Recent Trends in Nursing Care Essay

Introduction The discipline of nursing has witnessed several innovations and advancements in the last couple of decades that have greatly improved on the nurse efficacy and efficiency. Simpson (2000) for instance, argued that the last 25years have seen abundant and numerous positive innovations. The author attributed some of these advances to nursing advocacy, which for example has contributed to the introduction of such innovation as single room maternity care, and especially for this purpose, family centered care for clients and their families. Corroborating this stance, Schoot et al (2006) post that away from the â€Å"technologically-driven, prescriptive, and outcomes-oriented approach aimed at solving people’s health problems† (Jonsdottir et al, 2004 p.241), recent trend in nursing practice is now towards family centered, client centered care, where practice is determined by the needs of the client (Schoot et al., 2006 p.232). Furthering this line of argument, Simpson (2000), contend that perinatal nursing which involves care for both the child and the parent, which in this case is the stay at home father, consists of a whole of complex clinical interventions, intensive patient and family education, empathetic support and evaluation of family dynamics and a wide range of opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the whole family. This situation is further compounded considering the fact that in practice, patients are often erroneously seen as problems to be corrected, instead of being seen as mysteries to behold and attend to. Jonsdottir and others (2004) were of the view that the diminishing ‘humanness’ applied to nursing care and practice further makes family centered care a difficulty. However, the purpose of this paper is to look at examine the recent trends in nursing practice and the implications that these holds for family centered nursing care, especially for stay at home fathers, who in most cases, need personalized/individualized care. As argued Jonsdottir and his colleagues rightly argued, the increasing technological approach to nursing care and the standardization of healthcare is placing more emphasis on what the authors called â€Å"fast-paced, fast-talking health care provision† (2006 p.242) thereby moving nurses’ attention away from relating to patients in a caring manner, which has been shown to be an important aspect of care; towards cost effective service delivery. One of the implications of this trend is that living with complex health circumstances, such as that faced by a stay at home fathers, is considered more of a private affair, which the client must handle alone. These authors argue that, though the necessity of medical treatment is not under contention, however, the standardizing of healthcare procedures with disregard for people’s experiences and peculiar situation was a serious issue to look into. Simpson (2000) identified two major issues/problems that have contributed to this reduced relational care between nurses and patient. First, the authors argue that over the last decades, the cost of care has steadily increased; this has led to several cuts in the number of nurses attending to patients. Unlike the one-to-one nursing care that used to be the case, the reducing numbers of nurses that have to attend to a number of patients have meant that nurses cannot find the time to adequately relate to their patients. This fact is aptly conveyed in this statement ‘Nurses don’t have the time to do nursing; they can’t even get to know the people they are working with’ (Fieldhouse, pers. comm., 28 January 2003 Quoted in Jonsdottir, 2004). On the other hand, the increasing use of technology such as monitors, mean that several patients can be monitored remotely without the need to personally get in contact with the patients. Fortunately, more recent literatures report that recent trends in nursing practice is now towards client centered care, instead of the professionally centered approach highlighted above. Researching nurse’s perception with respect to client centered care, Schoot and colleagues (2006), suggest that individualized/client centered care is gradually gaining prominence in healthcare delivery and has become a topical issue for nurse practice in most western countries. The authors posit that this nursing innovation places the autonomy as the starting point for care. Under this care settings, rather than the professional taking all the decisions and approaching the client as a problem that must be solved, client centered care involves collaborative effort of both the nurse professional and the client, which is directed towards achieving care that meets the client’s peculiar needs, wishes and expectations, while at the same time, in line with professional standards. As a result, this approach to nurse care is centered on client autonomy, improved patient participation and shared decision making. One interesting intervention in the direction of client centered care is what Limacher and Wright (2006) referred to as ‘commendation’. Reporting a qualitative research involving several clients and their nurses, these authors suggest that verbal acknowledgement of the strengths and competencies of the client brings feelings of goodness, optimism and hope which could greatly help the client emotionally. It is argued that care for patients such as stay at home fathers goes beyond physical or medical treatment, empathetic support and acknowledgement could greatly improve the healing process. The result of the qualitative research shows that patients need the medical treatment as much as they need the emotional support, thus such intervention is of great importance. Another important and striking innovation or advancement in nursing care is the increased autonomy that nurses enjoy today. Some decades back, nursing was more often seen as professional that only carry out the prescriptions, recommendation or instructions of the physician. In such a scenario, there was little or nothing that the nurse could contribute to the care of a stay at home father, except for prescriptions of the physician. However, in recent times, nurses are more innovative and able to take on tasks and responsibilities. Explaining this development with respect to perinatal nursing, Simpson (2000) assert that â€Å"in many institutions, it is often the nurse who titrates oxytocin for induction or augmentation of labor, the nurse who decides when contraction or fetal heart patterns are within normal limits, the nurse who manages the second stage of labor, and the nurse who suggests the timing for regional anesthesia, thus playing an pivotal role in the ultimate outcome of labor† (Simpson, 2000 p.301). It can be asserted that improved nurse autonomy can impact positively on nurse patient relationship and more importantly on patient outcomes. As a fallout of the improved autonomy enjoyed by nurses in recent times, there is an increasing trend towards evidence based nursing. Simpson argues that twenty five years ago, it was almost impossible to hear nurses discussing about evidence based care, he posited that then, such practices as heavy narcotics for use in labor were not only rarely questioned or frowned at, they were almost seen as the norm. Also, nurses were more preoccupied with carrying out orders and prescriptions, than worrying about evidence or rationale for any particular intervention. Fortunately, today the story is drastically different. Jonsdottir and others are of the opinion that through continuous research and knowledge development, nurses have come to realize the importance of research to practice (Jonsdottir et al., 2004). This fact is further buttressed by Fawcett (1999), who argued that nurses have come to realize that the nursing profession is both an educational and professional discipline, and as such, basic, applied, and clinical types of research are required to direct practice in the right direction. Simpson further posit that rather than just taking orders and carrying out tasks, nurses can now question traditional practice and also examine literatures for evidence in support or against â€Å"the way things have been done† (2000 p.303). While Fawcett (1999) contend that nurse clinicians now practice nursing in an increasingly thoughtful manner; by continually contemplating situations and stretching their minds towards insight into nursing practice to better help people improve their health, Simpson (2000) on the other hand suggest that the majority of today’s nurses have the skills and knowledge to search through computer databases for important literature and to critically evaluate the combined weight of facts gathered from such literatures to influence decision on the right intervention. The ability to collaborate with the physician also enables the nurse to provide better evidenced based care to the stay at home father. For instance, nurses are becoming more aware that as an autonomous healthcare provider, they are responsible for their actions and inactions. As a result, the average nurse has the right to critically evaluate every intervention prescribed by a physician for compliance with standards and recent evidence. With such knowledge, the nurse can better collaborate with the physician in the best interest of the patient. Although, Simpson (2000) regret that less than 50% of the registered nursing population in the United States have a 4year college degree. Positing that a baccalaureate degree greatly influences the ability to adequately understand research methods and design, which is pertinent for effective research critique; the author suggest that the minimal nursing qualification should be re-considered. This is more important, considering the fact that the ability to critically evaluate evidences presented in literatures for validity and reliability and to be able to present credible recommendations or inform practice based on such research evidence, nurses need better knowledge about the research process and design, on which the ability to effectively critique a research work is founded. With everything said so far, it is important to examine how the knowledge gained so far can influence nursing practice. To start with, the increasing nurse autonomy holds grave implications – positive and negative, for the practicing nurse that requires serious considerations. It is a know fact that every right comes with a duty. Autonomy of the nurse means that the average nurse has the right to decide what intervention is right at every instance. The nurse also has the right to correct or challenge a colleague, when he/she realizes that the right procedure has not being followed in attending to a patient. With the same gravity, the nurse has to be accountable for every action and inaction, decision and indecision. However, for a nurse caring for a stay at home father, autonomy has more advantages, as with every other care that requires an emotional relationship between the nurse and the client. In this circumstance, the nurse can adequately care for the patient without necessarily worrying about strict regulations. The nurse can provide a client centered care for a patient when he/she is able to make decisions, collaboratively with the patient on the best and most suitable approach without the restrictions of standardizations. Also the resort to evidence based practice means that the nurse practitioner has a guiding knowledge base to help make the right care decisions as at when due. Evidence based care ensures that only the best known procedures are employed in caring for patients. In the same light, the trend towards relational care i.e. personalized care to meet the needs of individuals, to help them live with the complex health and emotional issues that most patients live though ensures better quality of life for patients. The understanding and empathetic relationship established between the nurse and the patient ensures that the patient is not only ‘treated’ but cared for in a manner that brings solace and comfort from the several discomfort that comes with illness. In conclusion, it is a fact established over the centuries that nursing is influences people’s lives, not only in illness, but in health as well. As better innovations and nurse interventions are developed and researched, the nursing profession becomes better and more effective in its role as the ‘carer’ for the society. References Fawcett, Jacqueline (1999). The State of Nursing Science: Hallmarks of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Nursing Science Quarterly, 12(4):311-318. Jonsdottir, Helga, Merian Litchfield, Margaret Dexheimer Pharris (2004).Issues And Innovations In Nursing Practice: The relational core of nursing practice as partnership. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 47(3):241–250. Limacher, Lori Houger and Lorraine M. Wright (2006). Journal of Family Nursing, 12(3):307-331. Schoot, Tineke, Ireen Proot, Marja Legius, Ruud ter Meulen, Luc de Witte (2006). Client-Centered Home Care Balancing Between Competing Responsibilities. Clinical Nursing Research, 15(4):231-254. Simpson, Kathleen (2000). A critical evaluation of the past 25 years of perinatal nursing practice: Opportunities for improvement. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing (MCN), 25(6):300-304.

The Bible Among Myths

Old Testament Introduction July 6, 2014 Introduction The author, a research professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary by the name of John N. Oswald, attempts to explain the similarities and differences of the Holy Scripture and its teachings from that of the neighboring Ancient Near East beliefs.Moreover, he attempts to answer the question of how scholarly opinions of the disagreements found between Genesis and Babylonian accounts of the origins of the world. He points out how the modern-day scholars are now comparing the Bible to other religious documents and considering it as Just another mythical belief. Oswald credits this world-view change to a study of similarities between the Bible and like Near Eastern writings rather than before when perhaps more interest was placed on viewing the differences.These studies are explained in the first half of this publication and sub-titled The Bible and Myth. Within the second part of the book sub-titled The Bible and History, he solicits the rea der to ask questions about the authenticity of the Old Testament, or is it even important that the Bible be historically accurate? Even if those inaccuracies are proven, does it hold any significance in the theological beliefs presented within? To summarize the books overall theme, Oswald desires that his reader gives any evidence of accuracy the credit it is due.Not to be swayed by unsubstantiated conjectures that might diminish the focus of what is fundamentally true. His is not a request for us to look past the inaccuracies or to take a stance that if the Bible says it's so then that's all there is to it. Mr.. Oswald asks the reader to allow the possibility f ‘harmonistic' and not Jump to any conclusions without allowing for the truth to reveal itself in the scripture. Part I The Bible and Myth Chapter One The Bible In Its World In the opening chapter, Oswald looks into the diverse views of world creation and being.He compares and contrasts how Greek philosophy influenced t he monotheistic culture of the Israelites which ultimately contributed to the Western world beliefs we know today. Early Greek philosophers reasoned that there is but one â€Å"universe† with a sole point of unification and not a â€Å"powers† with variable sources of creation. They taught that everything could be reasoned and that something could be so and not so at the same time. This belief conflicted with that of the world view of the Ancient Near East (ANNE).The world view supposed that existence on earth was the result of many unseen forces in the realm of the invisible. Apparently the Greek philosophers proposing this message didn't win over the acceptance of that culture and they found themselves forced out and into hiding, some taking their own lives thus ending the age of Greek philosophical thought. This struggle was displayed in he play Beach by the Greek playwright Euripides wherein the conflict is played out between the rational human-nature component act ed out by men who were pitted against the women that played the part of the irrational side of Human existence.The men were killed by the women depicting the two opposing views could not coexist and the polymers of many deities would dominate cultural thought. At about the same time, it seems that the Israelites were experiencing a similar battle of faith. The Hebrew believed that there was a sole Creator that rewarded and disciplined based on obedience to God's will. This view was quite the opposite from that of the polymers thinkers and against the beliefs of the Ancient Near Eastern cultures that trusted in the parallel invisible world.Even them, the Hebrew held to their conviction of a monotheistic God and the prophet's ability to predict the exile and return of the Israelites strengthened that resolve. Christianity was to be the compilation of Greek thought and Hebrew belief. The Greek logic provided cause and effect for the Hebrew creation theory of God. Finally acknowledgment that God is not the world and the world is not God. Logic and science working together. Oswald writes here that an important conclusion is derived in that science and logic are not self-evident, neither able to stand alone.Together, the system provided value to the individual and the importance of history and why things are as they are. Closing out Chapter one Oswald laments the apparent modern reliance on rationalism and less on our God. History and the people are becoming less relevant and there is more emphasis placed on comfort, pleasure and self-preservation. Assault's hope is that the younger readers will realize this direction and reconsider the turn away from God and toward the enemy. Chapter Two The Bible And Myth: Oswald lays out the root for Biblical reality.He questions how the Bible can be included with the Ancient Near Eastern arguments as a myth when it is so radically different. The true question being the actual definition of a myth. Oswald allows that this questio n fully depends on the definition of the term. It is also important to grasp why there is a desire to place it in the mythological category to begin with. Here Oswald compares the many definitions of a myth. He assembles all the similarities possessed by each to redefine a true myth. Oswald provides allegory reasoning to establish that a definition too broad will result in a loss of validity.He explains that only to broaden the scope of the definition to suit (or include) the Bible does nothing to add credit to the validity of the meaning. Oswald ends this chapter with a compilation of definitions and has primarily grouped them into two categories. Within this the first, we find etymological, sociological and the literary. Primarily, Oswald wants the reader to know that to appropriately define a myth, you must have narrowed down the definition. In this category, the definition is narrowed down to hat of Just characteristic rather than function or quality.Something with order and pre dictability. This section summarizes the attempts to provide more adaptive definitions and theories to define a myth led to commonality or continuity to describe the world-view. He offers that the philosophy of continuity states that all things are continuous and are one, defining that God and earth are one but separate. That said, an item made from earth is God. This is true for all religions except those beliefs which have derived from the Hebrew being Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Chapter Three Continuity: The Basis Of Mythical ThinkingIn this chapter we follow Oswald as he delves into the ideology supporting the supernatural aspects of myth. It provides that myth views are Just another way of tuning into reality than what we accept using Westernizes logic. By defining myth as â€Å"all things continuous†, there can be no distinction between the three realms of human, nature and divine. Oswald describes the term pantheism and how things that look and sound alike are con sidered the same therefore to worship an idol is to worship a God. Through this logic, mankind can alter the outcome of natural events by way of their idols.He states that this is the single most important aspect to the way of thinking that characterizes myth. It is believed that in Myths, a magic spell can disrupt the continuous nature of things, bringing chaos and disorder between the realms. Myths are polytheism meaning many Gods. They are often represented through symbolism. It is fundamental in myth that all things begin with matter. In myth, humans exist to serve the gods. They have no significance in the mythical world. Personalities are exceptions to the norm creating chaos to the continuity.That world is a continuous circle coming and going nowhere at all times. Chapter 4: Transcendence: Basis Of Biblical Thinking The Bible, when compared to the surrounding ANNE, is radically different in how it approaches reality. The Old Testament, regardless of the historical statements being true or false, is consistent. Common Characteristics Of Biblical Thought: The two biggest differing traits in the Old Testament are monotheism and iconoclasm. Monotheism maintains that Heehaw is the sole creator and separate from the world.The Hebrew people are the only culture ever to exist that believed in monotheism. Israel, which was less advanced in all aspects of culture then the surrounding ANNE, insisted on a monotheistic religion above all. Iconoclasm states that God cannot be made in any image or any created form. It is clearly stated and defined in the Old Testament (Ex. 20-4-5); muff shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. † This belief is the basis of transcendence.God is not the world, God cannot be identified to the world, God cannot be recreated and God cannot be manipulated by the world. Other distinct characteristics that sep arate Hebrew thought from all other belief systems are: 1 . God is spirit and not matter which is the polar opposite viewpoint of myth. Myth states that matter is the basis of everything. 2. ) There was no conflict during the creation process. In myth creation evolves from chaos but in the Old Testament the world exists only because God spoke it into existence. 3. ) The Old Testament has a very high viewpoint of humanity.In fact man is made in the image of God. God created man last and man is the apex of all creation. In myth humanity is an afterthought and the only purpose is to provide for the gods. 4. ) God is reliable and consistent. Heehaw will bless people and be there for his people even when it is not to God's advantage. In myth the gods are fickle and only self-serving. 5. ) God is supra-sexual which simply means God is not sexed. He is neither male nor female. He is spirit being and does not take on any traits of sexuality and sex played no part in the creation process.In myth gods comes into existence by sexual means. They have sex with each other to make other gods and also have sex with desirable women to make semi-gods. 6. ) Since God is not sexed in the Bible, sex is dissocialized in the Old Testament. God set clear boundaries o establish what is acceptable and what is forbidden when dealing with sexual relationships. Mythology uses all types of sexual rituals so that they can influence and manipulate the gods. There are no boundaries and anything goes. 7. ) The Old Testament also prohibits the use of magic.Sorcery of all kind is forbidden and may not be used to attempt to manipulate God in any ritualistic way. The attempt to manipulate God to gain self-interest is vile to God. You maintain a personal relationship with God though prayer and obedience. In mythology magic, sorcery and rituals are common and essential to dealing with the gods. There is no individual as the individual is Just part of the continuous nature. The gods are only influenc ed through the rituals of society. 8. Humans relate to God though ethical behavior and to the disciplined obedience of God.What matters most to the Israelites is how people treat their parents, their children, their neighbors and strangers. They show their commitment to God by how they interact with others. God gives strict laws for his people to uphold and follow. Strict obedience to this covenant will create holiness for oneself bringing one closer to the holiness of God. Transcendence As The Underlying Principle: The underlying and most important distinction in the biblical understanding of reality is how God is in relation to the cosmos.In mythical thinking god is the cosmos or the cosmos is god. The source and the manifestation are indistinguishable and are continuous. In Biblical thought God is transcendent. God is not the cosmos and the cosmos is not God. God is separate and apart from the creation. This belief is completely contrary to continuity and distinguishes that God a nd heaven are not part of the natural world. The world is separate and only exists cause God willed it into existence by his word. This is the law of transcendence that clearly shows God is other than the cosmos.Oswald established in this chapter that all the reasons which make something a myth are opposite from the biblical worldview of the Old Testament. The Bible can therefore not be considered a myth. This does not say that the Bible is true but it is definitely not a myth. One thing is true; the Bible is unique and consistent which gives credence to the approach. Chapter 5: The Bible Verses Myth Ethics: In mythology there are two kinds of ethical misbehaver, offenses against gods ND offenses against people. Most offenses against the gods deal in the magical realm with rituals or spells.It is an attempt to ward off the gods from interfering or to manipulate the gods to gain favors. The repercussion of the offense depends on the mood, reaction and the personality of the god at th e time. Offenses against other people are another matter. It is a crime against the laws of society that have predetermined punishments. In myth the laws are understood to be human creations. Therefore Judgment is by the people and there isn't reason to appeal to gods for help. In biblical thought, God has a covenant with man and all the laws for how people relate to God and to each other come from God through transcendence.One is either obedient or not to the law of God. There is no distinction between sin against God and crime against society. They are both lack of obedience to the written commands from God. What is unique is that the standard of the law and covenant with God is formed from the character of the one true Heehaw. Another biblical thought on ethics to consider is that the expectations are clear to all. There are clear results from compliance or noncompliance by the individual. One can gain more insight into God's nature by how one reacts ethically in the physical wor ld.Things happen too person because of what that person has done or is doing. It is no longer an unknown act in the divine world. Lastly, is the free choice from allowed by God, a person's choice can impact what happens; it is no longer Just a reflection from the other realm or from a cosmic event. Jerusalem fell not because other gods in the divine defeated Heehaw, but because the people broke their covenant with God and God allowed the fall. It was a result of free choices and the consequences from those hoicks.The Significance of Similarities Between Israelites and Non-illustrates: Oswald now turns to similarities between the Israelite belief system and other surrounding cultures of the ANNE. There are five main topics that Oswald reviews: 1). Similarities in Practice: Without question there are similarities in the practices of the Hebrews and their neighbors. One obvious similarity is that both had laws that were delivered to them from God. Another similar practice is the ritual of sacrifice and the ceremonial cleanness associated with the practice.Still further is the set-up of the tabernacle ND covenant with God which is almost identical to the Canniest sanctuaries. What makes the Hebrews stand apart is the obedience to the concept that if I do something to my neighbor it has a direct correlation to my relationship to God. The Egyptian, Canniest and Mesopotamia could not accept that if one stole from another person it was a violation to the creator. No matter how similar any of the beliefs or practices seemed, the deciding factor that separated the Hebrews was their relationship of the individual to God.There is a system of ethics that affect by one's behavior in all matters. 2. Similarities in Expression: There are references in the Bible to the cosmos and to other mythical things such as the Leviathan. Some argue that the Hebrews believed in the chaos of cosmos or continuity because of the mention of mythical things that are used as reference in the Bi ble. Oswald states the difference is that, â€Å"the transcendent God is accomplishing his will through an obedient nature in a specific historic event.In a unique moment in time and space, never to be repeated, but also ever to be forgotten, God has worked redemption for his people. † The Bible doesn't necessarily believe the myth of the surrounding ultras, but makes the point of the myth, to only break the myths validity, to make it absolutely clear it is God who prevailed. 3,) Similarities in Thought Patterns: There is a scholarly consensus that believes the Israelite religion is based on the principle of continuity which is similar to the surrounding ANNE culture. The Israelites abandon the belief system of continuity because of a cataclysmic event.It is further argued that the event was the exodus from Egypt and that all documented history of the Israelites prior to the exodus was rewritten to mirror the recent adopted reenactments God belief. The problem with this argum ent is that the Hebrew believes that God reveals himself through unique events and persons in time and space. The historical relevance is absolute and the inspired written word of God. It is contrary to the entire belief system of a transcendent God that defines the Hebrew thought. 4. ) Genesis: Is Genesis, especially the early chapters, written in myth?The problem with this thought is that the characteristics that define a myth are absent. There are not multiple gods, there is no continual creation that the world reflects, sex is not a part f the creation story, there is a high view of man not a low one and there is no conflict between order and chaos. Scholars have attempted to say that in Genesis 1:1 â€Å"When God began to create the heaven and earth, the earth was without form and void. † that Hebrews believed in a preexistent chaos. The second point scholars make to say that Genesis is a myth, is that the creation story is similar to the Babylonian.When observed closely the texts of the two stories do not really match. The majority of the Babylonian creation story focuses on the creation of the gods and the battle between gods for a supreme rule. They are only similar in a logical progression of how things were made The bottom line is that there is no conflict between good and evil or any sexual deeds that transpired to make the creation process start. The world both in heaven and on earth are because God willed it and commanded it to be so by his word. Psalms: There are many Psalms that can be construed as similar and describing pagan gods and viewpoints.Oswald demonstrates in Psalm 29, Psalm 68 and Psalm 104 the comparison that the author could be describing Ball instead of Heehaw. Both are cloud riders and both control the rain. In all accounts it is clear hat God is separate from the rain and storms, God is not the rain or the storm but apart from it. God is the maker and giver of all things. In myth there is no separation only oneness with al l things. Ball is god, Ball is nature and Ball is the idol. Ball cannot be separate from the storm because of continuity Ball is the storm.Chapter 6: The Bible And History: A Problem Of Definition The main distinction of biblical Old Testament thought is that God interacts in unique non-recurring events in a specific time and place. The Bible contends that the events are factual and happened as written. The idea that human choice and actions can effect outcomes in the natural world and that these choices are non-repeatable and are aligned toward a single measurable universal goal are all unique and recorded in the Bible. Definitions Of History: Like a myth, history needs a clear definition.History can refer to the recording of an event, the study of the past or Just a connected experience of an event in time and space. Oswald reviews different definitions and interpretations of what history means and how it will refer to the Old Testament. Oswald then offers his own definition: â₠¬Å"A history is a narrative of a series f events revolving about human beings acting in time and space. Existing for the purpose of human self-knowledge, it purports to be an accurate account of all significant elements for the eventual outcome. † History is about the accurate account of human beings.Understandings Of Reality On Which History Writing Depends: In order to establish the importance of history, it must be established that the belief in human free will and choice is absolute. If not then history doesn't matter. Oswald reviews six theological points and six historical practices of the ANNE that historic writings depend on: 1 . Humans are free and responsible. If there isn't free will and choice then everything is preconditioned and Just part of a continuous cycle. History and the knowledge gained from the study of history cannot change a predetermined fate of a future event. Choice is Just an illusion. . ) There is cause an effect to an event in time and space. Thin gs are not Just by chance as a result from events in the invisible world. 3. ) Truth is absolutely necessary to establish order to study history. If an event in history never happened, what is the point of learning from the choices made by a person in that event? If there is only speculation and interpretation without fact, then the event is meaningless. 4. ) Humans are dynamic and goal- oriented. Humans must believe that we can change for the better. If we are Just part of a repetitive cycle there is no reason for goals and improvement. 5. Relationships within time and space have significance. If this is true then what happens in the physical world matters. If not relationships are all continuous and predetermined. 6. ) A consistent standard must be established to measure against. If there isn't a standard there will never be agreement and it all becomes meaningless. Omens: An omen is a sign which foretells the results of a particular event or Journey. Omens diminish the value of f ree choice and lead to predetermination by the gods. In Babylonian culture much time has been spent on documenting all the different omens and meanings of their signs.King Lists: Is simply the names, lineage and length of each king being documented. Date Formulae: In ANNE it was standard practice each year to document the name of the ruling king with his title and announce what he accomplished within that particular year. Epic: Epics are narratives that reveal events of a hero on a Journey. Many of the characters have been found to be based on historic individuals with the feats based in fact. E. G. Ulysses was an actual character who fought in Troy and did have difficulty getting home. Royal Annals: These annals record in detail the events in each a kings reign.They describe in detail military conquest, building projects, interests and favorite topics of that king. Chronicles: Chronicles are an objective documented account of the life of a king describing his victories and defeats as well as his line of succession. It does not evaluate the value of the feats. Reasons For The Absence Of History Writing: Oswald outlines five reasons why there would not have been documented writings in the ANNE: 1 . ) Focus on â€Å"NOW': If we conclude that the ANNE was founded on and believed in continuity then all that matters is the present.Nothing in the past or future influence or effect what was happening today. There was no need to document it. 2. ) Subjective Orientation: Historical writings gain credibility when written by an outside person. In the ANNE all is connected and one with each other so there is no outside or subjective opinion. There was no point to have it written by a neutral person as there is only me. . ) Multiplicity of Causes: In continuity there are infinite causes to an event. How the stars line up in the sky have more impact on what happens then human free choice.What happens in the invisible world effects the physical world giving infinite reasons why it happened. 4. ) Determinism: Choice is just an illusion because of the cyclical and interconnected nature of reality. In reality there are no choices because everything is dictated by outside forces. What a person does is predetermined regardless of what they believe. What is the point to document and study an event if they have no future choice? . ) Preoccupation with Order and Security: The forces in the cosmos are constantly battling each other over good and evil, creating and destroying at all times.Chaos is always around whether in the physical, material or political world. Security is completely dependent on the outcome of the victory of order. The study of events from the past would have no impact on the battles waged in the cosmos which is where order and security is decided. The Bible's Unique Approach To Human-Historical Experience: 1 . ) Humans treated as Real Individuals: The Bible is radically different from other literature of the ANNE. The Bible uses characters that are real and human. Truth is found in the individual not in the normalcy of things, but in the character of that individual.The ANNE literature uses semi-gods and supernatural representatives which is contradictory to the Bible. The emphasis of the individual in the Bible is important and had no relevance in ANNE culture. 2. Failures and defeats Not Glossed Over: In the Bible both positive and negative traits of the individual character are highlighted. Failures are documented and Judged by God. There isn't glory in failure as in Greek Eric literature, Just lessons to be learned. 3. Significance of relationships: The Bible deals explores in detail, relationships with individuals and with God.It does not pass over them as insignificant, but rather goes into them in detail from a purely neutral perspective. Our actions and what we do to others matter. What David chose to do with Bathes was done and Judged by the transcendent Heehaw. Heehaw dealt with the result, but allowed the choice of the individual to be made. 4. Significance of Human Choice: The Bible states that it is human choice that shapes the events on earth, not a predetermined continuous force in the cosmos. A person can interact with God, but that person has the right to choose and the results are determined by the choice. . Developmental Relationships: The Bible relates past events to the present and compares the results. This is completely in contrast to the ANNE literature which only deals in the â€Å"NOW'. The writings are strictly to document the current reign. They do not demonstrate or compare one reign to the next one. There is no purpose to documenting as it is Just another repetitive report in an endless continuous circumstance. Implications of Transcendence For Israel's View Of Human- Historical Experience: Transcendence is the belief that God is separate and not part of the world.This concept is a major difference in approach to all the surrounding ANNE. Transcendence makes it im possible to believe that human events correspond to a mirror opposite invisible world. There isn't a connection between the two, what happens in invisible world doesn't affect the physical world. 1 . ) Possibility of Transcending Events: Since God is separate and apart from creation, there is a space beyond this created world. Since this world is purposefully created by God who judges all things, then there is a reason to act beyond ones own self-interest.This concept is documented many times in the Old Testament with how the individual relates to the covenant presented by God. There is a force outside this world to Judge the events of the individual. 2. ) Impossibility of misleading God: God is all knowing and all is revealed to God. You can't fool God. In the ANNE the gods are part of the system, so they can be manipulated. I can document things that are not true because I can trick the gods. Not so with a separate God who created all and is transcendent. God knows everything and will Judge according to integrity of the individual's choices and actions.God used the Prophet's to write the history of the Bible and to uphold God's integrity. All of Israel respected and knew that the Prophets were chosen by God. The Prophets could write the truth without fear of consequences of man. In the ANNE culture if a person wrote something the king didn't like he could be killed. 3. ) A Simplified Understanding of Causation: In the Bible God is responsible for all and God has no rival. God is the only one to answer to and the cause of everything. Humans are personal and at the same time disconnected from God.Everything that a person chooses to do is either in defiance or compliant to God. This makes relationships with humans to God and humans to humans very significant. God wants our obedience and more importantly God wants a relationship with people. That is something that cannot be predetermined. 4. ) Speech as the Mode of Accomplishing Divine Purposes: God chose to com municate to his people by entering the lives of individual's through personal experiences and non-recurring historical vents. Since God is not continuous, but separate from this world, one cannot participate in God's life.Any attempt to do so is forbidden in the Bible as discussed in earlier chapters. So how does a person then participate in the life of God? By that person demonstrating an ethical character and obedience to God's law, a person receives God's blessing and approval. God reveals himself through the human historical experience at a specific time and space. Therefore what God does is very important and how it is truthfully documented is extremely significant. That is why commented history is captured. History writing As Myth-Making: ANNE culture used nature to express myth in culture.Did Israel choose another mode for myth and use historical myth to express their faith? The answer is no. In pagan worship idols are made from nature and nature is the gods. All is continuou s with each other. There is no separation. With Israel God is not the history rather the history is the people who experience God along the way. This is because God is separate and transcendent. Israel, like the neighboring ANNE, attempted many times to place God in a box to control God. Unlike the recurring continuous pagan gods of the ANNE, God liked to perform miraculous one-time events to keep the people on track.God also used the prophets to constantly remind the people that they were different and God was different. The Hebrew therefore, does not witness faith by retelling a fictional story or by a ritual of drama to recreate an outcome. The Hebrew recites how God intervened with individuals and the nation of Israel that was directed by God through the prophets. Chapter 7: Is The Bible Truly historical? The Problem Of History (l) The Bible is thought by many to contain â€Å"historical-fiction†. Is the Bible history like or is it historical fact? The bigger question is, are biblical accounts history and does it matter?Historians argue that history is accepted only if complete human responsibility for events and outcomes are present. Clearly events and outcomes of the Bible are not only human responsibility. Other historians now believe that history is accepted if the historical writing is for a divine purpose. Human involvement and choice is always involved but divine intervention explains what happened. Since there is no way to document the purpose and true nature of God, we are only left tit speculation. E. G. There is no way to prove biblical accuracy to the events of the exodus.So does that make the Bible a myth or historical fact? History as Revelation: INADEQUACIES: The Bible can be considered as history revelation. That is the interpretations of God's actions in the Bible are through humans and are flawed but still bear witness to the revelation of God. Revelation Is Not Confined to Divine Action: James Barr argued, the problem with this ex planation is that the Bible doesn't distinguish the division between revelation and witness to revelation. If there is a preference then the miracles all disappear and the reports of the events are not valid.If the only access to the events is the witness, then that source isn't trustworthy; there is no truthful access to the acts at all. If history is rooted in faith the history disappears. This argument states there is no revelation in the Bible. The Bible is Just speculation, a vehicle of history writing the Hebrew people chose to use. Divine Action in History Is Not Unique to Israel: Another attack on the uniqueness of the historical revelation of the Bible is that there are many other cultures that use gods o intervene on behalf of an individual in a specific event in history.The thought that a god could act in history was not a new concept to the ANNE. Oswald stated the difference: â€Å"that this was the only place he acted that had significance for human beings, that those actions were according to a consistent, long term purpose, that he was using the details of human-historical behavior to reveal that purpose, and that he was Just as capable of using enemies as he was friends to accomplish his good purpose—that, I maintain, is not found anywhere else in the world, ancient or

Business Accounting and Ethical Standards

A) The duty of the auditor arises from the ASA 315 which in conjunction with ASA 570 on Going Concern wherein he has to see if there is an environment which leads to misstatement of records. He should accordingly recalibrate his assessment. With the new evidence, he should check if there exists a material uncertainty and therefore conjectures to the ability of the pany to continue as a Going Concern. With the new evidence, the auditor will see the following that there is an immense doubt on the fact whether the pany can continue as a Going Concern and therefore adequate disclosures are made pointing to such events which creates such conjectures on the pany to continue as a Going Concern. Here, King & Queen (K & Q) auditor are auditors of Impulse since 2005. They should be aware that there are liquidity problems in the pany. Hence applying ASA 570 and dictated by their duty in Sec 295 (4) of the Corporations Act, K & Q auditor should have done additional audit procedures to check the viability of the Going Concern assumption. These could include points like valuation of inventory,   receivable realisations. This will stamp the fact that if there is a risk of Going concern and whether such facts will be disclosed. Hence they have not done their duty as per audit standards and mon law. As a result, there is a transgression of proper professional skill and standards In a case of Esanda Finance Corp Ltd vs. Peat Marwick Hungerford’s[1], there is a landmark High Court ruling. This has thrown light and made it clear about their view on earlier judgements and revised their mistakes in the past judgements. They have now eliminated the liability of the auditor in a third party liability. In that they have tested the bined facts of Proximity, Reliance and Causation. The case is similar to this case study where Esanda had an economic deprivation when they sanctioned the loan to the pany on the back of the auditor’s report analysis. It satisfied itself whether auditor to be held liable. The courts concluded that there was a mere reporting to the shareholders and not to the financiers. They did not have any clairvoyance that lenders would act based on this report. This is in spite of the fact that they were aware that report did not indicate a true and fair view of financial statements. Since they did not anticipate that the financier will b e using the report, K & Q auditor should have made it clear that the report would be analysed and used verbatim by the lenders and hence a probability of loss could be there; It is stated that Esanda unreasonably depended on the audit report and did not perform diligence themselves to convince of the finances of the borrower The Court held that auditor has not breached duty of care and used the test of Proximity & Causation in their conclusion. Depending on this case, K & Q auditor were not aware that the report would have been used by EFL Finance for lending. The finance pany lent to Impulse by relying on the report and did not conduct an independent diligence. Depending on the case of Proximity, Reliance and Causation, K & Q auditor remained within their limits of duty of care and hence are not liable to EFL Finance b) If Esanda had ab initio mentioned to K & Q auditor that they will use the report for deciding on lending to Impulse, it can be concluded that the test of Proximity and Reliance are maintained. Hence K & Q auditor may exercise reasonable care keeping in mind that one of the intended audiences is EFL Finance who will rely on the audit procedures of K & Q auditor. Hence they need to collect audit evidence and reach a conclusion in their audit report keeping in mind the reader. Even after such mention, if the procedures on inventory and debtors are not done by K & Q auditor, then they have transgressed the precincts of care and their pliance with Proximity, Reliance has failed. As a result, the Causation factor or cause of economic loss has been triggered and accordingly K & Q auditor will be liable to EFL Finance in this scenario 2A) This is defined by APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, Independence prises of: Independence of Mind (Actual Independence) – This expects a mental state which ensures that the auditor acts as an objective and independent person. His opinion will therefore be free from any vested interests and influences. Independence in Appearance (Perceived independence) – Auditor to maintain his image and standard such that any third party will not raise any doubt on his independence and credentials to form an opinion. Independence of the mind or actual independence involves objectivity of the mental condition and mental state and his objectivity to react to specific situations. An auditor who is truly independent has the ability to make non vested decisions in spite of the prejudices. However, since the state of mind where he is perceived to have colluded with the pany and promised his principles is highly volatile, it cannot be objectively benchmarked with respect to time and environment. Therefore, the test of Independence in Appearance or â€Å"Perceived Independence† needs to e upheld wherein he shows the same consistency in behaviour to a knowledgeable person and his client equally. Perceived independence can be measured based on how close the audit member is to the client and he gets any pecuniary benefits for the same. This could also include a dependency test on his economic drive with one client measured to his total revenue. Perceived independence accentuates the credibility of th e report and opinion expressed by the auditor and therefore his opinion is worth the salt. (i) Bob – Principle of Confidentiality is a key point of APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants wherein information extracted in a professional engagement is not to be disclosed to any third party without specific authority nor use it for personal benefits provided there is no legal and official reason to reveal. In the instant situation, Bob copied confidential information which was used for his personal benefit of finishing his university assignments though it did not contain the Club Casino name. Even if you remove the name of the client in the assignment, it does not remove the fact that confidentiality was predominantly breached. This being used for vested interest and not professional interest, there is no possibility of cover up with any alternate action. (ii) Wendy – Wendy is a partner in an audit firm. She has been assigned post of pany Secretary (CS) position in the same pany who is her audit client. This triggers Clause 290.142 of APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. Assignment of such staff is pointing to a self review threat which could have been absolved if it was for only a temporary period. But that not is the case, wherein Wendy has been given the post on a permanent basis. Her position is close to the pany triggering self-review and advocacy threats. Hence there is no way the threat can be brought to acceptable level. Per AUST290.148.1, a pany Secretary is an Officer under the Corporations Act. Wendy cannot act as a temporary partner in the client.   The only way is to resign from the audit engagement. (iii) Leo- Leo is a close member of the audit group and his elative prepares the financials and statements in the firm. The opinion to be expressed on such cash flows has a conflict for Leo. The threat therefore can be minimised to Acceptable level if Leo is replaced and he is restricted from working on such assignments where his relative has an influence in making the base documents to be audited. Per APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, it is r mended that Leo to be removed from the audit since his father has a more than significant influence (iv) Chan & Associates – If Chan holds stake, such stake will not create an independence threat if the business relationship is insignificant to Chan, his audit form and the pany where he holds stake. Such stake should also not create an ability to control the pany and it is immaterial to him. But here Chan has 25% equity in the entity which is high and can create two threats namely self interest/intimidation. Per APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, Chan has to relinquish his stake and resign from his audit engagement responsibility of Classic Reproductions. Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board, (2008).  APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. Australia. Auasb.gov.au. (2016).  Australian Auditing Standards. [online] Available at: https://www.auasb.gov.au [Accessed 12 Dec. 2016]. Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, (2013).  Auditing Standard ASA 570 Going Concern. Austlii.edu.au. (2016).  ASA 570 - Going Concern - April 2006. [online] Available at: https://www.austlii.edu.au/ [Accessed 12 Dec. 2016]. Cpaaustralia .au. (2016).  Accounting professional and ethical standards. [online] Available at: https://www.cpaaustralia .au [Accessed 12 Dec. 2016]. Nguyen, V. and Rajapakse, P. (2008). An Analysis of the Auditors' Liability to Third Parties in Australia. mon Law World Review

Theory for Film Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Theory for Film Practice - Essay Example Film form is thought to be the overall system of particular relations that can be found among the film’s elements. While all of them are classified either as narrative or stylistic, in this paper I will focus on the latter. To stylistic elements, mise en scene, editing, cinematography, and sound are referred (Keuthan). When the sound was introduced to the silent cinema back in 1927, its integration became the subject of hot debate ranging from passionate approval to criticism expressed by film critics of the time. Indeed, as Dale observes, â€Å"sound invasion in the cinema brought about many crises†, so that the techniques used to produce silent films were subject to complete revision (Dale 637). In the centre of the continuous debate was the role and necessity of sound, if it was thought necessary at all. While the public immediately fell in love with the sound film, a lot of film directors, aestheticians and many film critics argued that integration of sound in the f ilm â€Å"was a disaster that would destroy the cinema as a unique art form† (Fabe 59). Opposing the views expressed by the early sound theorists that sound creates obstacles to better conveying the film’s message, this paper contends that sound is crucial to conveying the film’s message through imagery. Let us first discuss the arguments by the early sound theorists against the integration of the spoken word into the cinema. In particular, the aesthetic disadvantages of the new technology need to be observed. Having done this, I will focus on pro-sound arguments developed by another set of film theorists at that time, as well as make references to the contemporary theory of film sound. One of the most passionate anti-sound theorists was Bela Balasz. He contended that the primacy of image ensures deep communicative force of the film. Since speech is far less expressive than the body language that accompanies it, the integration of the spoken word into the cinema would lead to audience’s desensitizing. To illustrate, Balasz said, â€Å"The silent film is free of the isolating walls of language difference. If we look at and understand each other’s faces and gestures, we not only understand, we also learn to feel each other’s emotions† (Balasz as quoted in Fabe 60). Similarly, the film theoretician and historian of art Rudolph Arnheim argued against the inclusion of literal voices into film supporting his argument with the claim that images themselves speak. Moreover, Arhnheim not only advocated the anti-sound position, he called for the silent film’s return. Close analysis of Arnheim’s views helps to understand the essence of most radical anti-sound views in the film theory. In his well-known essay â€Å"A New Laocoon: Artistic Composites and the Talking Film† written back in 1938, Arhneim discusses the irrelevance of spoken word in a film. One of his arguments is that the use of sound at the then level of technological development created to the feeling of uneasiness caused by the fact the attention of the audience was torn in two opposite directions. Specifically, Arnheim contends that in a film two different media are struggling with each other to express one thing rather than exerting a united effort and capture the message. The coincidence of these fighting voices results in violation of aesthetic laws by films with sound, as Arnheim posits it (Arnheim 164). Partially sharing Arnheim’s critical views on the use of spoken word in

Four Arguments Research topics Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four Arguments topics - Research Paper Example The strong turbulences in the global market, as a result of the recent financial crisis, have led many firms to change their HR strategies. Flexibility has become a key characteristic of job agreements. In regard to the workplace, flexibility can be related to different aspects of work, such as the duties incorporated in each role, the hours of work or the place of work. However, flexibility as an aspect of the workplace has been negatively criticized, especially when it threatens the rights of employees. The role of HR managers in managing flexibility in the workplace should be studied at the level that the expansion of conflicts across a business, as a result of too flexible job agreements, could harm the performance of business, either in the short or the long term. The recession of 2008 has highly affected the global market. Businesses have tried to secure their position by introducing strategies for increasing their competitiveness. Various tools have been employed for promoting the competitiveness of businesses in different industries. However, not all these tools have performed as expected. In this context, confronting competitors would be a challenging task for firms of all sizes. On the other hand, the success of many businesses in markets worldwide shows that increasing competitiveness is feasible even under strong market pressures. The effects of business activities on the environment have been extensively reviewed in the literature. It seems that business operations necessarily affect the environment but not at the lame level; firms with extensive supply chain and production networks are more likely to harm the environment, even if they have taken measures for promoting sustainability. On the other hand, MNs are difficult to be controlled, as of the mode and effects of their operations. At this point, the following question appears: why existing measures for protecting the environment from business operations have failed? In addition, are there

Compare the book and the movie of all the kings men Essay

Compare the book and the movie of all the kings men - Essay Example Movie had in it not only a strong and finest cast but a bit of philosophy, narration, great American prose and most excellent dialogues. Whenever a popular novel is converted into a movie, that too with a huge star cast the expectations of people with the movie rise and with that it is a popular phenomena that people compare novel and the movie. Where words and the feel of the novel attract readers, huge star cast with great dialogues attracts audience in the cinema. Where the novel â€Å"All the King’s men† is not a linear novel, reader can easily get confused at various points as the nature of the novel is anti-chronological. Time Travelling is an important factor in the novel and it often confuses the reader regarding realizing which time period they are in (New York Times,2006). The novel start with the setup in year 1936 where protagonist, Jack Burden remembering a road trip in the year 1933 to Mason city with Willie Stark, Tom Stark who is Willie’s son and Willie’s wife Lucy Stark. They talk about political pressure which Jack’s mentor Judge Irwin was facing. In the novel the conflict between Jack, Willie holds importance as it is the initial stage of the novel and the readers are in good grip of the characters. The readers can now well judge the shady elements in the characters. Judge Irwin is old so the readers can symthatise with him as well. The question which comes in the minds is why all this is happening because they are good friends and they share such a close relationship, what went wrong. The novel is very impactful at this stage and leaves the reader with a question of why this is happening. Movie captures the scene well too but the words expressed in the novel and the feelings which are expressed are more effective in the novel compared to the book. Jack goes in the year 1922, there is a lot of time travelling in the novel which sometimes confuses the reader as well. The Film however is set during early 1950s in Louisiana except for the flashbacks, where the well dressed and popular amongst all and also witty Willie Start is made the governor through the support given to him by the lower social classess.( Movie: All the King’s men) His supporters are his bodyguard friend Sugar boy, the journalist Jack Burden, Tiny Duffy and Stark’s mistress Sadie Burke who will help him against the upper class. Apart from the time setup in the novel and the movie there are some other prominent differences in both as well, from the character development of the Sugar boy who in the book is totally following Willie’s every move however in the movie he plays a silent bodyguard. (Empire Magazine,2006). Another important factor or the dissimilarity is the character development of Jack. Jack’s character in the book is a very complex. He is cynic and indifferent towards life. Jack’s excessive love towards character of Anna Stanton is clearly seen in the book, also Jack’ s anger in the book is far more impactful when he figured out that Willie has taken Anne as a mistress. The movie however was just partially successful in capturing the emotional side of Jack’s character. Particularly, his philosophical discussion in the novel about what he calls "The Great Twitch" is missing in the film. In keeping with the era of the 1930s, Jack is also fairly racist by standards of a later era, an aspect that is not portrayed in the film.   One major setback of the movie was removing Tom Stark’

My Big Idea regarding System of Education Assignment - 1

My Big Idea regarding System of Education - Assignment Example These issues among others are destroying the name of schoolwork in this country as the situation is moving from worse to worst. Â  Besides these issues, it is preferable to install computerized systems in schools such that students and teachers wherever they are can access the information they need. These systems should allow teachers to update syllabus, make notes, give examinations and produce results. This is well supported by virtual learning systems, and it is well done through the internet and local connections around schools. In return, the difficulties teachers and students face in schools will be limited while salaries and payments are relatively effective. The reason behind this attribute is that school staffs, students, and teachers do their core tasks required by the institution, and the rest of the other days is all for themselves to enjoy. This should be implied in the I.C.T sector. Â  Secondly, our system of education has been compromised as an orphan child among other areas in the society where it faces double standards that have created an atmosphere of frustration for primary and secondary level students. I urge the government to implant strong knowledge on practical education where specialization of one’s’ career begins at level one of secondary education. Â  I like how this craft is. As an editor of The Daily News, I would like to confirm to you that this information will be spread to people with enough courage to challenge the cabinet so that they can discuss on the implementation of these systems especially in the secondary and primary schools. Furthermore, the whole nation will be requested to give opinions on the same issue. I am sure that, once the government embarks on implementing these systems, there will be a reduced cost of manpower from the resource department.

Hyperlipdemia an new treatments with statin medications Essay

Hyperlipdemia an new treatments with statin medications - Essay Example The treatments at West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS – 1995) included 6596 men. The studies proved hugely successful; the all-cause mortality was reduced by 22% (Reamy, 1995). Such results from WOSCOPS and other accompanying studies lead to the commonplace practice of using statin therapy for acute ischemia (Reamy, 1995). It has been proven that synthetic statins such as rosuvastatin and atorvastatin decrease LDL levels. A study showed results of using intensive statin treatment on atherosclerotic plaque burden; the LDL cholesterol level dropped from â€Å"130mg/dl to post treatment level of 60.8mg/dl with 40mg/day rosuvastatin† (Reamy, 1995, p. 8). Other studies have also confirmed that statins are particularly useful for hypercholesterolemia in older patients. The curing action of statin was regardless of the previous levels of serum lipids, gender or age (Aronow, 2006). National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) III guidelines suggest that in high-risk patients low density lipoprotein (LDL) level of less than70mg/dl is a rational treatment strategy (Aronow, 2006). This strategy has nothing to do with the age of the patient. In case of a high risk patient with hypertriglyceridemia (low serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol), a combination of nicotinic acid or fibrate with any drug that has the property of lowering LDL cholesterol can be effective (Aronow, 2006). Moderately high-risk patients can be effectively treated with serum LDL cholesterol but the amount should be decreased to less than 100 mg/dl and this level of LDL cholesterol needs to be dropped further (30% to 40%) in case the patient is under LDL cholesterol drug therapy (Aronow, 2006). Despite remarkable lab results in treating hyperlipidemia there have been complications recorded with statin treatment. A study conducted in United Kingdom showed that hyperlipidemia patients treated with statin showed the likelihood of suffering

Dont Expect Job Data Alone to Persuade Fed on Rates Article

Dont Expect Job Data Alone to Persuade Fed on Rates - Article Example The short-term unemployment rate or the proportion of people remained jobless for 15 weeks has declined to 3.1 percent; however, this figure is still higher than the figure of the prerecession period. One more important consideration is labor's share of income in the nonfinancial corporate sector, which is measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each quarter. For comparison, it should be noted that the labor's share of income has remained between 61 and 66 percent right from 1950 through the early 2000s; that is currently ruling at 57.1 percent – much below 60 percent registered in 2005. Thus, Yellen is more concerned with the people who have fallen behind. Lower interest rate helps boost demand because consumers tend to spend more rather than saving or holding it. Moreover, the cost of borrowing is low helping businesses to invest and create employment; lower mortgage helps spur growth in construction because the interest burden on home buyers is minimal. In short, lower interest rate helps increase aggregate demand within the economy that in turn, boosts business activities reducing prevailing unemployment rates and that is what the Fed is attempting to do. In view of this, it is clear that until the job market improves on all parameters –unemployment rates and the labor’s share of income, there is a little scope of the interest rates getting revised upwards by the Fed. The Fed would like to observe the job market data for several quarters to come before making any upward revision of interest rates.

Total Environments, Health, and Safety Management in Nestle Essay

Total Environments, Health, and Safety Management in Nestle - Essay Example Employees are important part of any firm, whether big or small. Their behavior, attitude and personal hygiene plays a significant role in making the organization’s environment clean and healthy.Nestle considers the knowledge and attitude of its employees about health and safety and always come up with certain program which enhance the knowledge of its employees. The personal hygiene of the employees is the top most thing because a person can make the surroundings clean if only he or she is clean.Considering major element, it also includes the standards in every aspect. Nestle takes it as an important task which comprises each and every input, whether policies or plans, from process to progress. The best way to implement the above elements for healthy and safe environment is continuous monitoring and Nestle is doing the job quite impressively. Nestle plans such workshops which helps the employees in the identification of the hazards and related risk assessment. It includes the recognition of the health and safety hazards, its listing and risk rating of each hazard and the counter act for it. It also includes decision making and steps that may be necessary to reduce, minimize or control the risks.Nestle is organizing events like â€Å"Safety Awareness Week† in its factories with devotion, commitment and understanding to endorse safe working conditions of its employees, visitors and contractors. Not only this days like Environment Day and Earth Day is also observed at Nestle worldwide.... the knowledge and attitude of its employees about health and safety and always come up with certain program which enhance the knowledge of its employees. The personal hygiene of the employees is the top most thing because a person can make the surroundings clean if only he or she is clean. Considering major element, it also includes the standards in every aspect. Nestle takes it as an important task which comprises each and every input, whether policies or plans, from process to progress. The best way to implement the above elements for healthy and safe environment is continuous monitoring and Nestle is doing the job quite impressively. Nestle plans such workshops which helps the employees in the identification of the hazards and related risk assessment. It includes the recognition of the health and safety hazards, its listing and risk rating of each hazard and the counter act for it. It also includes decision making and steps that may be necessary to reduce, minimize or control the risks. Nestle is organizing events like â€Å"Safety Awareness Week† in its factories with devotion, commitment and understanding to endorse safe working conditions of its employees, visitors and contractors. Not only this days like Environment Day and Earth Day is also observed at Nestle worldwide. Efforts like this and many others have been done in Nestle so that a healthy and safe environment is created in the factories and offices round the globe. Following the above steps, any organization can bring the higher standards in their product and can built trust among its costumers. By making a safe and healthy environment we can move towards a prosperous world and also towards greener tomorrow. Safety Visions, goals and Objectives Nestle is one the leading multinational companies. Being the

Essay on Compulsory Primary Education Essay Example for Free

Essay on Compulsory Primary Education Essay In a country everybody should know how to read and write and how to count, so that everybody can help the society with a better capacity. Primary education is based mainly on reading, writing and arithmetic. This is the minimum education that one should get, specially in a poor country like India, where nothing more can be possibly done owing to paucity of funds. Advantages: The present age is the age of people. In most of the countries there are democratic form of Government. Democracy cannot be successful if the people are illiterate. Because illiterate persons cannot read the newspapers. They cannot read the political pamplets. So, they remain in dark about their countrys affairs. People should have a least the primary education for their easy conduct in the society and for the success of democracy. Why it should be made compulsory: The poor people do not send their children to school for want of money. Some children work elsewhere to supplement their family-income. The farmers children help their parents in the field. So, they cannot come to school if it is not made compulsory. but it must be free education and children should get their books and slates from the Government. Most of the parents being poor, their children should be provided with free fooding and free clothing. Conclusion: It is the duty of every Government to make the primary education free and compulsory. The Government of India should work out this scheme with all sincerity, so that all the children of the entire country will come within the scheme. People should co-operate with the Government in this campaign. Students can help their local people to work out the primary education programme. During their holidays and vacations they should open camp-schools in their own localities and teach the local children in suitable hours.

Food and Tradition Essay Example for Free

Food and Tradition Essay Culture has been existence since the time man came on the earth. Many ethnic groups have their own ways of living. Due to the new technologies and globalization, culture of many societies and families have been affected and altered in one way or the other. Some of the cultural traditions, practices, values and beliefs, values and virtues have faded away never to be heard again in within this new era with new generations. The roots of culture originate from families and clan. So the life styles are now being influenced from their fundamental points of source. This is not saying that culture will come to an end. Several families, clans which grow up to make communities and ethnic groups have struggled to this very far to preserve their culture. The survival of such cultural activities has created major concern over the last few decades. Most people have recently aroused the interest in cultural practices and this has contributed a lot to the tourism industry in our home country. Thousands of tourists are visiting our country entirely to watch over the oldest plays and cultural activities as well as to enjoy our traditional foods during such cultural occasions. This has resulted in dynamic, creative cultural practices of the oldest periods of our fore fathers. Food is something which is taken in the lightest manner possible by the new generations which we have in the entire world. They simply term it as nourishment that sustains growth or furnishes energy or does both to our bodies. They feebly attach much concentration on other importance of food other than the above. They have not known how much it contributes to the social and cultural welfare throughout our life. The role of various foods has deeper implications which are more than satisfying our hungers and other physical requirements. It may structures families schedules or it provide social activities which nurtures the family relation ships as people from one family interacts among themselves or with other family members. To a larger extend, it is used as a representation of certain ethnic identities. Thus, food is used in as part of family cerebrations or ceremonies as well as in our rituals. I as an indigenous person who hails from the northern parts of china, we have varieties of food stuffs. This ranges from the simplest agricultural products both from land cultivations and livestock. Although, the place has no reliable and sustainable rainfalls, many families produce farm products of horticultural natural through irrigation methods. Some of the produces includes vegetables and fruit, cabbages, squashes, pears grapes and apples. From livestock, they are vast lands in which people keep sheep for mutton and lamb. Generally, it is rare to get pork in such a place. This seems to have been influenced by the religion of the people. Most of the inhabitants are Muslims; hence they forbid the practice of taking pork. Pork is seriously fear by this people. The belief the eating of pork is like eating of the fresh of ones supreme being. So, the utilization of food is a very important part of the processes of life. Sometimes we fail to appreciate that food is more than just fundamental. The only other action that we connect in that is of analogous importance to our lives and to the life of our species is a sexual characteristic. But these two activities are quite different. The range of variations is substantially wider in food than in sex. In fact, the importance of food in understanding human culture lies precisely in its infinite inconsistency. For endurance needs, all men everywhere could eat the same food measured only in calories. However, people are of different backgrounds and eat very differently. Chinese eat varieties of foods in their meals which are characterized by quite notable flexibility and adaptabilities. The mixture of different meals in their ingredients remains to be distinctive in the appearance and tastes as well as the flavours. This varies from one cultural activity to another. During the festive occasion of circumcision, children are circumcised to graduate from their childhood to youthful hood. At this particular occasion, people use legume in higher quantities. This includes soybeans, broadens, pea nut and mung beans. They are used to make rapid healing of the wounds. It is also necessary to take bitter spices such as garlic and cinnamons which acts as reminder of the bitter activity they have gone through. (Gernet, 1962) Apart from circumcision ceremonies, many families do not eat meat products during the periods of tragedy such as death. In our culture, meat products are as result of shedding blood to the ground. Shedding of blood is one the acts which are sternly against the practices of our traditions. So, at such time of mourning, people cease from using the meat products which results from blood shed of animals. They believe that this is a sign of maintain peace with their super natural being. Once we eat such products, it like we are provoking the anger of the supreme nature. Thus, the common meals that are taken contain foods full of starch. Reference: Gernet, J. (1962): Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion: Stanford University Press

Definition And Importance Of Communication English Language Essay

Definition And Importance Of Communication English Language Essay Communication is like a bridge between people, the way in which it happens depending very much on the art of communication, the creativity of the human beings, the message of the communication and on the context in which it takes place. Because of its complexity, communication has been defined in many ways, some definitions being broad and inclusive, others restrictive (Littlejohn, Foss, 2008:3): The process that links discontinuous parts of the living world to one another (Ruesch, 1957:462), A system for communicating information and order (Websters Third New International Dictionary, 1986:460), A participative, two-way sharing of understanding, commitment and purpose, leading to appropriate action (Robbins et al, 2000:633). Communication is an interdisciplinary concept as it is approached from different fields such as linguistics, psychology, ecology, mathematics, etc., enabling us to transmit and share facts, ideas, data, feelings, attitudes. It plays a key role in all the fields of activity, therefore it should be effective so as to be an element of success for every relationship, organization, meeting, research, etc. Still, there are many barriers to effective communication (e.g. language, inappropriate choice of words/channel, different cultural backgrounds, difference in attitudes and values, etc.) which lead to misunderstandings and failure in interaction. Communication is not based just on a simple verbal interaction between people, but also on the body language and the facial expression which are also means of communicating a message. More than that, communication and technology have developed so much lately that we can even speak of forms of communication that move from the traditional human fo rms toward impersonal communication with entities to which we cannot transmit feelings or experiences, e.g. banking networks, computers, phones, etc. and we can also speak not only of human or impersonal communication but also of animal communication. However, if we are to consider a simple model of communication which states that it is a process of information transfer from a sender to a receiver via a medium, the process starting from an inner state of the sender which produces the transfer of the signal and ending with an inner state of the receiver when the signal is delivered (ShannonWeaver, 1949), we can ask ourselves if this simple model is suitable for communication in general, be it human, impersonal or animal. In their book Animal Signals Maynard Smith and Harper (2003:3) defined the signal as: any act or structure which alters the behaviour of other organisms, which evolved because of that effect, and which is effective because the receivers response has also evolved. Here, the signal is understood as having a corresponding response, a modification of behaviour. Still, it may fail sometimes, for example because of poor design or noise. On the contrary, communication means a successful accomplishment of the signalling act, so there is no such concept as failed communication. Thus, it is this possible failure that makes the clear distinction between signalling and communication. In the previous definition, there is no reference to the notion of information but this does not mean that signalling does not use it. If we think of both impersonal and animal signalling, the idea that the signal carries information is implicit, even Maynard Smith and Harper (1995:305) stated that: it is not evolut ionarily stable for the receiver to alter its behaviour unless, on average, the signal carries information of value to it. Hence, information is carried but the relevance of the signal is important as the receiver may ignore the signalling behaviour if the signal is of no use to him and has nothing to gain from it. An important difference between human communication and animal signals (maybe we could even think of this difference when referring to impersonal devices signalling) is the presence of language. People are able to communicate with the help of language, having the power of combining and creating different messages by using symbols, words and their creativity. More than that, people have thoughts, desires, beliefs being able to show and recognize their intentions to communicate, they may use different stimuli to attract the receivers attention and to engage in activities with similar goals and objectives. Animals, on the other hand, have no intentional system (Davidson, 198 2) and none of the above mentioned human traits. The speech acts mark also a difference between human communication and animal/impersonal signals. The communicative acts help us not only to communicate but also to influence each other in various ways. In conclusion, if we take into consideration the particularities of human communication and the limitations of animal/impersonal signalling, we can notice that there are similarities but also differences, thus it would be difficult to say that a simple model would cover all cases. The general terms of human communication being established, we turn to examine other important aspects/models of successful and effective (human) communication. Characteristics of communication Two-way process: The two-way process refers to a communication where the participants take turns in being speaker-listener, writer-reader, the process being complete only if there is a feedback from the receiver to the sender on how well the message is understood. Verbal and nonverbal: Verbal communication uses sounds and language to express ideas and concepts while non-verbal communication uses gestures, touch and body language to send and receive wordless cues between people. Language familiarity: Effective communication means that the sender must use a language the receiver is familiar with, otherwise the communication will be a failure. Interest in the message: The receiver has to be interested in the subject the sender has to convey, so that the communication process is successful. Perception: There should be a consensus between the message that is sent and the one that is received. The intended meaning has to be the same for an effective communication. Continuity: Communication is continuous because in everything we do, we have to convey or receive information, the exchange of information being a continuous process. Formal or informal: Formal communication conforms to established professional rules and standards while informal communication is casual, unofficial and does not conform to any regulations. Components of communication Communication becomes effective when it achieves the desired response from the receiver. These are the components by means of which communication can be effective: Context every communication starts with a context and is affected by the context in which it occurs. The context could be cultural, social, physical, etc. and it is the sender who chooses the message to communicate within such a context. Sender/encoder This is the person who conveys the message. He/she uses words, visual aids or body language to send the message and produced the desires response, the verbal or nonverbal symbols chosen being essential for a correct interpretation of the message by the receiver. Message The message is the essence of what the sender wants to communicate and it is the starting point of the communication process because the sender starts by planning the message he/she wants to transmit. Medium It is the channel which is used to conduct the communicative act. It is essential to choose the right medium in order to have an effective communication. Receiver/decoder This is the person to whom the message is addressed, the understanding of the message depending also on the relationship between the sender and the receiver, but also on the reliance that the encoder has on the decoder. Feedback Feedback is very important for the communication process as the sender has the possibility of analysing the efficacy of the message and to understand if the message has been interpreted correctly. Models of communication There are many code models for understanding the communication process and it would be difficult to consider all of them in this paper, therefore we are going to consider only some significant models which serve the purpose of understanding the process of communication. Aristotle The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to give a model of communication. Incorporating few elements, his model is suitable for public speaking (www.eou.edu). SPEAKER MESSAGE LISTENER According to this model, the speaker/sender has the most important role in communication, taking complete charge, carefully preparing and presenting his thoughts in order to influence the listener/receiver. Aristotles model is the most common model for public speaking where the message is sent to influence the receivers and make them act accordingly. Shannon and Weaver (1949) Claude E. Shannon was an electrical engineer and mathematician who published a paper which referred to a theory of probability for evaluating the success of electronic transmission of information, a concept which became known as the information/communication theory. His model was based on five constituents involved in the process of communication: 1. An information source which produces a message or a sequence of messages to be communicated to the receiving terminal. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 2. A transmitter which operates on the message in some way to produce a signal suitable for transmission over the channel. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 3. The channel is merely the medium used to transmit the signal from transmitter to receiver. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ During transmission, or at one of the terminals, the signal may be perturbed by noise.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 4. The receiver ordinarily performs the inverse operation of that done by the transmitter, reconstructing the message from the signal. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 5. The destination is the person (or thing) for whom the message is intended. (Shannon, 1948:380, 1949:4). In 1949 Shannon s theory was reviewed by Warren Weaver who actually extended the term communication, using it in a very broad sense and making the understanding of the theory easier for those who were not familiar with mathematics. Shannon and Weaver published a work together The Mathematical Theory of Communication which contributed significantly to the application of the communication theory within different fields. NOISE MESSAGE SOURCE TRANSMITTER CHANNEL RECEIVER DESTINATION Roman Jakobson (1960) Jakobsons model of the functions of language makes a distinction between six factors of communication that are necessary for the communication to take place: addresser, message, addressee, context, code and contact. The ADDRESSER sends a MESSAGE to the ADDRESSEE. To be operative, the message requires a CONTEXT referred to (referent in another, somewhat ambiguous, nomenclature), seizable by the addressee, and either verbal or capable of being verbalized; a CODE fully, or at least partially, common to the addresser and addressee (or in other words to the encoder and decoder of the message); and, finally, a CONTACT, a physical channel and psychological connection between the addresser and the addressee, enabling both of them to enter and stay in communication. (Jakobson, 1960:353). CONTEXT MESSAGE ADDRESSER CONTACT ADDRESSEE CODE According to Jakobson (1960) each of these factors determines a different function of language (termed by him as referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalingual and poetic), each verbal message fulfilling more than one of these functions. M. A. K. Halliday (1978) David Crystal (2003) In A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics Crystal defines communication using a classic variant of the model of communication. Communication refers to the transmission of INFORMATION (a message) between a source and receiver using a signalling system: in linguistic contexts, source and receiver are interpreted in human terms, the system involved is a LANGUAGE, and the notion of response to (or acknowledgement of) the message becomes of crucial importance. In theory, communication is said to have taken place if the information received is the same as that sent (Crystal, 2003:85). INFORMATION SOURCE LANGUAGE RECEIVER RESPONSE MESSAGE COMPREHENSION Possible diagram of Crystals model The examples presented here prove the long existence of the different models, each of them having a pattern of development, a contribution and an influence on the process of communication. However, an important aspect of the communicative process is language which helps us to communicate, to actually convey the message to other individuals, to interact and create systems for communicating. In general linguistics, language is analysed as a formal system, Noam Chomsky (1975) referring to it as being innate, a biological necessity and a highly abstracted individual competence. Still, when communicating, people do not rely only on the rules of language as a formal system, but also on the environment, the social context and the knowledge they have of the topic. Even if linguists like Chomsky or Pinker claim that people are somehow wired to language, people also have the ability to become aware and to respond to the environmental cues when using the language. It is because of these abiliti es and reactions that language plays an important role in communication and has an impact on human interaction. Language performs many communicative functions, one of the main functions being the communication of information, and even if there have been many attempts to give some general rules for the main functions of language, the results have been inconsistent, this functional approach being less well documented (Brown and Yule, 1983:1). Brown and Yule used only two terms to refer to the main functions of language, the distinction being made between transactional language and interactional language, which actually correspond to the classifications representative/expressive found in Buhler (1934), referential/emotive (Jakobson, 1960), ideational/interpersonal (Halliday, 1970b) and descriptive/social-expressive (Lyons, 1977) . According to Brown and Yule (1983), transactional language is that language which is efficient, the speaker (or writer) having in mind the efficient transfer ence of information, the receiver having to get the message correctly, as there is no place for misinterpretation because of the terrible consequences that it may have, for example a teacher giving the wrong information to students at the beginning of an exam or a fireman misguiding his colleagues during a fire. Interactional language refers to the language used in everyday conversations or social relationships, the sociologists and sociolinguists being the ones concerned with the use of language to establish and maintain social relationships (Brown and Yule, 1983:3). Everyday conversations are more subject to interactional than transactional use of language, phrases like Terrible weather, isnt it. or Thats a nice shirt/blouse suggesting the speakers intention to develop a conversation and be friendly not his/her intention to convey a message. Conversational analysts such as Brown and Levinson (1978) believe that agreement and a common point of view are essential for this type of la nguage, repetition being one of the means by which agreement is emphasised. A distinction has to be made here between spoken language which is generally considered to be more interpersonal than informative, and written language which is considered to be primarily transactional. Spoken and written language are produced differently and with different effects. Spoken versus written language There are differences between the spoken and the written language which refer not only to the way that they are produced and to their effects, but also to their evolution and independence. Language is considered to be a natural ability, the capacity to acquire it being innate. Still, the views are different when referring to spoken or written language. There are many linguists who believe that written language is a human invention and not a natural ability. Darwin (1871) wrote about the instinct of speaking that we can observe even with little children while there is no such instinct as writing that can be observed with children. Saussure (1916) stated that writing exist only to represent speech, while Bloomfield (1933) claimed that writing is only a way in which speaking can be recorded, there being no such term as written language. Even if this view about writing has been sustained by many renowned linguists, it is not universally accepted. Linguists from the Prague Linguistic Circ le, such as Pulgram (1965) or Vachek (1973, 1989), view written language as an independent system equal to spoken language, the two systems mutually influencing each other .

The Wessex Tales Essay -- miscellaneous

The Wessex Tales Explore Hardy’s portrayal of women in three of the stories studied. The Wessex tales was set in the nineteenth century; Thomas Hardy decided to write his stories and novels in the past, during the nineteenth century before he was born. Hardy got some of his ideas from his grand parents; he used to spend long evening next to the fire listening to his grand parents telling stories form the past. Thomas Hardy invented his own places He is highlighting the point that women around that time do not have a say in any thing. The expectations of women were that they had a lower profile At this time people lived in small communities so every one knew each other, so gossip got around the community. If any one did any thing wrong then they became a victim of there own community, and would become isolated. Thomas Hardy portrays Rhoda s being a social victim for having a child out of wedlock, although she is isolated it is ironic that Farmer Lodge is not, but he is still accepted as part of the community. This shows women are lower than men women are inferior to men. Farmer lodge does not acknowledge the fact that he has a son ‘Just the same as usual’ ‘ Took no notice of you’ ‘None’ Rhoda son is use to his dad ignoring him. All that Farmer Lodge has given Rhoda is a job, Rhoda works away from the rest of the workers because she has been discarded. Hardy describes Rhoda as ‘Fading women of thirty’She looks older than she actually is; it also...