Revlon Strategic Plan Essay Sample free essay sample

I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Revlon Inc. is a universe leader in cosmetics. It was formed in 1932 by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson and Charles Lachmann with a $ 300 investing. During Revson’s clip. a close monopoly on beauty parlour gross revenues was developed brought about by door-to-door gross revenues of nail gloss. He expanded into the lipstick market with the slogan â€Å"Matching Lips and Fingertips† . Thus. after six old ages the little nail Enamel Company transformed into one of the most recognizable trade names and companies in the universe. After the decease of Charles Revson. Michel Bergerac took over and built up the pharmaceutical side of the concern. As a consequence of this. Revlon lose its land in cosmetics. Thereafter. Ronald Perelman. president and CEO of MacAndrews and Forbes. made five offers to buy Revlon. took over the company for $ 1. 8 Billion and placed it back to its roots as a maker and marketer of cosmetics and aromas. We will write a custom essay sample on Revlon Strategic Plan Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As of now. Revlon is in hazard and is trying to cut down disbursals but continued to fight with their debt making about $ 2. 3 Billion. II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMThe research workers aim to find the undermentioned jobs faced by Revlon: 1. What industry does Revlon belong to?2. What must be done to better the Research and Development Division of Revlon? 3. How to better the fiscal status. specifically the debts. of the company? 4. Which market section must Revlon mark in the Philippines? 5. What are the applicable and effectual selling schemes for the Filipino market? III. OBJECTIVE ( S ) This survey aims to turn to the aforesaid jobs by supplying information about menaces. chances. failings and strengths of Revlon and doing usage of this information to accomplish the followers: 1. Identify the industry where Revlon belongs to establish on the demands of the consumers. 2. Better the Research and Development of the Company within the following two ( 2 ) old ages. 3. Better the Debts of the Company within the following five ( 5 ) old ages. 4. Strengthen Revlon’s Brand Recognition in the Philippines within the following five ( 5 ) old ages. IV. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS A. Analysis OF THE MACRO-ENVIRONMENT1. Demographic/Social/Cultural EnvironmentThe beauty and personal attention industry is impacted by major alterations in the demographic composing of the Philippines every bit good as the societal consciousness of most of its people. Women. more than of all time. experience the demand to be camera-ready at all times. thanks chiefly to cellphone cameras. Social media like Facebook. Twitter. Multiply. among eternal list of others. besides is feeding a subculture of â€Å"getting ready. † where dressing and training before a large event can sometimes dominate the event itself. â€Å"You have to be in a demographic where adult females care about make-up and attention about their expressions and attention about the whole bundle. † says Allison Conrad. president of Blushington. In the oncoming of the new millenary where adult females outnumbered work forces in footings of population and adult females started to take their topographic points in the concern universe. cosmetics and personal attention merchandises became more of a necessity. In the 2012 Philippine Demographic Profile conducted in the Philippines. ages 15-64 comprise the 61. 1 % of the entire population of the Philippines ( male 31. 103. 967/female 31. 097. 203 ) . There is a possible big market for beauty and personal attention merchandises in the Philippines as more and more adult females on this age scope are considered career adult females in which cosmetics is a necessity. 2. Political/Legal/Governmental Environment Filipino Government regulates operations of any concern entity in the state. It is besides one of the states around the Earth to enforce high revenue enhancement rates. Therefore. any entity wishing to import or export any goods must acquire clearance from Bureau of Customs ( BOC ) . Revlon. being an American establishment is capable to the regulations and ordinances of the BOC and besides to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for income that could be derived by the house in the state. Before Revlon merchandises could be imported to the Filipino industry. 7 % import responsibilities must be paid so that Revlon could get down operations and a farther 12 % gross revenues revenue enhancement rate shall be imposed to their gross revenues. 3. Economic Environment The handiness of economic system trade names in the market significantly strengthened the strong growing in colour cosmetics amid the tighter economic conditions in the Philippines. In 2009. an increasing figure of middle-income consumers shifted to more low-cost trade names in order to get by with the economic lag in the state. However. the increased prominence of lower-priced merchandises may take to a not-so favourable market for high priced beauty merchandises as Revlon. B. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS INTENSITY OF COMPETITIVE RIVALRY| High | Low| Intensity of Competitive Rivalry|No. of competitors| | | High|Industry Growth rate| | | Low|Product Differentiation| | | High|Switch overing Cost| | | High|Exit Barrier| | | High|Strategic Stakes| | | Low| Using the above tabular array as a usher. the research workers found out that the strength of competition among bing rivals of Revlon in the Philippines is high sing both international and local companies offering beauty and personal attention merchandises. The presence of strong international and local beauty companies in the Filipino market led to a high strength of competition. International rivals like Avon and Estee Lauder are major participants in the Filipino market ; local companies such as Belo. Ever Bilena and Careline are besides deriving a just portion of the market. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS | High | Low| Threat of New Entrants|Product Differentiation | | | Low|Capital Requirements| | | Low|Switch overing Costs| | | High|Incumbent controls of distribution channels| | | High|Incumbents proprietary knowledge| | | Low|Incumbent entree to raw materials| | | Low|Incumbent entree to authorities subsidies | | | High| There is a low menace of new entrants for the beauty and personal attention industry because of the high barrier of entry such as the capital demand in this industry. Furthermore. people now are more wellness witting as of all time. they are sceptics on the rise of new decorative merchandises. As such. new participants seeking to perforate the market are holding a difficult clip lasting in the market unless the consumers perceived the value and safeties of the merchandises as attested by experts. Menace OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS| High| Low| Threat of replacement products|The distinction of replacement products| | | High|Rate of betterment in price-performances Relationship of replacement product| | | High | There is a high menace of merchandise replacement in the beauty and personal attention industry as grounds by the great figure of major participants in the market. These participants offer comparatively the same merchandises that it is really easy for the consumers to exchange from one merchandise to another. Bargaining Power OF Buyers | High| Low| Bargaining power of buyers|Concentration of purchasers relative to suppliers| | | Low| Switching costs| | | High|Product distinction of suppliers| | | High|Menace of backward integrating by buyers| | | Low|Extent of buyers’ profits| | | High|Importance of the supplier’s input to quality of buyers’ concluding product| | | High| The bargaining power of purchasers is high due to the presence of a batch of viing participants in the market. Competing beauty companies runing in the Philippines has a low differentiated merchandises therefore exchanging costs are reallylow. With this state of affairs. purchasers have a high bargaining power as viing companies seek ways to entice consumers to sponsor their merchandises. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS| High| Low| Bargaining power of suppliers|Concentration relation to purchaser industry| | | Low|Handiness of replacement products| | | Low|Importance of client to the supplier| | | Low|Differentiation of the providers merchandises and services| | | High| Threat of forward integrating by supplier| | | Low|Switch overing cost of the buyer| | | High| The bargaining power of providers in the market is low due to the presence of the viing participants in the market. Suppliers could non afford to increase monetary values as they please because they have to take into consideration the monetary value competence of their merchandises. or the handiness of merchandise replacements in the market as compared to other merchandises of rivals. V. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSISTOWS ANALYSIS* Menaces* Tighter economic system in the Philippines* Local beauty and personal attention merchandises with much lower monetary values * Consumer concern about merchandise safety* Strong competition in the industry* Opportunities* Large figure of adult females population in the Philippines as possible clients * Human perceptual experience of the necessity of being presentable and made up. therefore doing beauty and wellness attention merchandises a demand * People’s blare for quality merchandise * Failings* Inadequate and non-aggressive selling scheme of Revlon that made it less popular among in-between category and lower category section of the society * Huge sum of long term debts* Lack of fiscal resources* Not-so effectual Research and Development division* Higher monetary values of merchandises as compared to rivals* Minimum diversified merchandises as compared to rivals* Slow merchandise invention* Strength* Strong trade name acknowledgment* Quality of merchandises* Human perceptual experience of comparing quality with high monetary values VI. GENERIC STRATEGIESFocusMore than 13 million or about 30 % of the entire population of the Philippines belong to the adult females with the age scope of 15-64 old ages. These are the old ages where adult females take more witting attempt to heighten their beauty while still caring for their tegument. Among this possible market. it is still to be divided as harmonizing to their positions. Age Range| Status| 15-20| Teenagers|20-30| Young Professionals|30-60| Career Women ( married or non ) |60-64| Retiring age| While all of these adult females use beauty and personal attention merchandises. non all are willing and capable to buy beauty merchandises with higher monetary values if it can be bought in a much lower monetary value. Adolescents. for illustrations. don’t have yet the agencies to sponsor Revlon merchandises. Meanwhile. adult females from retiring age may non be as beauty witting as when they were younger. therefore. they lessen their purchase of beauty and personal attention merchandises. It is logical for Revlon to concentrate their market to the immature professionals and the calling adult females who are at the prime of their age and calling. These types of adult females are at the point of their lives where society dictates them to be presentable ; their turning consciousness of heightening their beauty without prejudicing the personal attention demands of their tegument ; and they have the agencies to buy. VII. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION Financial Ratio AnalysisLIQUIDITY RATIO| 2006| 2007| Analysis|Current Ratio| 1. 293743| 1. 36507| Current ratio indicates that for every $ 1 of current liabilities there is 1. 29 of current assets on 2006 and 1. 36 on 2007. This means that the company is pull offing its short term duties rather good. | Quick Ratio| 0. 799311| 0. 913453| This ratio indicates the extent to which it can run into its short term duties without trusting on the gross revenues of its stock list. This ratio is below 1 which refers to the fact that the company relies rather a batch on its stock list to run into its short term duty. | Working Capital ratio| 0. 118897| 0. 153267| | Entire Asset Turnover| 1. 31474| 1. 501318| This ratio measures the ability of a company to utilize its assets expeditiously generate gross revenues. This means that the company expeditiously using their assets. | Inventory Turnover| 6. 380251| 7. 763203| This ratio states the figure of times company’s stock list is sold and replaced over a period. The lower the ratio ( as compared to the industry norm which is 11. 54 ) the better it is for the company. | Ave. no. of yearss to sell| 57. 20778| 47. 01668| This means that the company is taking 58 yearss on 2006 and 47 yearss in 2007 to sell off its stock list. | AR Turnover| 5. 300816| 6. 767822| This indicates how many times the company collected its receivables. | Ave. Collection Period| 68. 85732| 53. 93168| This means that the company is taking 69 yearss on 2006 and 54 yearss in 2007 to roll up its histories receivable. | Current plus turnover| 2. 820741| 2. 85332| | PROFITABILITY RATIOS| | | |Gross net income Margin| 0. 593671| 0. 630093| There is a border of 63. 01 % for the company to cover its operating disbursals and still give a net income. | Operating Net income Margin| 1. 04004| 0. 913393| This means that the company is passing more than they sold. | Net Net income Margin| -0. 1935| -0. 01178| This value indicates a negative sum of net net income for every $ 1 of net gross revenues. This means that the company is incurring a net loss. | ROA| -0. 26966| -0. 0181| For every $ 1 of assets the company yields a net income of $ -0. 26966 on 2006 and $ -0. 0181 on 2007. | ROE| 0. 204342| 0. 023804| For every $ 1 of assets. $ . 2043 is contributed by the proprietors in 2006 and it decreases tp $ 0. 0238 in 2007. | LEVERAGE RATIOS| | | | Debt Ratio| 2. 319669| 2. 206567| This means that the company is really insolvent since they have a greater liability than plus. | Time involvement earned ratio| ( 0. 35 ) | 0. 87| A metric used to mensurate a company’s ability to run into its debt duties. This means that the company is holding a difficult clip in the payment of the involvement of the debt of the company. | times fixed charges earned| -0. 33419| 0. 860465| This step of a company’s ability to pay its fixed disbursals. This means that the company is non able to cover its fixed disbursals of the company. | With the predominating fiscal status of the company. the research workers would wish to suggest the undermentioned alternate classs of action: Selling1. Revlon should be more aggressive in publicizing their merchandises here in the Philippines thru commercials. hoardings. and on-line advertizements wherein named actors/actresses are to be used as theoretical accounts. 2. It should patronize events ( e. g. Fashion events ) . make-up workshops. 3. Revlon should besides increase its distribution channels in the Philippines to do the merchandises offered by the house known by the populace. 4. It should besides make its ain motto to do known to the populace the value it offers through a one-liner statement of who Revlon truly is. Research and Development 1. Revlon should increase its capital investings for Research and Development because this functional country plays a critical function in the success or failure of a merchandise invention that every house needs in order to cover with the stiff competition in the market. 2. It should besides engage immature research workers to instill fresh thoughts in the merchandise development. Finance1. To somehow better the fiscal status of the company. peculiarly the debts of the house. alternatively of widening or increasing the debt of the company by increasing loans. Revlon should choose to publish more stocks.VIII. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION DecisionThrough the instance analysis made by the research workers in consideration with the given information and some information taken independently. the research workers conclude that Revlon should belong to the beauty and personal attention industry instead than the cosmetics industry. The research workers believe that in taking a suited industry. the demand of the consumers must be taken into consideration. The consumers needed something beyond cosmetics ; they needed beauty and personal attention. Besides. the research workers conclude after the analysis that Revlon’s focused market section in the Filipino market must be the professionals. both the immature and in their ulterior old ages. This group of adult females has the demand of beauty and personal attention as they present themselves at work. You are what you wear as the expression goes. Womans who take attention of themselves have the added assurance to confront their occupation and their co-workers. Besides. they are the best market as they have the agencies to sponsor Revlon’s merchandise monetary values. Finally. the research workers conclude that. after thorough analysis. the Research and Development Division of Revlon is non so effectual. as evidenced by the floating-point operation of its merchandise line Vital Radiance. The research workers agreed that Revlon is passing lesser than necessary to its R A ; D Division with $ 24. 4 million in 2006 as compared to the $ 100+ million it spends on advertisement. It is true that advertisement is really of import but R A ; D to measure the market before launching is besides every bit of import. Revlon must non besides rest on its awards as one of the taking decorative trade names. It must ever be aggressive to rule the market. Therefore. necessary selling schemes must be implemented to win the larger portion of the Filipino market. RecommendationThe research workers recommend a Vertical Integration scheme specifically the Forward Integration. Revlon already has its name recognized internationally but is really uncommon to the major part of the Filipino market. This is because the monetary value of their merchandise limits their market to the upper category work forces of the Philippine society more than the in-between category or the lower category. Forward integrating or the acquisition of distributers can supply advantages for the operation of Revlon like leting Revlon to restrict its exposure to gross revenues and concentrate its resources on efficient fabricating techniques ; it besides becomes the duty of the distributers to happen retail mercantile establishments for merchandises. The maker can broaden its retail exposure through distribution without holding to pass more money or affect more company resources in gross revenues ; Revlon besides can turn the duty of covering with international trade Torahs. transporting through imposts and managing the Torahs and civilizations of foreign states over to the distributers ; and Revlon can turn over the duty of administrating client service responsibilities to its distributers and cut down the manufacturer’s demand to put in a client service section. therefore. reduces the administrative duties of the maker and lowers runing costs. Revlon is in a tight fiscal status. This is the best clip to do optimal usage of its available resources. Filipino market is a possible big market for beauty and personal attention merchandises as more and more adult females give better intervention to their egos. The mission of Charles Revson as he pioneered Revlon is a great cause. It is clip that this mission be more made known and be expanded to a bigger market doing more and more adult females be motivated. pushed and enticed to construct an thought of who they truly are and express their fabulous muliebrity.

Free Essays on Macbeths Analysis

. It takes one or two readings sometimes to figure out what the witches mean; it is not surprising, therefore, that these "imperfect speakers" can easily bedazzle and confuse Macbeth throughout the course of the... Free Essays on Macbeths Analysis Free Essays on Macbeths Analysis Act 1 Analysis In Act 2, the Porter extemporizes about the sin of equivocation, and in many ways, equivocation can be said to be the most important theme in this play. Starting from the Weird Sisters' first words at the beginning of the play, readers quickly ascertain that things are not what they seem. The word "equivocation" has two different meanings, both of which are applicable to this play. The first, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is: The using (a word) in more than one sense; ambiguity or uncertainty of meaning in words; also . . . misapprehension arising from the ambiguity of terms (vol.3, p. 266). This definition is the one that modern readers are most familiar with, and this kind of verbal ambiguity is a major theme in the play. However, this is not the definition of "equivocation" that the Porter intends. The second definition in the Oxford English Dictionary is: The use of words or expressions that are susceptible of a double signification, with a view to mislead; esp. the expression of a virtual falsehood in the form of a proposition which (in order to satisfy the speaker's conscience) is verbally true. This is the equivocation of which the Porter speaks. This kind of equivocation is similar to lying; it is intentionally designed to mislead people for one reason or another. This intentional ambiguity of terms is what we see in the prophesies of the Weird Sisters; their speech is full of paradox and confusion, starting with their first assertion that "fair is foul and foul is fair" (I.i 12). The witches' prophesies are intentionally ambiguous, and the alliteration and rhymed couplets with which they speak their omens contributes to the effect of instability and confusion in their words. It takes one or two readings sometimes to figure out what the witches mean; it is not surprising, therefore, that these "imperfect speakers" can easily bedazzle and confuse Macbeth throughout the course of the...

Amphoteric Oxide Definition in Chemistry

Amphoteric Oxide Definition in Chemistry An amphoteric oxide is an oxide that can act as either an acid or base in a reaction  to produce a salt and water. Amphoterism depends on the oxidation states available to a chemical species. Because metals have multiple oxidation states, they form amphoteric oxides and hydroxides. Amphoteric Oxide Examples Metals that display amphoterism include copper, zinc, lead, tin, beryllium, and aluminum. Al2O3 is an amphoteric oxide. When reacted with HCl, it acts as a base to form the salt AlCl3. When reacted with NaOH, it acts as an acid to form NaAlO2.Typically, oxides of medium electronegativity are amphoteric. Amphiprotic Molecules Amphiprotic molecules are a type of amphoteric species that donate or accept H or a proton. Examples of amphiprotic species include water (which is self-ionizable) as well as proteins and amino acids (which have carboxylic acid and amine groups). For example, the hydrogen carbonate ion can act as an acid: HCO3−   OH−  Ã¢â€ â€™ CO32−   H2O or as a base: HCO3−   H3O  Ã¢â€ â€™ H2CO3   H2O Keep in mind, while all amphiprotic species are amphoteric, not all amphoteric species are amphiprotic. An example is zinc oxide, ZnO, which does not contain a hydrogen atom and cannot donate a proton. The Zn atom can act as a Lewis acid to accept an electron pair from OH−. Related Terms The word amphoteric derives from the Greek word amphoteroi, which means both. The terms amphichromatic and amphichromic are related, which apply to an acid-base indicator that yields one color when reacted with an acid and a different color when reacted with a base. Uses of Amphoteric Species Amphoteric molecules that have both acidic and basic groups are called ampholytes. They are primarily found as zwitterions over a certain pH range. Ampholytes may be used in isoelectric focusing to maintain a stable pH gradient.

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Politics - Essay Example As a result, children acquire understanding for which they readily pay a universal submission. Men pay such ready universal submissions on either both well or ill informed ideas. Locke, therefore, suggests and emphasizes the importance of early childhood education towards greatly shaping up their progress and development. Locke is categorical that teaching is an initial responsibility of the child’s parents from cradle long before bookwork begins. The reason for this is because such little or seemingly insensible impressions have lots of significance and lasting consequences on child behavior (Locke 133). He adds that the tempers, particular defaults, and different inclinations found in children are so diverse that they may require various remedies and combined efforts of various people to provide a remedy. Locke does not stop at collective responsibility in educating and caring for children, he gives an encouragement to parents to ensure that they watch their children closely. Consequently, through observation, parents get an opportunity to understand their children in distinctive inclinations. In another instant, John Locke advices parents to device their education methods paying particular attention to their children during perfect freedom and master the manner in which children spend the time available to them. As a result, such information would enable a parent to understand the best ways of motivating their children to conduct themselves in the right manner. However, John Lock is keen to warn parents that due to varied tempers, some children are likely to fall off the right path of reason compared to other children. He, therefore, questions against failure to guide their children properly. Children not properly guided become cruel or irrational, a situation he compares to water turning this way and that way. He argues that the mind of a child is like water that can easily move from one directions to another and change from one shape to

Applying for SJD in Environmental Law Personal Statement

Applying for SJD in Environmental Law - Personal Statement Example Throughout my school life, I have always strived to maintain a distinguished and clean record in law so as to steer me well towards achieving my dream in law. I have also shown great promise and likeliness of a remarkably outstanding scholarship. Moreover, putting into consideration my past records and present ambition, I have managed to show an ideal high potential for successfully completing the scholarly dissertation of high required quality as expected of me in this field. These I have managed to secure as an illustration of my capability in successful studying of the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D). Doctor of Juridical Science is a career that I believe I have the relevant ability to pursue. This is a career that I want to sturdy for a number of reasons. First, I want to use my knowledge and expertise to join other scholars and teachers of law in helping my country. The career is one that requires diligence and readiness to perform to the greatest of one’s ability. Th is is the same extent of expertise that I want to employ and through it help my country. Saudi Arabia requires diligent people and great scholars who will help train the younger law students into becoming the people they want to be. Without good scholars and teachers of law, the present young students of this country who would like to pursue related law careers do not have hopes of achieving their dreams. I would like to be given a chance to help my country in training these young students. I would like to contribute towards the making of the next legislators, lawyers, judges and many other law practitioners. Saudi Arabia does not have enough professors who specialize in SJD in environmental law. This has always brought a lot of shortcomings when it comes to matters relating to environmental law. Moreover, if this trend continues this way, it is unfortunate but in the future; we will not be able to have enough law practitioners who specialize in environmental law. We, as a country, therefore need to have more professors who will apart from train students of law who specialize in environmental law, also help encourage other law students to join the specific field. I would like to have the opportunity to help in these. I would like to add to the number of professors who specialize in environmental law so that we can emphasize a lot of specialty in this field just like other fields. The well-being of our environment is crucial to the normality of our country. Our environment supports our life and balances the ecosystem. The presence of lecturers who specialize in environmental law will directly or indirectly help boost this sector and ensure its continuity. This is also why I want to specialize in environmental law. So that using my expertise, I can help train other students in ways of practicing effective environmental law. This country also has few female lecturers. To be more specific, there are also very few female lecturers who specialize in environmental la w. Women deserve a place in this profession. We deserve to have more women lecturers and also more of those needs to specialize in environmental law. For this reason, I would like to be given a chance to pursue the Doctor of Juridical Science and become a well-informed female professor who will serve her country will all her knowledge and expertise.

The American lack of success in the Vietnam War Essay Example for Free

The American lack of success in the Vietnam War Essay To what extent can it be argued that the use of guerilla warfare tactics by the Vietcong against the US military was the key factor in explaining the American lack of success in the Vietnam War? The Vietnam War has been regarded with much controversy both during the War, and after its conclusion in 1973. This was not only due to the humiliating defeat that America suffered but also because of the contentious hidden reasons for Americas presence there. America came under heavy criticism because it seemed to the world that their presence in Vietnam was purely strategic and economical rather than for the protection of Vietnams people as America had first claimed. From the wars outset there was worldwide outrage caused by this controversy, this outrage grew and grew as the war progressed leading to an absolute worldwide lack of support for Americas seemingly selfish war effort. This worldwide lack of support included many protestors at home in America. This was devastating for the morale of the hundreds of thousands of young grunts, most of whom had never experienced the true horror of the battlefield. Throughout the war American losses, both financial and military were astounding. Never before had a country with Americas degree of power and worldwide influence been so unsuccessful when combating an economically underdeveloped country such as Vietnam. Admittedly North Vietnam did receive aid from both the Soviet Union and China but despite this, Vietnam has to be seen as a Third World country defending their homeland from the worlds biggest super power. The aim of this essay is to investigate the main reason for Americas defeat. Possible reasons for failure apart from the effectiveness of the Vietcong guerrilla tactics would include: lack of morale of US troops, inappropriate US military tactics, the shocking images shown in the media coverage, US motives for engaging in this war, their lack of consideration for and understanding of the Vietnamese people, worldwide lack of support for the US war effort, the collapse of support on the home front. All these factors will be considered and compared to the guerilla tactics in order to arrive at a conclusion as to whether guerilla tactics really was the major cause of Americas humiliating retreat. To fully understand why America was so unsuccessful it is necessary to understand why they involved themselves in a conflict on the other side of the globe in first place. Ever since the war began the true reason or reasons for American involvement has been heatedly debated. The American government and their spin-doctors1 justified themselves by claiming that they were there to free the people from the oppressing evil communist from the north Ho Chi Minh. Ho, a national hero to many in Vietnam was a patriotic fighter2 for Vietnams independence. Ho spent much of his young life travelling in places where communism was actively working, places that had inspired him into his communist beliefs, beliefs that would later propel America into a full war with his people, places such as Russia and China. At first America had supported Minh and admired his courageous Vietminh troops. When Minh made a speech declaring Vietnam independence, he began by quoting from the American Declaration of Independence. He once said of revolting against their French oppressors It was patriotism and not communism that originally inspired me3. It was not Minhs patriotism that brought Americas hate for him but rather the way in which he supported Communism so whole-heartedly and the fear that it would spread. The fear of Communism spreading was a great one indeed for America. There is a theory called the domino theory, which has often been regarded as one of the most prominent reasons for Americas involvement. The basic idea of the domino theory is that if one country in a close grouping like South Asia fell to communism then the surrounding countries would follow suit. America feared that spreading communism threatened the free trade and democratic ideals, which were so important to American well-being and security. America could not afford to lose these things that were such a way of the American lifestyle. The American government was prepared to go to war to protect these ideals, on occasions this represented an idealism on their part but on others represented a determination to import their capitalist system regardless of the needs of the country concerned. It is therefore clear as a country should not go to war on their own, unsupported, concerning Vietnam in can be argued that American motives can be seen as unjustified as they were clearly trying to suppress others rights to govern themselves. This fact is supported by the poor state that the Southern government run by Diem and propped up by the Americans was in. Diem held very prejudice religious beliefs in a country made up mainly of Buddhist and was very unpopular for this and other reasons4. This totally goes against the democratic ideals that America holds so dear. With this evidence America appears to have been acting utterly hypocritically and for their own personal gain. The factor that can be regarded as the most important in Americas defeat was the Vietcong and their use of guerrilla warfare tactics. Guerilla warfare tactics are very effective in certain situations and when used against the American forces they seemed unstoppable. The guerilla tactics that the VC used were based on those of the Chinese guerrillas who fought in the Chinese Communist takeover5. The main idea of guerilla warfare tactics is that of hit and run; this method proved most effective when fighting the US troops. Many of the VCs orders came from the vast underground network of tunnels such as those of Cu Chi. Underground facilities such as this one provided the VC with an almost impenetrable fortress. These cities could house thousands of VC troops and their families as well as conference rooms, training areas and in some cases arms factories and hospitals. Through the use of tunnels the VC had the ability to dig right under US troops noses and spring surprise attacks and then disappear back down the tunnels as quickly as they had emerged. Another advantage that the Vietcong had over the Americans was the support of the people. This invaluable commodity gave the VC the ability to move across large areas of lands undetected, as they were able to hide in villages. The VC was also famous for the excruciating booby traps, specially designed so that they could not be removed without tearing even more flesh from the victim. The constant threat of the VC was extremely disheartening for the troops that lived in continuous fear of a VC raid. The skilful use of guerrilla tactics by the VC completely prevented the US from using their technical superiority effectively. The VC would always try and avoid conventional battles with US troops; rather they favoured picking off stragglers or as mentioned before springing surprise attacks and then disappearing. The troops could not see their enemy and could therefore not use their weapons to destroy them. It is these factors that lead me to believe that Guerilla tactics played such a big role in the US defeat. It appears that many of the other reasons for US defeat were caused, partly of wholly by the relentless use of guerilla tactics. I have already mentioned the way the troops felt battling an unseen enemy, but the importance of American morale or lack thereof cannot be overlooked as a reason for the US defeat. It is hard for one who has not experienced war to understand life in a soldiers boots, especially that of a grunt in Vietnam. Never before had American troops had to endure as harsh conditions as those experienced on the battlefields of Vietnam. These unbelievably harsh conditions led to low morale in all of the troops. Many things led to this crushing lack of morale; guerilla tactics, inexperienced and young troops (the average age of a soldier in Vietnam was just 19), inability to communicate with or understand the people they were trying to defend and the looks of hatred in the very same peoples eyes. The troops were used to easy living at first with long RR breaks and short tours, involved more as a precautionary measure rather than to actually enter battle but because the superior firepower was totally ineffective in Vietnam, the troops were put onto the front line. Lack of morale in troops is always devastating to a countries war effort. A major problem that the US military faced apart from unwilling soldiers was a rife drug problem. Marijuana was readily available in Vietnam and the majority of the grunts were users. This drug did nothing to help the morale level of troops on anything more than a temporary basis. The grunts would often go into battle high and this made combating the Vietcong even more difficult and the Vietcong used the US troops use of the drug to their full advantage. Troops quickly found out that most of the battles were hopeless and a bad attitude developed. You cannot win a war when your troops are not willing to fight and the US soldiers were very unwilling to fight. It is for this reason that one could say without a shadow of a doubt that lack of morale was the main reason for US defeat but in my judgement the main cause for the lack of morale was the use of guerilla tactics. Another of Americas major hurdles in their attempts to uphold a pro-Western government in S. Vietnam was their complete and utter lack of understanding of and consideration for the Vietnamese people. America was unable to combat their communist enemies because they were unable to win the hearts and minds of the people6. Many American civilian experts were in place in Vietnam trying to win the hearts of the people by teaching them valuable skills and setting up hospitals and schools. Civilian and military experts frequently clashed because the civilian experts did not think enough was being done to win the hearts and minds of the people, the military men believed that force was the answer, they would repeatedly be proved very wrong. The already disheartened American soldiers, or grunts as they were known found it extremely hard to fight in the conditions they were in. Very few of them knew much of the Vietnamese culture and even fewer understood any of the language. This made dealing with the people they were there to protect, let alone the people they were fighting, very difficult. On top of the festering heat, ravenous insects and hidden enemies, the inability to communicate effectively with the people frustrated the troops terribly. Eventually the young soldiers came to dislike all of the people of Vietnam, both allies and enemies, making it essentially impossible to win the war. Many of the troops saw the peasants (most of the Vietnamese population) as sub-human. As it became clear that initial American methods were ineffective for the people and their surroundings, more brutal and vicious methods of extracting information were devised, Search-and-destroy tactics resulted in many innocent civilian fatalities. Search and destroy tactics were a result of the frustration at the damage to US troops caused by guerrilla tactics used by the VC but such US tactics in turn reinforced Vietnamese support for the guerrillas. In 1968 the CIA introduced a system code-named Operation Phoenix7 whereby tens of thousands of expected VC were sought out and interrogated few of which were said to come out alive. Methods of torture included the insertion of a six-inch length of dowel into a detainees ear and then tapping it into the brain until subsequent death, also starvation and electric shock treatment to the genitals of both males and females was the norm. Another famous event that made American brutality evident was the massacre at My Lai on 16th March 1968. 347 unarmed civilians were beaten and killed because they were apparently pro-Communist and harboured VC or were VC themselves. Victims included the elderly, women, children and even babies, who were all beaten with rifle butts, shot and in some cases raped. As the success of this war could not be measured by territorial gain, it became the body count that showed success8. It became clear to all that this was going on through the ever-present media and this did nothing to help Americas popularity or support for their war effort around the world. The Vietnam War is also infamous for the massive bombing campaigns that America ran. America believed that the war could be one purely through technological superiority. In battles such as the Battle for Khe Sanh, Americas use of superior firepower played a pinnacle role. Unfortunately for the Americans, their superior firepower was useless in the conditions that Vietnam produced and this also frustrated the troops. The bombing runs were ruthless and inaccurate. Many of the most famous images to come out of the Vietnam War were ones portraying the horror of napalm attacks. One such image is the world famous photo of the young girl, Him Phuc, running down the street, skin burned by an American napalm attack. These images were a product of the massive media presence that existed in Vietnam during the war. This media presence played a big part in the way the world saw America during the war and therefore also their defeat. Photographers and journalists from around the world were sent to Vietnam to document both sides of the war. Many of the ensuing images were used for propaganda for both America and Northern forces. Some believe that the American and North Vietnamese governments put many of the photographers there for propagandistic purposes9, trying to capture images that best portrayed the brutality of the opposing force. Unluckily for the Americans more photos were taken explicitly portraying the American cruelty that that of the VC or NVA. As mentioned above the image of Kim Phuc was seen world wide and devastated Americas already precarious position in many of the worlds peoples eyes. At the time of the Vietnam war, the world was at a stage where a photographer could take a photo and it would end up on the front page of newspapers around the globe only a day or two later10. This led to even more outrage throughout the world at America, as their actions never seemed to be justified in the first place. Much of the world believed that America had lied about their intentions when they first entered Vietnam and the images seen made these beliefs seem justified. The use of guerrilla tactics once again proves it worth as they prevented a speedy US victory which allowed the worldwide anti-war media campaign to build, and in turn further destroying troop morale. Eventually the support on the home front collapsed and the American people joined in protesting their own involvement in the war. This was another factor that led to the crushingly low levels of morale in the troops. In conclusion after considering other possible causes for the US defeat, the evidence suggests that the Vietcong the use of guerilla warfare tactics was the main cause for the US lack of success in the Vietnam War. Whilst there were clearly many other contributing factors, I have found that the use of guerilla tactics played a major role in a battle that was fought on the ground, pinning down huge numbers of US troops in Vietnam. Enough damage was inflicted on the troops that eventually sufficient pressure was bought on the US government to pull their troops out. This was when the war ended, when the US government realised they couldnt win, this was because of guerrilla tactics. I considered what the outcome of the war would have been had it been fought in a different way and believe this would have made a huge difference to the outcome of the war. The fact that America was in Vietnam for their own strategic interests rather than for the Vietnamese people was a close second in the ordering of reasons. Finally the lack of morale was the third major contributing factor but I found that this was mostly caused by the fear of the unseen enemy that the troops faced caused by guerrilla tactics.

Poland and the Black Death Essay -- the bubonic plague

The bubonic plague is not a virus but rather a bacterium called Yersinia pestis (discovered in 1894 by a bacteriologist named Alexandre Yersin) that lives in the bloodstream of rats as an inconsequential infection. It transfers from rat to rat by fleas, which today we know were the original carriers of the plague. When a flea bites an infected rat and picks up the bacteria, it rapidly reproduces in the flea’s digestive tract, causing a mass that doesn’t allow the flea to swallow. The flea begins to starve from this blockage, and bites new rats in hopes to find food, unable to swallow the flea vomits what it has bitten back into the blood stream, along with the bacteria that was in the flea’s stomach, thus infecting a new rat. The plague began when fleas frantically searching for food began to bite humans as well as rats, giving the humans Yersinia pestis, which unknown to the human immune system, manifested into the plague (Damen 2014). However, humans can not o nly contract the disease from fleas biting them, but also by inhaling the bacteria. In humans the disease can manifest in three ways: bubonic, septicemic or pneumonic way. In the bubonic plague (which was most common during the Black Death) the lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, and groin swell and blacken into â€Å"buboes† that then infect the rest of the body. The common practice was to pop these boils, and so typically infection killed the patient if the disease managed to not. With the septicemic plague, the bacterium inhibits the body’s ability to clot, causing internal hemorrhaging that kills the patient. With the pneumonic plague, the bacterium settles in the victim’s lungs and within four to five days, the lungs essentially liquefy, killing the patient. With the pneumoni... ...Jews Went Viral." Jspace.com. N.p., 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. "The Black Death: Horseman of the Apocalypse in the Fourteenth Century." The Black Death. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. â€Å"The Black Death." Wordpress.com. N.p., 11 Dec. 2008. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. Trueman, Chris. "The Black Death of 1348 to 1350." HistoryLearningSite.co.uk. History Learning Site, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. VanPutte, Cinnamon L., Jennifer L. Regan, and Andrew F. Russo. "Chapter 11: Blood."Seeley's Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. N. pag. Print. Wein, Berel. "The Black Death." Jewish History. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. "What Is Hemophilia?" NHLBI.NIH.GOV. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 31 July 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. Wilensky, Gabriel. "Blaming the Jews for the Black Death Plague." Six Million Crucifixions. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

Pros and Cons of Technology in Health Care: The Case of NHS England

Abstract The focus of this study is NHS England, delving on the advantages and disadvantages of technology, specifically mobile technology in healthcare. A systematic review is conducted, using secondary data as a method of data collection. The advantages include improved cost, efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and quality in healthcare, as well as ability to address NHS’ current budget cuts in the midst of several admissions. The study does not find any disadvantages but barriers, including cost, usability, privacy issues, battery power efficiency, low interest in health information and monitoring services, and non-reliance on the available mobile technology. Recommendations include preparing nurses and other medical staff for mobile technology system in NHS England, and pursuing an evaluation study on the efficiency of mobile technology in the organisation. 1. Introduction With the advancement of technology, even the healthcare sector has eventually adopted its benefits towards better patient care. Current studies focus on curing diseases using technology and using mobile phone technology in chronic illness management (e.g. Blake, 2008). In NHS, mobile technology is used in improving the quality of health care services (NHS England).1.1 Aims and ObjectivesThis study aims to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile technology in healthcare. It also aims to highlight the extent to which NHS England uses mobile technology in care services. The objectives are the following: To conduct a survey of literature on the use of mobile technology in the healthcare practice; To pursue a systematic review in addressing the research question; To identify implications for practice and provide recommendations for future research1.2 Research QuestionThe research question that this study intends to answer is: What are the advantages and disadvantages faced by NHS England in its adoption of mobile technology? 2. Literature Review The review of literature pertains to the survey of various works and studies to find evidence to the study (Oermann and Hays, 2010). Standing and Standing (2009) emphasised that amidst the recognition of the benefits associated with the use of technology in healthcare, its widespread adoption continues to lag. The authors proposed that the major barriers to such adoption pertain to certain basic systemic issues and that its problematic adoption is caused by the fragmented health care system, inappropriate outcome measures, and conflicting incentives. The authors stressed that a systems perspective must be taken vis-a-vis using technology adoption frameworks. No statistical data were tested for hypothesis and only secondary data were used for the discussion, which enabled sufficiency of the discussion. The importance and urgency of adopting technology in healthcare was supported by Avancha et al. (2012) who claimed that the cost, efficiency, and quality of healthcare can be enhanced through information technology. With this in consideration, the authors examined mobile technology privacy requirements that can potentially transform healthcare systems. The use of mobile technology can allow physicians to monitor their patients’ health conditions in a remote manner and likewise enable individuals to also manage their own health. The authors surveyed the literature and developed a conceptual privacy framework for mobile health, which was adequate to generating conclusions. The study of Avanche et al. (2012) was contrary to that of Burley et al. (2011) in their claim of a high failure probability of information technology in healthcare. Nonetheless, they declared seeing an emerging development amongst healthcare professionals who use mobile technology in their profession. The study revealed through content analysis that individual healthcare professionals are the ones mostly making optional innovation decisions. Content analysis as a methodology to draw analysis had been appropriate for this study. Contrary to the study of Burley et al. (2011), that of Boulos et al. (2011) indicated that the overpowering computing technology of the current smartphone generation allows such technology to function as handheld computers. Contributory to this occurrence is the fact that these handheld computers are capable of large memories and application development. The authors cited Apple, Android, Windows, etc. as the available platforms for mobile computing and focused on applications (apps) that target patients and healthcare professionals in a variety of settings, such as health and lifestyle management and public health monitoring. The barriers to adopting apps for healthcare smartphone were identified as cost, usability, privacy issues, and battery power efficiency. These barriers must be taken into account when developing mobile technology in NHS. The study surveyed the literature to come up with the analysis, which had been viable to drawing inferences on the subject. Conversely, a national survey involving around 1,400 Americans demonstrated various concerns on the popularity of mobile healthcare technologies based on radio frequency identification (RFID). Positive association was found between interest in RFID personal medical technology and high trust levels associated with social support. The study revealed overwhelming interest in nascent intervention services but not much in the areas of health information and monitoring (Katz and Rice, 2009). This is contrary to that of Boulos et al. (2011) which highlighted health and lifestyle management and public health monitoring as areas of healthcare mobile technology. The survey was an appropriate methodology for this study to produce the desired outcomes. Similar to Avanche et al. (2012) and Boulos et al. (2011), Brady et al. (2012) stated that mobile phones help in boosting the efficiency of clinical communication and are becoming more progressively involved in healthcare delivery. However, it was found that pathogenic bacteria can reside in healthcare workers’ mobile phones and could further magnify when doctors bring additional communication electronic devices without the necessary guidance on use and decontamination. The study involved 87 mobile phones owned by doctors, sampled for bacterial growth and discovered that 87 percent of doctors knew that such bacteria could in fact reside in their phones but only 8 percent cleaned them on a regular basis. The conclusion suggested simple cleaning remedies to decrease the possibility of cross-contamination from mobile phones. The methodology adopted was appropriate to the generation of expected results. The actor-network theory offers perspectives for understanding people and their interactions with inanimate objects, i.e. mobile technology. Cresswell et al. (2010) argued that being informed by this theory can provide beneficial outcomes to healthcare services research, particularly to complex IT systems. The actor-network theory can enable an understanding of the manner in which social effects are generated as a result of the relationship between various actors within the network. The method used by the authors is descriptive, which is suitable to the contents of the topic. 3. Research Methodology3.1 Research DesignThe research methodology purports to address the research questions and aims and objectives identified in this study. The qualitative research design is pursued in order to properly tackle the advantages and disadvantages of mobile technology in healthcare. This research design focuses on creating meanings in processes and producing inductive analysis (Bryman and Bell, 2003).3.2 Data Collection MethodThe data collection method being utilised in the study is secondary, which indicates the use of secondary sources only, such as books, academic journals, and online resources. Secondary data collection method is defined as the method in which the researcher uses non-original data for a specific purpose not originally intended by the one who has collected it (Grinnell et al., 2012). In this study, all secondary data are intended for the purposes of addressing the research question. The study takes on a desk-based approach as it adopts a systematic review, which is a method used in understanding broad prices of information and contributing to the answers to questions (Jesson et al., 2011).3.3 Inclusion and Exclusion CriteriaThe search for literature is done using inclusion and exclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria for the survey of literature include data published from 2009 up to 2014, discussing mobile technology in healthcare in the UK and other countries. The exclusion criteria are therefore data published in 2008 and older.3.4 Search ApproachThe search engines used are Google, Scholar Google, and Books Google. The search is limited to â€Å"mobile technology in healthcare† and â€Å"mobile technology in NHS.† 4. Research Results Recent news indicates that the National Health Service is utilising smartphone technology to help nurses deal more efficiently with patients and improve the quality of healthcare in the organisation (Watson, 2014). NHS is at the moment facing budget cuts and increasing admissions, making its professionals of all levels to become beleaguered to do more with less resources (See Appendix-A). Increased efficiency, patient care, and reduced cost are anchored on targeted investment in certain identified areas of healthcare settings. The NHS Nursing Technology Fund is one recent initiative in this regard, which provides some hope for NHS and the forefront of health services to improve its overall care delivery (NHS England, 2014). The Prime Minister announced in 2012 that the Nursing Technology Fund will be launched to support nurses and other medical staff toward optimising the use of digital technology in all aspects of care settings in order to realise safer, more efficient, and more ef fective care delivery (NHS England, 2014). Recent information submitted to NHS England also stressed that notwithstanding NHS’ planned paperless healthcare setting by 2018 (See Appendix-B), continued reliance on handwritten notes and hallway conversations to discuss patient condition are still being carried out by majority of nurses and other medical staff in NHS (Watson, 2014). This indicates lack of preparedness and exposure to mobile technology, which by this time must already be carried out amongst healthcare professionals. 5. Findings and Recommendations Watson’s (2014) article about utilising smartphone technology to help nurses toward more efficient care delivery and improved healthcare quality in NHS is congruent to that of Avancha et al. (2012), which emphasised the importance of information technology to improve cost, quality, and efficiency in healthcare. The adoption of mobile technology, given this description by Avancha et al., would enable tackling its current budget cuts in the midst of increasing admissions. This is one advantage of mobile technology system for NHS. The hope for increased quality of care and safer and more effective care delivery through NHS Nursing Technology Fund is also parallel to the studies of Boulos et al. (2011), Avancha et al. (2012), and Brady et al. (2012). However, Watson’s (2014) article on the continued reliance of nurses and other medical staff on handwritten notes and hallway conversations rather than on mobile technology to discuss patient condition are not harmonising wit h the discussions of these authors who highlighted the various advantages that a healthcare setting can draw from mobile technology. It only means that at this stage, NHS is not yet fully utilising the benefits of mobile technology despite the availability of this technology now. The actor-network theory supports NHS’ inclination towards adopting mobile technology in healthcare services with its understanding of the network occupied by humans and their interactions with inanimate objects, i.e. IT systems (Cresswell et al., 2010). The literature did not cite disadvantages to adopting mobile technology in healthcare; instead, it cited certain barriers to ease of adoption, such as that of Boulos et al. (2011) who mentioned cost, usability, privacy issues, and battery power efficiency, as well as Katz and Rice (2009) who suggested lack of interest in health information and monitoring services. In his article for The Guardian, Watson (2014) also indicated that despite the planned paperless organisation by 2018, nurses and other staff at the NHS had not really relied on the already available technology for fundamental patient information. Recommendations for the study include the following: Prepare nurses and other medical staff for mobile technology system in NHS England by implementing a policy on its ultimate use. This policy will enable nurses and medical staff in NHS to be thoroughly accustomed to the system until the full adoption of paperless healthcare setting by 2018. Pursue an evaluation study on the efficiency of mobile technology in NHS. This study will be centered on the extent to which mobile technology system has been effective for NHS. 6. Conclusion This study has centred on the advantages and disadvantages of mobile technology in healthcare, with specific emphasis on NHS England. A systematic review is carried out to fulfill the aims and objectives as well as the research question of the study. The findings identified such advantages as improved health care quality, improvement in the areas of cost and efficiency, being able to tackle NHS’ current budget cuts in the midst of enormous admissions, and safer and more effective care delivery. The study did not identify certain disadvantages to such adoption but cited barriers instead, including cost, usability, privacy issues, and battery power efficiency. Additional barriers include lack of interest in health information and monitoring services as well as non-reliance on the already available technology. Implications for practice include further research toward improved technology innovation in healthcare, and training and expertise in using mobile technology as a fundamental aspect of quality and safe healthcare. References Avancha, S., Baxi, A., and Kotz, D. (2012) Privacy in Mobile Technology for Personal Healthcare. Journal of ACM Computing Surveys, 45 (1). Blake, H. (2008) Mobile Phone Technology in Chronic Disease Management. Nursing Standard, 23 (12), 43-46. Blogger, R. (2011) Cameron is Spending Less on the NHS Than Even Thatcher Would Have. Accessed on 19 November 2014 from http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/10/31/cameron-is-spending-less-on-the-nhs-than-even-thatcher-would-have/ Boulos, M. N. K., Wheeler, S., Tavares, C., and Jones R. (2011) How Smartphones Are Changing the Face of Mobile and Participatory Healthcare: An Overview with Example from eCAALYX. Biomedical Engineering Online. Accessed on 18 November from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080339/ Brady, R. R. W., Chitnis, S., Stewart, R. W., Graham, C., Yalamirthi, S., and Morris, K. (2012) NHS Connecting for Health: Healthcare Professionals, Mobile technology, and Infection Control. Telemedicine and e-Health, 18 (4). Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2003) Business Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Burley, L., Scheepers, H., and Fisher, J. (2011) Diffusion of Mobile Technology in Healthcare. Accessed on 18 November from http://www.grchina.com/mobility/lab/Archives/EuromGov2005/PDF/8_R356BL.pdf Creswell, K. M., Worth, A., and Sheick, A. (2010) Actor-Network Theory and Its Role in Understanding the Implementation of Information Technology Developments in Healthcare. BMC Medical Informatics & Decision Making, 10: 67, doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-10-67. Grinnell, R. M., Gabor, P. A., and Unrau, Y. A. (2012) Program Evaluation for Social Workers: Foundations of Evidence-Based Programs. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jesson, J. K., Matheson, L., and Lacey, F. M. (2011) Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Katz, J. E. and Rice, R. E. (2009) Public Views of Mobile Medical Devices and Services: A US National Survey of Consumer Sentiments towards RFID Healthcare technology. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 78 (2), 1014-114. [NHS] National Health Service (2012) Digital Technology Essentials Guide. London: QIPP Digital Technology. NHS England (2014) High Quality Care for All, Now and For Future Generations. Accessed on 18 November 2014 from file:///G:/WRITE%20ENTERPRISE/8819%20PROS%20AND%20CONS%20TECHNOLOGY/SOURCE%20OF%20NHS.htm Oermann, M. and Hays, J. (2010) Writing for Publication in Nursing. Second Edition. NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Watson, S. (2014) Mobile Technology Will Nurse the NHS Back to Health. The Guardian. Accessed on 18 November 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2014/apr/17/mobile-technology-nurse-nhs-health

What does it mean to be German

German, because they feel guilty for the history Of Germany and do not want do be classified as a national socialist, but they should dare to say that, because the time changed and Germany became one of the worlds most important and known countries and not known for fascistic ideologies or cruelties, but rather for their economy or their politic, not to forget they many different cultural aspects. Let me begin with a general definition of what it means to be German. I think nearly everybody would agree to the fact, that a person who owns theGerman nationality and lives inside the boundaries of Germany is a German in general, but obviously this is just a rough description of a German citizen. In my opinion every person has to define his or her own definition of what does it mean for him or her to be German, but I will start to create my own one. Many various significant German personalities reached a high prestige in certain sections of Germany's culture. To name some of these, I can name Albrecht Dourer as one of the greatest painters of Germans history, or the great literati Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Frederica Schaller.Even if you should not adorn yourself with borrowed plumes you can be at least proud for these persons who were Germans. Politics and culture influenced the identity of the Germans and their sense of human being, but that does not mean that every person is defined by the times actual standing of these factors. The question for me is what makes me personally proud to be a German citizen? Is it the German language? No question, that German is one of the hardest languages on the earth and this makes me proud to speak this language fluently, but it is not my favorite one in point of the sound. Usage like Greek, English, or Italian are my favorite ones in this point of criticism. Is it the kind of governmental system which makes me proud to life here? For sure democracy is the kind of governmental system, many various countries aspiring for and that why this is one Of my mature reasons am proud to live here. Other countries have to contend with cruel dictatorships or prevalent health diseases, but Germany does not have these problems, which makes me proud as well. Is it the culture which makes me feel proud to life in Germany?The capacity of great prestigious German prominences is nearly unlimited. From Conrad Deadener to Conrad Use, every political, cultural or scientifically section was enriched by important German personalities. These idols make me feel a kind of patriotic. However the main actual reason I am glad to live here is the status of Germany in the eyes of the other countries of the world. Many countries actually orientating their selves towards the federal republic of Germany, which makes me love my country even more. Nevertheless Germany is not perfect.I am not talking about satirical facts, because many people had done this before, but actual problems like the debts of the state are not the most worthwhile fact I can be glad of my home country. On the other hand these debts are not the biggest in comparison to other countries, but in fact that debts are not worthwhile in general this is a negative fact against Germany. To come to a very important point, which should not be forgotten is that Germany is actually one of the most peacefully countries on the earth. Considering to this, Germany made a big development since 1 940, which make me look in the future expectantly.

20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing

20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing 20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing 20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing By Mark Nichol Clipped forms, shortened abbreviations of words, have a checkered history. Some are acceptable in formal writing, and others aren’t. When writing in academic contexts, in business writing, or another formal environment, take note of the status of these common clipped forms: 1. Ad: In formal writing, the full form, advertisement, is usually employed. 2. Bra: This clipped form of brassiere, from the French word for â€Å"bodice† (its euphemistic meaning: â€Å"arm protector†), has supplanted the longer form in all but the most stiffly formal writing. 3. Burger: If ever a reference to this fast food staple makes its way into formal writing, the short form of hamburger is just as likely to appear as the long form. 4. Bus: Omnibus (Latin for â€Å"all†), a word for a horse-drawn public-transportation conveyance, gave the right of way to its short form around the time such vehicles became motorized. 5. Copter: The full form, helicopter, is best for formal writing. 6. Deli: Though this word has been in use for at least a half century, delicatessen, from the German word for â€Å"delicacies,† is best for formal usage. 7. Exam: Examination was clipped back in the late 1800s and has long since been used even in formal writing. 8. Flu: The short form of influenza (Italian for â€Å"influence,† from the medieval supposition that illness was the result of celestial perturbations) is several hundred years old and has long been acceptable even in formal medical texts. 9. Fridge: This term, unusual not only in that the full form, refrigerator, has been clipped at both ends but also in that the spelling has been altered to reflect the pronunciation, is suitable for informal writing only. 10. Gas: Gasoline is much more likely to appear in formal writing than its clipped form. 11. Gator: This clipped form of alligator, in spite of its nearly 200-year-old tenure in the English language, is considered slang. 12. Gym: Most formal references to a school building for athletic activities will use the full form, gymnasium, which many patrons might be amused to learn stems from the Greek word for â€Å"naked,† because athletes in ancient Greece trained and competed nude. Because Greek gymnasiums were centers of intellectual education as well, the full term is often used in Europe to refer to what might in the United States be called a preparatory school (which, by the way, has its own clipped form: â€Å"prep school†). 13. Memo: So pervasive is this clipped form of memorandum that many people may not even know its origins. (The full word ultimately derives from the Latin for â€Å"memory.†) 14. Movie: Even more taken for granted than memo is this diminutive form of â€Å"moving picture,† which, if you step back from it, may appear silly looking and juvenile. Formal writing often refers to the medium as film or cinema, but movie is also acceptable. 15. Phone: The original term, telephone, is still often used in formal writing, but the clipped form is just as likely to be used. 16. Plane: Plane has become as acceptable as airplane in formal writing. 17. Pro: Professional, the full form, is the preferred usage in formal contexts. 18. Quake: This clipped form of earthquake is, despite long usage, still considered informal. 19. Tie: The full form, necktie, is all but obsolete. (Perhaps the clothing accessory will be, too, before long.) 20. Typo: This slang for â€Å"typographical error† is over a century old but is still considered substandard usage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?Social vs. Societalâ€Å"Least,† â€Å"Less,† â€Å"More,† and â€Å"Most†

Biography of Murasaki Shikibu

Biography of Murasaki Shikibu Murasaki Shikibu  (c.  976-978 - c. 1026-1031) is known for  writing what is considered the worlds first novel, The Tale of Genji. Shikibu was a  novelist and a court attendant of Empress Akiko of Japan. Also known as Lady Murasaki, her real name is not known. Murasaki means violet and may have been taken from a character in  The Tale of Genji.   Early Life Murasaki Shikibu was born a member of the cultured Fujiwara family of Japan. A paternal great-grandfather had been a poet, as was her father, Fujiwara Tamatoki. She was educated alongside her brother, including learning Chinese and writing. Personal Life Murasaki Shikibu was married to another member of the extensive Fujiwara family, Fujiwara Nobutaka, and they had a daughter in 999. Her husband died in 1001. She lived quietly until 1004, when her father became governor of the province of Echizen.   The Tale of Genji Murasaki Shikibu was brought to the Japanese imperial court, where she attended the Empress Akiko, Emperor Ichijos consort. For two years, from about 1008, Murasaki recorded in a diary what happened at court and what she thought about what happened. She used some of what shed recorded in this diary to write a fictional account of a prince named Genji - and therefore the first known novel. The book, which covers four generations through Genjis grandson, was probably meant to be read aloud to her main audience, women. Later Years After the emperor Ichijo died in 1011, Murasaki retired, perhaps to a convent. Legacy The book  The Tale of Genji  was translated into English by Arthur Waley in 1926.

Oil Company and Pipeline Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oil Company and Pipeline - Case Study Example The case fall under the Alberta’s Pipeline Act, Pipeline Regulation, and applicable Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards. Lance was hired by Bikal within the contract period to inspect the pipeline. Bikal’s contract was under the following condition â€Å"to maintain Akel’s refinery with the agreement of payment only during the uptime of the refinery†. This shows that Baikal was in the line of duty and sought to hire an outside company to work on the inspection. It is professionally ethical to consult with other companies to provide services. Baikal therefore, was to enforce a contract with Lance by having a written agreement so that the contract between the two was enforceable by law. Lance duty was to ensure proper inspection was done. Engineering allows for non-destructive testing of the materials in this case the refinery has the pipelines. What lance did was to work on the minor aspects of the pumping system as well as keep time as required by Baikal. This case is based on the pressure in the system where they were right to check the source of the pressure that is the pump. Engineering formulates guidelines on how to undertake such measures to prevent leakages in the drainage and unnecessary pressure build up, the material under testing. This provides necessary actions and safety measures for pressure testing. Akel the contracting company who owns the refinery plays a role in the case as the paying party. Failure of the system to operate means the termination of the Baikal contract. This case has incurred Akel several expenditures from the replacement of the pump as well as the broken pipeline. Akel is obliged to ask what went wrong as he enquired and found out that the first report submitted by Lance engineers was inadequate, missing standard tests. The problem was primarily due to erosion in the pipe and could have possibly led to a disaster. Lance engineers cited that â€Å"Baikal had given them