The Roles of Computer Science Corporation in Homeland Security Assignment

The Roles of Computer Science Corporation in Homeland Security - Assignment Example In response to the letter, you wrote in regard to the private sector roles in Homeland security. I vindicate the following issues in reference to the above stated Company. Computer Science Corporation is a private firm that provides information technology (IT) services as well as professional services. Its headquarters are located in Virginia. The role of the Corporation to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has solely been on the provision of information regarding threats to cyber infrastructure. The advancement of the likely threats as well as the trends of emerging cyber threats to the country have in many occasions been availed by the company with the sole purpose of combating these threats. In addition, the corporation is also in partnership with other companies in various ISACs where they share information acquired through various sources. However, the company has faced numerous challenges. The quality of information received has been one of the major blows. Besides that, there have been legal constraints that have hampered sharing information since in case the information shared is flawed the corporation is likely to be used. In addition, the shareholders are skeptical in investing in incentives infrastructure that is not geared towards profit making. The DHS in collaborative effort should help in protecting companies in legal constraints that are related to situations where information availed is realized to be a flawed content. This will motivate various private entities in availing information without hesitation.

Jack Londons life, reputation, and characteristics of literature that Essay

Jack Londons life, reputation, and characteristics of literature that he has written - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Jack London was a social activist, journalist, and an American author. He has written various short stories, novels, and poems and with time has shown the world that even exciting tales, taking place in bizarre places can have numerous intricacies of wonderful literature. It is without a  doubt that London’s literary work is based mostly on his childhood experiences, which he clearly illustrates using elements such as symbolism and imagery to develop exceptional themes such as existentialism and survival. Jack London was born on January 12th, 1876, in San Francisco. His childhood formed his personality as well as his outlook on his later literary life. Research shows that he spent most of his time in solitude; hence, developed competent skills in storytelling. He did not have a definite home; thus, most of his early ears he lived with his wet nurse and as time went by he lived with a black woman who was called Virginia Prentis s, then his mother flora Wellman. Despite Flora’s flaws as a mother, she instilled the significance of education in London; hence, by the time he was five years old, he could read and attend numerous grammar schools until the age of fourteen years. Therefore, in 1891, he graduated from Cole grammar school though his real education emanated from the public libraries. When he was ten years old, he started going to the public libraries and his voracious reading skills and quiet demeanor impressed Donna Smith, the librarian; hence, became his guide.

The Causes of the War of 1812 Essay Example for Free

The Causes of the War of 1812 Essay What is thought to be a main cause of a war? Territory and religion are big causes of the wars today. The war of 1812 was when war broke out again between the United States and Britain. There are three main causes that led to the war of 1812, Impressment, the British Incitement with the Indians, and the war hawks. Although there may be other factors that one may say caused the war, these topics are the major causes, and are what impacted America. In this essay I will explain the causes in detail and provide you with a greater understanding of the causes of the war of 1812. The issue of impressment and the interference of trade are both what caused the war of 1812.One of the main issues between the United States and Britain was because of blockades that were used to seal up Britain’s ports and prevent ships from entering or leaving. Because of the blockade Britain seized more than 1,000 American ships and confiscated their cargo. Also the embargo act affected the trade between the two countries, because it put a ban on exporting products to other countries. The US thought this act would make the British honor American neutrality, but it actually backfired and hurt the US more than it did to Britain. The ban was lifted on foreign trade in 1809, except with Britain and France. Impressment was the practice of seizing US ships and drafting them into the British navy. America focused their anger on the British because of impressment. The British viewed impressment as a gain for their navy, they needed more man power to fight in war. America was angry the practice of impressment, and they feared if they lost they would lose independence. The irony of the issue of impressment as a cause for the war was, that two days before we went to Britain, they lifted the British policy of impressment but it was no longer an issue. Another cause of the war of 1812 was the British incitement with the Indians. Tecumseh was the Shawnee chief who formed a confederacy and began negotiations with Britain for assistance in defeating America, and continuing to press Hamilton and his white settler to withdraw from the Native American land that Tecumseh wanted all to himself. The British were providing the Indians with weapons because they had an alliance and they both wanted to create a war with America because of the trade issues that went on beforehand. The Indians were taking the weapons from the British because they needed an additional support in order to gain the land they wanted. Because the British were supplying Indians with weapons the Americans felt under attack. The last cause of the war of 1812 was the group known as the war hawks. The war hawks were a group of young congress men from the south and the west of the united states. They called for war against Britain, because they found out that the Native Americans were being supplied with weapons from the British. They thought it was unfair because they were being pushed to withdraw from their land and to hand it over to the natives, but the natives were allied with Britain and had a larger army and more weapons, and it gave them a greater advantage. The US military was unprepared before the war began; they were not as strong and equipped as the British were. In conclusion the main causes of the war of 1812 were impressment, the British incitement with the Indians, and the war hawks. The British policy of impressment caused anger to arise in America, because of the seizing of their ships. As in letter from the commander of the U.S.S. Chesapeake stated â€Å"at 150 yards range they fired their first broadside. It came without warning†¦ nor were we prepared to fight†, the British took advantage of the US because they were unprepared, and the British were confident and well equipped. The British incitement of the Indians also caused great tension in America. The Indians were being armed with British guns, and they used them to attack the US and gain land. The war hawks caused the war of 1812 because they were infuriated that the native Americans were using weapons from Britain, and they were aided with help.

The Cause And Consequence Of Boredom Nursing Essay

The Cause And Consequence Of Boredom Nursing Essay The purpose of this independent study is to identify a topic of my choice namely The Cause and Consequence of Boredom: An exploratory study of Patients Perceptions within a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. A rationale will be given for the chosen topic, a literature review will be carried out and a Research Proposal formulated. This essay will explore the concept of boredom and the factors surrounding this issue, such as the causes, consequences and solutions from a patients perspective. These factors will constitute my learning outcomes. On completion of the essay I should be able to demonstrate a better understanding on the topic of boredom and from critically evaluating the literature will gain a more in-depth knowledge of the causal factors, the impact it has on patients and the suggested solutions to the problem identified within the literature. Additionally, on completion of the assignment I will have gained knowledge in writing an academic essay, thoroughly researching a topic utilizing critical analysis of academic literature and completing a research proposal thus achieving the stated outcomes. In completing a learning contract this will improve my incentive to focus on my essay and formulate and develop realistic aims and outcomes. In a study carried out by Wai-chi Chan Wai-tong (2000) it was fou nd that a learning contract could improve students autonomy and control over learning and increased motivation and sharing in learning. The rationale for choosing the topic is that as a student within an acute psychiatric admission ward I frequently encounter patients who complain of boredom, and some of the reasons they stated were, having nothing to do, confinement to the ward, nothing going on within the ward, nothing in common with other patients, amongst other perceived attributable factors. This prompted me to think about the legitimacy of their complaints and consider whether the ward environment was in fact hindering or promoting the patients recovery. Craig Power (2010) highlights the problem of boredom within acute ward settings and the notion that it is bad for the patients recovery and that therapeutic intervention tailored to their need should be considered. Similarly, Binnema (2004) suggests that to reduce boredom and enhance the patients experience psychological, physical and personal factors which include therapeutic activities, exercise, physical health, financial and housing issues should be addres sed during the patients hospital stay. Additionally, in consideration of the ward environment I realised that it was rather drab and space was extremely limited. Within the ward there is a large dayroom where social encounters can occur, but it is not conducive to enabling individual or group therapeutic interventions due to the common use of the facilities. Dijkstrak, Pieterse Pruyn (2006) suggest that there is research to support the notion that the healthcare environment can make a difference to the patients recovery. It is therefore important to consider this when supporting patients therapy and recovery. Consequently, it is important for nurses working within an acute environment to consider solution to these problems. Binnema (2004) purports that if nurses had a clear understanding of the concept of boredom, it would support them to enhance their ability to provide a more enhanced therapeutic environment. Therefore, Nurses have a pivotal role to play in improving both the therapeutic relationship with patients whilst ensuring that the environment is conducive to recovery. From a professional perspective, the Department of Health (2002) published a policy on adult acute inpatient care provision in which they highlighted that high levels of interaction between staff and patients within the ward environment reduce boredom. Furthermore, they stressed that in response to a dearth of research on acute inpatient care there was a need for research in the effectiveness of acute services. Binnema (2004) also highlight that many psychiatric patients experience boredom and lack the opportunity to engage therapeutically within the hospital environment, and indicate therefore that there is a necessity for further research of this concept. A concept map will be utilized to generate ideas and enable focus and structure within this essay. Concept maps can be used by students to both gain new knowledge and utilize prior knowledge breaking it down into ideas and put the information in order thus making sense of it and the connotations between and among the concepts (Hinck, Sims-Giddens et al, 2006). The central theme within the concept is Boredom, and this is illustrated along with the sub-themes in (appendix 1). The concept map constructed has particular reference to boredom within an acute psychiatric setting which has been shown to warrant further investigation. Literature Review The literature review was performed taking cognizance of the research topic chosen. Cormack (2000) highlights the importance of carrying out a critical review of what has been known previously within the literature in order to prepare the ground for new research. A literature search was carried utilizing keywords such as boredom, acute care, psychiatric inpatients, acute mental health, therapeutic environment, acute mental health nursing. A systematic review was carried out within academic journals relating to the topic by accessing databases such as EBSCOhost, CINAHL Plus with Full Tex, Ovid, Science Direct, Wiley InterScience, IngentaConnect, to uncover relevant literature pertaining to the subject and to retrieve up-to-date studies to elucidate what research had already been carried and the value of carrying out further research. To understand the concept of boredom it will be of benefit to review the definition within the literature. Kass et al (2001) support the view that boredom proneness as a multidimensional concept and point out that the literature lacks differentiation between boredom as a trait or a state, but that numerous writers suggest a distinction between situational and dispositional boredom. This would therefore pose a dilemma for researchers in proposing a solution to the problem. It is of no surprise therefore that concept of boredom has been studied from different perspectives and by diverse factions. Dahlenthe, Martin, Ragan et al (2004) state that boredom has generated a great deal of research in education, psychology, organizational behaviour, accident prevention and medicine. Anderson (2005) defines boredom as the death of meaning. Fahlman et al (2009) support this belief but are more conservative in their view suggesting it is a lack of meaning and purpose. Barbalet (1999, p.637) further describes boredom as a type or form of anxiety about the lack of meaningfulness of an activity, a condition, and (possibly) a life. These beliefs would suggest that boredom has a significant dispositional component. In contrast, Todman (2003, p.147) describes boredom as an unpleasant state that is invariably accompanied by attributions of environmental sameness, which would imply that it may be attributed to situational factors. As already stated boredom is a multidimensional concept many of which are too complex to address within this essay but those already described can offer a clearer understanding of the concept, that there may be both psychological and environmental components to boredom. Martin, Sadlo Stew (2006) state that modern philosophers are of the opinion that boredom may arise from over-stimulation rather than monotony which originated from ancient times and attribute this to trivia in the modern world. Whereas some studies have suggested that boredom is a result of enforced idleness (Meehan, McIntosh Bergen, 2006). These beliefs would advocate that the origins of boredom may be attributed to environmental factors. Fahlaman et al (2009) have described the relationship between the experience of boredom and negative affect which denotes a psychological phenomenon. It is therefore valid to consider that these could have a significant impact on the behaviour of a patient within an acute inpatient ward. It will be of interest to compare these concepts with the findings from the experiences of the patients within an acute inpatient setting. It is important to consider the impact of boredom within an inpatient setting regardless of the cause. There are significant similarities described within the literature. Beer et al (2001) purport that the negative consequences of overstimulation within acute psychiatric ward settings are violence and aggression. In contrast Stein Wilkinson (2007) attribute these behaviours to under stimulation. However, Khan et al (1987) suggests that low stimulus within the environment is known to decrease psychotic symptoms in the individual. Bracke (2004) associates the provision of rewarding activities with the reduction of boredom. This would imply that involvement in activities of interest to the individual is a significant factor in reducing boredom. In contemplating these views the consequences are varied and complex and could pose a dilemma within an acute ward setting. Consequently it would appear that individual factors would require to be taken account of when considering the solutions to the problem. On searching the literature it was found that there was a dearth of studies on the effects of boredom within a healthcare setting. However, three studies were found where the researchers carried out research within an acute care psychiatric environment, a high-secure forensic setting and a day activity program in rehabilitation centres in which boredom emerged as a concept of both environmental and individual characteristics of participants in the first two studies, and in the third the determinants of boredom were primarily studied which showed that both environmental and individual factors played a part. These will be discussed respectively taking account of Polit et al (2001) method of critiquing research articles namely, methodological, ethical and interpretive dimensions, and will take account of their relevance to the Research Proposal. Study One Shattell, Andes Thomas (2008) carried out a study which was specifically to ask inpatients within a 30 bedded ward, what stands out to them within the hospital environment. A phenomenological approach was utilized in order to acquire direct experiences from patients. 10 patients and 9 nurses took part. Patients diagnosis varied namely personality disorder, depression, substance abuse, bipolar, anxiety disorder and post traumatic stress disorder. Their ethnic background was also varied. Acutely psychotic patients were excluded. There were also various therapeutic activities available within the ward environment. Nurse participants were all female also from various ethnic backgrounds. Ethical factors were considered and informed consent was sought and approved by the sponsoring university. Phenomenological interviews were carried out to gain rich experiences of the participants, and participants were encouraged to elaborate if they wished on the topic. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Themes were generated from meaning units. The vigour of the study was enhanced by presenting the data to the research group who interpreted the data and finalized the thematic structure. Findings showed that experiences of both nurses and patients were similar. Both felt the effects of confinement to the ward and nurses agreed with patients that there was a lack of nurse/patient communication. Rules appeared restrictive to both and intimidating. Participants also highlighted the lack of interaction between nurses and patients. There were general feelings of powerlessness, mistrust which resulted in feelings of panic and agitation. Both nurses and patients questioned the ability of the hospital to help patients namely not addressing their illness effectively and patients being assigned to inappropriate groups. Workload was also a factor for nursing staff. One of the main themes which emerged was boredom and many attributed this to the locked door environment. The main outcome of the study was the lack of meaningful closeness between nurses and patients and the environment hindered the therapeutic relationship. The authors stated that this echoed previous studies. Study 2 Meehan et al (2006) carried out a study within a high security inpatient forensic setting. This study focussed on the reasons for aggressive behaviour of patients. Two wards took part 23 bedded high intensity and 23 bedded low intensity long term unit. 22 male and 5 female inpatients took part and 85% had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. 5 focus groups were conducted by an independent researcher and semi-structured interviews were carried out with a list of questions. Spontaneous feedback was encouraged. The sample was chosen by inviting people to participate through advertisements within wards. Inpatients of less than 3 months or those with acute symptoms were excluded. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee within the organization. Data was transcribed and checked by a group moderator to ensure accuracy and authentication. Content analysis was utilized to transcribe the data and they were reviewed several times to generate units of information, produce a set of preliminary categories and cluster these into themes. These were carried out by two members of the research team who compared and discussed these before reaching an agreement on the final set of these. The main themes generated were; the environment, empty days, staff interactions, medication issues and personal characteristics of the patient themselves. Lack of space and prolonged confinement and ignorance of these factors by the staff were main issues. All participants highlighted that boredom was a source of frustration and cancellation of patient activities was a factor. The environment was seen as controlling rather than therapeutic. A lack of understanding and empathy was also identified. The main solutions identified to resolve these was to ensure early intervention to incidents that occurred, change in staff attitudes and provision of therapeutic activities to relieve boredom which was perceived to be the biggest problem within the unit. Study 3 Bracke et al (2006) carried out a study within Rehabilitation Centres and it focused on the conceptualization of boredom exploring some of its determinants. The study tested some hypotheses, and multilevel analysis was utilized to elucidate the contextual and individual determinants of boredom. The participants comprised of a random sample of 646 clients and an average sample of each was chosen. Clients were excluded due to lack of information of key variables. 63% were men with varying levels of educational attainment with a mean age of 44 years. Other demographic information i.e. age, marital status, housing and previous receipt of residential psychiatric care was considered. A survey utilizing a structured questionnaire was carried out and clients experiences of boredom were measured utilizing a Likert scale. Reliability was measured by questioning respondents outside the centre. Variances were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Independent variables were also measured e. g. degree or routinization, complexity, closeness of supervision and the intrinsic and extrinsic value of task was coded on a Likert-type scale. Other tools were utilized to measure mental health status (Global severity Index), the Brief Symptom Index and finally age; gender and education were used as control variables. Data was analysed by looking at associations between the experience of boredom and features of the rehabilitation centre. The findings led to the hypothesis that several characteristics of the day activity programs cause boredom, mainly task characteristics and reward structures. Findings showed that clients were significantly less bored during participation in rehabilitation programs. However programs that led to highly routinized tasks led more easily to experiences of boredom. Tasks with high intrinsic rewards reduced boredom. Clients with particular characteristics were found to be more easily bored i.e. older clients, educated persons experience more feelings of boredom and boredom is more prevalent among people reporting more intense psychiatric complaints. Study Comparisons These three studies were considered from various perspectives and utilizing different research methods. Each was robust in terms of validity and reliability utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies. There were commonalities within each of the research studies namely, the interests of patients within their respective healthcare environments and how experiences such as space, surroundings, activity levels, relationships, health state, interactions, and individual characteristics all played a part in precipitating boredom. Ethical dimensions was considered in the first two studies but absent within the third which is a weakness as there was no indication of client informed consent or that it was subject to scrutiny from an ethics committee to ensure that it caused no harm to the client. Each study either highlighted limitations or generalizability which would indicate that the findings may not be truly representative in respect of populations within other healthcare setting. The research proposal submitted within this independent study will potentially add to the body of research already available within the literature. Research Proposal The overall aim of the study is to identify the meaning of boredom within an acute mental health inpatient setting, and clarify the effects boredom on patients during their inpatient stay. This will help critically evaluate the consequences of boredom on patient behaviour and assist in making recommendations on how to alleviate boredom from patients perspective. Therefore, primary research will be utilized to facilitate the critical evaluation of boredom against the literature review and make recommendations on facilitating change within an acute inpatient environment that will improve patient outcomes in relation to alleviating boredom. An in-depth study of the literature has been undertaken which will support the analysis of data utilizing a case study approach. Within the context of the Cause and Effect of Boredom within a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit this research study aims to focus on a number of objectives: Define the term Boredom. Explore patients perceptions of the cause and effects of boredom during their inpatient stay. Critically evaluate the consequences of boredom on patient behaviour. Make recommendations on alleviating boredom from a patients perspective. Research Approach Primary empirical data will be collected utilizing a case study approach. This will allow the researcher to carry out an in-depth study and gain knowledge of patients experiences of boredom and the effect this has on their day to day functioning within the ward. Polit Beck (2010) suggest that case studies provide a wealth of information to enable the researcher to examine relationships between different phenomena. This will afford the researcher the opportunity to examine the relationship between boredom, its causes and consequences. It will also allow the opportunity for patients to express their views on the impact of boredom on them as individuals and provide valuable insights into this phenomenon Research Strategy This study will be carried out using qualitative data collection techniques and analysis. The case study approach adopted will allow the researcher to look real life situations (Descombe 2007). The collection of data from patients will contribute to the real-world views about boredom from an individual perspective. The case study will be approached from a phenomenological perspective. Schwandt (2001) informs that phenomenology affords the respondents the opportunity to voice their day to day experiences. This can be done by using these experiences to elicit data from the transcripts which may have been tape-recorded, and by formulating meaning from the words transcribed, add to the understanding of the experience (Morse, 1994). Sample Selection Sampling is important because it reproduces the characteristics of the defined population (Porter Carter, 2000). A purposeful sample will be utilized for this study as participants will be obtained from a cohort of patients within an acute psychiatric ward. Purposeful sampling is best used for this type of study as it enables the researcher to gain direct expert knowledge and experience of the topic being studied (Rehm, 2010). The patients within the acute ward will be able to provide first-hand knowledge of their experiences of boredom. The study participants will comprise of representatives from an acute inpatient psychiatric ward. All patients who are willing and psychologically able will have the opportunity to take part. There will be no exclusions as all experiences from all patients are relevant. It is anticipated that those patients who are acutely unwell are unlikely to volunteer. The study will be advertised on the ward notice board. The ward population comprises of approximately 24 patients. These participants represent inpatients that have variable psychiatric diagnosis and all should be representative of the population of other acute psychiatric inpatient wards. The sample has been chosen to provide quality of data from knowledgeable patients who are able to articulate their feelings about boredom. Burns Grove (2007) express that it requires few participants in a qualitative study in order to achieve saturation of data which is rich in content. Data Collection Techniques Empirical data will be gathered to explore the concept of boredom and critically analyse its causes and consequences in relation to patients within an acute psychiatric ward. Recommendations on how to alleviate boredom from the patients perspective will also be generated from the data. The most suitable data collection technique will therefore be Focus Group interviews. These will be carried out in groups of 6 and the number of Focus Groups will be dependent on the number of volunteers participating. An open-ended interviewing technique will be utilized to enable the patients to freely articulate their views. Moule Goodman (2008) highlight that using focus groups to acquire this type of data have the benefit of being less time consuming and participants may contribute more within a group situation. In addition Focus Groups are of benefit when dealing with sensitive information, however they can lead to group think where the more vocal members of the group exert more influence over what is said (Speziale Carpenter 2007). The groups will therefore require an expert facilitator to ensure that all participants have the opportunity to take part. The sessions will be audio-taped to provide a more comprehensive account of the patients individual views, as well as a collective description (Bryman Bell, 2003). This avoids writing field notes and allows the researcher to observe the groups non-verbal communication, as well as concentrate on the subject matter. Data Analysis The researcher will code the data to find patterns and extract and formulate themes that emerge from the transcript. This is a form of thematic analysis described by Holloway Wheeler (2002). Speziale Carpenter (2007) purport that to gain knowledge of the data an in-depth structured analysis is necessary. Ethical Issues Ethical issues such as harm to participants, lack of informed consent, privacy and deception should be considered when carrying out a study (Bryman Bell, 2003). The benefits of utilising themes will be that the researcher can analyse the data to eliminate bias, to ensure that it is factual, open and honest. To further eliminate bias two researchers will analyse the data, negotiate the narrative and generate themes which emerge. Furthermore, this will enhance the validity and reliability of the data. To reduce the possibility of disclosure of data the information will be kept in a locked cabinet. To ensure confidentiality is respected as much as possible, participants should be reminded not to disclose information from the group in other settings (Holloway Wheeler, 2002). Adequate information will be given to participants about the study and they should be informed that they can withdraw from the study at any time if they wish (Newll Burnard, 2006). All participants will require si gning an informed consent form in order to participate. An information leaflet will be given to each participant highlighting the purpose of the study. Creswell (1998) suggests that this protects against deception of the purpose and nature of the study. The researcher will seek approval prior to commencement of the study through the Research Ethics committee to ensure that a strict ethical code of conduct is adhered to. This is important when patients are included within a study (Newell Burnard, 2006). Conclusion In conclusion, the topic of boredom was successfully explored within this the literature and valuable learning of the causes and consequences of boredom have been gained. I have learned from carrying out this independent study and by reviewing the literature that nurses have a vital role to play in alleviating boredom within acute settings and the benefits of building on research that has already been done. I now have a better understanding of those clients who have voiced that they are bored within the ward and the many different reasons for this. In addition I have learned how to think critically about a topic, and it has raised my awareness of the underlying principles of research and the benefits and limitations of different approaches. Furthermore, I am able to understand how to utilise various methods of research to study a phenomena, and the differences between quantitative and qualitative data. The knowledge I have acquired from critiquing literature and formulating a Researc h Proposal has extended my knowledge base about the topic chosen by improving my knowledge of research, will enable me to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes. By working in collaboration with my lecturer I have been able to build my confidence in carrying out this independent study due to the support and encouragement I have received during consultations. My time-management and organisational skills have improved by carrying out this research and I have become more structured in undertaking academic work. Although I have had much support, I have learned to work more independently which has enabled me to gain more confidence in carrying out further research in the future as a mental health nurse and educator.

Cystic Fibrosis Essay example -- essays research papers

Cystic fibrosis is the most common autosomal recessive genetic disease of white Indo-Europeans (Caucasians). Three main systems are usually affected by cystic fibrosis. These include the lungs and respiratory tract, the digestive tract (especially the pancreas and intestines) and the sweat glands. The lungs will normally have a thick mucus line them in cases of cystic fibrosis which requires physiotherapy to dislodge the mucus and create sputum. The digestive enzymes that would come from the pancreas are blocked by the thick mucus; thus the person afflicted with the disease has trouble digesting foods that are high in fat and protein. In cases that involve cystic fibrosis the salt that is lost during perspiration is much more than in "normal" situations. The upper respiratory tract is normally lined with a little bit of mucus that is sent out of the lung by the constant movement of the cilia that line the respiratory tree. "It is clear from detailed research that poor mucus clearance is not due to uneven ciliary beating. However, there is no doubt that mucus is poorly cleared against gravity in the presence of bacterial infection" (Harris 13-14). The pancreas itself secretes fluids that aid in the digestion and absorption of food in all of us. When cystic fibrosis is present these enzymes are not going where they are needed. Most of the time there is need for supplemental nutrients, supplemental minerals, and/or dietary management. In the case of dietary management there is a plan for seven to eight small meals throughout the day. "This meal pattern enables the patient to consume more food without feeling too full and enhances the utilization of nutrients" (Ekvall 391). The sweat gland of a cystic fibrosis patient, when viewed under the microscope appears normal. The secretions that the gland gives off are where the abnormality occurs. "It is known that the basic defect in cystic fibrosis is expressed as an abnormal regulation of the movements of salt across the layer of cells that line certain specialized ducts such as the sweat gland duct" (Harris 26). This causes a great deal of salt loss and therefore requires most cystic fibrosis patients to ingest salt pills to compensate for the loss. When all of the treatments are used together most patients of this fateful disease live long happy lives. The physiotherapy... ...te as easily. Whether it is because the treatment did not get started early enough, or the disease is out of control death is a factor that must be considered in most cases involving cystic fibrosis. Death will come to all of one day, but it may come earlier to some. The problems that some families may have with their communication can cause great pain and suffering when it comes time to dealing with the death of a loved one. "The long standing problems of communication that exist in many family groups may be accentuated when the prospect of death shows itself" (Bowers 58). Cystic fibrosis is a disease that can take the life of some one who is very close to our hearts. Education of the treatments, side effects, and problems involving this disease is key to winning the battle against it. The more people can know about different situations that better. If there is some one in a school that has this disease try to educate the entire school about this person's situation so that the entire student body can help in the fight. If educators and students all join in the fight, this disease can be kept down and help those afflicted lead as "normal" a life as possible.

Excessive Laws and the Self-Interest of Lawmakers, Lawyers, and Judges

Excessive Laws and the Self-Interest of Lawmakers, Lawyers, and Judges The basis of a civilized society is law. The law allows for standardized treatment of men, the law allows people to plan their futures, the law gives people assurance that wills, contracts, and trusts will be enforced, that certain behavior will be allowed while other behavior (crimes and torts) will be punished, etc. Five important characteristics of "the law" in a civilized society follow: 1) The law must be of manageable size so the average man can learn the law without a lifetime of study. 2) The law must be simple enough for the average man to grasp and understand. 3) The law must be stable so men can, once they learn the law, live their lives with great assurance that they know the law and are not violating the law. 4) The law must be internally consistent so a man who follows one law does not find himself violating some other law. And last, but not least, 5) "man made" law must harmonize with the unchanging law of God. Each of these principles needs to studied in light of America's current legal structure: Manageable size: The typical public or academic law library contains over 100 million pages (in excess of 100,000 volumes) of statutes, regulations, reported legal decisions, commentaries, cross indexes, law dictionaries, legal encyclopedias, law review articles, etc. However, most law libraries have found all these pages inadequate. In the last ten years they have added "on line" access to great legal web sites run by Lexis and West Legal Publishing. These web sites allow law students and lawyers to do quick searches of all published material related to a given topic. These web sites are expensive but if the right legal key words are entered the results are very useful. Twenty to one hundred pages of information is displayed on the screen. In an hour or two any journeyman lawyer will know all that is worth knowing about some narrow area of the law. Of course, total or complete knowledge is beyond human reach. No one not even the most dedicated legal scholar can claim to kn ow "all the law". In fact America's situation recalls ancient Rome, just before its fall, when the laws began to multiply. A sage of the late Roman Empire remarked "A corrupt society has many laws". Simplicity: As the preceding description makes clear, ma... ... in their lives and that He is unrelated to the central activity of their daily routine? It is obvious that each such step is simply another step on a slippery slope away from God. So why do lawmakers, lawyers, and judges violate these five obvious rules. The only answer that makes any sense is self interest. Lawmakers want to be re-elected so they pass laws which pander to man's baser instincts and give special advantage to large contributors. Judges at the appellate level (and bureaucrats in the executive branch of government) are lured by the evil urge to become "little gods". They put God's Laws aside and set off on their own to re-define right and wrong. Judges at the trial court level become friendly with the lawyers that appear before them so they act in ways which increase the power and/or wealth of these lawyers. Lawyers themselves are in need of income to support their families in an aristocratic fashion, so they encourage judges and lawmakers to increase the complexity of courtroom procedures and/or law in general so more "lawyer's work" is created. Simple laws and simple court room procedures are not the stuff upon which grand le gal fees are built.

Pepsi Refresh Project Essay

1. Should the Pepsi brand team continue to fund Pepsi Refresh Project in 2011? Pepsi brand team should keep this Refresh project for maintaining and strengthen Pepsi’s brand position in soda market. The Pepsi Refresh Project is a first-of-its-kind initiative, positioning as a consumer brand, and directly respond to the evolving needs of consumers and their preferred methods of communication such as facebook, twitter, blog, and etc. The program effectively changed the way brands talk to consumers, leveraging the power of digital and marketing platforms, moving away from traditional marketing methods. Rather than spending hundreds, thousands of dollars advertising ‘Pepsi’ on media, we believe that Pepsi ought to relegate that money to create more valuable contents with refresh project, which can lead to deeper engagement and strong relationship between Pepsi and customers. The Refresh project could be evaluated by the level of engagement between the brand and consumers, social ROI and brand-equity results. By these evaluations and study, Pepsi Refresh Project program showed that consumers felt Pepsi was a brand that cares about the community. And also the program was a strong fit with their perception of Pepsi as a frontier of idea bank about social issues, and innovative brand. It did not generate the result as an ‘increasing of sales revenue’, but still it is valuable because consumers that may be able to remind about the Pepsi Refresh Project when choosing a cola ‘Pepsi’. Social network that Pepsi developed includes the largest engaged fan base of any beverage company active in US. And these fans are not only potential customers for purchasing Pepsi’s product, but also could be friendly allied customers when Pepsi shrinks. In addition, these evaluations and study showed both how Refresh project could be enormously successful and not successful. When Pepsi launched it and pulled out of the Super Bowl advertising, which they never missed for last 23 years, customers lost their mind, because watching a Pepsi’s  advertisement during the Super Bowl is part of the cultural experience of the game. It showed the power of making a big commitment to these causes. People really responded and said Pepsi is a good company by Refresh project, but at the same time, obviously, sales didn’t rise up. The people who got excited and voted and posted were often not Pepsi drinkers. It showed that the Refresh project was not related to what they really have meant for; it’s really hard to get something good to help Pepsi’s real purpose at the same time. Eventually, Pepsi’s market share has been crashed down on 3rd from the second position after pulled out of 2010 Super Bowl advertising. Nonetheless, because of building brand equity doesn’t translate into an immediate ROI, they should keep their Refresh project in 2011, treating as a big brand investment. But in the end, this Refresh project should be formatted some different way to be linked to sales in consumers’ mind in 2011. 2. If the Pepsi team continues to fund Pepsi Refresh in 2011, what changes would you make to the program to better achieve the brand’s objectives? Refresh project has benefited from notable customer’s interest from being the first mover of a radical approach. While innovative, Pepsi has some missed opportunities. For an instance, Pepsi missed opportunity to integrate Super Bowl TV advertising with Refresh campaign and to spur word-of-mouth chatter about its Refresh initiative. Pepsi’s biggest misstep was putting all its eggs in one basket and not benefiting from synergies of multiple media channels. From 2011, Pepsi should have relegated an appropriate amount of TV advertising budget to Pepsi Refresh for encouraging submitting ideas, voting and sharing their goals. In addition, Pepsi needs to believe in optimism and the power of people and their ideas to make better understanding what the Pepsi brand could be. Pepsi has been at the center of great cultural shifts across many generations. From 2011, Pepsi has to continue to measure success through its brand health metrics. By doubling the number of grants, Pepsi can extend their social impact to more individuals and communities. Since Pepsi Refresh  Project helped increased key brand health metrics in 2010, Pepsi needs to anticipate deeper consumer engagement and more user conversation through refresheverything.com site as well as the Pepsi challenge and power voting. Interaction with the campaign’s website may significantly increase brand attributes including favorability, intent and trust along with intent to purchase among millennials. For example, posting as ‘if you purchase Pepsi, you support the Pepsi Refresh Project’ on every Pepsi’s websites, blogs, and other digital social network windows and pages, it would make even deeper connection between Pepsi brands and consumers. 3. Should Pepsi advertise the Pepsi Refresh Project on the 2011 Super Bowl? We conclude that Pepsi should advertise commercials on the 2011 Super bowl with brilliant ideas and creativities as they had been done for last 23 years rather than focusing on arousing public opinions by Refresh project. Pepsi’s Refresh project is still good investment for their brand as well as to arouse people’s interest, but not on sales. First of all, the Pepsi Refresh Project did not directly contribute to sales increase of Pepsi. Pepsi’s top management was confused with the concept of brand and the sales. Although the Pepsi Refresh Project might have improved the brand image of the soda maker, however consumers lost touch with Pepsi commercials which led to the steep decrease of Pepsi sales. Brian Charneski, a representative of sixteen independent bottlers in the Pacific North west, expressed concern: â€Å"People feel good about the Pepsi Refresh Project and I think it’s neat, but it doesn’t translate to I’m going to buy a Pepsi.† Second, the Pepsi Refresh Project failed to attract the main target customers. Their original target customer were millennials(age 17 ~ 27) who were not as familiar with Pepsi as Boomers(age 41 ~ 60) or Generation Xers(age 28~ 40), but who have the great potential to consume Pepsi for the next couples of years. However, when we analyze Pepsi Refresh Project Voters breakdown, number of votes from Boomers and Generation Xers exceed that of millennials against Pepsi’s expectation. When we also look at Grantee Breakdown, non-profits organization grantees exceed individuals, which means  that the Refresh project program wasn’t directly attracting the right customers- both idea submitters and voters. This is neutral fact; however, non-profits organization grantees neither guarantee that they will spend a certain portion of Pepsi nor it will give rise to drink more Pepsi even though investing a lot of effort to advertise that Pepsi is taking care of consumers’ health. Third, Pepsi do not underestimate the importance of traditional media programs rather than social media programs. Although Pepsi put a great amount of money to social media programs, most consumers cared more about coupons and grantees rather than Pepsi’s original purpose that the on-line consumers are encouraged to blog about Pepsi’s efforts to increase awareness of their causes. Besides, consumers who took part in the Pepsi Refresh Project on-line stayed at the Pepsi website less than four minutes on the average. However, the traditional media people think about the effective and fun method which can foster the sales of Pepsi once they make a contract with Pepsi. Besides, the influence of traditional media on consumers is still effective. Lastly, Super Bowl’s influence on Americans and the whole world is gigantic. Super Bowl is not only a great Sports game, but also a great festival where people make happy memories with their friends, family and colleagues. The Super Bowl is a preeminent advertising arena, bringing in 100 million viewers anticipating the debut of new advertising during the game. Thirty-second advertising spots cost $2.5 to $ 3 million, and Pepsi had spent $143 million on Super Bowl advertising between 1999 and 2008. Consumers were deeply attached to Pepsi’s appearing in the Super Bowl, viewing it as part of the cultural experience of the game. People expect a fun and brilliant commercial than dull and serious ads such as the Pepsi Refresh Project on a Super Bowl. Actually Pepsi went back to their original commercial tradition, so they put three commercials Pepsi max: Love Hurts, First Date, and Torpedo Cooler. 4. Supplements 1. 2011 Super bowl Advertisement – Pepsi Max: Love Hurts (www.youtube.com/watch?v=deS6x0BLZrY‎) – Pepsi Max: First Date (www.youtube.com/watch?v=YalrseH-rB8) – Pepsi Max: Torpedo Cooler (www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ltgsp7QwKU‎) 2. Stock Market Price-earnings Ratio / Coca Cola & PepsiCo / 2009-current