Counselling Case Study Essay

Let me introduce Bandara. Bandara has been working as the number two in a medium sized organization for ten years. It has always been intimated that when Jeremy his boss retires or leaves, Bandara will slip into the number one position and lead the organization. Barry has always had some clear ideas on how he is going to take the organization forward when Jeremy is not there; ideas that have not been taken up in the past. Life being perverse, it had been decided to advertise the job externally and guess what? A better candidate came up who has now been in post for three weeks. Bandera’s new boss is a great guy, very friendly and supportive . . . but, he is not Barry. Barry has been to a counsellor for few sessions. Today is a new session. Counsellor: â€Å"Well Bandara, your new man is now firmly in position, so how does that leave you?† Bandara: â€Å"Adrift, de-energized, de-motivated, thwarted, un-trusted, rejected, passed over. Does that sum it up?† Well what an outpouring of emotion. This guy is in real trouble. Counsellor: â€Å"Can I add another one – rejected?† Bandara: â€Å"Of course that says it all. But I am clearly not as good at this job as I thought I was and that makes me feel insecure and uncomfortable. They have chosen this new guy over me – after all I have done here it does not seem fair. In fact, life does not feel fair at all.† How is this for a good counselling challenge? Which one of those key words above should our counsellor pick on first? Which of these is getting to Bandara most? What, if our counsellor mines deeply enough will help Bandara pick himself up and start regaining his customary enthusiasm? Counsellor must not be judgmental here, so he will ask Bandara. Counsellor: â€Å"Bandara, you have used a lot of what could be described as emotional words here, can you pick out one that really stands out? If you look inside yourself, what feeling are you seeing, feeling or hearing?† Bandara: â€Å"Phew that is not easy. My mind is going round and round with all these feelings. What did I do wrong, I ask myself constantly?† Counsellor: â€Å"So what did you do wrong?† Bandara: â€Å"I took it for granted that I would get the job; that I was the best man for it; that I knew so much about the organization that I was indispensable; that I had such great ideas that I was the obvious person for the job.† Counsellor: â€Å"Bandara, did anybody else in the organization know anything about these ideas of yours? Have you discussed them in the past?† Bandara: â€Å"Well, no. They were always at odds with the fundamental direction that we were going so did not raise them.† Counsellor: â€Å"Despite the fact that you had not discussed this openly, do you not think that over a period of 10 years, somebody would have got an inkling of your views?† The counsellor is digging and digging here, not letting go and is on the point of getting Barry to understand for himself some of the reasons why he may not have been picked for the job. Bandara: â€Å"Ummm, never thought like that. I a funny sort of way, thinking about it now, I have always been at odds with the culture here, despite that fact that I have been praised and rewarded for my efforts many times. Thinking about it that there has always been conflict in my sub-conscious and I had not realized it until now. The question is . . . what . . . how . . . well, oh dear I have got some very difficult resolving to do.† Counsellor – let the silence do the heavy lifting again. Bandara: â€Å"It makes sense that somebody here would have had inkling about my thoughts – ten years is long enough for people to do that. Oh dear, I may have shot myself in the foot here and been my own worst enemy. Wow, what a horrible realization.† The counsellor has done a great job here. A few questions have got Barry to look at and inside himself and he has come up with his own self diagnosis. Bandara has also moved from his â€Å"old brain† into the analytical part of his brain thus removing the emotion for him. The coach dilemma here is that having enabled Bandara to take himself apart metaphorically, it is necessary to allow him to get himself back together before the end of the session. Counsellor: â€Å"Bandara, if I were in your position, what would you advise me to do?† Well done again counsellor. Getting an objective view on this. Bandara: â€Å"Well that is simple. Think through the ideas you have always had, refine them and get them out of your head and onto paper (or a Word document). Not too long. Do not spend too much time on it and keep it very brief – an overview. Arrange to see the new number one, preferably off site at a neutral venue, and tell him that you have always had these ideas but never shared then and you would now like to share them and if anything was that good, maybe the organization can adopt them. You will either get an acceptance, in which case you will achieve what you have always wanted or you will have a debate as to what can or cannot be adopted and you will have at least cleared the air for yourself.† Counsellor: â€Å"So Bandara what are you going to do?† Bandara: â€Å"Crafty – you have got me to resolve my own dilemma. Clearly, I shall take my own advice and do just what I have recommended. Thanks sir. I have gone from tragic to magic as Walt Disney would say and it’s all down to you. Thanks.† Not crafty, just a great counselling session. The counsellor was faced with what appeared to be a somewhat intractable problem which was solved by some excellent questions and techniques. Would you have handled this in the same way, or is there a better way? Instructions to students 1 Read the case individually at least twice 2 Try to answer the following questions a) What is Counselling? b) What are the skills required for a counsellor c) What are the stages of a Counselling Session? d) What are the differences between directive counselling and non directive Counselling e) What are the lessons from this case for a new counsellor? 3 Discuss your findings with the sub group members. Be prepared to make an oral presentation on your findings 4 Write the assignment and submit same before the due date. It is advisable to attach a copy of this document to your assignment

Literature Review of Waste Management of Masonry Materials

Traditionally burned bricks constitute the basic masonry unit for the building of houses and it is good known that fabrication requires important measures of energy to bring forth burned bricks while using the surface soil. Following are few research documents in field of waste direction sing the facet of granite processing, fly ash bricks and environmental issues. Mamta. B. Rajgor & A ; Jayeshkumar Pitroda[ 1 ] : States that granite rock processing industry produces solid waste in extended amount in legion scopes where its predominant, which is expected to increase as field of building industry raises, Due to the overall production of granite industry has been increasing fleetly in modern times. It is a non-biodegradable waste which can be easy inhaled by worlds and animate beings and is besides harmful to the environment. It is predicted that about 175 million metric tons of granite dust are produced every twelvemonth and about 250-400 million metric tons of granite dust on site, which are significantly immense sum of waste generated. Rania A. Hamza, et.al, [ 2 ] :The aim of this paper is to use marble and granite waste of different sizes in the fabrication of concrete blocks, with full replacing of conventional coarse and all right sums with marble waste scrapings and slurry pulverization of content up to 40 % . The produced bricks are tested for physical and mechanical belongingss harmonizing to the demands of the American Standards for Testing Materials ( ASTM ) and the Egyptian Code. The trial consequences showed that the recycled merchandises have physical and mechanical belongingss that qualify them for usage in the building sector, where all cement brick samples tested in this survey comply with the Egyptian codification demand for structural bricks, with granite slurry has a positive consequence on cement brick samples that reach its optimum at 10 % slurry incorporation. Zhang Ji-Ru and Cao Xing [ 3 ] :Undertook an experimental plan to analyze the person and admixed effects of calcium hydroxide and wing ash on the Geotechnical features of expansive dirt. States that, â€Å"its fictile bound additions by blending calcium hydroxide, the liquid bound, and malleability lessenings by blending fly ash. Based on these consequences they concluded that the expansive dirt can be successfully stabilized with calcium hydroxide and wing ash. V. Karthikeyan and M. Ponni, [ 4 ] :Studied the use of fly ash in bricks. The fly ash can be fruitfully utilized for fabrication of bricks by integrating fly-ash, sand, calcium hydroxide and gypsum. The utile proportion found was 25: 4: 70: 1. Tabin Rushad.S, et.al, [ 5 ] :The purpose of the survey is to look into the strength and H2O soaking up feature of fly ash bricks made of calcium hydroxide ( L ) , local dirt ( S ) and fly ash ( FA ) . The trial were experimented both on manus moulded and force per unit area moulded fly ash bricks. It was noted that none of the L-S-FA bricks satisfy all the demands of standard codifications. While some bricks satisfy the commissariats with regard to strength, merely the L-FA ( 40: 60 ) bricks satisfy the demand of Indian Standard Code in regard of strength every bit good as H2O soaking up features. Veena G. Pathan, et.al, [ 6 ] :Sustainability in Concrete Production can be obtained by experimenting in permutations of stuffs used. Use of marble waste pulverization is non really usual idea, and at that place has been merely few research works done on the marble waste. Marble waste is a solid waste stuff generated from the marble processing and can be used either as a filler stuff for cement or all right sums while fixing concrete. It has been utilised as a replacing for all right sums in many literature plants, but this paper reports the feasibleness of the permutation of marble waste for cement to accomplish economic system and protecting environment. The experimental consequence provinces split tensile and compressive strength of concrete can be increased with add-on of waste marble pulverization up to 10 % replace by weight of cement. Earlier research besides indicates that the effects of intermixing marble waste on the belongingss of cement such as consistence, puting clip an d soundness is within the acceptable scope of different criterions. The production of more lasting and cheaper concrete utilizing this waste can work out the ecological and environmental jobs to some extent. F. J. Aukour, [ 7 ] :Suggests, Block fabrication mixtures incorporating the Marble Sludge Powder ( MSP ) have significantly higher compaction strength and low H2O soaking up, the block mixtures incorporating MSP are recommended for building in all its signifiers, in that the best mark market or absorbing and devouring such merchandises is the building field sector. MSP incorporation has positive effects on malleability, shrinking and denseness during all phases of the production procedure, presuming some alterations in the industrial production sector. Elham Khalilzadeh Shirazi, [ 8 ] :States that, In recent old ages big sum of rock waste has been generated in natural and unreal rock industry which has important environmental impacts. To decide these jobs, rock waste in different signifiers could be used in different industrial activities procedure in peculiar building industry and other activities such as glass, gum elastic, pharmacies, paper, ceramics industry, pigments, plastics polymers, fabrics or in articles such as soaps or tapers. Further, it can be used as agribusiness dirt restorative, acerb H2O intervention and dumpsite waterproofing. This paper reveals an overview of current solutions of cut downing environmental and economic disadvantages of this sort of byproduct. Nutan C. Patel, [ 9 ] :The chief aim of this paper is to analyze the production procedure of marble during the production procedure and how much waste is generated during the production procedure such as extraction, boring, transporting, cutting, smoothing & A ; completing. Marble waste is by and large a high polluting waste due to both its high alkalic nature and its processing techniques, which inflicts wellness menace to the environing environment. The preies and processing workss are littered with big sum of waste merchandises from extraction, sawing and smoothing activites. At present, no important attempts are in topographic point to retrieve and recycle the ultrafine CaCO3dust combined in waste slurries of marble processing workss. It can be helpful for sing these chalky atoms as primary or secondary natural stuffs for usage in other production facets, sooner for building intent. Ashish Kumar Parashar, et.al, [ 10 ]:The chief purpose of this paper was to compare the compressive strength of the different bricks, so for this purpose assorted per centum of stuffs were added individually 4 % , 8 % , 12 % & A ; 16 % by weight and so the compressive strength of the bricks was worked out, and so with the aid of graph plotted comparing between compressive strength of bricks are made out of rice chaff, wood ash, clay, wing ash & A ; cement was determined. Before fabricating the bricks, different belongingss of the stuffs ( clay, wood ash, rice chaff, cement & A ; Fly ash ) like screen analysis and specific gravitation were besides checked. After that bricks were made & amp ; sun dried and some bricks were oven dried & A ; so with the aid of Compression Testing Machine ( C.T.M. ) their compressive strength were evaluated. From this trial of this undertaking work it was concluded that the wood ash was that waste stuff, which gave the highest compressive strength. The ef fects of the add-on of rice chaff ( for firing out ) and wood ash alloies by a present – clay mix were besides investigated. The alloy was added in assorted combinations and proportions by weight ( from 4 to 16 % ) . The wood ash alloy, in line with its pozzolanic nature was able to lend in accomplishing denser merchandises with higher compressive strengths, high softening coefficients, low H2O soaking up rates and low impregnation. Niranjan P S Radhakrishna, [ 11 ] :This paper addresses the engineering of Making FaL-G howitzer compressed hollow blocks with low-calcium ( Class F ) dry fly ash as premier stuff. The FaL-G masonry hollow blocks were prepared without utilizing traditional cement. Sand and prey dust were used as all right sum stuffs. The different parametric quantities FaL-G masonry hollow blocks were determined. Experimental consequences province that the FaL-G hollow blocks are suited to be used for the building of masonry constructions. It was found that dry denseness was in the scope of 1.465 to1.654 g/cc, IRA was 3.92 to 4.4 kg/m2/min and H2O soaking up of FaL-G compressed blocks was less than 17.56 % . FaL-G hollow blocks attained considerable strength around 4MPa at the age of 28 yearss to utilize them as masonry units with equal modulus of snap. .Menezes. et.acubic decimeter, [ 12 ] :The waste stuffs, in the signifier of granite sawing wastes, lead to fouling the environment. Studied the word picture of ceramic bricks and tiles, wherein granite sawing wastes from the procedure industries in Paraiba State, Brazil had been used as an option to the ceramic natural stuffs. Surveies have been conducted on denseness, atom size distribution, surface country ( BET ) , chemical composing, thermic analysis ( DTA and TGA ) , phase analysis ( XRD ) , and microstructural analysis ( SEM ) of the above mentioned waste to find its suitableness of usage. It has been reported that the physical and mineralogical features of granite wastes were similar to the conventional ceramic natural stuffs. The work, reportedly produced bricks and tiles which comprised of waste stuffs and ceramic natural stuffs. It was concluded that the technological features of the Brazilian criterions were met by the ceramic organic structures. S.K. Malhotra et.al [ 13 ] : Probes were carried out by]into the development of bricks from granulated blast furnace scoria, which is a byproduct from Fe and steel industry. In their survey it has been suggested that by pressing slag-lime mixture and sand mix at a force per unit area of 50 kg/cm2and after 28 yearss of humid hardening at ambient temperature, good quality bricks can be produced. The compressive strength of the bricks has been reported to be in the scope of 8 – 15 MPa. It was concluded that the production of scoria based bricks consumes less energy compared to conventional burned clay bricks or Ca silicate bricks. Torres et.al [ 14 ] :Concerns with the usage of granite wastes obtained in the signifier of sludge from granite cutting industry. On incorporation and subsequent word picture of granite wastes into the batch preparations of porcelain tiles it has been observed that extruded bars or pellets with H2O soaking up of 0.07 % and bending strength greater than 50 MPa can be produced. The maximal possible permutation of sludge for felspar has besides been investigated. The experimental study shows, with suited granite sludge incorporation porcelain tiles with superior belongingss can be produced. It was reported that incorporation of sludge had negligible consequence on malleability, shrinking and denseness during all phases of the tile production procedure, presuming no alterations in the industrial production line. 2.2 Brief Summary of Literature Review By all the above diaries which are surveyed, the construct of waste direction is taken as premier issues and has been considered to carry through the present undertaking work. The diaries discussed predict that the reusing & A ; recycling for cut downing the disposal jobs as a major solution for waste direction. Hence, if fly ash can used for bring forthing fly ash bricks, the same construct can be adapted for minimising the disposal jobs for granite sludge waste which is generated as 30 % of granite rock processing. So hence in our undertaking analysis Granite sludge waste, sand, gypsum & A ; lime are used to make a new masonry block known as Granite sludge masonry blocks. Different proportions are used in fabrication of fly ash bricks, by utilizing Fly ash, sand, limestone & A ; gypsum sometimes. Percentage of H2O used is besides varied by different research workers, so per centum of H2O taken in our undertaking analysis is 4 % of entire mass as used by CBRI in their analysis for b ring forthing fly ash bricks. The CBRI ( the Central edifice research institute ) Roorkee has used Fly Ash 40 – 50 % Sand 50 – 40 % , Lime 10 % & A ; 4 % H2O by sing entire mass for fixing fly as bricks. Hence Forth in our undertaking analysis we will be utilizing granite sludge waste pulverization 20 – 70 % , sand 70 – 20 % , lime 8 % , gypsum 2 % & A ; 4 % H2O by sing entire mass for fixing granite sludge blocks. Various physical & A ; mechanical belongingss will be tested for above mix proportions for granite sludge blocks in our undertaking survey. Problem Context Granite rocks have huge application in the field of building due to their nature of beginning. Some of it applications are for size rock masonry, granite flooring slabs, as harsh sum in concrete and etc. During the procedure of fabricating granite flooring slabs which are used for shocking intent in commercial and residential edifices, approximately 30 % waste is generated in assorted processing activities This granite sludge waste generated has negative impact to Mother Nature. Hence reuse of this stuff demand to be considered to minimise the disposal jobs of granite sludge. 3.2 Problem Definition In this experimental survey, strength and other required parametric quantities are evaluated by fixing Granit sludge masonry blocks utilizing granite sludge pulverization, sand, calcium hydroxide and gypsum in changing mix proportions, by maintaining in position fly ash bricks as chief mention. Granite sludge pulverization is collected from local granite rock processing unit and other stuffs are purchased from local market. The trials are conducted in order to analyze the strength features such as compressive strength and flexural strength. Besides lastingness belongingss such as H2O soaking up and flower are to be studied. The consequences obtained will be transverse cheeked with IS code specifications Our Earth’s top most layer crust constitutes about 70 % of granite, which is formed by pyrogenic stone type. Igneous stones are formed by chilling of magma on the surface or crust bed of the Earth. Granite stone is by and large liquefied crystalline mineral construction which is easy seeable to our bare oculus. Granite rock has oppressing strength of more than 100 N/mm2; due to this belongings its application is huge in field of building. Its primary use is for size rock masonry and as flooring slabs, and besides beyond which secondary merchandises like coarse sum and M-sand ( all right sums ) are besides immensely used in many applications such as in concrete, railroad ballast and etc. In our present survey we have concentrated on granite sludge pulverization which consequences in treating activities of granite rock for shocking slabs such as cutting, smoothing & A ; completing procedure. This contributes of approximately 30 % wastage in these procedures, which is non-biodegradable waste. From above tabular array it clearly shows that prevailing mineral in granite stone is silica in signifier of Si di oxide, which plays of import function in strength addition in concrete. And besides the major cause for making Silicosis disease. 4.1.2. Fine sum Sand is of course happening farinaceous stuff composed of finely divided stone & A ; minerals fragments. The content of sand is extremely variable, depending on the local stone beginnings & A ; conditions, but the most common component is silica ( silicon di oxide, or SiO2) normally in the signifier of vitreous silica. Locally available natural river sand go throughing through 4.75mm & A ; retained on 150 micrometer IS screen was used as all right sum in our survey for fixing granite sludge blocks, which will be used as filler stuff in changing mix publicities in our survey. Basic belongingss like specific gravitation trial & A ; fineness modulus by sieve analysis trial was performed for natural river sand used in our survey Calcium hydroxide Lime as adhering stuff has been made usage since antediluvian times in our state. But at present, the cement revolutionist has replaced use of calcium hydroxide to great extent. And on other manus, bookmans say that the industry of cement leads to Global heating. Hence, in this present survey locally available calcium hydroxide of class-c ( hydrous calcium hydroxide ) IS 712:1984 specifications are collected & A ; used as a binding agent apart from cement. In our present survey to run out the H2O nowadays in hydrous calcium hydroxide, we have adopted sand drain method. Where a bed of sand is laid on the land surface over which the hydrous calcium hydroxide is spread over the sand bed and left overnight. After which the H2O in hydrated calcium hydroxide will be drained out and thick fat calcium hydroxide will be available for its use. Categorization of edifice calcium hydroxideClass A – hydraulic calcium hydroxide for structural intents.Class B – semi-hydraulic calcium hydroxide for lime concrete, plaster underseal & A ; masonry howitzer.Class C – fat calcium hydroxide for composite howitzer and for completing coat in daubing.Class D – for completing coat in white lavation and daubing, dwelling of Mg or dolomite calcium hydroxide.Class E – kankar calcium hydroxide.Class F – silicious dolomitic calcium hydroxide for underseal and completing coat of plaster.4.1.4. Gypsum Gypsum is a of course happening mineral of sedimentary stone class which constitute of hydrous sulfate of Ca. Property of gypsum is such it has really hapless solubility in H2O, which sets and hardens rapidly. Its initial scene clip is about 4 – 6 proceedingss and concluding scene is about 30 proceedingss. Gypsum of high pureness is by and large used as fertiliser in our state, such as ammonium sulfate fertiliser and low pureness in fabrication of ordinary Portland cement to move as a retarder, commanding puting clip of cement. Here low pureness gypsum is used as retarding agent in the mix proportions of granite sludge blocks. Categorization of mineral gypsum based on purenessType-1: Plaster for surgical industry.Type-2: As ammonium sulfate for fertiliser industry.Type-3: For clayware industry ( chinaware ) .Type-4: As retarding agent for cement industry.

High Stakes Curriulum and Teasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

High Stakes Curriulum and Teasting - Essay Example ontributing to the high stakes curriculum and testing since it greatly supports standard-based education reforms by ensuring schools institute high standards and setting measurable to improve the quality of education in American schools. The RTTT contributes to high stakes curriculum and testing since it promotes innovation and reforms with local and state district K-12 education. The Common Core Standards contribution is pegged on the fact that it clearly denotes what students should learn and the basic skills they should acquire in each grade. According to Oakes and Lipton (2007), the main advantage of these initiatives is that they mainly seek to improve the quality of education and ensure American children gain quality and relevant education in order to sustain the future growth of the Nation. Secondly, Sowell (2010 stated that the initiatives aim at ensuring public schools offer quality education unlike the usually norm whereby it is perceived that only private schools offer quality education. Thirdly, Sowell (2010) wrote that the initiatives aim at creating a just society whereby every child is able to gain quality education that will make him or her competitive in the future. Sowell (2010) lamented that the main disadvantages of these initiatives is that they create confusion within the education sector because of varying requirements imposed on schools and the insistence of uniformity among schools, hinders some schools from customizing their education program in order to address their individual or state challenges that is impairing their education

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Nutritional deficiencies in a First Nations population Research Paper

Nutritional deficiencies in a First Nations population - Research Paper Example Nourishment of the body would require ingestion of the six general categories of nutrients – protein, carbohydrates, fat, fibers, vitamins and minerals, and water – that would help the body fight off diseases and promote the overall health of the being. Majority of the inhabitants in Third World Countries live below the poverty line, and this reflects their level of health and nutritional intake. Many people in these countries survive by taking only one meal a day. Water is a vital element in maintaining a person’s health. People living in dry and arid lands have limited access to water. They have to dig deep into the desert lands to have water to drink. And most likely, the water taken is not safe for drinking. According to Michael Latham (Program in International Nutrition director, Cornell University), in his lectures at Pullman Washington State University, malnutrition in the Third World Countries cause death and diseases among the people. From protein defici ency alone, 10 million people are dying annually. Millions are also suffering from vitamins and minerals deficiency (Urvina, 1984). Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency are reported to comprise 32 percent of the world disease problem (Nelson, 2006). But nutritional deficiencies exist in the First World Countries or developed countries as well. Developed countries, such as Canada, USA and other European countries, also experience malnutrition among the populace. Malnutrition is these countries can be attributed to several factors. One reason for such imbalanced nutritional intake is eating of junk food, which besides not giving the nutrition needed by an individual, also contains excessive salt and traces of other unhealthy elements. Malnutrition is also attributed to the lack of access of individuals to nutritious food, or lack of means to purchase them. One of the causes of malnutrition is limited financial resource that leads to prioritizing less buying of nutritious food (Ab erg, 2006). According to Pett (1950), no foolproof system has been devised in determining malnutrition because of the variation in individuals, in that even healthy individuals have different urine and blood biochemical results. He said that malnutrition could occur in the following stages that overlap each other: a) inadequate consumption of food or particular nutrients, or interference in utilization and absorption of nutrients that results to malnutrition, b) a decrease in â€Å"bodily reserves† that may only be detected through biochemical tests, c) impairment in functioning although the tissues show no changes, and d) changes in the structure of tissues (common clinical evaluation used). Structural changes must be confirmed with dietary background and laboratory tests, otherwise, the clinical evaluation could result to error (Pett, 1950). In the many studies conducted in Canada, subjects who follow good dietary regimen even show signs of malnutrition (Pett, 1950). This c an be clearly seen in the First Nations of Canada. First Nations is the terminology used to refer to the aboriginal groups, the Inuit and Metis (Terminology of First Nations, n.d.). The term replaced the use of â€Å"Indian† in the 1970s, as well as â€Å"Band† when referring to original peoples in Canada (Government of Saskatchewan, 2009, para. 17). The government has the primary obligation to improve the health and nutritional intake of the First Nations in Canada. It is actively engaged in the

Evaluation of Sources Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Nestle Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Nestle - Term Paper Example UAE is one of the most prospective countries for potential investors. The study will also focus on the key investment opportunities in UAE and the significance of the location chosen. The study will also suggest Nestle the appropriate mode of entering a particular country. The study will conclude with an overview of the study. 2.0 Introduction Nestle is one of the world’s leading nutrition, wellness and health company. It is a multinational company which is headquartered in Vevley, Switzerland. The company was formed in the year 1905 by the merger between two companies Anglo Swiss Milk company which was founded by Charles and George Page and Farine Lactee Henri Nestle which was founded by Henri Nestle in the year 1866 (Nestle, 2013b). Nestle has a strong presence in 83 countries (Nestle, 2013d) and has a brand portfolio that covers almost all food and beverage categories; baby food, bottled water, cereal, chocolate and confectionery, coffee, dairy, drinks, health care nutritio n, ice cream, pet care and weight management. The company is a market leader in various categories like coffee, baby food cereal etc. (Nestle, 2013c). The company founder Henri Nestle was the first individual to manufacture the milk food products for the newly born babies and till now the company is the market leader in baby milk cereal. The corporate goal of the company is based on the innovation and knowledge management which involves collection, utilizing the collected information, innovation and knowledge resources for attaining the corporate goals and objectives of the company. Nestle aims at enhancing the lives of the consumers by providing good quality food and beverages that are tasty and also nutritious. Nestle Nutrition is a global organization developed by Nestle to strengthen their core nutrition business. This organization was developed by Nestle to deliver superior performance by offering nutritious products and services based on scientific research and development (Sn ipppapers, 2009). Nestle had also created the Corporate Wellness unit to integrate nutritional value added in their food and beverage category (Snipppapers, 2009). Nestle is one of the fewest companies to offer a digitalized virtual tour in their shopping centers in United Kingdom and USA (Nestle, 2013a). The shopping center was established to demonstrate how consumers behave while shopping their products. 2.1 International Expansion Globalization has become an integral and prominent part of the economic life and provides companies with huge opportunities and challenges. International expansion has become a strategic response to the global economic dynamics for a large number of companies. International expansion will provide opportunities to the companies to expand on a global scale and exploit the benefits of internalization like scope, learning, economies of scale etc. Nestle offers a varied range of edible products and targets consumers of all ages. The company has gradually est ablished its presence worldwide and has successfully acquired various other companies in different countries to develop a strong footing in those countries. In the year 2003 Nestle acquired Dreyers a leading USA ice cream manufacturing company and Movenpick a leading German ice cream manufac

Computer-Mediated Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer-Mediated Communication - Essay Example Out of hundreds of SNSs, some of the most popular examples of this form of CMC include MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter which have become an integral part of daily practices for people around the world. Basically, the aim of this paper is to contemplate the efficacy and significance of SNSs as they form a very important example of CMC and then apply course concepts like online self-disclosure and disembodiment to them so as to explain how CMC functions or relates with the course concepts through SNSs. As mentioned above, SNSs support a variety of public interests and service like information sharing and networking as a result of which CMC has been made a lot easier on many levels. While some of such sites cater to a particular group of people who share same cultural or regional background, most sites typically cater to the needs of diverse audiences. In addition to this feature, there exists a difference in the way various information and communication tools are incorporated in differe nt sites as all SNSs do not offer the facility of online blogging or instant video/image sharing. One of the most interesting features of this example of CMC is that not only people who are already connected outside the computer world can take advantage of the facilities offered by such sites, but strangers are also facilitated a lot as most sites support them much in connecting easily based on similar set of interests and shared political, racial, or education views (Boyd and Ellison). Though SNSs imply the concept of networking hugely yet researchers suggest that this alone could not be considered as a solo feature which helps differentiating SNSs from other mediums of CMC like blogs and social support sites. This is because networking is neither the sole service nor the sole purpose of most of such sites rather educational and business purposes also remain significant. Though a lot of connections are made between people by this medium of CMC which might not be made otherwise, yet that could not be classified as the sole goal of SNSs. â€Å"What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks† (Boyd and Ellison). A lot of business deals and transactions are finalized online by using such sites for enhancing communication between parties from opposite ends of the world. Similarly, this forms a great means of CMC also because education is made a lot easier as owing to many lectures offered online by expert teachers, one does not necessarily have to attend colleges on a full-time basis now. Many academic and industry researchers have written a lot in the past years concerning the wide range of academic and social advantages offered by SNSs. These sites are capable of addressing many interests of the public when it comes to communication by using effective and handy communication tools like online blogging, mobile connectivity, an d video/image sharing. In addition to that, there are certain course concepts like online self-disclosure, disembodiment, and privacy management which help much in further understanding the significance of CMC. Anonymity and self-disclosure on weblogs creates much excitement for the bloggers online. This is because people can open up about their

Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Suicide - Essay Example Statistics show that the population at risk for suicide includes the age people who have recently failed at a venture or have lost a loved one and those who have failed at business. It is quite common for businesspeople to take their own lives when they fail at a business and hence incur heavy losses. Once they feel that they are unable to pay off their debts, they usually commit suicide. Further, among teenagers the suicidal tendencies are more particularly for those who have been rejected by someone who they feel that they have loved. These are the cases where passion plays a major role in the reasons for committing suicide. The signs to watch out for when people have an intention to commit suicide include loss of appetite, general withdrawal from social activities, a tendency to be inclined towards depression etc. Hence, the people around the potential suicide victim need to watch out for these signs and take preventive action before it is too late. It is usually the family or friends around the person who has suicidal tendencies who need to take the potential victim to a therapist or counselor and make him or her attend those sessions with a view to provide succor to them and deter them from committing suicide. Usually when a person commits suicide, it is the people around him or her who need to bear the pain of the loss of a loved one and particularly so considering that they might blame themselves for the victim’s behavior. Hence, it is contingent upon the family and friends to spot the symptoms early and take necessary action. Suicide and the act of taking one’s life represent an extreme form of behavior and hence, laws explicitly prohibit people from taking their own lives. Hence, not only is the act of committing suicide illegal but also immoral as well. It is ingrained in our nature to fight the

Bionade as a World Wide Brand Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bionade as a World Wide Brand - Assignment Example To attract more consumers, they offer beverages with various flavors. As a botanical brew most of its products were herbs and plant roots especially the ginger roots. It is different from other drinks in the sense that apart from being a soft drink, it follows a different procedure during the manufacturing process which enables it to be fermented and produced naturally (Yang 2011, p. 12). The fact that it is an original drink just like coca cola makes the drink to attract many consumers as it undergoes organic fermentation. Viral marketing and communication strategies adopted sponsor several events that enable the drink to be successful in the market. Customers: Segmentation The drink can be one that has segmented its consumers specifically to those who are non alcoholic. It has been branded by many consumers as a hip lifestyle drink which is healthy for consumption. Every customer in the market is always in need of refreshment that will quench their thirst. This may not be an easy p rocess as most of the drinks in the market are known to be artificial as opposed to Bionade which is a natural drink (Kotler et al., 2008, p. 21). This specifies its interest to people with specific health requirements and is not ready to consume artificial products. Business to Business In order to keep up with the high competition in the markets, there was need for the Bionade Company that was establishing them in USA to come up with a unique approach to business and their consumers. Making a natural drink made them have an advantage over other businesses which focused mostly on the artificial drinks. As a refreshment drink, it would be recommended by most consumers. The new packaging and branding of the commodity attracted the consumers in the market making the product to be on a high demand. The restaurant structure was one that attracted the consumers towards the place as opposed to other places which did not have a unique appearance. Despite the fact that they were not able to advertise their product on media, they were able to give it a unique branding which attracted most consumers. Business to Customers The manufacture of the product through a natural process of fermentation made most of the consumers to be attracted to the commodity. This was further enhanced by a red logo that made the drink be easily recognized by the consumers in the market (Marieke & De 2010, p. 67). The restaurant that was to be created in USA was one that was surrounded by a cultivated green herb garden and the intention here was to also educate the consumers on the ingredients of the herbs found in the refreshment. Providing enlightenment for the consumers is an idea that would be accepted by most consumers and this would in turn attract them towards the commodity. To attract more consumers in America, Bionade was also contemplating on adding more flavors in order to provide the consumers with a variety. Current Position within the USA Market In the beginning, the residents of America had a difficult with accepting the new beverage as they associated the word fermentation with alcohol and it was challenging to convince them that Bionade was refreshment (Steven 1994, p. 34). The ability to maintain strong links with various institutions enabled them to easily stabilize in America especially by paying more attention to educational institutions where coca cola and Pepsi had firmly established themselves. This was done in specific states namely San Francisco and Los Angeles which would serve as a basis to

The GM club Essay Example for Free

The GM club Essay The 21st century has become a world of wonders, a world of scientific and technological miracles. Moreover, a world where human kind strives to solve all of its ills without knowing enough about repercussions. If this dream is to be realized, we as an inter-dependant society, have a moral and ethical duty to make fundamental decisions as to the limits of science and technology in our every day life. Technology is emerging as the ruling power in western societies in the 21st century, and therefore, human kind is finding it more and more difficult to survive without constant aid from new hi-tech advances. Computers and the internet has become mens best friend. Children are growing up with Nintendo and Xbox, and consequently without the wondrous knowledge of playing tag, climbing a tree, playing in the dirt or with little insects. They have no familiarity with a world without television and videogames, a natural world where everything is organic and healthy. As the futurist Alvin Toffler points out in an article in the New Scientist, welcome to the latest installment of that (future) shock: the GM revolution. Gene therapy. Spare-part tissues grown from engineered fetal cells. Organ-donor pigs and their viruses. All these are part of it, but they are the remote part that exists only in the labs and the imaginations of scientists. GM food is different, its already left the labs. 1 In this paper, we will examine and try to clarify different philosophies that are competing to control world food production. In particular, we will mainly focus on the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GM or GMOs) and Organic Farming. Each philosophy has its adherents and its detractors are locked in a boisterous and intransigent battle. This has led to a clouding of issues, making it very difficult for people to develop an informed decision. We believe that the issue at stake is crucial to humanitys existence, since it transcends national and political boundaries. All humans share this planet and ingest its harvest of food, thus, an error in policy can lead to universal catastrophe. As Toffler further points out, suddenly, plant science is no longer a quiet backwater for genial professors and their cuttings. It is the stuff of big business, patent rivalries and closely guarded technical tricks. If you believe biotechs gainsayers, this brave new plant science is also ushering in a dark age in which all genes will bear a no trespassing sign, and the companies that own them will move them from species to species like Lego bricks, to the detriment of whats left of the natural world and our respect for it. Many organisms researchers are manipulating are more complex than bacteria and have greater emotional resonance for humans, either because they are mammals or part of our food supply. 2 On the other hand, as Nathan Batalion points out a farmer may use toxic chemicals for many decades, and then let the land lie fallow for a year or two to convert back to organic farming. The chemicals tend to break down into natural substances within months or years. A few may persist for decades. But genetic pollution (from GMOs) can alter the life in the soil for ever! 3 Background General Background For the past 12,000 years, human kind has interfered with nature in different degrees to guarantee a steady stream of food. From the cultivation of wheat to the domestication of wild animals, humans have manipulated nature for their advantage and survival. Consequently, this has led to a more continuous and reliable source of food that allowed humanity to establish civilizations, pursue knowledge and create the world we know today. Unfortunately, for all the advancements we have accomplished a large portion of the worlds population lives in hunger. As a civilized society, it is our duty and responsibility to try to eradicate hunger and try to raise the standards of less fortunate nations. Farmers, eager to increase their crop yields and number of livestock, have adopted different new methods and technologies with hopes of success. Overall, their efforts have been outstripped by the increase in the worlds population and the failure of some of the technologies to live up to their promises. Over the years, the use of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides has grown to an unprecedented degree. This has led to problems not envisioned by society, such as, soil and water pollution due to overuse, resistance to herbicides and pesticides by organisms, mutagenicity and even resistant forms of bacteria. Today, there have emerged two competing solutions for the farmers woes, Genetically Modified Organisms and Organic farming. Both solutions have their supporters and their detractors. Simply put, Organic Farming is farming without the use of chemicals and farming with GMOs is using genetically modified crops to increase yields and lower the use of chemicals, herbicides and pesticides. Genetically Modified Organism Background The promise of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs) is increased yields from agriculture, more powerful control of pests and weeds, reduced use of agrochemicals and enhanced nutritional value. The agro-biotechnology industry has announced a revolution: it promises to increase world food production and reduce the requirements for water and other natural resources. Reduction of atmospheric emissions and chemical contamination of soils may be achieved. Another accomplishment this revolution promises is an abundant nutritionally improved diet for malnourished populations. Central to this revolution is genetically modified food (GMF)4. That is the promise of GMOs. Essentially, the process of genetically modifying a plant starts with a piece of DNA that has been isolated from an animal, another plant or a bacterium. This isolated piece of DNA can code for a protein, which has a specific function and could impart the ability of a plant to resist insects, grow at an accelerated rate, require less water and resist disease and chemicals. The isolated DNA, or gene, is then placed into a plant cell. As a result, the plant growing from this modified cell, carries the inserted gene and is enhanced to express new traits; however, the plants exhibit traits that are not possible under natural conditions. In the U. S, GMOs have found their way into a large portion of processed foods. As of January 2002, 5. 5 million farmers worldwide mainly in the U. S, Argentina, Canada and China now grow GM crops covering more than 50 million hectares. And with the vast countries like Indonesia about to join the GM club, next years leap could be bigger still. 5 Meaning, two thirds of all U. S processed foods have GM ingredients and 70-80 million acres of land is growing GM crops. This represents approximately 25% of agricultural lands in the U. S. Furthermore, products such as soybeans, corn, tomatoes and rapeseed (canola), have been genetically modified and are currently in the processed food chain. The problem is not that these products are on the market but, there are no labeling requirements, and today Genetically Modified Foods fill our supermarket shelves, our kitchens and restaurants. Sadly, few consumers are aware this has been going on. 6 The use of GMOs and GMFs is by no means universally accepted. While the U. S has adopted a very aggressive GMO and GMF program, with voluntary labeling, other countries have adopted a more conservative approach. Virtually all of the European nations, many Latin American countries as well as countries in the Near East and Asia have partially banned, restricted or imposed a moratorium on the use of GMOs or GMFs. Many countries require labels indicating that the food has been Genetically Engineered and impose severe legal penalties for non-compliance. Organic Farming Background.

Palliative Care Situation Reflection

Palliative Care Situation Reflection Introduction Reflective practice enables nurses to critically review their actions through a process of thoughtful deliberation about past experiences, in order to learn from them (Tickle 1994; Atkins and Murphy 1995; Bailey 1995; Spalding 1998). Reflection is important since it provides opportunities for learning and continuing professional development (Hinchliff et al. 1993; Spalding 1998). Furthermore, it allows the nurse to better handle future situations and deal more ably with challenging events in everyday clinical practice (Jarvis 1992; Smith 1995). A number of models of reflection have been developed. Gibbs cycle considers the process of reflection as six key stages: (1) description of the event, (2) feelings, (3) evaluation, (4) analysis, (5) conclusion and (6) development of an action plan (Gibbs 1988). In this paper, Gibbs cycle will be used to reflect on an clinical incident that I have experienced which focuses on communication in palliative care and specifically, breaking bad news to a patient and his family. Palliative care is the care of any patient with advanced, incurable disease (Urie et al. 2000). Palliative care involves the management of pain and other disease-related symptoms, and aims to improve quality of life using a holistic approach that incorporates physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care (Urie et al. 2000). Effective communication between nurses and other healthcare professionals, patients, and their families and carers forms a key component of palliative care, particularly when breaking bad news. Research has shown that healthcare professionals cite a number of challenges in communicating effectively, including cultural factors, deciding on the best process of communication and information to deliver, and the difficulty of conveying hope to patients and their carers (de Haes and Teunissen 2005). The NHS Cancer Plan published in 2000 states that: â€Å"the care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the best†, with good communication between healthcare professionals and patients as central to achieving this goal (Department of Health 2000). The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a framework designed to ensure a gold standard of care is provided for all patients who are nearing the end of their lives (NHS 2005). There are three stages in this framework: (1) identify, (2) assess and (3) plan, with effective communication a key goal underpinning each of these stages. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on improving supportive and palliative care for adults also stresses the value of good face-to-face communication both between healthcare professionals and patients and also inter-professional communication (NICE 2003). This guidance supports the use of the Liverpool Care for the Dying Patient Pathway (2004) which provides a fr amework for improving communication. It is therefore important that nurses develop the required skills to enable them to communicate effectively with patients and carers, and also with other healthcare professionals within the multidisciplinary care team. Reflection using Gibbs cycle (1) Description of the event Mr Smith is a 39 year old father and company director who discovered a testicular swelling. He chose to ignore this, initially because he misinterpreted it as a sports injury, and later because he felt embarrassed about discussing this with a doctor. Nine months later he presented to the emergency admissions unit as he was becoming breathless far more readily than usual, and suffered a constant backache. These symptoms were found to be due to lung metastases and referred pain caused by metastases in the para-aortic lymph nodes. His prognosis was poor and his family were called so that they could be there when he received the diagnosis to help support him. The consultant delivered the news to Mr Smith and his family in a quiet room, with both myself and another staff nurse present. Understandably, both Mr Smith and his family were devastated. (2) Feelings This case has had a huge impact on me. As this was the first time I had attended a case where bad news of this nature had to be broken to the patient and their family, I was naturally apprehensive prior to the event. On seeing the reactions of Mr Smith and his wife to the news, I was unprepared for the strength of my own emotions and found it hard not to cry. Initially, I felt helpless and unable to do anything to help relieve their suffering. I also felt awkward and as if I was intruding at a time when they should be allowed to grieve together privately. However, these feelings quickly passed and were replaced by a desire to do my best to make Mr Smith’s end-of-life care the best possible and provide as much support to both the patient and his family as I could. (3) Evaluation The consultant broke the news to Mr Smith and his family very well and was able to draw on his considerable experience to handle the situation in a professional manner while showing empathy and sensitivity. The choice of a quiet room rather than an open hospital ward provided an ideal environment which afforded Mr Smith privacy to receive the news. The consultant primarily focused on verbal methods to communicate effectively, but also used non-verbal methods, such as sitting down on their level, rather than standing while they sat down; maintaining eye contact with both Mr and Mrs Smith throughout the conversation; using open body language (e.g. not crossing his arms); and using a soft tone of voice. The consultant did not rush in breaking the news and took time to explain Mr Smith’s diagnosis and prognosis, ensuring that what he was saying was understood and providing clarification where necessary. He was also careful not to give unrealistic answers to any difficult questions that were asked and was as optimistic as possible, while still being open and honest. While the consultant was speaking, the other staff nurse observed the reactions of Mr Smith and his family closely to pick up on non-verbal clues to their thoughts and feelings and was quick to step in to place an arm around the shoulders of Mrs Smith when she began to cry which was clearly of great comfort to her. The only negative aspect of the incident was that I felt that having two staff nurses as well as the consultant present was excessive and initially unsettled the family, serving to emphasise the gravity of the situation. (4) Analysis Effective communication As this was the first time I had been involved in a case like this, my role was largely one of observer. Nonetheless, this was still an excellent learning experience and provided me with the opportunity to develop my verbal and non-verbal communication skills through observation. On reflection, I feel that I could have kept my emotions more under control, but I was unprepared for the strength of Mr and Mrs Smith’s response to the news. The consultant played the key role with support from the other staff nurse, both of whom have considerable experience in palliative care. It was clear that hey had already gained the trust of Mr Smith during previous consultations. Trust has been identified as a major factor in establishing successful relationships between healthcare professionals, patients and carers (de Haes and Teunissen 2005), and this enabled more effective, open and honest communication. In palliative care, it is important to relate to the patient on a personal as well as a professional level (Lugton and Kindlen 1999). There should be consistency between verbal and non-verbal communication in order for the healthcare professional to be perceived as genuine (Benjamin 1981). Evidence has shown non-verbal methods of communication to be more powerful than verbal methods (Henley 1973), with listening and eye contact among the most effective forms of non-verbal communication. Touch has also been identified as an important for nurses in certain situations. The consultant relied mainly on verbal communication which may reflect gender-specific differences in communication with men using verbal forms more frequently and women tending to rely more on non-verbal communication methods (Lugton and Kindlen 1999). Observing the other staff nurse readily use touch to comfort Mrs Smith helped the rest of the family to relax and lessened the tension in the room slightly, also breaking down the ‘barrier’ between the healthcare professionals and the patient/family. I observed that the family appeared to view the nurse as a comforter and more approachable than the consultant, a view that continued throughout Mr Smith’s end-of-life care. Although not relevant to this particular case, it is important to acknowledge that effective communication between members of the multidisciplinary palliative care team is also essential. This can be challenging if, for example, team members have differing philosophies of care. One of the key recommendations of the NICE guidelines on palliative care is the implementation of processes to ensure effective inter-personal communication within multidisciplinary teams and other care providers (NICE 2003). During Mr Smith’s end-of-life care, I had to work closely with other members of the care team and there were instances where it was important for me to consider the perspectives of other team members in order to communicate effectively with them. Regular team meetings were beneficial in creating a forum where difficulties could be discussed and solutions to problems found. Reactions to receiving bad news in palliative care After breaking bad news to a patient, healthcare professionals may have to be prepared to deal with a variety of reactions including denial and collusion, and emotional reactions such as anger, guilt and blame. Denial is often a coping mechanism for patients who are unable to face the fact they have a terminal illness but patients will often begin to face reality as their disease progresses over time (Faulkner 1998). Family members and carers may encourage the patient to stay in denial, as this will delay the time when difficult issues have to be faced and discussed. Collusion between healthcare professionals and families/carers to withhold information from the patient is usually viewed as a way to try and protect the patient (Faulkner 1998). However, honest and open discussion with the patient themselves establishes their level of knowledge and understanding and can help to reassure them about their condition and accept reality. Patients and their families and carers often show strong emotional reactions to bad news. Anger may sometimes be misdirected towards the healthcare professional as the bearer of this news, and it is important that the cause of the anger is identified and addressed. Patients may feel guilt, and that they are somehow being punished for something they have done wrong. Alternatively, the patient may serve to blame their condition on other people. While healthcare professionals are unable to take away these feelings of guilt and blame, ensuring the patient has the chance to talk them through and discuss relevant issues can help them come to terms with these feelings. Mr Smith’s reaction to the news was one of self-blame and guilt – he blamed himself for not visiting a doctor earlier and felt guilty that he was putting his family through so much. He appeared to accept his poor prognosis and asked a number of questions which demonstrated a full understanding of his situation. Spiritual and cultural beliefs can influence an individual’s experience of illness and the concerns of both patients and their families or carers may need to be addressed either at the time bad news is broken or at a later stage during end-of-life care when individuals are facing death (Matzo et al. 2005). Incorporating spiritual care into nursing is therefore particularly important in palliative care; however, since neither Mr Smith or his family were particularly religious, this was not a key issue in this incident or in his subsequent care. Control of cancer-related symptoms in palliative care Patients with advanced cancer are typically polysymptomatic (Grond et al 1994). Common symptoms include pain, fatigue, weakness, anorexia, weight loss, constipation, breathlessness and depression. Effective control of these symptoms is essential for optimal quality of life during end-of-life care. As previously discussed, one of the main processes in the GSF framework involves assessing patients symptoms and planning care centred around these, to ensure that these symptoms are controlled as much as possible (NHS 2005). Three symptoms that required effective management as part of Mr Smith’s care plan were pain, breathlessness and depression. One of Mr Smith’s greatest concerns was that he would suffer considerable pain during the advanced stages of his cancer. This is a common fear held by many cancer patients. Pain is a symptom experienced by up to 70% of cancer patients (Donnelly and Walsh 1995; Vainio and Auvunen 1996). Pain may result from the cancer itself, treatment, debility or unrelated pathologies, and accurate diagnosis of the cause(s) of pain is therefore important. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘analgesic ladder’ (WHO 1996) provides a system for managing cancer pain and has been shown to achieve pain relief in almost 90% of patients (Zech et al. 1995; WHO 1996). Pharmacological interventions for pain management include the use of non-opioids such as paracetamol, aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) for the control of mild pain. In Europe, oral morphine is the dug of choice for the control of moderate to severe cancer pain, but weak or strong opioids may also be used, either with or without non-opioids. Correct dosing of opioids and effective management of common side effects (e.g. constipation) are essential (Walsh 2000), and adjuvant treatment for specific pain may also be required. Non-pharmacological interventions include the provision of emotional and spiritual support, helping the patient to develop coping strategies, use of relaxation techniques, acupuncture or the use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS). Evidence from a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing nursing non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated these interventions to be effective for pain management but some trials showed minimal differences between the treatment and control groups (Sindhu 1996). Breathlessness is a common symptom among cancer patients which can be difficult to control and may cause considerable distress to both patients and their carers (Davis 1997; Vora 2004). Appropriate management frequently requires both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (Bausewein et al. 2008). Pharmacological interventions include the use of bronchodilators, benzodiazepines, opioids, corticosteroids and oxygen therapy (Vora 2004). Non-pharmacological interventions which have been shown to be effective include counselling and support, either alone or in combination with relaxation-breathing training, relaxation and psychotherapy (Bausewein et al. 2008). There is limited evidence that acupuncture or acupressure are effective. Both anxiety and depression are common among patients with advanced cancer but both of these conditions are frequently under diagnosed (Barraclough 1997). Furthermore, these conditions are sometimes viewed as simply natural reactions to the patient’s illness. Pharmacological interventions such as antidepressants should be used if the patient show symptoms of a definite depressive disorder. Non-pharmacological interventions include relaxation, psychosocial therapies and massage (Lander et al. 2000). Optimal management of depression in patients with advanced cancer typically involves a combination of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches (Lander et al. 2000). Ethical and legal considerations in palliative care There are a number of ethical and legal considerations in palliative care such as euthanasia and the right to withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment. Those aspects which were of importance in this account address the patient’s right to know their diagnosis (i.e. autonomy). Evidence shows that the majority of cancer patients wish to know their diagnosis and the likely progression of their disease (Faulkner 1998). This may present a challenge for clinicians and nurses who may wish to try to protect the patient and convey an optimistic outlook even when the prognosis is poor. In the case of Mr Smith, he wanted to know as much information as possible about his diagnosis and treatment and the consultant and nurse answered his questions as openly and honestly as possible. (5) Conclusion Reflective practice is important both as a learning process and for the continuing professional development of nurses. The use of a model such as Gibbs’s cycle enables the nurse to move logically through the reflective process and provides a structured approach. Effective communication is essential in palliative care. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must be able to communicate effectively both with patients and their families/carers but also with other members of the multidisciplinary care team. The nurse plays a key role in the provision of supportive and palliative care and must develop excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Breaking bad news such as that given to Mr Smith is one of the hardest tasks for healthcare professionals, regardless of their level of experience, and it is essential that the situation is handled professionally, but also with empathy and sensitivity, taking full account of the ethical and legal aspects of the situation. The use of non-verbal communication by the nurse is as important as verbal methods of communication. (6) Action plan This incident provided me with a valuable learning opportunity and were I to encounter a similar situation in the future, I would feel much better prepared to deal with this. I have learnt that preparation is important, for example, selecting a suitable environment in which to break the news, and ensuring that chairs are placed correctly within the room. Rather than relying primarily on verbal communication, I would be more aware of the effectiveness of non-verbal methods, particularly touch, if this was appropriate. I have also developed a greater awareness of the ethical issues surrounding breaking bad news in palliative care, and the need to be open and honest with the patient and their family where possible. References Atkins, S. and Murphy, K. 1995, ‘Reflective practice’, Nursing Standard, vol. 9, no. 45, pp. 3135. Bailey, J. 1995, ‘Clinical reflective practice; reflective practice: implementing theory’, Nursing Standard, vol. 9, no. 46, pp. 2931. Barraclough, J. 1997, ‘ABC of palliative care: depression, anxiety and confusion’, British Medical Journal, vol. 315, pp. 1365–8. Bausewein, C., Booth, S., Gysels, M., Higginson, I. J. 2008, ‘Non-pharmacological interventions for breathlessness in advanced stages of malignant and non-malignant diseases’, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 3. Benjamin 1981, The helping interview, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Davis, C. L. 1997, ‘ABC of palliative care. Breathlessness, cough and other respiratory problems’, British Medical Journal, vol. 315, pp. 931–4. de Haes, H. Teunissen, S. 2005, ‘Communication in palliative care: a review of recent literature’, Current Opinion in Oncology, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 345–50. Department of Health 2000, The NHS cancer Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009609 Donnelly, S. Walsh, D. 1995, ‘The symptoms of advanced cancer’, Seminars in Oncology, vol. 22, pp. 67–72. Faulkner, A. 1998, ‘Communication with patients, families, and other professionals’, British Medical Journal, vol. 316, pp. 130–2. Gibbs, G. 1988, Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Grond, S., Zech, D., Diefenbach, C., Bischoff, A. 1994, ‘Prevalence and pattern of symptoms in paients with cancer pain: a prospective evaluation of 1,635 cancer patients referred to a pain clinic’, Journal of Pain Symptom Management, vol. 9, p. 372–82. Henley, N. 1973, ‘Power, Sex, and Nonverbal Communication’, Berkeley Journal of Sociology, vol. 18, pp. 1–26. Hinchliff, S. M., Norman, S. E., Schober, J. E. 1993, Nursing practice and health care, 2nd ed, Edward Arnold, London. Jarvis, P. 1992, ‘Reflective practice and nursing’, Nurse Education Today, vol. 12, pp. 174–81. Lander, M., Wilson, K., Chochinov, H. M. 2000, ‘Depression and the dying older patient’, Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 335–56. Liverpool Care Pathway 2004, Liverpool Care of the Dying Patient Pathway. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/eolc/files/F2091-LCP_pathway_for_dying_patient_Sep2007.pdf Lugton, J. Kindlen, M. 1999, Palliative care: the nursing role. Churchill Livingstone, London. Matzo, M., Matzo, M. L., Witt Sherman, D. 2005, Palliative Care Nursing: Quality Care to the End of Life, 2nd edn. Springer Publishing Company, New York. NHS 2005, The Gold Standards Framework. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk/ NICE 2003, Improving supportive and palliative care for adults. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=downloado=28800 Sindhu, F. 1996, ‘Are non-pharmacological nursing interventions for the management of pain effective? – a meta-analysis’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 24, pp. 1152–9. Smith, C. 1995, ‘Evaluating nursing care; reflection in practice’, Professional Nurse, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 593–6. Spalding, N. J. 1998, ‘Reflection in professional development: a personal experience’, British Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, vol. 5, no. 7, pp. 379–82. Tickle, L. 1994, ‘The induction of new teachers’, Castell, London. Urie, J., Fielding, H., McArthur, D., Kinnear, M., Hudson, S., Fallon, M. 2000, ‘Palliative care’, The Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. 265, no. 7119, pp. 603–14. Vora, V. 2004, ‘Breathlessness: a palliative care perspective’, Indian Journal of Palliative Care, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 12–18. Walsh, D. 2000, ‘Pharmacological management of cancer pain’, Seminars in Oncology, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 45–63. WHO 1996, WHO guidelines: cancer pain relief, 2nd ed. World Health Organization, Geneva. Zech, D., Grond, S., Lynch, J., Hertel, D., Lehmann, K. A. 1995, ‘Validation of World Health Organization guidelines for cancer pain relief: a 10 year prospective study’, Pain, vol. 63, pp. 65–76. Vainio, A. Auvunen, A. 1996, ‘Prevalence of symptoms among patients with advanced cancer; an international collaborative group study’, Journal of Pain Symptom Management, vol. 12, pp. 3–10.

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis of Homebase

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis of Homebase Homebase is the UKs second largest home improvement retailer and is recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market. It has more than 300 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is planning to add to its store chain with around 15 new stores a year. It sells over 30,000 products across DIY and decorating, home and garden ranges, and has a growing internet offering. Homebase serves over 70 million customers per year through its stores and offers customers the convenience of home delivery for bulky, high-value items. Its Ideas magazine is the number one home interest magazine in the UK, with a circulation of almost half a million. In 2006 Homebase won Britains Best Superstore Manager of the Year at Britains Best Retailer Awards and in 2005 it was awarded DIY Retailer of the Year in the National Home Awards. Homebase was the first UK DIY retailer to achieve Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certificati on. More information on Homebase can be found on Situation analysis With sales of nearly  £6bn in the past financial year, Home Retail Group is the leading home and general merchandise retailer in the UK. Although company is already the number one in many of its product categories, there is still potential to increase its market share. Our combined position accounts for just 10% of a market valued at  £60bn. As many of these markets are fragmented and its market share has built quickly, there are further opportunities for growth. Homebase proves theres No Place Like Home for charities In August 2006 Homebase launched its first two year partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care (www.mariecurie.org.uk) and the Irish Cancer Society in the Republic of Ireland (www.cancer.ie), under the banner of Theres no place like home ; The charities were chosen in a company-wide staff ballot where 39% of Homebase staff voted to support them ; The aim of the two year partnership was to raise  £500,000 to pay for 25,000 hours of home nursing. Homebase staff and customers have exceeded all expectations in the first year of the partnership, smashing the original target and raising an astonishing  £78 5,000 already ; Over the past 12 months, the campaign has seen everything from head shaves and dress down days to staff abseiling down buildings for the charities. The money raised in the first year will help to provide a fantastic 39,250 hours of nursing. External Analysis-Macro Environment Political Employment rate in UK is increased to 74.7% since the last year and it is suppose to increase as well at the end of the current year which could be beneficial for the company because the purchasing power of the customers has increased and at the same time it will increase the cost of the company by increasing the pay rate of their own employees. Terrorism is also affecting the customer little bit but it increases the online sale. If the company go in the developing countries for manufacturing, it may reduce the cost because the low pay rate in the developing countries at the same time it may affect the reputation of the company. Economical Consumer price inflation rose up to 2.2% in January 2008 influenced by the oil and food prices which can influence the price strategy of the organization as well as the promotion and distribution and also can effect the purchasing power of the consumer. Oil prices are increasing rapidly in these days and the prices has been reached to its record which increases the cost and in return the high prices. The value of dollar against Euro is decreasing which can affect the profit margin. Social The rate of population in UK is increasing dramatically which is a big cause of unemployment. Increasing number of visitors especially on London Olympics 2012 can be a opportunity to sponsor time or individual and increase globally the companys image and recognition. Technological Due to the increasing internet awareness among the customer the online sale is increasing day by day. It saves the time and cost as well. 52% of business suffered a malicious premeditated e-security breach during 2005 which can affect the customer data, as well as the customer trust to by online. It can affect the reputation of the brand. After the introduction of the new security system PayPalà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¢ the online payment from credit card has become more secure which increase the customer confidence on the brand which increase the reputation of the brand. Legal The World Trade Organization members countries have the right to impose the safeguard measures and it has a legal processing to imports. When the company goes to importing it should be aware and follow the changes in the regulations. Environmental By following the government waste strategy the company should increase the amount of recycling which strengthen the reputation of the company. The public of UK is environment conscious and may be a burning issue of the world in near future so the company should improve its recycling policies. External Analysis-Micro Environment The micro environment also known as task environment are the internal forces that have a direct affect in the companys strategies. These factors include buyers, suppliers, all type of competitors, new entrants and substitutes employees and marketing intermediaries (media). Industry analysis The following analysis is based on Michael Porters 5 Forces Model (1996) and it helps understand the competitive environment for HomeBase Threats of New Entrants Factors Level of threat implication Product differentiation High Home products are very common products so the marketing of the company sells. Capital requirement Medium A lot of capital require to introduce a new product to compete the existing products Brand identity Low Home base has a strong brand name in whole US and UK Distributional channel Low Franchisee will be consider the brand identity in the first step Economies of scale medium New entrant have to entrant in a large scale to compete in the market Threats of substitute products Factor Level of threat Implication Few substitute products Low In household products there are very few products which can be replaced Bargaining power of customer Factors Level of threat implication Product quality High Some of the competitors claim to provide similar quality products to the customer Type of customer high As the management of the store is responsible for a good sale so there is a strong customer bargaining Brand identity Low Marketing strategy is strong thats why the brand is recognized all over the US and UK Bargaining power of supplier Factors Level of threats implication Cost of supplier High This company is in developed countries thats why the labour cost quite high Supplier concentration Low The company support community traders Competitive rivalry Factors Level of threats Implication Brand identity high The brand value of each company as well as the target market makes the differentiation to the customer Industry grown High Due to the recent growth in the household items the competition is very high Cost of structure High Competitors follow the same scheme of economies of scale with relatively low cost and high profit Diversity of competitors High Now a days there are some companies who are introducing the efficient products Conclusion: after analysing the Porters 5 forces in this company it is noticed that the retail market is attractive for Homebase. Though Homebase is a leader in the market the company has to develop more technological and attractive products to compete the other companies as well as company has to improve its growth strategies to keep the customers and to fulfil their needs. Market segmentation Consumer market The Homebase has become the leader in its market because it covers almost every household item like from gardening to decorating. Now a days due to development in technology the customer is becoming more and more aware of the quality so they demand for high quality products because they have choice. Products Homebase concentrate on household products and the is still trying to cover everything regarding home. Company deals with the following types of products. Kitchen items Bathroom products Furniture and homewares Lighting Flooring and tiling Decorating Home electrical Heating and cooling Tools Building and hardware Gardening Outdoor living Main competitors following are some principal competitors for the Homebase, Home Depot, Inc.; Eagle Hardware and Garden Inc.; Hechinger Stores Co.; Builders Square Inc.; Payless Cashways Inc.; Orchard Supply Hardware Corp.; Lumbermens Building Centers. Though Homebase has quite strong competitors but still it is leading the market and providing the quality products as well as quality service to its customer and also it is successful to keep its customers till now. The company has to continuo the performance to maintain the standard. Brand Since last few years Homebase has worked focused on customer favour by providing products in low rates with a shopping experience that combines excellent service with a comprehensive range of household items. Homebase proves theres No Place Like Home for charities In August 2006 Homebase launched its first two year partnership with Marie Curie Cancer and the Irish Cancer Society in the Republic of Ireland, under the banner of Theres no place like home ; The charities were chosen in a company-wide staff ballot where 39% of Homebase staff voted to support them ; The aim of the two year partnership was to raise  £500,000 to pay for 25,000 hours of home nursing. Homebase staff and customers have exceeded all expectations in the first year of the partnership, smashing the original target and raising an astonishing  £785,000 already ; Over the past 12 months, the campaign has seen everything from head shaves and dress down days to staff abseiling down buildings for the charities. The money raised in the first year will help to provide a fantastic 39,250 hours of nursing. After doing this Homebase has become a strong brand in all over the UK and Irish republic. Internal analysis Resources Physical resources Number of stores: 310 Countries operating: UK IRISH REPUBLIC 2. Human resources More than 8400 employees including stores and offices are working in Homebase 3. Financial resources Pro forma of 52 weeks to 3 march 2007 4 march 2006 Sales  £1,594.2m 1559.0 benchmark Operating profit  £53.4m  £51.4m Benchmark operating margine 3.4% 3.3% Like-for-like change in sales 1.4% 3.1% New space contribution to sales change 3.6 3.1% Total sales change 2.2% 0.0% Benchmark operating profit change 4% n/a Number of stores at period end 310 297 Of which contain a mezzanine floor 165 144 Competences and capabilities Using the 5Ms is possible to analyse the competences and capabilities of the company. Market The Homebase is the leader in the retail market and it is providing quality products in cheaper rates and due to this Homebase is being recognized all over the uk as well as Irish republic. Materials The company is investing a lot of capital to introduce new stores so that the customers can buy quality products from their locality. The key element to the new store design is part of the business strategy to make-up merchandising fixture. Men More than 8400 employees including stores and offices are working on Homebase. Money Financial resources Pro forma of 52 weeks to 3 march 2007 4 march 2006 Sales  £1,594.2m 1559.0 benchmark Operating profit  £53.4m  £51.4m Benchmark operating margine 3.4% 3.3% Like-for-like change in sales 1.4% 3.1% New space contribution to sales change 3.6 3.1% Total sales change 2.2% 0.0% Benchmark operating profit change 4% n/a Number of stores at period end 310 297 Of which contain a mezzanine floor 165 144 Machines Number of stores à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¾ 310 Countries operating à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¾ UK IRISH REPUBLIC S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths Leverage purchasing scale High loyalty Strong brand name Increase share in large product markets Expand homebase store network Extend and exploit multi-channel leadership Weaknesses More capital require for new stores High supply cost High operation cost Opportunities Further to go on importing Opportunity to explore other overseas sourcing locations Additional benefits to come from supply chain Other cost reduction processes Threats Strong competition in retail market Customers are becoming more and more aware of quality due to improvement in technology and want high quality products on cheap prices Increase in the sales of competitors Though there is competition in the market the Homebase has a strong brand name and the company is improving their performance as well as it is investing in the product quality and opening new stores. There are still lot of opportunities for the company. Market plan On the basis of the previous audit marketing and the company strengths the objectives and the targets of the company are as follows; Objectives and targets Reduce plastic bag consumption by 25% by the end of 2008 Attain ISO 14001 status for 5 Distribution Centres Attain recycling rates of 50% across the Group Energy Achieve energy accreditation for the Group from the Carbon Trust Reduce energy consumption by 2% KwH/sq ft Purchase at least 30% green power Products Review current policy guidelines for product selection Attain accreditation for sustainable paper sourcing Maintain existing recycled paper content of catalogue at 13% Community Raise at least  £1.6m for charity partnerships Achieve gold status for payroll giving ( at least 10% of workforce) Establish arrangements for community investment Establish a volunteering policy for the Group Workplace and HR Improve employee engagement scores. Improve take up of share save schemes Reduce average absence per employee Reduce RIDDORS by 10% Customers Increase levels of customer satisfaction (reduce no of orders which  generate one complaint) Group growth strategies Growth through leveraging purchasing scale Growth through increasing market share in targeted large product market Growth through extending and exploiting multi- channel leadership Growth through expanding the store network (10 homebase stores in a year) Marketing mix To implement the above strategies the following points can be applied: Product / branding Homebase is working efficiently in these days by following their strategies and because of this it is leading the market in all over the UK and Irish republic. Well I believe that regarding to the objectives of increase the brand image is recommended that the company is to associate the environmentally friendly image such as reducing the use of plastic bags. And further more the company should go on importing as well as explore the other overseas resources locations so that the brand can win the global recognition. Though the company has started its own recycling program in which some products are totally recyclable and some are partly, but in future environment will be a burning issue so organization should do some more for this which protect as well as beneficial for the brand in future. Price The differentiation strategy allows the company to implement a value-based pricing approach. Place Develop a multi-channel distribution has been successfully implemented in the company. On the other hand company should increase its online sale. Promotion target People concerning about environmental issues House wives Communication To promote the product benefits To make the product known To increase online buyers The massage It is suggested to use the objectives that concern with the knowledge or awareness in the mind of the customer. Media selection Advertisement on the magazines which are usually being sent to the houses monthly or weekly Attracting customers by making sales on special occasions Online advertisement Using the logo in other web sites to link with the companys web site Series of the press releases to be sent to magazines and access online TV campaign to roll out nationality on terrestrial TV Posters People To monitoring services online as well as make available news tools to the customer shopping online To incorporate orders online, to store products and others To help increase the sells and to ensure the customer service quality Process Products purchase online delivery with in a week Credit card to be charged at time on the shipment of the order and confirmed by e-mail Use the latest security methods such as PayPalà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¢ Return policy should be with in the existing 30 days after the purchase Physical evidence Receipts and inventory bills Software to develop the e-commerce Budget breakdown To achieve the above marketing planning objectives it is set an overall cost of  £8.5 million. And this overall cost is divided into the following categories; Product 16% of the total cost is for the market research and for the development of the product, RD. The estimate cost in  £1360015.7 Place 8% of the cost is to be spend on the continuous refurbishment and maintenance of the stores, distribution and transportation, and the estimate cost is  £680,000. Promotion 60% of the total cost is to be used for the promotion of the product which includes the media advertisement such as advertisement in TV programs, magazines, posters in public transport, etc. The estimated cost is  £5100,000. People 10% of the cost is to be spent on HR, training, recruitment and IT outsourcing. The estimate cost is  £850,000. Process 4% of the total cost will be spent on the development of the operation processes and for this the estimate cost is  £394400.63 Physical evidence 2% of total cost is to be spent on the reservation for the physical evidence and process to maintain the e-commerce. And the estimated cost for this is  £170000 Total cost The total cost for the whole process of the above marketing planning to achieve the mentioned objectives is estimated as  £8500000.

Food Processing :: essays research papers

Food Processing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the history of mankind science has searched into the realms of the unknown. Along with it bringing new discoveries, allowing for our lives to become healthier, more efficient, safer, and at the same time, possibly more dangerous. Among the forces driving scientists into these many experiments, is the desire to preserve the one fuel that keeps our lives going; FOOD.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As early as the beginning of the 19th century, major breakthroughs in food preservation had begun. Soldiers and seamen, fighting in Napoleons army were living off of salt-preserved meats. These poorly cured foods provided minimal nutritional value, and frequent outbreaks of scurvy were developing. It was Napoleon who began the search for a better mechanism of food preservation, and it was he who offered 12,000-franc pieces to the person who devised a safe and dependable food-preservation process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The winner was a French chemist named Nicolas Appert. He observed that food heated in sealed containers was preserved as long as the container remained unopened or the seal did not leak. This became the turning point in food preservation history. Fifty years following the discovery by Nicolas Appert, another breakthrough had developed. Another Frenchman, named Louis Pasteur, noted the relationship between microorganisms and food spoilage. This breakthrough increased the dependability of the food canning process. As the years passed new techniques assuring food preservation would come and go, opening new doors to further research.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Farmers grow fruits and vegetables and fatten livestock. The fruits and vegetables are harvested, and the livestock is slaughtered for food. What happens between the time food leaves the farm and the time it is eaten at the table? Like all living things, the plants and animals that become food contain tiny organisms called microorganisms. Living, healthy plants and animals automatically control most of these microorganisms. But when the plants and animals are killed, the organisms yeast, mold, and bacteria begin to multiply, causing the food to lose flavor and change in color and texture. Just as important, food loses the nutrients that are necessary to build and replenish human bodies. All these changes in the food are what people refer to as food spoilage. To keep the food from spoiling, usually in only a few days, it is preserved. Many kinds of agents are potentially destructive to the healthful characteristics of fresh foods. Microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, rapidly spoil food. Enzymes which are present in all raw food, promote degradation and chemical changes affecting especially texture and flavor. Atmospheric oxygen may react with food constituents, causing rancidity or color changes. Equally as harmful are infestations by insects and rodents, which

Biodiversity :: essays research papers

Biodiversity is described by Ruth Patrick as, â€Å"the presence of a large number of species of animals and plants†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Patrick 15). In other words, biodiversity is the term for the measure of the variety of different species that do exist still on our plant. These species can range from the simplest bacteria to the very complex primates. Biodiversity can relate locally or globally. For example the Southern New England forest contains 20 or 30 tree species while in the rainforest of Peru there are hundreds of species of trees (Patrick 15). There are also further ways to view biodiversity and that is in levels. These levels can be the â€Å"diversity of higher plants, number of species, or expressed as sheer weight (biomass)† (Patrick 15). Biodiversity is different is each part of the world. Not every part of the world contains the same amount of creatures yet there are parts of the world that might contain similar amounts. These regions of the world have similar we ather patterns and therefore similar species will develop there but they are not necessarily the same. One of the more important regions of the world that contain a large amount of biodiversity is the tropical rainforest region. â€Å"The forests comprise roughly 7% of the dry land surface of Earth and may hold more than 50% of all species† (Patrick 15). Yet us as humans do not know all of the creatures and organisms that live on this planet at all. We only have discovered, in one way or another, about 1.4 million species yet the number that is estimated is about 10-100 million (Patrick 15). The unknown species that do exist on this world can have many and countless benefits to the human race. A good example can be the rosy periwinkle, which is a plant found on the island of Madagascar, helped cure the Hodgkin’s disease and lymphocytic leukemia. (E.O. Wilson 3). Another can be the cyclosporin that was found in an obscure Norwegian fungus that is the foundation for the organ transplant business (Wilson 3). There also exist countless other potential uses and numerous other benefits that can be found in nature. The only problem is that we do not know even half of the amount of life that exists on this planet and many of them are disappearing faster than we can discover. With the advancement of technology and the growing population go mankind, nature seems as if it is in the way.