Cell Phone Radiation Effects on Humans Research Paper

Cell Phone Radiation Effects on Humans - Research Paper Example However, there are ongoing studies that are examining the issue more closely (How Cell-phone Radiation Works) Cellphones have revolutionized not only the communication process, but also the human life in different manners. A world without cellphones is unimaginable now because of the various types of utilities associated with it. Earlier cellphones were used for communication purposes alone; however current cellphones are capable of providing facilities like video/audio recording, camera, internet/email, multimedia, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) etc. In short cellphones are getting smarter and smarter and its influence on human life goes on increasing as time goes on. Amidst all the above mentioned utilities of cellphone, the concerns about the health problems generated by cellphones are also growing. Cellphones and cellphone towers can generate harmful radiations which can affect human health negatively. While sending and receiving calls cellphones produce different types of micr owave radiations which can cause health problems in future. Cancer, Brain tumor, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, Autism, Fatigue, Headaches, Sleeping problems, memory malfunctions etc are some of the health problems associated with mobile phone radiations. This paper analyses the cellphone radiation effects on humans. Scientists exposed 10 female volunteers to radiation at 900 megahertz from GSM phones to simulate an hour-long phone call. They screened 580 different proteins in their skin cells and found that the numbers of two proteins were altered in all of the volunteers: one protein increased by 89 percent, the other decreased by 32 percent. This study shows that even without heating, molecular level changes take place in response to exposure to cell phone frequency electromagnetic radiation (How cellphone radiations can Affect Your Cells?) Radiations are energy forms which has both particle and wave nature. It occurs naturally from isotopes of some elements an d also it can reach the earth from sun or outer universe. Radiations can be generated from some manmade activities also. Nuclear power generators, mobile phones etc are some of the manmade radiation sources. Radiations are of different types; however electromagnetic radiations seem to be the most prominent one. Electromagnetic radiations are of two types; ionizing and non-ionizing. Ionizing radiations like gamma rays and X- rays have the ability to alter chemical reactions inside the body. Non-ionizing radiation such as visible light may not cause many problems to human health even though it can produce some heating effects. Cellphones are producing ionizing radiations in plenty and therefore the chances of a mobile users getting affected by these radiations are immense. â€Å"At high levels, radio-frequency energy can rapidly heat biological tissue and cause damage such as burns, according to a recent report from the U.S. General Accounting Office† (How Cell-phone Radiation Works). Cellphones cannot transmit or receive the ordinary low frequency sound waves. Sound waves need to be superimposed with high frequency electromagnetic carrier waves in order to send it to long distances. A process of modulation and demodulation is taking place inside the cellphones in order to send and receive audible sound waves. Modulation is the process of superimposition of sound waves with electromagnetic carrier waves whereas demodulation is the process of isolation of sound waves and carrier waves from the modulated radio frequency waves. â€Å"Modulated information-carrying radio waves resonate in biological frequencies of a few to a few hundred cycles per second, and can stimulate your cellular receptors causing a whole

Factors Impacting UK Winter Wheat Crops

Factors Impacting UK Winter Wheat Crops Summary Wheat is one of the main important cereal crops in the world. Also as one of the essential and important agricultural products. Wheat is considered as a strategic product due to its significant role in political and economic areas in the countries. Loss of wheat may harm the economy in several aspects, including reduced production rates, increased need for imports and waste the inputs required for the production (Fallah and Rasouliazar, 2016). In the UK average yields of winter wheat have increased progressively from the 1950s to the present a rate of approximately 100 kg ha-1 yr-1. Until the late 1980s, the increase was attributed about half to plant breeding and the half to husbandry. (Shearman et al., 2005) Any action was taken to improve the quantity and quality of the wheat would be of great importance. Many factors came together for increasing yield of a winter wheat crop in the UK. Including plant establishment, rotation management, nutrient management, disease, pest and weed control, and soil management. Each factor can affect or limit yield performance. In this research, we investigate factors that influence winter wheat crops and which will improve yield performance. Introduction Cereal crops are a major staple food worldwide, contributing more than 50% of total human calorie input directly. In the last twenty years, the annual increment in the average yields of UK wheat and oilseed rape increased slightly. In the second half of the 20th-century cereal yields for example wheat, in the worldwide from 1 to 3 t haà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1and in the UK approximately less than three t haà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 increased (Fischer and Edmeades, 2010; Hawkesford et al., 2013. ) Wheat is one of the important cereal crops in the world. Wheat is special in several ways for instance in humans food, they are used to make flour for yeast bread, or are blended with soft spring wheat to make the all- purpose flour used in a wide variety of baked products and The highest grain yields are obtained with winter wheat. In this research, we investigate factors affecting winter wheat crops, and Evaluate of them can lead us to adjust management to achieve a greater yield. Crop Nutrition Each plant needs a different range of nutrients at every critical stage of its development. Cereal crops use nutrients for growth, progressively moving them from the roots and stems into the ear before the dying off and harvesting of the grain. For example, Phosphorus (P) is a vital component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which supplies the energy for many processes in the plant. Magnesium (Mg) is also a key component of leaf chlorophyll and the enzymes that support plant growth. Zinc and Boron directly influence the growth and yield of cereals and other crops, especially during flowering (Ghaffar et al., 2011). Wheat as an important source of minerals such as iron, zinc, copper and magnesium. The dietary intake of these nutrients have decreased significantly in recent years in the UK which corresponds with the introduction of semi-dwarf, high-yielding cultivars. (Ming-Sheng Fan et al., 2008) Semi-dwarf and high-yielding crop cultivars were responsible for increasing inputs of fertilisers and other agrochemicals which increased grain yield, however, increase in agronomic yield led to lower density of minerals in grain. The hypothesis of Davis et al indicated that decline in the nutrients in crops is because of changing in crops to varieties with improved yield. Ming-Sheng Fan et al, in the result of their experiments they also indicated that decreasing mineral concentrations in wheat grain are partly due to a dilution effect resulting from increased yield. It appears changing cultivars was affecting the mineral concentration. This change is further supported by (Flintham et al., 1997) that as a conclusion of the introduction of short-straw cultivars, HI (harvest index) increased, however mineral concentration significantly decreased in grain. The solution for helping minerals in grain is to add micronutrients. Supplementation, diversification of diet and bio-fortification of crops by agronomic or genetic methods such as plant breeding can increase the micronutrients; the genetic methods are considered to be the most efficient for resource-poor populations in developing countries (Graham et al., 1999; Bouis, 2002; Welch and Graham, 2004). In the germplasm of the main crops there is a sufficient genetic variation in micronutrient concentrations, which can be explored in breeding strategies to combine the high nutrient density with the high-yielding traits(Graham et al.,1999; Cakmak et al ., 2004) such as Triticum Oflococum, Triticum dicoccol, and Triticum dicoccoides (Cakmak et al.,1999a, 2000; Ortiz-Monasterio and Graham ,2000) Among wild wheat germplasm, the emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, showed the largest variation and the highest concentration of micronutrients (Cakmak et al., 2000). Crop rotation One of the most effective management methods to prevent the development of the large population of plant diseases is crop rotation. Crop rotation means the planned order of specific crops planted on the same field (Huber et al., 1965), for example soil-borne pathogens which cause soil-borne diseases that lead to reducing crop yields can be controlled with rotations with non-host crops. Also, rotation suppresses Take all disease, Cephaelosporium stripe, Cercosporella foot rot and Cercosporella herpotrichoides (Welch et al., 2004). However, this method is used for preventing and it cannot reduce the size of the population significantly, therefore it is better to view crop rotation as preventive rather than curative. Different crop rotations may have different effects on different pathogens, for instance Meloidogyne incognita were reduced by crops of crotalaria, marigold or bahiagrass while the population of Trichodorus christei were increased (Murphy et al.,1974), so it is vital to understand plant disease before planting crops. Crop Rotation benefits are = Maintains soil fertility. Reduces soil erosion. Controls pests, disease and weeds Reduces reliance on synthetic chemicals. There are two major limits for crop rotation, the first one is some pathogens have many host ranges so it may be difficult to identify them, for example Rhizoctonia solani .The second one is that non-host crops may have little monetary value, so the selection of crops to use for rotation may be small. (Battese and Fuller, 1972) and if crops rotation not chosen properly, have chances of competition between the crops for nutrients. Establishment management One of the most important factors that can provide the correct condition for both growing and crop establishment is tillage. Tillage is accomplished to optimise productivity by alleviating physical, chemical and biological constraints of soil (Gajri et al., 2002). Progressive tillage systems are developed to minimise cultivation costs and meet a range of variables such as soil or climate. It also improves the timeliness of planting which leads to an improved crop establishment. (Morris et al., 2010) In the UK, current tillage systems can be divided into two general categories; Inversion tillage, known as conventional plough tillage, and Conservation tillage, known as non-inversion tillage. Inversion tillage, inclusive of seed bed preparation by complete soil inversion, incorporates or buries most of the crop residue into the ground and consists of two processes: tillage and secondary tillage. Conservation tillage leaves the previous years crop residue (such as wheat) on fields before and after planting the next crop using the two processes of strip tillage and direct drilling to reduce soil degradation and achieve a sustainable balance between production (Carter et al., 2003a) (Davies and Finney,2002). No-till, known as direct drilling or zero tillage, is a conventional tillage system which sows directly in previous crops without any prior loosening of the soil cultivation. (Soane et al., 2012). Ploughing system is a farm implement used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting to loosen or turn the soil. Ploughing system can expose soil compacted at harvest, therefore when it is loosened by weather it increases mixing of nutrients which is beneficial. Ploughing reduces risk of crop disease, pests and weeds. In contrast, no-till increases area capability and reduces overall costs such as fuel and machinery (Soane et al., 2012). Other limited and benefit of ploughing and no-till present in table 1. Table1. Agronomic advantages and disadvantages of No-till and ploughing No-till Ploughing Advantages Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages Reduce run-off, soil erosion and cost. Increase soil fertility. Increase area capability reduction of compaction below plough furrow Not suitable for controlling weeds, pest. Reduce grains yields. crop residue Remain on the soil surface Crop establishment problems during very wet and very dry. reduced nitrogen availability for yield Completely buries weeds and crop residue. Increase mixing of nutrients when loosened by weather Reduced weeds ,crop diseases and pest Suitable for preparing a seedbed after grass. High cost (fuel and machinery). Increased CO 2 emission. Extreme looseness to depth of ploughing. High sensitivity to re-compaction of topsoil. Pest management Crop plants are attacked by many pests that affect plant survival, growth, and reproduction and as a result influence crop yield. Approximately 22% of the total area of wheat in the UK is affected by slugs without pesticides, Calculated that total annual cost to the UK industry from not controlling slugs in oilseed rape and wheat is approximately  £43.5 million. (Nicholls, 2013). Pests can cause crop-damaging by reducing rates of germination, feeding on seeds, roots, stem and leaves which reduce yields. In crop growth stages, pests can reduce yield potential of the harvest and Reduces crops ability to compensate for damage caused later in development and cause harm to crops near their harvest by reduces yield and quality. (Oerke, 2006; Damalas and Eleftherohorinos, 2011) For example, two different aphid detriment in cereals crops in the UK because they transmit barley yellow dwarf luteovirus and Grain aphid Sitobion avenae. (Nicholls, 2013) Despite these commonly acknowledged risks, pesticides do improve agricultural productivity. Pesticides can be considered as an economic, labor-saving, and efficient tool for pest management and can do improve agricultural productivity (Campbell,1976), such as Acetamiprid , Azadirachtin , Bifenthrin , Carbaryl for controlling insects but these benefits often go unnoticed by the general public. Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural production hence, increasing amounts of pesticides must be applied at rising costs to maintain sufficient control. This increasing has led to integrated pest management (IPM) programs which reduce pest numbers to an acceptable threshold (Jain and Bhargava, 2007). Push-pull strategies were conceived as a strategy for insect pest management (IPM) by Pyke et al. The push-pull technology is a strategy for controlling agricultural pests by using propulsive (push) while luring them toward an attractive source (pull) plants and trap them. This method can maximise the efficacy of behavior-manipulating stimuli through the additive and synergistic effects of integrating their use. Also can reduce pesticide input (Cook et al., 2006). The other method that can effect on pests is no-till. It seems pest under no-till method decreases dramatically because of increased numbers of predators. For example, it reduces springtails (Onychiurus spp.) that cause damage in shoot and root of the sugar beet (Soane et al., 2012).However, the preservation of crop residues in wet conditions tends to increase slug population, and this can lead to damage to young seedlings in winter-sown Wheat and barley (Jordan et al., 1997).Using molluscicides may control slug population, but it will still increase production costs and affect beneficial soil biota (abid.) Soil management Soil is the product of a complex set of interacting processes and cycles (Fitzpatrick, 1991) Plants need a network of pore spaces to assistance gas exchange such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Also water movement and nutrient uptake. Over time if the soil environment under intensive agricultural production was disturbed, the ability of the soil to maintain these conditions is compromised (Gerrard, 2000). So Preservation and improvement of soil quality are important in agricultural productivity and environmental quality. Soil management practice which consideration all operations practices, and treatments used to protect the soil organic matter, soil structure, and the maintenance of a thriving soil microbial population. (Johnston and Fellow, 2005) In central Great Plains, soil erosion and drought are the main problems associated with grain production. No- till is a good system for reducing soil erosion and maximise soil water conservation. (Fenster and Peterson, 1979) In the UK using no-till after ploughing led to lower yields because of imperfect drainage and weak structure of soils during wet winter however all over the UK, good internal drainage was considered a pre-requisite for reliable success with no-till as discovered in the Germany (Ehlers and Claupein, 1994). No-till, can also increase biological activity such as earthworms and improve stable root channels this can develop greater water permeability (Soane et al., 2012). Under no-till, it seems, soil nutrients such as P and K increased dramatically near soil surface because of this microbiological activity. (Ehlers and Claupein, 1994). Also no-till it seems not suitable for sandy or drained soils. In Netherland, under the sandy soil, no-till decreased root penetration and yield such as root crop (Soane et al., 2012). Weeds Management Weeds have many attributes undesirable to crop producers and cause the adverse effect on their yield. There are limited reports on the inhibitory effects of weeds on crop plants (Bhowmik Doll, 1992).Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most important cereal in the world. It has been estimated that globally yield reduction in wheat due to weeds is 13.1% (Oerke et al., 1994). Weeds compete with the crop plants for sunlight, water, mineral nutrients and occupying a space, which would reduce the plant growth and this led to reducing crop yields, quality and harvesting efficiency. (Wright et al., 2001) Water requirement for the growth of weeds is primarily of interest from the standpoint of competition with the crop plant for the available moisture (Gibson, 2000). Weeds provide a host for insects, nematodes and certain plant pathogens such as fungi. For instance Fusarium species pathogenic to winter wheat have been isolated from common broad-leaved weeds. (Jenkinson Parry, 1994). Weed management strategies attempt to eliminate or limit the deleterious effects of weeds when growing with crop plants and decrease weeds ability to reduce yield. (Hager et al., 2003) The basic of all Weed control methods is prevention. In few years the concept of prevention is not relevant anymore because of the availability of effective herbicides and mechanical control measures. These controlling tools have led to control weeds even after they have become established. (Walker 1995). Herbicides may influence disease development via direct effects on the pathogens (Rodriguez-Kabana et al. 1966) or by altering plant resistance to pathogens (Dann et al. 1999; Levene et al. 1998) for example Broad-leaved weeds in winter wheat can be controlled by herbicides applied before or after wheat emergence in autumn or in spring. In Table 2 we mentioned a few Common herbicides used to control weeds In recent years using Herbicides for controlling weed decreased because using herbicides may damage the crop. Also can get mixed with air, water and soil and kill other unwanted plant pests.So we must use other methods for controlling weeds without much dependence on chemicals like fertilisers and herbicides which have unpredictable harmful effects on the environment and human health. ( Varshney et al., 2012) Crop rotation is often identified as a valuable component of weed management for example Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) density remained relatively constant when winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was rotated with oilseed rape (Blackshaw 1994a). (Abid.) A cover crop is another method for managing weeds. They contribute organic matter to the soil, improve soil structure, and they can suppress weeds. Cover crops could permit reduction of herbicide inputs and a shift toward entire post-emergence herbicide programs for many crops. The early weed suppression provided by cover crop residue allow plants to become established before weed emergence. (Upadhyaya, and Blackshaw 2007) Table 2. Common herbicides used to control weeds. Herbicide Mode of action Weeds controlled Versatil Simazine Buster Terbuthylazine Absorbed by leaves, stems and roots. Absorbed only through roots of germinating plants Systemic contact herbicide (via the leaf) Absorbed through roots and leaves Controls thistles, yarrow, clovers and many difficult flat weeds Prevents the emergence of a wide range of grasses and weeds. Broadleaved weeds and clovers. Provides short-term weed control Controls a wide range of annual and perennial grasses and weeds Disease management Wheat, its an important food resource which approximately contains 40% of the worlds population (Bockus, et al., 2010) annually global yield losses because of wheat diseases are estimated to be 20% in the field or the storage. (Abid.) The disease can terminate entire trees in orchards or plantations Such as Phytophthora root or collar rot, and some can destroy before or after harvested product. For instance, the smuts, which destroy before or after the harvesting the cereal grains (all postharvest rots of fruits and vegetables) (James, 1974) Each year in the UK the percentage of yield decreases because of disease diverse. The highest yield loss was between 1991, 1993 and 1998, and lowest was in 1995.Eyespot compared to other diseases caused greater yield losses. The second most significant disease was Powdery mildew in seven of the ten years but in 1990 demonstrate the greater losses than any other illness. The national economic impact of these yield losses varied depending on annual production figures and the price per tonne. (Hardwick et al., 2001) Each of these can infect wheat and cause disease throughout the growing season. It is important to deliver consistently, high yields of high-quality grain thus controlling of cereal diseases is an important component of successful crop management. Recognition of the disease and an understanding of the pathogens purpose are the first step for a successful disease control. Therefore disease management is necessary. Many strategies, tactics and techniques in disease management used in advanced (prevention) which applied before infection for protecting plant from disease and after infection controlled by heat or chemical treatment as bulbs, corms and fungicide (OC Maloy ,2005) Plant disease management is a factor that has positive and negative externalities on the yield. The adverse effect includes environmental pollution; toxin remains in the soil, ecological damage, resource depletion, reduced disease management efficiency and costs associated with meeting minimum chemical residues on crop harvest. And positive effects can benefits to disease management in neighbouring farms, can reduce evolutionary potential of pathogens, and ensure social stability and safety (HE et al., 2016) Farmers only pay the direct costs associated with plant disease management; they strongly select strategies that generate the best immediate economic returns while largely discounting potential negative impacts on the environment. To date, some highly effective disease management strategies have been used without sufficient regard to their long-term ecological effects such as Fungicide. Fungicide was used on more than 93% of crops throughout the word for about ten years. In 1996 and 1998, fungicide usage reached 98%.it seems farmers do not value disease resistance but apply fungicides widely. Disease-induced losses are still substantial, despite the heavy reliance on fungicides (Stevens et al., 1997). During the 10-year using Fungicide has increased but so have septoria leaf blotch and eyespot. It has been suggested that national disease levels and yield losses were influenced more by season than fungicide usage. (Hardwick et al. 2000). Priestley Bayles (1980)found, from a postal survey of NIAB Fellows, that disease was seen more frequently in fungicide-treated (such as benomyl, carbendazim) than in untreated fields. Cook King (1984) indicated that final disease levels were often similar in treated and untreated crops. For improving yield, it would be better for plant disease management to focus on increasing crop productivity, using fewer fungicides, reducing food contamination by microbial toxins, Change the philosophy of plant disease management to focus on pathogens (or insect vectors) to managing host plants for achieving high productivity yield and Considerations in agricultural productivity and crop health. (Problems, challenges and future of plant disease management: from an ecological point of view) It is preferred that Plant disease management not only considers about biodegradable principles to reduce disease epidemics over plants practices it may also discuss how the strategies may impact on agricultural and ecological sustainability (HE et al., 2016). References Battese, G. E. and Fuller, W. A. 1972. Determination of economic optima from crop-rotation experiments. Biometrics, pp. 781-792. Bhowmik, P. and Doll, J. 1982. Corn and soybean response to allelopathic effects of weed and crop residues. Agronomy Journal, 74 (4), pp. 601-606. Bockus, W. W., Bowden, R., Hunger, R., Murray, T. and Smiley, R. 2010. Compendium of wheat diseases and pests. American Phytopathological Society (APS Press). Bouis, H. E. 2002. Plant breeding: A new tool for fighting micronutrient malnutrition. The Journal of Nutrition, 132 (3), pp. 491S-494S. Cakmak, I., Ozkan, H., Braun, H., Welch, R. and Romheld, V. 2000. Zinc and iron concentrations in seeds of wild, primitive, and modern wheats. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 21 (4), pp. 401-403. Cakmak, I., Tolay, I., Ozdemir, A., Ozkan, H., Ozturk, L. and Kling, C. 1999. Differences in zinc efficiency among and within diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats. Annals of Botany, 84 (2), pp. 163-171. Çakmak, Ä °., Torun, A., Millet, E., Feldman, M., Fahima, T., Korol, A., Nevo, E., Braun, H. and ÃÆ'-zkan, H. 2004. Triticum dicoccoides: An important genetic resource for increasing zinc and iron concentration in modern cultivated wheat. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 50 (7), pp. 1047-1054. Campbell, H. F. 1976. Estimating the marginal productivity of agricultural pesticides: The case of Treeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Fruit farms in the okanagan valley. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue Canadienne dAgroeconomie, 24 (2), pp. 23-30. Carter, A., Jordan, V. and Stride, C. 2003. A guide to managing crop establishment. Soil Management Initiative, Chester, Cook, R., King, J. and Jellis, G. 1984. Loss caused by cereal diseases and the economics of fungicidal control. Plant diseases: Infection, damage and loss. Cook, S. M., Khan, Z. R. and Pickett, J. A. 2006. The use of push-pull strategies in integrated pest management. Annual Review of Entomology, 52 (1), pp. 375. Damalas, C. A. and Eleftherohorinos, I. G. 2011. Pesticide exposure, safety issues, and risk assessment indicators. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8 (5), pp. 1402-1419. Davies, D. B. and Finney, J. B. 2002. Reduced cultivations for cereals: Research, development and advisory needs under changing economic circumstances. Home Grown Cereals Authority. Davis, D. R., Epp, M. D. and Riordan, H. D. 2004. Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23 (6), pp. 669-682. Ehlers, W., Claupein, W. and Carter, M. 1994. Approaches toward conservation tillage in germany. Conservation Tillage in Temperate Agroecosystems. pp. 141-165. Fallah, S. and Rasouliazar, S. 2016. Prioritizing the factors affecting the wheat losses from the perspective of wheat farmers of mahabad city. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences: Proceedings, 4 (1 (s)), pp. pp. 1638-1650. Fan, M., Zhao, F., Fairweather-Tait, S. J., Poulton, P. R., Dunham, S. J. and McGrath, S. P. 2008. Evidence of decreasing mineral density in wheat grain over the last 160 years. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 22 (4), pp. 315-324. Fenster, C. and Peterson, G. 1979. Effects of no-tillage fallow as compared to conventional tillage in a wheat-fallow system. Research Bulletin-Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Nebraska.Nebraska.Agricultural Experiment Station (USA), Fischer, R. and Edmeades, G. O. 2010. Breeding and cereal yield progress. Crop Science, 50 (Supplement_1), pp. S-85-S-98. FitzPatrick, E. A. 1978. An introduction to soil science. Soil Science, 125 (4), pp. 271. Flintham, J., Bà ¶rner, A., Worland, A. and Gale, M. 1997. Optimizing wheat grain yield: Effects of rht (gibberellin-insensitive) dwarfing genes. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 128 (01), pp. 11-25. Fry, W. E. 2012. Principles of plant disease management. Academic Press. Gajri, P., Arora, V. K. and Prihar, S. S. 2002. Tillage for sustainable cropping. Food Products Press. Gerrard, J. 2000. Fundamentals of soils routledge. Ghaffar, A., Ehsanullah, N. A. and Khan, S. H. 2011. Influence of zinc and iron on yield and quality of sugarcane planted under various trench spacings. Pak.J.Agri.Sci, 48 (1), pp. 25-33. Gibson, L. 2000. Plant competition. Agronomy Department, Iowa State University, Graham, R., Senadhira, D., Beebe, S., Iglesias, C. and Monasterio, I. 1999. Breeding for micronutrient density in edible portions of staple food crops: Conventional approaches. Field Crops Research, 60 (1), pp. 57-80. Hager, A. G., Wax, L. M., Bollero, G. A. and Stoller, E. W. 2003. Influence of diphenylether herbicide application rate and timing on common waterhemp (amaranthus rudis) control in soybean (glycine max) 1. Weed Technology, 17 (1), pp. 14-20. Hardwick, N., Jones, D. and Slough, J. 2001. Factors affecting diseases of winter wheat in england and wales, 1989-98. Plant Pathology, 50 (4), pp. 453-462. Hardwick, N., Slough, J. and Jones, D. 2000. The BCPC conference: Pests and diseases, volume 2. Proceedings of an international conference held at the brighton hilton metropole hotel, brighton, UK, 13-16 november 2000.British Crop Protection Council. Hawkesford, M. J., Araus, J., Park, R., Calderini, D., Miralles, D., Shen, T., Zhang, J. and Parry, M. A. 2013. Prospects of doubling global wheat yields. Food and Energy Security, 2 (1), pp. 34-48. HE, D., ZHAN, J. and XIE, L. 2016. Problems, challenges and future of plant disease management: From an ecological point of view. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 15 (4), pp. 705-715. Huber, D., Watson, R. and Steiner, G. 1965. Crop residues, nitrogen, and plant disease. Soil Science, 100 (5), pp. 302-308. Jain, P. and Bhargava, M. 2007. Entomology: Novel approaches. New India Publishing. James, W. C. 1974. Assessment of plant diseases and losses. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 12 (1), pp. 27-48. Jenkinson, n. P. and Parry, D. 1994. Isolation of fusarium species from common broad-leaved weeds and their pathogenicity to winter wheat. Mycological Research, 98 (7), pp. 776-780. Johnston, J. and Fellow, L. T. S. 2005. Assessing soil fertility: The importance of soil analysis and its interpretation. Potash Development Association. Jordan, V., Hutcheon, J. and Kendall, D. 1997. Influence of cultivation practices on arable crop pests, diseases and weeds and their control requirements. Experience with the Applicability of Notillage Crop Production in the West-European Countries, pp. 43-50. Maloy, O. 2005. Plant Disease Management.the Plant Health Instructor DOI: 10.1094, Monasterio, I. and Graham, R. D. 2000. Breeding for trace minerals in wheat. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 21 (4), pp. 392-396. Morris, N., Miller, P., Orson, J. and Froud-Williams, R. 2010. The adoption of non-inversion tillage systems in the United Kingdom and the agronomic impact on soil, crops and the environment-A review. Soil and Tillage Research, 108 (1), pp. 1-15. Murphy, W. S., Brodie, B. B. and Good, J. M. 1974. Population dynamics of plant nematodes in cultivated soil: Effects of combinations of cropping systems and nematicides. Journal of Nematology, 6 (3), pp. 103-107. Nicholls, C. J. 2013. Research review no. 77. Implications of the Restriction on the Neonicotinoids: Imidacloprid, Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam on Crop Protection in Oilseeds and Cereals in the UK.HGCA, Nicholls, C. J. 2013. Research review no. 77. Implications of the Restriction on the Neonicotinoids: Imidacloprid, Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam on Crop Protection in Oilseeds and Cereals in the UK.HGCA, Oerke, E. 2006. Crop losses to pests. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 144 (01), pp. 31-43. Oerke, E. and Dehne, H. 2004. Safeguarding production-losses in major crops and the role of crop protection. Crop

Napoleon Bonaparte Essay -- Papers

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon saved France from a horrible situation. He extended the French territory to bring hope to the French people, and brings revolution to Europe. Napoleon Bonaparte never gave up hope for France. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769. No Bonaparte except for Napoleon became a professional soldier or was good at war. His father Carlo fought for Corsican independence, but after the French took over the island he served. He became prosecutor and judge and entered the French aristocracy. Napoleon had a good education and exceptional military training. His father secured a scholarship for him to go to the French military school at Brienne. When he was in school he a lot of his time and effort into his studies. Then in 1794,when he was 15,he graduated 42nd in his class of 58. He wanted more education after he graduated. He spent a year at the Military Academy in Paris. Then he was commissioned a second lieutenant in artillery. Napoleon was the head of an artillery brigade at the siege of Toulon where there was a British fleet. The British were driven out, and Napoleon was given a promotion to General of Brigade. In February of 1794 Napoleon was assigned to the French army in Italy. In October 5, 1795 a revolt broke out in Paris because of protesting the new constitution introduced by the Convection. Napoleon was ordered to defend the convection and was helped by Joachim Murat cannons. He was able to stop the revolting within four months. The Directory rewarded him with the appointment as commander of the army of the interior. In March of 1796 Napoleon began operations to divide and defeat the .. ... to navigate rivers that formed boundaries between states. Also the congress reestablished the balance of power among the countries of Europe. Napoleon never really abused his power he remained a fair leader to the people of France all of his life. Napoleon has been referred to as the "first modern dictator," because he didn't abuse his power compared to other leaders in western civilization. Napoleon cared more about the well being of the French people, and didn't care about getting money from the government. Napoleon's achievements and goals should be evaluated in a good way. Because he wasn't a tyrant, he achieved those most of his goals in a civilized way. Napoleon was one of the more fair, and better leaders than the ones that came earlier in historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. But his wife was a whore! (Had to throw that in jokingly)

Stroke Care Management and Pressure Ulcer Assessment Tool

Student Number: 21127187 Module: Assessment and Therapeutic Care Management Module Code: AN 602 Assignment Title: A Case study: Stroke Care Management and Pressure Ulcer Assessment Tool Word Count: 3296 Date Submitted: 11th January, 2012 This academic work aims to present a clinical case study of a patient who is diagnosed of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), also called â€Å"stroke†, achieve a deeper understanding of debilitating post-stroke complications using an assessment guide and nursing interventions to the nursing diagnosis of impaired skin integrity.This essay aims to incorporate the utilisation of a pressure ulcer grading assessment tool to establish baseline assessment data and facilitate ongoing wound care management in relation to pressure ulcers (PrUs) as one of long term problems encountered in the care of a stroke patient. A holistic assessment of the patient will be required, identifying activities of daily living to enable the nurse to devise a plan involving the therapeutic team in line with identified nursing diagnoses.Due to limitation on word count, the essay will focus more on the present health status in relation to areas pertinent to PrUs management during the rehabilitation process. For the purpose of this academic work, the patient will be protected by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Conduct (2008) by use of a pseudonym, ‘Mr. X’. Mr. X, is an 87 year-old elderly obese patient, with long-term diagnosis of Hypertension (HPN) and Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (DM), on maintenance medications, who was recently diagnosed of Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA).Mr. X was transferred to a nursing home after the acute hospitalisation for long-term care. Brunner (2008) defines CVA, Ischemic Stroke, or â€Å"Brain Attack† as sudden loss of neurologic functioning resulting from blood flow disruption in cerebral blood vessels. Stroke has two main types, Ischaemic and Hemmorhaegic: the former is caused by an infarct of blood clot in brain artery and accounts for 80 % of all stroke cases; while the latter is caused by bleeding into the brain tissues accounting to 20 % of stroke occurrences (Feigin et al, 2003).Stroke is the third leading cause of death and is a major cause of adult neurological disability which affects approximately 130,000 people a year in the UK (National Audit Office, 2005). Mr. X was diagnosed of having left middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct 7 months ago resulting to neurological deficits on the contralateral side of the body. The extent of deficits following stroke depends upon the affected cerebral artery and subsequent areas of brain tissue compromised of blood supply by the damaged vessel (Porth, 2007). Upon assessment, Mr.X has right side hemiplegia, contralateral sensory impairment, dysphasia, bowel and bladder incontinence, and an existing Category I PrUs on both heels. The hemiplegia is explained by Brunner (2008) that because motor neurons decussat e, a disturbance of motor control on one side of the body may reflect damage to the motor neurons on the opposite side of the brain. Williams et al (2010) states that following a MCA infarct, there is alteration of the brain’s ability to process and interpret sensory data which results in Mr. X’s sensory impairment.Porth (2007) defines aphasia as a general term with varying degrees of inability to comprehend, integrate, and express language. Porth (2007) further states that a stroke on the MCA territory is the most common aphasia-producing stroke. It is then imperative to understand the pathology of affected areas of the brain to anticipate presence of motor, sensory, and speech deficits where the nurses and entire therapeutic team can intervene. For the purpose of data gathering and assessment, Gordon’s Functional Health Pattern (1987) is utilised as a framework of this essay.The model presents 11 functional health patterns categorized systematically for data c ollection and analysis, and is used as a guide in the development of a comprehensive nursing data base ( Gordon, 2000). The nurses can identify functional patterns as the clients’ strengths and dysfunctional patterns as the nursing diagnoses, which assist the nurse in developing the care plan (Gordon, 1994, 200). The assessment guide is particularly chosen because it gives the nurse a full opportunity to examine not only the physical aspect f human functioning but includes physiological and psychological disturbances experienced by the patient. Nursing diagnoses can then be derived from the wide-range of assessment data collected. The Gordon’s assessment tool is thereby used a framework for ensuring that all aspects of an individual’s patient’s life are considered. However, this essay will only focus on the following health patterns: Cognitive – Perceptual, Nutritional-Metabolic, Activity and Exercise where nursing problems were identified and ther eby require therapeutic care management.The Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research Guideline for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation (AHCPR, 2005) recommends that initial assessment of stroke patients should include a complete history and physical assessment with emphasis on medical co-morbidities, level of consciousness, skin assessment and risk of PrUs, mobility, and bowel and bladder function. Moreover, the following areas of assessment contribute to the development of PrUs: impaired sensory perception or cognition, decreased tissue perfusion, nutrition and hydration status, friction and shear forces, skin moisture, mobility, and continence status (Brunner, 2008; Porth 2007).The specific areas mentioned above will be of greater emphasis due to its contribution to PrU management in post-stroke Mr. X. Based upon history taking, Mr. X has been living with Hypertension (HPN) and DM for 12 years and has been insulin dependent for 5 months now after the occurrence of stroke. Past medical his tory must be taken into essential consideration especially in chronic conditions to ascertain levels of compliance to medical interventions, perception towards illness, and impact on patient’s lives (Crumbie, 2006).Establishment of rapport and consequently gaining trust from the patient thereby enables the nurse to create a good baseline history assessment and attain patient’s cooperation through the entire rehabilitation process. The nursing process first step is assessment which involves collecting data to help identify actual and potential health problems and patient needs. In order to develop appropriate nursing diagnoses, accurate assessments should be made to guarantee allocation of appropriate resources in the planning stage to achieve expected outcomes. Potter and Perry, 2008). It could be suggested that nurses in this stage of nursing process should employ opportunities for holistic assessments and use critical thinking in determining focus areas to be include d in the database. The cephalo-caudal principle of assessment is incorporated as a guide for presenting the health patterns, which sets the Cognitive – Perceptual pattern as the first to be approached highlighting assessments on cognition, perception, sensory, pain, and language.Williams et al (2010) states that post-stroke damage to the brain can result to cognitive and sensory impairment which often includes a decrease in thinking, effective decision-making, memory, and perception. Mr. X’s assessment of this health pattern reveals communication difficulty between patient and healthcare team. If communication problems arise, nurses conduct referrals to the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) who diagnoses presence of aphasia. However, the type of aphasia has not been established yet since Mr.X has been reportedly uncooperative to therapies. It could be suggested however, that basing on research, the Frenchay Aphasia Screening test (Enderby et al, 1987) can be utilised b y the SLT to administer a quick language measure. Another recommendation is the participation of nurses in an interview (Inpatient Functional Communication Interview, McCooey et al, 2004) by the SLT to describe how Mr. X communicate at bedside to help the SLT diagnose communication problems, if any.The limitation on data gathering and assessment process can be compromised at this stage because of problems on communication between the nurse and the patient. It could be suggested that a referral to a speech pathologist can be made to evaluate the patient’s speech, language and ability to understand by testing verbal expression, writing ability, reading, and understanding of verbal expression (Barker, 2002). A nursing diagnosis identified is Impaired verbal communication related to effects of dysphasia.It may be suggested that nurses should provide patients with aphasia a constant way of communicating, through hand gesture, tone of voice, facial expressions and verify responses with family members when warranted ( Holland et al, 2003). It may also be necessary to talk slow, clear, in simple terms and render the patient ample time to understand the information given (Barker, 2002). Family members of aphasic stroke survivors may also experience difficulty in various roles of care giving since the patient cannot communicate effectively (Christensen and Anderson, 1989; Draper and Brocklehurst, 2007).Therefore, it is also necessary to include the family, caregivers, and the nurses at bedside during therapies to maximise nursing care (Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party, 2008). Mr. X’s perception of pain is assessed periodically at varying times of a day to ensure pain relief. Mr. X cannot verbalise pain, but most of the time shows facial grimaces while pointing to right shoulder and hand where pain are felt. Brunner (2008) says that as many as 70 % of stroke patients suffer severe shoulder pain that prevents patients to perform balance and perform self- care activities.Mr. X upon physical assessment has painful shoulder, swelling and stiffness on right hand, defined by Brunner (2008) as shoulder-hand syndrome which causes a frozen shoulder and subcutaneous tissue atrophy, and is always painful. However, according to Edwards & Charlton (2002), it cannot be a cause of pain if managed correctly with appropriate limb support. In this regard, pain assessments should always be subjective and be backed up with objective data gathered. Nursing diagnosis identified is Chronic pain related to immobility secondary to disease process (Heath, 2008).Mr. X has been prescribed with pain relief, Piroxicam gel onto pain areas three times a day and Tramadol tab daily. Piroxicam Gel is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that inhibits the enzyme prostaglandin thereby reducing pain and swelling whereas Tramadol is an Opiod analgesic (British National Formulary, 2010). Moreover, Mr. X has been receiving Amitryptiline HCl to help in the management of post-stroke pain but it causes cognitive problems and sedation (Brunner, 2008) thereby requiring safety nursing measures.However, non-pharmacological nursing interventions should be employed first hand before medical interventions. Brunner (2008) suggests elevation of the hand and arm to prevent edema. National stroke guidelines recommend any patient whose range of motion at a joint is reduced should undergo passive stretching of all affected joints on a daily basis, and furthermore, taught to carers (Carter & Edwards, 2002) provided that pain relief is achieved at all times.Referrals to physical therapy or occupational therapy are suggested to evaluate physical debilitations relating to functional mobility to promote pre-morbid independence and subsequently enhance quality of life (Barker, 2011). The second health pattern to be presented is Nutritional – Metabolic. Stroke can present a wide range of deficits which can affect ability to eat and predispose a post-stroke patien t from malnutrition (Williams et al. , 2010).It is supported by Shelton and Reding (2001) who integrates associated weakness and sensory loss on arm and face more than the leg in patients who has had occlusion of the MCA. Barker (2002) states that nearly one third of stroke survivors have dysphagia and chewing difficulties which prompts nurses strategies to liaise aspiration risk with SLT and nutritionist or dietitian. Special diet and caloric calculations may also be needed for Mr. X due to daily insulin management, not to mention daily blood glucose monitoring.Waterlow (1985) emphasizes that those with eating difficulties are likely to eat less, thereby slowly predisposing to poor nutritional intake, so efforts should be directed at creating good balanced diet, is well-presented, and if possible, assistive devices are provided such as adapted cutlery for ease in eating, plate guards, non-slip pads and beakers for drinking. Monitoring of nutritional deterioration of post stroke pat ients is essential during rehabilitation phase thereby giving attention to nutritional intake, weight, gastrointestinal function, and general health condition (NICE, 2005).Weekly weighing has been advocated and utilization of nutritional screening tools that are validated and reliable are recommended by NICE (2005). Review of systems provides skin assessment in nutritional metabolic health pattern which revealed presence of pressure ulcer on heels. The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) (2009, p7) defines, ‘ A pressure ulcer is localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue usually over a bony prominence , as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear’.Waterlow (1996) emphasizes that excessive weight increases pressure on a bony area thinly covered by tissue such as the sacrum, heels, and trochanters. Pressure ulcers (PrUs) on the heel is a very common site of PrUs, ranking second fro m the sacrum (Bennett & Lee,1985; Hunter et al, 1985; Wong & Stotts, 2003) and is often painful (Black, 2005). Krueger (2006) in her study, stated that 25% of heel PrUs are related to diabetic neuropathy and peripheral arterial occlusive disease.PrU classification systems describe how severe the tissue damage is through progressive numbers or categories (Dealey, 2009). Given that all professionals utilize same system, logic dictates that all PrUs will be objectively assessed, however, Ousey (2005) debates that many grading systems available are rather subjective in nature giving professionals varying assessment interpretations. Grading systems assists healthcare professionals identify the severity of PrUs and serve as a baseline for care plans. However, careful clinical judgement by the nurse s essential in ensuring that the classification systems are used only as a guide, professional skills in assessment are needed to ascertain objective assessment data. In conclusion, grading sys tems serve as valuable tools to determine pressure sore severity in clinical practice, audit, and research ( Beeckman, 2007). Moreover, consistency in the use of classification system will enable the professionals to define progress of healing, allow evaluation of goals of treatment, and revise plans as deemed necessary.Based on the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) (2009) Pressure Ulcer Classification System, Mr. X has a Category I PrU and is defined as an area of intact skin with non-blanchable redness of a localized area, usually on a bony prominence, which may present as painful, warm, and edematous. The NPUAP and EPUAP classification system was designed to provide commonality in the definition and grading / categorization / staging of pressure ulcer, which is applicable in international settings.It has four categories, Category I to IV, each defining level of skin injury and adding physiologic descriptions, which i s recommended by NICE (2005). Terms such as unclassified or unstageable and deep tissue injury (DTI) which are classified as category IV is discussed separately in the new guideline (NPUAP and EPUAP, 2009). Ousley (2005) stated that Surrey system of classifying PrUs is the simplest tool available, presenting same four levels in plain terms, however, warns professionals of its relative subjectivity due to its simplicity.The EPUAP (2007) grading system is almost similar to NPUAP (2007), describing four grades, each is described in detail. However, according to a study done by Beeckman (2007), the EPUAP system of classification has a low inter-rater reliability because of complex details in the definition, leading to a low commonality of professionals identifying the categories of PrUs, jeopardising audit of prevalence rates and affectivity of wound management.The Torrance grading system involves five stages, each stage described simply and is easy to use, however it was not widely uti lised because of its number of categories (Ousey, 2005), which may impose confusion against four categories, rather than achieving consensus. Healey (1995) in her study, revealed that Surrey, Torrance, and Stirling systems do not have a high level of reliability. Similarly, the Stirling Pressure Sore Severity scale (SPSSS) tool is argued by Healey (1995) to have the lowest reliability rate because of its most complex subscales under each category.There are four stages starting from 0 where there is no evidence of pressure ulcer, then each category has subsections, describing the level of skin injury, wound bed, and presence of infection parameters (Ousley, 2005). However, Waterlow (1996) in her work on pressure sore prevention established the use of SPSSS as the standard classification system to be implemented because she argues that specialists and researchers need to define pressure ulcers in greater depth whereas the other systems’ relative simplicity is regarded as weakne ss in lieu of its use on clinical audit.In this regard, the NPUAP and EPUAP guideline is considered useful because it provides evidence-based assessment as it is proven to be an effective and reliable tool in every healthcare setting. This will enable the healthcare team to improve the care required for pressure ulcer due to a common baseline assessment of the ulcer, thereby requiring a specified care management depending on its stage. Nurses can then devise a care plan based on ulcer grading, identify appropriate treatment, allocate care resources, implement the plan, and do continual evaluation of the care plan with its goal directed at wound healing.However, to achieve this level of patient assessment and care, every nurse should possess the necessary knowledge and skills which can be achieved through continuing education and trainings in pressure risk assessment and PrUs management, an interdisciplinary collaboration ( NICE, 2005). Nursing diagnosis identified is Impaired skin i ntegrity related to immobility and decreased sensory perception secondary to disease process (Heath, 2009). Nursing management employed were repositioning Mr.X every 2 hours avoiding positioning on pressure area (EPUAP and NPUAP, 2009) and taking weight off the mattress by placing a pillow or a folded blanket under entire length of the leg and not under the Achilles tendon to protect the knee as well (Waterlow, 1996; NPUAP and EPUAP, 2009, Langermo et al, 2008). There are marketed devices for heel protection but needs constant care giver assessment since these devices are found to not keep the heels off the bed better than pillows do (Tymec et al, 1997).Relieving the pressure off the heels is often all that is needed to recover the tissues in category I Heel PrUs (Langemo et al, 2008) and if offloaded continuously hastens recovery time (Black, 2005). Periods of frustration and depression are sporadically experienced by 40 % of stroke patients throughout the recovery process or as a new phase in the trajectory of a chronic illness and is often underdiagnosed (Barker, 2002).Ideally, a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist diagnoses depression, but according to Intercollegiate stroke Working Party (2008) a healthcare professional with mental health training can diagnose using a clinical interview. It can also be suggested to use brief screening tools to identify patients at risk of depression such as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) or the Geriatric Depression Scale GDS ( Yesavage et al, 1982) which are validated tools to assess mood in stroke populations (Williams et al, 2010). Amitryptiline HCl, a Tricyclic antidepressant (BNF, 2010) is prescribed for Mr.X, and is taken daily. Duncan (2005) sets the prevention of stroke recurrence as the highest priorities in stroke rehabilitation and is therefore the responsibility of the nurse to understand stroke risk factors and apply contemporary evidence based lifestyle changes after pr oper training (Lawrence et al, 2011). Barker (2002) reports that stroke survivors have 30% probability of recurring stroke within a year and 50% can suffer fatal strokes in 5 years. It could then be suggested that a Stroke Risk Screening Tool (Barker, 2002) be utilised to decrease risk of death and evaluate risk factors of Mr.X such as HPN which is managed at present with antihypertensives, DM managed with Insulin injections, Hypercholesterolemia managed with Antilipidemics, advancing age, obesity, and diet. Therefore, an important aspect of nursing care is health education whereby nurses promote lifestyle change and supportive behavioral approach towards long-term health modification. In conclusion, nurses’ role in the care of post-stroke patient is multi-faceted, one that requires interprofessional linkage and deep understanding of contemporary evidence based interventions to address issues.DH (2007) further suggests that post stroke patients and their carers should receive support from varying range of services made available locally. Most importantly, though nursing interventions are standardized as guidelines, it could be suggested that it may not be all applicable in every patient interaction and care should be individualized as needed (Landers & McCarthy, 2007). Therefore, it is of prime importance for nurses to understand that healthcare decisions are based from patient’s individual choices derived from rational decision-making and the objective and rofessional advice of every member of the therapeutic team. Reference List Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. (1992) Pressure ulcers in adults: prediction and prevention. Clinical practice guideline no. 3. AHCPR, Public Health Service, US Department of Health and Human Services. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services. Barker, E. (2002) Neuroscience nursing: a spectrum of care. 2nd ed. Missouri. Mosby. Beeckman, D. , and Schoonhoven, L. (2007). EPUAP classification s ystem for pressure ulcers: european reliability study. Journal of Advance Nursing. 60 (6), 682-691. Bennett L, & Lee, BY. 1985) Pressure vs. shear in pressure sore causation:Chronic ulcers of the skin. New York. McGraw Hill. Black, J. (2005) Treating heel pressure ulcers. Nursing. 35:68. British national formulary. (2010) British national formulary:March 2010. London. BMJ group. BNF. org Carter, P. & Edwards, S. (2002) General principles of treatment. Neurological Physiotherapy: A problem solving approach. 2nd ed. Edinburgh. Churchill Livingstone. Christensen, JM. and Anderson, JD. (1989) Spouse adjustment to stroke:aphasic vs. non-aphasic partners. Journal of Communication Disorder. 22 (4), 225-231. Crumbie, A. 2007) Assessment and management of the patient with chronic health problems : Watson;s clinical nursing and related sciences. 7th ed. Edinburgh. Dealey, C. (2009) Skin care and pressure ulcers. Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 22 (9), 421-428. Department of health (2007) The national stroke strategy for England. Department of health. [online]. Available from:http://www. stroke. org. uk/campaigns/stroke_policy/the_national_stroke. html [14 November, 2011] Draper, P. and Brocklehurst, H. (2007) The impact of stroke on the well-being of the patient’s spouse: an exploratory study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 6 (2), 264-271. Duncan, P. , Zorowitz, R. , Bates, B. , Choi, J. , Glasberg,J. , Graham, G. , Katz, R. , Lamberty,K. , and Reker,D. (2005) Management of adult stroke rehabilitation care:a clinical practice guideline [online]. American heart association. Available from: http://stroke. ahajournals. org/content/36/9/e100. full. [Accessed 12 October 2011]. Edwards, S. & Charlton, PT. (2002) Splinting and the use of orthoses in the management of patients with neurological disorders. Neurological Physiotherapy: A problem solving approach. 2nd ed. Edinburgh. Churchill Livingstone. Enderby, P. , Wood, V. , and Wade, D. 1987) Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test. NFER-Nelson. Windsor. European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. , (2009) Pressure ulcer prevention: quick reference guide [online]. Available from: www. eupap. org [Accessed 20 November 2011]. Feigin, V. , Lawes, C. , Benett, D. , Anderson, C. (2003) Stroke Epidemiology: a review of population-based studies of incidence, prevalence, and case fatality in the late 20th century. The Lancet Neurology. 2 (1) 45-53. Gordon, M. (1994). Nursing diagnosis: Process and application. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby. Gordon, M. (2000). Manual of nursing diagnosis: 1995-1996.St. Louis: Mosby. Healey, F. (1995) The reliability and utility of pressure sore grading. Journal of Tissue Viability, 5 (40), 111-114. Heath, H. (2002) Potter and perry’s foundation in nursing theory and practice. London. Elsevier science limited. Heather, H. (2009) North American nursing diagnosis association international nursing diagnoses. Oxford. Wiley-blackwell. Holland, K. , Jenkins, J. , Solomon, J. and Whittam, S. (2003) Applying the roper logan Tierney model in practice. London. Elsevier limited. Hunter, SM. , Langemo, DK. , and Olson, B. (1995) The effectiveness of skin care protocols for pressure ulcers.Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing. 20 (2), 50-55. Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party. (2008) National clinical guideline for stroke. 3rd edition. London. Royal college of physicians. Kelly, J. (1994) The aetiology of pressure sores. Journal of tissue and viability. 4(3), 77 Krueger RA. (2006) Pressure relieving support surfaces: a randomized evaluation. Poster presented at the 9th European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Conference. Berlin, Germany. Landers, M. and Mc Carthy, G. (2007) Person-centred nursing practice with older people in Ireland. Nursing Science Quarterly. 20 (1), 78-84. Langemo, D. , Thompson, P. Hunter, S. , Hnason, D. , Anderson, J. (2008) Heel pressure ulcers:stand guard. Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 21 (6), 282-292. Lawr ence, M. , Fraser, H. , Woods, C. , and McCall, J. (2011) Secondary prevention of stroke and transient ischemic attack. Nursing Standard. 26 (9), 41-46. Maklebust, J and Magnan, MA (1994) Risk factors associated with having a pressure ulcer: a secondary data analysis. Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 7 (27), 31-34. Maklebust, J and Magnan, MA (2005) Preventing heel pressure ulcers in immobilized patients. Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 18 (1), 22 McCooey, R. , Worrall, L. , Toffoko,D. Code, C. , and Hickson, L. (2004) Inpatient functional communication interview. Singular publishing. National audit office (2005). Reducing brain damage – faster access to better stroke care. The stationary office. London. National institute for health and clinical excellence (2005) CG29 Pressure ulcer development:quick management guide [online]. Available from: http://publications. nice. org. uk/pressure-ulcers-cg29/guidance [Accessed 26 October 2011]. National pressure ulcer advisory panel ( NPUAP). (2007). Pressure Ulcer Definition and Stages. NPUAP. Available from: www. npuap. org [Accessed: 16th December 2011).Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2008). The code Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London. Nursing and midwifery council. Ousey, K. (2005) Pressure area care. Oxford. Blackwell. Porth,C. (2007) Essentials of pathophysiology:concepts of altered mental states. 2nd ed. London. Lippincott Williams & wilkins. Shelton, FN. and Reading, MJ. (2001) Effect of lesion location on upper limb motor recovery after stroke. Stroke. 32 (1), 107-112. Smeltzer,S. , Bare, B. , Hinkle, J. , and Cheezer, K. (2008) Brunner & suddarth’s textbook of medical-surgical nursing. 11th ed. London.Lippincott williams & wilkins. Tymec AC, Pieper B, Vollman K. (1997) A comparison of two pressure-relieving devices on the prevention of heel pressure ulcers. Advances in Skin and Wound Care. 10(1), 39-44. Waterlow, J. (1996) Pressure sore prevention manual. Taunton, Somerset Williams, J. , Perry,L. and Watkins, C. (2010) Acute stroke nursing. Chichester. Wiley-blackwell. Wong, VK. , Stotts, NA. (2003) Physiology and prevention of heel ulcers: the state of science. Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing. 30 ( ), 191-198. Yesavage, JA. , Brink, TL. , Rose, TL. , Lum, O. , Huang, V. (1982) Development

Hamlet’s Psychological Aspect Essay

I decided to do this research work because I have enjoyed a lot reading this play: Hamlet. The inner motivations and psyche of this character have captured my attention. Therefore, the aim of this research is to depict Hamlet’s attitudes during the play. I will try to approach to his real feelings on life and death taking into consideration what critics and researchers have said about Hamlet. In order to clarify Hamlet’s personality and behaviour, I will provide some aspects of the historical context in which Shakespeare was inspired to write this play, and a brief summary of it to take into account the plot. Finally, I will make a conclusion in which I will try to summarise the most important impressions of this research. Historical Context of the play Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, who had been the queen of England more than forty years. As she had no children the question of who would succeed her was a situation that provoked anxiety at that time. Due to this fact, researchers agree that many of Shakespeare’s plays from this period concern transfers of power from one monarch to the next. Another important issue dealt with in his plays is the general sense of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, betrayal and revenge. For instance, Hamlet displays all the themes mentioned above. Shakespeare was able to sum up the most impotant values of the Renaissance. Cultural phenomenon that began in the fifteenth-century and proclaimed the humanism: a new thought that revalued the social and popular aspect of life. People who belonged to the Renaissance period claimed that human beings lived in a world of appearances, in which they tried to hide their realities, that is to say, their deepest desires and what they actually were. Hamlet had to face one of the most difficult realities: injustice. A task that presents a dilemma to him: â€Å"to be or not to be†. While pointing out questions that cannot be answered, the play as a whole chiefly demonstrates the difficulty of knowing the truth about other people: who are guilty or innocent, which their motivations and feelings are. Brief Summary of the play Shakespeare begins the play with the death of the King of Denmark and the possession of the throne by the King’s brother Claudius, instead of the King’s son, that is to say the prince Hamlet, who was supposed to be the next in line. What is more, the new king Claudius suddenly married Gertrude, the dead king’s widow. Thus, the prince Hamlet got depressed by the unexpected situation. One night, Hamlet’s father appears as a ghost to tell Hamlet that he had been murdered by his own brother Claudius, that is to say, Hamlet ´s uncle. In his anger, Hamlet decides to fulfill his father’s request, which is to avenge his death. In order to confirm what the ghost has said, Hamlet organizes a play in which he represents the assessination scene. While the play is being performed, Claudius stands up and goes out feeling guilty. At the moment, Hamlet confirms the truth and discusses the situation with his mother. As Hamlet notices that someone is spying on them behind the curtains, he stabs his sword without checking who this person is. As a result, he kills Polonius, Claudius’s chief councillor. When Ophelia, Polonius ´s daughter, is informed about her father’s death she reacts with madness and eventually falls in a stream and drowns. After that, Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, is told that Hamlet is involved in Polonius’s death and Ophelia’s madness. Therefore, he wants to avenge his father’s and sister’s death trying to eliminate Hamlet. As Claudius promised Laertes to help him with the revenge, they plan to kill Hamlet as if by accident with a poisoned sword in a fencing match. Claudius also plans to offer Hamlet a poisoned drink during the fight. When the fencing contest begins, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude drinks the poisoned drink before Caludius can stop her and she dies. Hamlet turns away and Laertes wounds him with the poisoned sword, but Hamlet goes on fighting. During the struggle, they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes, who confesses the plan telling Hamlet that he is also sure to die from the effect of the poison. After hearing the truth, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the poison, too. Finally, while Hamlet is dying by the effect of the poison, he orders one of his friends called Horatio to tell the terrible story of the happening to everyone.

Australian women in WW2 essays

Australian women in WW2 essays The coming of World War II in 1939 saw almost 800 thousand Australian men and women leave the country serving the Australian Armed Forces. For the many women left behind this created vast opportunities for them to develop their economical and social status. Their patriotism was targeted in many areas, including paid work, romance and motherhood. They became highly independent parents and in the work force and many Australian women found romance in the visiting American soldiers. With hardly any men left in the country Australian women's patriotism was called upon, the work that they had traditionally done in the home was seen as unnecessary, and they were called upon to enter the 'real work force', or jobs that had previously been seen as men's work.. The government and private industry had realised the enormous potential of a mobilised work force of women. Many of the tasks undertaken by women initially caused surprise and some open debate, but it was not long before scenes of women working in factories and with heavy machinery ceased to be unusual. Women were encouraged to fill the gap that the men had left in the work force and enter areas of work including munitions, factory work and other auxiliary services. Many women undertook intensive training on machinery and production procedures to ensure the supply of products essential to Australia's war effort. Women working in the jobs classified as men's were receiving 90% of the male wage, while women who stayed in work that could not be left, like clothing and textiles remained at only 65% of the male wage. There was great concern about the introduction of women to the work force, particularly their suitability and whether or not they would maintain their femininity. There was also fears that women in uniform would develop lesbian tendencies and cause men to be obsolete. This, ofcourse, was untrue and it was also proven that women were just as worthy in the work place a ...

Essay on A Classic Case of Separation of Powers

Essay on A Classic Case of Separation of Powers Essay on A Classic Case of Separation of Powers Essay on A Classic Case of Separation of PowersThe federal and state budgeting process is to a significant extent similar but still they have differences that make them distinct from each other and, thus, contribute to the development of different approaches to budgeting.The main difference between the federal and state budgeting is the larger authority of Governors compared to the US President in terms of forming the budget of states or the US respectively. Pataki vs. Assmebly and Silver vs. Paraki cases and respective court’s ruling has proved the authority of governors to play the key part in the formation of the budget, while legislatures have limited opportunities to change the budget since they have to have two-thirds votes to overcome a governor’s veto or change the budget.In this regard, the authority of the US President is more limited compared to the authority of governors because the US President has to coordinate the budget with legislators in both houses of the Congress. In fact, the US Presidents just makes the proposal, whereas is the Senate and the House of Representatives have to vote for the proposed budget but they also have the right to introduce changes in the proposed budget to introduce changes, which they consider to be essential. In such a way, the US President should have the support of the majority of the Congress to introduce the budget without significant changes.Thus, cases Pataki vs. Assmebly and Silver vs. Paraki contributed to the enhancement of the position of governors in budgeting at the state level, whereas the federal budget is different from state budget since the President is more dependent on legislatures than governors.

7 Excel Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier

7 Excel Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier A whopping 67% of middle-skill jobs require experience in Excel. Just because you hate numbers and the thought of spreadsheets make you nauseous doesn’t mean you can’t add this valuable skill to your resume with confidence. Here are a few tricks to make you an Excel wizard.  1. ChartsThese are not just for the know-it-all in grade school. Charts are a great way to make your data visual, and a great way to impress the bigwigs. Once you’ve entered your data, simply click Insert Chart  Chart Type   and you’re on your way.2. Conditional FormattingThe possibilities here are endless. Want to show off profit margins? Or efficiency? Simply click Home  Ã‚  Conditional Formatting  Ã‚  Add and make your magic. Low numbers (say those below 70%) or profits under 3% could be set to automatically highlight in red, while excellent numbers could be highlighted in green.3. Quick AnalysisHave a smaller data set? You can skip to the fancy chart and table stage by u sing this tool. Just highlight your data and click on the icon in the bottom right corner of your highlight field to open the Quick Analysis menu.4. AutofillWhy enter the same thing in every row when you can have Excel do it for you? Just type in the datum you need repeated, then click and drag the lower right-hand corner of the cell all the way down the column.5. Power ViewHave a larger data set? Power View can collate and make sense of your data for you, generating visual, interactive reports for you to present directly to the boss. Just click Insert  Ã‚  Reports and start exploring.6. Pivot TablesThey sound really fancy, but they’re super useful. You don’t have to write a single formula, but you can summarize all of your data into impressive and informative tables and lists. Just click Insert  Ã‚  PivotTable, select your data range, use the drop-down menu to select your fields, then make your table!7. VLOOKUPIf you’re working in a database with multiple s heets and tabs, VLOOKUP is a great way to bring them all together and pull coherent information from the entire data set. Under the Formula menu, select VLOOKUP and enter the cell that contains your reference, then the range of cells to pull from, the column number, and either â€Å"true† or â€Å"false.†These few tricks are handy for everyone, but will make you stand out among your colleagues- even if you’re â€Å"bad at numbers.†Once you have these done, step up your game and learn these 7 advanced Excel Tricks. It might even get you a raise or promotion.7 Excel Tricks Thatll Make Your Life a Lot Easier (Especially if Youre Not a Numbers Person)

Theory, Research, and Evidence-Based Practice Research Paper

Theory, , and Evidence-Based Practice - Research Paper Example behind the origin of this theory was to encourage motivation among patients in making healthy decisions concerning the most appropriate health services to be adopted. The success of this theory depends on some four conditions. The person must first develop a belief he or she can undergo some risks occasioned by particular ailments conditions. The patient must also believe that the risks linked to the development of the disease are not desirable at all. Additionally, the patient must also have a belief that the particular behavior change can change the magnitude of the disease. Finally, the patient must also believe that the existence of some barriers that tend to hinder behavior change can be managed (Buchanan, 2008). The HBM follows a condition of perceived threat. In this regard, a behavior related to health care must ignite a stimulus action to avert a life threatening disease. For instance, a person who practices sunbathing everyday but not aware that he is exposing himself to skin cancer, will just continue with the behavior. This brings up perceived threats of two kinds. These are perceived vulnerability and perceived sternness. In susceptibility, a person considers the level of risks that he has while in severity, a person considers the outcomes of the perceived risks. An individual needs to belief in both severity and susceptibility as a condition of changing his health behaviors effectively. The nature of severity and susceptibility presents real dangers to individuals. As a result, they will adopt behavior changes such as performing exercises, losing weight, stopping drinking, and giving up smoking in a bid to reverse their health conditions. However, many of these behavior changes are not easy to accomplish. For instance, stopping smoking may take a long time and the benefits may not be accomplished immediately (Buchanan, 2008). The knowledge of health belief model to determine the patient’s rejection and acceptance possibility for an intervention

Leadership in context 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership in context 1 - Essay Example Many incidents occur in management because of the misconception which arises between leaders in the organization where by they should understand that management is doing things right while leadership is dong the right things. Leadership is very interesting because it does not only have a concern with the management task, but it also explores sociological nature of mankind. Critical Analysis According to Burnes (2009) critical analysis of communication approaches applied in organizational change affects the implementation of organizational in the modern society. This is because the approach involved in change evaluates results to less attention. Change in leadership has always been a characteristic in organizational life though many of the people urge that frequency and magnitude are greater than ever before. Today businesses face an increased challenge of funds in competition in the markets for their inputs. According to Lewis (2011) organization must take in to consideration the dri ving forces and restraining forces for change whereby the driving forces must exceed the restraining forces. Regardless of the challenges and dynamics, the business environment organization must adopt their ethical behaviors and practices in real life time and external conditions. Basing argument with Conant and Ashby philosophy in implementation theory outlines that the research agenda in organizational changes towards contingency includes observing an organizational change initiative by using a different process of models. Again it focuses on identifying and diagnosing how and when to respond to break down changes in an organization. Therefore, ones model to fit in an organization results to strategic questioning in the research agenda by comparing the advantages of organizational model fitness (Wagner 2012). According to Burnes (2004), change has always been a characteristic of organizational life, although many argue that frequency and magnitude of change is now greater than eve r before. The implication of this statement with respect to contemporary understanding of the change process is that, management makes the system of the people and technology flow in a systematic way in day to day life thus making the organization technology to run effectively and efficiently. Basically, according to today’s life, change in leadership is much more in relation to putting more effort in order to change the whole process of management in the organization thus making it move faster and more efficiently (Burnes 2009). Change leadership is more about the people, and their decision making plans according to vision and mission in their project activities. Change in leadership has potential of controlling things in an organization; for example, in today’s world, the talks are always on the side of change in management hence the world does not do much about change in leadership since it is associated with the ways on how to make things move in an orderly manner. It maybe hindered by some the challenges, but the fact is that there is nobody who is perfect in doing the right thing, so it is obviously a big deal in most of the organizations. The goal is often set to minimize the distractions and the impact of change which concerns’ with the driving forces and visions in the organization. Models of Planned Change The models have been highly

Situational Analysis and Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Situational Analysis and Discussion - Essay Example Firstly, with regards to the company culture that was evidenced, the shareholder could have expressed a greater degree of tact and appreciation for the means by which Mr Majid understood his role within the organization and carefully guarded over any and all sectors he had purview over (Meyer 1998). Although Mr Majid’s response to the new employee’s job function and tactics was overstated and outright narrow-minded, the fact of the matter was that Mr Majid was still a more senior shareholder at the firm and as such commanded a modicum of deference with regards to the means by which the new employee sought to present the changes he had been tasked with to him. Secondly, and perhaps just as important, the student could have utilized the data in a more effective manner. As a function of the study that was being undertaken and the level of valuable customer service data that was being gleaned by the student and his six employees, management could have been effectively brief ed with this information and possibly convinced of its overall importance with respect to increasing profitability within the firm. Instead, the shareholder became somewhat, reasonably, combative with regards to the way in which Mr Majid felt regarding the ongoing efforts in which the student was engaged. Instead, the situation rapidly escalated with Mr Masjid coming to the conclusion that the student was of little value in his current role and the student coming to the conclusion that Mr Masjid, although having worked at the firm for a number of years... Masjid, although having worked at the firm for a number of years understood little with regards to how proper management should be effected. Finally, the reader can come away with an understanding of how proper protocol was followed on the part of the student with relation to how he ultimately went to the Human Resources director as a means of seeking to mediate the ongoing dispute between himself and Mr. Masjid. Although it is tempting in many situations to escalate on one’s own terms, knowing when to turn aside and seek to expert counsel of a third party that can hope to mediate the crisis is an invaluable skill that usually takes people many years to develop. However, as the case proved, once the initial run-in with Mr. Masjid occurred, the student was quick to seek out the expert guidance and counsel of the Human Resources director in an effort to ameliorate the situation (Sharpe, 2012). Consulting Questions and Recommendations: In order to provide some useful prioritizati ons to the student with regards to what a good course of action could have been to pursue within the given situation which has been defined, it is the belief of this reviewer that such a level of recommended actions can be summed up in the following: providing metricized understandings of the scope and benefits of the project to Mr. Masjid and fellow management rather than coming to a disagreement over the value of the work performed, the shareholder could have integrated with Mr. Masjid in a more respectful manner, and/or the shareholder could have sought to make it apparent that he was operating on the express wishes of the manager that had gone on vacation. Although the situation may not have turned

Underground economic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Underground economic - Assignment Example For example, nobody will admit that they are in drug business or how much money they make in the illegal trade causing the method to be inaccurate due to the inaccurate information supplied by the respondents. b. Discrepancies in official statistics – estimate of underground economy can also be done by comparing the statistics in national accounting. Ideally, total income must be equal to total final expenditures. If there is an excess of expenditures over incomes, this indicates the size the underground economy. This is based on a common sense that one cannot spend more than one earns. So the extra money that was spent is assumed to have come in the underground economy in the discrepancies in official statistics approach. Another estimate that can be done using discrepancies in official statistics is to check labor statistics. A decline in formal employment or labor participation indicates that the number of people in underground economy is increasing as workers are migrating from formal to informal employment. c. Monetary approaches – the monetary approach recognizes that underground economy transacts only in cash to avoid paper trail that could detect and trace their illegal activities. The extent of the size of the underground economy can be estimated by analyzing the money supply (composed of cash and bank deposits) whether it has increased or decreased. An increase in money supply without the reported transactions or any visible economic activities indicate the existence of an underground economy. The value of the underground economy can then be extrapolated by comparing the value of money supply (cash on hand and bank deposits) to reported transactions in a given economy. The discrepancy between the value of money supply and reported transactions will give an estimate of the size of underground

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - Essay Example The notion of knowledge management views knowledge as tacit or something which is present in one’s mind. Human expression and practice compound to the making of knowledge. However, knowledge cannot be enhanced in an isolated state of mind; that is, for knowledge to flourish, information must be enhanced through interaction (Kalkan, 2008). Both explicit and implicit knowledge must be tapped by organizations in order to progress successfully in today’s globalised world. Knowledge management is, therefore, focused on the attainment of organizational goals and objectives by enhancing the productivity of organizational knowledge in all activities, tasks and programs pertaining to knowledge. The aim is to create and sustain competitive advantage for the firm in the global marketplace by helping organizations exploit untapped knowledge. Hence, knowledge management essentially involves learning through social experiences and interactions. Researchers have broken down knowledge management into four major constructs including the development, manifestation, diffusion and use of knowledge (Kalkan, 2008). It is rather simplistic to think of knowledge management as a linear process in today’s global village. ... Factors such as geographic dispersion, interaction across different time zones and cross-cultural differences result in increased challenges for the firm (Pawlowski & Bick, 2012). Thus, the global arena has opened a new window for viewing knowledge management which incorporates introductory level, implementation and process issues pertaining to knowledge management (Alavi & Leidner, 2005). Despite increased awareness of these issues, research indicates that most businesses fail to successfully implement global knowledge management (Pawlowski & Bick, 2012). Global knowledge management encompasses all knowledge related activities, tasks, policies and processes that are performed within or between organizations that are globally dispersed. Culture of both the organization and the nation/region plays a vital role here (Holden, 2001). The global environment, therefore, brings with it a host of challenges including those pertaining to humans, organization, management and technology. All hu man interaction and communication (including the dissemination of knowledge) is heavily influenced by culture (Holden, 2001). But perhaps, the greatest of these challenges is to define the very nature of knowledge management itself. Although there have been efforts to differentiate data and information from knowledge, a concrete working definition has not yet been developed in the context of global dynamics (Roberts, 2009). Despite increasing emphasis on knowledge-oriented markets, there has been criticism which calls into existence the very existence of such markets. The absence of a concrete definition questions whether or not these markets actually exist or whether they are â€Å"old wine in a new bottle† (Roberts, 2009). The term knowledge has become a metaphor rather than a term with

Describe the main determinants of oral health inequalities. Discuss Essay

Describe the main determinants of oral health inequalities. Discuss dental public health strategies that can be implemented to tackle oral health inequalities - Essay Example Just as healthy body contributes in creating sound mind, similarly oral health is essential in maintaining a healthy body (Audobato, 2009). Due to this it can be stated that oral health and healthy body have a positive connection with each other. Surgeon David reported oral health as ‘silent epidemics’ and emphasized on the importance of oral health by creating a strong connection of oral health with other diseases. A human mouth is the main portal of a human body and bacteria which is present in the mouth causes and creates different systematic conditions. According to the doctors, dentists and physicians every part of the body is linked with each other. Thus if any problem exists in the mouth area then it causes adverse affects all over the body (Donaghy, 2006). An oral health disease also causes harmful effects on the physical and psychological well beings of the people and this further affects the overall quality of life. According to the study conducted in America it has been stated that 23% of 65-74 year age group suffer from severe periodontal diseases. But not all of them get cured because this facility is not provided to all as 5 % of the aged Americans live in long-term care facility where the this fac ility is not provided to them, thus inequality in oral health prevails. Generally individuals are reluctant in getting their oral problems cured because of the general cost associated with oral health, i.e. oral health issues are expensive to cure. The cost factor is the biggest factor for individual’s unwillingness all over the world. Thus, Oral health knowledge and awareness is not only important for the well being of the individuals but also for the well being of the society. A large population today enjoys all the services of dental and they are being taken care of their every oral health related problem. But with deep grief there still exists a

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS - Essay Example The notion of knowledge management views knowledge as tacit or something which is present in one’s mind. Human expression and practice compound to the making of knowledge. However, knowledge cannot be enhanced in an isolated state of mind; that is, for knowledge to flourish, information must be enhanced through interaction (Kalkan, 2008). Both explicit and implicit knowledge must be tapped by organizations in order to progress successfully in today’s globalised world. Knowledge management is, therefore, focused on the attainment of organizational goals and objectives by enhancing the productivity of organizational knowledge in all activities, tasks and programs pertaining to knowledge. The aim is to create and sustain competitive advantage for the firm in the global marketplace by helping organizations exploit untapped knowledge. Hence, knowledge management essentially involves learning through social experiences and interactions. Researchers have broken down knowledge management into four major constructs including the development, manifestation, diffusion and use of knowledge (Kalkan, 2008). It is rather simplistic to think of knowledge management as a linear process in today’s global village. ... Factors such as geographic dispersion, interaction across different time zones and cross-cultural differences result in increased challenges for the firm (Pawlowski & Bick, 2012). Thus, the global arena has opened a new window for viewing knowledge management which incorporates introductory level, implementation and process issues pertaining to knowledge management (Alavi & Leidner, 2005). Despite increased awareness of these issues, research indicates that most businesses fail to successfully implement global knowledge management (Pawlowski & Bick, 2012). Global knowledge management encompasses all knowledge related activities, tasks, policies and processes that are performed within or between organizations that are globally dispersed. Culture of both the organization and the nation/region plays a vital role here (Holden, 2001). The global environment, therefore, brings with it a host of challenges including those pertaining to humans, organization, management and technology. All hu man interaction and communication (including the dissemination of knowledge) is heavily influenced by culture (Holden, 2001). But perhaps, the greatest of these challenges is to define the very nature of knowledge management itself. Although there have been efforts to differentiate data and information from knowledge, a concrete working definition has not yet been developed in the context of global dynamics (Roberts, 2009). Despite increasing emphasis on knowledge-oriented markets, there has been criticism which calls into existence the very existence of such markets. The absence of a concrete definition questions whether or not these markets actually exist or whether they are â€Å"old wine in a new bottle† (Roberts, 2009). The term knowledge has become a metaphor rather than a term with

Smoke detectors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smoke detectors - Essay Example This aspect compels companies that contravene these laws and other government policies on emissions to pay more in terms of hefty fines and this weakens the financial positions of most companies resulting to closure or struggling of subsidiaries in emerging markets. On equal measure, corruption has seen the recent claims on the dangers of ionization detectors kept from the public. Conspiracy between the government authorities and the some manufacturing companies forms a significant portion of a political risk on the smoke detector industry, because if the agitation on the issue persists, the companies stand to lose on the profits due to low sales. The Chilean government’s stability and convenient policies on smoke detector industry have encouraged foreign investors to invest. For instance, Chile’s stronger governance has enabled existence of a favourable taxation policy, which has relatively reduced the cost of foreign investors entering a country. This has increased business activities in the smoke detector industry. In essence, the Chilean government provides a favourable environment for investors in the smoke detector industry through tax incentives and protection against public misconception about the dangers of diverse produc ts. The target market for the Chilean smoke detectors in the US market is the students and homes. An estimated 20% of homes in the US are installed with the smoke detectors and the government policy requires that all learning institution be installed with such equipment (Razin, Assaf, Vosgerau, and Bufman, 123). This indicates that most of the Chilean smoke detectors land in the schools, colleges and homes. The perspective of this target is that it forms a large market niche for the detectors from the Chilean manufactures. Similarly, another portion of the US market for the detectors from Chile is the residential pool

Ethics in Human Resource Management

Ethics in Human Resource Management This report mainly focuses on providing a critical analysis of ethics and HRM. It further shows the issues to be considered to ensure fairness and justice in the employment relationship. It examines that how changes in the nature of the work are causing illness. The focal point of this report is to examine the real causes of stress and illness in the workplace and evaluation of their solutions. Through entire study and findings, it is concluded that although the changes in the nature of work cause stress and illness, still these can be eradicated by adopting appropriate measures like good management style, training, mentoring, health and safety measures, planning and time management. Introduction Human Resource Management is the systematic and effective management of people to achieve the desired objectives. To gain a strategic edge, it is very important to manage the people resources productively. This will help to attain the strategic goals as well as the satisfaction of the individual employee needs. All the Human Resource practices are based on ethical foundation. It is the responsibility of the employers to maintain health and safety of their employers in the workplace. The main objective of this report is to provide a critical analysis of ethics and HRM and examine the real causes of illness in the workplace and evaluate their solutions. This report helps in undertaking a search in analyzing the ethics to be used in HRM for ensuring employee health and safety. Thus, it mainly focuses on finding the causes that increase illness in the workplace and it proposes various ways to eradicate illness. Moreover, workplaces culture should be developed in such a way that it should allow flexibility, security, autonomy, recognition, participation and involvement to employees in order to create a stress free atmosphere. Ethics and HRM According to Winstanley, Woodall and Heery (1996), Ethics is a special branch of philosophy that focuses on the questions related to morality, that is concepts such as good and bad, right and wrong ; fairness and righteousness. Business ethics deals with the degree and extent of morality to be used in business (George Zoe, 2010). Morals, standards, values and ethics have becoming more complex in the present modern society and the concept of absolutes is taken away by ambiguity. As per Pitt (2007), Human Relations Management is concerned with a variety of ethical issues to be dealt with for making decisions related to businesses. Before making the decisions, the various alternatives catering to the needs of the business must be checked and their effects on the lives of the employees must be considered. Nowadays the relationship between ethics and HRM is becoming a major issue to be taken care of. A significant turning point has been experienced by ethics and Human Resource Management . The business ethics mainly put attention on the social and ecological responsibilities of the companies within the society. Ethics are now becoming one of the most important internal concerns for the companies. Previously, the interests of the employees were not taken into consideration but now it has become one of the main responsibilities of the company to ethically manage its human resources (Christian Andra, 2009). Now its the era of ethical leadership. Acts of its employees towards a business perspective to his moral character is a litmus test.  Relationship between business and its employees is based on employment contract. The principle of ethical selection is followed by an ethical organization for hiring prospective employees. As per this principle an organization should only hire a person who is expected to contribute the maximum towards increasing the long-term value of the business (Glenn, 2001). According to this principle, factors like gender, age, nationality a nd religion are not relevant for hiring a person. The ethical issues which are reflected in the case are: Safety and health: Much of the work in the industries and companies is hazardous. All this is because of the use of heavy technology. Nowadays there is much use of machineries and high temperature based production processes. In addition, there is more dependence on chemical compounds. All these aspects increase injuries, illnesses and accidents in the workplace. For instance, the job of a bullfighter or bomb disposal expert (De Cieri Kramar, 2008). New sources of accidents and illnesses are increasing day by day. Risk is present in every job but its frequency differs from job to job. Face to face ethics: These types of ethics arise due to human element in the activities in the workplace. No work is possible without employees. Corporate policy ethics: The use of more technology in the workplace has replaced the labor in the workplace. This has made hundreds of persons jobless. The managers are responsible for making policies and their successful implementation. The ethical content of these policies has massive impact throughout the company. It should be such that it can be able to send right signals to every person in the company (Shuttleworth, 2004). Employee Relations: Its the duty of the HR manager to maintain objectivity in hiring, discipline, promotion, training, retention, termination and compensation (Ken Joanne, 2010). All this lies at the core of human resources. HR should make it sure that the company policies should follow anti-discrimination legislature and polices of the integrity of performance reviews to make sure that the evaluation process remains fair with all the jobs (Ken Joanne, 2010). Communication: Another duty of the HR Department is to keep informed everyone in the organization on relating to the various legal and ethical issues. HR prepares various communication vehicles to advise employees of the companys code of ethics and no-tolerance policies such as documents, seminars, and informal meetings (Hughes Bozionelos, 2007). Increase in competition, locally or globally, need that organizations should be more adaptable, flexible, agile, and customer focused to succeed (Markiewicz, 2007).  And with this change in the environment the human resource professional needs to be a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and moreover, a change mentor within the organization. Grove (2009) suggests that in order to succeed a business driven HR function with a thorough understanding of the organizations big picture may be more important to be able to influence decisions and policies.  In general, todays human resource managers focus is on strategic personnel retention and developing talent (Teasdale, 2006).  A recent study (Grove 2009) found that human resource professionals, coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners will help to motivate organizations members and their loyalty.  Human Resources Manager will also promote and fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organizations in the management of workplace diversity, specifically. Insecurity and risk: Another ethical issue that is depicted in the case is insecurity and risk present in the job. This has arisen because of the changes in the macro-economic environment and mass un-employment (Makin Winder, 2009). All this happens because of business restructuring and stripping out of the costs due to redundancy, outsourcing, contingent contracts and systems of rewards in the employment (Grawitch, Trares Kohler, 2007).   Another problematic element of the shift to greater risk and insecurity for workers is that what is happening when other stakeholders have to act on the same insulation from risk (Rodney, Matrina Anne, 2008). Undoubtedly, a key element of economic life in recent years has been a transfer of risk from those who finance business i.e. banks, institutional investors, shareholders, taxpayers and the Treasury to those in gainful employment (Teasdale, 2006).  The moral question here is whether this shift is fair, or compatible with the ru les of distributive justice.  It could be suggested that the transfer is unfair because the investors are in a stronger position to risk-sharing by employees and that this has happened, crudely, it is the exploitation of the change in the bargaining power by the strongest party in industrial relations (Teasdale, 2006). Surveillance and control: It is major ethical concern these days. The right of the employing agency to enter into the subjectivity of the worker to control and manipulate, is taken for guaranteed (Pitt, 2007).  Whether the use of psychometric tests for selection or promotion of employees, culture change programs that seek to challenge assumptions on the job or competence-based HRM, which seeks to promote compliance  with attitudes and behavior, the assumption is that it is lawful for the employer to trespass on workers autonomy.  Such misconduct will never be complete, but the trend for a large complex HRM is to invade privacy of employees. While new forms of work organization can be effective in increasing productivity, but possible adverse effects on the welfare of workers should be considered when evaluating these initiatives (Christian Andra, 2009). A wide range of human relations management activities is concerned with various ethical issues, both on the part of upper-level for management of business and management decisions of low-level regarding treatment of the individual employees (Winstanley, Woodall Heery, 1996).   This can be devastating to individual employees and the communities in which they live.  Managing decisions must be honestly done by taking into account all the factors, including social responsibility as well as stockholder concerns.   HR manager should consider various options for business needs and take the decision that is best for company and employees as well as it will have an impact on employees live.    Issues involved in considering rights, responsibilities, fairness and justice in the employment relationship: There are many issues which are needed to be considered to have good and faithful employment relationship as it has impact on the whole society and economy as a whole. Good Faith: There should be positive relationship between employer and employee. Good faith means to deal with honestly, openly and without misleading each other. It also requires parties to actively and constructively creating and maintaining a productive relationship (Glenn Klaas, 2001).  Such behavior makes sense. Workers with positive relationships are more likely to enjoy the benefits of sustainable, decent work.  Employers also benefit productive employee. On the other hand, an employment relationship may be affected if it is based on distrust and there is doubt or lack of communication. Workplace health and safety: The purpose of workplace health and safety is to protect the health and safety of health and safety of all in a workplace (Markiewicz, 2007). Grawitch, Trares and Kohler state that Effective management of health and safety in the workplace is not only good business, but it is a requirement under the law. Employers have an obligation to ensure that the way in which business is conducted has no adverse effects on health and safety of themselves, their workers or anyone who enters the workplace. The occupational health and safety plan need not be complicated.  It should be simple, practical and easy to implement.  As a result of the implementation of health and safety of the business processes can also benefit from significant productivity gains and cost savings (Makin Winder, 2009). Occupational health and safety is a discipline with broad scope, with many niche areas.  In its broadest sense, it is diverted towards promoting and maintaining the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; preventing workers from the adverse health effects caused by their working conditions; protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health (George Zoe, 2010). In other words, the occupational safety and health include social, mental and physical well-being of workers, which is the whole person. On the other hand, poor working conditions can also affect workers living environment.  This means that occupational hazards can have harmful effects on workers, their families and others in the community and the natural environment around the workplace.  It has been estimated that the indirect costs of an accident or illness can be four to ten times greater than direct costs, or ev en more. Occupational disease or accident can have so many indirect costs for employees that are often difficult to measure them.  One of the most obvious indirect costs is the human misery caused to families of workers, which cannot be compensated with money (Ken Joanne, 2010). Management Commitment: Strong management commitment and involvement of employees are necessary for a successful health and workplace safety program.Effective management addresses all work-related risks, not just those covered by the standards of government, and communicate with employees (Rodney, Matrina Anne, 2008). Workers in every profession can be faced with a multitude of risks in the workplace.  Business addresses health and safety in a wide range of risks in the workplace accident prevention in the most insidious dangers, including toxic fumes, dust, noise, heat, stress, etc. The prevention of occupational diseases and accidents should  be the goal of occupational safety and health programs instead of trying to solve the problems after they have already developed (Teasdale, 2006). Changes in the nature of work: There has been a dramatic change and growth in the workplaces. The workplaces have gone through a remarkable revolution over the last two decades as a result of globalization, democratization and innovations i.e. both technical and creative. The swift growth has brought momentous changes in the structure of the labor market and in the organization of the work resulting in changes both within and outside the framework of the employment relationship. The type of employments has been changed now. Workers are now more engaged and employed in atypical, conditional and contingent employment relationships like casual employment, use of contract work, and the rise of the use of vague and disguised employment (Hughes Bozionelos, 2007). The work environment is now changing fastly. The employment is now becoming unstable, less secure and more concentrated. The trend of the collective bargaining has now been shifted towards individual negotiations (Shuttleworth, 2004). All these factors are res ulting causing the employee to be sick as a result of more work pressure, less secured job and more responsibilities. The trend is shifting towards privatization and the seniors who are more experienced are being replaced by the freshers or the younger graduates who are less experienced and they are more often engaged in the employment that is non-permanent ( Markiewicz, 2007). In the real terms, the average rate of the pay is also decreasing, or its standing still from the last five years (Markiewicz, 2007). For instance, in the media industry, all these changes have resulted in having a negative effect on the editorial contents quality and as its consequence it is jeopardizing the role of the media as a watchdog for the society and it ultimately puts effects on the mental health of the employees as well (George Zoe, 2010). Moreover, more layoffs, longer working hours are there. There is lack of physical activities and poor seating as well. These factors are the biggest sources of stress. Real causes of illness in the workplace and evaluation of their solutions: There are many real causes of illness of workers in the workplace. Some of them can be: Workload: The very first cause of illness in the workplace can be the increasing workload on the part of employees. It is causing stress. Employees are often found in stress when the workload is too high or too less. Its the responsibility of the manager to divide the work properly among employees based on the priorities (Makin Winder, 2009). Targets should be challenging but should be kept realistic. Before making a shift in the responsibilities, its impact should be known in advance. Furthermore, the cost resulting from the stress must be taken into consideration (Teasdale, 2006). More care to be taken when increasing the workload of any worker or when there is a need to hire more people. Moreover, there should be a balanced workload with control over the tasks to be performed. Persuasive uncertainty: When the workers are confronted by new rules, requirements and the procedures, there will be an increase in the level of illness. Its the duty of the manager to check whats going on at regular intervals and convey each piece of information to the staff (Grawitch, Trares Kohler, 2007). In this way, stress can be controlled and this will ultimately result in increasing the productivity. In some companies, the manager writes out the new information in a memo so that it can be conveyed to the employees and the facts can be reviewed (Grove, 2009). Moreover, information given in this way is appreciated by the staff members. This will help in reducing mental illness. Mistrust and unfairness: Mistrust and unfairness can also be the cause of illness in the workplace. These will keep everyone in the workplace on the edge, create bad attitudes, and will decrease productivity (Pitt, 2007). Misunderstanding can be avoided through an open line of communication and by knowing what and how the staff members are thinking about the decisions. Its managers duty to consistently build trust and treat everyone equally. This helps in reducing illness in the workplace. Lack of control: The employees should be given an opportunity to say regarding the things those affect them as if they have no say, and then there will be more chances of workplace illness. All the employees should be given a sense of being in control. The managers should involve employees in both operating as well as administrative decisions. And the frontline employees must know what they are talking about. All this will result in increasing productivity and reducing the stress levels. The managers who are efficient and effective understand that controlling stress and illness are leadership responsibilities and these are as important as any other management functions (Glenn Klaas, 2001). Lack of communication: When the communication system is not good, this will result in lack of understanding, bad performance and less productivity with stress (Rodney, Matrina Anne, 2008). The communication system should be two way so that the employees can be able to receive full information and give suggestions and in this way, there will be no stress. No appreciation: Lack of appreciation will also lead towards illness in the workplace. If the employees do not get feedback on what they are doing, not being appreciated for good performance, they will feel mentally stressed and this can be one of the causes of illness (George Zoe, 2010). To overcome this, the managers should appreciate the good work from time to time. This will create a feeling among the employees that are valuable for the company and they will feel happy and stress free. Poor relationships: Poor relationships with colleagues can also be the factor of illness. If the employees are treated with discrimination then there can be chances of stress. Unclear policies and no sense of direction: If the policies are not clear to the employees and they are not in the written form, then these can cause stress among employees. The policies should be enforced properly and communicated in a clear way. The policies can be reinforced in a number of ways from time to time like memos, personal meetings, bulletin boards, articles, small group discussions, etc. the employees should be informed about the business direction and the significant changes (Grawitch, Trares Kohler, 2007). Contributory factors with regard to sickness: There are many factors causing sickness among the people. The reasons can be tiredness or unappreciation or they can have the travel difficulties. For instance, a person who is suffering from diarrhea or dysuria is very unlikely to come to work from home if he has to drive for 50 miles to get there, whereas another person who is working from home or working in an office which is close to toilet may continue the work for long (Hughes Bozionelos, 2007). Moreover, the workers who are positively motivated they can simply take easy and simple remedies. If there is a bullying environment in the workplace or the manager is over-enthusiastic, then taking sick leave for a minor illness thinking that the power balance has become unequal in the favor of manager? Other sources of workplace illness can be layoffs, absenteeism, alcoholism, lack of motivation, bad decisions, petty internal policies, harassment, lack of equipment, lack of autonomy, etc. Ways to reduce illness in the workplace: Preparing Education Programs: To overcome illness, the employees should be educated about the causes, symptoms and treatment and it should be ensured that all the individuals should have early treatment. Employers can provide assistance by ensuring that every person in the organization from the top down has received full information about all the issues related to mental health and illness (Christian Andra, 2009). Stress management training and counseling services should be implemented in the workplace to eradicate stress. This will help the employees in better management of work during pressure. This will help them to learn techniques like time management, leadership skills, assertiveness, relaxation, etc. The employee must learn how to relax in case of stress. Mentoring: Mentoring can also be very helpful to reduce stress and illness in the workplace. This will help to create strong bonds among colleagues and they can share their work related skills (Ken Joanne, 2010). This can help to create awareness among employees related to the diversity which is very helpful to reduce stress. This will make the employees more confident as they can get to know more things which they previously dont know. Moreover, it will promote team spirit. Encourage exercise: Another way to keep employees healthy and fit is to encourage exercise. Employers should encourage their employees to keep physically fit. Doing exercise and taking a healthy and balanced diet will help employees to have more stamina and energy in the office (Markiewicz, 2007). Exercises can be of various types. For instance, tennis, ballroom dancing, swimming, jogging, cycling, etc. All these will not only promote fitness but also help to get relief from counter stress. The workplace should be clean for the wellbeing of the employees and the overall mental attitude of the employees. The employees should talk with each other so that they can discuss their problems and can reduce stress. Duties of employers towards employees: To reduce stress and illness, it is the duty of the employer to treat each employee equally. Each and every employee should be involved in decision making so that they can feel that they are part of the organization (Grawitch, Trares Kohler, 2007). Each employee should be well trained. The managers need to behave proactively to handle stress. They should be able to understand the signs and symptoms of stress. Employers should provide proper health and wellness programs to reduce stress in the workplace and to ensure health and safety. There should be no bullying and harassment in the workplace. Workplace culture: The organizations need to set proper organization culture to reduce levels of stress in the workplace. Workplaces culture should be developed in such a way that it should be allow flexibility, security, autonomy, recognition, participation, involvement, etc (Teasdale, 2006). All these factors are very important for a stable workplace and industrial relations. Consequently, there will be more employee satisfaction with more productivity. Management style: Management style plays a vital role in ensuring good work environment. The management style should be such that gives encouragement to employees so that they can discuss problems with the managers freely. They should be provided with regular feedbacks and should be given freedom to express their ideas (Rodney, Matrina Anne, 2008). Planning and time management: Stress and illnesses can also arise from lack of proper planning. To get relief from stress, the employees should make a proper planning so that they can make work life balance (Hughes Bozionelos, 2007). In-depth training for managers: Further in-depth training for managers is essential.  The  managerial role may be one of the most stressful jobs within an organization.  Managers are often exposed to many competing pressures and demands.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Managers who are skilled in managing the pressure not only are more effective role models, but also better able to recognize common signs and symptoms stress-related psychological disorders, to make confident risk assessment of staff and providing appropriate support (Glenn Klaas, 2001).   Conclusion Eventually, ethics play a vital role in HRM. The management should consider ethical issues relating to health and safety of employees. There has been a vivid change and growth in the workplaces. The changes in the workplace are causing the employee to be sick as a result of more work pressure, less secured job and more responsibilities. Lack of communication, more workload, lack of appreciation, lack of autonomy are the another biggest sources of stress. Companies are dealing with these sources to eliminate stress in a prudent way but still there is need for more improvements. Employers should provide proper health and wellness programs so that they could reduce stress in the workplace and to ensure health and safety and moreover, a good communication with their employees in order to have deep understanding with each other. Consequently, there will be more employee satisfaction with more productivity. Recommendations Through entire study and findings, the following recommendations are made: There should be a balanced workload with control over the tasks to be performed. Employers should provide proper health and wellness programs to reduce stress in the workplace and to ensure health and safety. There should be no bullying and harassment in the workplace. Stress management training and counseling services should be implemented in the workplace to eradicate stress. The employees should talk with each other so that they can discuss their problems and can reduce stress. The employees should be provided with regular feedbacks and should be given freedom to express their ideas. There should be flexibility, security, autonomy, participation and involvement in the organizations culture.