How to Get Software Requirements Right

How to get Software Requirements right Abstract The importance of getting the software requirement right has made big difference to so many major projects in the IT industry. Many techniques and solutions have been developed for understanding and getting software requirements right first time in the software development life cycle, but fewer people are taking these techniques into account and this is the reason why most of the IT projects are failing. I define here how to get software requirements right and why it has become some important to get software requirements right.Introduction Requirements Analysis is known as the process which allows us to understand the customer needs and expectation from proposed software. It is the first and one of the main stages in the Software Development Life Cycle model. Software requirements are functional and non-functional requirements of the system, which includes a brief description of how a system should behave as well as brief descriptions o f a system’s functions. Software requirements can state what an application is expected to do.Outsource2India pointed out that â€Å"the software requirement analysis process includes the complex task of eliciting and documenting the requirements of all the users, modelling and analysing the requirements and documenting them as a basis for system design†. There are different level and types of software requirement, which should be defined to get software requirements right. As shown in Figure 1, Business level requirements are there to define the business problem, business opportunities as well as what business is requesting as a solution of the problem.A user level requirement looks at the functionality of the software from user’s view. Product level requirements are where we define functional and non-functional requirements of the system such as the functionalities of the software and the usability needs it should meet. The reason why Software Requirements is known to be very important and major role in developing a project is because it gives the developer a brief description of what he/she needs to develop. It gives them better understanding of a system, which results in better system.Eliciting, analysing and writing good requirements is the hardest and most difficult part of building a software system because if you don’t get the requirements right, it doesn’t matter how well you do anything else. It is said Outsource2India that â€Å"Software companies are now investing time and resources into effective and streamlined Software Requirements Analysis Processes as a prerequisite to successful projects that align with the client’s business goals and meet the project’s requirement specifications†.If the requirements of software are incomplete, software practitioners will end up building software that does not meet the needs of the customer and the user. State of the Art As mentioned earlier, requirement analysis is one of the most important phases in the entire software development life cycle. It is very important to identify and understand the software requirement before moving on to other phases of software development life cycle. It was said by Pooja. R. Gupta that â€Å"When project managers plan for the software development they need to plan for adequate time and resource allocation for this phase†.Experienced requirement analyst like Hooks and Ferry has said that result of getting requirement right, early in the project, can save one-third or more of the overall project budget, which again states how important it is to get software requirements right in order to save time, money as well as achieve goals of the software. Another experienced requirement analyst Leffingwell points out that if you get your software requirements right at the beginning then it can save you the cost of fixing requirements errors as the cost of fixing requirements account for 70% to 80% of yo ur rework costs.Getting requirements right is the most critical aspect of the software development cycle. Software Productivity Centre mentioned that most of the companies come up short; studies point to a failure rate of more than 60% for IT projects, with poor requirements as one of the top five reasons. Moreover, when requirements are specified early in the lifecycle, 80% of the functionality is relatively unwanted by the users and 45% of these features are never used. These problems mean costly rework, compromised product quality, delayed delivery on current projects and start of new ones, lost credibility and lowered revenue opportunities.Developing and managing requirements at the start of a software project can provide significant benefits to the whole outcome: – Quicker and easier to develop and deliver high value products. – Greater insights into development capacity and capabilities. – Better understanding of the organisation and customer needs. â€⠀œ Higher business and user satisfaction with the overall product. – Closer alignment with business goals and expectations. – Cost saving – Result of the product is what the company actually required so get a product that meets the requirements of the system. Reduces rework and conflicts which would have come from unclear and ambiguous requirements. How to get the requirements right? According to Pooja. R. Guptam, in order to get the software requirements right, it can be very beneficial to cover all the following aspects of requirement analysis: 1. Define the problem and High level description of the solution: It is very important to understand the problem and the need for solution. The requirement analyst needs to understand how the new solution going to help and what benefits it is going to provide to the company. 2.Cover needs of all stakeholders and users of the solution: At this point, you must identify and understand the needs of the stake holders as well the users who are ultimately going to use the new system because you need to produce the system, which meets user requirements. 3. Define what the solution should and should not do: It is very obvious that we might know what the solution should do but we always forget the we also need to understand and define what the solution will not do so that requirements can be stated in a manner that we won’t be left with any imagination or doubts. 4.Define the features required: This is one of the main tasks of a requirement analyst. It is very important to define the functional and non-functional requirements of the software solution before starting to design the solution. Defining the functional and non-functional requirement is not all that needs to be done; you must also make sure that they are the correct requirements. 5. Capture all supporting information: It’s a good idea to include and record details of any processes followed, workflow, information flow, etc. It is also beneficial to record any other information which might be relevant to the solution.Conclusion In my opinion, I believe software requirements play quite a big role in the whole software development life cycle. The experience of developing such software project has made it so clear how important software requirement can be. Defining software requirements earlier in the project can provide the best solution of a system at the end. In my personal experience of developing software projects has given me the idea of how to get software requirements right, which are to firstly create requirement definition because it is the foundation of effective software delivery.Secondly, define requirements among stakeholders to address their needs, business problems and the vision of the software so that stakeholder’s goals and objectives can be met because if stakeholders requirements are not met or unclear then the developer will have difficulty building the solution without rework, which res ults in longer development lifecycles and higher costs. By investing more time on software requirements early in the software development process can save time, effort as well as money in the short and long terms.By following these paths in developing software projects can lead to a successful system. As mentioned earlier about the types of requirements that should be identified before moving to other part of software life cycle. It is very important to define all the business level, user level and the product level requirements because a developer needs all of these requirements in order to develop the right software. It is a very idea to follow the software development life cycles, which defines that requirement analysis is the first process of developing a project.In my previous projects, I believe a software development model has helped in defining the right requirements so it is a good advice to take this into consideration when designing any kind of software projects. Requirem ent Definition process also helps in defining the right requirement. References James A. Ward http://www. stickyminds. com/sitewide. asp? Function=edetail&ObjectType=ART&ObjectId=9150&tth=DYN&tt=siteemail&iDyn=2 Software Productivity Centre http://www. spc. ca/dc_software_requirements. htm Pooja R. Gupta http://ezinearticles. com/? Five-Tips-For-Getting-the-Software-Requirement-Analysis-Right-the-First-Time&id=1714473IBM http://www. utdallas. edu/~chung/RE/Getting_requirements_right-avoiding_the_top_10_traps. pdf Brianna Smith, delivery engagement manager, Rational software, IBM Software Group Lisa Garrity, technical professional, Rational software, IBM Software Group Theresa Kratschmer, senior software engineer, Rational software, IBM Software Group http://www. modernanalyst. com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1084/Getting-Your-Requirements-Right-Collaborate-With-Stakeholders-To-Work-Smarter. aspx My project Management http://myprojectmanagement. com /category/requirement-analysis/

Establishing a Claim in Negligence

Introduction In for a claim for negligence to be established the claimant will be required to prove that they have suffered damage and that intentional behaviour or at least recklessness existed. This will allow a determination to be made as to whether the claimants have any possible tort of negligence claims against the defendants. Establishing if the defendant is negligent, the claimant must prove whether there is a duty of care, whether this duty had been breached and the damage was caused by the breach. In Heaven v Pender[1] it was first suggested there should be a general principle of law which governs the duty of care. Lord Atkin in Donoghue v Stevenson[2] provided some guidance in this area by showing that in order to establish a duty of care was owed the so-called ‘neighbour principle’ must be adopted; â€Å"you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour†. The Court in Dorset Yacht Co L td v Home Office[3] expanded this principle even further when it was made clear what type of circumstances would give rise to a duty of care and was followed by Caparo Industries plc v Dickman[4] which is currently the leading case dealing with the duty of care element. The House of Lords in this case proposed a three-stage test for establishing whether a duty of care has arisen. The courts would need to be satisfied that; a) it would be reasonably foreseeable that the defendant’s failure to take care could cause harm or damage to the claimant; b) that the relationship between the claimant and the defendant was so close that there was an element of proximity between them; and c) that it is fair, just and reasonable to impose a duty of care on the defendant based upon the particular circumstances of the case. Unless this test can be satisfied, a claimant will be unable to establish a claim in negligence since the defendant will not be found to have owed a duty of care to the claimant. Once it has been shown that a duty of care was owed to the claimant, it must then be shown that the duty has been breached. This will be decided by the Court based on a two-stage test; first of all the Court will be required to consider how the defendant should have behaved in such circumstances (question of law) and then decide the extent to which the defendants behaviour fell below this required standard of care (question of fact).[5]Consequently, it must be shown that a reasonable person would have foreseen the danger and subsequently regarded the risk as unreasonable; Blythe v Birmingham Waterworks[6]. As a general rule, a defendant will not be liable unless the risk was foreseeable, was not insignificant and a ‘reasonable person’ would not have taken the necessary precautions in respect of the particular risk that occurred. In making such an assessment the Court will consider what precautions a ‘reasonable person’ would have taken, what the likelihood of harm was and whether a reasonable person could have been expected to bear the costs of avoiding such harm. The test is an objective one; Glasgow Corp v Muir[7] and the issue to be considered is not whether the defendant would have foresaw the risk but whether a reasonable person would have foresaw it based on the particular circumstances of the case. The issue will thus be decided on a case by case basis by reviewing the individual facts of the case. Once it is shown that the defendant owed a duty of care and subsequently breached that duty, causation must then be considered. Essentially, it must be shown that the claimant’s losses were a natural consequence of the breach since the breach caused the harm or damage that occurred. In establishing causation, the ‘but for’ test would need to be applied. This test was established in R v White[8] when it was stated by the Court that the claimant must prove that the harm would not have occurred ‘but for’ the defendants actions. Once this has been established causation will then be proved unless it can also be shown that there is an intervening act which brakes the chain of causation, also known as a novus actus interveniens; Wilsher v Essex Area Health Authority[9] the ‘but for’ test will not established. Remoteness of damage will then be d etermined by considering whether or not the damage was a kind which was foreseeable. Once all of these elements have been proven, the defendant will be found liable for the full extent of the damage; The Wagon mount (no.1)[10]. Jennifer HallamIn June 2013 Jennifer Hallam parked her car opposite the knight’s plaza building where on return to her car she noticed damage to the car. On enquiring from shop owners she was informed that this was due to light reflecting from the building. Jennifer returned the next day and investigated and established this is the case. T Knight Group (TKG) owe a duty of care to Jennifer as the neighbour principle clearly applies to her on the basis that the Jennifer would have been so closely affected by the actions of TKG that they ought reasonably to have had her in their contemplation. TKG would thus have been under a duty to ensure that reasonable care was being taken in order to avoid any harm or damage to third partied caused by their actions. Nevertheless, this could be disputed by TKG as they may be able to demonstrate that the breach of duty did not occur as a result of their own actions. This is because the architects or the structural engineers could instead be held responsible for the design fault. This situation has been seen around the world and also in the UK. Under section 79 of the environmental protection act 1990 the local authority may take action to ensure the nuisance is stopped. There is no reported case in England and Wales in which a Court has been required to determine reflection of sunlight. However in New Zealand this was the case and was seen in Bank of New Zealand v greenwood[11]. This would amount to an actionable tort of nuisance. Here the high Court of New Zealand held that reflected light can constitute an actionable nuisance. In Hunter v Canary Wharf Ltd[12] the Lords considered the New Zealand case and although they said that it was most unusual they did in fact regard the decision as ‘eminently sensible’ and ‘admirable’. In light of this, it could therefore be said that Jennifer’s actions is likely to be successful if the Courts in the UK follow suit. If the Courts do find that there has been a breach, it is likely that they will then be able to establish that the breach caused the harm and was not too remote so as to prevent an action in negligence. This is because, if TKG successful argue that they the architects or the structural engineers are to blame for the damage, then the standard of care will be that based upon their ex pertise; Wilsher v Essex[13]. And, architects and structural engineers will be required to have a reasonable expectation of the risks involved with this type of project and ought to have known of the dangers.RahimRahim Khan has stated that he has suffered a financial loss due to the dazzling sun and high temperatures that are created when the sun reflects off the Knights Plaza Building and onto the pavement outside his shop. There is generally no duty of care owed to individuals to avoid causing others to suffer an economic loss. The economic loss must not relate to personal injury or damage to property as in Spartan Steel & Alloys Ltd v Martin[14]. Nevertheless, in Hedley Byrne & co v Heller[15] the House of Lords held that economic loss could be caused by negligence misstatement rather than a negligent act, although it is unlikely to apply here. In Linklaters Business Services v Sir Robert McAlpine[16], however, it was noted by the Court that; â€Å"It may well be arguable in the case of complex structures that one element of the structure should be regarded for the purpose of the application and the principles [regarding economic loss] as distinct from another element, so that damage to one part of the structure caused by a hidden defect in another part may qualify to be treated as damage to other property.† It will depend entirely upon the facts of the case as to whether a claim by Rahim will prove to be a success although it is questionable whether this will be established given the complexity of establishing pure economic loss. Thus, Rahim will have to demonstrate that the relationship between Rahim and TKG was sufficiently close for a claim to be ascertained for economic loss. This is unlikely to be established given that Rahim merely owns a nearby sandwich shop and so the requirements are unlikely to be satisfied here. In addition, Rahim also stated that his business has just reopened after health inspector closed it down after allegations of food poisoning. This could be significant as the loss could have been caused by the closure of the shop for 6 months. The chain of causation (novus actus interveniens) could have been broken by the fact the shop was closed. In certain cases, the chain of causation is capable of being broken by an intervening act. Therefore, the defendant may not be liable if the chain is broken by the intervening act even if there exists a duty of care as in Kirkham v Chief[17]. Thus, as put by Finch and Fafinski â€Å"if the novus actus interveniens is sufficient to break the chain , then the defendant may not be liable despite being in breach of the duty of care.†[18] Accordingly, it is therefore unlikely that TKG will be found liable in tort for the loss that was suffered by Rahim since it is likely that the loss would have occurred regardless; The Oropesa[19]. Rahim is also being prosecuted having been caught on CCTV cameras throwing stones and subsequently causing damage to the Knights Plaza Building costing ?75,000. In common law Rahim would be found criminally liable for criminal damage under section 1 (1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 for destroying property that belonged to another with the intention or recklessness as to whether damage was caused. The fact that Rahim was caught on CCTV throwing stones at the building is sufficient enough to find him liable under this section. Accordingly, it is clear that Rahim had the intention to damage the property by throwing the stones as he was angry at TKG for the loss of profits in which he claims to have suffered. In addition, for criminal damage to be established, it does not have to be shown that the property is no longer usable. The fact that some damage was caused will be sufficient as in Roper v Knott[20]. Accordingly, Rahim will thus be found criminally liable for damaging the proper ty and causing ?75,000 worth of damage. Andy Pandy, Mandy Pandy and Muz Ahmed In deciding whether Darren is liable for the death of Andy Pandy and the injuries sustained by Mandy Pandy and Muz Ahmed, it will need to be considered whether Darran owed them a duty of care. Applying the Caparo test, it is evident that a duty of care was owed to Andy, Mandy and Muz. This is because all three of them can be considered to have a relationship of proximity to Darran that he ought to have had them in his contemplation. Hence, drivers owe a duty of care to pedestrians so it is evident that this part of the test will have been satisfied. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether Darran failed to take care given that the gust of wind is likely to have been unforeseeable and as such it would not be fair, just and reasonable to impose duty of care on him. In addition, although Darran caused the accident to occur it can be said that there was an intervening act that broke the chain of causation. This is because the accident would not have happened had it not been for the struc ture of the building and because these defects were known to the TKG since May 2013, they could have alleviated these problems by taking the necessary steps. In view of this, the TKG should be found liable for the death of Andy since they ought to have taken reasonable precautions to prevent the problem from occurring. Essentially, because they had not taken any steps to prevent the problem from occurring it is clear that they should be found liable as they would have owed Andy a duty of care, they were in breach of that duty and the breached caused the harm. The same will apply in relation to Mandy and Muz since it would not be fair, just and reasonable to impose liability on Darran for the psychiatric harm that was caused and so TKG ought to be held liable for this also. In order to establish a claim in negligence for psychiatric injury, all of the negligence requirements must first be satisfied. However, further difficulties will arise since Mandy and Muz will not be awarded compensation unless three additional requirements are satisfied; a) there was a close tie of love and affection between the parties; b) that the victim was close to the accident at the time, and c) that the accident was directly perceived.[21] It is likely that Mandy will be able to establish all three given that Andy was her brother, although it will be more difficult for Muz to demonstrate that there was a close tie of love and affection. In addition, it will also have to be shown that the harm or damage caused was reasonably foreseeable, which again will be like ly to prove complex; Alcock v Chief Constable of Yorkshire[22]. In Page v Smith[23], nonetheless, the defendant was found liable even though the claimant was not physically hurt the car crash that was caused by the defendant. Therefore, it is possible that both Mandy and Muz will be able to establish a claim against TKG as shown in Dulieu v White[24]. If it is shown that the harm is too remote, however, they will not be able to establish a claim. Conclusion Overall, it is likely that TKG will be found liable for the damage that has been caused to Jennifer’s car, the death of Andy and the psychiatric injury caused to Mandy and Muz, unless they can demonstrate that the architects and structural engineers are to blame. It is unlikely that Rahim’s claim will succeed and instead he will be found criminally liable for the damage caused to the building. Damages fall into two categories, pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses. Pecuniary losses are calculated into monetary terms whereas non-pecuniary losses are not. However, whether or not damages will be awarded will be dependent upon the remoteness of the harm or damage that was caused Bibliography Finch, E. and Fafinski, S. (2010) Law Express: Tort Law, 3rd Edition, Longman. Kidner, R. (2010) Casebook on Torts, 11th Edition. The Law Commission., ‘Liability for Psychiatric Illness’ (1998) Law Com No 249, 2. Cases Alcock v Chief Constable of Yorkshire [1992] 1 AC 310 Bank of New Zealand v greenwood [1984] 1 NZLR 525 Blythe v Birmingham Waterworks (1856) 11 Exch 781 Caparo Industries plc v Dickman [1990 1 All ER 568 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 Dorset Yacht Co Ltd v Home Office [1970] AC 1004 Glasgow Corp v Muir [1943] AC 448 Hedley Byrne & co v Heller [1963] 3 WLR 101 Heaven v Pender (1883) 11 QBD 503 Hunter v Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] 2 WLR 684 Kirkham v Chief [1990] 2 KB 283 Linklaters Business Services v Sir Robert McAlpine [2010] EWHC 1145 (TCC) Page v Smith [1996] AC 155 Roper v Knott [1898] 1 QB 868 R v White (1910) 2 KB 124 Spartan Steel & Alloys Ltd v Martin [1972] 3 WLR 502 The Oropesa [1943] 1 All ER 211 Wilsher v Essex Area Health Authority [1988] AC 1074

Criminal Theory Essay

People with anti-social behaviors are defined by â€Å"A persuasive pattern of disregard for, and violation, of the rights of others that begins in early childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. † (Walsh and Hemmens page 238) People with this disorder are up for greater health risks, for the disorder makes a person be a risk taker, usually engaging in smoking, alcohol, risky sexual behavior’s and drugs. Their also at risk for they are prone to depression, inflicting self-wounds and violent acts towards others. In this state of mind people are emotional, non-cognitive, and have low self-esteem. Making them act out in violent manners. This behavior is linked to childhood. As a child if something wasn’t right, they were shy or forgotten they probably put on a mask and faked being what society views as normal. They are not connected with society. And they do not understand social norms. They have become experts on faking feelings, and they do not know emotion or empathy. These people are deceitful, manipulative, egocentric, selfish and lacking guilt. Dealing with regards of crime and Anti-social disorder, the criminals often view that their victims were not â€Å"wrong†. Drug users viewing their addiction to a social norm that isn’t there. They do not understand what they are doing is wrong and have no sense of guilt or cognitive thinking process. They do not feel any kind of remorse for the things of which they have done simply because they cannot empathize with the people or actions against which they are offending. Neutralization theory was created by Skyes and Matza. This theory explains that the offender has a positive view on the crime he or she has committed. Also similar to Anti-Social individuals these criminals view that they have done nothing wrong. Unlike Anti-Social disorder, Neutralization theory states that the offender puts the excuses in their own head, not merely understanding the social norms. There are five techniques that Neutralization theory uses in justifying their crimes. The first way people neutralize their crimes and actions they have done is called â€Å"Denial of Responsibility† which is shifting the blame from the offender to the victim. An example is when a rapist says in court â€Å"she was asking for it the way she was dressed and or acting. † They feel absolutely no guilt for the crimes that they have committed. They feel no responsibility at all for the victim and their injuries. The second technique is called â€Å"Denial of Injury†. This is where the offender has no attachment to the crime and has not caused any real injury or offenses. An example of this would be a person breaking a entering and smashing a window in and claiming â€Å"the insurance will cover it. † â€Å"Denial of Victim† is the third technique. This is where the offender says the victim received what they deserved, almost viewed as karma. Most domestic cases portray this, saying significant other or victim got what they deserved from these actions. The fourth technique is â€Å"Condemnation of the Condemners† where the offender states part of the blame on the condemners. These condemners are police, parents, probation officers, etc. An example of this would be the criminal blaming the officer for planting evidence on them or the crime scene and not taking any of the responsibility that it was there’s. Number five is â€Å"Appeal to a Higher Loyalty†. This is where the offender in committed and or loyal to something or someone in their life for the greater good according to their beliefs. Things that would fall under this category re murder or assault. A good example of this would be a person under mafia rule murdering someone for the leader or the greater good of that mafia. Ted Bundy was made famous for his criminal actions. His five-state murder spree was not lightly forgotten. Bundy killed over 100 women and only gave information about where the bodies were of fifty of the acclaimed victims. Comparing hi s life, actions, and behavior point to Anti-Social Behavioral theory and Neutralization theory the most. Putting these theories to the test trying to profile a serial killer. Theodore Robert Cowell was born in 1946 to an single mother that moved in with her parents. He grew up thinking his grandparents were is parents and his mother was his sister. Later in life his mother married and he became Ted Bundy. Growing up he was a â€Å"normal† child, he was an attractive teen that was well liked in school. He did relatively well in his academics. He was known for being shy; people profiled him to be socially awkward. He never did grow out of this stage and the profile followed him to college. Bundy went first to the University of Puget Sound. It was a highly regarded school and many of its students were wealthy. This made ted feel inadequate and inferior due to financial aspects. He left and went to University of Washington. His shyness held him back with social activities and dating, but Bundy did find someone that he fell for. They had the same skiing passion, spending most of days on the slopes. And he soon fell in love and became obsessive. He tried impressing her with receiving scholarships and accomplishments but they fell flat. She ended the relationship saying he wasn’t going anywhere in life and wasn’t husband material. This haunted him for the rest of his life and fell into an extreme depression. While in this depression he had dropped out of school. His anti-social behavior got worse. Also during this time he found out who his mother actually was. Bundy was a on a slippery slope downhill, he was labeled as a petty thief. He soon came out of his depression had false bravo, went back to college and got a bachelor’s degree in psychology. With his new found self he was on top of the world. He was with a new woman that adored him and his first love wanted him back. He had one foot in the political arena. During his time at college women had gone missing from campus. They narrowed the quest down to a man asking for help then kidnapping the women. Bundy being smart realized it was only just a matter of time till local officials connected the dots. So Bundy moved to Utah and enrolled in the University of Utah. He didn’t stop his attacks just because he had moved. Women were being abducted and reported missing at the campus and malls around the city. While in Utah police had discovered a graveyard of bones. They eventually put the dots together and figured out it was Ted. They now knew that he was dealing with a criminal that could go across state lines. Bundy didn’t stop at Utah he also went to Colorado during ski season and killed women there before he was finally caught due to a car suspicion. He was charged with kidnapping charges. During his trial he was charged with murder of one known victim. But he escaped out the library widow being his own attorney. He made his way down to Florida where he rented a house at Florida State University. He was known for his sorority house killings. Ted Bundy was arrested again due to evidence of teeth impressions on a victim’s chest. He was charged with murder and recieved a plea bargain of three twenty five year sentences. He refused the plea and wanted another trail during this time new evidence came forward and at the new trail he was sentenced to death by means of the electric chair. Prior to his death he attempted over 100 murders, keeping some heads of his victims and necrophilia. When asked why he did everything he blamed it on his early exposures to pornography as his stimulants to his obsession with murder. Ted Bundy falls under a lot of different theories but Anti-Social Behavioral theory is most demanding. He was awkward in his youth, not in a strong stable family life, had difficulty dating and participating in other social events. He wore a mask covering himself from the world. He knew he was different and had to change or it would be noticed, so he became a well-known member of society and was respected. He felt no remorse for things that he had done. This action falls under Psychopathy, he found pleasure in re-living kills. Going towards Neutralization theory he blamed the women for the things that he had done. He connected them to his college girlfriend that had dumped him. That they needed to die because of what she did to him. That neutralized any feeling he had towards making these killings. He strongly viewed he was not at fault, and he plead not guilty until he was on the electric chair. In an interview he states â€Å"I don’t know what made people want to be friends. I don’t know what made people attractive to one another. I don’t know what underlays in these social interactions. † The above statement proves my point of the Anti-Social Behavior. He was lacking things that we as â€Å"normal† human beings understand. He goes on to answer the question â€Å"Are murders born or made? Nature vs. nurture? † it’s still an ongoing debate to this day. In my opinion and conclusion Ted Bundy was nurtured.

Effects of YPF Nationalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effects of YPF Nationalization - Research Paper Example The nationalization has also severed Argentina’s social relations with other countries that threatened to impose stringent political and economic sanctions on Argentina. Nationally, the social effects of the nationalization include an increase in the amount of taxes paid by Argentines (Cassidy, 2012). The government is also restricting currency flight, which is growing at an alarming rate as more and more Argentines lose faith in the country’s economic prospects. As a consequence, Argentines continue to encounter immense restrictions, particularly with regard to making investments. The Argentine President infuriated Argentina’s allies such as Spain but also won the favor of a massive portion of Argentines who consider the expropriation of Repsol as serving Argentina’s interests. The Argentine government’s decision to wrench control from Repsol continues to instigate fear amongst Argentines, as well as other people in the region. This is largely beca use YPF is a prominent company, which contributes substantially to the economy of South America. Therefore, other South American countries are bound to be adversely affected by Argentina’s move to nationalize YPF. As a consequence, these nations are likely to consider the Argentina government as irresponsible with the country’s and region’s wellbeing. ... In essence, the nationalization of YPF will cause detrimental effects to the government’s capacity to provide its citizens with proper social services. On the other hand, Argentina is likely to suffer fuel scarcity as a consequence of the nationalization. This is because the country does not have the capacity to explore its vast oil and gas resources. Oil and gas scarcity will, in turn, result in increased living costs on the people of Argentina. Effects of the Nationalization on society in Argentina The nationalization of YPF serves to move Argentina back to the status of a net energy exporter while at the same time having immense sovereign power over the country’s energy industry, as well as natural resources. This perception towards the effects of YPF’s nationalization on Argentina’s social environment is quite distinct from the former signals, which indicated that the Argentine government was moving towards a wholesome nationalization of the countryâ⠂¬â„¢s oil and gas resources. As a consequent, the nation recognized that it its domestic investor pool was quite inadequate, and the country seriously required foreign expertise, as well as foreign investments to enable it tap its energy resources (Romero, 2012). This was especially the case regarding Vaca Muerta’s immense shale oil and gas reserves. In essence, all these moves signify Argentina’s growing appreciation for its sovereignty both socially and economically as the country is no longer afraid to invite a clash with other nations in its fight for its rights. Reception YPF’s nationalization was warmly welcomed by Argentines who thought that the government could have expropriated 100%, not just a portion of it. Most Argentines believe that the

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 175

Summary - Essay Example Ionization uses two radioactive plates that can produce either a negative or positive charge. The device is designed to decrease in current flow once the smoke enters the chamber and causes an interruption in the positive or negative charges of the device. The radioactive material that the air comes into contact with causes the air to become a conductor. This system works on a totally different basis from the Photoelectric smoke detection. As the name connotes, the photoelectric system works by sensing the environmental light that enters the detection chamber. The light that enters the system is scattered and triggers the alarm sensor to emit a warning sound in the room. While the light obscuring type creates a less intense type of light as it detects the smoke in order to sound the alarm. Owing to this comparison, I believe that the photoelectric technology is most trustworthy since I understand how light works. I know nothing about radioactive materials and would not be comfortable around that technology. I find it dangerous and would not risk exposing my family to its well known dangers. The NFPA 72 dictates that in residential occupancies, fire alarm boxes should be no further than five feet from the nearest exist and be only between 42 -48 inches from the floor. Both sides of the exists should have existing fire alarms in an open space of approximately forty feet in width. The distance between the alarms should not be more than 200 feet from each other when installed in big rooms or hallways. For visibility the fire alarm bells should be red except in instances when the wall itself is painted red. In such instances, the alarm bell should be painted silver. Just like with anything that must be installed, one must consider the needs of the environment before a smoke detector is installed. For example, in a tall, multi floor room, a beam smoke detector

Criminal Justice, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal Justice, - Essay Example This is because the criminal justice system of the United States acts as a benchmark of the most developed justice system in the world making it a basic eternal model. The crime control model works efficiently within the criminal justice system by punishing crime and in the process serving as the best tool to detour the occurrence of criminal behavior. It is important to note that the due process model and the crime control model are two frameworks within the criminal justice system under conflict throughout the world for many years. Proponents of the due process model hold that nobody can deprive of life of any individual, freedom, and material wealth including property disregarding the legal processes as well as safeguards. The due process framework requires the criminal justice system to protect the rights of nay person charged with crime. However, the crime control framework for enforcing law bases on the assumption of complete reliability of facts collected by police officers and handles people arrested by the disciplined forces as guilty. In this case, the arrestees are guilty and proceed to the courts to prove their innocence. On the other hand, the due process considers the arrestees innocent and assigns the criminal justice system the responsibility of proving that they are guilty. This marks the first difference between the due process and the crime control model. The two frameworks present the most competing models within the criminal justice system and result in the ever-increasing tension bringing d isharmony and conflict presently observable within the same system. The models aim at challenging crime but insist on issuing the most appropriate justice to both the law enforcers and the arrestees. Professor Herbert, designed the due process model to make sure that people arrested and charged with crime have their rights protected and receive fair trial as well as judgment. The model insists on the

Cultural differences and e-learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural differences and e-learning - Essay Example Therefore one must be cognizant of these cultural differences when designing an e-learning program. observe and use e-learning.  Introduction With the advent of the Internet, distance education is rapidly becoming an excellent way for students become educated. In the traditional sense, it allows for one to one interaction between the teacher and student but also has the facilities for rich collaborative learning through an on-line environment. E-learning has a number of advantages, as it helps students become competitive in a market increasingly dominated by global,multi-national companies that use on-line learning to teach concepts, as well as helps students become globally astute and enhances their social skills. However, there are a number of aspects of individuals about which designers of e-learning software, as well as instructors, should be aware. One of these is the culture of the learner. Culture is a way that individuals mediate their world, and it is has profound implicat ions for e-learning and learning in general. Some cultures are low context, which means that the written word is paramount, and the non-verbal part of communication is deemphasized. With high-context, this is just the opposite.

Citizenship and Social Exclusion in England and Turkey's schools Essay

Citizenship and Social Exclusion in England and Turkey's schools - Essay Example The central thesis of the paper would claim that both Bernard Crick and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's views are formed into one social structure and represents citizenship in education as a uniform standard which applies to all groups and people which live in their country. This is in a way comparison of welfare model to republic model of citizenship. To elaborate the entire subject matter it is important to understand the terminology of citizenship under the perspective of Osler and Starkey's point of view. Under the parameters of Osler and Starkey citizenship indicates several variables where one of the most important aspects is the determination trust and faith democracy rather than autocracy. The second most important aspect in accordance to Osler and Starkey is the determination of cooperation rather than the essence of conflict within the society. Thirdly it should be seen whether it is sustainable within the parameters of diversity and equality. The essence of citizenship also indicates that a good citizen must be bale to recognise the individual responsibilities and rights. The individual citizen must also recognise the precedence of authority and power. Furthermore the citizen must be able to understand and honour the aspects of order and freedom along with community preference and individual position in the society. Lastly, Osler and Starkey indicated that the indication of citizen that is the most important of all is the understanding, application and exercise of human rights, law, rules, justice and fairness. These are the basic parameters of a citizen from the point of view of Osler and Starkey. (Osler, 2000) It is important to define the concept of social exclusion in the context of England from the parameters of the citizenship principals. There are substantial differences among theorists of education regarding this issue along with the practitioners that whether the entire citizenship tool is applicable or not while engaging the ethnic minority segment of the society and combat racism. Osler and Starkey mention that this fundamental essence is instrumental in providing a good amount of opportunity that would be ultimately be a very important aspect of eradicating racial inequality in education. At the same note Osler and Starkey believes that Crick report has hardly any element that would be helpful for providing guidance to the teachers in spreading anti racism. Furthermore, Osler and Starkey also believe that the Crick report would not prove to be any help in the perspective of minority engagement in terms of students. In fact there is no mention of racism in the creak report. But the fact is that this is one element in the society that could be termed as one of the most detrimental aspects of the society and is in fact an evil curse on democracy. Osler and Starkey even mentions that the Crick report is basically a recommendation that contains a lot of colonial flavour. (Osler, 2000) In the present situation the government aiming to incorporate programs that socially include everyone devoid of colour, cast, race and creed. One of the most compelling developments of our age is the recognition of multicultural of multiracial society and how they

Unanimous Jury Verdicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unanimous Jury Verdicts - Essay Example In common law jurisdictions, criminal verdicts must be unanimous in order to acquit or convict according to the North Western University journal (1972). The jury must arrive at an undivided opinion. Originally, the Supreme Court held unanimity as an essential feature of trial by the jury, however, in recent years, there is growing discretion in the states. In Apodaca v Oregon (1972),and Johnson v Louisiana (1972),convictions were reached on a less than unanimous vote, ten to two and nine to three respectively. In Ballew v Georgia (1978), Justice Powell reiterates that the fourteenth amendment did not impose the same requirements for juries on states that the sixth amendment did on the federal government. A recent article examining the effect of eliminating this unanimity rule concludes that, there may only be a small range of evidence in which its effects consistently appear, that is, when the prosecution/plaintiff’s case is not particularly weak or strong (North Western University, 1972). This discussion therefore makes a strong argument on the circumstances where the jury’s verdict must be unanimous in the united states and in common law traditions. On the same vein concludes that, not all state verdicts have to be unanimous, with the two cases manifesting the jury.

Registered Nurses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Registered Nurses - Research Paper Example More than 60 percent of their jobs are in hospital set-ups. Their scope of work depends from country to country and state to state and is guided by various Nurse Practice Acts. The 3 most important paths of education to becoming registered nurses are, In this essay, the role and scope of practice of diploma from any approved nursing programs, associate degree and bachelors degree. following these degrees, the job opportunities for registered nurses is excellent, but is dependent on the nature of employment setting and geographic setting (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). The main role of registered nurses in any work setting regardless of the speciality they are employed in is to "treat patients, educate patients and the public about various medical conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients family members† (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). The registered nurses record the medical histories and clinical presentation of the patients, help in the performance of diagnostic tests as advised by the physicians, analyze the results of the diagnostic tests, operate medical and surgical machinery, administer various medications to the patients as instructed by physicians and help the patient with follow-up and rehabilitation. The registered nurses have a very important role to play in the education of the patients, their family members and public. They educate about the management of injuries and illnesses, explain about various home-are needs in the post-treatment phase, advise about, nutrition, diet and exercise and provide in formation on self-medication and physiotherapy (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). In some conditions, the registered nurses also work in collaboration with other health professionals to educate the public about various warning sings and symptoms of particular disease, like, for example, swine flu. In the process of caring for patients, registered nurses contribute to

The Benefits of a College Degree Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of a College Degree Essay Going to college to earn a degree is very important and is also an advantage for me in today?s world. I have many different reasons why I?m getting a degree. One reason is because important to have a goal, to work toward something. Having a long term goal helps me stay motivated. Most importantly getting a degree will insure that I will be personally and financially stable. Even though obtaining a college degree will help me in so many different ways in my life. Going to college is very taxing; emotionally, physically and financially. No matter how many times succeed or fail at my goals, going to college is an eye opener for me. There are so many goals I will have through out my life, none of them being as important as obtaining a college degree. Some people may say that my family is the most important achievement in my life. But a degree is in ways more important. It ensures that I will provide the best life for my family. On the other hand my family is what gives me the courage to wake up every morning and look forward to going to school to learn knew things. Working toward my degree keeps my mind focused. Having a long term goal is key in my life. Because no matter what happens I know that the next day I will be dedicating time from my life to achieve something most people only think about doing. I hope I can stay motivated enough to get more classes done. And to do my best at all times, even if my best is scraping by. Because at that time it was my best. These are small goals, but these goals will add up to a more important achievement in the end. The personal and financial stability I will get from a college education is priceless. Knowing that for eight years I didn?t quiet for anything to achieve my degree will be the greatest feeling ever. All of the motivation, dedication, wisdom, and courage that I will gain thought out my college carrier will be strongest part of my personal stability. Because of my college education I will be able to get a well paying job with benefits that will ensure the financial stability I need for my family. Knowing that the income from my job will enable me to not worry about having enough money for retirement is very satisfying. Being able to pay for my children?s education is very important to me and the well being of my children. Thanks to this financial stability I will be able to sleep a little better. There are many down falls to having a college carrier. Finding the time in my busy life to sit down and do hours of homework. It is difficult to wake up early every morning and go to work for eight grueling hours, then go home inhale my dinner, then rush to school. Only to come home and do homework for hours, go to bed late and wake up early and go through the same thing again. Not only is this exaughsting, it is emotionally hard as well. Not getting enough quality time with my family is hard to deal with. Not having time to do homework causes school work to be late. Which causes my grades to slip and my G.P.A to fall. In order to receive assistance for tuition I need to maintain my G.P.A. If my G.P.A were to fall I could be putt on academic probation. In turn I would need to work overtime to make up for money lost. College can be very physically and emotionally demanding. Obtaining a college degree is very important. A degree will help me to become personal and financially stable. Achieving this goal will help me in everyday life.

Executive Summaries Essay Example for Free

Executive Summaries Essay The executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the original document. It can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the reports length. Executive summaries are written literally for an executive who most likely DOES NOT have the time to read the original. †¢Executive summaries make a recommendation †¢Accuracy is essential because decisions will be made based on your summary by people who have not read the original †¢Executive summaries frequently summarize more than one document Types of Summaries Summaries written in order to recommend a specific course of action are executive summaries. Summaries that highlight the major points of a long piece are called abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to allow readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text. View our Writing Guide about Abstracts Standard summary only refers to a summary of someone elses published work and is written for a variety of purposes. View our Writing Guide about Standard Summaries Processes for Writing an Executive Summary Executive summaries are typically written for longer reports. They should not be written until after your report is finished. Before writing your summary, try: †¢Summarizing the major sections of your report. You might even copy text from your report into the summary and then edit it down. †¢Talking aloud or even tape recording yourself summarizing sections of your report. Questions to Ask Yourself as You Write †¢What is your report about? †¢Why is it important? †¢What is included in the report? †¢What is included in each section? Concise Statement As a cover sheet to your document, an executive summary need not go into ANY mention of how you conducted your analysis and/or what youre basing your conclusion on. Instead, begin with a concise statement of the conclusion you reached after conducting your analysis and/or research is the paper that will be attached. For example, after a comparison of what other schools like CSU do about personal calls for faculty, you conclude that the CSU is charging for calls most other institutions do not. How you word the conclusion will differ depending on your audience and what they care most about. The following examples illustrate how the wording must change given an audiences needs. Example One Colorado State should discontinue the practice of charging faculty for personal calls. This is a good example if the people you work for are only interested in this issue. It begins with a summary of conclusions regarding only the CSU population. Example Two Because I have found that over 75% of comparable institutions do not charge for personal calls, I have concluded that our faculty is justified in objecting to this practice which should be seen as a perk for our faculty. This sentence provides unnecessary information about other institutions and/or why the faculty think they deserve to have these calls paid for. Your readers can get that information from the report. Further, the use of I is unnecessary since your readers already know who wrote the report. Writing Recommendations After beginning with a summary statement of your findings, the executive summary should go on to provide a specific recommendation for action geared toward your audience. For example, the report on charging for personal calls was requested by the presidents office, not the individual departments and colleges who actually determine policy. As a result, the recommendation for action is geared toward what the presidents office should do, not the other departments involved. To learn more about writing recommendations: After summarizing the entire article and/or research report(s), an executive  summary ends with a one or two line recommendation for action. Simple Formula Executive summaries frequently make use of transitional phrases to encapsulate the preceding information in the same sentence as the recommendation. The format can almost be envisioned as a formula: [transitional word] + [concise statement of information provided in summary], I recommend that [corporation, office, person in question] do [recommendations]. More Complex Recommendations In other cases, the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the recommendation. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the recommendation. Example Susies Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same mall-concept marketing strategy which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susies Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy. Susies quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions. Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt burden on Susies cookies, an estimated $750,00 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susies Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years. Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion. Susies Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, I recommend that Mrs. Fields does not participate in the hostile takeover  under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized. Justification Finally, an executive summary provides an analysis and/or justification for the proposed action in terms the audience will consider important. In many cases, this might involve a monetary analysis as in the example to the right, but actions can be justified many ways, depending on the concerns of the audience and the topic of the report (e.g. for CSU these might include increase in student learning, better relationship with the community, etc.). justification for the recommendation by referring to information summarized. A recommendationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s justification is usually based on a reference to material already provided in the summary. In other cases, the justification for the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the justification. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the conclusion that leads to the justification. Example Justification Based on the current number and length of long-distance personal calls by faculty, such a proposal would cost the university $150,000 annually. In comparison to the overall budget, this is a small amount, but one which might pay for itself in terms of faculty satisfaction and possible recruitment benefits. Example Susies Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same mall-concept marketing strategy which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susies Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy. Susies quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions. Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt  burden on Susies cookies, an estimated $750,00 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susies Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years. Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion. Susies Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, I recommend that Mrs. Fields does not participate in the hostile takeover under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized. Example Executive Summary The Mountain Resort charges below average rental rates. (concise statement of findings) The attached report recommends a 20% increase in price for the following equipment: 1. downhill skis, 2. telemark skis, 3. boots/shoes for downhill, telemark, and cross-country skis. (specific recommendation for action) Based on average rental business for 1992-1995, these increases would generate an annual rental profit for Mountainview of $750,000. This figure represents an overall gain of $150,000 over current rental profits.(justification for proposed action) Additional Resources Other Writing Guides are available to help you write executive summaries. Choose any of the following for more information: †¢Purpose †¢Audience †¢Organization

Advancing Nursing Practice Current Role and Personal Learning

Advancing Nursing Practice Current Role and Personal Learning The idea of Advanced Nursing Practice (ANP) is reported to have commenced in the USA in the early parts of the 20th century (Mantzoukas, 2006) and its development has been well recorded in the literature (Ketefian, Redman, Hanucharurnkul, Masterson Neves, 2001; Furlong Smith, 2005). But lack of clear definitions for the concept, its scope of practice and standards has resulted in a great diversity in practice (Woods, 1999; Pearson Peels, 2002; Daly and Carnwell, 2003). Furlong and Smith (2005) identifies that several attempts have been made to conceptualise advanced nursing practice. This has resulted in some consensus on the core concepts that underpin ANP such as clinical autonomy, professional and clinical leadership, research capabilities, application of theory and research to practice and graduate level education requirement (Ketefian et al., 2001; Furlong Smith, 2005; Mantzoukas, 2006). Knowledge level, skill level and population of response model developed by Calkin (1984) and from novice to expert model by Benner (1984) are some of the models that were developed but none of these analysed contextual influences on advanced nursing practice. Manley (1997) developed a conceptual framework that describes four integrated sub roles (expert practitioner, educator, researcher and consultant); necessary skills and processes as well as contextual prerequisites for the advanced nurse practitioner to achieve outcomes strove for. This framework was developed from a model by Hamric (1989) and shares similarities in the four sub roles, some skills and processes. However, the framework by Manley (1997) establishes a relationship between the ANP role, its context and its outcomes, giving it an advantage over the models of Calkin, Benner and Hamric. It is worth stating, at this point, that the term ANP is not for a single role but for different advanced nursing roles such as nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, nurse anaesthetists and clinical nurse specialists (Ketefian et al., 2001) I have worked for one year as a general nurse (Nursing Officer rank) after completing my four-year nursing training in Ghana. My responsibilities include ensuring adequate nutrition and elimination, administering medication and reporting on patients response, allocating task based on skill of staff, supervising staff and students in the ward, and participating in ward rounds (GHS, 2005). Henry (2007) states that Ghanaian nurses have automatic promotion after every five years of service until they reach the rank of Principal Nursing Officer. It seems that this is changing. My experience is that, recently, higher education certificate as well as evidence of continuous professional and personal development is a requirement for certain roles in the nursing profession. Moreover, research, leadership and application of theory to practice are some of the advanced nursing skills that are not well developed in my current role. I have, therefore, enrolled in the MSc. Advanced Nursing course to develop these skills to advance my nursing practice. It appears that the four advanced nursing roles described by Ketefian et al. (2001) are present in Ghana, although the term ANP is not used. East and Arudo (2009) identifies that due to shortage of health personnel, nurses in sub-Saharan Africa perform certain roles and tasks that would be classified, in other countries, as advanced practice. Ghanaian nurses in these roles have some degree of clinical autonomy, especially in the district hospitals, but not necessarily a graduate level education. Instead, a post-basic diploma is required for some of them (nurse anaesthetist and clinical nurse specialist roles). Until recently, post-basic diploma was the qualification for medical assistants (similar to nurse practitioner role). Thus, ANP roles in Ghana developed as a result of shortage of health personnel and the health needs of the population. However, the roles are different from those in the UK and USA in areas such as research, professional and clinical leadership, academic qualifi cation, and clinical autonomy. Therefore, with the ANP conceptual framework of Manley (1997) as the focus, I hope to achieve the following objectives in advancing my practice: Develop a teaching package to slow progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among patients with diabetes Advance myself as a nurse educator and the other sub roles identified by Manley (1997) Develop leadership and effective change management skills Contribute to the professional development of my colleagues. The Project: Introduction and Rationale for Selection In advancing my nursing practice, my focus for this project is to develop a teaching package to slow progression of chronic kidney disease among patients with diabetes. Other patients at risk of developing kidney failure, including those with hypertension would also benefit from this project. The package would, also, be used among patients with stages 1 4 chronic kidney disease. In the final year of my nursing training, I had to submit a care study to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. The patient I worked with had been diagnosed with type II diabetes. The care study required that I participate in the active management of the patient and present a report on that, as well as a literature review on the condition. I reflect on the entire process now and I realise that complications of diabetes were just mentioned to the patient, with no adequate information on how they can be prevented. This project is, therefore, anticipated to create awareness of chronic kidney disease as a major complication among patients with diabetes in Ghana and how to delay its progression, if not avoid it. My primary focus would be to develop a strategy that would reach out to all patients, including those with low literacy skills. This would advance the nursing care and health education given to such patients, thereby, delaying the need for dialysis (Thomas et al., 2008). Literature Review WHO (2002:11) defines chronic conditions as health problems that require ongoing management over a period of years or decades and has labelled them as the biggest challenge faced by the health sector in the 21st century. While the economic cost of managing chronic diseases is high, Suhrcke, Fahey McKee (2008) identify some strong economic arguments that may be made in support of the need for societies to invest in their (chronic diseases) management. They identify some primary benefits such as improved health (in terms of patients quantity and quality of life in years), long-term cost savings from complications avoided and workplace productivity experienced by patients and their employers. Nevertheless, preventing their occurrence is central in the general management of chronic conditions (Nolte McKee, 2008) and this is a responsibility for all, including governments, private sectors, healthcare systems and individuals (Novotny, 2008). Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is becoming a global pandemic (Mahon, 2006; Chen, Scott, Mattern, Mohini Nissenson, 2006; Clements Ashurst, 2006). The disease causes gradual decline in kidney function (Silvestri, 2002). It has been categorised into 5 stages according to the glomerular filtration rates (Johnson Usherwood, 2005) and the progression through these stages is influenced by several processes, mostly lifestyle-related (Riegersperger Sunder-Plassmann, 2007). Management of stage 5 (end stage) is either by dialysis or kidney transplant (Johnson Usherwood, 2005, Chen et al., 2006). Patients with CKD stages 4 and 5 experience other complications such as anaemia and metabolic acidosis that must, also, be managed efficiently (Silvestri, 2002; Murphy, Jenkins, McCann Sedgewick, 2008). This, in addition to dialysis, accounts for the reported higher costs of managing CKD (Gonzalez-Perez, Vale, Stearns, Wordsworth, 2005; Kaitelidou, Ziroyanis, Maniadakis, Liaropoulos, 2005). Presently, more than 23,000 adults in the UK undergo dialysis treatment as a result of kidney failure and this number is expected to increase yearly (World Kidney Day, 2009). Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (Ghana) recorded 558 cases of CKD between January 2006 and July 2008 in the country (All Africa, 2009) and this may represent less than 30% of the total disease burden as the hospital serves a few regions in the country. Several studies have identified diabetes mellitus and hypertension as the major causes of CKD (Clements Ashurst, 2006; Rosenberg, Kalda, KasiuleviÄ ius Lember, 2008; Marchant, 2008; Stropp, 2008; Thomas, Bryar, Mankanjuola, 2008; Ulrich, 2009). Amoah, Owusu and Adjei (2002) report of little, but outdated, statistics on the prevalence of diabetes in Ghana. Another report is on the assumption that diabetes is uncommon in Ghana (ibid.). However, it appears that my clinical experience at KATH alone suggests otherwise to the latter. Amoah et al. (2002), again, report that data on diabetes in Ghana is unreliable and this is confirmed by incongruent data observed in the literature. For example, Abubakari and Bhopal (2008) report that prevalence of diabetes in Ghanaian adults (25years and above) was 6.3% in 1998 while the Ministry of Health, Ghana (2001 cited by Aikins, 2004) estimates diabetes in 4% of Ghanaians between 15 to 70 years. Notwithstanding, Aikins (2004) reports of incr ease in the prevalence rates of chronic illnesses in the country, and diabetes is no exception. Primary care management delays nephropathy and other complications of diabetes (Thomas et al., 2008). They add that there could be a lot of potential savings if the need for dialysis can be delayed, even if for a short period for a few patients. Since prevention reduces healthcare costs (Booth, Gordon, Carlson Hamilton, 2000), Ghana, not being a rich country (CIA, 2008) stands to benefit from such an approach. Chen et al. (2006), also, identify that delaying the progression of CKD improves clinical outcomes and moderates costs. Strategies to delay progression include good glycaemic control, blood pressure control, smoking cessation and other lifestyle modification (Nicholls, 2005; Clements Ashurst, 2006; Rosenberg et al., 2008). Patients knowledge on these factors may lead to a change in behaviour which, in turn, would yield positive outcomes in the management of their conditions. Health education is one of such strategies to achieve positive outcomes and prevent complications, especially if the method used is appropriate for the age group as well as their cultural background (Funnell et al., 2008). It is often used interchangeably with health promotion in the nursing literature and criticisms have been made on that (Whitehead). The argument has been that health promotion has shifted from preventing specific diseases or detecting risk groups towards health and well being of whole populations (Naidoo Will, 2000). Hitherto, health education remains central to health promotion (Whitehead, 2), and, because of the dominance of the medical model, health promotion is mostly equated to prevention of disease, through primary, secondary or tertiary prevention in clinical settings (Naidoo Wills, 2000). Secondary and tertiary prevention interventions prevent complications such as chronic nephropathy development in patients with diabetes and health education is one of such interventions (Rosenberg et al., 2008; Naidoo Wills, 2008). Diabetes is, predominantly, self-managed (Collins et al., 1994; Funnell Anderson, 2002), making education very necessary as it empowers the patients to take charge of their health behaviour and other factors that influence their health status (Piper, 2009). Whitehead (1) adds that health education focuses on lifestyle-related and behavioural change processes, making it an integral part of comprehensive diabetes care (type II education). The above implies that when patients with diabetes receive health education, it enhances their ability to collaborate with the effective management of the disease and, consequently, avoid its complications. However, very little knowledge on CKD as well as misunderstandings of illness and treatment has been reported (Jain, 2008; Holstrà ¶m Rosenqvist, 2005). Patients may not appreciate the role that lifestyle modification, in addition to pharmacological interventions, can play in effective management of diabetes. Since diabetes, usually, do not present any physical symptoms, patients tend to distance themselves from it and, as a result, ignore the education being provided because they do not feel ill (Holstrà ¶m Rosenqvist, 2005). Complexity of self-management of diabetes may also be a major contributor to the reported misunderstandings (Szromba, 2009). The primary concern then becomes who should educate these patients and what strategies should be used to achieve positive outcome s? Making time to educate patients and their families on everything that they need to know is seldom easy because of the busy schedules of nurses in the ward (Rankin Stallings, 2001). Yet, Hamric (1989) and Manley (1997) have documented the integration of health education into the roles of advanced nurse practitioners and Rankin Stallings (2001) have attested to this. Advanced nurse practitioners are able to draw on their knowledge and skills related to higher education as well as their expertise from practice to achieve positive outcomes in the clinical settings (Manley, 1997). Szromba (2009) suggests that alternative methods to the traditional lecture method of health education should be utilized to enhance self-care. Babcock and Miller (1994) suggest that discussion, demonstration, modelling, group activities and role playing are other teaching strategies that the health educator can employ. However, they add that consideration should be given to the strategy that best fits the obj ectives, content, the clients, the health educator and the reality of the learning situation. This underscores the importance of client needs assessment in health education. Literacy skills of the clients should, also, be taken into consideration during health education. This project is to be implemented in Ghana and WHO (2009) estimates an adult illiteracy rate of about 35% of the total population. The use of written materials may be a difficulty in such settings, especially as the literates may not understand the jargons used in health very well. Therefore, the health educator should ensure that materials are simplified so readers do not have difficulties in understanding the content. Rankin Stallings (2001) suggest that health educators should, therefore, focus information on the core of knowledge and skills that clients need to survive and cope with problems, teach the smallest amount possible, make points vivid, present information sequentially and allow patients to restate and demonstrate what has been learnt. They also suggest the strategic use of educational media such as flipcharts, photographs, drawings and videotapes to enhance understanding. Aims and Anticipated Outcome The primary focus of this project is to develop a teaching strategy to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease among patients with diabetes in Ghana. Consideration would be given to strategies that would reach out to and promote understanding among patients with low literacy skills. It is anticipated that when patients have enough information on their disease condition, they would collaborate with the healthcare team in the management of the condition. I hope to enhance my knowledge on the management of chronic kidney disease and my role as a nurse educator. This experience would, also, be transferred to my colleagues in Ghana and lead to general improvement in the management of chronic kidney disease in the hospital. This collaboration would, therefore, reduce complications of the disease and enhance patients quality of life. As has been identified by Thomas et al. (2008), when complications such as kidney failure and the need for dialysis is delayed for a short period among few patients, a lot of financial savings is made. Therefore, in addition to providing quality care for patients and enhancing their quality of life, this project would reduce the cost of managing complications of diabetes and chronic kidney disease in Ghana. The Professional and Organizational Context Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is the second largest teaching hospital in Ghana, training many doctors, nurses and other paramedics in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is an autonomous service delivery agent under the Ministry of Health of Ghana (MOH, 2009a). In addition to training many of the health personnel in the Ashanti Region at KATH, many people within and outside the Ashanti Region seek healthcare there. As a result, provision of quality healthcare has always been the focus. An organisation that recognises the need for change, weighs costs and benefits, and plans for the change when the benefits outweigh the costs is ready for a change (Dalton Gottlieb, 2003). KATH is, therefore, ready for change because some of its employees are sent overseas or to other parts of the country, whenever there is the need for a new skill or knowledge to be gained, to bring about a positive change within the institution. This may be a factor that would facilitate my agenda to implement s ome changes within the institution upon my return to Ghana. However, Ghana, as a country is underdeveloped (CIA, 2008). Therefore, financial support, many a time, becomes a difficulty. Another challenge may be the fewer nursing staff. The Ministry of Health (2009b) estimates that there was a nurse-to-population ratio of 1:2024 in Ashanti Region and 1:1451 for the entire country in year 2007 while the WHO estimates that there are 9 nurses/midwives per 10,000 of the Ghanaian population (WHO, 2009xxxxx). Nevertheless, the desire to provide quality patient care and reduce healthcare costs, and dedication from the health personnel are factors that would supersede the anticipated obstacles to the implementation of this project.

information methods :: essays research papers fc

Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Information Literacy? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ability to recognise the need to find, organise, evaluate and use such information for effective decision-making or problem solving. Be aware that some information conveyed to you may be distorted. Be aware that you may require additional information before making a decision. Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Information Technology Literacy? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ability to recognise opportunities for and apply information technology resources to capture and manipulate data, transform data into information and present information. Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why do you need Information Literacy? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to function in society, to understand the language and knowledge structures of particular fields of study, to be able to study in fields of interest, to be able to communicate. Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there a relationship between data, information, and knowledge? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yes. A collection of basic data elements (facts, video, images, sound etc.) are transformed (manipulated) into information. By gathering information we can begin to gain knowledge. Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the three information types? (and give an example of each) A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Primary Information – eyewitness account, creative work, discovery Secondary Information – reports on events, history, theologies Tertiary Information – indices, bibliographies, browsers Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the Information Literacy skills identified in the lecture? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Task Definition, Information Seeking Strategies, Location and Access, Use of Information, Synthesis, Evaluation Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the 5 subdisciplines of Semiotics and what are their attributes? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Statistics – patterns, codes, traces, signals Syntactics – structure, data, records, language, logic, software, files Semantics – meaning, denotation, signification, proposition, validty, truth Pragmatics – intent, communication, conversation, negotiation Social – beliefs, expectations, commitments, contracts, law, culture Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are mind maps useful for? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Note taking, organising information in a logical structure, good for exam revision Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is a metaphor? Examples†¦ A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  statements based on some kind of analogy where two things are compared to each other eg desk top metaphor, metaphorically speaking Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the different types of metaphors? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Illustrative, Iconic, Visual, Verbal Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is a clichà ©? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A phrase that conveys some sort of idea or message, a clichà © is, in other words a metaphor characterised by its over use. Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The usefulness of information is determined by four main factors. What are these four main factors and exemplify. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Information Quality – fitness for purpose, author’s credentials, revised edition, intended audience etc. Information Assessibility – consistent, speed, availability, format Information Presentation – writing style, organised logically, main points clearly presented Information Security – Internet fire walls, Business passwords etc Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Knowledge? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A combination of rules, ideas, instincts and procedures that guide actions and decisions. Q.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the different types of information retrieval outlined in the lecture? A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Text database – a set of documents stored and organised on a computer eg proformas Hypertext documents – interactive links to other parts of the current document eg autotable of contents in word.

The Purpose of Education :: Educational Teaching Teachers Essays

The Purpose of Education The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the purpose of education is to â€Å"serve the needs of the individual and †¦. [to] serve the needs of society.† Although this view of education is obviously addressing education in a more general sense, my view of the purpose of K-12 education is the same. The purpose of K-12 education is namely, to develop the individual, making him somebody of whom he can be proud, and then secondly, to create somebody who is a benefit to society. Most importantly, K-12 education is a way of taking a young, ignorant child and changing him into an educated, knowledgeable individual of whom he, himself, can be proud. In kindergarten, many children are unable to read. Some, in fact, are not even able to count higher than to ten. However, by the time those same persons reach 12th grade, the large majority of them have become well-developed, educated people, knowledgeable in most necessary areas, and ready to succeed as individuals. Producing a well-developed person who can feel good about what s/he knows and what s/he can do is probably the most important purpose of K-12 education. This is so, even if it only has to do with making sure that the individual can read a safety sign or that the person understands why freedom is so important to our nation. Some of the simplest things, such as knowing what H20 means, or that Luxemburg, although small, really is a country, are important pieces of information. Although a t some level these may seem insignificant, they are all part of creating a well-developed, confident person. It is simply not enough to teach a person to read and how to do basic arithmetic. In order to create a well-rounded, well-developed, educated individual, K-12 education is absolutely necessary. Secondly, the purpose of K-12 education is to produce an individual who is not only developed as a person, but also somebody who can be of benefit to society. Our society works off the premise that everybody does his/her respected job and actually does it successfully. In order to be able to do that, the individual has to already have a level of education that will provide the necessary background education to succeed in that job. The Purpose of Education :: Educational Teaching Teachers Essays The Purpose of Education The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the purpose of education is to â€Å"serve the needs of the individual and †¦. [to] serve the needs of society.† Although this view of education is obviously addressing education in a more general sense, my view of the purpose of K-12 education is the same. The purpose of K-12 education is namely, to develop the individual, making him somebody of whom he can be proud, and then secondly, to create somebody who is a benefit to society. Most importantly, K-12 education is a way of taking a young, ignorant child and changing him into an educated, knowledgeable individual of whom he, himself, can be proud. In kindergarten, many children are unable to read. Some, in fact, are not even able to count higher than to ten. However, by the time those same persons reach 12th grade, the large majority of them have become well-developed, educated people, knowledgeable in most necessary areas, and ready to succeed as individuals. Producing a well-developed person who can feel good about what s/he knows and what s/he can do is probably the most important purpose of K-12 education. This is so, even if it only has to do with making sure that the individual can read a safety sign or that the person understands why freedom is so important to our nation. Some of the simplest things, such as knowing what H20 means, or that Luxemburg, although small, really is a country, are important pieces of information. Although a t some level these may seem insignificant, they are all part of creating a well-developed, confident person. It is simply not enough to teach a person to read and how to do basic arithmetic. In order to create a well-rounded, well-developed, educated individual, K-12 education is absolutely necessary. Secondly, the purpose of K-12 education is to produce an individual who is not only developed as a person, but also somebody who can be of benefit to society. Our society works off the premise that everybody does his/her respected job and actually does it successfully. In order to be able to do that, the individual has to already have a level of education that will provide the necessary background education to succeed in that job.

pearl harbor :: essays research papers

Naval base and headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Honolulu county, southern Oahu Island, Hawaii, U.S. In U.S. history the name recalls the Japanese surprise air attack on Dec. 7, 1941, that temporarily crippled the U.S. Fleet and resulted in the United States' entry into World War 2. Pearl Harbor centres on a cloverleaf-shaped, artificially improved harbour on the southern coast of Oahu, 6 miles (10 km) west of Honolulu. The harbour is virtually surrounded (west to east) by the cities of Ewa, Waipahu, Pearl City, Aiea, and Honolulu. It has 10 square miles (26 square km) of navigable water and hundreds of anchorages and covers a land area of more than 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares). Its four lochs are formed by the Waipio and Pearl City peninsulas and Ford Island. Pearl Harbor Entrance (channel) connects its virtually landlocked bay with the Pacific Ocean. Pearl Harbor was called Wai Momi (â€Å"pearl waters†) by the Hawaiians because of the pearl oysters that once grew there. In 1840 Lieutenant Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Navy made the first geodetic survey and urged the dredging of the coral-bar entrance to the harbour. About 30 years later, Colonel John McAllister Schofield further recommended that the United States secure harbour rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A subsequent treaty (1887) granted the United States the exclusive use of the harbour as a coaling and repair station, but work was not begun until after 1898, when the Spanish-American War indicated its strategic value as a Pacific base. A naval station was established after 1908, and a drydock was completed in 1919. During the Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941 the USS Arizona sank with a loss of more than 1,100 men; a white concrete and steel structure now spans the hull of the sunken ship, which was dedicated as a national memorial on May 30, 1962.

Discount Stores Limited

Accounting measures and treatments have been used to properly determine the profitability and financial position of a business entity. In the case of Discount Stores Limited, they have suffered significant losses especially in the first few years of operations. After hiring Harry Highpaid as the chief executive officer, though still suffering from a small loss, Discount has made significant improvements in its business operations.Now for the owners Ruth and Irving Bogan, employing various methods to account for advertising costs, inventory and company receivables, which have been used by Highpaid, is still subject to either approval or modification. These three aspects and how it contributes to the net profit or net loss of Discount would be the primary accounts and methods under inquiry. Case Study: Discount Stores Limited Discount Stores Limited is a chain of retail stores located in Ontario, Canada selling clothing and household items.The owners Ruth and Ivan Bogan use the income they get from Discount to provide for their personal living. However, the Bogans are worried because of they may possibly lose their primary source of income due to the business’ unprofitable years. It is nothing but normal for a new business establishment to suffer losses during its first few years of operation. However, these annual losses must, of course, be regained by increasing income for the years thereafter. For the owners, hiring an excellent manager, Harry Highpaid, became a venue for Discount to recover from the significant losses that they have incurred.Improvements have been flowing to Discount, and the owners are confident of the potential success of their business. Having been presented with the current year financial statements, the owners are concerned of some accounting treatments that Highpaid had employed in terms of advertising costs, slow-moving inventory and credit to customers. With regards to advertising costs, Highpaid has utilized extensive advertis ing campaigns to make their products known to the public, to attract new customers and to gain a bigger market share.This marketing strategy, according to Highpaid, has been a success and significantly contributed to increase in interested customers and eventually, increase in their gross profit. Highpaid had capitalized Discount’s advertising cost, believing that these will benefit the store for more than a year, and amortizing them over a period of five years. This is contradictory to Discount’s previous treatment of advertising costs, which is to expense them as incurred. Advertising costs are generally expensed in the period it is incurred.Proponents of this concept argue that future benefits that may be derived from advertising expenditures are uncertain (cited in Flesher, 1991). However, others believe these advertising costs must be capitalized for future economic benefits from these are identifiable and measurable. Plus, capitalization of this kind of cost coul d maximize long-term profits, not just short-term. Discount’s capitalization of 50% of its advertising costs would indeed contribute to bigger profits since the expenses it would incur will be lesser.Also, this gives rise to an intangible asset. Proof that capitalization of this cost would benefit future periods is that customers’ advertising impressions may build up overtime and it would be instrumental in introducing Discount’s product to customers who may possibly develop brand loyalty. Expensing the other half of it would be the proper treatment for those advertising costs, which do not necessarily benefit future periods, or benefit the current period alone. Moreover, this would serve as an immediate tax shelter, decreasing the potential taxable income.Determination which of these costs must be capitalized and which must be expensed actually depends on several factors such as the industry Discount is in and the extensiveness of advertising that they are empl oying. Advice is to maintain capitalizing the identifiable and measurable costs which would benefit future periods and expense those which would not, having already proven its considerable contribution to Discount’s increase in income. Every shop selling furniture or household items runs into the problem of having slow-moving inventory.This unsalable merchandise may be the bane of businesses no matter what the products are. Therefore, it is no longer extraordinary for Discount to have a low turnover of its inventory. Discount used to write off slack inventory, which has been on hand for six months or more, at the end of each fiscal year. These products with sporadic sales were discontinued and liquidated. But Highpaid has employed a slightly different term of writing off these inventories. He now writes off only inventories, which he thinks could no longer be sold. What discount must first do is to set up a system of managing its inventories.It must be able to know and identi fy which items are moving, and which are dragging sales down so that it can make better buying decisions, diminish slack inventories, and eventually increase profit margins. It must consistently track these inventories, which are selling more and which are not. Purchase bigger quantities of those products highly demanded by the customers. This is to avoid or lessen slow-moving inventory at the end of the operating period. Highpaid’s new inventory write-off strategy is better than Discount’s previous treatment of completely liquidating all sporadic products.This is due to the fact that Discount must â€Å"maintain a stock of some slow-moving products, and even products that have never been sold, in order to maintain a high level of customer service and enhance their corporate profitability† (Screibfeder, p. 1). Concentrate on ensuring you have the optimal quantities of those items that have the most dollars flowing through the shop. Offering credit to customers i s a very helpful and widely used business tool. Making sales on credit generally allows the store to increase its sales.The downside is that it brings with it the risk of late payments, or worse, uncollectible payments or the so-called bad debts. To appropriately comply with the accepted accounting principles, Discount must record the portion of its receivables that can no longer be collected. These bad debts must be recorded in the period it is incurred. Since there is an inherent risk that clients might default or incur delay on payment, Discount’s receivables must then be recorded at its net realizable value, or its gross accounts receivable less the allowance for doubtful accounts or the portion of the credit estimated to be doubtful of collection.The actual amount of Discount’s uncollectible receivable is written off as an expense from Allowance from Doubtful Accounts to the income statement account known as the Bad Debts Expense. This way, Discount would be able to fully account for the customers’ collectible credit and correctly diminish its income with the portion of the receivable, which will be uncollectible.To protect Discount’s cash flow, it is essential to credit check new customers before giving credit and continue monitor their payment practices throughout the business relationship. It may also be advantageous to provide for cash discounts to credit customers to encourage faster payment of debt. Proper and close monitoring of Discount Stores Limited’s accounting policies would greatly contribute to the profitability and to the stability of its financial condition.

Case Study of Architect Looi Mun Kit

1THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & A ; URBANISM [ ARC61303 ] Undertaking: Theorizing Architecture Introduction1.1 Project Description The purpose of this undertaking is to convey and understanding of architect’s architectural theory through a direct observation and analysis of his undertakings. Each of the architectural elements in the chosen edifice will be broken down and matched with the relevant architectural theories. Besides that, analysis of the relationship between architecture and its societal, cultural and rational context will be elaborated through assorted diagrams and description. 1.2 Background of the Architect Architect: Looi Mun Kit LAM I.D: A/L 344 Ar. Looi Mun Kit is one of the managers in LNL SDN BHD. He spent most of his childhood in a market as it gives a distinguishable life experience. Therefore, it shapes his characteristic and his slogan in this field. His instruction life brought him up as a leader, a commanding officer. Good opportunities were provided to develop his subject and be precise on what he wants. During his Diploma old ages, he does non understand the theories of architecture at all due to the feverish sum of assignments. After he graduated from his Diploma, he went to work earlier continues on his farther surveies at overseas. He gained the most valuable lesson about architecture field from his wise man. He to the full understands how this field works after two old ages of preparation. He passed through his Masterss instead easy. After his graduation, he continued work under his old house to pay off his debt. After five old ages of working experience, he passed his professional paper by first test. Ar. Looi has his ain theory on architecture is a portion in our lives. Every individual line formed the architecture in average clip it creates a life style to the user. He besides focuses on phenomenology or the sense of topographic point. Human activities or experiences of the infinites are focused and planned exactly. Every infinite was engaged with alone characteristic to heighten the overall spacial experience. The circulation flow was designed in consistently to let users to appreciate every individual corner of the edifice, holding no wastage of infinite. 1.3 Background of the Firm Ar Looi together with his class mate, Mr Adrian Liew decided to open their ain house. LNL SDN BHD was established in the twelvemonth 2009. LNL is a design company associated with MK LOOI Architect. The beginning of LNL is from the both manager Looi and Liew. Besides that, it stands a farther significance of their company slogan which is â€Å"Lines into a Lifestyle† . LNL has a studio like office atmosphere. LNL consist of a group of designers that believes in the integrating of the client’s needs with their design doctrine that each â€Å"lines† could be made into a â€Å"lifestyle† . The house is presently focuses largely on bungalow undertakings. LNL believed that the society needs to better their life style, and a good life style is inculcated foremost and first in homes. By planing better homes, the quality of the occupants’ lives will be improved. Not merely that, LNL besides believe on good work deserves a good wage. Hence, their rates were ne'er lowered to guarantee the ideal quality and their repute. In future, LNL is easy taking in developer’s undertaking to further widen their concern in building field.Undertaking Analysis2.1 Background of the Iron Leaf, Bentong The site is located at Bentong, Pahang which is 45 kilometers north from Kuala Lumpur. The map of this edifice is a retreat house for the client. It is an idle infinite for weekends escaped. The client wants to bask the quiet and peaceable province of ambiance with nature sound milieus. She besides wished to hold a edifice design to let her to experience nearer to the nature. The construct of this undertaking is to make an constitution that emulates the form and the feature of a foliage. This modern-day design edifice stands out in a rain forest puting due to its materiality and the site context. Steel was used as the chief construction for this edifice. It creates the lightweight and elevated feeling, it besides portraits the whole thought of a foliage hanging on a tree. 2.2 Architectural Theories 2.2.1 Modernism The theory of modernism can be observed through a several elements in the edifice. Modernism is seeking the order and simpleness of the edifice manner. The edifice had shown its simpleness through exterior design and spacial layout. Louis Sullivan’s theory on ‘form follow function’ is applied in good in this edifice. Spatial agreement of the edifice is every bit arranged in a additive signifier. Public and private infinites are classified clearly. Besides that, to heighten the overall spacial experience, the public infinites are located at the corner of the edifice where the sound or noise would non impact the user in private infinites. The following feature of a modernism theory applied on the edifice design is the unfastened planning. The map of the gap programs is to film over the lines or boundary between exterior and interior. Glass panels were used as separation line between exterior and interior. The use of glass panel will non blockade the perfect positions of the encompassing nature and it was brought into the inside ( Figure2.2.1 ) . Besides film overing the boundaries, unfastened floor programs were interpreted as an unfastened life, kitchen and dining country as public infinite or as a node. Following, accent of rectangular signifiers and horizontal lines were one of the most signifying modernism architecture. Diagram 2.2.1 has shown that Iron foliage is design with strong accent on horizontal lines. As compared to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling H2O, both of these houses have the similar feature. Last, honestness on stuff represented one of the characteristic in modernism architecture. Building stuffs were remained to its most original signifier and texture. Material texture is exposed and without any coatings ( Figure2.2.2 ) . Concrete wall was used to contrast with the wooden floor. 2.2.2 Deconstructivism Deconstructivism focused on making pandemonium and disjuncture. The roof is the highlighted point in this undertaking, where it besides stand foring the component of deconstructivism. The roof is non an ordinary pitch roof but it was arranged depicting as a foliage hanging on a tree. The agreement of beams gives ocular impacts towards the user when they foremost enter the infinite. The singularity of the roof gave a sense of suspended in a quiet hush and a modern-day reading of environing nature, like a drifting foliage from a tree. It besides gives a ocular visual aspect of stimulating capriciousness and a controlled pandemonium. 2.2.3 Critical Regionalism and Phenomenology Critical regionalism motion is a combination of Modernism and Regionalism. Critical regionalism focused on the individuality of a civilization while at the same clip holding an international manner of design. Architecture of critical regionalism makes mentions to the site ; it besides can be interpreted as mastermind venue. Iron foliage is design harmonizing to its site context. Concrete stilts to back up the edifice besides the incline. The edifice is situated at the high land concealing behind the alcoholic of verdures. Hence, the house should be provided with maximal unfastened infinites to take full advantage on the cool air flow for airing every bit good as the fulfilling ocular visual aspect to the user. Theory of phenomenology is farther added in to the design to heighten the overall experience for the user. The use of natural stuff and gaps enhance the whole journey through the house where creates the sense of topographic point. When the user enters the edifice, they could ex perience the sense of belonging towards the nature where it blends together with the edifice. 2.3.1 Climatic As the site is located on top of the hill, the utmost perpendicular place of the land harmonizing to the contour caused the design to be a additive stretch edifice. The overall signifier of the edifice is dynamic because of its form. Long and rectangular edifice was topographic point on the site. Important infinites are planned at the both sides. A long stretch of corridor is connected straight to the chief public country. The edifice orientation is design based on the climatic factors. Design based on climatic factors will assist to make a sustainable design edifice ( Diagram 2.3.1 ) . Besides that, it besides will assist to salvage the cost of the edifice by cut downing unneeded gaps. The northern and south way of the edifice is the forepart and rear lifts. Both of these lifts have a longer facade. This is to avoid the direct sunshine enters to the edifice during the twenty-four hours clip. Large gaps on the front lift are to catch the position of the brow and besides let daytime to perforate into the edifice. In contrast with the left and right lift, both of it has a shorter facade. Additionally, louvres or shadowing devices are used to avoid direct sunshine or heat enters the edifice ( Diagram 2.3.2 ) . The extra use of the big gaps at front lift is to let the prevailing air current enters the edifice. Taking in history of the airing, edifice is design in a rectangular signifier. The longer side of the facade leads the air current enters the edifice. Hence, the airing does non interrupt and straight out from another side of the facade ( Diagram 2.3.3 ) . It helps to make the cross airing taking topographic point inside the edifice. Mechanical airing does non necessitate in this edifice because of the well design of gaps. In nutshell, the edifice is design in its best orientation whereby daytime and airing are maximized to come in the edifice. It besides a sustainable design edifice because of the consideration of constructing orientation helps to cut down most of the mechanical or unreal visible radiation and airing. Artificial lightings were non required to exchange on during twenty-four hours clip. Last, the house is ever ventilated, hence mechanical airing are unneeded. 2.3.2 Material and Technology Most of the stuffs are precast. Materials are selected or take carefully to prolong and requires minimum care with consideration of the natural environment. Therefore, steel is the chief high spot of the stuff. Roof construction is made from steel and screens with a bed metal sheet to reflect the edifice to its surrounding. Steel besides used as frames to gives a lightweight consequence as reference before with the construct. Besides that, steel construction is fast and easy to construct in building industry. Furthermore, concrete was chosen as built stuff. Walls were built utilizing concrete. Unpolished concrete or cement rendered surfaces are used to carry through the construct of modernism whereby honestness on stuff. Concrete besides used to strike the immense contrast between wooden decks and floorings. It will give the sense of integrating with natural and built. Furthermore, glass panels are used to supply the maximal positions to the user while they can bask the positions even inside of the edifice. Additionally, maximise daylighting and airing can be brought into the edifice. Artificial illuming were non required during the twenty-four hours. The edifice is ever ventilated because of the big gaps at the prevailing air current way. Last, trees that cut on the site are recycled and used as a stuff for furniture to heighten the overall materiality inside the edifice. Another component to foreground on is the roof construction. The column that supports the roof is designed as a tree-like-structure. It was a interruption off point from a traditional unit of ammunition or square column, the designer chose this progress engineering method to back up the roof. The tree-like-structure functioned as a infinite framing and the building method was derived from umbrella construction. The whole thought of this tree-like-structure is to give an semblance to the user as a tree subdivision back uping a elephantine metallic foliage. The whole roof construction is fundamentally exposed. Inner construction ( beams ) was exposed to the inside. It allowed the user experience as a elephantine foliage covers the whole inside. The agreement of beams is non in a common consecutive lines as it followed the construct of deconstructivism, where created a controlled pandemonium signifier. The construction is pre-fabricated before puting at the site. Last, the construction is made from several steel columns and welded together to make the form of the tree subdivision. 3.0 Decision ‘Lines into a lifestyle’ is the slogan of LNL, a simple line can make an incalculable potency and shapes the quality of infinites that support a life style. The slogan besides matches Ar. Looi’s theories in architecture. Each and every infinite engaged with alone characteristic to heighten the overall spacial experience. Circulation of the interior edifice is design in consistently and non a individual infinite is being left out. Ar Looi emerged successfully on the theories of Modernism, Deconstructivism and Critical Regionalism into this edifice design. All the feature of different theories blends in harmoniously as one whole design. Furthermore, to heighten the overall experience in the edifice he uses the theory of phenomenology. Human’s senses are added on to see the edifice as a topographic point instead than a infinite. He besides produced the design that respects the tropical environment and suiting with the client’s life style. The theories or past experience he learnt during his life have successfully made him a good designer. Ar Looi and his theories have successfully creates a new architectural individuality of the Malaysian while conveying the life quality to a whole new degree for the society.