidence on trust and advice taking heuristics.Journal of Business Research,67(8), 1749-1757. Pang, A., HE Chiong, V., Begam Binte Abul Hassan, N. (2014). Media relations in an evolving media landscape.Journal of Communication Management,18(3), 271-294. Raupp, J. (2017). Public Relations: Media Effects.The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects. Supa, D. (2014). The academic inquiry of media relations as both a tactical and strategic function of public relations.Research Journal of the Institute for Public Relations,1(1), 1-15. Timothy Coombs, W., Jean Holladay, S. (2014). How publics react to crisis communication efforts: Comparing crisis response reactions across sub-arenas.Journal of Communication Management,18(1), 40-57. Verhoeven, P., Tench, R., Zerfass, A., Moreno, A., Ver?i?, D. (2014). Crisis? What crisis?: How European professionals handle crises and crisis communication.Public Relations Review,40(1), 107-109

The Sleeping Venus and Olympia free essay sample

The Sleeping Venus/Dresden Venus, Giorgione with landscape and sky by Titian. 1510 [pic] Olympia, Edouard Manet. 1863 The Sleeping Venus, or Dresden Venus, is by Italian Renaissance artist Giorgione. It is one of the last works but Giorgione and the landscape and sky were actually finished by Titian after Giorgione’s death in 1510. The painting portrays a nude woman lounging in slumber. A great deal of effort was put into the shadows and details of the background. As a result, the woman’s position seems to mimic the landscape of the background. One aspect of the painting that was so revolutionary is Giorgione’s choice to paint the woman nude. This wasn’t common of his era and is widely regarded as the beginnings of modern art. Besides the obvious eroticism of nudity, there are underlying implications of eroticism in the positioning of the woman. Venus’s raised arm and her left hand place on her groin imply sensuality. We will write a custom essay sample on The Sleeping Venus and Olympia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another underlying theme to this piece in that of the human body being a natural, organism object of the earth. This is related by the curves of the landscape reflecting those of Venus. A unique detail to be noted is that of the color of the sheets. It is more common to see a warm tone in fabric of the time. But, in this piece they are a stark and contrasting silver. This further accentuates the soft and organic nature of Venus and the landscape. Olympia is oil on canvas by Edouard Manet. Painted in 1863, it is of a reclining nude woman being attended by a maid. It was inspired but Titian’s Venus of Urbino. The contrast of this piece to Giorgione’s The Sleeping Venus, is that this piece has more to do with the realism of the subject matter then the fact that the woman is nude. This woman, seeming to be a courtesan is being presented with flowers, thought to be a gift from a client. This is not typical subject matter of the era. Despite the contrast to Giorgione’s Venus, there is the common fact that both pieces were a shocking departure from scenes of their era. The difference in each pieces shock factor is the Olympia was not shocking because of nudity like The Sleeping Venus. The frontal gaze and the details depicting the woman as a courtesan were what stunned viewers. Such things were not narrated in art at the time. Details such as her pearl earring, bracelet, the orchid in her hair and the oriental shawl are all symbols of wealth and sensuality. These symbols are what identify her as a courtesan and emphasize a voluptuous and sexual atmosphere. Her position is also in close unison to that of Giorgione’s Venus, but portray a taboo side of eroticism rather the Giorgione’s organic and â€Å"of the earth† eroticism.

Mastering Public Opinion essays

Mastering Public Opinion essays How much of what a person sees and hears, on any given day, can be qualified as clear and truthful information? If persuasion, as an idea, has a purpose then who gets to be the target? Is every advertising campaign, political message or military campaign we come across, propaganda? Little is known about this concept yet it has governed our emotions, our fears and our joys since the beginnings of the first dominating nations. Let us examine the mechanism that drives public support and which makes a whole country to stand in solidarity with its government. Propaganda implies the dissemination of ideas and information for the purpose of inducing or intensifying specific attitudes and actions. The word propaganda comes from the Latin verb propagare, to propagate. Originally, propagate meant to reproduce or to spread. It came to mean also to transmit and to spread form person to person. Every since people began to live together, they have tried to influence one another. In early Babylonian, Egyptian and Roman times, priests played on popular superstitions to keep themselves in power. Ramses II, the Egyptian pharaoh, filled the walls of his temples with victorious war scenes to emphasise his strategic and military skills. Propaganda requires the exposed beliefs to become clear to a large population. Good speakers have and still use their charisma and worldly intelligence to advertise. Some examples of such successful characters are Lenin, Stalin, Jaruzelski, Mussolini, and Hitler. After a leader clearly points out the so-called enemy, different revolutionists appear in a crowd, and capture all the attention. Short after this, the people would gather around and become receptive to the spoken phrases of the agitators. The message revealed is the message learned by speakers at meetings of the party they represent. At this point in time,...

How to Use a Relative Clause

How to Use a Relative Clause Relative clauses are also referred to as adjective clauses. They are used to modify a noun, which is either the subject or the object of a sentence. For example: She is the woman who he met at the party last week. I bought a book which was published in Germany last year. Who he met at the party is a relative clause that describes the subject of the sentence, which is woman. Which was published in Germany describes the object of the verb bought. Intermediates: That is the school. I went to that school as a boy. That is the school (that) I went to as a boy. Thats a beautiful car over there! Id like to buy that car. Id like to buy that beautiful car over there. How to Use Relative Clauses? Use relative clauses to provide extra information. This information can either define something (defining clause) or provide unnecessary but interesting added information (non-defining clause). Relative clauses can be introduced by: A relative pronoun: who (whom), which, that, whoseNo relative pronounWhere, why, and when instead of a relative pronoun You need to consider the following when deciding which relative pronoun to use: Is the subject or object or possessive of a relative clause?Does it refer to a person or an object?Is the relative clause a defining or non-defining relative clause? Relative clauses are often used in both spoken and written English. There is a tendency to use non-defining relative clauses mostly in written, rather than in spoken, English. The Importance of Defining Relative Clauses The information provided in a defining relative clause is crucial in understanding the meaning of the sentence. Examples:   The woman who lives in apartment number 34 has been arrested.The document that I need has important written at the top. The purpose of a defining relative clause is to clearly define who or what we are talking about. Without this information, it would be difficult to know who or what is meant. Example:  The house is being renovated. In this  case, it is not necessarily clear  which  house is being renovated. Non-Defining Relative Clauses Non-defining relative clauses provide interesting additional information which is not essential to understanding the meaning of the sentence. Example:  Mrs. Jackson, who is very intelligent, lives on the corner. Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining relative clauses. If the non-defining relative clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative pronoun and at the end of the clause. If the non-defining relative clause occurs at the end of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative pronoun. In defining relative clauses, there are no commas. Examples:   Children who play with fire are in great danger of harm.The man who bought all the books by Hemingway has died. Generally,  who  and  which  are more usual in written English, whereas  that  is more usual in speech when referring to things. Relative Pronouns and Defining Relative Clauses Examples:   Thats the boy (who, whom) I invited to the party.Theres the house (that, which) Id like to buy. Relative Pronouns Used as a Possessive Examples:   Hes the man whose car was stolen last week.They were sure to visit the town whose location was little-known. It is preferable to use  that  (not  which) after the following words: all, any(thing), every(thing), few, little, many, much, no(thing), none, some(thing), and after superlatives. When using the  pronoun  to refer to the object,  that  can be omitted. Examples:   It was everything (that) he had ever wanted.There were only a few (that) really interested him. Examples:   Frank Zappa, who was one of the most creative artists in rock n roll, came from California.Olympia, whose name is taken from the Greek language, is the capital of Washington State. Relative Pronouns and Non-Defining Relative Clauses Examples:   Frank invited Janet, who (whom) he had met in Japan, to the party.Peter brought his favorite antique book, which he had found at a flea market, to show his friends. That can never be used in non-defining clauses. Possessive in Non-Defining Relative Clauses Example:   The singer, whose most recent recording has had much success, was signing autographs.The artist, whose name he could not remember, was one of the best he had ever seen. In non-defining relative clauses,  which  can be used to refer to an entire clause. Example:   He came for the weekend wearing only some shorts and a t-shirt, which was a stupid thing to do. After numbers and words like  many, most, neither, and some, we use  of,  before,  whom,  and  which  in non-defining relative clauses.   Example:   Many of those people, most of whom enjoyed their experience, spent at least a year abroad.  Dozens of people had been invited, most of whom I knew.

Should same sex couples be allowed to adopt Essay

Should same sex couples be allowed to adopt - Essay Example At the same time many same sex married couples are nowadays trying to adopt children since it is impossible for them to conceive without the help from the opposite gender. Adoption is the only way for such couples to have a child. But adoption by same sex couples has raised many ethical and legal issues in the current world. Critics of same sex couple adoption argue that such adoption will deny the child the much needed care and love from either a father or a mother. On the other hand, supporters of such adoption believe that it is injustice to deny the adoption rights to same sex couples because of their natural inability to conceive. This paper briefly analyses the arguments of both the supporters and opponents of same sex couple adoption. Belge (2010) has argued that The United States has many older children and those with special needs children waiting to be adopted. It is difficult fro such children to find an artificial father or mother through adoption (Belge, 2010). Instead o f leaving such children in darkness it is better to allow same sex couples to adopt such children. If such children allow growing in pathetic conditions their physical and mental growth might not be proper. On the other hand, if the same sex couples allowed adopting such children, both the children and the adopted parents would benefit from that. Scientific studies have shown that children who grow up in one or two-parent gay or lesbian households fare just as well emotionally and socially as children whose parents are heterosexual (Belge, 2010).

Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Guillermo Furniture Store Analysis - Essay Example By use of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), multiple valuation methods in minimizing the risks and calculation of Net Present Value (NPV) of future cash flows including sensitivity analysis, the company can find a solution to the impending problem. Weighted Average Cost of Capital The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) refers to the rate of return that the company or business anticipates acquiring on its optimal risk ventures in order to offer a considerable anticipated return to all its shareholders. It is applied in valuing new assets that possess similar risks as the existing assets and that hold a similar debt ratio. WACC is a relevant rate of discount specifically for projects that are similar to the current business operations (Brown, & Reilly, 2006). To determine WACC, one must first understand that a majority of firms use different forms of financing. Some of the financing techniques include use of bonds, ordinary shares, preferred shares and other form of sec urities. The securities have unique types of risks and thus owners seek to get various rates of return. Under such conditions, the firm’s cost of capital might not be equal to the anticipated return on common shares. It is dependent on the anticipated return from the entire portfolio of securities that the firm has given out. Besides, taxes are also included given the point that interest payments executed by the firm are expenses which are tax deductible. In this perspective Guillermo’s cost of capital will be established as the weighted average of post-tax interest cost of debt financing and the equity cost. This is to say that the anticipated rate of return on the company’s ordinary stock. The weights are the portions of debt and equity in the company’s capital structure.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The weighted average cost of capital is utilized to assess optimal risk on the capital ventures on projects. This is means that the risk on the projects coincides with the r isks the company faces on the current operations and assets.   The average cost of capital is found by; WACC = Kd (1-T) Wd + Ke* We (Emery, Finnerty & Stowe, 2007). From the financial statements given the cost of debt before tax is 7.5%, the tax rate stands at 42%, the weight of debt in the capital structure in 2010 is 84.3% while that of 2011 is 82.4%, and the weight of equity in the capital structure is 15.7 in 2010 and 17.5 in 2011 while the cost of equity is 11.34% The above figures were derived as follows; Weight of debt: Information from assets, Liabilities & Equity Information  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wd 2010 = Total liability/ Total Equity=$1,130,963/ [$211,111+$1,130,963] = 84.3% Wd 2011 =Total liability /Total Equity=$1,109,358/ [$235,805+$1,109,358] = 82.4% Cost of equity is derived from the following steps: Risk free rate used is 4.36% while the market rate of return according to S & P rating is 13.08 %. It should be noted that the security’s contribution to the risk of a po rtfolio that is diversified is dependent on the market risk. However, some securities might not be affected by the ups and downs in the market. The sensitivity of securities to market movement is known as beta. Securities with a beta more than 1 are specifically sensitive to the market movement (Emery, Finnerty

The Lost City of Nan Madol Essay Example for Free

The Lost City of Nan Madol Essay Legends of lost cities like Atlantis and El Dorado have always fascinated mankind throughout the centuries, because of their mystery. But off the coast of Micronesia lies a real mysterious city called Nan Madol. Nan Madol is a ruined city that lies off the eastern shore of the island of Pohnpei that was the capital of the Saudeleur dynasty until about 1628. It is in the present day Madolenihmw district of Pohnpei state, in the Federated States of Micronesia, my home land, in the western Pacific Ocean. The city consists of a series of small artificial islands linked by a network of canals. I did not know much about Nan Madol so I had to ask the one person I knew would really help me. That person was my grandfather, Bethwel Henry. I had to ask how the people back did then come up with the name Nan Madol. He said that Nan Madol means â€Å"spaces between† and is a reference of the canals that crisscross the ruins. It is often called The Venus of the Pacific†. â€Å"According to Pohnpeian legend† he said, â€Å"Nan Madol was constructed by twin sorcerers Olisihpa and Olosohpa†. The brothers arrived in a large canoe seeking a place to build an altar so that they could worship Nahnisohn Sahpw, the god of agriculture. After several false starts, the two brothers successfully built an altar at off Temwen Island, where they performed their rituals. In legend, these brothers levitated the huge stones with the aid of a flying dragon. When Olisihpa died of old age, Olosohpa became the first Saudeleur (ruler) of Nan Madol. Olosohpa married a local woman and sired twelve generations, producing sixteen other Saudeleur rulers. The founders of the dynasty ruled kindly, though their successors placed ever increasing demands on their subjects. Their reign ended with the invasion by Isokelekel, who also resided at Nan Madol, though his successors abandoned the site. On Nan Madol there is no fresh water or food; water must be collected and food grown inland. During Saudeleur rule, Pohnpeians brought essential food and water by boat. The Saudeleur received food at a particular islet. Around 1628, when Isokelekel overthrew the Saudeleurs and began the Nahnmwarki (King) Era, the Nahnmwarkis lived at Nan Madol, but had to gather their own water and grow their own food. This is thought to have caused them eventually to abandon Nan Madol and move back to their own districts. Before the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese administered the strange island. The Japanese investigated a Nan Madol legend that referred to corpse resting in the â€Å"House of Dead† , and allegedly their divers discovered an underwater structure containing elaborate watertight coffins made of pure platinum. Records indicating that how much of the platinum may have been removed by the Japanese, or if any platinum watertight coffins still exist, has been either hidden away or destroyed by the Japanese. Archeologists have uncovered human bones that belonged to people considerably larger than the Pohnpeians who lived today. Today Nan Madol forms an archaeological district covering more than 18 square kilometers and includes the stone architecture built up on a coral reef flat along the shore of Temwen Island, several other artificial islets, and the adjacent Pohnpei main island coastline. The site core with its stone walls encloses an area approximately 1. 5 km long by 0. 5 km wide and it contains nearly 100 artificial islets bordered by tidal canals. Carbon dating indicates that the construction of Nan Madol began around 1200 CE, while archaeological site show that the area may have been occupied as early as 200 BCE. Some probable diggings sites around the island have been identified, but the exact origin of the stones of Nan Madol is yet undetermined. None of the proposed diggings sites exist in Madolenihmw, meaning that the stones must have been transported to their current location. It has been suggested that they might have been floated through raft from the diggings, and a short dive between the island and the diggings shows a trail of dropped stones. However, no one has successfully demonstrated or explained the process. Some modern Pohnpeians believe the stones were flown to the island by use of black magic. In 1985 the ruins of Nan Madol were declared a National Historical Landmark. Currently, a greater effort is being made to preserve them. A lot of people from other countries travel to Micronesia to see the ruins and said that a trip to the ruins is an unforgettable thing you can do in Micronesia.

Labyrinth and Star Wars :: Movies Essays

Labyrinth and Star Wars It is amazing how in many stories a group of the most unlikely characters can overcome the most impossible odds. The battle of good vs. evil is reenacted in thousand upon thousand of movies. A lot of the times in these movies the group of heroes consist of very ordinary or odd characters, those who seem to possess few heroic traits. As seen in the movies Labyrinth and the first made Star Wars, a group of small and seemingly powerless characters can overcome great evils. The movie the Labyrinth tells a story about a group of unlikely heroes trying to make their way though a maze in order to defeat the Goblin King. The story starts out with the main character Sarah whom, without even realizing it, wishes her baby brother to be taken way by Jareth the Goblin King. He tells her that if she wants her brother back she will have to make her way through the labyrinth and to the castle beyond the Goblin City. She only has 13 hours to complete the seemingly impossible task or her little brother Toby will be turned into a goblin. While making her way through the twisted and endless maze Sarah runs into many weird characters. The first person she encounters is Hoggle a very untrustworthy dwarf whom is under the influence of Jareth. He is selfish and does things only if there is something for him to gain. He betrays Sarah many times throughout the movie, but in the end he proves himself to be more than a traitorous coward. Ludo is a yeti and despite looking vic ious is a gentle and caring monster. Ludo also has the power to control rocks. Sir Didymis is a loudmouthed, but noble knight who displays his valor throughout the movie. The four heroes manage to fight their way through the perilous labyrinth. The Goblin King Jareth is defeated and Sarah’s brother Toby is saved. Though the characters in this movie seemed to be nothing more than ordinary, and if not odd, they fought their way through labyrinth and conquered an entire army of evil goblins and their king. (Labyrinth 1986) Star Wars also tells of a similar story; the most unlikely set of people can stop an entire evil empire. The movie begins with Princess Leia’s capture by the evil empire. In an attempt to save herself and her mission plans, she sends two robots, R2D2 and C-3PO, to deliver a message to the illusive Ben Kenobi.

Hookworm Dermatitis in Dogs

Hookworm dermatitis is also called ancylostomiasis or uncinariasis dermatitis. Lesions occur as a result of the skin penetration of the third stage larvae of Uncinaria stenocephala and Ancylostoma spp. The larvae are located in the soil that the animals contact. Lesions are more often associated with Uncinaria stenocephala infestation. Uncinaria stenocephala rarely completes its life cycle by skin penetration, however, Ancylostoma spp can.The larvae enter the skin primarily at areas of scaling skin but, occasionally they may enter via hair follicles. Signs of Hookworm Dermatitis The condition is more frequently noticed in hookworm infested dogs that are housed on dirt runs with poor sanitation. Lesions are primarily located on the feet but, they may be seen on any area of the skin that contacts the ground. Erythematous papules are present initially but, chronically affected skin often becomes red, thickened and alopecic. The skin on the footpads often becomes thickened.The interdigit al spaces may be red, and the feet may eventually become soft and spongy especially at the pad margins. The nails may grow faster, become deformed and in severe cases break off. Arthritis may be present. Itchiness is always present but it can vary in intensity. Animals are irritable and lick their feet. Diagnosis of Hookworm Dermatitis Pelodera dermatitis is considered a possible diagnosis when a dog kept outdoors on straw bedding has itchy, alopecic and crusting dermatitis on skin that is in contact with the ground.A positive fecal exam for hookworm eggs provides supporting evidence but does not confirm a diagnosis. Skin scraping is an easy, fast, inexpensive and reliable method for the diagnosis of Pelodera dermatitis. Treatment of Hookworm Dermatitis All affected and in-contact dogs should be given appropriate antihelminthic treatment and a prophylactic program should be started. Frequent removal of feces from the runs and kennels as well as improved sanitation should be performe d.Therapy consists of routine worming with thiabendazole, fenbendazole, or levamizole and improving sanitation. Oral antibiotics were used in cases with confirmed or suspected concurrent bacterial infection. Since decaying organic matter is a typical habitat of P. strongyloides, removal of straw bedding from the kennel is imperative to allow successful medical treatment. Discarding moist or dirty bedding and replacing it with clean, dry bedding is the first step taken in treating our Pelodera dermatitis cases.

Electronic medical records Essay

Electronic medical records are believed to be the way of the future. Hospitals and other healthcare settings are increasingly turning to electronic records over traditional paper records. However, many still have not made the leap and continue to use paper instead of electronic. Healthcare practices must weigh the pros and cons before deciding which records management system to use. An electronic health record (EHR) is a representation of all a patients’ data; know as a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. Paper-based records are the most common method of recording patient information for most doctor’s offices and hospitals in the United States. The digital information is usually stored in a database and is accessible from everywhere via a network and EMRs contain mainstream data normally found on a patient’s medical records. It contains all information ranging anywhere from a patient’s medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and laboratory and test results that have been combined and structured in a digital form. It allows for an entire patient history to be viewed without the need to track down the patient’s previous medical record volume and assist in ensuring data is accurate, appropriate and legible. It reduces the chances of data replication, as there is only one modifiable file, which means the file is constantly up to date when viewed at a later date and eliminates the issue of lost forms or paperwork. There have been many issues debating if this is a good system, and pros and cons that go hand in hand. Electronic records have many benefits, including accessibility. They are currently the preferred system because of how easily they make it for doctors to coordinate patient care. Accessing electronic records is a lot easier and faster than waiting to receive paper ones. This can greatly speed up doctor collaborations in patient care and perhaps improve the quality of care that patients receive. There are many companies that sell these systems, so healthcare practices can choose a system with an EMR interface and features that best suit their needs. These interfaces can also be coordinated with billing systems for an extra degree of convenience and functionality. The case for medical records is compelling. They can make healthcare more efficient and less expensive. It can also improve the quality of our healthcare system by making patients medical history more easily accessible to all the people who treat them, being a hospital or doctor. The Government has given 6.5 million in incentives and hospitals and doctors have spent billions more. Some complain that the electronic systems are time consuming and designed more for bureaucrats than physicians. Although the health care industry has been slower than many others to replace paper records with electronic ones, some of the advantages of computerized systems are becoming obvious. EMRs translate into better treatment for patient’s efficiency and speed of diagnosis translates into better health care service for patients. Similar to the previously discussed point, correct and timely information can significantly increase the quality of health care service rendered to patients. EMRs can save lives. Improvements to patient safety are found throughout EHRs. For one, drug-drug and drug-allergy checks help prevent unintended reactions to medications. Secondly, photo-enabled EHRs help identify the patient. Thirdly, but definitely not the last one, barcode medication administration checks for the five rights to ensure the right patient receives the right medication at the right time. Electronic health records provide an avenue for better care coordination between multiple health care providers and the patient. Information can easily be shared between the inpatient, outpatient and ED settings. Furthermore, patients are able to more easily access their information, either by receiving an electronic summary of care record or logging into a patient portal. Electronic health records provide the tools to help physicians and nurses make better care decisions. For example, clinical decision support tools, like making medication recommendations based on diagnosis, and built-in clinical pathways, which help guide a hospital through recommended procedures, help ensure patients receive the best, research-proven care. EMRs give patients control over their health records. Based on the principle that since it’s the patient’s medical record, the patient should control it, decide what should be in it, and who gets access to it there are currently many online EMRs available. In spite of the many perks, electronic health records do come with some drawbacks. One major disadvantage is the significant start-up costs. From the technology, including hardware installations and software upgrades, to staff training, the start-up costs of migrating to electronic medical records are significant, especially for a small medical practice or for a large medical network of remote offices. There is a lot of time and labor involved up-front to migrate paper files to a completely electronic platform. Another would be the lack of quality patient time. When doctors, nurses, and administrative staff are unfamiliar with the technology and how a new system works, they often spend more time on it. Or, they may be uncomfortable using it so it will take them longer to execute a task. All this lost time could be potentially spent servicing patients or tending to other mission critical matters. Since electronic medical records, as an industry, is still in its infancy, we have yet to see a standardization of EMR requirements and utilization across healthcare organizations, insurance companies, pharmacies, etc. The problem is when these disparate systems do not synchronize; it results in errors, duplication of efforts, or a lag in time in service. Security concerns are still an issue. While many might think that migrating to an electronic system would be safer, another one of the disadvantages of electronic medical records is vulnerability those systems inherently create. There is still a real concern that no matter how many firewalls, password encryptions, and other security features added, there will be a hacker who can beat the system and potentially compromise and steal personal information. All these concerns can be addressed by potentially partnering with an outsource company that specializes in electronic medical records as they have the technology and trained staff to handle large volumes of patient information. They have also invested the time and resources into the latest equipment and security measures. The irony is that while EMRs were designed to improve communication and increase time spent with patients, they actually have enabled some doctors to engage less with patients because they have much more information before actually seeing the patient. In addressing these concerns, there is one key way to circumvent these and other disadvantages of electronic medical records. Working with a highly specialized electronic medical records solutions provider will assure that best-of-breed technologies, and the industry and operational expertise, is in place. By outsourcing the entire process, your staffs can also then focus on core business areas and foster the company’s service reputation. An electronic medical records partner also best ensures systems integrate with others in synergistic industries, and that the best and most current security mechanisms are deployed to keep patient information inaccessible to those unauthorized to view.

Lord Of The Flies Essays (251 words) - Fiction, Literature, Allegory

Lord Of The Flies Essays (251 words) - Fiction, Literature, Allegory Lord Of The Flies In the book The Lord of the Flies the beast turns out to be the boys worst enemy even though it never really existed. The beast turned out to be the boys themselves. They were all scared the beast would kill them, but they ended up hurting or killing themselves just by defending themselves from the so called beast. The first sign of the beast was when the boys were first scared. When the little boy told the rest of the boys about the snake-thing he saw in the woods he refers to it as the beastie. None of the boys really believe him, but in all their minds it gets them thinking and worring about whats on the island, and if there are any beasts of some sort. The beast occurs any time the boys are frightened. If they hear a noise in the woods it must have be the beast. If they see something that scares them it must be the beast. This freightenment works the boys up so much that their primary goal is to kill the beast. In the end they kill themselves, and they realize that they were running from themselves. The beast never existed anywhere, but in their heads. I think the author, Golding, felt the same why when he wrote the book. The beast is the boys, and it ends up being their worst nightmare, and they dont even know it. That interpetation of the beast changed throughout the book and i began to realize what the author meant by the beast.

Funding Your First Novel Using Kickstarter

Funding Your First Novel Using Kickstarter In November 2011, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel WritingMonth) for the first time. Ten months later, Couple Friends was published thanks to my successful Kickstarter campaign in May 2012. I was able to raise $4,000 because 71 wonderful people believed in me and my book enough to want this dream to come true. What a great feeling. I was shocked Those dollars enabled me to hire a professional editor, book cover designer, and use a consultant to help me properly convert and upload my Word document so it could become a real, live book available for purchase. Without Kickstarter, I wouldn’t have a book published yet. However, the love and support of my backers meant more to me than the dollar amounts they gave. Whenever I doubted myself or became really frustrated doing what I thought was the last edit before the absolute final edit, I knew that I had 71 people in my corner. They took time out of their busy lives and reached into their hearts and wallets to help me achieve my goals. If that doesn’t put faith in you about humanity, I don’t know what will. And they were counting on me; I couldn’t just stop when things got hard. I was able to push through some tough times because I knew my backers believed in me. Another wonderful part of using Kickstarter to fund my novel was that when it was finished and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords, I had 71 people that were eager to read it. I had a built-in audience that was willing to help me Using a site like Kickstarter forces you to start marketing yourself and your book before the book is published, which is what we should all do anyway. You have to put yourself out there in the form of emails, social media updates, creating a Facebook event, and posting updates about your project directly through Kickstarter, which blasts out to your backers and can be made public on the Kickstarter website. I know that there is even more I could have done, but thankfully, I was fully funded in my final hour due to several generous souls. I will always be glad that I took my publishing dreams into my own hands and utilized Kickstarter to make my first novel a reality. And although I will not use Kickstarter to publish my second novel- Keepsakes,currently in the editing stage- because I feel like it’s up to me from here on out, I feel truly blessed that these crowdfunding platforms are available to authors that don’t want to wait for agents to offer representation or traditional publishing houses to say yes. Here’s a list of ten crowdfunding options to get you started, and please contact me if you have any questions. Good luck!  Ã‚      (triplepundit.com/2012/07/emerging-next-generation-crowdfunding-platform-roundup/)   

Social Media Network Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Social Media Network Technology - Essay Example As the paper discusses  the positive impacts of social media network technology in education are intense. Use of the technology as the teaching technique enables teachers to increase students’ participation in their education. Advancement in technological proficiency enhances collaboration among students in the classroom. Additionally, network technology enhances the development of students’ communication skills. Use of social media program also enables students to complete extra assignments, and as a result, improve their performance significantly. Use of social media in classrooms increases student collaboration.This study highlights that use of social networking also improves communication among teachers, administrators, and students. â€Å"As an educational tool, social media enriches the learning experience by allowing students and teachers to connect and interact in new, exciting ways†. In support of this, it is evident that students who rarely participat e physically in class feel comfortable airing their views on social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. In other words, the platforms enable teachers to develop â€Å"back channels† that raise discussion as well as ideas that shy students find difficult to voice out. Use of social media can be distractive in the classroom. Tools such as Facebook and Twitter can divert students’ attention from classwork and the learning process. Thus, incorporation of social media into classroom will make students go off.