The Effects Of Reporting The Financial Crisis On Subprime...

Different levels of analyses adopted in this research shed a new perceptive light on the reality of reporting the financial crisis in 2007 in which business journalists were troubled by a plethora of slanted opinions that never coalesced into a coherent examination of the problem. Comment discrepancies and all kinds of implausible interpretations from high-ranking financial pundits might partially explain why despite a large number of business stories issued during the crisis the media remained baffled and uncertain about the length and depth of the downturn. However, that financial journalism put aside investigative reporting, as well as the fact that it could not adopt a critical view about the functioning of the system and identified†¦show more content†¦Between 1999 to 2004, more than two dozens of US states ranging from North Carolina to South Carolina, California to New York passed various forms of anti-predatory lending laws stipulating a lower interest rate threshol d requiring credit disclosure (Starkman, 2014:202) in an effort to respond ferociously to lawless lending practices at Wall Street and hold Wall Street originators of MBS to account. Critical, hardest-hitting investigative stories were prevalent during this time. When the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducted cases against the most notorious names in the subprime lending industry, i.e. Citigroup, JP Morgan, Delta Funding Corp., etc., many business newspapers also considered abusive lending their central beat and published a wide range of delicately-told stories going into the dubious and execrable practice of Wall Street banks in impressive depth (â€Å"Easy Money: Subprime Lenders Make Killings Catering to Poorer Americans. Now Wall Street Is Getting in on the Act†, BusinessWeek, 4/24/00; â€Å"Along with a Lender, Is Citigroup Buying Trouble?†, NYT, 23/10/00; â€Å"Fed Assesses Citi Group Unit’s $70m in Loan Abuse†, NYT, 5/28/04; etc.) . These art icles put individual banks engaging in the foray of subprime lending under the spotlight with real information about secret sources of money and the compensation culture that

Behaviour aspects Free Essays

Employee attendance monitoring in the company had been ineffective due to the outdated system of punching time cards. At times some employees were punched in by their friends or coworkers even if they had not yet arrived. Thus, management could not trace how many times an employee was tardy or absent. We will write a custom essay sample on Behaviour aspects or any similar topic only for you Order Now The problem on employee tardiness had reached tremendous proportions that an employee had missed 200 minutes of work in a month. Considering that the company relies on their employees to provide the services that they market to their customers, tardy employees negatively impact the operations of the company. However, the company was worried that the employees would resist a new attendance monitoring system. From the workforce point of view, the old system is easier and much more employee-friendly in the sense that there are really times when they do not intend to be tardy but circumstance out of their control would cause them to be tardy. Moreover, the system was easy to manipulate and employees justify that they maintain the same productivity and output even if they were tardy a number of times. The company justified that chronic tardiness is a problem that has reached epidemic proportions because employees abuse the old system. Employees are paid in full per hour and if they come in 20 minutes late would mean a huge lost for the company. In order to improve the attendance monitoring of the company, the management invested on a biometric system, wherein employees have to press their thumbs on a scanner and the system logs the employee in or out. The time noted is also more accurate as it includes seconds. However, before the biometric attendance system could be implemented it has to be set-up and will be a major change for the employees. To aid in the implementation of the change in the attendance monitoring system, a plan was devised wherein employees will be made to become aware of the problem, the implications of the problem to the overall productivity of the company and the best possible solution to the problem would be the changing of the system (Cameron Quinn, 2006) . To make the transition to the biometrics attendance system, a general assembly was called for and the attendance report for the whole company was presented to the body. The presentation contained only the percentage of work hours, the number of hours lost due to tardiness and the frequency of tardiness for the past year. The session served as the unfreezing of the status quo since employees are made to confront the issue and that change is inevitable. After the presentation, the biometrics was then presented to the employees and what the new system would be (Palmer, Dunford, Akin, 2009). The employees were asked to go to the HR department for the entering of their thumbprints and personal data. The employees were given a specific period of time to comply with the required information. The HR then informed the workforce that a trial period for the new system will be set wherein employees would get used to the new system. This corresponds to the implementation of the actual change. After the 2 months in which the biometrics had been implemented, another general assembly was called, this time it was to present the noticeable improvement of employee attendance and punctuality. This would be the refreezing stage wherein the employees are made to accept the change and that the new system is better than the previous system. Hopefully, the new system will continue to improve the attendance and tardiness in the company to the point when it would cease to be a problem. In order to motivate employees, the management will award those who have perfect attendance. References Cameron, K. S. , Quinn, R. E. (2006). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture. (2nd edition) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Palmer, I. , Dunford, R. , Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach. (2nd ed. ) Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. How to cite Behaviour aspects, Papers

Service Is The Most Important Foundation †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Service Is The Most Important Foundation? Answer: Introducation Consumer participation in healthcare service is the most important foundation of primary health service. The benefits include better health outcomes, relevance, justice, access to services, quality of healthcare, and so on. According to Renedo et. al. (2015) active participation of consumers, makes the service more effective and accessible and consumers feel empowered to make decisions. According to Ricciardi et. al. (2013), involving patients, who are concerned about their health should be involved in the process as they will be able to participate in heath and preventive measures. Furthermore, they will be able to self-manage to achieve better outcomes. According to a study on patients with chronic diseases, it was found that aware patients were three times less likely to suffer from a negative health impact or medical error than those who are not confident about skills and knowledge of process. According to Finkelstein et. al. (2012), another way to involve consumer to healthcare is by receiving feedbacks from consumers regarding the service they got or what changes they want to imply. Their rights and responsibilities should be promoted to staffs, carers, and clinicians to avoid any discrimination. Being a Registered Nurse (RN), it is my responsibility to engage patients to the care process. It is important for the patients as they become confident about the treatment and feel secure at hospitals as well. I would create a partnership with my patients to engage them in the process as we both are focusing on the same goal, better health outcomes. Gaining the trust of patients is as important as providing them with medicines because it helps them to recover psychologically. I will take their questions and queries regarding healthcare seriously as according to the reports of Tobiano et. al. (2015), patients who feel respected and important by their healthcare provider, are less prone to medical errors during care process. Secondly, my effort will be to educate patients about their disease and the care I will be providing to them in effective manner. I will ask patients to explain those back, as if they have absorbed any proper information, they will be able to revert those back to the society. I will be assuring that the education they are getting, are actually being followed or not. As according to Holloway Galvin (2016), role of nurse is coaching as well as teaching. I also need to simplify the terms and ways according to the understanding of the patient. References Finkelstein, J., Knight, A., Marinopoulos, S., Gibbons, M. C., Berger, Z., Aboumatar, H., ... Bass, E. B. (2012). Enabling patient-centered care through health information technology.Evidence report/technology assessment, (206), 1. Holloway, I., Galvin, K. (2016).Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. John Wiley Sons. Renedo, A., Marston, C. A., Spyridonidis, D., Barlow, J. (2015). Patient and Public Involvement in Healthcare Quality Improvement: How organizations can help patients and professionals to collaborate.Public Management Review,17(1), 17-34. Ricciardi, L., Mostashari, F., Murphy, J., Daniel, J. G., Siminerio, E. P. (2013). A national action plan to support consumer engagement via e-health.Health Affairs,32(2), 376-384. Tobiano, G., Bucknall, T., Marshall, A., Guinane, J., Chaboyer, W. (2015). Nurses' views of patient participation in nursing care.Journal of advanced nursing,71(12), 2741-2752.

Justifying Euthanasia free essay sample

Presents moral and ethical arguments in favor of euthanasia. This paper argues that voluntary euthanasia preserves dignity. Examined in this paper are such ideas as the right to die, the ethical parameters of euthanasia, the quality of life perspective and a place for euthanasia within varied perspectives. The author argues that one of the greatest ways to preserve another persons dignity is through an act of mercy. Voluntary euthanasia is an act of mercy, which therefore, preserves dignity with the bestowment of final compassion. A step in awareness is the enactment of careful laws that permit forms of voluntary euthanasia. In the United States, the state of Oregons Death With Dignity Act, allowing limited physician-assisted suicide, is an example of a start for public understanding. In ideal cases of merciful euthanasia, a person makes a painstaking, well thought-out decision. Voluntary euthanasia is rarely carried out at the first knowledge of impending death, especially if medical help is available to treat the terminal disease. We will write a custom essay sample on Justifying Euthanasia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Voluntary euthanasia is an act of mercy, and therefore, preserves dignity with the bestowment of final compassion.

Discuss the nature of the relationship between Essay Example

Discuss the nature of the relationship between Essay Example Discuss the nature of the relationship between Essay Discuss the nature of the relationship between Essay Discuss the nature of the relationship between cultural policy and national individuality. Introduction Culture is the whole of the manner of life of a given society and includes the thoughts and wonts which they learn and which are transmitted from one coevals to another ( Linton, 1945 ) . Human behavior is based on guidelines that are shared by a group and in order for that group/society to work efficaciously the guidelines must use to all its members. Thus civilization is learned and shared and without it members of a society would be unable to pass on efficaciously and pandemonium would ensue. Cultural policy relates to the cultural capital of a state, its humanistic disciplines and memorials etc. Since the Conservative Government came to power in the late 19 1970ss Britain has had a continually shifting cultural policy. Some observers argued in the early 19990s that the elitist intensions associated with cultural policy were going less apparent in Britain. The coming of New Labour and their statute law sing cultural policy, nevertheless, may look to be a return to elitist cultural policy. The construct of individuality is highly of import in sociological thought. In Britain, for illustration, societal category was frequently seen as cardinal to a person’s thought of who they were and Bordieu’s work on cultural capital tends to back up this position. Constructions of individuality are besides closely linked to civilization and people’s individualities are reflected in the civilizations and sub-cultures to which they belong. Therefore Willis’ ( 1967 in Haralambos and Holborn, 2000 ) work put forth the position that working category young person had developed their ain sub-cultures with the instruction system. Modern theories of civilization tend to back up the position that individuality and civilization are really closely linked. British people would, for illustration, tend to hold a really clear sense of what it might intend to be British. Post-modernist minds have criticised this position because they argue that the multi-cultural nature o f modern-day Britain indicate that the ways in which people express their Britishness are rather diverse. Frosh ( 1999 ) maintains that although individuality draws on civilization there are besides a figure of other factors at work in individuality formation. Recent sociological and psychological theory has stressed that a person’s individuality is in fact something multiple and potentially unstable, constructed through experience and linguistically coded. In developing their individualities people draw upon culturally available resources in their immediate societal webs and in society as a whole. The procedure of individuality building is hence one upon which the contradictions and temperaments of the environing socio-cultural environment have a profound impact( Frosh, 1999:413 ) . This paper will look into the alterations in cultural policy in Britain. It will get down with theories of civilization and recent cultural policy. It will so look at positions on national individuality and discourse the relationship between cultural policy and national individuality. Theories of civilization British cultural policy has its roots in the 19th century when the businessperson elite were deriving power and there was general concern over turning unrest among the working categories. It was at this clip that a big organic structure of work grew up to set up the nature of civilization and what was culturally acceptable and what was non. A shared civilization and a shared belief system are necessary if a society is traveling to run swimmingly, it has power over the picks of persons and operates to restrain their behavior ( Durkheim, 1961 foremost published 1912 cited in Haralambos and Holborn, 2000 ) . Durkheim believed that societies were possessed of a corporate scruples which connected consecutive coevalss together and those who do non conform are punished by society. The rapid alterations that take topographic point in industrial societies place them under menace and a shared civilization needs to be reinforced in order to back up society. Parsons ( 1955 ) maintained that civi lization was passed on to consecutive coevalss through the socialization procedure. Culture can alter but most people in a given civilization must portion most of its values or that society will fall in. Contemporary civilizations are, nevertheless, really different and it may non be the instance that people feel the demand for a shared civilization, or that society would fall apart without it. Marx’s work concentrated on category stratification and he argued that in category stratified societies civilization was, in fact, a contemplation of the political orientation of the opinion categories. Culture is shaped by category to such an extent that governing category political orientation becomes the dominant political orientation ( Abercrombie et al, 1983 ) . Marx, and his co-worker Engels, believed that finally the civilization of society would alter through the development of consciousness by the on the job category who would come to see the falsity of the dominant political orientation. Marx’s statement has been extremely influential in theories of civilization but Numberss of minds have pointed to its failings. Storey ( 1993 cited in Haralambos and Holborn, 2000 ) has argued that the alterations that came with the Industrial Revolution led to concerns that better facets of civilization were being undermined. The outgrowth of other categories was a beginning of concern because the industrial working category was able to develop: †¦an independent civilization at some remove from the direct intercession of the dominant categories. Industrialization and urbanization had redrawn the cultural boundaries. No longer was there a shared common civilization, with an extra civilization of the powerful. Now for the first clip in history there was a separate civilization of the subsidiary categories of the urban and industrial Centres( Storey, 1993:20-21 ) . Matthew Arnold ( 1822-1888 ) maintained that civilization was the survey of flawlessness but in 19th century England people were going excessively mercenary and excessively interested in the new machinery and the production of goods. He was concerned about the fact that civilization was going confused with material wealth. Peoples would develop their humanity through the acquisition of cognition and reading literature and poesy in this manner people could develop society. Arnold maintained that the key to going cultured was larning to read and reading the right sort of stuff. The turning ‘popular’ civilization and reading stuff of the urban working category was non cultured and Arnold saw them as a unsafe group, therefore he warned that there was a, †¦organic structure of work forces, all over the country†¦beginning to asseverate and set in pattern an Englishman’s right to make what he likes ; his right to process where he likes, run into where he likes, enter where he likes, hoot as he likes, threaten as he likes, knock as he likes( Arnold, 1960:76 foremost published in 1869 ) . The working categories needed educating in order to go civilized and to be a constructive instead than a destructive force in society. Story ( 1993 ) has argued that Arnold’s concern was less with civilization and more about maintaining people in their topographic point and keeping order. Arnold had an elietist position of civilization which has been progressively challenged in recent old ages. Thompson ( 1963 cited in Haralambos and Holborn, 2000 ) has argued that during the industrial revolution working category civilization was non destructive but originative and as worthy of note as the civilization of the higher elect categories. More late the accent has been on what has come to be known as mass civilization. Theories of mass civilization developed in America in the work of theoreticians such as Macdonald ( 1957 ) . Macdonald saw aggregate civilization as a menace to high civilization and capable of making a totalitarian society. The thought that aggregate civilization was harmful has been attacked by Shils ( 1978 ) he did non see mass civilization as peculiarly worthy of note but thought it preferred to the harsh being that the working category had antecedently experienced. Contemporary theoreticians of civilization criticise the impression that one signifier of civilization is superior to another. Strinati ( 1995 ) maintains that what was one time seen as aggregate civilization may, over clip, come to be seen as serious art. Mass civilization, he argues, gives people a pick with respect to art, music, and books and this undermines the power of intellectuals over what constitutes good gustatory sensation. St rinati is of the sentiment that unfavorable judgments of aggregate civilization consequences from intellectuals trying to support their cultural power. Hall ( 1995 ) argues that the different signifiers of civilization in a society have their ain ways of sorting the universe. All of the ways in which a civilization is communicated contain facets of that universe position and events can be given different significances, therefore he maintains: In order for one significance to be on a regular basis produced, it had to win a sort of†¦taken –for-grantedness for itself. That involved marginalizing, downgrading or delegitimating alternate buildings. Indeed there were certain sorts of account which, given the power of credibleness acquired by the preferable scope of significances, were literally unthinkable or unsayable( Hall, 1995:355 ) . State States, Nationalism and British Identity Anderson ( 1983 ) says that a state is an imagined political community, imagined as both inherently limited and at the same clip crowned head. It is imagined because although its members may experience that they belong to the same community yet they may neer run into. The state is limited because some are seen as belonging to it while others are excluded, and it is autonomous because it seeks to observe self-determination for a peculiar group of people. Nationalism is an bridal of the cultural heritage and patterns of a peculiar state province. Smith ( 1986 ) maintains that state provinces are characterised by mass instruction, by economic integrating and legal rights and responsibilities for all members of that province. Hall ( 1992 ) argues that the state province and patriotism are creative activities of capitalist economy. In recent times nevertheless, capitalist economy has generated forces which have served to sabotage the sovereignity of the state province and of patriotism. He regards efforts to advance patriotism in the modern universe as unsafe because most state provinces are culturally, ethnically and sacredly assorted and when groups attempt to advance peculiar involvements within a state province force and struggle can ensue. Hall maintains that these forces result in people holding a baffled sense of national individuality the ethnically diverse nature of Britain for case agencies that many people have a figure of different individualities because they see themselves as members of different groups. Cohen ( 1994 ) demonstrates the force of Hall’s statement when he argues that presents there is no clear cut thought of what it means to be British. British individuality is blurred in a figure of ways. Cohen investigates the complex and altering nature of British individuality as it has been affected by a figure of factors. Societies across the Earth have been influenced by colonialism and deconolisation, by migration, travel and by political alteration. Colley ( 1996 ) maintains that ‘Britishness’ is an innovation of elitist provinces to antagonize the dissentious consequences of capitalist economy and industrialization and that the thought of British nationalism was invented in the 18th century. However, Langlands ( 1999 ) inquiries Colley’s position of Britishness as merely an innovation, she maintains that Britishness is more complex than Colley would hold us believe. Smith ( 1986a ) maintains that states are ethno-symbolic communities made up of share d history and district and shared myths of beginnings. Smith’s work implies that ‘Britishness’ therefore operates on both a cultural and political degree. While many modern provinces are poly-ethnic, but based around a dominant cultural nucleus that produced its name and cultural charter. Smith ( 1991 ) says that it isreally frequently on the footing of such a nucleus that states coalesce to organize states( Smith, 1991:39 ) . Therefore, historically, modern state provinces are the consequence of a province elect edifice on these nucleus foundations. Smith claims that in Britain, by the 15th century, there was a reasonably homogeneous cultural, blue sense of Britishness. The British state province, hence, is basically English with elements taken from Wales and Scotland. On the footing of this, Langlands ( 1999 ) maintains that provinces with a stable dominant cultural nucleus are less likely to be susceptible to the effects of cultural struggle originating from j obs between the province and multiple ethnicities. Langlands maintains that: As it is true of all national individualities, the significances and salience attached to Englishness are unstable and have varied well ; it has at some times drawn upon Celtic beginnings ; and at other times it has been conflated with Britishness ( the myth of our island race for case )( Langlands, 1999:60 ) . Cultural Policy and National Identity British Cultural policy remained based on the elitist positions of the 19th century until good into the 20th century and re-emerged after the Second World War as portion of the public assistance province. In 1947 the Arts Council was established in an effort to convey art to as many people as possible. Ballet, Opera and the theater were given much promotion as theoretical accounts of British cultural life. As the National Heritage site maintains, cultural heritage is of great importance. It is besides important to the building of individualities and to societal behavior ( Turnpenny, 2004 ) . The policies which promoted what has been termed ‘high’ civilization remained stable until the late 19 1960ss and 1970ss. During the 1950s leftist policies were pursued which resulted in cultural stableness. By the 1970s the state of affairs was less stable and the far left began to deride it as all cultural values were regarded as reflecting the involvements of white in-between cate gory males. It was necessary to make away with value opinions so that civilization would accommodate the demands of everyone. In the 19 1880ss ‘high’ civilization was once more undermined by the market rules of Margaret Thatcher’s Government. Art had to warrant its continued being on the footing of its marketability. In 1986 the cultural policy advisers to the Greater London Council wrote: In an age when we know longer expect to happen a individual all- embracing truth, the best schemes for endurance frequently involve making option, sole kingdom, which reject dominant manners( Mulgan and Worpole, 1986:32 ) When New Labour came to power in the 1990s it took over elements of the left and the right in an effort to advance a more diverse and inclusive position of civilization and cultural heritage. Pearce ( 2000 ) contends that: Cultural heritage is something that can be inherited, which enables the heirs to come in into their rightful provinces and be their true egos( Pearce, 2000:59 ) . This heritage is expressed in a figure of different ways some of which are stuff and some symbolic. Thus a cultural heritage consists of artifacts, patterns, objects and cultural infinites which persons recognise as portion of their cultural heritage. Among the symbolic facets are unwritten tradition, the acting humanistic disciplines, and societal patterns. Therefore cultural heritage can associate to all facets of life ( Turnpenny, 2004 ) . Current cultural policy dressed ores on the material facets of heritage such as edifices or memorials. This means that heritage is really tightly defined within an academic context and denies wider cultural reading ( Turnpenny, ibid ) . So although current cultural policy provinces an purpose of inclusivity its actions with respect to cultural heritage and this can take to people going alienated from their cultural heritage. Pearce ( 2000 ) argues that these physical facets of heritage are associated with certain values and emotions, without thi s association the material civilization would lose its value. Cultural sites, topographic points and artifacts can, hence be considered to be physical representations of perceptual experiences of ego, community, and belonging, and their associated cultural values( Smith and Vandermeer, 2001:51 ) Social patterns have been omitted from Government statute law on cultural heritage yet these are frequently related to peculiar societal groups and are an look of traditional societal values. These patterns are a beginning of group individuality and have historical, traditional, and cultural significance and should hence be considered as portion of our cultural heritage ( Jones, 1996 ) . Turnpenny ( 2004 ) argues that the current manner in which the province legislates with respect to cultural heritage is oppressive as it does non take into history community values and the communities’ perceptual experiences of their cultural heritage and it therefore contributes to societal exclusion. Current cultural policy, in its disregard of the intangible, offprints fact from value. In making so it imposes a signifier of national individuality that does non truly reflect the individuality of community groups in Britain. Turnpenny maintains that cultural policy, in its disregard of the wi der cultural heritage that is espoused by communities, consequences in communities non being able to associate to Government definitions of cultural heritage ( which is why less people visit museums now ) and this leads to tie in jobs of disempowerment and exclusion. Decision This paper has looked at cultural policy and its relationship to national individuality. It is arguably the instance that current Government cultural policy has reverberations of 19th century elitism in another signifier. Buildings and artifacts are regarded as portion of British cultural heritage and are hence to be espoused. The broad cultural heritage of communities, e.g. the pattern of good dressing, balefire dark, Dwali etc are neglected because they are regarded as the civilization of the multitudes. National individuality hence, is reserved for an elect subdivision of society, merely as it was during the 19th century, and this consequences in many communities experiencing alienated from official definitions of cultural heritage and what it means to be British. 2800 wordsBibliography Abercrombie, N and Urry J. 1983Capital Labour and the Middle ClassesAllen and Unwin, London Anderson, B 1983Imagined CommunitiesVerso, London Arnold, M 1960 ( foremost published 1869 )Culture and AnarchyCambridge University Press, Cambridge Colley, L. 1986Britishers, Forging the Nation 1707-1837London, Vintage Frosh, S. 1999 â€Å"Identity† in Bullock, A. and Trombley, S ( explosive detection systems ) 1999The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern ThoughtHarper Collins, London Jones, S. 1996 ‘Discourses of Identity in the Interpretation of the Past’ , InCultural Identity and Archaeology. The Construction of European Communities, edited by P Graves-Brown, S. Jones and C. Gamble. London: Routledge ( 1996 ) 62–8 Hall, S. 1992 â€Å"The Question of Cultural Identity† in Hall et Al ( explosive detection systems ) 1992Modernity and its FuturesCambridge, Polity Press Hall, s. 1995 â€Å"The rediscovery of political orientation: Tax return of the repressed in media surveies in Boyd-Barrett and Newbold explosive detection systems 1995 Haralambos and Holborn 2000Sociology Themes and Positions5Thursdayerectile dysfunction. Harper Collins, London Lowenthal, D 1994 Identity, Heritage A ; History in Gillis, J erectile dysfunction. . Hobsbawm, E 1992 Introduction: Inventing Traditions in E, Hobsbawm A ; T.Ranger The Invention of Tradition . Pearce, S. M. 2000 ‘The Making of Cultural Heritage’ , InValuess and Heritage Conservation, edited by E. Avrami, R. Mason and M. de la Torre. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute ( 2000 ) 59–64. Smith, A 1986aThe Ethnic Origins of NationsOxford, Basil Blackwell Smith, A. 1991National IdentityHarmondsworth, Penguin Stinati D. 1995An Introduction to Theories of Popular CultureRoutledge, London Turnpenny, M 2004 â€Å"Cultural Heritage, an ailment defined construct? A call for joined-up policy†International Journal of Heritage Studies10 ( 3 ) July 2004 pp. 295-307

Application Of Driver State Monitoring Systems (Dms)

Application Of Driver State Monitoring Systems (Dms) The term ‘driver state’ has no specific universal definition and is loosely used in the fields of Psychology and Engineering. In general, driver state refers to a set of conditions that affect the driver in a specific instance. Drivers in an optimal state do not suffer from any condition. Vehicle control transition is very important for the success of Highly Automated Driving (HAD). In an ideal scenario, human driver will be attentive to the Driving scene during Take Over Request (TOR). Recent advancements, along with higher levels of automation has made it possible for the driver to be in distracted, inattentive, or even fatigued state. Under similar driving scenario and automation behavior, a driver with some sort of impairment will have poorer performance tackling the situation than when in ideal state. Researches showed that distracted drivers had higher difficulty to adjust speed to a critical event than attentive drivers. Driver State Monitoring Systems (DMS) monitors and collects observable information on the driver, which can be used to determine his/her driving state. It is used, among other things, for active safety, adaptive Human Machine Interface (HMI), and annoyance reduction for false positive notifications in HAD. Electrodermal Activity Electrodermal activity (EDA) is the autonomous changes in electrical properties of the skin, of which, skin conductance is the most widely used property. To measure skin conductance, an electrical potential is applied between two points on the skin, and the resulting current flow between them is measured. This includes both background tonic (Skin Conductance Level or SCL) and rapid phasic components (Skin Conductance Responses or SCRs) that result from sympathetic neuronal activity. It is useful in measuring sympathetic arousal that are tractable to emotional and cognitive states. It is associated with autonomic emotional and cognitive processing. Autonomous nervous system (ANS) generally controls the body’s unconscious actions. Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) prepares body for intense physical activity and is responsible for fight or flight responses whereas parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is generally associated with homeostasis and when the body is at rest, while being responsible for rest and digest functions. Some emotional responses may occur without conscious awareness or cognitive intend. EDA can be used to examine such responses (i.e., threat, anticipation, salience, novelty). Recent research has shown that EDA is also a useful indicator of attentional processing per-se, where salient stimuli and resource demanding tasks evoke increased EDA responses. There are two main components to EDA. The slower acting components the overall level, slow climbing, slow declinations over time) are known as general tonic EDA. Skin Conductance Level (SCL) is the most common measure for this and changes in the SCL are thought to reflect general changes in autonomic arousal. The faster changing elements of the signal correspond to the Phasic component, also known as Skin Conductance Response (SCR). SCRs are generally associated with startle reflex or startle response. Recent evidence suggests that both components are important and may rely on different neural mechanisms. Empatica E4 wrist band is the common device used in ITS Leeds for psychophysiological data collection, giving EDA.csv files with Unix timestamp and sampling frequency of 4 Hz. Post processing of the same is done using MATLAB R2016a and Ledalab v3.4.9. For the first study, no pre-filtering was implemented. Although it can be done to smoothen the raw signal, using EDA explorer or a low bypass filter like Butterworth filter. In EDA signal, there is generally a latency of 1-3 seconds (i.e. a delay of around 1-3 seconds from when the event occurs to when you see the change in SC levels). Continuous decomposition analysis (CDA) is generally used instead of Discrete Decomposition analysis. This method extracts the phasic (driver) information underlying EDA and aims at retrieving the signal characteristics of the underlying sudomotor nerve activity (SNA). SC data is deconvolved by the general response shape which results in a large increase of temporal precision. Then data is decomposed into continuous phasic and tonic components. It is the method generally recommended for the analysis of skin conductance data. It features the computation of several standard measures of phasic EDA. Moreover, straightforward measures such as the average (or integrated) phasic driver activity are provided. To find Event Related SCR (ER-SCR) and separate it from Non-Specific SCR (NS-SCR), the event files are loaded in and the Ev ent related SCR activity is exported. The most common minimum threshold amplitude is 0.01  µS. Peaks with amplitude below this value is not considered significant. Another key factor is to standardize the values so that it can be compared across participants. For SCL the standardization is done using the formula: ((SCL ã€â€" SCLã€â€"_min) )/((ã€â€"SCLã€â€"_max –ã€â€" SCLã€â€"_min)) equation 2.2 Where ã€â€" SCLã€â€"_min is the baseline SCL which is to be measured while keeping the participant at rest doing nothing for at least 10-15 mins and ã€â€"SCLã€â€"_max is the maximum value computed when the participant is aroused using loud noise/music for a short period of time. This is done to get the SCL range of the given participant. Since this was not done for the SM study, it can’t be implemented. This can be circumnavigated by finding the minimum non-zero SCL score and the max SCL score during the study for each participant and use this as a baseline. Some studies recommend transforming SCRs into Z-scores. This requires the mean and standard-deviation to be used instead of a hypothetical maximum (from the other methods above). This navigates around the problems associated with determining the maximum SCR response from range-corrected methods / maximal correction methods. Here each raw SCR, a mean SCR value and standard deviation of SCRs, are used to compute the Z-score which is normally distributed, has an average of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. From here one can transform these Z-scores into T-scores, which have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10 (thus removing minus scores). The advantage to this approach here is that the resultant z-scores are based on unambiguous mathematical factors that represent the participants typical response level and not on unwarranted assumptions about maximum SCRs. Researchers further suggested that another useful transformation might be to divide each raw SCR, by the participants mean SCR thus providing a kind of standardized ratio. Final output is to obtain the ER-SCR activity window’s average SCR in T-score format, so that it can be compared across all the participants. From this, it might be possible to deduce suggestions/reasons for certain behavior during failure. Shimomura, et al. (2008) showed in his study that frequency domain analysis enabled detection of small differences in mental workload that could not be detected by traditional amplitude domain analysis. Here the signal is transformed from amplitude domain to frequency domain using techniques such as Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT). This technique enables real-time automatic analysis. Motion artifacts can cause the EDA signal to be quite noisy. If 90% of EDA value is zero or close to zero within a 5s window (a lower bound threshold of 0.001 µS can be used, it is probably caused by the sensors losing contact with the skin during that period and they can be removed. Generally, EDA levels are found to be not changing by more than 20% while increasing and 10% while decreasing, within a 1 second time window. A moving one second median filter can be used for initial interpolation to even out the signal. The resultant acceleration from accelerometer sensor can be used to find points/periods of high movements, and the EDA signal during that same period can be checked for motion artifacts, which can be removed if necessary. A bi-cubic interpolation of the signal can be done after the filtering to account for missing data points from the removal of motion artifacts. To summarize, skin conductance generally increases with arousal, stress, salience, mental workload, anticipation and overall increase in body temperature or physical activity. But measurements from palm of the hand or feet are generally highly sensitive emotional responses and can be distinguished from skin conductance spikes due to body temperature or physical activity. Heart rate variability Heart rate (HR) is the number of times the heart beats in a minute or â€Å"bpm†, and resting heart rate is the heart rate measured while being relaxed, but awake. Amongst the general population a resting heart rate of 60-80bpm is considered pretty good. But heartbeat intervals are irregular and there is variation in time between each heartbeat. Heart rate variability (HRV) is simply the measurement of variation between heartbeats. In general, a healthy functioning body will display a greater variability between beats than a poorly functioning one. Heart period is the time interval between two successive heart beats. The Sinoatrial node (SAN) can be seen on the top left side of the figure and the Atrioventricular node (AVN) to the right of SAN. The depolarization of SAN and AVN provides the electrical driving force that triggers the contraction of the heart. SAN’s spontaneous depolarization speed is typically faster than that of AVN, which is why it’s called natural pacemaker. Electrical impulses generated by SAN stimulates each beat of the heart, thereby dictating its rhythm. Sympathetic (SNS) and Parasympathetic (PSNS) branches of the autonomic nervous system are what mainly influence SAN. Hormone and immunity can have a role as well. According to Berntson, et al. (1997) â€Å"sympathetic activity tends to increase HR and decrease HRV, whereas parasympathetic activities tends to decrease HR and increase HRV†. HRV is closely related to emotional arousal. In HRV spectrum, there are both high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) signals. HF activity generally decreases under pressure, stress, strain, focused attention etc. High stress can cause reduction in LF values as well. Individuals who worry more have shown reduction in HRV. In PTSD patients, HRV and its HF component is reduced whilst the low-frequency (LF) component is elevated. Decrease in PSNS activity or increase in SNS activity results in reduced HRV. HF activity (0.15 to 0.40 Hz), especially, has been linked to PSNS activity. LF activity (0.04 to 0.15 Hz), which is generally associated with a mixture of both SNS and PSNS. So, it’s safe to summarize that during rest periods, HF HRV tends to be higher than when the driver is engaged, stressed, focused or strained/tired. To analyze HRV, either time domain or frequency domain analysis can be implemented. Time domain methods include â€Å"measures of the variance among heart period, the variance of the differences among heart periods, and geometric methods based on the shape characteristics of heart period distributions†. The most common method used to compute heart rate variability amongst time domain methods is the square root of the mean squared successive heart period differences or the RMSSD (Root Mean Square Successive Difference) statistic. It is based on the differences between adjacent heart periods and is nominally independent of basal heart period, although heart period level and heart period variability are themselves physiologically correlated. Because of the differences between adjacent heart periods sample HRV over relatively short periods of time (the duration of a heart period), the RMSSD resolves the total variance by filtering out LF signals. Consequently, the RMSSD has been a pplied as a measure of HF based HRV. The properties of RMSSD, including its cut-off frequency and its frequency-dependent transfer function vary as a function of basal heart period. A more systematic parsing of heart period variance into specific frequency components can be achieved by frequency domain methods. There are mainly two ways to measure HRV and HR. They are Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) recordings. ECG recordings are collected by placing electrodes on the chest (near the heart), which measure electrical impulses for each cardiac cycle. QRS complex is the defining feature of ECG signal. QRS complex is the three graphical deflections seen on a typical ECG, which is Q wave (downward deflection right after P wave, which is IV.), R wave (upward deflection after Q wave) and S wave (downward deflection after R wave) which is represented by I., II. The heart’s electrical activation is measured directly by ECG recordings. It also generally shows a strong QRS complex presence in the resulting signal. Motion artifacts caused by sensor displacement due to participant movement is a common source of noise in ECG signals. These tend to fall in the same frequency range as the QRS-complexes, which can make it difficult to filter them without deforming the QRS complex. Photoplethysmogram (PPG) recordings are a less invasive method to study cardiac cycle. They generally measure the discoloration of the skin as blood perfuses through the arteries and capillaries with each heartbeat, using optical sensors. PPG is typically measured at the fingertip or at the wrist. The PPG Heart Rate Analysis generally consists of a systolic peak, a dicrotic notch, and a secondary peak called a diastolic peak (2.5b-III). In recordings with very low amplitude the diastolic peak may be absent. The main advantages of PPG over ECG are low cost, ease of setting up and non-invasive methods. Ways of obtaining the PPG signal contactless through cameras have been proposed, further reducing intrusiveness. There is generally more amplitude variation over short time-intervals, more variation in waveform morphology, as well as more noise from various sources as opposed to ECG measurements. This makes analysis of PPG more difficult. The heart signal is often split into heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measures. The distance between the detected heart beats (the RR-intervals, named because in the ECG, the largest amplitude peak is called the R-wave) are used to calculate them. The heart beats are represented by the peaks in both signals. Even though the measurement technique vary quite considerably between ECG and PPG, a high correlation (median 0.97) between RR-intervals extracted from ECG and PPG signals has been reported. This makes the PPG a valid alternative for human factors studies that require non-intrusive heart rate measurements, and hence will be the focus of this research. Researchers talked on how to remove motion artifacts and filter it out of EDA signal. This is explained in the last paragraph of the previous section. The same methodology can be applied to remove motion artifacts from the HR/HRV signal as well.

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ADHD Essay

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ADHD - Essay Example One of my key findings is that Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is a psychiatric disorder that has been diagnosed in nearly 5% of children in the world. The disease is currently considered to be a serious issue of public health concern in many parts of the world and has affected the societies and families in a number of ways. According to Wilens and Dodson (2004), the affected individuals usually have difficulties in their interpersonal relationships and do not perform well in schools. Conducting a psychiatric assessment is one of the main methods of diagnosis although laboratory tests can also be used. My research has significantly enabled me to have a better understanding of my daughter who has been suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Consequently this will improve my coping skills and enhance my contributions towards her behavioral and normal medical interventions in her condition. For example as a parent, this research has improved my understanding of the significance of providing family therapy and parental assistance to the affected children like my

LLB UNIT 10 SUCCESSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LLB UNIT 10 SUCCESSION - Essay Example Henry and Len call in to see you and ask the following questions:- Having died without leaving a will or without having made a valid will, Mrs Mould will be considered to have died intestate and therefore the rules of intestacy governed by the Administration of Estates Act 1925 (as amended) and the Intestates Act, 1952 (and various other amendments contained in the Family Provision Act, 1966, The Family Law Reform Act, 1969 and The Family Provision (Intestate Succession) Order, 1972) apply to her estate, which is worth approximately 238,000. By not leaving a will any wishes Mrs Mould had for the allocation of her estate to friends, relatives and other beneficiaries will be ignored. How the estate will be allocated depends on the value of the estate and the deceased's family circumstances. The law in this area is concerned with bloodlines, rather than merit, or the verbally expressed will of the intestate. Not only does it recognise human improvidence, but also that calamities and unfairness occurs within human affairs. It sets out to ensure that there is no discrimination on personal whim. It is not concerned with blame. Due to the increasing complexity of family trees, this area can become ripe for litigation. However, Mrs Mould could be described as being from a 'once-normal nuclear family' where the bloodlines are easily ascertained. If there is both a spouse and children then all personal poss... 2. Surviving children (referred to as 'issue'). 3. Surviving parents. 4. Surviving brothers and sisters of whole blood ie having the same biological parents. 5. Surviving relations of a lesser degree. In the event that the surviving spouse is the only living relative of the deceased (ie no parents or siblings of whole blood), then the estate passes absolutely to that spouse. If there is both a spouse and children then all personal possessions (except business property) and the first 125,000 goes to the remaining spouse free of death duty (inheritance tax) and costs absolutely, with (if possible) interest. The remaining spouse is also entitled to a life interest in half of the residue which is to be invested in a trust from which the spouse will receive income during his/her lifetime. The remaining property then goes to the children via 'statutory trusts'. The definition of 'Statutory trusts' can be found in s.47 Administration of Estates Act 1925. The deceased's property will be held in equal shares for all 'living' (including unborn) children of the estate. On the death of the remaining spouse the children automatically inherit the remaining capital once they reach their majority, ie under current UK law, the child either attains the age of eighteen and/or marries before that age. If there are children but no spouse the estate is shared equally among the children via a statutory trust. Importantly, the child or children of any deceased child (ie grandchildren) will get the share of their deceased parent and if more than one, in equal shares. Where the only remaining relatives are the spouse and whole blood relatives as described above, then the spouse inherits all personal chattels, the first 200,000 plus a life-interest in half of the

Compare and Contrast Poems by John Donne and Michael Drayton Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast Poems by John Donne and Michael Drayton Essay The poem, To his coy mistress is very much Carpe Diem but the poet Andrew Marvell who wrote it was influenced by both Metaphysical and Classical types of poetry, the way in the beginning of the poem he seems to talk about things in a very slow way, walking, time slowing down to try to woe the women in a much quicker, the poem also shows a lot of Petrachan influences as when Andrew Marvell says Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze and Thy beauty shall no more be found. The poem is very much more in use of words that show the women in which the poem is talking about as being a goddess as I said earlier; this seems to play a large part in the poem. poem which is also very Carpe Diem is, to the virgins, to make much of time, this poem uses irregular (starvea) stress and unstressed words, but does have a regular amount of feet throughout the poem. The poem The Flea is very different to the other two before, it is a metaphysical poem which is much more interesting, it uses a much more dialectic view of wooing a women. It uses the fact that as a flea has bitten both the poet and the women of whom he is in love with, that it means that there are three lives all together in one and that him and his love almost more than maryed are. The structure of the poem uses the end of each paragraph as a conclusion for what it has just been stating. The poem uses imagery as it describes the two lovers together in the Flea with its dark walls of Jet referring to the colour jet black as there is no light in the Flea. At the end of the poem it shows that the women is wanting to kill the flea and he is comparing himself to the flea and saying that the flea is innocent because all it has done is take a tiny prick of blood from her and is it really worth the fleas life. The poet is using the idea of persuasion on the women by using the flea as an example. When it comes to the conclusion of the last paragraph it shows the poets persuasion again for that by the women killing the flea it has taken a small bit of life away rom her as it bit her and took some of her blood. The poet is much more different to the previous poets also as his persuasion has much more of a point to it, and uses a more intelligent argument against the women. The next poem was Song. To Celia, this is a classical poem which emphasises carpe diem is interesting. The poem is not in a common dialectic structure, it does have a felling that the poem is mainly based on the, fast, quick, instant love at the start of the poem. The poem involves a very large part at the end of an affair scene where Ben Johnson writes Of a few household spies? Or his easier ears beguile, this is speaking about the servants of the house in which the women which the man is involved with stays at, that they will only have to trick the servants from seeing them together. The structure of the poem is done using rhyming couplets and a trochaic tetrameter, the poem can be related to, to his Coy Mistress as it is also Carpe Diem. The poem, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love; this poem is a very stereotypical one as it portrays an idealised view of the country, it shows a much pastured view of the countryside. The poem is trochaic and it keeps a steady a,a,b,b pattern. The poet obviously did not have any view of the country and was probably a city person. The poem speaks about him and his love being whisked away into the countryside to live there in peace, with beds of roses for his love. The view of country is very much like a place that would be very hard to find in life; it is a much idealised view. The poem Sonnet is a very strange one; it does not have a set pattern for its rhythm and is very staggered. It involves the poet explaining all the different ways in which he loves the women in speaking. It uses classical influences with the poem having no persuasive felling to it. The poet uses Petrachan factors as the poet says about he loves all the aspects of the women, her breath, loving her freely, and purely.

Hedge Fund Policy Essay -- Economics Wealth Papers

Hedge Fund Policy What makes a hedge fund such a unique investment? And why is it so controversial? Many feel the risks of a hedge fund strongly outweigh its benefits. And with some funds, it does. But when a hedge fund strives, it has impeccable potential. It is arguable that the regulation on hedge funds, or lack there of, is what allows for so many to falter. However, despite various suggestions for policy changes, a few lemons still remain. Would changes in policy and regulation of a Hedge Fund allow it to be a more attractive investment opportunity? Although some alterations could make the hedge fund a safer investment, some risks are completely unavoidable. Ultimately, these changes may not only create more problems, but also take away from the uniqueness of this remarkable form of investment. A hedge fund is typically a private partnership invested primarily in publicly traded securities or futures. They are limited to 99 investors and require large minimum investments, which can range from $25,000 to several million dollars. Sixty five percent of the investors must have a net worth of at least $1 million. A general partner, who uses sophisticated strategies to make bets on the fund?s direction, and generally receives 20% of the profits, leads the fund. Hedge fund strategies fall into four open categories: absolute return, long/short equity, event driven, and global asset allocation. Absolute driven strategies are known as "market-neutral" funds, which seek to moderate the effects of overall market forces. Long/Short hedge funds, which represent about half of the assets in the hedge fund industry, seek to profit from underpricings by buying long, and overpricing through short selling. Event driven hedge funds ... ... able to grow and have the leverage it had, if it had not been lent the money," said Bert Ely. Though many may argue that hedge funds do more harm than good, they are still extremely popular investments and have proven to be very successful. Many have benefited with the current hedge fund policy and see no need for regulatory changes. Various proposed changes may not, in fact, be entirely beneficial. Once implemented, the suggested solutions could create more problems for the hedge fund world. And such changes would alter the characteristics that attract so many to such incredible investment opportunities. In the end, a better hedge fund policy is neither plausible nor desirable. Sources: http://library.hbs.edu/hedgefunds.htm http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~mtwomey/newspapers/100198he.html http://www.bernstein.com/perfstrat/products/ts_020401.htm

Building Brands

The following paper provides detail insight into the different concepts regarding branding. It starts off by defining the brand and the importance of brands I the market. It then continues on to elaborate on the brand building process, the conceptual framework and the customer relationship building process for a brand. The paper also highlights the characteristics of leading and successful brands in the market. The problems and risks associated with branding are discussed and solutions for overcoming the specific problems related to brand imitation and been devised.The paper also follows the work of brand theorists and researchers in order to establish the barding concept and discuss the new branding strategies comparative to the traditional brand building strategies. An in-depth analysis of three major brands of today is conducted using the case study method. The case studies for Ebay, Emirates Airlines and Ferrari are performed in order to identify their unique brand proposition an d their brand building strategies in the different sectors and industries of the economy. 1. OverviewThe following paper provides in depth information and commentary about the importance of brands and the characteristics of the brands. The process of building a brand has been discussed and the case studies have been analyzed in correlation of their brand building efforts. The paper also depicts how brands can be successful in building convincing and long term profitable brands. 1. 1. Objective The objectives of this paper are listed down as: †¢ Define the nature of the brand †¢ Discuss the importance of the brands in an industry and how they effect consumer purchase decision†¢ Proving a comprehensive resource on the strategies for brand building and long term profitability †¢ Discuss the risks associated with branding †¢ To discuss the prominent brands in the market of diverse natures, and to explain the brand building efforts taken up by these brands 1. 2. Methodology The nature of this paper is that of a research paper. No practical or experimental research has been carried out. Instead the research is supported by literature review and key trends in the market.The brand building operations discussed in the paper have been supported by real life examples of brand building operation and their effects on the industry and the market. the literature review is also supported by the works of brand building theorists like David Aaker and the Ries’. The paper takes into account there case studies where the history, business operations and the brand building strategy of three diverse and well known brands and been depicted. The brands which have been discusses, analyzed and compared in the case studies are the following†¢ A web/ internet brand, Ebay. †¢ An international brand, Emirates. †¢ A popular international sports automobile brand, Ferrari. All three brands taken into account for the purpose of case study analysis are brand leaders and the pioneers in their industry of operation. 1. 3. Structure The paper has been structured in such a manner that the components of the research have been divided among 4 categories. The first category discusses the nature and basics of the brands. It depicts what the brand actually is and what are the different layers of the brand.The different types of brands are discussed here and the importance of brands according to customers is also depicted here. The value based bands are also discussed in this section and the specific values the brands have for the company as well as the customers are explored. The second category covers the brand building strategy. In this the brand building process and the development and frame work of a brand have been discussed in detail. The supporting action of relationship building for brand building operations is also discussed here.This section is closed by discussing the different characteristics of successful brands and the ri sks that are attached with branding The third section covers the three case studies of the prominent brand leaders in the market. rtheir value proposition id s depicted in this section and their brand building strategy is identified here. The research is supported by the SWOT analysis of these brands and the comparative analysis of these brands relative to other in the same market. The reasons for their leadership in their specific industries have also been realized here.The last section comments on the nature of the research, and the conclusion gained from the research. Further opportunities of research on the topic have also been identified. 2. Basics of a Brand: 2. 1. What is a brand? A brand is essentially an entity which has certain visual, rational, emotional, as well as a cultural image which is associated with the brand. The brand does not exist solely to sell the product to the people. It creates a bond and an associative relationship between the customer and the company.Th e brand can be a product or a service or even simply the name of the company which manufactures or provides the product of service. Branding gears to evict a response from the users via the advertising tools of targeting the audience through positive reinforcement based on cumulative impressions of the brand. Through branding the target audience is forced to remember the brand and have positive associations because its helps the consumers in making decision at the point of purchase about the selection of brands they want to buy and consume.The value and the satisfaction that the consumer derives from the product or service is also enhanced by existence of the brand Simply put a brand is a promise made by the company to its customers regarding the quality of the products. The quality of the product/ service is central to the brand and helps in differentiating it from others in the market whereby reducing competition. As said before the brand can be an image, a logo, a slogan and even the brand name. â€Å"If you want to build a successful brand, you have to understand divergence.You have to look for opportunities to create new categories by divergence of existing categories. And then you have to become the first brand in this emerging new category. In the great tree of brands, a successful brand is one that dominates an emerging branch ad then becomes increasingly successful as the band expands to block the sunlight from nearby branches. †(Ries & Ries, 2004) Branding however is the process by which the company communicates its mission and objectives to its target audience.â€Å"Branding is a rather new concept: a single, seemingly innocuous idea conceived by the strategists Al Ries and his wife, Laura Al Ries in the mid-1980s. They believed that successful companies produced brands instead of products, that is, brands were intangible and existed only in the minds of the consumers† (2007, Brand Wagon). The branding process is initiated as well as s tructured and proposed by the founders of the brands, or the key people in the company who have come up with the concept of the brand. Branding can also be defined as the process by which the business builds its activities around the promotion of its products.It deals with creating a unique idea, or mindset in the minds of the consumer relative to the brand which helps the target market differentiate it from, the competition in the market. People often make mistakes while branding their products. These mistakes mostly relate to not thinking rationally or logically when building the brand, not maintaining the brand or keeping up with the environmental, technological and cultural changes in the market and trying to appease everyone. Problems can also arise if the company itself is unaware of what the brand actually stands for and who they actually are targeting.When the company employees are not fully committed to branding then this can also lead to a failed brand. Similarly not havin g a dedicated marketing plan set out or using too much technical jargon in the communication process leads to creating inconsistency in the resultant brand. The biggest pitfall in branding however is trying to hard to be different and differentiating the product or service from the competition. This can lead to a loss of visions for the brand. The following diagram depicts the Brand Hexagon which shows the integration of brand equity and brand identity which forms the brand

Understand health and safety in social care setting Essay

According to the health and safety authority a hazard is defined as ‘a potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons and a risk is defined as ‘. The likelihood that a person may be harmed or  suffers adverse health effects if exposed to a hazard The example they use to contextualise the two is very clear and very helpful. ‘ If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the risk would be minimised. To be able to use a health and safety risk assessment you must be able to spot hazards and evaluate what the hazard poses, for example you see in the clients home that there is an obstacle in the way of an entrance restricting the space so some walkers wouldn’t be able to get past safely this would be a high risk of falling Afterwards the risk assessment should have been reviewed and any findings that you make should be recorded appropriately, and changes made to further ensure that persons health and safety, perhaps by amending the work you have already done with the risk assessment and it should be reported to either your senior or manager that risk assessment is complete. Reporting health and safety risks that have been identified. It is important for all staff to be able to report any possible identified health and safety risks. They should be confident in knowing how and when to act upon it. In the care working environment the employer must make their employees know that it is of the upmost importance that they are to act upon and report any possible health and safety risks that could potentially put others in a place of harm or injury in the work place. They must be aware that even if the recognised problem has already been flagged and documented they are still responsible in reporting it to ensure the correct procedures can be put into place. This will aid in the help of rectifying the hazard that has been reported. There will already be the properly implemented measures to reduce any possible health and safety risks. But the action and knowledge of the procedure of reporting and documenting all occurrences of physical, viral, injuries and sicknes s and also any potential risks of accidents is still a vital procedure that must never be ignored. Within all Framework services they have policies and procedures in regard of reporting  all health and safety incidents and accidents in place. They outline the importance of documenting and reporting in writing and also speaking of any possible preventable accidents no matter how large and small they may seem. In all any recognised health and safety issues the Framework is that they are reported to the line manager who is in the position of acting on the assessment of the hazard. All accidents and risks must always be clearly documented and reported with the correct time and date accordingly to give a true and accurate account of the incident. An on-going assessment of the health and safety in the workplace is vital to prevent any dangers occurring or being missed. How a risk assessment can help address dilemmas between an individual’s rights and health and safety concern. Risks are an important part of our everyday lives we are encouraged to take them to possibly reach our set goals whether it will be for our working life or personal achievement’s. For others who may need special needs support they may be actively deterred from taking such risks. This could be due to a fear of them coming to harm or they may not be able to cope with the results of their actions. This could result in them becoming less confident with the purpose of their life and their right to be an independent individual. Legislation and workplace policies have been implemented to support such problems occurring. They enable these individuals to be given the appropriate support and help that they require to be able to live in society as independent as possible without the fear of being a health and safety risk to themselves or others. Health and training for the support workers will help them with confronting any possible problems that could arise whilst helping the person who requires their help in becoming more independent. Continuous observation and of reviewing practice and procedures are put into place to ensure that the individual in their care is least likely to be confronted with any hazards or sociable obstacles that could lead them to suffer any further emotional or physical harm. The fact that the person in your care requires a risk assessment or a plan management this should not mean they are restricted in what they want to do or the person they want to be Understanding of procedures for responding to accidents and sudden illness. Different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in a social care setting. There are a wide variety of sudden illnesses and accidents that can occur and put the individual in immediate danger. These could be caused by everyday objects such as a loose rug or even a wet floor. If these hazards are not pointed out or left unchanged they could lead to the person suffering a fall or breaking of bones. The individual could be burnt or scarred if items such as an iron or cooker are left on. They should be monitored carefully with any hot appliances in the prevention of injuries. They could also suffer from poisoning and overdosing if chemicals or medicine is not correctly stored away from the vulnerable person. Sudden illnesses Illnesses that are brought on suddenly are medical conditions such as a stroke which is where the brain cells die suddenly through the lack of oxygen. This is when there is a blockage in the blood flow and or the rupture of a artery that connects to the brain. Asthma is a dangerous medical condition which causes difficulty in breathing, breathing difficulties can also be caused by allergic reactions to substances or items. Hypoglycaemia is a medical condition brought about by the drop of glucose [sugar]. Choking is a hazard brought about by the airway is blocked commonly by food. Seizures can cause spasms of muscles and or unconsciousness this is caused by the electrical workings of the brain fails to work correctly. A fall could lead to the person losing consciousness or temporary fainting. A person who develops food poisoning from contaminated water or ill prepared or stored food will suffer from sickness and diarrhoea. A heart attack is known as a cardiac arrest this is where the heart fails to pump blood around the body leading to heart failure. Chest pain which is felt around the shoulders around the ribs and generally in the upper torso could imply a large amount of conditions. These symptoms should never be ignored and always be checked by the medical profession. Procedures that are followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur. The first important thing that all staff must adhere to is the policies and procedures that have been implemented by their workplace. They  must be always ready and aware of what action to take in the possible case of illness or accident. They should behave in a professional manner and that their actions and behaviour do not create any hindrance to their client’s recovery. You should remove any persons who are not directly involved in the aid of the client and keep the entrance safely clear to allow the medical staff a clear admittance. The client should be treated with respect at all times and not left to feel like a second rate citizen. The surrounding environment should be made safe and private. You can do this by. Disabling the power supply in the prospect of electrical shock. Move the patient to a safe area in the case of risk of fire or an unstable building. Clear the surrounding area of any unwanted obstacles i.e.: furniture. You should make the person feel comfortable and dignified. The correct way to handle emergencies and dealing with the medically trained professionals are: For emergencies only you should ring 999. Clear the area and make it a safe place. Keep the person conscious by talking to them loudly or if they do not make a clear response check their [ABC] Airway Breathing and Circulation. You should call for help as soon as possible. Tilt their head and check for an airway, if there is not a clear one give 2 deep breaths. Check to see if there is pulses if none is felt on the main arteries in the neck begin the [BLS] Basic Life Support. This consists of 15 chest compressions and 2 breaths. Carry on with the BLS until the medical professionals arrive or the patients symptoms improve. Do not stop the BLS unless you are told to or a professional takes over. When medical help arrives you must give them a clear and true account of the symptoms the patient’s medical history and of any treatment that they may have received. The line manager must be given a report on the circumstances of the accident or injury stating clearly the names of all the people who were involved in the incident, what the cause of the accident was or what medical condition brought about the incident. The report must be clearly documented giving a true and detailed account of all that occurred and naming all of who was involved and how the incident or accident was dealt with and the outcome of the event. The report should be signed and dated. The importance of emergency first aid tasks to be carried out by qualified first aiders. The intention of First Aid is to aid a person with recovering from a suffered accident/medical condition. The act of First Aid is covered by the Health and Safety regulations and under your employees set of policies and procedures. The act of First Aid should be carried out to give the patient a better chance of recovery and reduce the possibility of further health problems. The only staff members that are allowed to carry out the act of First Aid are ones who have been legally and qualified. This is to stop the chance of any unqualified persons giving aid that could cause the patient harm and with less chance of recovery. This could lead to legal charges being brought against the company. In the case of a qualified person in First Aid having doubts about what action they need to give the patient they should not carry out aid and contact their manager with the intent of asking for help to what they should do. If they do not ask for help and guess what they need to do this could end in serious consciences for the patient. This is clearly set out by the companies Frame work and should be adhered to at all times. 4 Reducing the spread of infection 4.1 Routes by which an infection can get into the body. There are a variety of infections people can suffer from. The infections can enter the body come from four different ways. .Colds and other air born infections can enter the body in the respiratory tract go through the lungs. .Infection is also contracted through the skin. This could be from a sore or broken skin which allows the infection to break through the normally safe armour of the skin. .The digestive tract is the opening for infection to the stomach and bowels. This occurs when infected food or water is digested and this leads to stomach ache vomiting and diarrhoea. .The fourth entry of infection is through urinary and reproductive system. This is where the infection is contracted through the blood. .Infection is also carried through bodily fluids such as semen, saliva and the blood system. This can develop into sexually contracted disease and the AIDS virus. 4.2 Ways in which your own health or hygiene might pose a risk to an individual or others at work. It is important to keep yourself clean and tidy because if your own health and hygiene is left to deteriorate this can lead to the possibility of causing a risk to others. There are policies in the work place that are put into place to help with reducing the risk of infection. .Always wash hands before touching and preparing food. .After using the toilet wash hands thourally. .Cover your mouth when coughing and look away from others to prevent the spread of infection. .When changing or applying plasters always wash your hands. .Always throw away used tissues properly. .Protect yourself with the PPE provided. .If unwell stay away from work to help with stopping the spread of infection. In the health and social care environment employees must be always well enough to perform their work safely. This is to maintain a high standard of health and safety which reduces the risks of patients and others being susceptible to infections. The work places set policies must be always followed to provide good practice. If you or family members are unwell and you are unsure of whether you will pose a risk to others you must consulate with your own doctor about going to work. Most practices have the guideline of not returning to work if unwell until you have being ill for 48 hours. Because some infections can be carried in the body for weeks your employer can request that you take further investigations from medical professionals to confirm you no longer cause a risk of infection too patients or other staff members. PPE with self-protection amongst the staff members and clients is important to reduce them contracting illness and infections. They must ensure no possible infected materials and their own personal health is left or ignored to make the working environment is as infection free as possible and others are not put at risk. The most thorough method of hand washing. Hand washing i probably the most common of all of the hygienic operations in the care work place. Even when gloves have been worn this should not stop you from washing your hands. This is due to possible contamination when  removing them or maybe tearing of the gloves may occur in the process of possible contamination. The technique of hand washing and engraining the act of hand washing is important to keep your hands with a high level of cleanliness. Particular attention to the back of your hands and finger tips as these areas are mostly missed. You should wet your hands first and then lather with soap. You may need to use a specialist type of soap if your hands are particularly dirty. This type of cleaning requires you to apply the soap first and then proceed with the hand washing taking care to follow the manufactures instructions. To ensure the stopping of passing on infections you should follow the steps of hand washing after you have wet your hands- 1. Rub your palms together 2. With your finger entwined rub back of hands. 3. Then with fingers still entwined rub palms of hands. 4. With fingers locked together rub the back of your fingers against your opposite palms. 5. Rotate your thumbs and rub the back of them within your palms. 6. Keep rubbing your fingers against your palm whilst turning your hands back and forward. To dry your hands thoroughly you must use a clean towel or disposable paper which you must wash or throw away to reduce to spread of infection and never reuse. 4.4When different types of personal protective equipment should be used;- The (PPE) which stands for Personal Protective Equipment refers to the clothing and equipment that is provided to reduce the possibility of the spread of infections. It is the duty of your employer to provide these items to ensure yours and others health and safety is never put at risk. You must follow their health and safety policies as set by your employers. If you ignore the health and safety policies and do not use or wear the provided garments you will be in breach of the health and safety laws that have been set for your own benefit and others. If somebody is dealing with the risk of infection through bodily fluids or maybe using cleaning fluids you must wear disposable gloves. The gloves should fit the person and not hang off your hands as this will hamper the safety of how you do your job. Never reuse these gloves or touch areas that could be contaminated and then your client as this will put at risk of infection. You must discard the gloves correctly  after use and then wash your hands thoroughly. Support workers should be aware that some people are allergic to the latex which is what the gloves are made from or maybe they themselves could suffer from allergies from these gloves. If this is the case their employers will supply them gloves made from a different material. If you are in a procedure that could lead to have some form of bodily fluids splash onto you, you are required to wear the plastic disposable apron that will be provided. Remember that you need to be aware of your hand hygiene when removing the apron as this could result in a contamination of the health and safety process. You must dispose of the disposable gloves and aprons correctly when you have finished with them; this should be in the provided clinical waste bin that is provided. When handling food the apron that is provided will be a washable one that can be used again when washed.

The eNotes Blog Asking Utnapishtim for Directions to theBathroom

Asking Utnapishtim for Directions to theBathroom Its been since about 500 B.C. that Babylonian and Assyrian were widely spoken. Those languages, closely related to Arabic and Hebrew, were   assimilated into Akkadian, the primary speech of what is now Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Later, Aramaic, the language of Jesus, eventually became the preferred way of speaking in those regions. It wasnt until the nineteenth century that interest was renewed in ancient Assyrian. The work of scholars, who discovered thousands of   cuneiform tablets, revived studies. By the mid-twentieth century, enough work had been done to decipher the language and reconstruct how it may have sounded (although, Worthington admits, there are disagreements and variations regarding his interpretations). Differences aside, enough people are curious about the efforts to give the recordings a listen:   some 236,000 people have accessed the audio archives. So, now youve fallen in love with the cadence of the language and want learn how to speak fluent Ancient Assyrian? Well, Worthington has your back there too. You can purchase Complete Babylonian: A Teach Yourself Guide and feel confident when you order your jalfrezi and rogan josh. Hold your rython aloft and ask for their best shiraz.

Why does the trade union movement, overall, in Australia, support the Essay

Why does the trade union movement, overall, in Australia, support the Labor Party - Essay Example Explaining the reasons behind the dwindling trade union membership, the paper scrutinises changes in the labour market composition, differences in the unionisation rate of certain groups of workers, along with the effects of conservative legislation, anti-union employer activity, relationships with federal government, etc. Finally, the paper details the trade union responses to membership decline, accessing whether those responses have been a success story. Introduction Ellem and Franks (2008), and Griffin (2002) write that trade unionism in Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) has not unexpectedly been shaped by their members’ prior trade union experience in Britain, given the numerous British migrants who had brought with them the values of their mother country; with the first formal unions having emerged amongst the most skilled employees, such as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers established as overseas branches of the ‘parent’ union in Great Britain (Sh eridan, 1975, as cited in Griffin, 2002). It’s also noteworthy that the first unions had been town-based; having experienced rapid growth during the roaring twenties and the post-war decade, as well as being on the wane during the Great Depression and the ‘swinging’ sixties, the trade unions flourished in Australia over most of the twentieth century – with at least two out of every five workers being members of a union. The then trade unions’ status and power are considered to have been derived from the centralised conciliation and arbitration system first introduced in 1904 with the Conciliation and Arbitration Act (Svensen, Small, Griffin, n.d.). Due to the significant benefits promised, and consequently delivered by the new industrial relations system, like employer’s recognition, legally enforceable minimum wages, working conditions, etc., the Australian trade unions enjoyed remarkable ease in achieving their goals, following a descending hierarchy of arbitral, political, and industrial strategies, in contrast to other countries. Thus, in many cases, Australian unions are considered to have won their battles on bureaucratic battleground, rather than on the industrial one, to a degree that made some commentators to argue whether the title ‘union’ is being used correctly with regard to them (Howard, 1977, as cited in Svensen, Small, Griffin, n.d.). It should be mentioned that the then Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, nowadays the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC), has adopted the traditional horizontal occupational structure of trade unionism as the basis for its own segmentation (Griffin, 2002). Starting with about 200 unions in 1901 with over 97Â  000 members which represented 6.1 per cent of the working force, the number of unions significantly jumped, following the 1904 legislation – 573 in 1911, with more than 360Â  000 members representing about 28 per cen t of the total number of employees. The post-World War One rationalisation had reduced that number to less than 400, followed by a slow decrease within the next decades – to finally drop below 300 until 1989. Overall, trade unionism in Australia until 1990 is characterised by three main features as follows: a skewed distribution of membership, multi-unionism at both industry and enterprise levels, and well-developed inter-union structures at national and state’s level but not at the enterprise one (Griffin, 2002). In other words, in 1990, 57 per cent of all unions (170 out

Operation Management Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operation Management Case Study - Essay Example Consequently, the total number of clients that the Seven Hills Hotel had to attend to during the conference was 810 clients. Seven Hills Hotel was the hotel approached by the events planner at Global Events Company to host these delegates during the entire period of the conference. Apparently, some mishaps happened during the organization process that made the entire conference turn up as a disaster (Amason, 2011). The case study provides complications in operations management in two major organizations involved in the organization and planning of the conference. The first organization is the Global Events Company, an events planning company contracted by Glo-Tech to arrange the event, and Seven Hills Hotel, the hotel approached by the events planner to host the event. Global Events Company experienced operational problems from the moment it failed to analyze the situation at the hotel first before contracting it to be the host of such a major event. It was apparent that the conditions of the hotels were not favorable to host clients of such large numbers. In addition, the location of the hotel was inappropriate, as it was both unsecure, as well as unapproachable (Belda, 2006). These aspects would have automatically ruled out the hotel as the best choice to host such an event. On the other hand, operations problems also emerged from the lack of appropriate communication between the organization and the hotel about the nitty gritty details of the clients they were expecting. For instance, the company failed to give the hotel the exact date from which to expect the clients, the total number of clients to receive, as well as the dietary specifications of each client expected to attend the conference. This in turn made it difficult for the hotel to plan appropriately on how best to host all the delegates. In addition, the company failed to plan for the best routes to use while transporting delegates from the airport to the hotel (Dennis and Harris, 2008). It is