How does Learning and Employee Development contribute to Essay - 1

How does Learning and Employee Development contribute to organisational success and performance within social care services - Essay Example Furthermore, the dissertation has made use of questionnaires and interview techniques to collect data from line managers at a voluntary sector social service provider, namely ‘Loretto Care’. The main findings of the research are: The managers at Loretto Care are of the view that investment in learning, development and on the job training can be directly beneficial and can lead to success at personal (employee level) as well as at the organisational level; and the main barriers to learning and the effectiveness of training as identified by the managers at Loretto Care include workload, time pressures and lack of internal motivation. The respondents have pointed out a need to encourage registration with and alignment of training programmes and employees with the SSSC requirements to ensure standardisation and monitoring the effectiveness of these programmes. The main conclusion is therefore that development and learning programmes for employees can effectively enhance orga nisational performance if there is robust planning to meet the needs and requirements of the organisation and are culturally embedded via appropriately qualified line managers in undertaking their role. Keywords: Training and development, SSSC Registration, Role of line management CONTENTS Abstract Chapter 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Introduction Purpose and rationale of the study Scope of the Study Aims of the Research Significance of Study Format of the Dissertation Conclusion of the Chapter Page 1 2 4 5 6 7 9 Chapter 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 Literature Review Outline of the Chapter Specific research in the Social Care Sector Conclusion of the Chapter 10 10 11 19 Chapter 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Methodology Introduction to research design Research Design Research Methodology Sample, time and Site for study Research instrument Research Pilot Questionnaire Ethical and Validity issues Scope and Limitations of the Design Conclusion of the chapter 21 22 23 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 Chapter 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Results and Findings Findings Theoretical Framework Legislative Context Discussion Conclusion of the chapter 32 32 44 55 62 85 Chapter 5 5.1 5.2 Conclusion Recommendations Final Conclusion 86 92 93 References Appendices Appendix 1 Ethical Approval Appendix 2 SSSC Codes of Practice Appendix 3 Interviewee information and consent Appendix 4 Questionnaire results and data List of Tables, Graphs and Diagrams Figure Description Page 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 Summary of job roles of the Participants Qualification of post holders Qualifications of the staff Summary of responses of the L&D strategy Effectiveness of the learning and development strategy Overall job satisfaction relating to L&D Learning and development activities undertaken by managers Learning and development opportunities for team members Impact of regulation with SSSC Experiential Learning Model – Kolb and Fry Developments on Exper iential Learning – Jarvis Learning at Work and Human Resource Development - Slotte Skills demonstration by employees not qualified as per SSSC Skills demonstration by employees qualified as per SSSC Training needs analysis collation methods Factors in the positive contribution of L&D Promotion of L&D Perceived barriers to providing L&D opportunities Learning and

Picture & musical instrument Essay Example for Free

Picture musical instrument Essay In this picture, it showcases a man playing a musical instrument called bagpipes which are prominent and widely used in Scotland and Ireland. Based on the composition of the image, the man is probably a musician from an average social class because his choice clothing is typically worn by commoners probably during the Renaissance period. Generally, this illustration depicts an ordinary event in a musician’s life in the early periods. There are many components in this image that can tell the story of this single picture. Lines, shapes, color, shading and proportions are the elements that give life to a portrait. For the hat, it is a simple head ornament made from a plain fabric. The color gray with touches of brown suggest that it must had been used numerous times. The color combination gives it an aged look making it in a way look stylish. More so, the flower with a hint of light purple and baby pink colored petals that is surrounded by a couple of olive green leaves provided a natural component in the musician’s head cover. At first, it may seem that the beautiful flower is wilting probably because of its downward position but if viewers would look closely, the loveliness of the flower resides on its perfect color combination which exudes harmony. Additionally, a two-toned colored feather is also present on the hat. It is seamlessly intertwined with the flower. The feather added life on this very minimal hat through the blending of the colors gold and cream. Furthermore, the soft brushstrokes on the strands of the feathers give a sense of movement. It contrasted the stiff but delicate position of the flower. Moreover, the feather and the flower can be considered as accents of the hat that showcases the creativity of the musician and his love for things that possess simple yet striking beauty. On another note, hats are usually are worn outdoors during sunny days to protect the face from the rays of the sun. But on this picture, the black background suggests that the time was around in the evening or he was probably indoors which justifies the dark backdrop. Meanwhile, the relatively large brim of the hat had cast a shadow on the musician’s face. In a way, his wrinkles were partly concealed from the viewers’ line of sight. But if it will be examined closely, the series of lines on the forehead and on the mouth area can be considered as the focal points of the facial features. These lines indicate that the musician is probably in his late 40s or early 50s. On the other hand, the eyes tell a different story. It is hard to tell whether the arch of the left eyebrow and the roundness of the eyes signify an emotion. He can either be feeling tired or impassive during his performance. The semi-closed mouth with ripples of lines along the cheek area also adds up to the anonymity of the musician’s emotions. No outstanding feature can really be distinguished making it hard to determine the prominent mood of the painting. Overall, the musician’s face was painted in details. The realistic skin-toned color of the face accented by a small blush of red on the cheeks, the protruding nose, big black eyes, arched eyebrows, nude lips and the fine facial lines made an accurate representation of a male’s physical appearance. Furthermore, the layers of wardrobe added more personality into the painting. The musician is wearing three layers of garments. In the first layer is a white collared long sleeve shirt which is covered by a red V-shaped long sleeve with a wide collar. The bottom of the red shirt is tightened by a garter producing sections of scrunched up fabrics. Also, it seems that there is a set of embroidery at the bottom of the red shirt which serves as the accents to this plain piece of clothing. It is evident from the collar line to the sleeves that the musician is wearing layered clothes. Also, the combination of red and white complements very well. The simplicity of the white is balanced off by the intensity of the red. The third layer is a coat which has the same color as the hat with a dominant grayish tone but with touches of light brown and white. Also, the utilization of dark colors gave a slimming effect on the musician which made him look less stocky. The lining of the coat has a similar shade with the red shirt but more on the orange side. Probably this was intended to give continuity and proper blending of the colors used in the outfit. The whole look of the clothes did not seem stiff because of the folds seen all over the layers of clothing. The folds were intricately added to add movement in order for the clothes to look like as if they were moving with the musician. More so, these folds or lines contrasted the heaviness of the coat which gave a fluid quality to the whole picture. An unusual element was present on the left sleeve of the coat. This object has a circular shape with three layers of different sizes ranging from small to large. At one end is a hole where a red ribbon was tied which was pinned into the coat. Most likely this object is a type of medal that represents the musician’s profession or his achievements or this could just be an ornament used for fashion purposes. Regardless of its function, the circular object adds a touch of splendor to the whole garment. Moreover, the layers of clothing suggest that the weather was cold and that the musician needed the three levels of shirts to provide heat in order for him to properly play his bagpipes. Meanwhile, the bagpipe was illustrated in a neutral mocha brown color. Four pipes of varying heights and appearance were strategically strewn all over the irregularly shaped leather bagpipe. Because of the different sizes of pipes, it gave an illusion of elevation giving some dimension to a flat medium. Also, the creases on the bagpipe added some movement and tension to the image. Furthermore, the hands of the musician holding the main pipe were precisely demonstrated. The veins, the nails and even the lines on the knuckles were accurately portrayed. The viewers can really notice these details which suggest that these hands have been through a lot of experience in playing musical instruments. Despite the rigidity of the details on the hands, the way the hands were positioned displayed softness and finesse which is a true mark of a talented musician.

Smoking in Films Essay -- Tobacco Cigarettes Movies

Smoking in Films Your soda and popcorn are empty and the end credits are running on the newest blockbuster to hit theaters. What is on your mind when you leave the movies? Is it the number of times the actors lit up cigarettes during the two-hour flick? While you probably did not consciously notice all the smoke, the fact is that there were teenagers watching the movie that may now take up the habit because of what they saw on the screen. More and more, smoking in movies is being identified as a leading cause of teen smoking. Many filmmakers are using smoking in movies to make actors look more desirable or rebellious. This tactic used by filmmakers is imprinting the wrong image in the minds of impressionable teenagers. Tobacco use in film and in television is identified as one of the influential causes for teenage smoking (Sargent). Tobacco use in movies and in television is portrayed as fun, exciting, sexy, and rebellious and connected to wealth and power, it reinforces common advertising themes of the tobacco industry. While glamorizing tobacco may not be the intent of the entertainment industry, the result is that such portrayal encourages tobacco use among young people. Studies undertaken found that youth had a higher risk of smoking initiation as their exposure to movie smoking increased. In addition the youth that were exposed the most to movie smoking were at a higher risk (Increasing Evidence). Conversely, when anti-tobacco messages are included in movies or on television, it has just the opposite impact and may discourage young people from starting to smoke (Pechmann). Extensive tobacco use in movies and television suggests that smoking is more common in society then it actually is. When tobacco use is viewed as a s... ... Lowry, Brian. â€Å"POLS KICK BIZ IN THE BUTTS.† Daily Variety. Nov. 2005: O’Keefe, Timothy M. â€Å"The Anti-Smoking Commercials: A Study of Television’s Impact on Behavior.† The Public Opinion Quarterly. 35 1981:242-248 Peechmann, Cornelia, S. Ratneshwar. â€Å"The effect of Anismoking and Cigarette Advertising on Young Adolescents’ Perceptions of Peers Who Smoke.† The Journal of Consumer Research. 21 1994:236-251 Sargent, James D. â€Å"Dartmouth Researchers Find that Teens are Influenced by Movie Star Smokers.† Dartmouth News. 2001 Sargent, James D. â€Å"Dartmouth Researchers Link Movies to Teen Smoking.† Dartmouth News. 2001 Tickle, Jennifer J., James D Sargent, Madeline A Dalton, Michael L Beach, and Todd F Heatherton. â€Å"Favourite Movie Starts, their Tobacco Use in Contemporary Movies, and its Association with Adolescent Smoking.† Tob. Control. March 2001; 10:16-22

Product Line Study of Wockhardt Hospital by Shezah Salam

About Wockhardt Hospital Group Wockhardt hospital, a subsidiary of Wockhardt ltd. , is India’s leading super specialty hospital chain with branches in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur, Nasik, Surat , Rajkot, Kalyan and Bhavnagar. As associate hospitals of Harvard Medical, USA in India, Wockhardt hospitals benefit from the extensive learning and experience of Harvard Medical School and its affiliated institutions world-wide. This association helps Wockhardt Hospitals to stay at the forefront of medical technology and techniques, way ahead of others. Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai, has become the first superspeciality hospital in South Asia to achieve accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI), USA. JCI is the gold standard in global healthcare standards. With this, Wockhardt Hospitals joins an exclusive group of 71 hospitals worldwide, which have passed JCI’s stringent clinical quality standards. Their dedication to build a patient driven environment through the creation and exchange of knowledge is the decisive factor for their success. They constantly strive to upgrade the knowledge and competence of our human resources by constantly training with methodologies that meet global standards. Members of their medical team extensively travel to some of the best healthcare centers and teaching Institutions across the world to update their knowledge and acquire new competencies to hone their skills. The quality of healthcare services at their group hospitals in India is at par with the best centres anywhere in the world at a fraction of the cost in US, UK and Canada. Core Competencies Being a Specialty hospital, Wockardt’s core competencies lie in the following fields: †¢ Neurology and Neurosurgery †¢ Heart and cardiac care †¢ Cardio Thoracic and Vascular surgery †¢ Orthopedics and Joint Replacements †¢ Minimal Invasive surgery Wockhardt Product Line Based on the core competencies of the hospital, Wockhardt Hospitals offers the following highly specialized services known as their ‘centers of excellence’: 1. Wockhardt Heart –Care A center for excellence in interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgeries in the country, it has to its name a history of path-breaking procedures, be it the first-ever Conscious Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Awake Heart Surgery in India. Collectively Wockhardt group hospitals have now have tremendous experience of performing over 40000 Cardiac Surgeries and 75000 interventional cardiology procedures since its inception The same expertise and care is now available across various cities of India where Wockhardt Superspecialty Hospitals have been set up and each one of them have a Wockhardt Heart Care. These heart care are also a teaching center for clinicians from the sub-continent and now a preferred destination for cardiac patients not only from India but also from all over the US, UK, Canada, Middle East and Africas. According to the Wockhardt heart care philosophy, a life isn't saved until it is fully redeemed. Which means that anyone who comes in with a heart ailment, is not healed until they go back to their normal life, exactly like it was before. This is why Wockhardt treats surgery as just another stepping stone in the complete healing process. Their post operative facilities stand testimony to this belief. Their advanced rehabilitative care included dedicated nutritionists, dieticians, fitness equipment, counselors and our infection control policies; just a few initiatives that see you through the road to recovery. 2. Wockhardt Brain and Spine Care Wockhardt Brain & Spine specialties in Bangalore and Mumbai provides advanced micro-surgical techniques to treat complex Brain & Spine disorders. This super specialty center is amongst the few in Asia equipped with most advanced Neuro-navigation and Endoscopic facilities to perform complex brain and spine neurosurgeries. Wockhardt Brain & Spine Care has a vastly experienced team of Neurosurgeons and Neurologists, backed by the most comprehensive neuro-diagnostic and imaging facilities, positions the hospital among the best in the region. Neurological services extend to the very latest in diagnostic equipment such as EEG, ENMG, and Video-monitoring, 1. 5 Tesla MRI and 64-Slice CT Scan. 3. Bone and Joint Center The Wockhardt Bone & joint Care has evolved as the Centre of Excellence for joint replacement surgeries and is equipped to treat all types of musculo-skeletal problems ranging from surgeries to minimally invasive Arthroscopic surgeries. The Wockhardt Bone and Joint Care is equipped to treat all types of musculo-skeletal problems ranging from Trauma Surgery to Minimally Invasive Arthroscopy Surgery. The hospital also specilalises in surgery for joint replacements, sports medicine, ligament repair, knee surgery, spine surgery and physical therapy for rehabilitation. Wockhardt Bone & Joint Care has complete technology and advanced skills to perform Microscopic Lumber & Cervical Discectomy, Endo-scopic Spine Surgery and Arthroscopic surgeries such as Ligament Reconstruction in the knee, Subacromial Decom-pression in the shoulder. 4. Minimal Access Surgery The Wockhart Minimal Access Surgery Hospital is equipped with High-end technology to perform precision surgery in this newly developed modality of surgical treatment, which until recently required large incisions on the human body. It encompasses operative procedures for the nervous system, ENT, thorax, abdomen, urinary tract, reproductive system and joints. This technology not only minimises surgical trauma, pain and blood loss but also shortens hospitalisation and improves aesthetics. Traditionally surgeons had to cut wide and deep (Incision) to reach (Access) organs for large incisions caused pain, were prone to infections/ hernia and often rendered poor cosmetic results. These factors were the underlying cause of significant mortality and morbidity. Minimal Access Surgery (MAS) makes it possible for surgeons to reach (Access) various organs in the body cavities through small incisions (Minimal). Wockhardt Minimal Access Surgery Hospital has acquired complete State-of –the-art range of endoscopic technology required for carrying our minimal access surgery. These include: Endovision Tricam SL, Harmonic Scalpel, Medical grade monitor, CO2 Insufflator and a wide range of high precision instruments. 5. Hip-resurfacing centre Wockhardt provides high quality and cost effective hip replacement surgery services. Their Minimally Invasive Hip Resurfacing/ Replacement Surgery: Removes only unhealthy bone and replaces it with a metal on metal articulation. †¢ It preserves the normal bone of the hip – patients can squat, sit cross-legged without the risk of dislocation. †¢ Everlasting – based on 35-year history in Birmingham of metal on metal implants. †¢ Excellent restoration of full function. †¢ Femo ral head remains viable after BHR surgery. It does not sacrifice normal bone during primary surgery. †¢ Activity restriction not required after surgery, as there is hardly any risk of dislocation. Patient can indulge in full sporting activities without risk of dislocation. Patients have gone back to sports like competitive Judo and Squash after surgery. †¢ Overall 99% success rate – ideal option for the younger or more active patient 6. Women Care Wockhardt Hospitals Woman Care program is a culmination of strengths derived from our association with HMI, and conceptualized in line with the world renowned Harvard associated Brigham & Women’s Hospital. A 30, 000 sq ft area is exclusively dedicated to Woman care with consultation suites, delivery rooms, operating rooms, dedicated to obstetrics, a 12-bed neo-natal ICU & a nursery. Our Woman health care programmes, besides minimal access gynaecological services, also include preventive clinics (early diagnosis of breast, uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer), Infertility clinics & Menopausal clinics. Other services offered by Wockhardt: †¢ Liver Transplant and Digestive Diseases †¢ Joint Replacements †¢ Women and Child Care †¢ Trans Nasal Brain Tumor Surgery †¢ Urology and Andrology †¢ Obesity Surgery †¢ Dental Care †¢ Surgical Oncology †¢ Parkinson's Disease Surgery Product Mix |Heart Care |Brain and Spine | |A. CARDIO – THORACIC AND VASCULAR SURGERIES |Spinal Surgeries | | |[pic] | | |Microscopic lumbar discectomy or decompression | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |Beating Heart Bypass Surgery (Off – Pump Coronary|Microscopic anterior cervical discectomy | |Bypass Surgery) | | |[pic] | |[pic] |Endoscopic discectomy | |Conscious Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery| | |- COPCAB (Awake Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery |[pic] | |-ACAB) |Spinal decompression with or without fusion | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery |Endoscopic fusion of spine | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |Redo Bypass Surgery |Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy | | | | |[pic] |Degenerative Disc Disease | |Valve Surgery |[pic] | | |Minimally-invasive spinal fusion and advanced instrumentation | |[pic] | | |MVR with Correction of Atrial fibrillation using |[pic] | |Maze III Procedure |Total disc replacement surgery | | | | |[pic] |[pic] |Vascular Surgery |Spinal deformity corr ection and stabilization | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |Thoracic & Pulmonary Surgeries |Endoscopic fusion of spine | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |Adult & Paediatric Open Heart Surgeries |Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy | | | | | |Osteoporosis of the spine | | |[pic] | | |Vertebroplasty | | | | |B. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY PROCEDURES |[pic] | | |Kyphoplasty | | | | | |[pic] | |[pic] |Spondylolisthesis | |Coronary Angiography & Angioplasty (both Femoral | | |& Radial Approach) |[pic] | | Posterior spinal instrumentation | |[pic] | | |Angiogram & Angioplasty of arteries of Neck, Leg |Abnormal curvature within the spine-scoliosis | |, Arm, Kidney | | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |Permanent pacemaker (Single & Double Chamber) |Thoracoscopic deformity correction | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |Valvuloplasty |Posterior correction of Scoliosis or Kyphosis with instrumentation | | | | |[pic] | | |EP Study Diagnostic & Ablation | | | |Other spine surgeries | |[pic] |[pic] | |ASD closure with device |Tuberculosis of Spine – Thoracoscopic Spinal Surgery with Para spinal abscess | | |drainage | | | | | |[pic] | | |Spine Tumor Surgery | | | | |C. CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMME |[pic] | | |Spine Trauma | | | | | |Brain surgeries | | |[pic] | | |Microsurgery for Brain Tumors | | | | | |[pic] | | |Endoscopic Brain Surgery | | | | | |[pic] | | |Trans Nasal Endoscopic Brain Tumor Removal | | | | | |[pic] | | |Skull Base Surgery | | | | | |[pic] | | |Brain Trauma Surgery | | | | |[pic] | | |Congenital Cranial Deformity | | | | | |[pic] | | |Stereotactic Brain Surgery for Tumor and Functional Neurosurgery | | | | | |[pic] | | |Craniofacial Surgery with FMS (Facio-Maxillary Surgery) | | | | | |[pic] | | |Brain Surgery for Abnormal Blood Vessels | | | | | |[pic] | | |Brain Surgery for Epilepsy | | | | | |[pic] | | |Brain Surgery for Removal of Blood Clots | | | | | |[pic] | | |Interventional/ Neuro-endovascular Therapy for Cerebro-vascular Diseases and Tumor| | | | | |[pic] | | |Interventional/ Neuro-endovascular Therapy for Cerebro-vascular Diseases and Tumor| | | | Product Mix (contd. ) Bone and join t care |Minimal access surgery |Women Care |Hip Replacement |Other Specialties | |Arthroscopic surgery:Key hole | |The NEST – Bithing Services |Minimally invasive hip |Liver Transplant and | |surgery for disorders of knee and | | |replacement surgery |Digestive Diseases | |shoulder |[pic] |LDRP birthing suites, Private | | | |Minimal Access Spine surgery |DIAGNOSTIC ENDOSCOPY |deluxe, Twin-deluxe and multi-bed | |Joint Replacements | |Hip Resurfacing | |Painless deliveries | | | |Paediatric Bone & Joint Surgeries |[pic] |Management of high risk | |Women and Child Care | |Fracture Treatment |Upper GI Scopy |pregnancies/Late pregnancies | | | |Sports Medicine | |The Lamaze Classes | |Trans Nasal Brain Tumor| |Speciality Clinic for Arthritis |[pic] |Ante-natal classes | |Surgery | |Trauma & Pain Management |Colonoscopy | | | | |Osteoporosis | |Clinics | |Urology nd Andrology | |Lifestyle Modification Programme |[pic] | | | | |(Rehabilitation) |ERCP |Menopause Clinic | |Obesity S urgery | |Patient Education Programme | |Infertility Clinic | | | |Total Knee Replacement |[pic] |Adolescent Clinic | |Dental Care | |Unicondylar Knee Replacement |Bronchoscopy | | | | |Total Hip Replacement | |Minimal Access Gynaecological | |Surgical Oncology | |Hip Resurfacing / Surface | |Surgeries | | | |Replacement Arthroplasty | | | |Parkinson's Disease | |Shoulder Replacement |[pic] |Laproscopic hysterectomy | |Surgery | |Neck & Elbow Replacement |EMERGENCY LAPAROSCOPY |Laproscopic tubectomy | | | | | |Laproscopic overectomy | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |LAPAROSCOPIC PROCEDURES |Operative Gynaecological Surgeries | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] |Hyserectomy | | | | |Hernia procedures |Ovarian cysts | | | | | |Malignancies | | | | |[pic] Surgeries on the fallopian tube | | | | |Gallbladder stones and liver |Removal of fibroids | | | | |procedures: | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Procedures on esophagus/ | | | | | |myotomy | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Nissen fundopli cation | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Procedures on the stomach | | | | | |cancer | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Procedures on the small | | | | | |intestine | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Procedures on pancreas | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Procedures on other organs | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |Hepatic Resection for | | | | | |Malignant Liver | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |VIDEO ASSISTED THORACIC | | | | |SURGERY | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | | |LAPAROSCOPIC COLONIC | | | | | |CANCER/RECTAL CANCER SURGERY | | | | | | | | | | Product Hierarchy Product analysis: Wockhardt Heart Care With its latest technological advances and ethical management practices Wockhardt pledges to provide international standard cardiac care to its patients. Wockhardt Heart Care, with the best Cardiac Surgeons, Cardiologist & Medical Staff delivers wor ld standard heart care with the highest degree of convenience, care and compassion at a reasonable cost. ore Branding Strategy: â€Å"Heart is Wockhardt† is how Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute has come to be known as since the past 17 years. A center for excellence in interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgeries in the country, it has to its name a history of path-breaking procedures, be it the first-ever Conscious Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Awake Heart Surgery in India. The Wockhardt branding strategy concentrates on depicting an image of overall heart care. According to the Wockhardt philosophy a life isn’t saved until it’s completely redeemed. This is why they treat surgery as just another stepping stone in the complete healing process. Another facet in the 360 degree care they offer. Pricing Startegy: With Wockhardt Hospitals, even the most cost-sensitive traveler can get the best and most specialized services and luxury amenities. Procedure / Treatment |Wockhardt Hospitals, India ($) |USA ($) |UK (GBP) | |Open Heart |8,500 |100,000 |20,000 | |Surgery (CABG) | | | | |Total Knee |7,000 |48,000 |15,000 | |Replacement | | | | |Hip Resurfacing |8,500 |55,000 |15,000 | |LA Hysterectomy |4 ,500 |22,000 |6,000 | |Lap Cholcystectomy |4,500 |18,000 |4,000 | |Spinal Decompression Fusion |8,500 |60,000 |32,100 | |Obesity Surgery |9,800 |65,000 |12,000 | |(Gastric Bypass) | | | | Product Level [pic] Points of Parity of Wockhardt heart care and other hospital chains †¢ Well experienced doctors †¢ Latest technology †¢ Luxurious Ambience †¢ Large variety of surgeries Points of Difference of Wockhardt Heart Care and other Hospital Chains †¢ Rehabilitation Centers (Including dietician, gyms, etc. ) †¢ Greater heart surgery specialties †¢ Tie up with Harvard Medical Association †¢ World Class Services and Facilities †¢ Joint Commision International Accreditation †¢ Ground Breaking Medical Breakthroughs: The Four Prong Strategy: Nobody wanted to treat a 12 year old girl with a congenital cardiac defect of criss-crossed ventricles and arteries. Medication could only do so much and a temporary fix of the valves would only buy time. T he team at Wockhardt Hospitals wanted more for the girl; we wanted to give her a normal life of a 12 year old. It took a whole year of tests and scans and 4 high risks surgeries to re-arrange the girls heart; but it the end we challenged the odds and emerged successful. o The Radio Maze Therapy: Heart specialists at Wockhardt have found an extremely advantageous procedure surgical procedure which will offer a permanent solution during atrial fibrillation – An abnormal fast beating of the heart caused by disturbed electrical discharges. The surgery uses the technique of irrigated radio frequency modified maze procedure, which is performed to treat atrial fibrillation along with an open heart surgery for valve replacement. o Wake-up to a new world: A 78 year old patient walked into Wockhardt Hospitals with chest pain. An emergency angiogram indicated the urgent need for a bypass. The problem ? He was a smoker and affected lungs meant that he could not tolerate general anaesthesia. And he had other complications, like diabetes and renal problems which eliminated heart lung machines. In most other hospitals, this would have been the end of the story. But our team came up with a medical plan to perform a minimally invasive coronary bypass without general anaesthesia or a ventilator support, using the technique called high epidural analgesia. The operation lasted 45 minutes and was a success, and the patient was awake all through. o The Brains behind the heart: A 22 year old was brought to Wockhardt Hospitals with a rare condition. He has a cancerous tumour in his heart. Something that is normally found in the brain. A condition like this is so rare that there isn't even enough medical literature about it. But that didn't stop our team. In an epic surgery that lasted longer than 6 hours, they successfully removed the tumour and literally rebuild a large part of his heart. o The 900gm Miracle: Most hospitals wouldn’t operate on Jonathan. He was four months old and weighed 900grams. He was almost the size of a palm. Jonathan's heart was just one-inch–long and had a one –centimetre fungal mass in the right chamber, which had infected his blood. An open heart surgery was his only chance of survival, but was risky, considering his loss of weight. A risk that most hospitals were not willing to take. They wanted to wait till Jonathan gained more weight, which meant they needed more time. Time is what he did not have. But the team at Wockhardt had belief. Belief in their skills and belief that they would save Jonathan's life. The six hour surgery was a success. Jonathan was reborn. ———————– Marketing Management: A product line study of Study by Shezah Salam Roll no: 2120

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 12. Some People Just Don’t Grasp …

12. Some People Just Don't Grasp The Concept Of â€Å"Unwelcome† I was right on the edge of sleep. The sun had risen behind the clouds an hour ago – the forest was gray now instead of black. Seth'd curled up and passed out around one, and I'd woken him at dawn to trade off. Even after running all night, I was having a hard time making my brain shut up long enough to fall asleep, but Seth's rhythmic run was helping. One, two-three, four, one, two-three, four – dum dum-dum dam – dull paw thuds against the damp earth, over and over as he made the wide circuit surrounding the Cullens' land. We were already wearing a trail into the ground. Seth's thoughts were empty, just a blur of green and gray as the woods flew past him. It was restful. It helped to fill my head with what he saw rather than letting my own images take center stage. And then Seth's piercing howl broke the early morning quiet. I lurched up from the ground, my front legs pulling toward a sprint before my hind legs were off the ground. I raced toward the place where Seth had frozen, listening with him to the tread of paws running in our direction. Morning, boys. A shocked whine broke through Seth's teeth. And then we both snarled as we read deeper into the new thoughts. Oh, man! Goaway, Leah! Seth groaned. I stopped when I got to Seth, head thrown back, ready to howl again – this time to complain. Cut the noise, Seth. Right. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!He whimpered and pawed at the ground, scratching deep furrows in the dirt. Leah trotted into view, her small gray body weaving through the underbrush. Stop whining, Seth. You're such a baby. I growled at her, my ears flattening against my skull. She skipped back a step automatically. What do you think you're doing, Leah? She huffed a heavy sigh. It's pretty obvious, isn't it? I'm joining your crappy little renegade pack. The vampires' guard dogs. She barked out a low, sarcastic laugh. No, you're not. Turn around before I rip out one of your hamstrings. Like you could catch me.She grinned and coiled her body for launch. Wanna race, O fearless leader? I took a deep breath, filling my lungs until my sides bulged. Then, when I was sure I wasn't going to scream, i exhaled in a gust. Seth, go let the Cullens know that it's just your stupid sister – thought the words as harshly as possible. deal with this. On it!Seth was only too happy to leave. He vanished toward the house. Leah whined, and she leaned after him, the fur on her shoulders rising. You're just going to let him run off to the vampires alone? I'm pretty sure he'd rather they took him out than spend another minute with you. Shut up, Jacob. Oops, I'm sorry – meant, shut up, most high Alpha. Why thehellare you here? You think I'm just going to sit home while my little brother volunteers as a vampire chew toy? Seth doesn't want or need your protection. In fact, no one wants you here. Oooh, ouch, that's gonna leave ahuge mark. Ha, she barked. Tell me who does want me around, and I'm outta here. So this isn't about Seth at all, is it? Of course it is. I'm just pointing out that being unwanted is not a first for me. Not really a motivating factor, if you know what I mean. I gritted my teeth and tried to get my head straight. Did Sam send you? If I was here on Sam's errand, you wouldn't be able to hear me. My allegiance is no longer with him. I listened carefully to the thoughts mixed in with the words. If this was a diversion or a ploy, I had to be alert enough to see through it. But there was nothing. Her declaration was nothing but the truth. Unwilling, almost despairing truth. You're loyal tome now? I asked with deep sarcasm. Uh-huh. Right. My choices are limited. I'm working with the options I've got. Trust me, I'm not enjoying this any more than you are. That wasn't true. There was an edgy kind of excitement in her mind. She was unhappy about this, but she was also riding some weird high. I searched her mind, trying to understand. She bristled, resenting the intrusion. I usually tried to tune Leah out – I'd never tried to make sense of her before. We were interrupted by Seth, thinking his explanation at Edward. Leah whined anxiously. Edward's face, framed in the same window as last night, showed no reaction to the news. It was a blank face, dead. Wow, he looks bad,Seth muttered to himself. The vampire showed no reaction to that thought, either. He disappeared into the house. Seth pivoted and headed back out to us. Leah relaxed a little. What's going on?Leah asked. Catch me up to speed. There's no point You're not staying. Actually, Mr. Alpha, I am. Because since apparently I have to belong tosomeone – and don't think I haven't tried breaking off on my own, you know yourself how wellthat doesn ‘t work – choose you. Leah, you don't like me. I don't like you. Thank you, Captain Obvious. That doesn't matter to me. I'm staying with Seth. You don't like vampires. Don't you think that's a little conflict of interest right there? You don't like vampires either. But Iam committed to this alliance. You aren't. I'll keep my distance from them. I can run patrols out here, just like Seth. And I'm supposed to trust you with that? She stretched her neck, leaning up on her toes, trying to be as tall as me as she stared into my eyes. will not betray my pack. I wanted to throw my head back and howl, like Seth had before. This isn't your pack! This isn't even a pack. This is just me, going off on my own! What is it with you Clearwaters? Why can't you leave me alone? Seth, just coming up behind us now, whined; I'd offended him. Great. I've been helpful, haven't I, Jake? You haven't madetoo much a nuisance of yourself, kid, but if you and Leah are a package deal – if the only way to get rid of her is for you to go home†¦. Weil, can you blame me for wanting you gone? Ugh, Leah, you ruin everything! Yeah, I know,she told him, and the thought was loaded with the heaviness of her despair. I felt the pain in the three little words, and it was more than I would've guessed. I didn't want to feel that. I didn't want to feel bad for her. Sure, the pack was rough on her, but she brought it all on herself with the bitterness that tainted her every thought and made being in her head a nightmare. Seth was feeling guilty, too. Jake†¦ You're not really gonna send me away, are you? Leah's not so bad. Really. I mean, with her here, we can push the perimeter out farther. And this puts Sam down to seven. There's no way he's going to mount an attack that outnumbered. It's probably a good thing†¦. You know I don't want to lead a pack, Seth. So don't lead us,Leah offered. I snorted. Sounds perfect to me. Run along home now. Jake,Seth thought. belong here. I do like vampires. Cullens, anyway. They're people to me, and I'm going to protect them, 'cause that's what we're supposed to do. Maybe you belong, kid, but your sister doesn't And she's going to go wherever you are – I stopped short, because I saw something when I said that. Something Leah had been trying not to think. Leah wasn't going anywhere. Thought this was about Seth,I thought sourly. She flinched. Of course I'm here for Seth. And to get away from Sam. Her jaw clenched. don't have to explain myself to you. I just have to do what I'm told. I belong to your pack, Jacob. The end. I paced away from her, growling. Crap. I was never going to get rid of her. As much as she disliked me, as much as she loathed the Cullens, as happy as she'd be to go kill all the vampires right now, as much as it pissed her off to have to protect them instead – none of that was anything compared to what she felt being free of Sam. Leah didn't like me, so it wasn't such a chore having me wish she would disappear. She loved Sam. Still. And having him wish she would disappear was more pain than she was willing to live with, now that she had a choice. She would have taken any other option. Even if it meant moving in with the Cullens as their lapdog. don't know if I'd go that far, she thought. She tried to make the words tough, aggressive, but there were big cracks in her show. I'm sure I'd give killing myself a few good tries first. Look, Leah†¦ No,you look, Jacob. Stop arguing with me, because it's not going to do any good. I'll stay out of your way, okay? I'll do anything you want Except go back to Sam's pack and be the pathetic ex-girlfriend he can't get away from. If you want me to leave – she sat back on her haunches and stared straight into my eyes – you're going to have tomake me. I snarled for a long, angry minute. I was beginning to feel some sympathy for Sam, despite what he had done to me, to Seth. No wonder he was always ordering the pack around. How else would you ever get anything done? Seth, are you gonna get mad at me if I kill your sister? He pretended to think about it for a minute. Well†¦ yeah, probably. I sighed. Okay, then, Ms. Do-Anything-I-Want Why don't you make yourself useful by telling us what you know? What happened after we left last night? Lots of howling. But you probably heard that part. It was so loud that it took us a while to figure out that we couldn't hear either of you anymore. Sam was†¦Words failed her, but we could see it in our head. Both Seth and I cringed. After that, it was clear pretty quick that we were going to have to rethink things. Sam was planning to talk to the other Elders first thing this morning. We were supposed to meet up and figure out a game plan. I could tell he wasn't going to mount another attack right away, though. Suicide at this point, with you and Seth AWOL and the bloodsuckers forewarned. I'm not sure what they'll do, but I wouldn't be wandering the forest alone if I was a leech. It's open season on vamps now. You decided to skip the meeting this morning?I asked. When we split up for patrols last night, I asked permission to go home, to tell my mother what had happened – Crap! You told Mom?Seth growled. Seth, hold off on the sibling stuff for a sec. Go on, Leah. So once I was human, I took a minute to think things through. Well, actually, I took all night. I bet the others think I fell asleep. But the whole two-separate-packs, two-separate-pack-minds thing gave mea lot to sift through. In the end, I weighed Seth's safety and the, er, other benefits against the idea of turning traitor and sniffing vampire stink for who knows how long. You know what I decided. I left a note for my mom. I expect we'll hear it when Sam finds out . .. Leah cocked an ear to the west. Yeah, I expect we will,I agreed. So that's everything. What do we do now?she asked. She and Seth both looked at me expectantly. This was exactly the kind of thing I didn't want to have to do. guess we just keep an eye out for now. That's all we can do. You should probably take a nap, Leah. You've had as much sleep as I have. Thought you were going to do what you were told? Right. That's going to get old,she grumbled, and then she yawned. Well, whatever. I don't care. I'll run the border, Jake. I'm not tired at all.Seth was so glad I hadn't forced them home, he was all but prancing with excitement. Sure, sure. I'm going to go check in with the Cullens. Seth took off along the new path worn into the damp earth. Leah looked after him thoughtfully. Maybe a round or two before I crash†¦. Hey Seth, wanna see how many times I can lap you? NO! Barking out a low chuckle, Leah lunged into the woods after him. I growled uselessly. So much for peace and quiet. Leah was trying – for Leah. She kept her jibes to a minimum as she raced around the circuit, but it was impossible not to be aware of her smug mood. I thought of the whole â€Å"two's company† saying. It didn't really apply, because one was plenty to my mind. But if there had to be three of us, it was hard to think of anyone that I wouldn't trade her for. Paul?she suggested. Maybe,I allowed. She laughed to herself, too jittery and hyper to get offended, i wondered how long the buzz from dodging Sam's pity would last. That will be my goal then – to be less annoying than Paul. Yeah, work on that I changed into my other form when I was a few yards from the lawn. I hadn't been planning to spend much time human here. But I hadn't been planning to have Leah in my head, either. I pulled on my ragged shorts and started across the lawn. The door opened before I got to the steps, and I was surprised to see Carlisle rather than Edward step outside to meet me – his face looked exhausted and defeated. For a second, my heart froze. I faltered to a stop, unable to speak. â€Å"Are you all right, Jacob?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"Is Bella?† I choked out. â€Å"She's†¦ much the same as last night. Did I startle you? I'm sorry. Edward said you were coming in your human form, and I came out to greet you, as he didn't want to leave her. She's awake.† And Edward didn't want to lose any time with her, because he didn't have much time left. Carlisle didn't say the words out loud, but he might as well have. It had been a while since I'd slept – since before my last patrol. I could really feel that now. I took a step forward, sat down on the porch steps, and slumped against the railing. Moving whisper-quiet as only a vampire could, Carlisle took a seat on the same step, against the other railing. â€Å"I didn't get a chance to thank you last night, Jacob. You don't know how much I appreciate your†¦ compassion. I know your goal was to protect Bella, but I owe you the safety of the rest of my family as well. Edward told me what you had to do___† â€Å"Don't mention it,† I muttered. â€Å"If you prefer.† We sat in silence. I could hear the others in the house. Emmett, Alice, and Jasper, speaking in low, serious voices upstairs. Esme humming tunelessly in another room. Rosalie and Edward breathing close by – I couldn't tell which was which, but I could hear the difference in Bella's labored panting. I could hear her heart, too. It seemed†¦ uneven. It was like fate was out to make me do everything I'd ever sworn I wouldn't in the course of twenty-four hours. Here I was, hanging around, waiting for her to die. I didn't want to listen anymore. Talking was better than listening. â€Å"She's family to you?† I asked Carlisle. It had caught my notice before, when he'd said I'd helped the rest of his family, too. â€Å"Yes. Bella is already a daughter to me. A beloved daughter.† â€Å"But you're going to let her die.† He was quiet long enough that I looked up. His face was very, very tired. I knew how he felt. â€Å"I can imagine what you think of me for that,† he finally said. â€Å"But i can't ignore her will. It wouldn't be right to make such a choice for her, to force her.† I wanted to be angry with him, but he was making it hard. It was like he was throwing my own words back at me, just scrambled up. They'd sounded right before, but they couldn't be right now. Not with Bella dying. Still†¦ I remembered how it felt to be broken on the ground under Sam – to have no choice but be involved in the murder of someone I loved. It wasn't the same, though. Sam was wrong. And Bella loved things she shouldn't. â€Å"Do you think there's any chance she'll make it? I mean, as a vampire and all that. She told me about†¦ about Esme.† Tel say there's an even chance at this point,† he answered quietly. â€Å"I've seen vampire venom work miracles, but there are conditions that even venom cannot overcome. Her heart is working too hard now; if it should fail†¦ there won't be anything for me to do.† Bella's heartbeat throbbed and faltered, giving an agonizing emphasis to his words. Maybe the planet had started turning backward. Maybe that would explain how everything was the opposite of what it had been yesterday – how I could be hoping for what had once seemed like the very worst thing in the world. â€Å"What is that thing doing to her?† I whispered. â€Å"She was so much worse last night. I saw†¦ the tubes and all that. Through the window.† â€Å"The fetus isn't compatible with her body. Too strong, for one thing, but she could probably endure that for a while. The bigger problem is that it won't allow her to get the sustenance she needs. Her body is rejecting every form of nutrition. I'm trying to feed her intravenously, but she's just not absorbing it. Everything about her condition is accelerated. I'm watching her – and not just her, but the fetus as well – starve to death by the hour. I can't stop it and I can't slow it down. I can't figure out what it wants† His weary voice broke at the end. I felt the same way I had yesterday, when I'd seen the black stains across her stomach – furious, and a little crazy. I clenched my hands into fists to control the shaking. I hated the thing that was hurting her. It wasn't enough for the monster to beat her from the inside out. No, it was starving her, too. Probably just looking for something to sink its teeth into – a throat to suck dry. Since it wasn't big enough to kill anyone else yet, it settled for sucking Bella's life from her. I could tell them exactly what it wanted: death and blood, blood and death. My skin was all hot and prickly. I breathed slowly in and out, focusing on that to calm myself. â€Å"I wish I could get a better idea of what exactly it is,† Carlisle murmured. â€Å"The fetus is well protected. I haven't been able to produce an ultrasonic image. I doubt there is any way to get a needle through the amniotic sac, but Rosalie won't agree to let me try, in any case.† â€Å"A needle?† I mumbled. â€Å"What good would that do?† â€Å"The more I know about the fetus, the better I can estimate what it will be capable of. What I wouldn't give for even a little amniotic fluid. If I knew even the chromosomal count†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're losing me, Doc. Can you dumb it down?† He chuckled once – even his laugh sounded exhausted. â€Å"Okay. How much biology have you taken? Did you study chromosomal pairs?† â€Å"Think so. We have twenty-three, right?† â€Å"Humans do.† I blinked. â€Å"How many do you have?† â€Å"Twenty-five.† I frowned at my fists for a second. â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"I thought it meant that our species were almost completely different. Less related than a lion and a house cat. But this new life – well, it suggests that we're more genetically compatible than I'd thought.† He sighed sadly. â€Å"I didn't know to warn them.† I sighed, too. It had been easy to hate Edward for the same ignorance. I still hated him for it. It was just hard to feel the same way about Carlisle. Maybe because I wasn't ten shades of jealous in Carlisle's case. â€Å"It might help to know what the count was – whether the fetus was closer to us or to her. To know what to expect.† Then he shrugged. â€Å"And maybe it wouldn't help anything. I guess I just wish I had something to study, anything to do.† â€Å"Wonder what my chromosomes are like,† I muttered randomly. I thought of those Olympic steroids tests again. Did they run DNA scans? Carlisle coughed self-consciously. â€Å"You have twenty-four pairs, Jacob.† I turned slowly to stare at him, raising my eyebrows. He looked embarrassed. â€Å"I was†¦ curious. I took the liberty when I was treating you last June.† I thought about it for a second. â€Å"I guess that should piss me off. But I don't really care.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I should have asked.† â€Å"S'okay, Doc. You didn't mean any harm.† â€Å"No, I promise you that I did not mean you any harm. It's just that†¦ I find your species fascinating. I suppose that the elements of vampiric nature have come to seem commonplace to me over the centuries. Your family's divergence from humanity is much more interesting. Magical, almost.† â€Å"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,† I mumbled. He was just like Bella with all the magic garbage. Carlisle laughed another weary laugh. Then we heard Edward's voice inside the house, and we both paused to listen. â€Å"I'll be right back, Bella. I want to speak with Carlisle for a moment. Actually, Rosalie, would you mind accompanying me?† Edward sounded different. There was a little life in his dead voice. A spark of something. Not hope exactly, but maybe the desire to hope. â€Å"What is it, Edward?† Bella asked hoarsely. â€Å"Nothing you need to worry about, love. It will just take a second. Please, Rose?† â€Å"Esme?† Rosalie called. â€Å"Can you mindBella for me?† Iheard the whisper of wind as Esme flitted down the stairs. â€Å"Of course,† she said. Carlisle shifted, twisting to look expectantly at the door. Edward was through the door first, with Rosalie right on his heels. His face was, like his voice, no longer dead. He seemed intensely focused. Rosalie looked suspicious. Edward shut the door behind her. â€Å"Carlisle,† he murmured. â€Å"What is it, Edward?† â€Å"Perhaps we've been going about this the wrong way. I was listening to you and Jacob just now, and when you were speaking of what the†¦ fetus wants, Jacob had an interesting thought.† Me?What had thought? Besides my obvious hatred for the thing? At least I wasn't alone in that. I could tell that Edward had a difficult time using a term as mild as fetus. â€Å"We haven't actually addressed that angle,† Edward went on. â€Å"We've been trying to get Bella what she needs. And her body is accepting it about as well as one of ours would. Perhaps we should address the needs of the†¦ fetus first. Maybe if we can satisfy it, we'll be able to help her more effectively.† â€Å"I'm not following you, Edward,† Carlisle said. â€Å"Think about it, Carlisle. If that creature is more vampire than human, can't you guess what it craves – what it's not getting? Jacob did.† I did? I ran through the conversation, trying to remember what thoughts I'd kept to myself. I remembered at the same time that Carlisle understood. â€Å"Oh,† he said in a surprised tone. â€Å"You think it is†¦ thirsty?† Rosalie hissed under her breath. She wasn't suspicious anymore. Her revoltingly perfect face wasall lit up, her eyes wide with excitement. â€Å"Of course,† she muttered. â€Å"Carlisle, we have all that type O negative laid aside for Bella. It's a good idea,† she added, not looking at me. â€Å"Hmm.† Carlisle put his hand to his chin, lost in thought. â€Å"I wonder†¦ And then, what would be the best way to administer___† Rosalie shook her head. â€Å"We don't have time to be creative. I'd say we should start with the traditional way.† â€Å"Wait a minute,† i whispered. â€Å"Just hold on. Are you – are you talking about making Bella drink blood?† â€Å"It was your idea, dog,† Rosalie said, scowling at me without ever quite looking at me. I ignored her and watched Carlisle. That same ghost of hope that had been in Edward's face was now in the doctor's eyes. He pursed his lips, speculating. â€Å"That's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't find the right word. â€Å"Monstrous?† Edward suggested. â€Å"Repulsive?† â€Å"Pretty much.† â€Å"But what if it helps her?† he whispered. I shook my head angrily. â€Å"What are you gonna do, shove a tube down her throat?† â€Å"I plan to ask her what she thinks. I just wanted to run it past Carlisle first.† Rosalie nodded. â€Å"If you tell her it might help the baby, she'll be willing to do anything. Even if we do have to feed them through a tube.† I realized then – when I heard how her voice got all loveydovey as she said the word baby – that Blondie would be in line with anything that helped the little life-sucking monster. Was that what was going on, the mystery factor that was bonding the two of them? Was Rosalie after the kid? From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod once, absently, not looking in my direction. But I knew he was answering my questions. Huh. I wouldn't have thought the ice-cold Barbie would have a maternal side. So much for protecting Bella – Rosalie'd probably jam the tube down Bella's throat herself. Edward's mouth mashed into a hard line, and I knew I was right again. â€Å"Well, we don't have time to sit around discussing this,† Rosalie said impatiently. â€Å"What do you think, Carlisle? Can we try?† Carlisle took a deep breath, and then he was on his feet. â€Å"We'll ask Bella.† Blondie smiled smugly – sure that, if it was up to Bella, she would get her way. I dragged myself up from the stairs and followed after them as they disappeared into the house. I wasn't sure why. Just morbid curiosity, maybe. It was like a horror movie. Monsters and blood all over the place. Maybe I just couldn't resist another hit of my dwindling drug supply. Bella lay flat on the hospital bed, her belly a mountain under the sheet. She looked like wax – colorless and sort of see-through. You'd think she was already dead, except for the tiny movement of her chest, her shallow breathing. And then her eyes, following the four of us with exhausted suspicion. The others were at her side already, flitting across the room with sudden darting motions. It was creepy to watch. 1 ambled along at a slow walk. â€Å"What's going on?† Bella demanded in a scratchy whisper. Her waxy hand twitched up – like she was trying to protect her balloon-shaped stomach. â€Å"Jacob had an idea that might help you,† Carlisle said. I wished he would leave me out of it. I hadn't suggested anything. Give the credit to her bloodsucking husband, where it belonged. â€Å"It won't be†¦ pleasant, but – â€Å" â€Å"But it will help the baby,† Rosalie interrupted eagerly. â€Å"We've thought of a better way to feed him. Maybe.† Bella's eyelids fluttered. Then she coughed out a weak chuckle. â€Å"Not pleasant?† she whispered. â€Å"Gosh, that'll be such a change.† She eyed the tube stuck into her arm and coughed again. Blondie laughed with her. The girl looked like she only had hours left, and she had to be in pain, but she was making jokes. So Bella. Trying to ease the tension, make it better for everyone else. Edward stepped around Rosalie, no humor touching his intense expression. I was glad for that. It helped, just a little bit, that he was suffering worse than me. He took her hand, not the one that was still protecting her swollen belly. â€Å"Bella, love, we're going to ask you to do something monstrous,† he said, using the same adjectives he'd offered me. â€Å"Repulsive.† Well, at least he was giving it to her straight. She took a shallow, fluttery breath. â€Å"How bad?† Carlisle answered. â€Å"We think the fetus might have an appetite closer to ours than to yours. We think it's thirsty.† She blinked. â€Å"Oh. Oh.† â€Å"Your condition – both of your conditions – are deteriorating rapidly. We don't have time to waste, to come up with more palatable ways to do this. The fastest way to test the theory – â€Å" â€Å"I've got to drink it,† she whispered. She nodded slightly – barely enough energy for a little head bob. â€Å"I can do that. Practice for the future, right?† Her colorless lips stretched into a faint grin as she looked at Edward. He didn't smile back. Rosalie started tapping her toe impatiently. The sound was really irritating. I wondered what she would do if I threw her through a wall right now. â€Å"So, who's going to catch me a grizzly bear?† Bella whispered. Carlisle and Edward exchanged a quick glance. Rosalie stopped tapping. â€Å"What?† Bella asked. â€Å"It will be a more effective test if we don't cut corners, Bella,† Carlisle said. â€Å"Ifthe fetus is craving blood,† Edward explained, â€Å"it's not craving animal blood.† â€Å"It won't make a difference to you, Bella. Don't think about it,† Rosalie encouraged. Bella's eyes widened. â€Å"Who?† she breathed, and her gaze flickered to me. â€Å"I'm not here as a donor, Bells,† I grumbled. â€Å"‘Sides, it's human blood that thing's after, and I don't think mine applies – â€Å" â€Å"We have blood on hand,† Rosalie told her, talking over me before I'd finished, like I wasn't there. â€Å"For you – just in case. Don't worry about anything at all. It's going to be fine. I have a good feeling about this, Bella. I think the baby will be so much better.† Bella:s hand ran across her stomach. â€Å"Well,† she rasped, barely audible. â€Å"I'm starving, so I'll bet he is, too.† Trying to make another joke. â€Å"Let's go for it. My first vampire act.†

mexican family essays

mexican family essays The rural Mexican culture is made up of many small towns and villages. The social connections among adults in theses areas are relatively intimate because many of these areas are endoga mous communities. Most newly married couples live with the man's parents until they are financially stable enough to purchase land of their own to build on. Though it is less common the couple may decide to live with the wife's parents if the mother and daughter-in-law don't get along (Kay, 1991, p. 367). A typical mexican home or compound as they are commonly called. Consists of the family's private living space, which is likely to be set back from the road. Generally the compound is enclosed by a stonewall and contains several structures. There is the main house, which might be a modern type, built of stone and have a metal roof, or the traditional wattle and daub walls with a steep palm-thatched roof. Either way, it is likely to be a one-room house. The traditional house is oval, has a floor of pre ssed dirt or tile, and two doors but no windows. Inside the windowless house, daylight filters in though the palm thatching. At night a single electric bulb provides light. Also at night, several hammocks are let down from the rafters and the house serves as the family's sleeping quarters. In every compound there is also a separate cooking hut with an open fire. Near the well there will be a raised trough covered, by a palm-thatched roof, for the daily clothes washing. ! Sometimes there is a small bathhouse built of sticks interwoven with palm leaves, in which household members take their daily baths. The most striking thing about life in the compound is the extents to which various activities inter mingle. The whole compound constitutes an extended living area where there is little or no individual private space (Spielman, 1993). Typically rural Mexicans believe that conceptions occur immediately after a menstrual period. This idea is based on the notion t...

Ideas of the Early Greek Philosophers essays

Ideas of the Early Greek Philosophers essays What kinds of questions did the early Greek philosophers ask? How are these kinds of questions related to science? Are these questions still relevant? The early philosophers asked questions about the origins, nature and underlying reality of thing. They investigated the causes of natural phenomena , the order and structure of the universe an the processes of change , of becoming and of being. The scientist seeks knowledge by asking the same kinds of questions as those that were asked by the early philosophers. Science and early Greek philosophy are related to one another by a common goal; the desire to gain an understanding of the laws of nature and the world in which we live. Certain philosophical questions first raised in the sixth century Greece are still relevant today because they are related to concepts that remain unresolved and continue to be debated by mankind. Still other questions posed by the early philosophers that no longer interest modern society may nonetheless also be considered relevant because they provided the conceptual framework necessary for future scientific investigations.(Lindberg 44) The early Greek philosophers began an inquiry into the nature of the world that continues to this day. The early philosophers began an inquiry into the nature of the world that continues to this day. The early philosophers asked about the worlds ingredients, its composition and its operation. They inquired whether it is made of one thing or many. They asked about its shape and location and speculated about its origins. They sought to understand the process of change, by which things come into being and 1 one thing seems to be transformed into another. (Lindberg 26) The principle question put forward by the Milesians, the earliest Greek philosophers was what is the simple underlying reality that can take on a variety of for...

5 Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now

5 Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now 5 Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now 5 Tips for Cleaning Up Your Writing Right Now By Mark Nichol Here are five quantitative quick tips about improving your writing functionally, before you even get into improving the quality of your prose: 1. Always Use Serial Commas The policy of preceding every item in a list but the last one with a comma is commonsensical (read a previous article about the serial comma). Confusion is possible when you don’t and highly unlikely when you do. What if, using a non-serial-comma style, you write about more than two things when one of the things consists of more than one part or ingredient? (â€Å"The choices are roast beef, turkey, and ham and cheese.†) Do you insert a serial comma for clarity (and introduce an inconsistency) or leave the sentence as is for readers to stumble on? Adherence to serial-comma style eliminates the dilemma. 2. Minimize Capitalization Job titles are capitalized only before names. Names of academic majors aren’t capitalized unless they are already proper nouns, like names of languages (â€Å"English†) or references to regions (â€Å"Asian studies†). Generic names of entities (â€Å"the hospital,† â€Å"the organization,† and so on) are lowercased. Yes, capitalization is a minefield; when in doubt, look it up, and search on this site for â€Å"capitalization† for many articles on the topic (including this one). 3. Repair Comma Splices A comma alone cannot separate two independent clauses in a sentence. Break the clauses into distinct sentences, or separate them with a semicolon or an em dash or a comma and a conjunction (and, or, and so on) but not with a comma alone. For more information on this topic read 5 Ways to Fix the Comma Splice. 4. Omit Extraneous Hyphens, and Insert Necessary Ones â€Å"Decision making,† â€Å"problem solving,† and similar compound nouns require no hyphen, unless they precede a noun as a compound modifier (â€Å"decision-making procedure,† â€Å"problem-solving aptitude†). â€Å"Near collision† and other similar constructions don’t, either, with the same exception (â€Å"near-collision statistics†). Established compound modifiers usually don’t require a hyphen even before a noun (â€Å"high school student†). Confused? Here’s a simple rule: Look it up. (And check out this DailyWritingTips article and find others on the topic by searching on the site for â€Å"hyphens.†) 5. Limit Displays of Emphasis Words can be italicized to indicate that they are being used to refer to themselves, not the things they stand for (â€Å"Note the word emphasis†), or to signal a foreign term (â€Å"Wunderbar means â€Å"wonderful†), or to make sure the reader understands that something is really important. Words can be initial-capped to indicate irony or other humorous intent. (â€Å"The rent-a-cop exuded the air of an Authority Figure.†) Boldface is appropriate for introducing new vocabulary or otherwise calling attention to an unfamiliar term but is best limited to textbooks and guidebooks. But all-caps are invariably excessive, â€Å"scare quotes† are seldom necessary, and be judicious about otherwise calling attention to words and phrases. You can read a previous article on this post titled How to Add Emphasis to Your Writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive InterjectionsSocial vs. Societal5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Whither the unskilled worker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Whither the unskilled worker - Research Paper Example as a whole has become a knowledge based society where knowledge based workers dominate the workforce and having access to specialized knowledge and skills sets provides an additional advantage to the workers. Workers having access to such knowledge and skills not only get higher salaries but also get a well-defined path thus making their careers to grow faster. In an environment where skilled workers are finding it difficult to obtain jobs and earns consistently, unskilled workers may not have the relevant skills as well as education to break into the labor force of the economy. Unskilled workers therefore are at disadvantage due to their lack of skills and expertise in any given field of work or specialty. In such a scenario, what could be the possible place of an unskilled worker? How can an unskilled worker actually fit into the overall scenario where skilled workers are more demanded as compared to the unskilled worker? This paper will therefore discuss whither the unskilled worker. Labor is considered as one of the important part of the free market system and is also one of the key factors of production. In order to achieve higher level of productivity and output, it is important for businesses to actually define proper labor strategies. It is critical to understand that in any general economy there are two kind of labors i.e. the skilled and the unskilled. Skilled labor or workers are that portion of the overall workforce which has skills, technical knowledge as well as business knowledge which relevant to perform any assigned task. For examples, doctors, engineers, drivers, computer programmers are considered as skilled workers because they possess the unique set of skills which are not available to everyone. Having those set of skills therefore make them relatively at more advantage as compared to the persons who do not possess these skills. Further, skilled workers provide value and increase the productivity of the tasks they are involved in. It is

Details of the European Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Details of the European Crisis - Essay Example The critical issues that shaped the crisis include; competitive weakness, weak and actual growth and large debt-to-GDP ratios. Other important issues are liquidation of banks and sovereigns, considerable liability stocks both in private, government and non-private sectors (Arestis & Sawyer, 2012). The crisis was complicated making it difficult for European nations to refinance or repay the debts of their governments without the intervention of a third party such as IMF or ECB. In addition, the banks within the Euro zone were undercapitalized and, as a result, were influenced by debt problems and liquidity. Due to the crisis, the rate of economic growth was slow in the entire region. Similarly, the economic growth was unequally distributed across the member states (Lynn, 2011). The governments of the nations that were ruthlessly affected coordinated with "the troika". The troika is a committee formed by three international organizations namely, the European Central Bank, the European Commission, and the International Monetary Fund. Virtually, in 1992 the EU signed the Maastricht Treaty. The agreement regulated their debt levels and the limit deficit spending. Nonetheless, at the onset of the year 2000, some of the member states defied the criteria of the treaty. These countries instead decided to analyze government revenues to minimize their deficit or debts. Therefore, evading the desired practice and not being able to follow the international standards (Arestis & Sawyer, 2012). This gave the sovereigns a chance to mask their deficit and debt levels by embracing a combination of approaches such as off-balance-sheet transactions, inconsistent accounting and the use of complex credit derivatives, as well as currency structures. The low-interest rates resulted to excessive government spending and borrowing primarily in member states like Greece during the decade lead. Since

Security Policy GDI Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Security Policy GDI Company - Case Study Example Given that GDI has made significant gains in its business, there is need to preserve the capability the firm receive from its information technology assets. This security policy understands that protecting the physical and operation security of GDI is the main challenge underlying its writing. Therefore, the report presents several policies that seek to protect named assets of GDI with a goal of preserving the security and operation of the firm. Vacca (2010) argues that information technology polices form the first line of defence against threats. There are several policies this security policy document outlines, which are a result of careful analysis of the firms existing network topology. Because information technology forms a critical backbone to the operations of GDI, a careful analysis characterized the writing of this document. Among the essential goals of the security, policies were the establishment of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the firm’s informat ion technology asset. Policy 1: Email Security Policy Email remains a preferred medium of communication for the GDI Corporation. Because of the widespread use of email in the firm, there is need for GDI to implement policies that will limit the loss of essential loss through email exchange within or outside the firm. While email is one of the most effective techniques for communication, firms like GDI stand a risk of exposing their data and information technology infrastructure to threats that can emerge from lack of email security policy. Bayuk, Healey and Rohmeyer (2012) contend that email remains vulnerable to a wide variety of threats such as worms. These threats can interfere with the operations of the organization, as well as lead to the loss of data. Given the danger that could emanate from email use, this report understand the need of an appropriate email security policy, which will ensure that email exchange do not result to the loss of data, introduction of threats and breach of confidentiality. First, GDI should implement a policy that restricts its employees from sharing any fi.es that belong to the organization. This clause could limit the loss of information that GDI’s employees have the privilege to view as compared to other people. This policy should be printed and given to all employees using the firms email. In addition, GDI should also produce a policy that would restrict all the employees from using the firms email for their own private use. The use of emails for any other purpose could introduce threats such as worms. To add on this, the firms should stipulate that all employees scan their emails to ensure that they have no threats such as worms or Trojan horse that could spy on the company’s data. Policy 2: Server Security Policy GDI servers are essential assets that must be protected from physical and operations risks that may have profound effect on the operations of the firm. To ensure that GDI’s servers are secure, there has to be an elaborate policy in place. The se rver security policy calls for the hardening of GDI’s server to ensure that all vulnerable areas are addressed to limit the impact of threats. This policy ensures that GDI’s administrators carry out periodic maintenance of the system by applying patches and other software updates. Servers that lack essential patches are vulnerable to attacks (TechRepublic, 2004). Updating the servers by installing patches would ensure that the server is secure and up to date. Being that updates are critical to the operation of

The developments in generation of DNA profiles Assignment

The developments in generation of DNA profiles - Assignment Example The changes occurring in the modern world make use of weapons of mass destruction exemplified by nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The advanced weaponry is likely to result into disasters of great magnitudes as typified in armed conflicts and acts of terrorism (Zietkiewicz, Witt, Daca, Zebracka-Gala, Goniewicz, Jarzab & Witt, p41, 2012). A critical issue during disaster response involving a multitude of individuals is the need to identify victims. Various catastrophic events including the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, Asian Tsunami and the Hurricane Katrina have offered immense knowledge regarding the effectiveness of the STR and mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis on highly compromised samples (Eisenberg & Planz, p12, 2007). Human identification has made tremendous strides over the past two decades. Since the inception of forensic DNA analysis, there have been two main objectives. These are the identification of those who could be the source of biological evidence and t o exclude individuals wrongly associated with evidence. The generation of reliable genetic profiles from unknown and reference samples, systematic and objective interpretation practices as well as providing statistical assessment of the outcomes is critical to a robust DNA profiling program (Alvarez-Cubero, Saiz, Martinez-Gonzalez, Alvarez, Eisenberg, Budowle & Lorente, p229, 2012). The early evolution of forensic genetics has driven the analysis of human genetic variation, beginning more than a century ago. Specifically, with Karl Landsteiner’s discovery of the human ABO blood group polymorphism and his early realization that this variation could be applied in solving crimes (Jobling & Gill, p740, 2004). DNA fingerprinting using the hyper variable loci known as mini-satellites discovered in 1984 by Alec Jeffery was another classical human identification technique. The mini-satellites were detected by hybridization of probes to Southern blots of restriction enzyme digested ge nomic DNA. Although the application of DNA fingerprinting lasted for some time in paternity testing, criminal casework soon concentrated on the use of specific cloned mini-satellites called single locus probes (SLPs). These revealed only a single, highly polymorphic restriction fragment length polymorphism, hence simplifying interpretation. The amplification of DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), offered an enormous increase in sensitivity. These molecular based approaches allowed small amounts of degraded DNA to be analyzed at a rapid rate (Jobling & Gill, p740, 2004). PCR-based techniques allowed the targeting of numerous genetic markers from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs). The testing of human identity may be considered in a variety of contexts namely analysis of relationship, forensic casework, missing person investigation and mass casualty incident (MCI) victim identification (Zietkiewicz, Witt, Daca, Zebracka-Gala, Gonie wicz, Jarzab & Witt, p42, 2012). Environmental conditions of mass casualty identification usually lead to severe fragmentation, degradation and intermixing of the remains of victims. Under such conditions, conventional methods of identification that depend on physical and anthropological characteristics of the victims fail. Consequently, DNA profiling has become a gold standard for the identification of victims in mass casualties or forensic related cases.

Security of an Organisation and Civil and Criminal Law Essay

Security of an Organisation and Civil and Criminal Law - Essay Example The likelihood of occurrence of the threat posing the risk will determine the need for intervention in the activities within a facility. In other words, Security may be considered assured freedom from poverty or want, precautions taken to ensure against theft, espionage, or a person or thing that secures or guarantees. According to Fischer and Green, (2004, p. 21) "security implies a stable, relatively predictable environment in which an individual or group may pursue its ends without disruption or harm and without fear of such disturbance or injury." These are the primary reasons underlying the widening horizons and increasing scope of the security industry. The security requires manifold diversification of deployment of manpower. Thus, the security industry is a diverse and a specialty industry that has a requirement for both generic and domain-specific skills (Hesse & Smith, 2001; Manunta, 1996) and is a relatively young and emerging discipline, continues to expand (Fischer & Green, 2004). However, this expansion has resulted in limited tertiary education programs and research to determine the knowledge structure of security. Security in a wider sense applied to a polity may be expanded to consider national security and the defense of a nation which is managed and secured through the use of force and control by armed forces. The power to control is exercised through laws to control a state's citizens and aliens. Security necessarily implies policing of a public which includes citizens and aliens with the aid of the armed forces, state police armed with various civil and criminal laws. It is also considered useful in the prevention of crime, risk management or loss prevention. This diversity results in a society that has no clear understanding of what security is, but has the divergence of interests from many stakeholders. A traditional definition of security is the provision of private services in the protection of people, information and assets for individual safety or community wellness (Craighead, 2003). Thus more and more business and commercial establishments are bending towards increased security services in preventing undesirable, unauthorized or detrimental loss of an organizations assets. But security may present very different meaning to different people given time, place and context. It has been suggested that security has to have a shared definition among many disciplines, that this is essential and urgent (Manunta, 1996) This is more so in view of the fact that current international fight against terrorism and related threats has given the security a new meaning and dimension encouraging the scholars to study the subject with diverse perspectives, in national, domestic and international fields. The security to the organization can be studied from two perspectives. Traditionally, the security threat perception of a business organization has been different from the security threat perception of a country.

The developments in generation of DNA profiles Assignment

The developments in generation of DNA profiles - Assignment Example The changes occurring in the modern world make use of weapons of mass destruction exemplified by nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The advanced weaponry is likely to result into disasters of great magnitudes as typified in armed conflicts and acts of terrorism (Zietkiewicz, Witt, Daca, Zebracka-Gala, Goniewicz, Jarzab & Witt, p41, 2012). A critical issue during disaster response involving a multitude of individuals is the need to identify victims. Various catastrophic events including the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, Asian Tsunami and the Hurricane Katrina have offered immense knowledge regarding the effectiveness of the STR and mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis on highly compromised samples (Eisenberg & Planz, p12, 2007). Human identification has made tremendous strides over the past two decades. Since the inception of forensic DNA analysis, there have been two main objectives. These are the identification of those who could be the source of biological evidence and t o exclude individuals wrongly associated with evidence. The generation of reliable genetic profiles from unknown and reference samples, systematic and objective interpretation practices as well as providing statistical assessment of the outcomes is critical to a robust DNA profiling program (Alvarez-Cubero, Saiz, Martinez-Gonzalez, Alvarez, Eisenberg, Budowle & Lorente, p229, 2012). The early evolution of forensic genetics has driven the analysis of human genetic variation, beginning more than a century ago. Specifically, with Karl Landsteiner’s discovery of the human ABO blood group polymorphism and his early realization that this variation could be applied in solving crimes (Jobling & Gill, p740, 2004). DNA fingerprinting using the hyper variable loci known as mini-satellites discovered in 1984 by Alec Jeffery was another classical human identification technique. The mini-satellites were detected by hybridization of probes to Southern blots of restriction enzyme digested ge nomic DNA. Although the application of DNA fingerprinting lasted for some time in paternity testing, criminal casework soon concentrated on the use of specific cloned mini-satellites called single locus probes (SLPs). These revealed only a single, highly polymorphic restriction fragment length polymorphism, hence simplifying interpretation. The amplification of DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), offered an enormous increase in sensitivity. These molecular based approaches allowed small amounts of degraded DNA to be analyzed at a rapid rate (Jobling & Gill, p740, 2004). PCR-based techniques allowed the targeting of numerous genetic markers from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs). The testing of human identity may be considered in a variety of contexts namely analysis of relationship, forensic casework, missing person investigation and mass casualty incident (MCI) victim identification (Zietkiewicz, Witt, Daca, Zebracka-Gala, Gonie wicz, Jarzab & Witt, p42, 2012). Environmental conditions of mass casualty identification usually lead to severe fragmentation, degradation and intermixing of the remains of victims. Under such conditions, conventional methods of identification that depend on physical and anthropological characteristics of the victims fail. Consequently, DNA profiling has become a gold standard for the identification of victims in mass casualties or forensic related cases.

Sectors in tourism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sectors in tourism - Research Paper Example Barriers to trade and entry relating to the specific region and industry would also be evaluated in the paper to help in generation of effective inferences. Likewise any other industry, tourism industry is also divided into various segments. The segmentation allows the industry to specifically target certain groups and cater to their needs by offering them with their requirements. The Tourism Industry is essentially divided into eight different sectors that can be listed as follows. Accommodation: The accommodation sector in the tourism industry of Canada reflects considerable growth thereby generating greater opportunities for potential investments to be made in the development of hotels and lodges. Estimates reflect that from 2012 to the current period the sector reflects increased contribution to the GDP of Canada and also helps in generating potential employment (Yokon Government , 2013). Adventure and Recreation: The scenic beauty of the tourism spots is observed to largely attract growing number of tourists from foreign countries and other locations. Moreover, the growth of adventure minded tourists also helps in generating needed revenue for this sector. Attractions: This tourism sector is developed based on the existence of heritage sites and also places of national and religious interest that helps in attracting large number of tourists to the regions. Events and Conferences: The emergence of business or corporate tourism accounts for the growth of potentials revenues for the different regions. This accounts for the development of trade and conference centers helping in the holding of key trade events and meetings. Food and Beverage: The growth of the flow of tourists to the different region is observed to contribute in the growth of food and beverage industry in the regions. This sector is observed to generate both potential employment and revenues relating to the different tourism regions. Tourism

Robert Rauschenberg Essay Example for Free

Robert Rauschenberg Essay â€Å"Estate† by Robert Rauschenberg is by far the most interesting piece of art work seen at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Robert Rauschenberg is a well-known Abstract Expressionist of the modern art period. Robert Rauschenberg is most famous for his Combines of the 1950s, in which he uses non-traditional materials and objects in combinations. While the Combines are both painting and sculpture, Rauschenberg has also worked with photography, printmaking, papermaking, and performance. Robert Rauschenberg’s â€Å"Estate† is both abstract and expressionism. He uses abstract shapes and color patches in his work. There is a lot of use of warm colors such a red, orange and yellow in which gives one a hot and vibrant feel. The powerful colors capture vivid emotional reactions. The gesture lines allow one to see Robert’s arm at work. Repetition is used with the quick fluid strokes along with bold strokes that he uses on the canvas. The diagonal lines give a feel of explosive energy to the art work. There is an asymmetrical balance in the work because the weight counter balances each other. There is more going on towards the right side, than the left which gives the art work an asymmetrical look. Although Rauschenberg uses recognizable images he makes them his own by titling and turning the images sideways to give them a different effect. The materials used to create this artwork include oil, silk screened ink along with photo screen. (MSN) The oil allowed Rauschenberg to blend the colors directly on the canvas. He also piled up the oil thickly giving it a ruff textured look. The oil also allows the painting to have shadows. Photo screen is used with familiar images such as the statue of liberty along with Michelangelo’s â€Å"Last Judgment. † â€Å"Rauschenberg would screen in art reproductions, images from newspapers, and anonymous photographs of city scenes. †(Art Culture) The photo screening gives the art work individuality. This art work was actually inspired by trash, Robert Rauschenberg use to walk around the block collecting things that he found interesting. He states, â€Å"I wanted something other than what I could make myself and I wanted to use the surprise and the collectiveness and the generosity of finding surprises. † (Art Info) Therefore, the art was meant for viewers to be surprised, and curious. It is meant to be a world of surprises, and open up people’s mind to what the streets and the city really is. â€Å"It makes our perception of both street and city changed. † (Art Info) â€Å"Estate† is considered to be apart of the abstract expressionism stylistic movement which was created during the American post WWII movement. This movement rejected traditional European painting styles and emphasized on expressive gestures. It is also apart of the pop art movement which emerged in the mid 1950’s in Britain and spread throughout the United States. It used objects and images from popular, commercial culture. â€Å"Estate† is very unique, and is unlike any of the art work that came before it. Before, the art work was very plain and simple with the use of dull colors. It did not have any expressions or emotions attached. This art work is very modernized with the use of bright, bold colors, photographs and the use of abstract shapes. It developed from past art styles such abstract, surrealism and expressionism; taking a little bit of each stylist movement to create this. It reflects the 21st century culture because it is very â€Å"busy. † The art work has many things going on which reflects how Americans are in the 21st century; we are all extremely busy in our lives. I consider â€Å"Estate† to be a valid work of art, I believe that is very creative and brings out a lot of emotion from the artist. I think it is a beautiful piece of art work that is one of a kind.

Critical Elements of User Experience Design

Critical Elements of User Experience Design Prof. Michael Weyrich, Tobias Jung, Zeller Christian Zange Hossain Mohammad Faysal Ebna Hossain Critical Elements of User Experience Design as a Success Factor for Virtual Working Spaces in the Digital Enterprise Basis    Thesis No: Type: Class of Process Model: Student: Supervisor: Begin: End: 2843 MT Model for Conceptional Projects Hossain Jg/Ze 20.09.2016 20.03.2017 Document: Version: Author: Date: Status: Basis 1.0 Hossain 16.03.17 submitted File Name: Pages: Print Date: Template: co-basis-v10 31 co-basis.dotm (Program of study: INFOTECH) Document Version Management Version Author QA Date Status Changes 0.1 Hossain Jg 11.11.2016 in progress Creation 1.0 Hossain Jg 22.02.2017 submitted Initial Submission 1.1 Introduction An Enterprise Network is the backbone of communications within an enterprise or organization that that enables the employees and stakeholders communicate with each other in an efficient and effective manner. A digital enterprise workplace is where technology, processes, people, and the Enterprise organization converge to enhance agility, engagement, and productivity. It is a virtual platform where employees and stakeholders can get the technology tools they require to do their tasks effortlessly. [UBMC15] .Here we are talking about the underlying professional and personal network. It enhances internal and external enterprise communication superintendence. The interactive characteristics on the Internet, Wiki and blogosphere have become essential nowadays. With two-thirds of the worlds Internet population are visiting a social networking or blogging site, and the amount of time spent on these platforms are increasing at more than three times the rate of overall Internet growth [UNiel09]. The Enterprise network has also been changing over past years. Social technologies have been added to the Enterprise network to increase productivity to and communication. Social technologies have apprehended the thought of consumers, business leaders, and political leaders. Millions of people have adopted new practices: conveying social interactions online, developing connections, and building and sharing content. Social technologies can be described as digital technologies utilized by people to communicate socially and collectively to build, improve, and exchange contents. Social technologies possess three major characteristics: Figure 1: Characteristics of Social Technologies [McK12] People can communicate socially (e.g., chat, share personal news, send greetings), social technologies enable anybody inside a community or organization to create, add, or modify content and communications. This involves combining or deleting content such as a document or a link, contributing to content supplemented by others, endorsing (e.g., liking a piece of content), or executing an action that an individual knows will be shared. The way of knowledge sharing and communication has been dramatically changed or improved as a side effect of using social technologies. Social technologies can perform a central role in how information is gathered, sourced, analyzed, and disseminated among interested person. 1.2 Applications incorporating Social Technologies and digital workplace    Social technologies incorporate a wide range of applications for both Customers and Enterprises. The figure below has been taken from the report published by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) that includes applications used for social technologies: Figure 2: Wide range of applications for social technologies [McK12] Social network: A Social structure comprised of a collection of social actors (for example organizations or individuals), a collection of dyadic ties, and other social interactions among social actors are known as the Social Network. This perspective provides an assemblage of methods for analyzing the structure of all social entities. [Was94] Blogs/Microblogs: A blog is a conversation or informational web platform published on the World Wide Web comprising of discrete and usually informal diary-style text entries (called posts). Posts are usually arranged in reverse sequential order, so that the very recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. [UBlog17]. Microblogging is a service that facilitates its users to send and announce small notes, normally just text and typically react to queries. The blog is generally a personal reflection. Rating and reviews: Rating and review provide a way that enables users or readers to rank the content socially. It also allows users to reveal their feelings about the content (usually through emoticons). Social commerce: Social commerce is basically a subset of electronic commerce. It involves online social   media that promotes social interaction, and user participation to support online purchasing and selling of goods and services.[USoCo13] Wiki: A wiki is a web-based platform that implements collaborative modification of its content and composition right away from the web browser. In a conventional wiki, the words are written using a simplified markup language (known as wiki markup) and usually edited with the aid of a rich-text editor. [EnBr08]. The wiki the jointly edited content where approved users can jointly edit and publish the content. Discussion Forum: An Internet forum is an online discussion platform where users can hold discussions in the form of posted messages. The posted messages are usually longer than one line of text and are often archived. Additionally, the forum set-up in such a way that a posted message may need to be validated by a moderator before it becomes published. [UWiFo08]. The core idea of the Forum is the exchange of ideas or topics. Shared workspaces: The shared workspace is an interrelated ecosystem in which all users in separated areas can reach and interact with each other. The ecosystem maintained by electronic communications which facilitate users to overcome location and time differentials. The environment is facilitated by a shared rational paradigm, general information, and a common perception by all of the members despite physical position. Crowdsourcing: Crowdsourcing is a specific sourcing model in which individuals or organizations use contributions from Internet users to obtain needed services or ideas. Crowdsourcing was coined in 2005 as a portmanteau of crowd and outsourcing. [Mat11] Social gaming: A social network game is a type of online game that is played through social networks.[Jarv09] They typically feature multiplayer and asynchronous gameplay mechanics. Social network games are most often implemented as browser games, but can also be implemented on other platforms such as mobile devices.[Kim11] Media and file sharing: Media and files sharing among the members have a significant impact on knowledge and information sharing. It provides flexibility and alternative means to work collaboratively with the members. 2.1 Introduction User experience design is the method of improving user satisfaction with a product by enhancing the usability, accessibility, and pleasure rendered in the interaction with the product. This section begins with regular usability evaluation and why it has become progressively critical to focus on the user experience (UX). 2.2 What is Usability Usability is a quality attribute that determines how usable is a system or product by its user. The term Usability also points to methods for enhancing ease-of-use throughout the design or development process. Nielsen Norman group mentioned five quality components that defines the term Usability: [UNiel12] Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design? Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks? Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency? Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors? Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design? In brief, Usability determines how easy pleasant a product/system to use. 2.3 Importance of Usability It is very much crucial to make a system where users should not have to think too hard while they are using the system. The user should not have to refer to help sections, and they should not be constrained to feel stupid. By observing the user, finding the usability issues and resolving them in an appropriate manner these situations can be avoided. System developers usually forget that they are not typical users. There may be aspects of the system that seem apparent to the developer that might, in fact, be entirely confusing to the users. It is therefore essential to take a step back once in a while and make sure that the users are not left behind. Usability Testing is an indispensable aspect of the User-Centred method that establishes the user, at the heart of the development process rather than the system. Embracing such an approach pushes that the user should be foremost in the design determinations. According to the International Standards Organization (ISO 9241-11: Guidance on Usability) Usability is the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. These three factors are very much important to attain business goals. An effective website An efficient website A satisfied user allows customers (users) to achieve their goals provides answers quickly achieves their goal has a high conversion rate follows a logical sequence enjoys their experience meets business objectives doesnt waste resources tells others delivers a positive brand image requires less content management time comes back again Table 1: Why Usability parameters are important [URed11] Usability testing lets the design and development teams recognize problems before roll out of the system. The earlier flows are identified and fixed; the less costly the fixes will be concerning both resource time and possible influence to the schedule.   During a usability test: Investigate the activities of the participants to see whether it meets usability objectives Identify how satisfied users are with the system or product Discover if users can accomplish specified tasks as intended Experience how long it takes to accomplish specified tasks Determine adjustments needed to enhance user performance and satisfaction 2.4 Usability Evaluation Conventionally evaluating the usability of a product does not come into play until the system development is completed or nearly completed. Once completed, users would be requested to accomplish certain tasks on the system. Their performance would then be measured, often using the five usability attributes of Nielsen: Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Errors and Satisfaction.[UNiel12] This way of usability testing does not include users until very late in the project and concentrates on the system rather than how the user experiences the System. Racing toward launch without looking back might have seemed like a good idea back when the launch date was set, but the result is likely to be a product that meets all the technical requirements for the project but does not work for your users. Even worse, by tackling user experience evaluation on at the end, you might end up launching a product that you know is broken but have no opportunity (or money left) to fix. [Garret10] This means of usability evaluation is often named user acceptance testing. The term accepting is important here, symbolizing that the focus lies on whether the user accepts the system, rather than whether he/she can use the system as intended 2.5 User Experience Focus Technological improvements in ubiquitous computing have created an opportunity for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to be a massive part of our day-to-day life. This has effected a shift from traditional usability engineering to so-called User Experience, where the emotions and motivations of the end-user are provided a principal role than traditional usability metrics such as efficiency and effectiveness. There have been studies about defining User Experience amongst UX professionals that have demonstrated inconclusive [Law09] and these are within the field of Human-Computer Interaction. One could dispute that the principles following UX could be applied to any production process. The nearest we can get to a definition is addressed in the ISO 9241-210 standard on the Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Part 210: Human-Centred Design for interactive systems (ISO, 2008): A persons perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service Above statement highlights the experience the user has while using or anticipates using a particular product. The notion of anticipated use grants the idea that UX can play a crucial role in the early development stages of system development mentioning that thinking UX before an actual working system is ready can produce invaluable input. User experience specialists strive to make the system User-Centered. It indicates that while the development of the system the user is constantly the principal focus point and drives the evolution process. According to the ISO standard, six postulates assure the product is User-Centered:[UUCD17] 1. The design is based upon an explicit understanding of users, tasks and environments. 2. Users are involved throughout design and development. 3. The design is driven and refined by user-centered evaluation. 4. The process is iterative. 5. The design addresses the whole user experience. 6. The design team includes multidisciplinary skills and perspectives. Second Principle (Users are involved throughout design and development) entails that UX teams should include users in all design stages: not just by operating a focus group at the beginning of design or by administering a survey at the end of the project. 3.1 Introduction Usability testing involves watching representative users working with the system so that development team can make improvements based on what participants do with the system. Usability testing provides invaluable feedback about how the users behave with the system. Knowing how users behave helps to create a much more suitable Platform or application. Rather than just guessing about what people might like on these, it is possible to see their reactions first hand, and then make sure that the system contains just the right features. Learning about issues early in the process saves development time and money. Rather than spending time developing the wrong thing, a quick usability test will tell the developer whether they are on the right track or not. Getting the data directly from the users is a much better way of doing design work than arguing about features among the team. In fact, usability testing is a great way of stopping arguments. Rather than spending time on fighting over whose idea is best, put the concepts in front of real users to see how well they can work with them. There is nothing quite like real user feedback that helps to determine the best way forward. The thing that separates usability testing from many other methods is that with usability testing, it is possible to see real behaviors, what people do rather than just asking what people think. Often watching people do something is the only way to really understand where the issues lie and how to fix the problems you see. Ease of use doesnt originate from wishful thinking. It comes from conveying methodical usability engineering activities throughout the project lifecycle. This is a real effort and sacrifices real money, though not as much as some people worry. It is possible to conduct simple forms of user testing in a few days and obtain vast insights into both user behavior and recommended design enhancements. 3.2 Usability Costs To estimate the total cost of usability (as opposed to the price of a single test), Nielsen Norman Group collected data from 863 design projects that incorporated Usability Testing. Depending on how they have calculated it, usability costs were within 8% and 13% of the projects budget. Based on these findings from other surveys, they have concluded that current best practices call for dedicating about 10% of a projects budget to usability. [UNiel03] In reality, the cost of usability doesnt extend linearly with project size, since many usability testing cost about the same, notwithstanding of how big the project is. A project thats ten times larger, for example, usually requires only four times more usability spending. 3.3 Reduce Development Cost Accurate planning at the start of a Systems design process will save time, money and effort in the long run. A study by Smith Reinersten found that the critical system-design decisions made during the first 10% of a products design process can determine 90% of the products cost and performance. This is an outstanding illustration of how a little investment at an initial stage can have a tremendous positive impact on the final product. [UWilson14] The more money will organization invest in usability at an initial design stage the greater will have the end product. A tiny amount of cash spent on usability design and testing will save the organization from costly design fixes or redesigns later in the cycle. 3.4 Reduced Support Costs An enormous gain of financing in usability is diminished support costs. Just put, a System with better usability will reduce potential customer support concerns and eventually reduce customer support costs. An excellent way to enhance the websites usability, while decreasing support costs is by giving online guidance to the users. Another illustration of how financing in usability at the early stage of the design process will save the money at a later stage. A study by Pressman found that 80% of costs during a softwares lifecycle come from the maintenance phase. The study also found that greatest part of these costs rises out of unmet or unforeseen user requirements. [UWilson14] Figure 3: Reduced call and support costs minimizes maintenance cost Spending in usability helps to resolve these issues during the design stage, where they can be dispensed with at a much lower price. All redundant second that the support staff uses responding to a customer support issue (time when paying for their wages) is the cost of poor usability investment. 3.5 Increased Sales Its not a big leap in logic to claim that improved usability for customers will make them more likely to execute a purchase or to extend their purchase volume. A study by Creative Good discovered that giving a better experience for the customers will prolong the quantity of purchasers by 40%. [UWilson14] Another study by UI Engineering observed that by giving sufficient product information to your customers at the right time you can increase sales on your site by up to 225%. [UWilson14] Improved usability makes for satisfied clients who are more likely to purchase, eventually expanding the businesss profits. 3.6 Usability Benefits The Nielsen Norman Group have analyzed data from 42 cases where usability metrics were available for website redesigns. Averaged across the 42 pairs of measures they had found, usability increased by 135% when they omitted five outliers with especially significant usability improvements. (If they include these outliers, the average improvement jumps to 202%.) [UNiel03] The improvement in usability metrics differed depending on the metric, as the following table shows: Table 2: The improvement in usability metrics differed depending on the metric [UNiel03] The current study of Nielsen Norman Group does not incorporate intranet redesign projects. However, based on their studies of intranet design potential, Jakob Nielsen consider that the average improvement in intranet usability metrics is a bit below 100%. [UNiel03] 3.6.1 Co-Creation Certainly, the very common metric of ROI is financial, and a tested-to-breaking-point product, including a user-centric UI, will assure the user experience is a pleasurable one, promoting more exchanges, and, in turn, increased revenue. 3.6.2 Trust If the organization is providing the users a great user experience, the organization will also be strengthening trust in the brand. A user is more reasonably to retain with a website or platform that theyve earlier had a trouble-free experience of, than one thats showed something of a usability nightmare. How many customers are using the system, and how many are yielding to use again, can be tracked via analytics software. 3.6.3 Productivity Profits can also be gained through an increase in productivity of any employee. Systems need rigorous testing to assure the design and UI are helpful to an experience that cuts the time it needs to accomplish a task, enabling the employee to gain more. 4.1 Introduction The scope of this user experience and usability testing of the platform is for the pilot of GIZs enterprise portal which is focused on GIZs communities of practice. For this instance, it is very much important to understand the community business processes and the specific use cases for GIZs communities of practice (CoP). A community is a group of experts / development practitioners that share knowledge on common development topics and challenges as well as work collaboratively on effective, efficient, innovative, sustainable solutions based on their own experiences and expertise. A community is a collection of people with shared values, behaviors and artifacts. 4.2 Communities of practice Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. [UWen15] Shared domain: It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Website à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   community. Sense of community: In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. Shared practice: Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems-in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction. Communities of practice have a great impact on organizational value chain and knowledge management including knowledge sharing. The infusing factors based on the effectiveness of the communities on practice has been explained by W.M.H. Oosting in 2009 which has shown below: Figure 4: Influencing elements of the effectiveness of a CoP [Oosting09] The core is the proper connection between purpose, content, content, conversations and connections where the purpose is at the center and everything is linked bi-directionally with it. From the figure we can express wrathfully that setting up the purpose has a great impact on the success of CoP. 4.3 Community Management Framework For the business case of GIZ, we have clustered questions which lead to the Community Management Framework. These clusters lead to the business needs of GIZs Communities. Factor Questions Purpose and incentives What is in for me? What benefits do we hope to get? Strategic relevance of the common topic? Outcomes What useful (preliminary) outcomes do we want to achieve? Stakeholders /actors Who should be a member? What is their social glue/shared practice? Have key roles been defined? Negotiations What ground rules and milestones do we need for internal cooperation and management? Orientation What common vision have we agreed upon? Resources Budget for the community? Are members given enough resources by their business units/organizations? Strategy Strategy for planning and implementation by the community? Growth Plan/concept for increasing the number of members? How to turn new members into returning members? Content and moderation Who is/are the community manager/s? Do they have enough resources (time, opportunities and ability to build bridges) and the necessary status? What content is to be created and edited? What content can members be asked to input?