Cuyahoga River free essay sample

Daniel Groves Environmental Geology Case Study November 22, 2011 Cuyahoga River Fires â€Å"In the United States, a deliberate exertion is in progress to decrease water contamination and along these lines improve water quality. † (Keller) A case history of stream contamination is the Cuyahoga River situated in Northeastern Ohio. The stream is 100 miles in length streaming south to Cuyahoga Falls where it at that point transforms north until it discharges into Lake Erie. Cleveland and Akron are two significant urban communities situated along the stream. The Cuyahoga is known as a baby icy stream, this is on the grounds that it is one of the most youthful waterway made from the softening of the ice sheets. It is assessed that the waterway is around multi year old. The account of the Cuyahoga is unified with numerous lows and highs. The flames being the lows; new enactment and associations framed to tidy up and afterward keep this from happening to different streams being the highs. The name â€Å"Cuyahoga† originates from Native American word significance screwy stream. The stream was extremely helpful to early Native Americans; it took into account simple transportation and a lot of food. The waterway upheld a wide range of untamed life that the locals would murder for their hides. Similarly as the Cuyahoga was valuable for Native Americans, the European pilgrims utilized it in a considerable lot of similar ways. Early European hide brokers may have had an enormous impact in the end of the Cuyahoga. Numerous trackers would set up exchanging post along the stream. During the War of 1812 the Native American had been uproot by the new pilgrims. The Cuyahoga River Basin was an alluring region for most pilgrims. The Founding Fathers realized that the territory that is presently Ohio would be critical. They realized that the Cuyahoga was the prime spot on the grounds that the stream exhausts into Lake Erie. Before long huge steel and elastic businesses would construct plants that created huge measures of untreated squanders. These businesses are portrayed by substantial assembling movement and an outpouring of creation. The contamination that was created by these ventures made the waterway be perilous. The Cuyahoga River has had numerous flames throughout the years. The first fire in quite a while supposed to be begun by a blow burn flash. In 1952 a fire caused a million dollars’ worth of harm to waterway pontoons and riverfront organizations. On June 22, 1969 another waterway fire inundated the stream, this time the media inclusion caught the consideration of the country. Time Magazine portrayed the Cuyahoga as the waterway that â€Å"oozes rather that flows† and in which an individual â€Å"doesn’t suffocate yet decays†. A significant number of the inhabitants of Cleveland acknowledged the contamination as an important insidiousness since they had occupations at these plants. This article helped the individuals of Cleveland pass a 100 million dollar attach to tidy up the Cuyahoga River. A significant part of the business that both made Cleveland rich and made its waterway consume may never be returning. The expenses of these flames were colossal, yet it helped lead to laws being passed to keep this from occurring in different streams. One such law was the Clean Water Act of 1972. The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the essential government law wherein the US oversees water contamination. The Act expresses the goals of taking out arrivals of high measures of poisonous substances into water. The CWA made it unlawful to dump poisonous materials into traversable, waters except if given a grant. The grant is given through the EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The motivation behind The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System is to manage point sources that stream into waterways. The Clean Water Act has been changed throughout the years in light of the advancement of innovation. Another was the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is a record built to keep the physical and organic uprightness of the Great Lakes and the encompassing areas. It likewise incorporates numerous targets and procedures to keep up the trustworthiness that was plot in the record. As indicated by the thirteenth biennial reports on Great Lakes Water Quality December 2006, â€Å"We further accept that such advancement depends, to an exceptionally significant degree, on whether the Parties and different degrees of government, cooperating, make the methods by which they can be considered responsible for progress toward accomplishing the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. † (Commission) Another Organization that was framed because of the Cuyahoga River fires is the â€Å"Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan† or RAP. RAP was made in 1988 by Ohio EPA as a network based program planned for reestablishing the Cuyahoga River. They will probably advise the network regarding the impacts of contamination and to work with businesses to stop the contamination of the stream. â€Å"The RAP is a demonstrated asset for uniting specialized information, partners and nearby authorities in a strong setting to create and actualize compelling answers for reestablishing our neighborhood streams. † (Erie Brand Streams and Rivers) It is astounding how a waterway bursting into flames opens the eyes of such a significant number of individuals. It required some investment Magazine to alarm a country into take care of people and organizations dumping untreated waste into waterways and lakes. At the point when more individuals acknowledged what these enterprises were doing to their old neighborhood, they made a move. Despite the fact that things for the Cuyahoga and the Great Lakes are improving there is still a lot to be finished. Works Cited Commission, International Joint. thirteenth Biennial Report On Great Lakes Water Quality. 2006. Erie Brand Streams and Rivers, . Activities and Maintenance. Epa. gov. CRCPO, Nov 2003. Web. 21 Nov 2011. lt;http://www. epa. gov/greatlakes/aoc/cuyahoga/ErieStreamsGuide. pdfgt;. Keller, Edward A. Prologue To Environmental Geology. fourth. Prentice Hall, 2008.

Seven Deadly Sins and Play Everyman free essay sample

In the play Everyman, demise is embodied and treated as a specialist of God that goes to visit the plays hero, Everyman. Everyman, as other profound quality plays, tries to introduce a strict exercise through symbolic figures speaking to extract attributes. The play focuses on the life of Everyman, a rich man in his prime who is out of nowhere called by Death to show up before God for judgment. On his excursion to meet God, he looks for help from long lasting allies Fellowship (companions), Kindred and Cousin (family), and Goods (material riches), yet all surrender him since he has dismissed them throughout everyday life, Good-Deeds is too feeble to even think about accompanying Everyman on his excursion. She encourages him to approach Knowledge (familiarity with transgression). Information accompanies Everyman to Confession, who guides him to do atonement. During the time spent Everymans repentance, Good-Deeds is reinforced and is at long last ready to go with Everyman to his last retribution. Everyman, presently wearing the article of clothing of Contrition, proceeds with his journeyâ€until now a mission for otherworldly wellbeing, yet progressively demonstrating the characteristics of a pilgrimageâ€to salvation. We will compose a custom article test on Seven Deadly Sins and Play Everyman or on the other hand any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Everyman, Knowledge, and Good-Deeds are joined on the excursion by Beauty, Strength, Discretion, and Five Wits (the faculties). Subsequent to giving his riches to good cause, Everyman follows the exhortation of Knowledge and Five Wits and gets the holy observances of Communion and Extreme Unction. Then, Knowledge and Five Wits chat regarding the matter of degenerate clerics in the congregation. Moving toward his grave, Everyman is again abandoned by the entirety of his associates with the exception of Knowledge and Good-Deeds. As the story closes, Knowledge stays behind as Everyman and Good-Deeds together slip into the grave. The topics in Everyman are emphatically reflected in the figurative characters which populate the work. The work instructs moral and strict exercises about how to satisfy God and how to treat humankind. The work has been seen by certain pundits as a sensational treatment of the medieval Catholic church tenet of â€Å"Holy Dying,† whereby an individual neglects natural connections and readies their spirit for salvation, however scenes, for example, the conversation among Knowledge and Five Wits on degenerate ministers propose the impact of the Protestant change development also. The testing of Everymans mates, every one of whom fizzle with the exception of Good-Deeds, mirrors the medieval conviction that companions must substantiate themselves before they can be acknowledged as obvious. Great Deedss dedication also focuses to the Christian idea of fellowship as a blessing from God. Along these lines, this figure speaks to Everymans own positive and great activities as well as Gods favoring also. Everyman is a fascinating play, that shows how everyone has the obligation to do beneficial things during his life, and afterward at his demise, God will pass judgment on him for every one of his transgressions he make during his live. The motivation behind this exposition is to show that God has a reason for us all and we can pick whether acknowledge his motivation or no. The story starts when God was believing that everyman had made a great deal of sins so He sent Death to take to Everyman the message that he should go on a long excursion; that he should plan to make his bookkeeping before God. In any case, everyman denied to leave earth, he says that he isn't prepared and requests additional time likewise, offers to the Death one thousand pounds on the off chance that he excuse him however Death declines saying that all wealth on the planet would be his on the off chance that he did that kind of illicit business. In addition, Everyman next solicitation was in the event that he will be permitted to return after he has give his record to God yet he promise him that the spot he is going to it is extremely unlikely to return however at any rate he can discover somebody to go along with him on the excursion that is exceptionally troublesome. To start with, he discovered cooperation; he says that he will do anything for Everyman even to paid a wrong done by him at the danger of his own life, however when Everyman welcomes Fellowship to go along with him in the excursion of Death, Fellowship rapidly decays and quickly leave. At that point Everyman concludes that blood associations may make more grounded colleagues, so he moves toward Kindred. Toward the start appears that Kindred will go with Everyman. In any case, when Kindred is aware of the goal. He decreases. Everyman is feeling forlorn. Additionally, Everyman searches for Goods however he can't help him as well, nobody of his â€Å"friends† help him so he felt that he pick wrong his companions. Finally he reviews his Good Deeds and Good Deeds proposes that Knowledge can be of help, at that point Knowledge takes Everyman to visit Confession, in such a case that Everyman discovered that information on his wrongdoings, he can discover salvation. Increasingly after Everyman add new allies to go with him. Prudence, Beauty, Strength, and the Five Wits. Toward the end, Everyman gets last rituals from a cleric and plans to meet Death. The crowd reminded that the cleric is God’s delegate. As the excursion proceeds, every one of his buddies had leaved him. Magnificence is the first, since excellence blurs rapidly as man draw near to death. The close to leave is Strength. Next Discretion leaves, and afterward Five Wits deserts Everyman and finally just Knowledge and Good Deeds stay close by. Great Deeds goes with him to the Heaven to argue his motivation before his Maker, and Knowledge, staying behind, hears the happy melodies of the blessed messengers. Taking everything into account, this ethical quality play shows that nobody escapes from God's will. We should be the sort of individual that changes every single terrible thing in our reality. What's more, consistently be expressed gratitude toward to God and in basic words do beneficial things throughout everyday life. Everyman is an intriguing play, that shows how everyone has the duty to do beneficial things during his live, and afterward at his demise, God will pass judgment on him for every one of his transgressions he make during his live. The reason for this exposition is to show that God has a reason for us all and we can pick whether acknowledge his motivation or no. Toward the end, Everyman gets last ceremonies from a cleric and gets ready to meet Death. The crowd reminded that the minister is God’s delegate. As the excursion proceeds, every one of his sidekicks had leaved him. Excellence is the first, since magnificence blurs rapidly as man draw near to death. The close to leaved is Strength. Next Discretion leaves, and afterward Five Wits surrenders Everyman and finally just Knowledge and Good Deeds stay close by. Great Deeds goes with him to the Heaven to argue his motivation before his Maker, and Knowledge, staying behind, hears the upbeat melodies of the holy messengers. Taking everything into account, this profound quality play shows that nobody escapes from God's will. We should be the sort of individual that changes every single awful thing in our reality. What's more, consistently be said thanks to God and in basic words do beneficial things throughout everyday life. Different things to note are: 1. that God commands the primary portion of the play 2. that the Wheel of Fortune aids the plummet climb design 3. that Everyman at first depends on his natural backings to help him on his excursion; now he is cursed 4. that the themes of petition, distraction with time, and individual enduring show up in the two parts of the play. 5. that the Seven Deadly Sins, in spite of the fact that not plainly present in the play, are integral to Everymans predicament, particularly Avarice and Pride. 6. that the play has various topical references to Christs Passion 7. that the play at last shows keeps an eye on reclamation is just through Christ. Moreover, different auxiliary examples for the play have been progressed. From one viewpoint, some have contended for a four section auxiliary plan: 1) the pointless clash with death, 2) the inability to discover a partner, 3) the change from sadness to delight through the appearance of commendable mates, and 4) the new confusion emerging from the renunciation by the commendable buddies. Then again, others contend for a three section conspire concentrating on different peaks as Everyman is surrendered by different gatherings of associates. Be that as it may, the negative preamble of the Messenger and the positive epilog of the Doctor unmistakably separate a two section structure. One development, a falling activity, possesses around the principal half of the play; it follows Everymans decrease in fortune from Deaths entrance, which breaks the evident tranquility of his life, to the profundity of his misery, where he can anticipate just endless punishment. The subsequent development, a rising activity, conveys him from this nadir to his last salvation, represented by the expressions of the inviting Angel. Point by point examination uncovers this two section, plunge climb auxiliary example as the essential standard of the plays association

Knowledge Management Strategies Research Paper - 3300 Words

Knowledge Management Strategies (Research Paper Sample) Content: Topic: How Knowledge management strategies impact on Organisational Performance: A case Study of Lenovo and IBMChapter 4 Data Collection and Analysis4.1 IntroductionThe chapter four of the dissertation offers an analysis of the collected study data. In this case, the chapter offers an analysis of the collected data from both the Lenovo and IBM Companies. In particular, the chapter offers the systems and knowledge management strategies and the process of their application applied by both organisations. As such, it relates the organisational systems with the discussed literature review on knowledge management.4.2 Case Analysis of LenovoThe study analysis evaluated the knowledge management strategies applied by Lenovo and the extent to which such strategies were applied in its operations. The start of the Lenovo Company application of Knowledge management was in 2003 (Bashir, Usoro Khan, 2014). At this period, the organisation developed the LKSKM Knowledge management sy stem. The second milestone in the adoption of KM strategies was in 2004, when the organisation integrated the knowledge management, information management and flow management into a single department (Ming, 2009). Once the function was established, the Lenovo Company developed a four stages system design through which manages its KM systems (Sun et al, 2013). The first stage was the acquisition of the required knowledge from the organisation. As such, the KM department sourced and tapped onto all the exiting organizational functions to consolidate the information from enterprise resource planning (ERP) and management information system (MIS) applied across the organisational functions. The second stage in the KM system design is the role of the KM function in the organisation to categorise and classify the obtained knowledge form the different sources to integrated and relevant information (Cooke, 2013). The third stage is the dynamic information sharing, where the management and KM function encourage the employees to share and transfer knowledge and information across the venture. Finally, the last stage in Lenovo KM systems management is the use of a systems audit. In this regard, the KM function audits the knowledge sharing process and links the overall impacts on organisational strategic goals to allow for changes and corrective measures in the established organisational systems.Examples of KM systems adopted by the Lenovo Company include the use of the community of practice KM systems. In this case, the community of practice is mainly applied in the management of the respective organisational projects and in the process of designing new organisational product. As such, one of the fundamental pillars set up by the organisation is the development of an internal network system, where the employees can engage and interact with one another. In this scenario, employees with shared interest such as in design and in a specific project management share information among one another (Wang-Cowham, 2011). In this case, besides the enhanced sharing of and transfer of knowledge among the participating employees, the obtained information is used as a part of the organisational data base. The use of the communities of practice KM system has been a critical tool for enhancing connectivity, sharing and knowledge transfer among the Lenovo Company employees despite their geographical distance separations.4.3 Case Analysis of IBM Industry analysis, such as the analysis developed by Prusak (2001) indicated that the IBM Company is one of the earliest KM systems adopters, with its adoption timelines dating back to 1994. As such, over the years, the organisation has developed and evolved its KM systems to match up with changing technology and market needs respectively. One of the earliest KM systems set up by the venture was the knowledgeview program. The program, aimed at the organisational business consulting services (BCS) unit (Mertins, 2010). The KM pl atform offered an opportunity through which business consulting resources and information was easily accessible, allowing for increase knowledge sharing for the consulting departments. In This regard, the KM system was accompanied by a knowledge map. In this regard, the knowledge map illustrated the availability of expert consultants as well as their availability timelines and schedules (Balaid, Rozan Abdullah, 2014). Consequently, besides allowing for increased access to the consultants, it provided availability schedules as well. Among the other availed information from the system included past consultancy reports and lessons learnt from such reviews.An additional knowledge management system for IBM was the Extreme leverage in 1999. In this period, the venture developed a knowledge sharing and collaboration tool for software sellers (Earl, 2001). In this case, the portal provides expert location and intellectual capital among others, allowing the sellers to easily meet and intera ct with experts on the different software brands offered by the company in the IT industry. Through the system knowledge map, the software sellers could sieve through the existing experts on a specific software as well as identify relevant information and timeliness within which to contact them (IBM, 2015). Moreover, it provided a list of frequently asked questions analysis as an approach to ensuring that resources utilisation was maximised. In this regard, the system generated automatic responses for the frequently queried issues, while the experts managed their time through dressing complex and emerging issues on software development and usage respectively. 4.4 SummaryIn summary, chapter 4 of the dissertation offers an analysis of the KM strategies applied by both the Lenovo and IBM Companies. On one hand, an evaluation of the Lenovo Company indicates that the organisation conducted from a centralised designate department. In this case the organisational KM structure is based on t he existing MIS and ERP technology systems to collect data as well as aid in strategic decision making within the venture. The KM function is tasked with the mandate of managing its KM systems as well as ensuring the alignment of the KM systems goals and outcomes with the strategic organisational goals. On the other hand, the analysis establishes that the IBM Company applies KM strategies through the use of knowledge maps to allow for collaboration and knowledge sharing between the organisation and the external stakeholders. Two of the main KM systems by the venture as discussed include the knowledgeview and the extreme leverage systems respectively. Chapter 5 Discussion 5.1 Introduction Chapter 5 of the dissertation offers a discussion of the established chapter 4 findings. On one hand, the chapter offers a discussion of the applied KM systems against the literature review analysis to establish the type of applied strategies. Moreover, it conducts a performance analysis of both org anisations and relates the applied KM strategies and the organisations established performance level.5.2 The use of knowledge management strategies by Lenovo and IBM Lenovo applies the analytical KM strategies. The analysed KM strategy applied by the Lenovo Company is in line with the offered literature review analysis. In this case, Cabantous and Gond (2011) and Dalkir (2013) argued that a KM strategy that supports the process of decision making through both internal and external information is an analytical KM strategy. In this regard, the core features of an analytical KM strategy include the use of both internal and external information sources, the use of IT to integrate and analyse such acquired information, and the reliance on the developed information base to formulate strategic organisational decisions (Cabantous Gond, 2011). Therefore, an analysis of the Lenovo KM strategy indicates the fulfillment of the above features. On one hand, the organisational KM strategy relies on meetings with external stakeholders as well as MIS internally generated data. Moreover, its execution is hedged on the management apparatus on MIS and EPR systems respectively. Therefore, an analysis of the adopted Lenovo KM strategy in comparison to the literature review, analysis concludes that the venture applies the analytical KM strategy in its operations.On the other hand, key features of the applied strategies by IBM include collaboration and learning and retrieving past data to improve current systems performances. According to Kerzner (2013) and Rao, Mansingh and Osei-Bryson (2012), a KM strategy that allows for collaboration and sharing and retrieval of past information is categorised as an asset management KM strategy. In this regard, the IBM Company has enabled the development of a knowledge map through its expert location system. Through the knowledge map, as Lytras (2008) argued, the organisational internal and external stakeholders easily access the relevant knowle dge form its original source. Therefore, based on the above analysis on the different scenario and instances through which IBM Company has applied KM systems, the study established that the key KM strategy applied by the venture was the asset management KM strategies, characterized by the use of knowledge maps to guide users.The study analysis on the organisational performance levels for both the Lenovo and IBM Companies was guided by the literature review analysis by Richard et al. (2009). In this case, the analysis classified performance into financial performance, market share performance, and product and shareholder value performance. Therefore, the performance levels were developed based on the established framework. 5.3 The organisational performance of the Lenovo and IBMAn analysis of the Lenovo Company market share performance illustrates increasing growth rates. In this case, as the 2015 annual report by the Inter...

Psychedelic Drugs The Ethics Of Medicine - 2036 Words

Since the 20th century, many medical professionals and researchers have been attempting to utilize psychedelic drugs in psychological illnesses treatments. In many testing cases, these psychedelic drugs were having hallucination effects on the patients. For examples, psychedelic drugs such as LSD and methoxamine are capable of changing a person’s moods, feelings, or even behaviors in either positive or negative ways. However, after decades of restriction on psychedelic drugs in 1960s, hallucinogens have been researched constantly in order to find a proper ways to utilize them in medicine. In other words, medical experts have been testing these drugs occasionally on patients, raising questions about medical ethics as a result. For instance, various patients reported to experience drug addiction, violent or suicidal thoughts, and physical syndromes such as coma, seizures, or loss of muscular coordination. Therefore, not only the testing of psychedelic drugs causes ethical debate s, but the use of these drugs in general also questions whether they should be used in medicine at all. In his article â€Å"Psychedelic Psychotherapy: The Ethics of Medicine for the Soul,† Brian Anderson supports the use of psychedelics in transpersonal psychotherapy, a new field of mental illness treatment using psychology instead of medicine. More specifically, he recalls from scientific studies that psychedelics are capable of altering a person’s states of consciousness. According to Anderson,Show MoreRelatedMedical Anthropology Winter 2016 : Final Exam Questions1797 Words   |  8 PagesHIV prevalence in the ‘New Century.’ Although, the New Century factory provides a HIV clinic, they may be contributing to the high levels of occurrence of HIV/AIDS (40% of workers) in the New Century’s factory. Kenworthy’s article, A Manufactu(RED) Ethics: Labor, HIV, and the Body in Lesotho’s â€Å"Sweat-free† Garment Industry, discusses t he companies desire to be ‘socially responsible’ despite the fact that their poor practices and unsafe conditions could be contributing to the prevalence of HIV. Kenworthy

The Business Cycle Model A Diagram That Shows How...

The business cycle model is a diagram that shows how economic activity fluctuates over time. There are four phases of this activity known as boom, recession, upswing and downswing. Overtime, the theory is that economic activity will increase and that living standards, employment and the quality of life to rise. The boom or peak stage of the business cycle is when the level of economy is at its highest. It occurs after the upswing stage. The levels of expenditure, output income and employment are also at their highest. Inflation in prices also increase as there is more demand in goods and services. The government might use policies to try slow down or contract economic activity to stabilise inflation. India is a developing country that is believed to be falling into the boom period of the business cycle. At a GDP percent of 7.3% currently, India is believed to be one of the fastest growing countries. With China slowing, India is certainly carrying the day in terms of best growth rates, said Peter Boockvar, Lindsey Group s chief market analyst. On the other hand, China’s growth rate is starting to slow. China’s real GDP growth is currently sitting at 6.3%. With an aging population, and low fertility rates, it is believed China’s Economy will soon start to fall and go into a downswing. The Down and Upswing stages occur when an economy is rising and falling. The downswing stage includes fallings levels of expenditure, income, output, and employment. As the economic activityShow MoreRelatedThe Objectives Of Learning And Development3796 Words   |  16 Pages flexible and able to deliver the organisations results in challenging times. 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Security Issues And Solutions Management †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: What Is Regarded As The Internet Of Things? How Are These Issues Being Addressed? What Are Some Of The Solutions That Internet Of Things Solved? Which Are Some Of Technology Which Are Used In Internet Of Things? Answers: Introduction The world of technology has advanced tremendously over the past few years. Every day there is launching of a given technology (Bonomi, Milito, Zhu Addepalli, 2012). Among such technology which has taken the world by storm is the internet off things (IOT). In this research it aims to explore more on this topic of internet of things. Some of the research questions which will be addressed are as follows; Overview of internet of things The internet of things is the sprawling set of technologies which uses the cases which have no clear, definition. One of the workable frames of the internet of things is the use of the network-connected devices that are embedded in the physical environment, in order to improve some of the existing process or perhaps enable a new scenario which was not possible previously (Da Xu, He Li, 2014). Every individual uses a smart device which could be anything from that contain an electronics, sensors, software that are connected to a network. The term internet of things in this regards refers to the interconnection of all these things (Gubbi, Buyya, Marusic Palaniswami, 2013). Once they are launched online they are capable of collecting and exchanging data without any human intervention. Recently, it has been observed that technologies such as the internet of things have emerged due to internet of things technology. Applications of the internet of things This technology has been used in all the industries ranging from use at home as well as other field such as medicine, engineering and for operations in the business. Some of ways it has been incorporated is as follows; Health sector: when it comes to the health sector the world has encountered a high number of individuals seeking the medical attention. The real issue arises when there is lack of enough expertise in this sector (Gubbi, Buyya, Marusic Palaniswami, 2013). However, to deal with this issue the internet of things has incorporated system which are used in remote monitoring of the patients especially in the diagnosis and the delivery of the correct medicine to the patients. Another application of the internet of things is in home automation. Individuals are able to connect all objects they have ranging from the appliances as well as the automobiles. When it comes to the retail shop the internet of things has been used (Ntuli Abu-Mahfouz, 2016). Individuals today no longer use the bar codes when it comes to monitoring of the movement of their goods (Jones, 2015). With the application such as radio frequency identification, the retail shop owners have the capability of monitoring all their stock and get real time data which will be essential when it comes to making of decisions (Jones, 2015). Additionally, the IOT has been used in the industry automation, where the industries are automating most of their processes to be able to improve on their efficiency. The manufacturing and the logistics sectors have also not been left behind when it comes to acquiring this technology, especially in the use of the machine to machine interaction as well as being able to track their goods while they are in transit. The use of these technology has been possible through the use of the internet of things. Security issues and solution in IOT According to Gartner (2013) he oversees a world where there are more than twenty six billion devices which have been connected to the internet by the year 2020. Moreover, some researcher have taken this number to a high level of fifty billion devices in the same period (Rivera van der Meulen, 2013). This is a scary trend considering the rise of the hacking problems which have been exhibited across the globe (Jones, 2015). Nevertheless, there would be a large volume of data which will be generated every second, still the world has yet to bring technology to process such volume of data in an efficient manner (Jones, 2015). Below are some of the security issues which have been encountered as a result in use of internet of things. Security issues of IOT The current technology entails one to secure the servers, personal computers as well as other devices employing latest security protocols and practices (Jones, 2015). Nonetheless, the security of internet of things can be hard to maintain considering it uses bi-directional communication whose security is still developing. Some of the security issues which faces internet of things are as follows; One of the issue is the insecure web interfaces. This is one of the top ten vulnerability which has been outlined by the open web Application security project (Jones, 2015). This threat is found I the web interfaces which are found in all the internet of things devices. The second issue is insufficient authentication. This usually occurs when an application permits an attacker to access sensitive information or perhaps functionality without proper authenticate, such as accessing the controls of the admin by going to the admin directory without having to log in (Wortmann Flchter, 2015). Therefore, when the devices allows user to login with a lame password or password which are not secure enough it could be possible for the attacker to have an access. Hacking: this refers to the issue related to the ransomware, the distributed Denial attack or perhaps an identity theft. The issue in regards to this security concern is that some devices are important and in the event they are tampered with there could be catastrophic effects such as the health monitoring system (Wortmann Flchter, 2015). Moreover, the information which is contained there could be used for malicious activities by the cyber criminals. Security solutions utilized in internet of things There are various solutions which could be put in place to ensure there is security in the internet of things technology, these are as follows; Device status monitoring: each device which has been connected to the internet need to be monitored more frequently (Wortmann Flchter, 2015). In the event the device goes offline, the user should be in a position to know immediately and have measures in place to stop the flow of data and be able to identify the sudden changes on its status (Wortmann Flchter, 2015). A practical example of this is on the smart TV, in the event it goes offline this could mean that there is someone who has tampered with it or perhaps there is issues of internet outage (Jones, 2015). The internet of things metadata tracking programs could be utilized in such as a situation. End to end encryption: to be in a position to enable there is an end to end security, there is need to employ technology such as the Advanced Encryption standard which is integrated with the existing standards (Tan Wang, 2010). The use of such technology could ensure that only the devices which have an encryption keys are capable of transmitting as well as decrypting data from the source of the devices. Another way could be through education of the users: According to research it has been known that one of the main causes of security attack of these devices has been because most individuals do not know how to set up the devices well (Weber Weber, 2010). It is important to educate the users on the possible threats and ways of keeping them secure and how they could reduce attacks. End to end penetration testing: this test is usually undertaken to identify any kind of vulnerabilities which could exists in the internet of things devices interface and the appropriate solutions which can be applied to minimize these risks (Weber Weber, 2010). The ban on the Open Inbound ports in devices: previously, there were ports which were initially used for communication between the devices (Xia, Yang, Wang Vinel, 2012). The major concern with them is that they demand to be left open, this could create a vulnerability for the attackers who are able to gain access. When one does not use these ports, and alternatively uses the outbound connections, the devices remain secure. Technologies associated with internet of things and application to real world One of the technology is the Internet of things analytics; these technology tend to generate a lot of volume of data every second, therefore there is need for the systems to analyse on this data and provide useful data for making decisions (Xia, Yang, Wang Vinel, 2012). An example of this is the health monitoring system which monitors the activities of a person and communicate any changes which is exhibited. Another technology is the distributed computing stream platforms (DCSP) (Xia, Yang, Wang Vinel, 2012). These technology have capability of processing high rate of data stream which is provided by the internet of things devices in performing tasks for example identification of the pattern and the real time analytics. Many business could utilize such technology when they want to predict the market. Conclusion Currently, the world is opening to the possibilities of the internet of things. Each day devices are being developed and are being connected to the internet. There are many benefits which have been gained as a result of this interconnection. Nevertheless, as highlighted in the research, this has been brought about by many challenges on the devices. The problem ranges from data theft, which are getting worse every day. The world therefore needs to focus more on how to improve the security of the internet of things devices. References Bonomi, F., Milito, R., Zhu, J., Addepalli, S. (2012, August). Fog computing and its role in the internet of things. In Proceedings of the first edition of the MCC workshop on Mobile cloud computing (pp. 13-16). ACM. Da Xu, L., He, W., Li, S. (2014). Internet of things in industries: A survey. IEEE Transactions on industrial informatics, 10(4), 2233-2243. Gubbi, J., Buyya, R., Marusic, S., Palaniswami, M. (2013). Internet of Things (IoT): A vision,architectural elements, and future directions. Future generation computer systems, 29(7), 1645-1660. Jones, L. K. (2015). The insecurity of things: How to manage the internet of things (Doctoral dissertation, Utica College). Ntuli N., Abu-Mahfouz, A. (2016). A simple security architecture for smart water management system. Procedia Computer Science, 83, 1164-1169. Rivera, J., van der Meulen, R. (2013). Gartner says the internet of things installed base will grow to 26 billion units by 2020. Stamford, conn., December, 12. Tan, L., Wang, N. (2010, August). Future internet: The internet of things. In Advance Computer Theory and Engineering (ICACTE), 2010 3rd International Conference on (Vol. 5, pp. V5-376). IEEE. Weber, R. H., Weber, R. (2010). Internet of things (Vol. 12). New York, NY, USA:: Springer. Wortmann, F., Flchter, K. (2015). Internet of things. Business Information Systems Engineering, 57(3), 221-224. Xia, F., Yang, L. T., Wang, L., Vinel, A. (2012). Internet of things. International Journal ofCommunication Systems, 25(9), 1101. Zanella, A., Bui, N., Castellani, A., Vangelista, L., Zorzi, M. (2014). Internet of things for smart cities. IEEE Internet of Things journal, 1(1), 22-32.

Morrisons Swot free essay sample

Richard Hammond, use of familiar face to advertise the company in a celebrity obsessive society. †¢Emphasis on procuring and distribution of quality British product at competitive price compared to competitors †¢Acquisition of new stores and expansion of the company, steady rise in company profits in recent years Weakness: †¢Company focus mostly on food products while the market share for daily goods, accessories and pharmaceutical are being over taken by competitors . i. e. Tesco, Asda †¢The economic crisis- means possible customers cannot afford to spend their income quickly and will prefer for a better value before making sale †¢The company as many other major supermarkets are essentially working in a negative working capital meaning its always in debt †¢Company lagging behind in implementing its digital services to its customers compared to the major competitors such as Tesco who’ve had their online service operation for several years now †¢Globalization means cheaper and equally quality product can and are being sold by the stores competitors at competitive price Opportunity: †¢Branching out into other business ventures like pharmaceuticals, opticians, electronics, entertainment goods, clothes and many more †¢Focusing more on customer satisfaction and ease of convenience in order to portray the company in a positive manner †¢Special deals and offers on common consumer goods as in food stuff hygiene, during such economic instability to present solidarity and understanding towards the customers Threats: Adverse weather conditions such as snow storms and heavy rain, etc over major sales season may result in poor profit margins †¢ Due to external geo-political pressure i. We will write a custom essay sample on Morrisons Swot or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page e. new rules and regulations brought in by the E. U may result in heavy loss of possible income †¢Recent economic crisis means the loss of hundreds of thousands of job and business loss, directly affecting the spending power of would be customers who may look for cheaper alternatives to a supermarket †¢Competitors from major European supermarket Losing valuable suppliers and fianancial aid from banks due to the economic crisis

Free Essays on Melatonin

MELATONIN Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, located within your brain. Every day, as it gets later, the pineal gland goes to work by releasing increasing amounts of melatonin into your bloodstream. This hormone may play a role in many body processes. Your blood vessels, ovaries, gastrointestinal system and brain all have cells that are specially equipped to utilize melatonin. The main influence it has involves sleep. The time period in which the pineal gland releases the hormones coincides with the hours you typically sleep. It doesn’t cause you to fall asleep, but it initiates changes throughout your body that make you feel ready for sleep. Several studies have shown that 1 to 2 milligrams a day may help improve the quality and duration of sleep in some people. However, it appears melatonin supplements may help only the small number of insomniacs who have a melatonin deficiency. Much remains unknown about this hormone and its effects on your body, particularly when it’s used long-term or with other medications. There also concerns about the quality and purity of the supplements. Because it is not a drug, the FDA doesn’t regulate its safety. No serious side effects have yet been attributed to taking melatonin supplements, but doctors and scientist believe it may cause hypothermia, reduced fertility, suppression of male sex drive, and damage to the retina of the eye.... Free Essays on Melatonin Free Essays on Melatonin MELATONIN Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, located within your brain. Every day, as it gets later, the pineal gland goes to work by releasing increasing amounts of melatonin into your bloodstream. This hormone may play a role in many body processes. Your blood vessels, ovaries, gastrointestinal system and brain all have cells that are specially equipped to utilize melatonin. The main influence it has involves sleep. The time period in which the pineal gland releases the hormones coincides with the hours you typically sleep. It doesn’t cause you to fall asleep, but it initiates changes throughout your body that make you feel ready for sleep. Several studies have shown that 1 to 2 milligrams a day may help improve the quality and duration of sleep in some people. However, it appears melatonin supplements may help only the small number of insomniacs who have a melatonin deficiency. Much remains unknown about this hormone and its effects on your body, particularly when it’s used long-term or with other medications. There also concerns about the quality and purity of the supplements. Because it is not a drug, the FDA doesn’t regulate its safety. No serious side effects have yet been attributed to taking melatonin supplements, but doctors and scientist believe it may cause hypothermia, reduced fertility, suppression of male sex drive, and damage to the retina of the eye....

Political Thories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political Thories - Essay Example He believes a society’s central authority can only decree that moral judgement. This presents Thomas belief in an autocratic and absolutist government. Thomas believes that absolutist government is the only government that can guarantee peace for humankind. Thomas presents the three laws that govern societies search for peace. The first being humans have the power to utilise all means they know to preserve his life. The second law all men have a natural right to all things and lastly the making of contracts is necessary to assure peace. The two treaties of a government represent the moral role of a government. The first treaty focuses on the rights of kings (Locke 16). Locke disagrees with the argument that man is born a slave to the kings. Locke presents his belief in reason and ability of man to govern himself according to Gods law. Locke believes that all men are naturally in a perfect state of freedom (Locke 8). Locke’s belief is in agreement with Thomas idea. The second treaty is Locke’s definition of power as the right to make laws for the protection and regulation of property. The laws work because people accept the laws and because they are for the public good. The second treaty is the proposed solution for political upheaval in England and other modern

The Development of American Science and Technology in the Eyes of Essay

The Development of American Science and Technology in the Eyes of Henry Adams - Essay Example Firstly, it will contextualize the historical developments that led to the zenith of American development. Secondly, it will discuss the monumental feats at the early years of the Gilded Age and the important industries and figure heads during that time. The Post-Civil War, the Reconstruction Period and President Grant Important developments in the American nation happened notably during the Presidency of Ulysses Grant in 1869, after the Civil War and the offset of the Reconstruction Era. The societal context of Adams’ life at that time was in a period of aggressive American territorial expansion to the West. By traversing the annals of American history during the post-Civil War and the height of the Reconstruction, the politics of the American federal government dictated the type of society that the nation had produced during those years. President Jackson was a hostile leader but more importantly, supportive of the idea of Southern reconstruction. He was willing to give the black race, formerly slaves of the white people, the equality and freedom they were demanding before and during the Civil War. Policies such as the Human Rights of 1865, the establishment of the Freedman’s Bureau and the emancipation of slaves with the eventual abolishment of the policy of slavery was the major political aura surrounding Adams during the 1850s and the 1860s.1 This meant that the society of Adams allowed the osmosis of both races - the whites and the clacks. Parallel with the developments in the political sphere of the United States, accompanying technological advancements had been enhanced at the entrance of President Grant’s administration. This was made possible through the seizure of the Southern plantations under the supervision of the American federal government. In this case, the predominant industrial states up North worked in hand with the agricultural aggregates of the South.2 The formerly debating economies of the North and the South had been complementing one another towards a definite linear development of what would turn out to be a strong American economy. Adams writes in his recollections that the United States at the late 19th century and the dawn of the early 20th century had been fully industrialized. Scientific and technological advancements were the turning points of the time.3 The rise of big businesses and the industrialization of the agricultural sector served the economy well. The United States had almost been immediately marked as one of the rising superpowers of the international scene.4 By analysing what Adams had written, it can be said that based on his words, a rich capitalist-oriented society was at its peak. By his experiences after the Civil War and with the subjugation of the South by the North, political stability went in favor for the Republican Party. In such case, Republican policies and the support of free labor was the basis of American economy.5 The Gilded Age and the Emergence of the Amer ican Oligarchy Adams’ recollection in the chapters â€Å"The Dynamo and the Virgin†, â€Å"The Height of Knowledge† and â€Å"The Grammar of Science†, the author infers the development of America with the entrance of the Gilded Age of politics and economy. Adams greatly details the happenings which surround

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Project - Essay Example The total long term assets for this company in the year 2010 were recorded to be $86,113,000. As time went on, the company continued improving and by the year 2013, this value was recorded to be $142,431,000. In terms of liabilities, the percentage of liabilities for the company has been recorded to decrease substantially. The company has been able to reduce liabilities to a desirable level. This means that the company is in a position to generate more profit and improve on stocks and products. There is a reason, therefore to conclude that this company has high competitive abilities. There is a reason also to conclude that this company is better off than even its major competitors. In the year 2010, the percentage of total liabilities was more than one hundred percent. This showed that the company had to give out a lot of its earnings in terms of payments. All the same, by the year 2013, the percentage of total liabilities was recorded to have reduced to values less than one hundred percent. This shows that the company had expanded substantially. It shows that the company was in a position to settle various debts and to increase ion size. Using valuation techniques, the company’s growth rate for the present and next year can be estimated. The company grew by more than 108 percent in the year 2010. In the year 2011, the rate of growth was recorded to decrease to 103 percent. In the year 2012, the rate continued to decrease. It went down to 102 percent. We can therefore, prospect that this year’s rate of growth will be 101.5 percent and next year’s rate of growth will be 100 percent. This rate of growth will still ensure that the company develops to the desired level within reasonable time duration. We notice that there is a decreasing trend in the rate of growth for the company. The reason here is because the company is continues increasing every year. An increase in size of the company will imply that a greater total change will be needed t o reflect an increasing fraction on the total change. A substantial growth would therefore still indicate a smaller percentage than the previous due to the increase in size of the company. There will still be satisfactory rates of growth for the company in the next several years. This is according to what the information provided indicates for the three years period. At present, the company is fairly valued. The company does not have extremes of pending debts that have to be paid. This means that all the sales made by the company will contribute positively to the total value of the company. The sales for the company are also high. This will attract majority of investors to buy shares from the company. They will do this because they expect to get high returns from the shares. Once this is the situation, then the company will have enough amount of money to use in all their transactions. The company will be in a position to invest more thus attracting more profit. The value of the comp any at the moment is fair. The company has assets. These assets are fairly huge enough to attract any financial market participant to buying the business. The company cannot be said to be highly valued. We can neither say that the company is undervalued. After reading through all the information provided about the company, we can only say that the company is average valued. The value for the company can still be improved through various tactics that will enable the company

The Life of William Shakespeare Essay examples -- Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was a very talented man known for his various works of literature. His works include poems, plays, and sonnets. His works are then broken down into tragedies, comedies, and histories. Shakespeare left this world centuries ago, but his writings continue to live throughout the world today. He has greatly impacted the world of literature and his existence will forever be remembered. In 1564, William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon (Hazell 32). It seems that Shakespeare’s career began around the year 1592. This was a tough time for playwrights and actors. There was an outbreak of the bubonic plague which caused concerns for those wanting to watch because of being surrounded by those potentially carrying the disease, thus making it hard for the playwrights and actors to find work (â€Å"William Shakespeare.† 653-654). Not only was disease an obstacle William Shakespeare had to overcome in his work, he was also forced to face hampering from religious aspects as well. Leaders in the Puritan community looked down upon plays, acting, and other things of that nature. These authorities thought that these activities would sway people from focusing on the importance of practicing their religion. Plays and such were not allowed to be performed while in the city of London. They were banned. Eventually, despite all the obstructions, plays and theater came to be a popular thing although still forced outside the city (â€Å"The Changing Status...†). After overcoming the troubles of becoming an actor and a playwright, William Shakespeare has become well renowned. His works reach to people all around the world despite the language barriers and different races and cultures. For centuries, the popularity of his work... ... Co., 1919. 5. Print. Ellis, Jessica. â€Å"What are Shakespeare’s Comedies?† wiseGEEK. Conjecture Corp., 2003. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. Frye, Roland Mushat. Shakespeare’s Life and Times. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967. 16. Print. Hazell, Rebecca. Heroes: Great Men Through the Ages. New York: Abbeville Press, N.d. 32. Print. McMillan, Eric. â€Å"Who Was the Greatest of All Writers?† The Greatest Authors of All Time. N.p. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. â€Å"Race – Introduction.† Shakespearean Criticism. eNotes.com. Gale Cengage, 2006. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. Schwartz, Debora B. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Plays: The Histories.† ENGL 339. N.p. 2002. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. â€Å"The Changing Status of Theater.† About.Com.Shakespeare. The New York Times Co., 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. â€Å"William Shakespeare.† Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. 24. Danbury, CT: Grolier Inc., 1994. 652-654; 656. Print.

Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’ Essay

â€Å"Maybe reflective practices offer us a way of trying to make sense of the uncertainty in our workplaces and the courage to work competently and ethically at the edge of order and chaos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ghaye, 2000, p.7) Reflective practice has burgeoned over the last few decades throughout various fields of professional practice and education. In some professions it has become one of the defining features of competence, even if on occasion it has been adopted – mistakenly and unreflectively – to rationalise existing practice. The allure of the ‘reflection bandwagon’ lies in the fact that it ‘rings true’ (Loughran, 2000). Within different disciplines and intellectual traditions, however, what is understood by ‘reflective practice’ varies considerably (Fook et al, 2006). Multiple and contradictory understandings of reflective practice can even be found within the same discipline. Despite this, some consensus has been achieved amid the profusion of definitions. In general, reflective practice is understood as the process of learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of self and/or practice (Boud et al 1985; Boyd and Fales, 1983; Mezirow, 1981, Jarvis, 1992). This often involves examining assumptions of everyday practice. It also tends to involve the individual practitioner in being self-aware and critically evaluating their own responses to practice situations. The point is to recapture practice experiences and mull them over critically in order to gain new understandings and so improve future practice. This is understood as part of the process of life-long learning. Beyond these broad areas of agreement, however, contention and difficulty reign. There is debate about the extent to which practitioners should focus on themselves as individuals rather than the larger social context. There are questions about how, when, where and why reflection should take place. For busy professionals short on time, reflective practice is all too easily applied in bland, mechanical, unthinking ways, Would-be practitioners may also find it testing to stand back from painful experiences and seek to be analytical about them. In this tangle of understandings, misunderstandings and difficulties, exactly how to apply and teach reflective practice effectively has become something of a conundrum. This paper explores current ideas and debates relating to reflective practice. In the first two sections, I review key definitions and models of reflection commonly used in professional practice. Then, in the reflective spirit myself, I critically examine the actual practice of the concept, highlighting ethical, professional, pedagogic and conceptual concerns. I put forward the case that reflective practice is both complex and situated and that it cannot work if applied mechanically or simplistically. On this basis, I conclude with some tentative suggestions for how educators might nurture an effective reflective practice involving critical reflection. Defining reflective practice †¦reflection can mean all things to all people†¦it is used as a kind of umbrella or canopy term to signify something that is good or desirable†¦everybody has his or her own (usually undisclosed) interpretation of what reflection means, and this interpretation is used as the basis for trumpeting the virtues of reflection in a way that makes it sound as virtuous as motherhood. Smyth (1992, p.285) The term ‘reflective practice’ carries multiple meanings that range from the idea of professionals engaging in solitary introspection to that of engaging in critical dialogue with others. Practitioners may embrace it occasionally in formal, explicit ways or use it more fluidly in ongoing, tacit ways. For some, reflective practice simply refers to adopting a thinking approach to practice. Others see it as self-indulgent navel gazing. For others still, it  involves carefully structured and crafted approaches towards being reflective about one’s experiences in practice. For example, with reference to teacher education, Larrivee argues that: â€Å"Unless teachers develop the practice of critical reflection, they stay trapped in unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and expectations. Approaching teaching as a reflective practitioner involves fusing personal beliefs and values into a professional identity† (Larrivee, 2000, p.293). In practice, reflective practice is often seen as the bedrock of professional identity. â€Å"Reflecting on performance and acting on refection†, as McKay (2008, Forthcoming) notes, â€Å"is a professional imperative.† Indeed, it has been included in official benchmark standards laid down for professional registration and practice (see table 1 in Appendix 1). One example is in the way it has been included, explicitly and implicitly, in all Project 2000 curricula for Nursing Diplomas, while reflection is highlighted as a pivotal skill to achieve required Standards of Proficiencies in nursing and other health professional education (NMC, 2004; HPC, 2004). It has also become a key strand of approaches to the broader field of continuing professional development, work-based learning and lifelong learning (Eby, 2000; HPC, 2006). Given its growing emphasis in professional practice and education, it would seem important to explore the concept of reflective practice in some detail. To this end, this section distinguishes between different types of reflective practice and looks at the sister concepts of reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity. Reflection ‘in’ and ‘on’ practice Dewey (1933) was among the first to identify reflection as a specialised form of thinking. He considered reflection to stem from doubt, hesitation or perplexity related to a directly experienced situation. For him, this prompted purposeful inquiry and problem resolution (Sinclair, 1998). Dewey also argued that reflective thinking moved people away from routine thinking/action (guided by tradition or external authority) towards  reflective action (involving careful, critical consideration of taken-for-granted knowledge). This way of conceptualising reflection crucially starts with experience and stresses how we learn from ‘doing’, i.e. practice. Specifically Dewey argued that we ‘think the problem out’ towards formulating hypotheses in trial and error reflective situations and then use these to plan action, testing out our ideas. Dewey’s ideas provided a basis for the concept of ‘reflective practice’ which gained influence with the arrival of Schon’s (1983) ‘The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action’. In this seminal work, Schon identified ways in which professionals could become aware of their implicit knowledge and learn from their experience. His main concern was to facilitate the development of reflective practitioners rather than describe the process of reflection per se. However, one of his most important and enduring contributions was to identify two types of reflection: reflection-on-action (after-the-event thinking) and reflection-in-action (thinking while doing). In the case of reflection-on-action, professionals are understood consciously to review, describe, analyse and evaluate their past practice with a view to gaining insight to improve future practice. With reflection-in-action, professionals are seen as examining their experiences and responses as they occur. In both types of reflection, professionals aim to connect with their feelings and attend to relevant theory. They seek to build new understandings to shape their action in the unfolding situation. In Schon’s words: The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation. (Schon, 1983, p. 68) For Schon, reflection-in-action was the core of ‘professional artistry’ – a concept he contrasted with the ‘technical-rationality’ demanded by the (still dominant) positivist paradigm whereby problems are solvable through the rigorous application of science. A contemporary example of this paradigm is the evidence-based practice movement, which favours quantitative studies  over qualitative ones, and established protocols over intuitive practice. In Schon’s view, technical-rationality failed to resolve the dilemma of ‘rigour versus relevance’ confronting professionals. Schon’s argument, since taken up by others (e.g. Fish and Coles,1998), was as follows: Professional practice is complex, unpredictable and messy. In order to cope, professionals have to be able to do more  than follow set procedures. They draw on both practical experience and theory as they think on their feet and improvise. They act both intuitively and cr eatively. Both reflection-in and on -action allows them to revise, modify and refine their expertise. Schon believed that as professionals become more expert in their practice, they developed the skill of being able to monitor and adapt their practice simultaneously, perhaps even intuitively. In contrast, novice practitioners, lacking knowing-in-action (tacit knowledge), tended to cling to rules and procedures, which they are inclined to apply mechanically. Schon argued that novices needed to step back and, from a distance, take time to think through situations. Whether expert or novice, all professionals should reflect on practice – both in general and with regard to specific situations. Schon’s work has been hugely influential – some would say ‘canonical’ – in the way it has been applied to practice and professional training and education. For example, in the health care field, Atkins and Murphy (1993) identify three stages of the reflective process. The first stage, triggered by the professional becoming aware of uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, is akin to Schon’s ‘experience of surprise’ (what Boyd and Fales, 1983, identify as ‘a sense of inner discomfort’ or ‘unfinished business’). The second stage involves a critical analysis of feelings and knowledge. The final stage of reflection involves the development of a new perspective. Atkins and Murphy argue that both cognitive and affective skills are prerequisites for reflection and that these combine in the processes of self-awareness, critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation (see Appendix 2). In the education field, Grushka, Hinde-McLeod and Reynolds (2005) distinguish between ‘reflection for action’, ‘reflection in action’ and ‘reflection on action’ (see Appendix 3). They offer a series of technical, practical and critical questions for teachers to engage with. For example, under reflection for action teachers are advised to consider their resources and how long the lesson will take (technical); how to make the resources relevant to different learning styles (practical); and to question why they are teaching this particular topic (critical). Zeichner and Liston (1996) differentiate between five different levels at which reflection can take place during teaching: 1. Rapid reflection – immediate, ongoing and automatic action by the teacher. 2. Repair – in which a thoughtful teacher makes decisions to alter their behaviour in response to students’ cues. 3. Review – when a teacher thinks about, discusses or writes about some element of their teaching. 4. Research – when a teacher engages in more systematic and sustained thinking over time, perhaps by collecting data or reading research. 5. Retheorizing and reformulating – the process by which a teacher critically examines their own practice and theories in the light of academic theories. While Schon’s work has inspired many such models of reflection and categories of reflective practice, it has also drawn criticism. Eraut (2004) faults the work for its lack of precision and clarity. Boud and Walker (1998) argue that Schon’s analysis ignores critical features of the context of reflection. Usher et al (1997) find Schon’s account and methodology unreflexive, while Smyth (1989) deplores the atheoretical and apolitical quality of his conceptions. Greenwood (1993), meanwhile, targets Schon for downplaying the importance of reflection-before-action. Moon (1999) regards Schon’s pivotal concept of reflection-in-action as unachievable, while Ekebergh (2006) draws on  phenomenological philosophy to argue that it is not possible to distance oneself from the lived situation to reflect in the moment. To achieve real self-reflection, she asserts, one needs to step out of the situation and reflect retrospectively (van Manen, 1990). Given this level of criticism, questions have to raised about the wide adoption of Schon’s work and the way  it has been applied in professional practice and education (Usher et al, 1997). There have been calls for a m ore critical, reflexive exploration of the nature of reflective practice. Reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity Contemporary writing on reflective practice invites professionals to engage in both personal reflection and broader social critique. For example, work within the Open University’s Health and Social Care faculty has put forward a model whereby reflective practice is seen as a synthesis of reflection, self-awareness and critical thinking (Eby, 2000) (see figure 1). In this model, the philosophical roots of reflective practice are identified in phenomenology (with its focus on lived experience and personal consciousness) and also in critical theory (which fosters the development of a critical consciousness towards emancipation and resisting oppression ). Self-awareness Roots: phenomenology – The cognitive ability to think, feel, sense and know through intuition – To evaluate the knowledge derived through self-awareness to develop understanding Reflection Roots: existential phenomenology and critical theory -interpretive and critical theory – tool for promoting self- and social awareness and social action – improving self-expression, learning and co-operation – links theory and practice Reflective Practice Critical thinking Roots: scepticism and critical theory – identifying and challenging assumptions – challenging the importance of context – to imagine and explore alternatives which leads to reflective scepticism Figure 1 Skills underpinning the concept of reflective practice. Other authors argue for the concept of critical reflection, which is seen as offering a more thorough-going form of reflection through the use of critical theory (Brookfield, 1995). For adherents of critical reflection, reflection on its own tends to â€Å"remain at the level of relatively undisruptive changes in techniques or superficial thinking† (Fook, White and Gardner, 2006, p.9). In contrast, critical reflection involves attending to discourse and social and political analysis; it seeks to enable transformative social action and change. For Fook (2006), critical reflection  Ã¢â‚¬Å"enables an understanding of the way (socially dominant) assumptions may be socially restrictive, and thus enables new, more empowering ideas and practices. Critical reflection thus enables social change beginning at individual levels. Once individuals become aware of the hidden power of ideas they have absorbed unwittingly from their social contexts, they are then freed to make choices on their own terms.† Fook and Askeland argue that the focus of critical reflection should be on connecting individual identity and social context:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Part of the power of critical reflection in opening up new perspectives and  choices about practice may only be realized if the connections between individual thinking and identity, and dominant social beliefs are articulated and realized.† (Fook and Askeland, 2006, p.53). For Reynolds (1998), four characteristics distinguish critical reflection from other versions of reflection : (1) its concern to question assumptions; (2) its social rather than individual focus; (3) the particular attention it pays to the analysis of power relations; and (4) its pursuit of emancipation (Reynolds, 1998). By way of example, Reynolds argues that when managers critically reflect (rather than just reflect) they become aware of the wider environment in which they operate. They begin to grasp the social power exercised by their organisation through its networks and relationships. : In the field of teaching, Brookfield (1995) characterises critical reflection as ‘stance and dance’. The critically reflective teacher’s stance toward teaching is one of inquiry and being open to further investigation. The dance involves experimentation and risk towards modifying practice while moving to fluctuating, and possibly contradictory, rhythms (Larrivee, 2000). A key concept giving momentum to the idea of reflective practice involving both personal reflection and social critique is reflexivity. Reflexive practitioners engage in critical self-reflection: reflecting critically on the impact of their own background, assumptions, positioning, feelings, behaviour while also attending to the impact of the wider organisational, discursive, ideological and political context. The terms reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity are often confused and wrongly assumed to be interchangeable. Finlay and Gough (2003, p. ix) find it helpful to think of these concepts forming a continuum. At one end stands reflection, defined simply as ‘thinking about’ something after the event. At the other end stands reflexivity: a more immediate and dynamic process which involves continuing self-awareness. Critical reflection lies somewhere in between. Previously, I’ve proposed five overlapping variants of reflexivity with critical selfreflection at the core: introspection; intersubjective reflection; mutual collaboration; social critique and ironic deconstruction (Finlay, 2002, 2003). These variants can similarly be applied to  distinguishing between the types of reflection practitioners could engage in when reflecting on practice. Reflective practice as introspection involves the practitioner in solitary self-dialogue in which they probe personal meanings and  emotions. Intersubjective reflection makes the practitioner focus on the relational context, on the emergent, negotiated nature of practice encounters. With mutual collaboration, a participatory, dialogical approach to reflective practice is sought – what Ghaye (2000) calls a ‘reflective conversation’. Here, for example, a mentor and student, or members of a team, seek to solve problems collaboratively. Reflective practice as social critique focuses attention on the wider discursive, social and political context. For instance, the practitioner may think about coercive institutional practices or seek to manage the power imbalances inherent in education/practice contexts. Finally, reflective practice as ironic deconstruction would cue into postmodern and poststructural imperatives to deconstruct discursive practices and represent something of the ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings in particular organisational and social contexts. At the very least, a critical and possibly satirical gaze could be turned to challenging the ubiquitously unreflexive rhetoric of reflective practice. In practice, introspection is the dominant mode of reflective practice. Sometimes presented as merely a promising personal attribute (Loughran , 2006), it is a predominantly individualistic and personal exercise (Reynolds and Vince, 2004) in which practitioners tend to focus on their own thoughts, feelings, behaviours and evaluations. This passes as legitimate ‘reflective practice’ which professionals then can use to advance their cause to fit formal requirements for continuing professional development. While such reflective practice may take place in dialogical contexts such as supervision sessions, the onus stays on the individual practitioner to reflect upon and evaluate their own practice. What is lacking is any mutual, reciprocal, shared process. Institutional structures and quality assurance  systems encourage, perhaps even require, this individual focus. It starts early on during professional education and training where learners engage professional socialisation and are taught how to reflect, using structured models of reflection. One of the consequences of the lack of consensus and clarity about the concept of reflective practice is the proliferation of different versions and models to operationalise reflective practice.

A Brief Note On Diabetes And Pregnancy Among First Nations...

1. When reviewing â€Å"Diabetes in pregnancy among First Nations women† by Oster, Mayan, and Toth (2014) for its relevance to nursing/healthcare, the purpose of the study, research questions, and significance were made very clear. The purpose of the study was to acquire a deeper understanding of the perspectives held by First Nations women with the intention of discovering more culturally appropriate interventions to prevent and treat diabetes in pregnancy among this group (Oster, Mayan, Toth, 2014). The study is relevant to nursing in that its questions focus on the Aboriginal woman’s lived experience of diabetes in pregnancy and what she believes contributes to a healthy pregnancy (Oster et al., 2014). At the core of nursing care is†¦show more content†¦By implementing a person-centered approach to care, healthcare providers such as nurses can work with First Nations women who are pregnant to help them acquire the knowledge necessary to manage their di abetes and to connect traditional and mainstream health practices that will support these women to make positive lifestyle changes in attempt to control their diabetes throughout pregnancy (Oster et al., 2014). 2. After examining the literature review within Oster et al. (2014), both strengths and weaknesses were observed. Quantitative research was used to explain the inherent difference in health status among First Nations and non-First Nations populations. A measured decrease in the age of diabetes diagnosis and higher fertility rates among First Nations individuals (Oster et al., 2014) alluded to the urgency of exploring effective care options for pregnant Aboriginal women with diabetes in order to mitigate the growing â€Å"epidemic† (p. 1469). The qualitative studies used were also significant as they identified a disconnect between traditional and Western views to be explored and bridged in attempt to deliver effective Type two diabetes health care to First Nations people (Oster et al, 2014). Referencing quantitative and qualitative studies to demonstrate the importance of identifying culturally appropriate Type two diabetes care for First Nations women who are pregnant co uld be seen as a major strength of the