New Business Concept Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New Business Concept - Assignment Example They are able to procure furniture at significantly lower price compared to regular purchases of furniture. The nearby resident area where apartment sprawl in numbers are the main target market of Furniture Unlimited. The target market being apartment dwellers belongs in the lower middle class segment and therefore is sensitive to price which is advantageous to Furniture Unlimited because its furniture are more cost effective compared to the regular price of furniture. Its proximity to the market is also advantageous in reducing cost as freight expense will be relatively lower due to the short distance of the business to the market. If the customer is sensitive to cost, they could get the most value to their money because many of the furniture sold are heavily discounted it being a second hand. They also have a choice of low priced brand new furniture with the same advantage of procuring them at lower cost. Furnitures Unlimited will differentiate from its competitors in terms of pricing. Its target market are apartment dwellers who are price sensitive and it will make the business more attractive to this market segment by lowering its price significantly. This can be done by offering more choice of excellent quality second hand furniture at prices which customers cannot compete. Competitors who would engage in price war with Furniture Unlimited cannot compete because the furniture were bought at a discount while theirs were bought at a premium, it being brand new. The company set up shall Limited Liability Corporation to protect its owners from liability in case the company will not be successful. It will be managed both by John and Alex. John being a business major will serve as the general manager and will oversee the business. Alex is a furniture expert who would ensure that the second hand furniture sold to customers are still of excellent

Router and Switch Configuration Essay Example for Free

Router and Switch Configuration Essay When installing, setting, and configuring a switch it is important to know what kind of switch is needed and installed in the network. For this purpose I have chosen the Cisco switches main line, which is the Catalyst Switches, which is one of the popular series and models. They include fixed-configuration desktop models, configurable plug-and-play modular chassis models and packages with high-speed buses into which many cards can be inserted. To configure the Cisco Catalyst switch I will use the Visual Switch Manager, which is an IOS command line interface, or I can use the management console. The VSM is tool operated through a web browser interface and the management console is a simple, menus based interface. To access the CLI, the switch’s console port, which is at the back of the switch, must be plugged into a computer terminal or modem with an RJ-45 rollover cable and the appropriate adapter. Then one runs a terminal emulation program, which can be HyperTerminal that comes with Windows, to specify the port to communicate with. It is imperative that the settings of the switch console port and the management station or modem match or you cannot communicate. Assuming the switch and the settings are connected and match you will be shown a User Interface Menu. To move into the CLI, you press the [K] key. When you want to configure the switch using menus you would then press the [M] key (for menu). There are three categories of information which make up the console interface: configuration, statistics, and diagnostics. The configuration menu contains information on the current setting of the switch parameters. Many of these parameters are also configurable through the console interface. The second category contains switch statistics information. Through the statistics screens, users can monitor switch performance. The third menu set contains diagnostic/troubleshooting commands enabling field engineers and knowledgeable network administrators to perform simple troubleshooting functions. A factory-configured switch has no password assigned. To add or change the password, use the Password Menu. The Ethernet switch console can be accessed by establishing a telnet connection to port 6 of the terminal concentrator, which is long distance managing. Telnet is a utility used for remotely login to a device. The Cisco switch IOS have different EXEC modes with distinctive prompts. You can use these modes for executing different Cisco switch commands. The Cisco IOS user interface is divided into many different modes. The commands available to you depend on which mode you are currently in. Enter a question mark (? ) at the system prompt to obtain a list of commands available for each command mode. When you start a session on the switch, you begin in user mode, often called user EXEC mode. Only limited subsets of the commands are available in user EXEC mode. For example, most of the user EXEC commands are one-time commands, such as show commands, which show the current configuration status, and clear commands, which clear counters or interfaces. The user EXEC commands are not saved when the switch reboots. To have access to all commands, you must enter privileged EXEC mode. Normally, you must enter a password to enter privileged EXEC mode. From this mode, you can enter any privileged EXEC command or enter global configuration mode. The following are commands and their uses; User EXEC begins the session with the switch and the user prompt looks like this, Switch, use this mode to change terminal settings, perform basic tests, and display system information. Privileged EXEC, while in user EXEC mode enter enable command and the prompt will look like this, Switch#, use this mode to verify commands that you have entered. Use the password to protect access to this mode. Global configuration, while in privileged EXEC mode enter the configure command, the prompt will look like this, Switch (config) #, you use this mode to configure parameters that apply to the entire switch. Config-vlan , While in global configuration mode, enter the vlan vlan-id command, the prompt will look like this, Switch(config-vlan)#, you will use this mode to configure VLAN parameters. When VTP mode is transparent, you can create extended-range VLANs (VLAN IDs greater than 1005) and save configurations in the switch startup configuration file. VLAN configuration, While in privileged EXEC mode, enter the vlan database command, the prompt will look like this, Switch (vlan) #, you will use this mode to configure VLAN parameters for VLANs 1 to 1005 in the VLAN database. Interface configuration, while in global configuration mode, enter the interface command (with a specific interface), the prompt will look like this, Switch (config-if) #, you will use this mode to configure parameters for the Ethernet interfaces. Line configuration, while in global configuration mode, the prompt will look like this, Switch (config-line) #, this will specify a line with the line vty or line console command, you will use this mode to configure parameters for the terminal line. A VLAN is a switched network that is logically segmented by function, project team, or application, without regard to the physical locations of the users. VLANs have the same characteristics as physical LANs, but you can group end stations even if they are not physically located on the same LAN segment. Any switch port can belong to a VLAN, and unicast, broadcast, and multicast packets are forwarded and flooded only to end stations in the VLAN. Each VLAN is considered a logical network, and packets destined for stations that do not belong to the VLAN must be forwarded through a router or bridge. A VLAN comes appears when a local port is configured to be associated with the VLAN, when the VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) learns of its existence from a neighbor on a trunk, or when a user creates a VLAN. A trunk port carries the traffic of multiple VLANs and by default is a member of all VLANs in the VLAN database. To do this one must switch to global configuration mode. To add ports to the VLAN, change to the Interface Configuration mode and use the vlan-membership static vlan# command. When done, you can view the VLANs by typing the show vlan command. To build redundancy and eliminate the creation of multiple broadcast packets, spanning tree protocol (STP) must be configured on the network switches. Spanning tree protocol allows a switch to recognize which switch on the network is handling broadcast requests from other devices on the network. STP is a Layer 2 link management protocol that provides path redundancy while preventing loops in the network, but you can enable STP on only 128 VLANs. Before you configure STP, select a switch to be the root of the spanning tree. This switch does not need to be the most powerful switch, but choose the most centralized switch on the network. All data flow across the network is from the perspective of this switch. Also, choose the least disturbed switch in the network. The backbone switches often serve as the spanning tree root because these switches typically do not connect to end stations. Also, moves and changes within the network are less likely to affect these switches†. You should type show command to show the version of the software for the switches, and then type the set spantree root vlan_id command, in order to set the priority of the switch to 8192 for the VLAN or VLANs that the vlan id specifies. Then you should type the set, spantree portfast mod_num/port_num enable command, in order to configure the PortFast setting on Switches 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17. Issue the show spantree vlan_id command in order to verify that Switch 15 is the root of all the appropriate VLANs.

Introduction To Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Nursing Essay

Introduction To Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Nursing Essay In order to fully understand and grasp the meaning of the term juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), one needs to look into its componential words and see what each of them mean. The term juvenile refers to the state of being young, childish or infantile. Rheumatism describes any painful condition related to the motor system of the body. This pertains to joints, muscles, soft and connecting tissues. As discussed to this point, the prefix rheuma- originates from a Greek word rheuma  [1]  which pertains to the flowing of a river or stream. Arthritis on the other hand is a term concerned just with joint disorders. The term again originates from the Greeks. Artho- means joint and -itis means inflammation. A joint is where bones meet such as the shoulder joint, knee joint, hip joint and the small joints in the hands and feet. Joining the terms to fully comprehend the phrase juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, one can conclude that it is a joint disorder found in youth. Indeed, arthritis is not a disorder exclusive to the elderly population. Introduction to Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Children at the age of sixteen and below who experience joint disorders fall in the category of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Children can complain about aches in their joints which can be caused by multiple reasons. However, if the pain persists for six weeks  [2]  or more or there is swelling on or around the joints, the child might be suffering from JRA. Arthritis is a chronic condition and lasts a long time. It causes inflammation of one or more joints, sometimes retarding bone development and growth. Important questions that arise from the discussion so far are: 1) Why categorize juvenile arthritis as a disease separate from that experienced by the adults?, and 2) Why can the two not be considered the same and treated as such when it is joint disorder that is the core problem? To answer these questions, some major differences between adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are provided as follows:  [3]   Quick Facts and Statistics The majority of the patients suffering from JRA outgrow the disease, a finding that is very rare in the adult forms of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis in adults is a single disease with different manifestations, while JRA has distinct subtypes and is much rarer than arthritis in adults. JRA patients, more often than not, have negative rheumatoid factor (RF) in blood while seventy to eighty percent of the adults with rheumatoid arthritis have positive rheumatoid factor in circulation. JRA interferes with proper growth of the bones while that is not the case in adult in whom bones have already fully grown and developed. Due to these and other age-related factors, juvenile arthritis is termed a separate disease and dealt with accordingly. There are three major subtypes of JRA which can be determined by following the pattern of the disease in its first six months, considering how many joints are involved and whether certain types of antibodies are present in the blood. These include the following.  [4]   Oligoarticular JRA In this kind of JRA, only a few joints are affected. It usually affects large joints such as knee, shoulder and elbow. Oligo means short or few. When only one joint is affected, it is called monoarticular arthritis. This type is not very severe. Polyarticular JRA This form of JRA affects five or more joints, usually in hands and feet. A typical symptom is the swelling of fingers and toes. This type of JRA is often symmetrical, which means that if one joint is affected on one side of the body, the same joint is affected on the other side as well. Systemic JRA This type of JRA causes swelling, pain and limited motion in one or more joints. It also causes inflammation of internal organs such as the heart, spleen or liver. Typically, it causes fever and a pink rash. Fever comes at the same time every day. It is sometimes referred to as the Stills disease. The oligoarticular and polyarticular types of JRA are found to be more common among girls than among boys. However, systemic JRA equally affects girls and boys. Approximately fifty percent of the children suffering from JRA have the oligoarticular type, thirty percent have polyarticular type, and twenty percent suffer from the systemic type. Some important statistics, (from the same source) about the prevalence of JRA are listed below. These statistics give an insight about the magnitude of the problem and the number of people suffering from it.  [5]   One out of every 1000 children is affected by JRA worldwide. Young girls are more susceptible to the disease than boys are. The disease is more common among Caucasians than any other race. It is one of the most common childhood diseases found in the U.S. Approximately 294,000 children are affected by JRA in the U.S. Ambulatory care visits for JRA and other pediatric arthritis conditions are on average 827,000 annually. A new term for JRA has recently gained popularityjuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Idiopathic is a medical adjective which means when something happens spontaneously or without known cause. Since there are not many known causes of juvenile arthritis, thus the term JIA came into existence. Research suggests that JIA patients have a condition called autoimmune process.  [6]  This is when the immune system of the body becomes overly active and inappropriately starts attacking joint tissues as if they were harmful foreign bodies. Autoimmune processes are speculated to be triggered by a variety of reasons. On the top of the list are certain bacteria and viruses. Against popular belief, there is scarce evidence of children with food and other allergies developing arthritis. However, some research suggests genetic roots of the disease. If one family member has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, it is very much likely that others, especially siblings, may have it too. Diagnosi ng JIA is not an easy task. Most doctors use a combination of blood tests, X-rays (to rule out fractures or cancer) and physical examination. Physical examination of the child is considered to be the most important of the three. This will be discussed in detail later on in the chapter. Distinction Since there are more than a hundred different forms of arthritis known and treated, it is important to know what major factors distinguish one form from the other and how they affect the patient so that the problem is diagnosed properly and taken care of accordingly. Symptoms and features  [7]  typically related to JRA are as follows. Persistent joint pain, inflammation and swelling can occur. Joint inflammation over a long period of time can causes permanent and irreversible damages to cartilage and bone. Morning stiffness of joints or stiffness after a nap has been observed, but the morning stiffness gradually improves after the patient awakens. A child with JRA might exhibit irritability and refusal to walk or even use a specific joint. The patient might also suffer from recurrent fever with temperatures exceeding a hundred degrees. Fever usually occurs at the same time daily. Pale red or pink rash in the form of spots are typical in systemic JRA and usually appear on the chest and thighs and sometimes on other parts of the body. The rash usually accompanies fever spikes. Bone Characteristics Joints affected by JRA are mostly the knee and the joints in the hands and feet. Anemia, a lack of enough red blood cells is a common feature of polyarticular JRA. Remissions and flare ups are a common feature of standard JRA. There may be periods when no symptoms appear (remissions) and then there are periods when the severity of the symptoms reaches its peak (flare ups). Bone growth can be adversely affected. Growth can either become too fast or too slow causing one limb to become longer than the other, joints may grow unevenly, budding out to a single side. Overall bone development and growth might be slowed down to a considerable extent. Soft Tissues Muscles and other soft tissues around the affected joints may weaken. Weight loss and loss of appetite in children that suffer from JRA is very common. Irritation and disease of the eye, which is composed to soft tissue, is a typical feature of JRA. Symptoms include blurred vision or even complete loss of vision in extreme cases, excessive tearing, sensitivity to light, and redness in the eyes. Uveitis is the term for eye inflammation which affects the uvea of the eye. Another serious form of eye inflammation caused by JRA is iridocyclitis, a form of anterior uveitis. This is a serious problem and can lead to scarring of the eye and vision loss. Initially, there may be no visible symptoms of an eye problem. Resultant sleep disturbances are frequent among JRA patients. Children often face difficulty falling asleep and awaken several times during the night. Daytime sleepiness, mood swings and fatigue is also common. A child suffering from JRA should have regular eye checkups to detect any early changes in the eye in order to stop possible serious damage. Solid Outgrowths In some subtypes of JRA nodules develop on some parts of the body such as elbows. Nodules are small bumps which receive a lot of pressure and become extremely uncomfortable or painful for the patient. Swollen lymph nodes are also an outcome of JRA especially in the neck, under the jaw or on the groin. Patients may feel heat or a burning sensation in the joints as a result. Significance of Knowing the Distinguishing Features Symptomology The characteristic symptoms and features explained above are only possible outcomes of JRA and stand for a major part of why it is important to know the distinguishing features of JRA. Not all patients of this disease experience all the symptoms, and not all face the same intensity. Symptoms differ from child to child, and from subtype to subtype. Some patients may have longer remissions and fewer and shorter flare ups while others may have the opposite. Patients and caregivers must also realize that persistent joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness are common to all types of JRA and are mostly present in all patients and are typical signs of arthritis among children below the age of sixteen. Sensitivity to any changes that may occur in the childs gait, mood, sleeping habits can be very beneficial in a timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Children may not complain about the pain as one would have thought; they may learn rapidly to live with the pain. The Overlooked Burden JRA may affect the physical presentation of the young patient and can impact his or his emotional and social projection. This is another reason why it important to understand the distinguishing features of a JRA victim. Slower or faster bone growth can cause a limp or cause one arm or leg to be longer than the other and uneven joint growth provides for a different shape of the joints, especially elbows and knees. If joints of the hands and feet are affected, fingers and toes can become malformed and hands and feet can swell. Some medicines used in the treatment of JRA can cause weight gain due to water retention and make the face rounder. These changes in the physical appearance and the inability of the child to participate in some physical activities can create an emotional burden for him or her and cause extreme depression and stress. Others find it hard to accept the patients different physical appearances and more often than not are found to stare at the patients, thus making the m feel uncomfortable. Children with JRA feel left out and alienated. This stress is thought to further increase inflammation and joint pain. That is why proper emotional support from family as well as from school and an understanding of the childs feelings and limitations can help the JRA patient cope better with the disease. It has been observed that children at a very young age with rheumatoid arthritis find it relatively easier to adjust than those in their teens. Growing up during the teens can be a challenging experience in itself without having to cope with a chronic, crippling and a life-altered disease. School life is affected as does the social environment. JRA can leave children as loners with not many friends around just as adults with arthritis suffer from depression and insomnia. Adults are however better able to express and share their feelings with their doctor. Children tend to internalize their feeling of despair, which makes the situation worse. Teenagers are known to be worse at handling their emotions as they are frequently depressed and disturbed. Parents must make sure that they join a local support group, have understanding teachers in school and can continue some form of physical activity during remissions. Different studies suggest that authoritative parents of teenage juvenile ar thritis patients can worsen the situation. Giving enough autonomy in tasks such as socializing and physical activity can improve quality of life for these children, and hence provides another reason why knowing the distinguishing features of JRA is important. Techniques Initial Approaches There is no single test which can declare a child as having or not having juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The first and the foremost factor that the doctor would consider is the length of time that the symptoms including joint pain, stiffness and/or inflammation have lasted. If the symptoms have lasted for more than six weeks, only then a doctor can consider further investigating for JRA. This is because these symptoms can arise from a variety of reasons such as injury and fractures. To rule out other causes of joint pain or inflammation, certain laboratory tests are run. X-rays are done to check for fractures or tumors that may be causing the inflammation. Imaging exam is also done to exclude diseases such as viral infections, bacterial infections, inflammatory bowel diseases and some forms of cancer that produce symptoms similar to that of JRA. A complete blood count (CBC) test is also done to rule out disorders such as leukemia and malaria. Medical History A detailed medical history and physical examination  [8]  can help in the detection of JRA immensely. A doctor can ask several questions to the child or to the parents that will help diagnose the problem. These questions may include the following: When exactly did the symptoms first begin to appear? Which joints are affected? Do the joints feel stiffer in the morning? Is the child limping? Has there been weight loss? Has there been a loss of appetite? Can the child bear weight on the affected joints? Is there a family history of arthritis? The above inquiries provide very useful revelations for the doctor and will make diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis much easier. Physical Examination The components of the physical examination of JRA are listed below. Careful inspection of the affected joints Evaluation of body temperature to record fever Examination of the skin to look for rashes Observation of the lymph nodes to look for any swellings During such an examination the doctor takes notes of the kind of joint inflammation, other symptoms like fever or rash and the number and location of affected joints. This information is deterministic in the diagnosis of JRA. At the Lab Some laboratory screening tests  [9]  for JRA are listed below. The Antinuclear Antibody Test This test is used for seeking certain antibodies present in the child suspected of having JRA. The presence of such antibodies increases the likelihood of the young patient to develop iritis, an eye inflammation thought to cause permanent damage to the eye. Some children with JRA have an increased risk of developing iritis. By helping to determine the likelihood of iritis, this test allows the doctor to regularly check the eyes of JRA victims who are more susceptible to develop iritis and prevent permanent damage. Rheumatoid FactorAnother blood test is done to see if rheumatoid factor is present in the blood of the child. The rheumatoid factor is an antibody that determines whether the child is likely to carry the disease into the adulthood or not. This antibody attacks healthy body tissues and causes damage. Presence of RF in blood in a child is a surefire indication of JRA. Other Tests Known as ESR or SED, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test is used to determine the degree of inflammation and assists in figuring out the subtype of JRA present. Complement is a term that scientifically refers to a group of proteins in the blood. A complement test is simply done to measure the level of complement in blood. Low levels of complement are associated with immune system disorders such as JRA. Sometimes, urine analysis of the child can indicate kidney disorders that are again associated with immune system issues. White blood cell count in the blood is another screening technique for JRA. Increased number of these specialized cells indicates possible infections while a decreased amount suggests possible rheumatoid disease in the child. Arthrocentesis is a process whereby fluid is extracted from around the affected joint with the help of a syringe and then analyzed for diagnosis. Hematocrit is a test to measure the level of red blood cells in the blood. Decreas ed levels of red blood cells, also known as anemia, are associated with rheumatoid diseases in children. Treatment as a Technique Once JRA has been detected, treatment is immediately started. The treatment approach is twofold: 1) to reduce the childs pain and enable him or her to lead a life as normal as possible and; 2) secondly, to prevent any permanent and irreversible damage. Treatment for JRA includes physical therapy as well as medicine. Physical therapy is used to keep the joints flexible, which makes them less stiff and painful. Swimming, certain form of aerobics, stretching exercises and other physical activities that a therapist suggests can be a major help in the fight against JRA. Doctors and therapists may also suggest splints and other devices to ensure proper bone growth, a major concern in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Shoe lifts or inserts may be advised for children with unequal legs. Increased intake of vitamin D and calcium is also advised to the patients. Massages, hot bathes and acupuncture are thought to temporarily relieve the pain and provide some comfort to the youngsters. Medication is prescribed according to the intensity of the disease and the sub type. Research JRA research is being focused on the causes, prevention and treatment of the disease. While research so far has not been able to specify any particular causes of JRA, new advances in research show both genetic and environmental factors such as viruses and bacteria are responsible for causing the disease. Recent research suggests that JRA is associated with a virus called human intracisternal A-type particle, or HIAP.  [10]  Antibodies against this virus have been found in a high percentage among patients of JRA. HIAP technology is now being used to develop diagnostic tests and treatment for the disease. For the genetic part of the possible causes, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype gene is thought to determine the sub type of JRA in the patient. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has set up a research registry for families with two or more siblings with JRA.  [11]  The purpose of this registry is to study sibling pairs a nd focus on the genes that seem susceptible to the disease. The aim is to eventually use gene therapy and other gene treatment to treat such disorders. The Current Situation For quite some time now JRA has been considered to be an autoimmune disease which means that the bodys immune system starts producing such antibodies which attack healthy tissues of the body resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. Recent research has now shown that not all cases of JRA are autoimmune, some are caused by auto-inflammatory disorders. In such a disorder antibodies are not involved, rather white blood cells, that attack harmful substances in the body malfunction and cause inflammation for unknown reasons. Auto-inflammatory disorders cause fever and rash. There are still no known ways of preventing JRA. Scientists and doctors are always searching for new and better treatments for JRA-affected children which are more effective and have fewer side effects. In addition to research, clinical trials and controlled environment case studies can help understand many new aspects of the disease and the treatment. Anyone suffering from JRA can voluntarily become a part of such clinical trials and case studies. Areas of current research for JRA include the following:  [12]   Long-term effects of the use of the drugs methotrexate and corticosteroid. Causes of sleep problems among the children suffering from JRA. Causes and treatment of potential anemia in the patients. Effectiveness of calcium supplementation in increasing bone density of the patients. Long-term impacts of the recurrent pain in children. How exactly interleukin, a chemical involved in inflammation, affects the growth of new blood vessels in the joint tissues and causes the said tissues to overgrow. Comparison of: 1) the effects of intravenous methylprednisolone, a corticosteroid medicine and intravenous cyclophosphamide that suppresses the immune system, and 2) the effects of using intravenous methylprednisolone alone. Analysis This chapter covered the distinguishing characteristics, techniques in detection, and advances in research for JRA. It is important to know that joint pain and stiffness is evidently not just a problem characteristic of grandparents. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a joint disorder that affects children below the age of sixteen. It is a chronic disease and lasts for a long period of time with remissions and flare ups. There are three major subtypes of JRA: 1) oligoarticular JRA, which involves only a few joints, 2) polyarticular JRA involving five or more joints, and 3) systemic JRA in addition to arthritis symptoms also typically causes a fever and a rash and in extreme cases affects internal organs like heart, lungs and kidneys. More young girls than boys are affected by the first two subtypes while boys and girls are equally likely to develop the third, the rarest kind. Polyarticular JRA is the most common subtype but also the least severe. Clear-cut evidence on what exactly causes JRA is nonexistent. However, JRA is known to be an autoimmune disorder which means that the bodys immune system starts attacking healthy body tissues of children. The disease is thought to have both genetic and environmental factors as the root causes. Symptoms differ from patient to patient and from subtype to subtype. For adults, rheumatoid arthritis is usually a lifetime disease, but more than half of the JRA affected children grow out of it. Presence of rheumatoid factor in the blood of the child determines the likelihood of the child to carry the disease into adulthood. JRA can affect the physical appearance of a child and the course of his or her daily life. This can lead to an emotional burden and stress which if not handled properly can further aggravate the problem. Different screening techniques are used to diagnose the disease. First, the doctor notes the medical history from the patient and the parents. This is usually followed by a detailed physical examination of the child, which is considered a very crucial step of the diagnosis process. Some laboratory tests are run to rule out other possible diseases with similar symptoms such as viral and bacterial infections, cancer, fractures and injuries. These tests include complete blood count, X-rays, imaging tests, and bone scans. Some laboratory tests done to determine the level of inflammation and the possible complications of the disease include the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test, the antinuclear antibody test, urine analysis, arthrocentesis, hematocrit and white blood cell count. After the disease has been diagnosed, the treatment begins. There is no permanent cure of the disease. The treatment focuses on controlling the symptoms and preventing permanent damage. Recent research is focusi ng on discovering the genes which seem to determine JRA or its sub types so that they can be used in gene therapy and treatment. Sibling-pairs are being studies to discover patterns. Technology is being used to fight human intracisternal A-type particle HIAP, a virus antibodies against which have been found present in majority of the JRA patients under study. It has been found that many cases of JRA are not because of autoimmune disorders, but rather they are caused by auto-inflammatory disorders. This is when the white blood cells malfunction and cause inflammation. More recent research facets include the study of long-term effects of certain drugs on children, causes and treatments of sleep disorders and anemia and effectiveness of calcium supplementation on bone density. The aim of research and available treatments remain to make the quality of life of patients and caregivers better and to enable them to lead a life as normal as possible.

The Moonstone Essay -- essays research papers fc

Alexandra Lloyd What role did 19th Century popular serial novels such as Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone play in British understandings of India? When Wilkie Collins first wrote The Moonstone in 1868, it was not published in the form available today, but was published in instalments in a popular Victorian magazine, All the Year Round. Upon its first publication it was eagerly read by the general British public, for its readership not only included the ruling and upper classes, but the cost and availability meant that a copy would have a wide circulation amongst all members of a household. The tale’s images and ideas of India thus reached many social groups in British culture. To Wilkie Collins, the gem, part of whose history we follow in The Moonstone, the novel of the same name, is the signifier of all things that humanity strives for, material and spiritual. He begins the novel by demonstrating that the history of the Moonstone gem is a history of thefts. In having his initial narrator state "that crime brings its own fatality with it" (p.6 Ch. IV of the prologue), Collins underscores the fact that nemesis attends every worldly expropriator of the Moonstone, which to its temporary European possessors is a bauble and a commodity but which to its faithful guardians, the Brahmins, is a sacred artefact beyond price. The Moonstone is never really English or England's, for the novel begins with an account of its various thefts. It opens in India with Rachel Verinder’s Uncle Herncastle's purloining the gem in battle (the opening lines are specifically "written in India"(p.1)) and closes with Murthwaite, the famed fictional explorer's, account (dated 1850) of the restoration of the gleaming "yellow Diamond"(p.466) to the forehead of the Hindu deity of the Moon "after the lapse of eight centuries"(p.466, "The Statement of Mr. Murthwaite"). The date of Murthwaite's account of the restoration of the diamond may be ironic, for in 1850 a Sikh maharajah, exiled from Indian after the Anglo-Sikh War of 1848-9, presented a gem, which is thought to be the ... ...l conciliation and transcendent faith if India were to arise from bloody, mutually destructive, strife and take her rightful place in the society of nations. Today, Collins's The Moonstone may be viewed not as a response to a national insurgency and/or European determination to keep the native in his place, but rather as a love story between two people who only come to see each other for what they are after misjudgements, misunderstandings, accidental and intended deceptions, and considerable self-sacrifice. Bibliography Page references to passages from The Moonstone come from the Oxford University Press, 1999 edition of the novel. Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1999. Sutherland, John. â€Å"Introduction and A Note on the Composition† Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1999. Stewart, J. I. M. â€Å"A Note on Sources.† Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone. Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1966, rpt. 1973. Pp. 527-8. Fraser, Antonia, ed. The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1975. Peters, Catherine. The King of the Inventors: A Life of Wilkie Collins. London, Minerva, 1991.

Memories of my childhood Essay

Thinking back when I was ten brings up a lot of memories of my childhood. I was a tom boy and a big eater because of my high metabolism and extremely high energy level. I look back at my favorite foods and there are many that come to mind. I loved Chef Boyardee Ravioli and Spaghetti O’s. I also loved my mom’s homemade chicken and dumplings and bisquits, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and mom’s cookies. These have been my favorites throughout the years with the exception of the Chef Boyardee Ravioli and Spaghetti O’s. My mom has taught me how to prepare some of her recipes so that I may pass them on to my children and them to theirs. I think I will continue to eat these dishes until my body can no longer handle the ingredients that make these dishes so scrumptious. My mother is 52yrs old and still enjoys these foods she is in very good health with the exception of her osteoporosis so if I continue taking care of myself and my body and nothing bad happens besides what already has happened, I think I should be able to eat these dishes for a very long time. There are several reasons why dietary modifications need to be changed throughout the different stages of life. From birth the old age are metabolism is constantly changing, we go from a high energy intake to a slowed metabolism. Healthful diets help promote the growth of infancy into your older adulthood, and it helps with the productivity to help prevent obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, certain diseases, strokes, heart attacks, and osteoporosis.

Greater Athletic Training Yeilds Lower Pulse Rate After Stre essays

Greater Athletic Training Yeilds Lower Pulse Rate After Stre essays GREATER ATHLETIC TRAINING YEILDS LOWER PULSE RATE AFTER STRENUOUS ACTIVITY This experiment was performed to investigate the hypothesis: greater athletic training yields a lower pulse rate after strenuous activity. After performing Experiments 15.1 and 15.2 (Dickey 1995), our team decided to measure the increase in heart rate from resting to active between members of the same sex but with different athletic training experience. Our team was interested in investigated whether athletic training has an effect on pulse rate after strenuous activity. Athletic ability is subjective, therefore after evaluation, our team decided upon one common variable that could be measured in this type of experiment. The three subjects were asked to provide an average of miles ran during one week of cardiovascular training. To measure pulse rate, we used the standard method of holding the index and middle fingers to the carotid artery in the neck for 15 seconds. Multiplying this number by 4 gives the pulse rate per minute. Our prediction was that the higher the athletic training, the lower the resting pulse rate and pulse rate after strenuous activity. Before beginning the physical aspect of out experiment, we took the resting pulse rates of all three subjects as a basis for comparison after the subjects performed the cardiovascular exercise. The subjects were then asked the level of cardiovascular training in miles per week on average. Subject 1 reported having less than 1 mile of cardio training per week, while subject 2 reported 3 miles of cardio training per week, and followed by subject 3 having over 15 miles of cardio training per week. After recording all three subjects resting pulse rates, our team moved the subjects to a stairwell, where they preceded to walk the stairs at a moderate speed. The subjects walked the stairs for 4 minutes. At the end of 4 minutes, the subjects were asked to ...

Free Essays on Heavens Gift

HEAVEN’S GIFT As Samantha’s eyes opened slowly the bright sunlight shined in from her window. It was Saturday morning; she had to be up by nine o’clock a.m. to go to help her mother at her bakery down the street. Samantha is seventeen years old and has never worked a day in her life, but her father was recently fired from his job and her mother’s bakery wasn’t getting much business anymore. Her mother was forced to fire her helper, so Samantha volunteered to help her mother work at the bakery. Samantha has always been such a warm-hearted person, ready to help out anytime she can. She comes from a very loving family, in which she cherishes with all of her heart. She is close with her parents, especially her mother. When she arrived at the bakery her mother greeted her at the door with a warm hug. Her mother appreciates her help and she loves her daughter with a very deep love. They work together making doughnuts and other cakes until five o’clock. Samantha has to leave soon so she would have time to get ready for her date. As she was getting ready to leave she noticed how weak her mother seemed. She asked if there was anything wrong, but her mother replied that she was only worn out from a long day of baking. Samantha smiled and agreed with her mother. After giving her mother a good-bye hug, Samantha went home to get cleaned up. A month later Samantha arrived home from school a little early, and her mother wasn’t expecting her home so soon. Samantha found her mother in the bathroom floor crying. She had been trying to hide her pain from Samantha for over a month now, because she didn’t want to worry her. Samantha made her mother promise to go to the doctor first thing in the morning. As soon as Samantha’s parents arrived home from the doctor, Samantha comes downstairs to see what the doctor said about her mother’s weakness and pain. Her father and mother seemed to be a little worried. â€Å"The doctor told me ... Free Essays on Heaven's Gift Free Essays on Heaven's Gift HEAVEN’S GIFT As Samantha’s eyes opened slowly the bright sunlight shined in from her window. It was Saturday morning; she had to be up by nine o’clock a.m. to go to help her mother at her bakery down the street. Samantha is seventeen years old and has never worked a day in her life, but her father was recently fired from his job and her mother’s bakery wasn’t getting much business anymore. Her mother was forced to fire her helper, so Samantha volunteered to help her mother work at the bakery. Samantha has always been such a warm-hearted person, ready to help out anytime she can. She comes from a very loving family, in which she cherishes with all of her heart. She is close with her parents, especially her mother. When she arrived at the bakery her mother greeted her at the door with a warm hug. Her mother appreciates her help and she loves her daughter with a very deep love. They work together making doughnuts and other cakes until five o’clock. Samantha has to leave soon so she would have time to get ready for her date. As she was getting ready to leave she noticed how weak her mother seemed. She asked if there was anything wrong, but her mother replied that she was only worn out from a long day of baking. Samantha smiled and agreed with her mother. After giving her mother a good-bye hug, Samantha went home to get cleaned up. A month later Samantha arrived home from school a little early, and her mother wasn’t expecting her home so soon. Samantha found her mother in the bathroom floor crying. She had been trying to hide her pain from Samantha for over a month now, because she didn’t want to worry her. Samantha made her mother promise to go to the doctor first thing in the morning. As soon as Samantha’s parents arrived home from the doctor, Samantha comes downstairs to see what the doctor said about her mother’s weakness and pain. Her father and mother seemed to be a little worried. â€Å"The doctor told me ...

West Nile Virus and the Harmful Mosquito essays

West Nile Virus and the Harmful Mosquito essays Every one knows how deadly and dangerous the West Nile mosquitoes are, from recent researches, news briefs, and newspaper headlines Boy drops dead with mysterious mosquito bites. This paper is going to get down to the bottom of this west Nile is the new boogieman thing, although this is no laughing matter people need to know the dangers of the west Nile mosquito. West Nile mosquitoes have complete metamorphosis. Their life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. They may lay the eggs singly or in rafts on water, on the sides of containers where water will soon cover, or on damp soil where they can hatch by rainwater or high tides. No one can be quite sure of how far the West Nile mosquito dates back, or where it dates back to, all people know is that the west Nile is here and attacking. It is said that West Nile virus originated in Uganda, but has not been proven true yet. While we are uncertain how West Nile virus arrived in the United States, the most likely explanation is that an infected bird that was imported, or an infected human returning from a country where the virus is common, or a mosquito hitchhiking on an airplane introduced the virus. Outbreaks of the West Nile virus have occurred before in Egypt, Asia, Israel, South Africa, and in some parts of Europe. West Nile virus was first found in the United States in New York City in the fall of 1999. During that outbreak, 61 people became ill. Seven people died of West Nile virus-related infections during this initial outbreak. Since its detection in the United States in 1999, the West Nile virus has been identified in more than 40 states. Among those individuals severely infected, more than 100 deaths have been recorded. Most infections with West Nile virus have been identified in wild birds, but the virus can also infect horses, dogs, cats, domestic rabbits, domestic birds as well as humans. West Nile virus is spread to humans by the ...

Understanding markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Understanding markets - Essay Example Using different methods, Marketing determines the size of the market that is being approached but this has to be a controlled exercise otherwise the effort will be aimless. Marketing is a highly misunderstood word. It is not tactics or methods of getting customers to buy a company’s product or services. That is advertisement or promotions. It is a conscious effort to analyze and understand what is needed and trying to fulfill this need. But above all, Marketing is all about customers. Their behavior and attitude towards buying a product is of paramount importance. Their needs and wants and their likes and dislikes are decisive factors and purchase decisions depend on these issues. It is the understanding of these factors that will develop a marketing strategy. Therefore Marketing is all about understanding the customers and of finding ways and means to for providing product or service as per his requirements. â€Å"Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders†. (AMA). This comprehensively calls for Market segmentation and results in two way satisfaction of both customer and the stakeholder. Markets are heterogeneous and are created by reasons of different values, needs wants, constraints, beliefs and incentives. Customers differ in their values and perceptions and want to purchase things that have value for them. Value is not just the monetary part, but also the usefulness and emotions that with go with it. The need and want play a great role in determining this value. The price actually determines the location from which this purchase will be made. Service and reliability are other important determining factors. Therefore a market segment is a set of customers that have a common approach to above questions and have a common desire to purchase a common set of goods and or services.

American Foreign Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Foreign Policy - Assignment Example With the current state of international instability, the United States is more likely to venture successfully in protecting its global interests both in economic and political benefits. Discussion The approach of protecting the United States global interest is more likely to succeed in the future given the Americans strong believe that their country should take the leadership position in the world. Even though this does not necessarily mean that the United States should take the watchdog role over the world, the support and conviction of American citizens is likely to create an internationally active united states that is capable of effectively pursuing its global interests. Additionally, scenarios taking place in other nations and in fact the whole world are cable of affecting the United States and indeed the interests of its citizens. This approach is more appreciated now more than ever especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Bartholomees, 2006). In addition, it is quite evide nt that the United States prefers multilateralism rather than unilateralism. To Hough, (2008), Americans have a strong conviction that it is more effective and certainly better to boost cooperation with other nations of the world in an effort to realize the nations’ (US) interest than it could be to work against these nations the rationale behind these approach is that it is more cost effective considering that the united states partners in the globe can willingly share the burden. Thus whilst the invasion of Iraq drummed overwhelming support from the American citizens, their willingness to bear the burden of rebuilding that nation is unclear and this necessitated the assistance of other states. Generally, the United States is known to support the promotion of other nations market based economy or capitalism, free trade and democracy. This is a clear indication that America is more likely to succeed in future through this approach even though as a matter of fact, other values may be prioritized in certain instances, and even though these values may generally serve the united states global interest, the united states national interest takes priority. Consequently, these values perused by the United States are the core values and embracing of these values by other nations is perceived as a positive development. These make the protection of US global interest approach more likely to succeed in future. Furthermore, with the Americans believe that confrontation of international terrorism ought to be prioritized; the country’s global interest is more likely gain momentum if future as more nations in the world are coming up in support of this policy. Conclusion Indeed, even though there are generally four assumed future scenarios for the United States protection of the United States among these four assumed futures is more likely to succeed in future. This approach is supported by Americans strong believe that their country should take the leadership po sition in the world, the country’s preference of multilateralism rather than unilateralism, and Americans believe that confrontation of international terrorism ought to be prioritized. Part 2 Question 2 of 4. Assess what type of structural constraints - if any - the US Congress imposes upon the presidency in general and

A multinational company maximises its competitive advantage by Essay

A multinational company maximises its competitive advantage by controlling its own supply chain. Discuss - Essay Example According to Caves (2007) any business, which has showed potentiality of having varied number of chain stores located in different parts of the world is capable of achieving adequate economies of scale such as timeliness, humble use of global resources and market dominance amongst other aspects, which can only be relevant to the maintenance of supply chain. Globalization and FDI The globalization of commerce has a major impact on modern business (TOMAR, 2009). Globalization affects the way business is carried out and the geographical area where a business can operate. With globalization, even small businesses are able t operate in the global arena, which then leads to Foreign Direct Investment. Foreign Direct Investment affects and in turn is affected by the supply chain. It also affects the supply chain decisions which a firm is likely to make with regard to whether they are going to manage their entire supply chain or if they are going to outsource the supply chain to a third part. With regard to choosing a supply chain model, businesses look for the model which will offer them strategic edge over their competitors. It is therefore not a matter of choice, but it is a matter of choosing the most efficient way of survival in a marketplace that has been made even more competitive by the existence of globalization. Issues of competitive advantage simply entail an organization being able to dominate the market over other firms who trade in the same line of product. Firms that have numerous numbers of chain stores in different countries have got potentials of achieving increased sales volume. Besides proper choice of the location of an industry is the most practical way of distribution of production cost. Therefore, with very minimal cost of production a company can easily enjoy the competitive advantage. Moreover, with several advantages associated with supply chains, the company would be left with principal mandate of concentrating on other internal aspects of pr oduction, and this makes appropriate benefit to the maintenance of supply chain by an organization (working mother, 2001). The Coase Theory of Transactions Costs and Decisions Making The Coase theory postulates that in the absence of transactional costs, businesses would be able to share the property space without having to worry how resources are allocated (Jager, 2008). In regard to the supply chain, what this means is that if there are no negotiation costs between two firms which are at different levels in a single supply chain, the two firms would not mind continuing to depend on each other to complete the supply chain. The Coase theory was developed by Ronald Coase who tried to understand the free markets and why regulations are not necessary. According to the Coase theory, an organization would only then choose to control all its supply chain if there were costs of negotiating the terms of service with other firms in the supply chain. If these costs of negotiation do not exist , the costs of outsourcing some of the supply chain would not hinder a firm from outsourcing. In fact, according to the Coase theory, where transactions of negotiations do not exist, the two (or more) firms in a supply chain would naturally gravitate to the most efficient relationships with the most efficient supply chain. This implies that in the abs

Competitor Analysis and the Development of a Brand Assignment

Competitor Analysis and the Development of a Brand - Assignment Example ishwasher was widely accepted by the market with the result that Fairy could make way to launch further of its brand extensions which it did in the coming years. Fairy’s innovation appealed to the masses and its performance became anonymous with combating stubborn and burnt stains the best way (Datamonitor, 2011); fairy.co.uk, 2011; Superbrands.com). The promotions of the brand were strongly backed by Above the Line advertisements with celebrity endorsements to establish strong brand equity. As the brand moved into the future to meet the changing consumer tastes and preferences accordingly, Fairy’s packaging was changed to a transparent bottle which was easier to handle. After a massive success, Fairy Liquid was launched with a lemon scent. This was followed by Fairy non-bio laundry product for sensitive skin, anti-bacterial Fairy Liquid, Fairy Powerspray for tough burnt on stains. With these brand extensions, Fairy could cash in the revenue from every possible segment and sub-segment of liquid cleansers (Datamonitor Research Store. 2011); Datamonitor, 2011; fairy.co.uk, 2011; Superbrands.com). Fairy had and still has the advantage of a long-established equity along with a strong brand image with which it can tap into all the possible markets successfully through its brand extensions. Fairy currently operates in a mature market the product lifecycle of which has predominantly been extended by creating sub-segments of the dishwasher and sink sectors. Fairy has a whopping share of 57% in the sink washing sector and is second to Finish in the dishwasher category (Superbrands.com, Datamonitor, 2011). The launching of Fairy Active Burst and Active Powder Burst marks Fairy’s presence in both the categories of sink and dishwasher category. The brand extensions of Fairy Powerspray and Fairy Active Foam however can be considered as the most selling brand extensions. Following these developments, Fairy Active Foam was voted as the product of the year by the shoppers

Development of Concept of Operations. M3S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Development of Concept of Operations. M3S - Essay Example Setting goals improves the quality of any work. It can also lead to long working hours which will surely lead to poor performance (Rogers, 123). Mission state development could be the most valuable thing for any company, when done correctly it represents s a company’s purpose and it reminds the employee about the companies’ goals. Unlike business, goals, mission statements are never revised. In some instances if the mission statement is not accurate it leads to missing an opportunity in adding value to any business. Accountability problem is when, what is expected is not accomplished. The concepts of accountability are what leaders always struggle about every day. It requires discipline and commitment; more leaders avoid it and more leaks spring up in their organizations. A persuasive communication skill leads to development of various concepts of operation. It facilitates proper understanding making it easier in sharing of ideas. Communication can also be poor in that two parties are unable to understand each other, in such an instance no progress, poor communication will be cause. (Mat lack, 71). Command structure has its benefits; it is remarkably efficient in development of concepts of operation. It facilitates in a smooth running during the development. Despite being efficient, it can lead to favism of some of the employers. Effectiveness of any concept of operation can be measured after the output; failure to a concept of operation is not

Quality and Environmental Management Systems Report Essay

Quality and Environmental Management Systems Report - Essay Example 241), and both in turn will enhance customer loyalty. Studies prove that quality is the most vital element to gain customer loyalty (Dora et al 2013). From an organisational perceptive, QMS ensures the effective utilization of available resources so that it can deliver the product/service at optimum price. The term, ‘resources’ in this regard refers to raw-materials, human resources, technology, information etc. It is advisable for Timmerhus UK Ltd to set up a comprehensive system that involves Quality Management System (QMS) and Environmental Management System (EMS) in order to address the current business issues. Studies indicate that ISOÂ  certified companies have already improved their project performance (Din et al 2011), (Olaru et al 2010). It is clear from the case study that the firm has been facing problems with delivery, product quality, supply chain, income management, and many more. This indicates that the firm has not been utilising any of its resources in a proper way. Continuous improvement is the basic element of quality management. ... It begins with identifying an opportunity and plan for change (plan), and in the second phase, the plan is implemented on a small scale (Do). Then the result of the program is assessed to determine if it brought a positive difference (Check). Finally, the plan is implemented on a wider scale if the result was satisfactory (Act). Other methods include Six Sigma, Taguchi Methods, Statistical Process Control, Lean Method etc. However, in the given case, the firm does not currently have any quality management system, and it is only a mid-size growing firm. The Lean System of quality management, which involves Just-in-time (JIT) management, Supply chain and process considerations, and the Kanban System seems relevant to the context. Toyota Production System (TPS) is one of the trendiest Lean Manufacturing Systems which is mainly based on four principles. They are; 1) all works including sequence, timing, and outcome must be completely specified, 2) every customer-supplier connection must be direct, 3) pathway for every service and product must be simple and direct, and 4) any improvement to the system must be made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible organisational level (Slide: Lean System). Timmerhus must follow (TPS) system of management in order to meet its objectives in the long run. The firm’s current business involves projects, engineering customer-specific products, delivering finished products or spare parts, and providing industrial services. Hence, following a Lean System is more applicable, for ‘Lean’ is a combination of lightness and liveliness, and it offers several alternative control methods at the

Competitor Analysis and the Development of a Brand Assignment

Competitor Analysis and the Development of a Brand - Assignment Example ishwasher was widely accepted by the market with the result that Fairy could make way to launch further of its brand extensions which it did in the coming years. Fairy’s innovation appealed to the masses and its performance became anonymous with combating stubborn and burnt stains the best way (Datamonitor, 2011); fairy.co.uk, 2011; Superbrands.com). The promotions of the brand were strongly backed by Above the Line advertisements with celebrity endorsements to establish strong brand equity. As the brand moved into the future to meet the changing consumer tastes and preferences accordingly, Fairy’s packaging was changed to a transparent bottle which was easier to handle. After a massive success, Fairy Liquid was launched with a lemon scent. This was followed by Fairy non-bio laundry product for sensitive skin, anti-bacterial Fairy Liquid, Fairy Powerspray for tough burnt on stains. With these brand extensions, Fairy could cash in the revenue from every possible segment and sub-segment of liquid cleansers (Datamonitor Research Store. 2011); Datamonitor, 2011; fairy.co.uk, 2011; Superbrands.com). Fairy had and still has the advantage of a long-established equity along with a strong brand image with which it can tap into all the possible markets successfully through its brand extensions. Fairy currently operates in a mature market the product lifecycle of which has predominantly been extended by creating sub-segments of the dishwasher and sink sectors. Fairy has a whopping share of 57% in the sink washing sector and is second to Finish in the dishwasher category (Superbrands.com, Datamonitor, 2011). The launching of Fairy Active Burst and Active Powder Burst marks Fairy’s presence in both the categories of sink and dishwasher category. The brand extensions of Fairy Powerspray and Fairy Active Foam however can be considered as the most selling brand extensions. Following these developments, Fairy Active Foam was voted as the product of the year by the shoppers

Quality and Environmental Management Systems Report Essay

Quality and Environmental Management Systems Report - Essay Example 241), and both in turn will enhance customer loyalty. Studies prove that quality is the most vital element to gain customer loyalty (Dora et al 2013). From an organisational perceptive, QMS ensures the effective utilization of available resources so that it can deliver the product/service at optimum price. The term, ‘resources’ in this regard refers to raw-materials, human resources, technology, information etc. It is advisable for Timmerhus UK Ltd to set up a comprehensive system that involves Quality Management System (QMS) and Environmental Management System (EMS) in order to address the current business issues. Studies indicate that ISOÂ  certified companies have already improved their project performance (Din et al 2011), (Olaru et al 2010). It is clear from the case study that the firm has been facing problems with delivery, product quality, supply chain, income management, and many more. This indicates that the firm has not been utilising any of its resources in a proper way. Continuous improvement is the basic element of quality management. ... It begins with identifying an opportunity and plan for change (plan), and in the second phase, the plan is implemented on a small scale (Do). Then the result of the program is assessed to determine if it brought a positive difference (Check). Finally, the plan is implemented on a wider scale if the result was satisfactory (Act). Other methods include Six Sigma, Taguchi Methods, Statistical Process Control, Lean Method etc. However, in the given case, the firm does not currently have any quality management system, and it is only a mid-size growing firm. The Lean System of quality management, which involves Just-in-time (JIT) management, Supply chain and process considerations, and the Kanban System seems relevant to the context. Toyota Production System (TPS) is one of the trendiest Lean Manufacturing Systems which is mainly based on four principles. They are; 1) all works including sequence, timing, and outcome must be completely specified, 2) every customer-supplier connection must be direct, 3) pathway for every service and product must be simple and direct, and 4) any improvement to the system must be made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible organisational level (Slide: Lean System). Timmerhus must follow (TPS) system of management in order to meet its objectives in the long run. The firm’s current business involves projects, engineering customer-specific products, delivering finished products or spare parts, and providing industrial services. Hence, following a Lean System is more applicable, for ‘Lean’ is a combination of lightness and liveliness, and it offers several alternative control methods at the

The Pullman Strike Essay Example for Free

The Pullman Strike Essay Populism, an agrarian backlash against industrialism, fed on the economic problems of the era and created new urgency in labor activism. Toward the end of the Harrison administration, growing labor discontent led to several strikes, including a violent steel strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania, in July of 1892. Cleveland inherited the challenge of maintaining peace in a time when the patience and endurance of both labor and management were under severe strain. His leadership was especially tested during the Pullman Strike of 1894. Financial crisis and severe economic depression, known in short as the Panic of 1893, placed hardship on industries that already faced significant problems over the last two decades. The Pullman Palace Car Company, which serviced the railroad industry, cut wages by nearly one fourth. Employees who lived in the company-controlled town of Pullman, outside of Chicago, found that rent and other expenses did not decrease in relation to incomes, however, so families spent the same although they earned far less than they had earlier. Members of the American Railway Union in Pullman went on strike in Pullman on May 11, 1894, to protest the situation. The company president, George M. Pullman, refused to discuss the matter or seek arbitration of the dispute. In response to Pullman’s unwillingness to compromise, the union’s national council president, Eugene V. Debs, called for a national boycott of   Pullman cars. The spark ignited a wildfire: soon sympathy strikes broke out in twenty-seven different U.S. states and territories. Chicago in particular became the center of unprecedented violent demonstrations. Despite the bloodshed, the governor of Illinois, John P. Altgeld, refused to call the militia to impose order, because he was sympathetic to the strikers and the difficulties they faced. The U.S. attorney general, Richard Olney, had no such qualms. He secured an injunction against the strikers for impeding mail service and interstate commerce through their actions. Cleveland backed this with force, ordering 2,500 federal troops to Chicago on July 4 despite Governor Altgeld’s wishes. Within a week the strike ended and by July 20, Cleveland felt satisfied that order was restored and withdrew the troops. Union national president Debs was convicted of contempt of court and conspiring against interstate commerce, proving that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act could be used against union officials and activity as well as industry leaders and practices. Debs continued to pen letters and treatises from prison, arguing on behalf of labor concerns and attacking the decision to turn U.S. troops against strikers. Cleveland, however, was satisfied that he had done the right thing by ending violence and putting down the â€Å"riotous mob.† Debs viewed the workers as the victims of management’s greed and the economy’s downturn; Cleveland saw the bystanding people of Chicago who encountered the violence created by the strike situation as the innocents. If Cleveland’s hard money, pro-gold standard position already suggested to populists that he sympathized with business over labor, the president’s actions regarding the Pullman Strike confirmed this assessment. Cleveland’s choice earned the gratitude of industry leaders but severed any final links he might have had with labor. Economists, ministers and other shapers of public opinion joined in the hue and cry against the strikers, their union and its president, Eugene Debs. They called openly for force and violence against the strikers, quoting approvingly Napolean Bonapartes statement: Shooting down one at the right time is saving the lives of tens of thousands in the future. Said Dr. Herrick Johnson, professor at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Chicago. The soldiers must use their guns. They must shoot to kill. The soldiers did use their guns and they did shoot to kill25 workers were killed and 60 badly injuredyet the strike remained unbroken. Thus the Associated Press reported: Despite the presence of United States troops and the mobilization of five regiments of state militia; despite threats of martial law and bullet and bayonet, the great strike inaugurated by the American Railway Union holds three-fourths of the roads running out of Chicago in its strong fetters, and last night traffic was more fully paralyzed than at any time since the inception of the tie-up. The intervention of federal troops did not halt the spread of the strike; Troops cannot move trains, Debs wired the striking locals. Nor did the sabotage of the strike by the officials of the railroad brotherhoods. The Pullman strike was broken, not by the U.S. troops, not by the opposition of the leadership of the brotherhoods, but by the action taken by the federal courts. The sweeping injunction made the very command of the union leaders to their striking men . . . an open defiance of the courts. As a result of the injunction, it became literally impossible for the strike leaders, centered in Chicago, to coordinate the striking groups scattered from Michigan to California. When the leadership of the strikers even urged workers to join the struggle, they were cited for contempt and arrested. Moreover, throughout the country, grand juries, hastily impaneled by the government, indicted hundreds of strikers and their leaders for conspiracy. On July 10, the federal grand jury at Chicago returned indictments against the officers of the union, charging them with complicity in obstructing the mails and hindering interstate commerce. Debs and his fellow officers were arrested on the same day and were released on bail. While Debs and his associates were in the custody of the court, the union headquarters were raided and ransacked by a squad of deputy marshals and deputy postoffice inspectors. With the strike leaders removed from the scene of action, the strike headquarters in Chicago ransacked and abandoned, with all contact among the various local organizations of the union cut off, with the newspapers printing false reports of a sweeping back-to-work movement, it is not surprising that most of the strikers became confused and uncertain as how to act. Frantic telegrams poured into the strike headquarters in Chicago, but there was no one there to reply. Small wonder that demoralization spread rapidly among the strikers. Although some workers, especially in Chicago, wrested gains from their employers during the great labor upheaval accompanying the Pullman strike, all of organized labor, along with the A.R.U. suffered an overwhelming defeat. Nevertheless, many American workers gained rich experience and more valuable lessons from the struggle about the underlying wrongs of modern society than all the lectures and publications could secure in a decade. Many workers now saw clearly that the government was the tool of corporate interests, a conviction that wasto intensify the feeling for independent political action in labor circles.They also saw that only through powerfully organized unions and the utmost of solidarity could labor effectively challenge the might of corporate monopolies. As Debs pointed out in a letter to American workers, from Woodstock jail: The recent upheaval has demonstrated the necessity for the solidarity of labor. Divided and cross purposes, labor becomes the sport and prey of its exploiters, but united, harmonious and intelligently directed it rules the world. Yet there were elements in the labor movement who drew precisely the opposite conclusion from the recent upheaval. Many craft union leaders of the A. F. of L. and the railroad brotherhoods saw in the defeat of the strike a justification of their own conservative policies. The ferocity with which the corporate monopolies, the government, and the judiciary struck back at the railroad workers convinced these craft union leaders that any attempt to build trade unions along the lines of the A.R.U.-the lines of industrial unionismwould bring forth similar opposition from this alliance of big business and the government. The only type of unionism that would be tolerated was a unionism which did not seriously threaten the absolute control of the corporate monopolies over the economic and political machinery. To attempt to unite the workers into powerful industrial unions, the craft union leaders argued, was to court the destruction of the existing labor organizations and to doom the trade unions to the fate of the A.R.U. The essence of this trade union strategy can be stated simply: Labor must never seriously challenge big business and the government. Avoid head-on collisions with big corporations and with government. Team up with these industrialists and politicians who seem inclined toward a live-and-let-live policy with the craft unions. Make peace with the employers on certain terms which would keep the craft unions alive even if this meant increased victimization of the unskilled and semiskilled workers. This policy was soon institutionalized in the National Civic Federation. The progressive forces in the labor movement challenged the conclusions the conservative, craft union leaders drew from the Pullman strike. Had all organized labor been united and active in the support of the strikers from the beginning of the boycott, they argued, had it sought militantly to keep the courts and the federal government from entering the dispute, had it tried to restrain the strikebreaking activities of the leaders of the brotherhoods, the final outcome might have been different. At any rate, the lesson of the Pullman strike, as Debs so cogently pointed out, was the crying need for greater not less unity and solidarity in labors ranks. From 1894 on the progressive forces in the American labor movement strove diligently to apply this lesson. The odds against them were great. The corporate monopolies fought tooth and nail to prevent the rise of a labor movement that would unite all of labor in struggle against its exploiters. The monopolists had the ready assistance of the leaders of the craft unions, the press, large sections of the clergy, and, of course, the government, local, state, and federal. But the progressive forces persisted, keeping alive the policy pioneered by the A.R.U.the policy of working class solidarity and for a new organizational form that led toward industrial unionism. In 1905, a delegate to the founding convention of the Industrial Workers of the World characterized the great Pullman Strike as a battle that in spite of the fact that it apparently ended in Woodstock jail, is not ended yet, but is going on today. That battle continued until the cause for which so many workers had sacrificed in 1894 was crowned with success. The ultimate victory, it is significant to note, was predicted in the course of the great strike itself; indeed, at the very point when it appeared almost certain that labors struggle was lost. On a large canvas strip, prominently displayed in Cooper Union Hall, New York City, on the evening of July 12, 1894, where a mass meeting of workers in support of the Pullman strikers was being held, was the following legend: They hanged and quartered John Ball But Feudalism passed away. They hanged John Brown, but Chattel Slaverypassed away. They arrested Eugene Debs, and may kill him, but White Slaverywill pass away. Such souls go marching on. The strike was marked by the precipitate use of Federal troops, which led to rioting, property destruction, and a long casualty list. The strike was reported by conservative journals as an anarchist plot designed to destroy the nation. By suppressing such a black-mailing conspiracy as the boycott of the Pullman cars by the American Railway Union, asserted the New York Herald, the nation is fighting for its own existence just as truly as in suppressing the great rebellion.    Typical of the Pullman Strike, as of other struggles, was the liberal-conservative split. William H. Garwardine, a pastor who had ministered to the strikers, warned that we as a nation are dividing ourselves, like ancient Rome into two classes, the rich and the poor, the oppressor and the oppressed. Unless the government enforced justice he predicted, the nation would not prosper . . . [nor] long perpetuate itself and its institutions. Those who supported, as well as those who despised, labor thought the events of the Nineties were pushing the republic to the brink of chaos, but reformers blamed class oppression rather than radicalism and proposed to do away with poverty rather than to discipline it. Despite all these forebodings, the dismal future never dawned. The workers and farmers did not rise, and the lives and property of the middle class were never touched. If Americans had not been misled by their own fears, they would perhaps have realized that these conflicts, though violent, would never be revolutionary. The industrial armies, the workers, and the Populists did not want to destroy the system; they simply wanted to secure a place within it or at least to change it back to what it had been in 1860. The strikes were defensive, aimed at very practical ends like preventing wage cuts. They were not the class-conscious assaults imagined by the left and feared by the bourgeoisie. Populism took its menacing tone, not from radical aims like nationalizing wealth, but from outraged conservatism. A stubborn clinging to the past, an attempt to regain lost virtuesthese forces lay behind the agrarian crusades embittered idealism. Too often, in their fear, people accepted the slogans of socialists, unions, and Populists as accurate descriptions of reality. They mistook programs for philosophies, and what they saw as the death throes of our civilization were really its growth pangs.

Opening A Burger King Franchise In Pakistan Tourism Essay

Opening A Burger King Franchise In Pakistan Tourism Essay Introduction Burger king is a well known brand of a fast food restaurant chain that operates globally. Founded in 1954, the burger king franchise has grown from its humble beginnings to a multibillion dollar empire over time and the business has gone beyond the borders f its country of origin and now it has franchise operations all over the world. However the character that embodies the brand, famously known as the king was developed and introduced in 1955 that grew to became an embodiment of the brand itself. Developing various versions for broiled beef lovers, the menu of burger king grew and so did its customer base. Owing to the immense success, the company decided to expand the business and franchises were granted in the year 1959 but the initial focus still remained on the western markets where there was a demand for and similarity with the cuisine that burger king offered but the first franchise restaurant to materialize outside the US was in Puerto Rico. Up till the year 1967, the company had already opened up 275 restaurants but further expansion required the private owners to cohort with the Pillsbury Company. Currently, the company is a publically traded company with Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, TPG Capital and Bain Capital as its major stockholders. It is one of the most well known brands on earth and it is hard to find a country where there is no burger king outlet, Pakistan happens to be one such country. However franchise operations are a very risky business for the franchisee, especially in the case of a foreign brand. A multitude of factors; both external and internal need to be addressed before a franchise can be launched. An analysis of external and internal factors needs to be done in the form of a prefeasibility study to test the waters before taking the plunge (Kotler, 2008). Pakistani Market Having remained under the Mughal rule for a long time, Pakistani cuisine consists of hot, spicy and rich curries that are consumed with rice or bread with a lot of herbs (Black, 2002). This makes Pakistani cuisine quite different from the Western one and therefore offers a challenge to any international franchise thinking to enter Pakistan. However it is not unusual to find famous fast food restaurants in Pakistan and travelers home sick for their local food will have no difficulty in finding international restaurant chains in the major cities of Pakistan (Singh, Brown,  Clammer,  Cocks and Mock, 2008). Various names like Pizza hut, McDonalds, KFC, Mr. Cod, Subway etc are household names for Pakistani city dwellers as well as they offer a break from the usual cuisine available at homes. According to reports, the real private consumption growth rate in Pakistan is expected to be much higher that its GDP by the year 2014 and therefore points towards the existence of various growth opportunities and international food companies such as Nestle and Unilever are doing extremely well (PRlog, 2010). Burger King provides a lot of support for its franchises and even plays a role in selecting the most appropriate site for the business. The employees are also given a training of a minimum of 70 days so that they are well equipped and knowledgeable about the companys operations. External Analysis: PESTLE Political Factors Even though Pakistan has had a history of political instability, upheaval throughout its history but the political factors that are relevant to a fast food business include health and Safety Guidelines, food labelling guidelines issued by the government that may be subject to change with a changing government. In Pakistan there are no well defined rules and regulations for monitoring the health standards of restaurants and there exist no labelling requirements as well. This presents easy operational conditions as well as the opportunity to define industry standards of the fast food business in Pakistan. The security situation in Pakistan is also a question mark because terrorist and angry mobs have often targeted international restaurant chains in Pakistan and a KFC outlet in Karachi was destroyed twice because of such a situation (Schlosser and Wilson, 2007). Economic Factors Economic considerations that will help in establishing the operations in Pakistan low set up costs for the franchise and the ability to tap into a growing market as the awareness of consumers regarding international brands increases. The added advantage that fast food carry is that consumers view that they are being offered fair value for the money they are paying. Additionally, the growing middle class consumers in the country who do not want to eat at small local joints but do not have the money to spend on a lavish restaurant are the best target market for burger king. Moreover, Pakistani government offers favourable investment terms and foreign investors are permitted to keep 100 % of the firms equity but they are subjected to the condition that a maximum of 60 % of the total equity or profits can be repatriated (SECP, 1984)  however the ever depreciating Pakistani currency may be a problem. However the double digit inflation remains to be the major threat as this would warrant an increase in prices that the consumers may not be willing to bear. Social Factors As the working middle class in the country is increasing, the lifestyles have become much busier than they were previously which has made the acceptance of fast food restaurants in the country easier. There is still lack of awareness of the concepts of healthy Eating and Obesity among the general population and Pakistani consumers are generally meat lovers which happen to be the speciality of burger king. Another added advantage it the homogeneity in taste across the major cities in the country which will be the target market. Fast foods are not viewed as poor mans food and eating out in an international chain is still regarded as a social activity for many families. It is the accepted religious and cultural norm to consume Halaal food only and the consumers expect the restaurants to offer such food. Technological factors Significant investment will have to be made in terms of developing the technology that meets the franchise agreement requirements. Involvement of technology in food here is relatively new and therefore it may be difficult to develop a supplier base in a short time and the company may have to rely on the parent company. Computer ordering or till system are relatively new here and therefore employees will need training to operate these systems and will represent a significant cost. Legal Restaurants in Pakistan are controlled and registered through the Pakistan Hotels Restaurants Act of 1976. According to this law, every restaurant must be registered and the owner must attach a certificate that verifies the medical fitness of the staff from the civil hospital of that area along with the application. Health, hygiene and comfort standards have aloe been defined in this law and the authority issues the certificate of registration and the license to operate at the same time though the firm may have to file a separate form for getting a license (SMEDA, 2009). In addition to the above mentioned act, there are various other food laws in Pakistan such as the West Pakistan Pure Food Ordinance, 1960 and covers topics that relate to the preparation and the sale of foods and violations are punishable by imprisonment and fine. Another law is the Cantonments Pure Food Act, 1966 which is applicable only in the cantonment areas. Pakistan penal code, 1860 also contains some clauses regarding adulteration of food or drink (Khan and Hafeez, 1999). Although the regulatory framework is in place, like many other unfortunate countries, these laws are not fully implemented and often exploited. Environmental Pakistan is located in such a terrain because of which the weather generally remains hot during most part of the year and the summers are harsh however the northern part of the country still receives a few good months of winter as well. Monsoon is also a regular visitor however, because of the lack of basic infrastructure; weather condition may cause problems for the consumers as is the recent case of flooding in Pakistan. To make the consumers comfortable, there is a need for proper air-conditioning, heating and selection of a location that is easily accessible despite harsh weather conditions. The environment protection Act of 1997 covers topics related to the protection, preservation, rehabilitation and progress of the environment, deterrence and control of pollution and endorsement of sustainable development (The Gazette of Pakistan, 1997). Internal Analysis: SWOT Strengths A major strength of this venture is the international brand name recognition of Burger king that will help access many demographic groups of the population and gain an easier acceptance in the market. In addition to this, the strong financial backing of the company is another major strength as there will be no hitches in setting up the required infrastructure and the international distribution channels of the company will serve as an added advantage for the franchise. The assembly line style of food preparation of the business is also very efficient while food safety is also given very high importance. Weaknesses A major weakness of this operation is that Burger King is mainly concentrated in the US while there is already established competition from other fast food joints, both local and international in the country and it may be hard to develop a consumer base. It basically relies on its franchisees to run its operations abroad. The major weakness of Burger king is that it offers a very high calorie unhealthy diet and as the trend for health consciousness increases globally, it runs the risk of a shrinking consumer base. Additionally, burgers and fast food snacks are not an everyday meal for the Pakistani consumer as the traditional local cuisine is quite different from what the burger king offers. The logo of the king that makes burger king so recognizable and is the basis of many advertising campaigns may not resonate well with the consumers as the local consumers may not be able to relate with it. Opportunities Since there are no burger king outlets operating in Pakistan, it is a great opportunity to introduce the Pakistani consumer to the King. There is an opportunity to take advantage of the experiences of the other fast food restaurants and not make the same mistakes that they did. In addition this, there is an opportunity available for the customization of the burger king menu to the local tastes so that consumers can accept it with ease which many international chains have done in Pakistan. There is room for new product development especially in the breakfast segment in Pakistan which may prove to be a competitive edge for the franchise. Since Pakistan is one of the emerging markets, the economy is still developing and therefore there exists great potential for those who are willing to make a long term investment commitment. Threats The security situation in the country remains the major threat to the franchise operations and makes them easy targets of terrorism and requires huge investments in security. The company will face intense competition from the pre established brands especially McDonalds and also from other ready to cook options such as KNs chicken etc. consumer eating habits are changing inevitably all over the world. Although consumers still consume fast food meals but this is an occasional event for most of the Pakistani consumers as they are still more dependent on the local or desi food as it is fondly referred to. Concluding Remarks Pakistan being one of the emerging markets holds huge potentials as well as high returns but also offers a considerable level of risk as well. Even though the market is huge and profitable, other factors such as the weak economy, political instability, and security threats and poor infrastructure make it impossible to launch operations at a massive scale. Since fast food is not the local cuisine, it may be hard to find consumers outside the major cities which considerably restrict the target market. However there are immense opportunities available as well which can be tapped into by using the most appropriate entry strategy and developing a strong exit strategy if the need arises.

Essay example --

Our world is growing! Growing in population that is, but the resources are staying the same. To help with the growing of the population that will be happening in the 21st century, science and agriculture need to work hand-in-hand. They need to stand together to make a break through together, to insure that everyone will have food on their plate. We need to work to have larger yields with the land we have. Some people say that humans need to change their diet, and others say that we should destroy hundreds of acres of wild land. According to Feed Nine Billion website, people feel that the only way things will be improving, is if everyone becomes a vegetarian. But others disagree. The people who think that this is the only way do have a good point. Grains and vegetables do produce so much faster than animal production. Then again, you can’t just assume that everyone will follow, and turn to becoming a vegetarian. Besides think of all the farmers that would be out of a job! These farmers could have been family business, just like a dairy farm that is located outside of our town. R&D dairy farm has been handed down generation after generation. Funding has to become an essential in today’s society for this new advance in technology that will be needed. We aren’t only having problems worrying about feeding the next generation; we should be concerned now. Did you know, that in the last 11 years, six of those years the population has consumed more than what was produced? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations website, just this year the cereal production has gone up eight percent. Imagine what will be expected in the 21st century. People are demanding more food now, than they ever have. Scientists say that far... ...t too expensive for the farmers. The second step is that broader awareness is required. According to Sarah Alexander, â€Å"different farmers trust different sources, such as vendors, crop consultants, and university extension services.† Farmers are going to need to be open minded to new things, in order to feed the human race. The last step is farmers need the right incentives. Farmers want to know about the good that they are doing. Farmer’s want to know how they are saving the environment, and how they are producing more food, and feeding more people than they were before. If we all work together, feeding the nine will be possible, and even likely. Farmers need to know how much they are needed, for this process and know that new ways of farming will help in the long run. People don’t have to change their diets so everyone can be fed. Together, we can feed the world.

Christianity and 18th Century British Literature :: 18th Century British Literature

Christianity and 18th Century British Literature "...no matter what kind of pleasure may await his senses, unless it serves exclusively the glory of God, he needs to cut it off of him, giving it up out of his love towards Jesus Christ..."1 I. Taking its time to establish a radically theological point of view, this essay aims to apply it to the body of novel literature in 18th century England, probing and inquiring it whether it is in support of Christianity as laid down in the New Testament or not. It assumes the stance of an advocate of "the narrow path", the strict and unforgiving measuring scale of those few taking the Christian way of life truly seriously. Thus, the arguments and deductions featured herein - which are the actual purpose of the piece - may well strike materialist and novel-advocate minds as unnotable and subjective. The author, on the other hand, is firmly convinced - on the grounds of faith - that the conclusions to come are as objective as it is possible, being based on the revelations of the Holy Trinity. All views and opinions featured are his own except where signified. First of all, we may start the discussion with an analogy that sets the mood and aligns the frame of mind to the possible uncommonness of the argument system to be introduced. The images of this analogy will also come handy later and might ease the essay's overall understanding for those unaccustomed to the exclusively religious take on life. Picture, if you will, a high wall and thousands of bricks it is comprised of; now picture one of the single bricks coming to life, finding itself as part of the wall. This brick in the wall is unable to measure the dimensions of the structure it was built inside. In case it could come loose and jump out of the wall with the help of a supernatural force, it might be frightened at the sight of the oppressive building it used to support for long - and vow never to return to it, but serve its saviour instead. The only means of establishing a distance between the Truth and human culture's tailormade 'truth' we indulge in does not seem to be any of the traditional manmade tools for extracting and gathering knowledge: psychology, sociology, philosophy and their clever alloys leave us running in circles when seeking the cure for all the ominous signs and phenomena in our society.