Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Yellow Wallpaper Analysis free essay sample

Yellow Wallpaper There are many symptoms that arise when one is diagnosed with postpartum depression. Among the many is â€Å"obsessive-compulsive features, including intrusive, repetitive thoughts and anxiety. You see this all throughout â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† and it begins when the narrator first describes the strange patterns in the incredibly symbolic wallpaper in the room that was once a children’s nursery: â€Å"It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow – turning sunlight. † When analyzing the first section of the passage, on realizes that she is referring to the invisible mask she has put on. She tries to hide that she is still deeply troubled by pretending to be happy and in control, however exhausting it may be. We will write a custom essay sample on The Yellow Wallpaper Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And yet, this â€Å"disease,† if you will, irritates her to no end, as does the wallpaper. She is angry with her husband in that he believes this disease isn’t as serious as it truly is. Anger towards one’s partner or other family members is also a symptom of postpartum depression. Then†¦ she mentions something rather†¦ striking. She says, â€Å"When you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions. † Even after a short time of enduring severe depression, one can feel overwhelmed with sadness and grief, and they begin having reoccurring thoughts of suicide. She is afraid she is going to become insane, and take the â€Å"plunge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  perhaps off a bridge? Above all, she is afraid she is going to harm her newborn child. If, by her own hands, her baby is harmed, she will be destroyed from the inside- out because a new child is supposed to be something happy†¦ a joyous occasion, but her depression is preventing just that. She hates feeling this way. She believes it to be â€Å"revolting,† like the awful yellow of the wallpaper. But, if one looks closely, one will see that there is a bit of light in her logic. She says it’s â€Å"strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. † Through time, all be it slow, the disease will begin to fade away and inevitably disappear altogether. Through pain, and misfortune†¦ through sadness and irritation†¦ there is always hope. The smallest light in the darkest cave, there is hope. And she wishes to hold onto it as long as she can†¦ until the last bit of strength she has left dissipates completely†¦ †¦ There is hope.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Opinated Youth Offendera

Opinated Youth Offendera Should the government toughen up on homicide charges against teenagers? This question is being debated amongst many, especially recently last month in West Palm Beach, Florida. A fourteen-year-old youth was convicted of shooting his "favorite" teacher. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison without parole, which re-ignited the controversy over appropriate punishment for youngsters convicted on homicide charges. In addition to his sentence, Brazill was given two years of house arrest and five years of probation afterwards.Palm Beach County Judge Richard Wennet sentenced Nathaniel Brazill to three years more than the mandatory minimum as the teen. Nathaniel was shackled and clad in a red jail jumpsuit. Standing there staring straight ahead, showing very little emotion, he was awaiting his fate to be handed down to him.Brazill's sentence for killing seventh-grade teacher Barry Grunow sparked immediate debate, with the victim's relatives contending it was too lenient and some child advoc ates declaring that long sentences for young offenders take the criminal justice system back "100 years."English: This 1885 photograph shows pioneers stand...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Global Organizations and Nation States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Organizations and Nation States - Essay Example Furthermore, both these institutions attach many preconditions on the receiving nations for borrowing money. These are mainly part of the neo liberal economic ideology, which force these countries to follow free market policies, reduce government intervention, privatization and decreasing the size of the public sector, liberalization, reducing trade barriers, elimination of subsidies, reduced protection of the domestic industries, currency devaluation and others (Karns & Mingst, pp. 98-99). Despite the fact that these policies have appeared to be working for many developed countries, evidence shows that it has been disastrous for the poor and third world countries, which actually seek loan from IMF and World Bank (Pease, pp. 254-259). Critics of these international organizations believe that these organizations are actually Washington controlled and headed by the developed countries of the world. Important here to note is that United States and other European countries ran out of the ir resources decades ago. Furthermore, their domestic markets are past the point of saturation and low population growth rates mean that their dream for aggressive growth cannot be fulfilled (Jawara & Kwa, pp. 75-78). The only possible way in which they could sustain or even continue their growth is by trying to exploit the resources of the third world countries, which are rich in natural resources but do not have the tools and the expertise to make use of them. International organizations such as International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization was the clear answer (Hurd, pp. 41-45). These organizations, headed and controlled by a few developed countries, allow them to force the third world and underdeveloped countries of the world to open their markets, deprotect their industries, and reduce the government intervention. Important here to note is that in case of majority of the African and South Asian countries, these policies have never worked (Stone, pp. 52-58 ). The only beneficiary in these cases are developed countries which get to access the resources of these countries, buy them at the cheapest possible prices in the name of competition and lack of value addition, dictate their own social, economic and other domestic policies. In short, these organizations have created a new face of neo colonialism where they control the policies of the borrower countries in name of â€Å"conditions†, â€Å"policies†, and â€Å"rules† (Pease, pp. 254-259). World Trade Organization is another tool for the powerful nations to influence trade mechanisms and directions. Important here to note is that despite the fact that WTO advocates free trade and lifting of trade barriers, many North American and European countries still continue to protect their domestic sector such as agriculture, beef, farm and other industries. Furthermore, at the same time, poorer countries are forced to lift all possible barriers on trade so that the develo ped countries could get access to their markets for exploitation. Underdeveloped countries, which have less influence, power and say in these organizations have no other choice but to accept these conditions so that they could little foreign exchange and generate little employment in their countries but again the cost remains high. The recent case of South Korea is another example of how WTO influences the domestic and trade policies of countries. It was during 2003 when South Korea

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

ECT170 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECT170 - Essay Example The internet is the central source of data among the external sources. The inputs of an MIS include scheduled reports produced periodically such as weekly or monthly, demand reports, produced, to provide certain information upon request. There are several characteristics of an MIS. One characteristic is that it provides reports with fixed and standard form as well as producing both soft and hard copies of the reports. It also uses internal data stored in a computer system allow users to develop customs report. The MIS requires user requests for reports developed by systems personnel (Stair and Reynolds 303). MIS can be divided along functional lines. Financial management information systems provide financial information to executives. Some financial MIS subsystems and outputs include profit/loss and costs systems, auditing and management of funds. Manufacturing MIS subsystems and outputs include monitoring and controlling the flow of materials, design and engineering, inventory control, process control and quality control. Marketing MIS supports product development, pricing and its distribution. Marketing functions are increasingly being performed on the internet. The subsystems involved include marketing research, product development, product pricing, sales analysis and advertising. The human resource MIS are concerned with issues related to previous, current and potential employees. Its subsystems include human resource planning, personnel selection, training and skills inventory, scheduling and job placement as well as salary administration (Stair and Reynolds 305). Decision support systems (DCCs) are used when the problem is unstructured. These systems’ performance is a function of decision quality and problem complexity. The problem complexity depends on how hard the problem is to solve. The DCC provides rapid access to information and can handle

Sunday, November 17, 2019

International Relations theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Relations theories - Essay Example In that NATO countries view an attack upon one member State as an attack upon all treaty members collectively, the legal justification for the use of armed forces in Afghanistan in self-defence is not a matter of legal dispute in international law in the manner that the Iraq war was under contention. As professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson wrote in ‘Theories of International Relations’ (2006) â€Å"Realism is characterized by a concern with material coercive power. It treats states as the primary unit of analysis. Power is primarily viewed in military terms, and the military power of other states presents the greatest potential danger to an individual state. Economic leverage is also considered an important element of national strength, and Realist analyses of international economics assume that hegemonic actors define not just political but economic structures.† (Jackson, 2006) In evaluating the realist concern for global security, the US and NATO powers are the pr imary police force for international trade and commerce, which was threatened directly by the World Trade Center attacks. The costs of the attack led to $40 to $60 billion USD in insurable costs according to a Congressional study, plus a large drop in the stock markets, contraction of the economy, support for the airline industry, and militarization for the war on terror internationally. (Makinen, 2002) Where international trade and business was impacted in such a major way by terrorism, the realist argument is given as the primary justification for the deployment of military forces in a police action to secure this. Where the 9/11 attacks also harmed the perception of America internationally as a hegemonic power, it also required a realist response to restore the balance of power to hegemony in a â€Å"zero sum† game of national interests. The natural resource interest in Afghanistan is arguably in natural gas, minerals, or pipelines. Yet a greater interest can be seen in NA TO of a containment of Iran, arguably a major concern due to the Islamic theocracy in the country and nuclear program. In establishing bases in both Afghanistan and Iraq, this can be seen as part of a NATO-US led policy of containment of Iranian power as well as regime change in Sunni States with the goal of democratization. The democratization argument applies to realism when NATO, the US, and others decide it is in their best interests to promote democratic governments around the world to support global security and the expansion of their social and economic interests. Finally, a critical view of realism can be seen in the interest of the Military-Industrial Complex to deploy in Afghanistan to further the expansion of the contracts related to the war and Department of Defence as they relate to private profit, ownership, and control. Question 2- How does Marxist theory address poverty and land reform as global security concern? In the economic theory developed by Karl Marx, there w ill be no true peace or security in the status quo internationally unless or until the developed nations make a commitment to economic rights and shared, egalitarian, economic development on a humanitarian and moral basis. It is the landless poor who in many regions suffer the most at the lowest levels of global capitalism internationally. Many of these

Friday, November 15, 2019

Examining Qualitative and Quantitative studies with CASP

Examining Qualitative and Quantitative studies with CASP Critical Appraisal Skills Programme/CASP (Public Health Resource Unit, 2007) a reader should equip with in order to make sense of scientific research. The CASP is to help a reader develops critical skills so as to be sensitive of scientific research and, therefore, to think reasonably about any research encountered (Public Health Resource Unit, 2007). Both quantitative and qualitative researches can be appraised by using the CASP. Each of the CASP guidelines has ten questions in which validity, relevance and results of appraised research have been covered. This assignment has been divided into two parts. The first part quantitative paper written by Ho et al, (2006) will be appraised. The second part qualitative paper written by Liu and Liehr (2009) will then be appraised. All findings will be summarized finally. 1. Did the study ask a clearly focused question? PICOT is used for answering the question 1 and it is a framework that healthcare professionals can use to formulate effective clinical questions in a step-by-step manner (Melnyk Fineout-Overholt, 2010). The population of the study was all the subjects should have one tattoo at least. 120 Chinese subjects with 144 tattoos were recruited for the study. The intervention of the study was half of the subjects were applied Contractubex gel while others were applied nothing. The purpose to do so was to check the efficacy of the gel. The comparison of the study was study and control groups are used for comparison as a result of finding out the efficacy of Contractubex gel. The outcome of the study was the gel should be effective in preventing scarring after the subjects receiving laser removal of tattoos. The research has shown that the number of subjects in Contractubex group with scarring were significantly lower than in control group. The time of the study was the treated areas were asse ssed 3 months after the last treatments. In short, the research has asked a clearly focused question- Use of onion extract, heparin, allantoin gel in prevention of scarring in Chinese patients having laser removal of tattoos: a prospective randomized controlled trial. So the answer is Yes. 2. Was this a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and was it appropriately so? A type of scientific experiment most commonly used in validating the effectiveness of health issue, say, pharmaceuticals (e.g. gel), can be regarded as RCT (Gallin Ognibene, 2007). It involves the random allocation of different interventions to the subjects. Furthermore, as long as the numbers of subjects are adequate, randomization is an effective method to produce a random and unpredictable sequence of allocations. Regarding to the Ho et al (2006) research, they must adopt RCT. Two evidences can be shown to support my stance. First, it was testing the efficacy of Contractubex gel intervention (health issue) provided by doctors to subjects with tattoo. Second, the 120 subjects were randomly assigned to either Contractubex or Control group at equal probabilities. In suitability, it was the right research approach for the researched question because it was going to compare result after receiving Contractubex gel with a control group. In short, RCT is the appropriate method and correc t approach to conduct this research, as there were two groups that were allocated randomly, the study group received intervention and the control group did not receive intervention and the answer is Yes. 3. Were participants appropriately allocated to intervention and control groups? The answer is Yes. Answer of question 2 has mentioned that the 120 subjects were allocated into the two groups randomly. In research term, complete randomization has been adopted. Complete randomization means each tattooed subject was randomly assigned to either of the groups. It is simple and optimal in the sense of validity to prevent accidental bias (Gallin Ognibene, 2007). In randomization procedure, the researchers adopted fifty-fifty basis allocation (60 subjects in Contractubex group and 60 subjects in Control group). In this research stratification can be observed. Stratification means developing strata for sampling (Gallin Ognibene, 2007). 60 subjects in control group and 60 subjects in study group is a typical example of stratification. The purpose to do so is that since most statistical tests, say, the paired students t test are most reliable when the groups being compared have equal subjects (Gallin Ognibene, 2007), it is desirable for the randomization procedure to ge nerate similarly-sized groups. In short, as all participants were assigned to Contractubex and Control groups appropriately. 4. Were participants, staff and study personnel blind to participants study group? The above parties understood the details of the research. Ho et al (2006) paper mentioned that informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Informed consent is a process of communication between a subject and doctor that results in the subjects authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention (Berg et al, 2001). On the one hand, blinded research can avoid bias. However, it is impossible for some treatments. For example, treatments where active participation of the subjects are necessary (e.g. regularly receiving laser therapy with the application of the gel). In research personnel, certainly they understood the details of the research, for instance, employing Q-switched laser systems as well as its spot size and repeat rate and pulse duration. They were unable to perform the research successfully otherwise. Nonetheless, whether the control group received placebo gel and the assessor of the scars knew the research details or not did not mention. In brief, open trial (the above parties understood the details of the treatment) instead of blind trial was employed and the answer seems No. 5. Were all of the participants who entered the trial accounted for at its conclusion? Originally, there were 60 subjects in the control group and 60 subjects in the study group. However, there were 8 out of 60 subjects in the study group quitted the research. 5 out of 8 simply defaulted follow-up and 3 out of 8 stopped using the gel due to adverse effect. In the control group, there were 5 out of 60 subjects quitted the research. 4 out of 8 simply did not follow-up and 1 out of 8 stopped using the gel due to have a baby. Although, there were a few subjects quitting from the research due to personal affairs, the groups size still remained similar (52 in Contractubex and 55 in Control groups) and the researchers have already reported such discrepancy. In other words, intention to treat was used as it is a strategy for the analysis of RCT that compares subjects in the groups to which they were originally randomly assigned (Gallin Ognibene, 2007) and the answer is Yes. 6. Were the participants in all groups followed up and data collected in the same way? In the former, the subjects were followed up from 13 to 20 months with a mean of 15.5 + 2.6 months. The importance of the follow up was to review the probability of scar formation after applying the gel. Likely, the research personnel followed up the subjects after the last laser treatment. However, the same amount of attention to the subjects from the research personnel becomes questionable because the researchers did not describe how to review the subjects. More elaborately, how much time the researchers spend on each subject for review? In addition, performance bias may occur. For instance, if research personnel know which group subjects are in, they may treat subjects differently (Gallin Ognibene, 2007). In this aspect, cant tell seems appropriate. In the latter, Yes in terms of data collection in the same way, the researchers should collect the data during clinical observation. Clinical observation is the research personnel directly observe any changes during the study period a nd then record the changes. Data analysis can be done by using statistical software (e.g. SAS). In short, the answers were Yes in the way of data collection only. The amount of attention to the subjects needs the research personnel further clarification otherwise performance bias may be suspected. 7. Did the study have enough participants to minimize the play of chance? The meaning of the play of chance can be explained by the following example, taking a comparison of the Contractubex group with the control group in which 4 subjects scar formation with the Contractubex group and 6 subjects scar formation with the control group. It would be incorrect to conclude that the Contractubex group was better than the Control group. It is because if the comparison was repeated, the numbers of subjects who formed scar might be same (5 against 5). However, 7 subjects scar formation with the gel and 16 subjects without the gel, chance becomes a less likely explanation for the difference. In Ho et al (2006) study, numbers of subjects were enough to lessen the play of chance. Sample size can be determined by a formula by inputting population size and confidence level as well as margin of error and response distribution. On the one hand, significant difference between the two groups was observed. Power calculation can facilitate the research personnel determines ho w large of a sample the research personnel needs to make precise statistical conclusions (Gallin Ognibene, 2007). Therefore, statistical significance was the robust evidence to prove the play of chance impossible. 8. How are the results presented and what is the main result and 9. How precise are these results? Comparison of the intervention and control groups using the p-value has been presented. The main finding was that the application of the gel was useful to prevent scar formation after laser removal of tattoos. In accuracy of the results, p-value 10. Were all important outcomes considered so the results can be applied? The research proved that the gel was effective, safe, and easy to apply in the prevention of scarring in Chinese subjects having laser removal of tattoos. Nonetheless, 100% scar removal is not guaranteed after using the gel. The results revealed that there were a few subjects who still have scarring. In addition, permanent hypopigmentation and transient hyperpigmentation can be noted. On the other hand, you may argue that the results may be affected by a political factor, that is a pressure from the pharmaceutical company, Ho et al (2006) have indicated that no significant interest with commercial supporters at the beginning of the research. In short, the research provides a reliable reference to healthcare professionals that the gel is recommended to be used in dark skin patients receiving laser treatments of tattoos. Ten questions have been answered to help me make sense of quantitative research. Also, ten questions are used to help me make sense of qualitative research. Qualitative research is a generic term for investigative methodologies described as ethnographic, naturalistic, field, or participant observer research. It underscores the importance of looking at variables in the natural setting in which they are found (Sliverman, 2004). 1. Was there a clear statement of the aims of the research? Qualitative PICOT is a framework that healthcare professionals can use to formulate effective clinical questions in a step-by-step manner (Melnyk Fineout-Overholt, 2010).The population of the study was the six nurses who had experiences in taking care of SARS patients. The issue of the study was identifying instructive messages to guide nursing practice in future epidemics by in-depth interview of the six Chinese nurses who cared for SARS patients. The context of the study was where the study takes place. The research mainly takes place in Beijing. The outcome of the study was the research gave specific direction to enhance potential for a well-prepared nursing workforce in future epidemics. The time of the study was the SARS outbreaks between 11/2002-5/2004 and data were collected in 2003 within the three months following the nurses quarantine necessitated by caring for SARS patients.. In brief, the answer is Yes. 2. Is a qualitative methodology appropriate? Qualitative research is to study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. It is intended to penetrate to the deeper significance that the subject of the research ascribes to the topic being researched (Denzin, 2005). Interviews, observations and case studies are commonly used for data collection and then analyse the data. Samples are usually small and are often selected purposively. Qualitative research uses detailed descriptions from the participants as ways of examining specific issues under study. The research method employed by the researchers was appropriate because the following criteria were matched- detailed description instead of statistical software were used and number of participants was quite small- only six. In addition, the researchers adopted phenomenology. The phenomenological approach is to describe accurately a persons lived experience in relation to what is being studie d (i.e. the six Chinese nurses caring for SARS patients) (Denzin Lincoln, 2005). In short, the answer is Yes. 3. Was the research design appropriate to address the aims of the research? Appropriate method (i.e. in-depth interview) for conducting the research was used. In-depth interview is a kind of qualitative research technique that involves conducting intensive individual interviews (i.e. the six nurses) with a small number of respondents to explore their views on a particular idea (i.e. sharing in caring SARS patients). In the study, the researchers asked participants about their experiences and insights regarding to the caring for SARS patients, the thoughts they have concerning nursing care, challenge, and outcomes as well as about any changes the participants perceive in themselves as a result of their involvement in the study (Denzin Lincoln, 2005). In addition, rich contextual information can be obtained and the research personnel can ask the six nurses to elaborate their sharing in details through the in-depth interview. So the answer is Yes 4. Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research? Six nurses were invited to share their experiences in caring for SARS patients. The six nurses were no objections and voluntary to share their encounter after enquired by research personnel. In other words, a reader should not suspect their willingness of participation. The recruitment strategy was appropriate, because if reward-based (e.g. bonus to interviewees) and compulsory-based recruitment were offered to potential interviewees, the accuracy and reliability of data should be suspected. To achieve the aims of the research, nurses were voluntary to share their stories and they provided detailed descriptions with little prompting were important to the aims of the research. In other words, it starts with a purpose in mind and the sample is selected to include interested party (i.e. nurses with experience in caring of SARS patients) and exclude those who do not suit the purpose and purposive sampling was used (Denzin Lincoln, 2005). So the answer is Yes. 5. Were the data collected in a way that addressed the research issue? To collect data, a storypath approach was used. Research personnel recorded what the six nurses presented by a tape recorder. Seven inquiry phases were associated with storypath approach, including gathering the story, reconstructing the story, connecting it to the literature, naming the complicating challenge, describing the story plot, identifying movement toward resolving, and gathering additional stories (Denzin Lincoln, 2005). In application, specific questions were asked by the research personnel, for instance, challenge the nurses were facing during caring for SARS victims, how the experience influence your hopes and dreams in the coming future. The data collection methods must observe the ethical principles of research. In short, the answer is Yes. 6. Has the relationship between researcher and participants been adequately considered? This research paper mentioned that the stories of the six nurses were collected by two Chinese investigators, It was hard to say that any potential bias and influence occurred because the research personnel simply mentioned that they were responsible for gathering the stories from the participants and supporting activities, say, properly use of tape recording. Apparently, the relationship between the research personnel and participants were nothing, but participants may be influenced by the research team or in professional term- reflexivity. Reflexivity requires an awareness of the researchers contribution to the construction of meanings throughout the research process, and an acknowledgment of the impossibility of remaining outside of the six nurses while conducting research. In short, the answer of this question is Yes. 7. Have ethical issues been taken into consideration? Oral consent is a kind of ethical issue. Kozier et al, 2004 define the consent is an essential part of the research process, and as such entails more than obtaining a signature on a form (Kozier et al, 2004). Research personnel must educate potential subjects to ensure that they can reach a real informed choice about whether or not to participate in the research. Consent must be given freely and with no coercion as well as based on a clear understanding of what participation involves. On the one hand, the above study has been approved by the Universitys ethics committee. The committee is responsible for reviewing, on request, ethical or moral questions that may come up during the study. In brief, the answer is Yes. 8. Was the data analysis sufficiently rigorous? In-depth description of the analysis process was shown in Liu Liehr (2009) paper. The authors described every phase elaborately and in step-by-step pattern. There were total 5 phases of the content analysis for the nurses caring for SARS patients. The content shared by the six nurses was similar because of geographical reason and the consistent format of the interview. Such arrangement provided convincing analysis to a reader. In fact, thematic analysis was employed by the researchers. It means focuses on identifiable themes (i.e. sharing of nursing care of SARS patients) and data is analysed by theme. This type of analysis is highly inductive, that is, the themes emerge from the data and are not imposed upon it by the research personnel (Denzin Lincoln, 2005). In short, the answer is Yes. 9. Is there a clear statement of findings? It is crystal clear that there were three core qualities (personal challenge, essence of care and self-growth) the researchers found. Each quality was described in-details with concrete example of the original words from the six nurses. In addition, instructive messages for guidance during future epidemics were also provided. The findings were highly related to the research question. In brief, a clear statement of the findings was clear and evidences were provided to support each quality the answer is Yes. 10. How valuable is the research? The researchers discovered three core qualities and instructive messages regarding to SARS patients caring. Such discovery greatly increases preparedness by attending the messages including structured support, disease/protection-related information systems and the power of military spirit. Maybe the above components can be further researched so as to obtain greater improvements. In addition to enhance preparedness and identify new areas where researches are necessary, the findings are universal applicable. Healthcare frontline staff may face the problems when caring for SARS patients, say, lack of resources. Clinical leader may find the importance of structured support and collaborative spirit to relieve the staff pressure. In short, the value of this research is valuable. Conclusion To sum up, the CASP guidelines can appraise both quantitative and qualitative researches. The guidelines include ten questions in which provide comprehensive evaluation of the above studies. The guidelines are particular useful in appraising health and social researches. Furthermore, the CASP guidelines aim to enable readers to develop the skills to find out and make sense of research evidence, helping them to put knowledge into practice. (Word count: 3212)

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Cola Wars Bottling vs Concentrate Essay

Compare the economics of the concentrate business to that of the bottling business: Why is the profitability so different? The returns received by concentrate producers differ from those received by bottlers for several reasons †¦ Concentrate producers: Capital investment. Concentrate production business is less capital intensive than bottling. It requires less funds to be invested in machinery, labor and modernization. â€Å"A typical concentrate manufacturing plant cost about $25 million to $50 million to build, and one plant could serve the entire United States† (Yoffie, 2007). The number of significant costs is small. The major ones are: advertising, Market Research and product development. However, concentrate producers tended to employ large number of people to work with bottlers and their suppliers to ensure quality control and efficiency of production as well as reliable supply of raw materials (e.g. cans) and low prices (Yoffie, 2007). Franchising. The concentrate producers work using the principle of franchising. It means that bottlers pay them in order to become part of the bottling network and are granted â€Å"the sales operation in an exclusive geographic territory†¦(Yoffie, 2007)† Concentrate price. Coca-Cola was able to determine its concentrate prices since 1987 when the Master Bottling Contract was established. Pepsi’s Master Bottling contract was a bit different to Coke’s as it obliged bottlers â€Å"to purchase raw materials from Pepsi at prices, and on terms and conditions, determined by Pepsi†. They based the price of the concentrate on CPI and negotiated it with bottlers. â€Å"From the 1980s to the early 2000s, concentrate makers regularly raised concentrate prices, even as inflation-adjusted retail prices for CSD products trended downward†, – another reason for greater returns in concentrate production business. As brand promotion was very strong and formula was always kept a secret the whole thing with concentrate was kind of exclusive, so it greatly added towards the price of the concentrate itself and, as the result, towards the returns of concentrate producers (Yoffie, 2007). Raw materials. Concentrate producers required fewer r aw materials and their major spending were on caramel coloring, citric acid, caffeine and natural flavorings. Bottlers, on the other hand, required large number of production materials. Their major inputs were: packaging (e.g. cans, glass bottles etc.), as well as sweeteners (e.g. aspartame). This process helped concentrate makers reduce the outflow of money which increased their profitability (Yoffie, 2007). Bottlers: Dependency. Bottlers were always very dependent on concentrate producers as they were obliged to buy raw materials from them (Pepsi Master Bottling Agreement). They were also very dependent on suppliers of packaging, flavours and sweeteners. As the price of the concentrate rose, bottlers could not react in the same way and increased the price of the final product as they were being squeezed by other suppliers of different beverages. These factors contributed to lower returns in bottling business. Bottling is a much more capital intensive industry than concentrate production. It requires huge investment and on-going improvement and modernization of bottling lines. Large bottling plant with â€Å"a capacity of 40 million cases, could range as high as $75 million† (Yoffie, 2007). High competition. The number of bottlers is much greater than the number of concentrate producers, so the competition took place between them was fierce. There were approximately 2000 bottlers in 1970s a nd the figure dropped to less than 300 by 2004. Ongoing modernization and increasing capacity was required from bottlers (which were often small and family-owned) and not all of them could meet those requirements, so their number dropped. High competition ensures that returns are really low, only enough to survive Investments. Besides investments in modernization, bottlers bought trucks for transporting and established the distribution channels. It all required some investments as well. â€Å"Bottlers’ gross profits routinely exceeded 40%, but operating margins were usually in the 7% to 9% range (Comparative Costs of a Typical U.S. Concentrate Bottler and Producer). Stability. The returns received by bottlers are less than returns received by concentrate producers due to the risk levels as well. The concentrate producers are responsible for brand promotion and invest heavily in trademark to stimulate sales. High returns are what they get as the result. However, bottlers have little risk in their operations as they are given the famous name well-known all over the world. This development provides them with stable returns, and low risk. How has the competition between Coke and Pepsi affected the industry’s profit? The competition between Coke and Pepsi reached its peak to become a real war battle by the year 1980. This war had affected the industry profit for both concentrate producers and bottlers, while the effect of bottlers was much higher. After the successful â€Å"Pepsi Challenge† (blind taste tests: sales shot up) in 1974, Coke countered with rebates, retail price cuts and significant concentrate price increases. Pepsi followed of a 15% price increase of its own. During the early 1990’s bottlers of Coke and Pepsi employed low price strategies in the supermarket channel in order to compete with store brands. The concentrate producers were always able to increase their profits by increasing the concentrate price, while the bottlers, especially the small-sized, had to suffer from the war dramatically by decreasing their profits. This had a negative effect on the profitability of the bottlers (Operating income in 2009: concentrate producers 32%, bottlers 8%). During t his period net profit for bottlers was in the low single digits. The war forced bottlers to increase their advertising and packaging proliferation, giving discounts for shelf space and spending high capital on new products. Pepsi and Coke were however able to maintain the profitability through sustained growth, for example the successful launch of Diet Coke by Coca Cola or the entry of Pepsi into the food business, which both contributed powerful to the companies and as a result to the industry’s profit.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Creation of Writing

Mr.. Orwell uses symbolism in his book as a place holder for tying In other thing In the book, which would be irony and relevancy. Mr.. Orwell deals with the Idea of truth. On page 81 of 1984, it states, â€Å"Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall toward the earth's center†¦.. Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. † Orwell explains that truth exists especially when it Is right in front of you. In the article, Truth and freedom In Rowel's 1984, David Dawn, the author, says â€Å"..Truth is the way our statements correspond with the world. This really Justifies why truth in Rowel's book is so important. Truth is one of the reasons why Winston tries to stay sane throughout the book. Orwell also symbolizes objects In the way they are portrayed. One of the other characters, Julia, was a symbol of being a rebel with a cause, and gluing you more than what meets the eye. On page 31 of 1984, it says â€Å"†¦ Thought Police could all be swept into nothingness by a single splendid movement of the arm. That too was a gesture belonging to the ancient time.This really gives you the proof that Cilia's odd Is precious and meaner something to Winston In the article, Dissent, Assent, and the body of Nineteen-eighty four, Naomi Jacobs writes the importance of Cilia's body.. It states, â€Å"To imagine the removal of clothing, and the revelation of the hidden body as having such political power†¦ † This tells you that Orwell does a tremendous Job with focusing on one object and having It mean multiple things. Orwell Is an excellent writer because he uses symbolism as a focus point for his book in telling this story. Orwell also stresses the importance of relevancy our modern world.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Internet Voting

It is no secret that our country’s democratic elections are plagued by various ills. Between low voter turnout, a lack of worthy candidates, and debacles like the one witnessed in the presidential election of 2000, people are searching for a cure. Online voting is definitely not the answer. The ability to vote online will only create more problems for an already faulted process. A switch to internet voting would result in a lack of security in elections, a lack of privacy and honest voting, and most importantly a lack of access to voting. Proponents argue that e-voting is a revolution that might kindle renewed interest in voting, especially among the young, and help raise the shamefully low voter turnout that plagues American elections. I, too, was initially enthusiastic about the prospects for Internet voting. But after researching the issue I have come to think that internet voting should probably be avoided at least for the near future. There are three broad categories that have to be clearly distinguished. Type I systems are county-controlled, with the computers and software used for voting under the full control of election officials. In this category would be Internet voting machines at traditional poll sites on Election Day. The Type II system is one involving computer voting kiosks, similar to ATM machines. The kiosks would be located at convenient places around the county and open to voters for days or weeks prior to election day, allowing many more locations and much more time for voting than we now have. These systems would also be monitored by election officials, but would be located in less traditional places, such as malls and airports or train stations. Type III systems are those where election officials do not control the machine used for voting. Systems that permit voting from home, school or office computers, or ... Free Essays on Internet Voting Free Essays on Internet Voting It is no secret that our country’s democratic elections are plagued by various ills. Between low voter turnout, a lack of worthy candidates, and debacles like the one witnessed in the presidential election of 2000, people are searching for a cure. Online voting is definitely not the answer. The ability to vote online will only create more problems for an already faulted process. A switch to internet voting would result in a lack of security in elections, a lack of privacy and honest voting, and most importantly a lack of access to voting. Proponents argue that e-voting is a revolution that might kindle renewed interest in voting, especially among the young, and help raise the shamefully low voter turnout that plagues American elections. I, too, was initially enthusiastic about the prospects for Internet voting. But after researching the issue I have come to think that internet voting should probably be avoided at least for the near future. There are three broad categories that have to be clearly distinguished. Type I systems are county-controlled, with the computers and software used for voting under the full control of election officials. In this category would be Internet voting machines at traditional poll sites on Election Day. The Type II system is one involving computer voting kiosks, similar to ATM machines. The kiosks would be located at convenient places around the county and open to voters for days or weeks prior to election day, allowing many more locations and much more time for voting than we now have. These systems would also be monitored by election officials, but would be located in less traditional places, such as malls and airports or train stations. Type III systems are those where election officials do not control the machine used for voting. Systems that permit voting from home, school or office computers, or ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Disability Attorneys of Michigan Charitable Contributions 2012 2013

Disability Attorneys of Michigan Charitable Contributions 2012 2013 Charitable Contributions in 2012 and 2013 Disability Attorneys of Michigan  is proud to announce that 2012 marked over $100,000 in charitable contributions made by our firm.We pride ourselves on giving back to the community – whether through monetary donations to local non-profits invested in our community or volunteering our time to help people and families in need. In 2012, our firm helped to provide a Christmas to more than 50 indigent children by supplying them with winter coats, clothing, and toys, in addition to donating almost 10,000 winter clothing items. Further, our employees participated in multiple free legal clinics throughout the year, assisting the community by providing pro bono legal advice, free food, and camaraderie.2013 was another eventful and successful year of community involvement and pro bono legal service!   On March 8, 2013, our firm provided a warm, nutritious meal for the members and patients at Detroit Central City (DCC).  DCC meets the needs of over 4,000 persons annually, providin g shelter, food, clothing, employment and treatment services.  In fact, DCC provides affordable services to many of our indigent clients who have been diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness.  We are thrilled to be able to support such a wonderful non-profit organization and help provide a healthy meal to individuals who sometimes go without such basic needs.On April 6, 2013, our attorneys and staff, along with our community partners, volunteered our time at a free legal clinic benefitting underserved populations in Detroit.  We helped make free pancake breakfasts and our attorneys gave free legal consultations to residents at Cass Community Social Services (CCSS).  CCSS is dedicated to making a profound difference in the diverse populations it serves by providing for basic needs to those who need it most, including affordable housing, promoting self-reliance and encouraging community inclusion and improvement.  On June 29, 2013, we hosted a Social Security,à ‚  Veterans Disability, and Wellness Clinic which offered the community pro bono legal advice in many different areas, community resources, hygiene products, activities for children, massages, yoga and self-defense classes, food, and more.During Christmas 2013, our firm helped to provide a Christmas to more than 50 indigent children by supplying them with winter coats, clothing, shoes, toys, and food. We also recognize organizations that assist homeless and indigent individuals in our community, especially those impacted by disabilities – through monetary donations to help develop their programs and sustain their mission. Check back at our website to find out new ways that you can get involved and help us make a difference in our community.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Drug testing on welfare II Speech or Presentation

Drug testing on welfare II - Speech or Presentation Example The article therefore shows Davidson’s stance that he is indeed a supporter of drug testing for welfare. Despite this show of support, this legislation is still very controversial in the United States, and there is a lot of debate surrounding it. It can be said that while the intentions for the passing of this legislation in various states has been well meaning, its positive effects have yet to be seen. According to Ben Neary and Ivan Moreno, drug testing has come  to be highly ineffective and unreliable when it comes to welfare. They state that this legislation has come to be seen as a waste of time and money for various reasons. Drug testing for welfare has come to be seen as unreliable because it has been found that  people,  who receive welfare, are not the biggest drug users in the United States. Most of the states that passed this legislation did so because of the belief that those who received welfare used the money they received to obtain drugs. The legislation w as therefore, introduced to deny them the means of getting drugs, something that was thought to be commendable at the time. However, this assumption was found to be untrue, because of all the welfare applicants tested for drugs, only two percent of them tested positive. Incidents such as these have confirmed that this law is ineffective, due to the fact that its intended targets have been found to be innocent of what they have been accused. It has now been confirmed that welfare recipients are not the majority drug users in the United States. In addition, many of those legislatures, which have already passed the law, have been found to be in the wrong by various federal courts. ... In addition, many of those legislatures, which have already passed the law, have been found to be in the wrong by various federal courts. These courts have blocked this law from being implemented in some states because of the ruling that the drug testing for welfare policy is unconstitutional. Despite this fact, many of the state legislatures, according to Neary and Moreno, are attempting to come up with ways that will make this law survive any court action that is brought against it. The drug-testing program is an extremely expensive process for those states that have instituted it into their welfare system. The welfare applicants are required to pay for their own tests, and if they are found to be negative, then the state has the obligation to refund them. This procedure has turned out to be extremely expensive because the majority of applicants have tested negative. The states, therefore, end up spending more than they normally would have if the program had not been put in place. Moreover, this program also has administrative costs, such as paying the staff that run it as well as for the facilities. All these costs are footed by the states, an unnecessary expense; the money would have been put in better use expanding the welfare program to cater for people who need it. These added costs to the state governments with little result have ensured ineffectiveness of this program. The  drug  testing  for  welfare  program  was  created for the purpose of reducing the number of people who applied for welfare. It was estimated that a large number of people who applied for welfare did not totally need it and that they only applied for it to get money to fund their drug abuse among other vices (Hoover). The intended purpose of this law was not met;

Friday, November 1, 2019

Eliade Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Eliade - Assignment Example This hierophany can be witnessed in the Jesus Christ himself who is a personification of God himself. According to him the sacred only reveals himself to the reality of holy and not that of natural reality. Eliade clearly distinguishes between an objects physical attributes and sacred attributes. He states that the sacred nature of objects is not to be counted as a physical attribute but rather a sacred attribute which he pronounces to be ganz andere. He tells about the sacred as something which is developing world order and is religious. He tells about nature as something which is conforming to the modes of sacredness. He differentiates between sacred and profane on the basis of the followers of both the existence. Individuals who believe in profane rely on natural realities rather than on sacredness and power is perceived by them as something which is eternal. In other words these followers are deviating from the role of existence in this world. Eliade describes the primitive race to be belonging to this world with natural realities and who deny their moral rights. These followers do not have a moral right to existence in this world as put by Eliade. He further concludes that profane and sacred are two different modes of existence in this world. 3. Mircea Eliade calls humankind â€Å"homo religious.† By homo religious Eliade is trying to tell that people in this world who follow this form believe in one religion and one god irrespective of their beliefs in profane or sacred. This is the very reason that Eliade distinguishes between the two forms of existence i.e. profane and sacred. 4. (a.) Desacralized cosmos† is used by the author to tell about the myth of the end of this world and existence. It is believed by him that this end would be marked by the hatred for profane and the eternal return of sacred to this world. (b.) â€Å"homogeneity of space† the author uses this term to signify